Session 71

General Summary

• Dazki planted the Windbreaking Drill in its slot, and Kesmet activated it. It seemed to work: the device spawned a gigantic dust devil that forced a retreat back to town.
• Marvin and Grogery both had visions that they haven't relayed to the rest of the party yet.
• Dwardazik woke to one of his teeth seemingly having been replaced by a half-orc tusk, which he did relay to the rest of the party.
• Jim gave some parting wisdom and other notes, though the party went a long way towards burning bridges with him (despite, of course, Dazki's attempts to smooth it over):
• Jim claims to be stretched very thin as he "protects" the city from threats like drought, hunger, and disease, which is part of why he was unable to deal with the Turmoil entities himself.
• The entrance to the Flesh Artist's lair has been revealed: it's under a particular Ankheg horn in the northeast.
• Dangers in the dungeon will include several undead and a small but fanatical cult (some members recruited from Overlook itself), who have been seen occasionally wreaking havoc in the town.
• The incense won't do as much to the larger Ankheg guardians.
• Jim very reluctantly gave the party two masks that had been "recovered" from the cultists during one of their incursions into the town.
• Jim gave Dazki his blood back (after Grogery was safely outside the town), and the party started making their way over to the Flesh Artist's lair.
• Kesmet gave Dwardazik Baxton's Ring of Mind Shielding. The dwarf attuned to it.
• At the entrance to the lair, the party all managed to make it down the hole, which was guarded by multiple of the larger guardians that Jim had warned about. These efforts were complicated by the Eversmoking Bottle that Kesmet had opened, not knowing that it would have no effect on the ants' ability to perceive them.

Full Recap

The session opens with the party in a field around Overlook, having just defeated the plant-based Turmoil creatures that Jim wanted them to.   While unconscious, Marvin received a brief vision. Note: this was a Marvin-specific vision, so in-game, Marvin is the only one who knows of it. It was a long-ish segment that was said out loud, so it's not marked as a secret this time.   A forgotten skeleton, buried mostly in blood red, windswept sand. Half of its skull, a shoulder, and an arm exposed to the twilit sky. It feels familiar: halfling. Ancestor? Offspring?   A little plant sprout grows within the hollow eye socket, eventually forming a cluster of yellow flowers at the tip of a stem.   Echoed voices flow on the wind, occasionally speaking and overlapping one another:

I̞͠n͎̊t̝̔e͓̓r̪̃t͚͡w̘̄i͈͂n̻͋e̠͡ș̚^{E͍x̲p̲l̺ọi̯t͢ş}_{Ťr̍a̋v͡e͂l̏s͡} the harpoon's tether. Resonant caretaker, we implore --

Before that sentence finishes, Marvin is shaken back into reality once more. He has been revived by his teammates.   Out of all the weird shit from the vision, only one thought rattles around in his brain: he didn't have the possibility of fleeing this combat, but why hadn't he even considered fleeing the combat? Why wouldn't he want to run to live another day? Why did he put his fate in the hands of these people, even as he lay dying on the battlefield?   It's so... not Marvin of him. For once, Marvin is doing something that might actually make a difference. He wants to see this through.   That doesn't change the fact that he still feels like shit, after getting the shit kicked out of him by vegetation.

This Is Not A Drill

Those who were devoured by the snapdragon still have a sweet-smelling substance on them, similar to honey.

Marvin: Did... did we win?   Dazki: Yep, we did.   Dwardazik: Grogery, you all right?   Grogery, drunk from being given some of Aggromir's "special" potions: I... don't know...   Dwardazik: It was quite a mighty battle! I could use some rest, honestly. Maybe it was a bad idea coming out here so early...   Grogery: ...is the ground supposed to be moving?   Dazki: Just sit down, maybe lean on Dwardazik. Kesmet and I will take care of the last thing we need to do here.   Grogery: ...everything hurts...   Dwardazik: I've got you covered. To the road, Grogery!   Dwardazik tries to lead Grogery to the road.   Grogery: OK, I have a... get the... hang on. I need to do some healing on people.   Marvin: So... this place is on fire, ... talk about pushing daisies, man! Dazki, thank you. I don't know if I was going to make that.   Dazki: Don't worry about it, it's all good. You OK?   Marvin: I don't know. I just got beat up by plants.   Grogery: Is this the first time we got beat up by plants? I don't remember getting beat up by plants before.   Dazki: First time I remember.   Grogery: Gotten beaten up by lots of weird... remember when all those, like, moving tools were trying to beat us up? That was weird.   Dazki moves over to plant the Windbreaking Drill, and Kesmet flies into position to cast a Fireball to activate it.   Grogery: Hey Dwardazik and Marvin, come here close, I'm going to, like... let Pelor hug you back to more life. They do. It happens.

Dazki plunges the Windbreaking Drill into the main rune of the main stone and starts running away. After it's set, the drill clings on with a hiss. When everyone is clear, Kesmet casts a Fireball at it and flies away.   Unlike what the party have come to expect from a Fireball, there is no fiery explosion on contact. Instead, the large diamond on the drill hums to life with bright blue energy, all the stones following suit as it draws energy from them. A small whirlwind forms in the diamond. It does not stay there for long, as the wind starts to pick up around the stones, whipping into a powerful typhoon that swirls and grows, the razor sharp winds slashing at the fire and debris in the field. A terrible dust devil has formed around the drill, with an ever-increasing radius.   As the dust devil grows, Dwardazik tries frantically to see if there's anything of value on the snapdragon. The only thing he sees is some more of that syrup that he's coated in (and which attracted the dandy-lions). He fills three vials of it before the ever-growing dust devil forces a retreat. They head back to town.

From Hostile to Hostel

With newfound insight about how this town operates, and with the sun now having set, the undead population is much more apparent. People take their time to look after and dote upon what you now realize may have once been a loving grandfather or a family friend, which is at least a little disturbing to all. A small child has a picture book, telling made-up stories about various characters to her wooden doll... and to an undead family member. Another woman is trying to affix glasses to a zombie that would, realistically, no longer need them. Two dwarves sit in rocking chairs watching the world go by; you imagine that they would be doing that every night even before one of them died.

Dwardazik: This is a strange place... but I'm glad to be back behind some walls.   Dazki: I'm certainly glad to be away from that whirlwind.   Dwardazik: I guess that means it worked, right?   Dazki: I hope so.   Grogery: I didn't get eaten once, just for that not to work.   Dwardazik: Let's hope we don't have to go back out there, then.   Grogery: Do you guys think he sent us out there thinking, "either I get this field back, or the annoying people die and I don't have to deal with..." well, he would have to deal with us, 'cause he'd have to zombify our bodies afterwards... but do you think he was, like, secretly hoping that we'd bite it out there?   Kesmet: Yes.   Dazki: No, I don't think so.   Dwardazik: I think it's possible, as are all things, but I don't think it was likely. That particular artifact that we had seemed valuable. If we failed, he would have to retrieve it by himself. Wouldn't make sense.   Dazki: That's what I think too, Dwardazik.   Kesmet: You both agree over something?!   Dwardazik: Though if one of us didn't come back, I don't know if he'd be happy about that or not.   Grogery: He'd probably be happy that he had an adventurer's body to work with... I mean, I guess it's better than ending up with the Flesh Artist, but, like... eww...   Dwardazik: No, that is unacceptable! None of our corpses are going to be used as tools!   Dakzi: The implication he had in our conversation is that he only did that to people who consented. None of us consented.   Grogery: BLEH.   Dwardazik: Exactly! Not like I would even let you consent if you tried. I'm takin' your body back to your loved ones, and you'd have to fight me to prevent me from doin' it!   Grogery: That's a... really long ways away...   Dwardazik: You don't think I can make it?   Grogery, speech still slurred: Nah, it'z juss... hard.   Dazki: Well, hopefully that won't need to happen. We'll all get back to our families, or wherever we want to go, on our own power.   Dwardazik: That's true.

Back at the teahouse. Jim is not here.

Dwardazik: Kesmet, we're gonna need your assistance. This stuff, when it was touching my hands, kinda itched and burned. Let's get it off of our lads.   Grogery: Yeah, this is the stuff that was trying to digest us.   Dwardazik: I'll get some water and some cloth, and you help with your prestidigi-whatever magic, and we'll get this all cleaned up.   Grogery: Prestidigitation is not soap.   Dwardazik: That's how we're gonna do it.   Kesmet: Maybe dry it off a little bit, get rid of the debris.

They wash off the sticky stuff to the best of their ability. As the party is about to make their way upstairs to the hostel, a zombie courier brings a letter for them.

Dwardazik, addressing the zombie: Grr... watch yourself...   Dazki, taking the letter: It's fine, he's just delivering some mail. He reads it. Jim wants to meet with us tomorrow by the fountain, a few hours after sun up.   Dwardazik: Well, I guess that solves what our plan is for tomorrow morning, heh! ...damn, I could use a stiff drink.   Dazki: Nope. Not here.   Kesmet: Be strong, remember!   Dwardazik: ...I don't need it...   Grogery: Hey Dwardazik, how many times have I been the one to drink, and you've been the sober one?   Dwardazik: ...uh... one.   Grogery: Counting today?   Dwardazik: Yes. And to be fair, it was involuntary.   Grogery: Well, does anyone voluntarily get plastered or is it just an accident that happens when you go too far?   Dwardazik: ...you watch your tongue, little lad. You're insulting the greatest pastime of all dwarves: getting drunk and having your clan make the most potent alcohol, while also tasting the best, is a clan's pride! Well, one of many.   Grogery: So, like, is there a point at which "drunk" stops being fun and just starts... being... not fun?   Dwardazik: Yeah: when you can't drink anymore! Because... you can't drink anymore!   Dwardazik slaps Grogery on the back.   Grogery: Ow...   Dazki: Well, that's... some logic!   Dwardazik: All right, now let's stop talkin' about drinkin' before I relapse!   Grogery: OK, I think I need to do the food... don't I usually do the food at night? Gonna make the food for tomorrow.

Dazki continues reading his book and finally makes progress: he now understands the meaning of chapter 2.   Grogery uses Lesser Restoration to fix his drunkenness, creates food and water for the next day, and sends out some messages to let people know that he's OK. He gets the feeling that it the recipients of his Sending spell messages would have a difficult time understanding the message, though it's not completely blocked.

Night, In Shining Armor

While Grogery sleeps restlessly, he has a dream. Note: as with Marvin's vision, Grogery's dream is Grogery-specific, but it was a long-ish segment that was said out loud, so it's also not marked as a secret.   An endless field of sunflowers float in an endless sea of warm light. They are small, for sunflowers, and as you travel through the field of thigh-high sunny flowers, their heads rotate slowly towards you as if to watch, tracking your progress through the field. The space speaks to you, kind and powerful, the voice echoing off the many flowers as if the flowers themselves were glass:

Voice: Be wary, little ray of light, for those afraid of the sun must also shun what it brings and what it represents. Deals done in the darkness are dark deals, no matter the charisma or intellect of their shady dealer.

A giant, tower-sized black skeletal hand erupts far in the distance, leaving a hand-shaped shadow to fall over the sunflower field. The flowers in the shade, there, begin to wilt and die. Shadowy figures, featureless, flock below the shadow of the hand. Wielding gravedigger spades and picks, they till the sickly soil aggressively, and the ground around them sprouts instead with more villainous skeletal hands instead of watchful sunflowers. The voice speaks again.

Voice: Crops wither under lingering shade, golden sunflower. No matter how easy it would be for others to rest on their laurels in that shade and accept the deals done in darkness, you must stand tall and remove that shadow with alacrity and zeal. To choose not to shine is to invite darkness.

Grogery ventures into the shadows. As he travels into the hand-shaped shadow, the shadowy figures screech as he approaches, as if Grogery emits light and removes the shadows. Even as the skeletal hands and shadowy figures scream out in pain and obvious distress, Grogery feels correct in his decision. The voice does not speak again, though: it is as if Grogery is being judged for complacency.

Morning Cup of Jim

Dwardazik wakes to a throbbing pain in his jaw. Probing around for the problem, he discovers that he now has a little half-orc tusk in his jaw where one of his bottom teeth used to be. It barely peeks over his lip, like a scrappy little stray dog. He examines its reflection in his shield as he puts on his armor. He walks over to Marvin and shows him the tooth.

Dwardazik: You ever seen anything like this before?   Marvin: Uh... you might want to get that checked out.   Dwardazik, in a low whisper: I was just wondering if you'd seen anything like it on your travels. I don't want to alarm anyone else. I'll see if I can find a cure for it.   Marvin: Why, are you sick?   Dwardazik, voice growing louder: This is not my normal tooth! It's different! Clearly, something happened last night! Is it that hard to figure out? Damn, my tooth hurts! He holds his hand to his face. UGH, never mind.   Grogery: Huh? Did someone break a tooth while they were asleep?   Dwardazik: Oh, fine! I didn't want to worry you all since you seemed so busy, but... might as well just get it over with. Looks like something happened to me over at the fight. I woke up with a pain, felt like someone hit me with a hammer, right in the jaw. Man, I didn't ever expect to feel like worked steel, but... this tooth... He shows it to the others.   Grogery: Um... OK. I never really was able to get any drinks in, before I got home... how do I get rid of the eye-blurriness of a hangover?   Dwardazik: UGH. Well, for you lads, maybe you should drink some water... or some tea (He rolls his eyes)... but maybe not the tea from here.   Dazki: It was mediocre at best.   Dwardazik: Anyways, just work it off. Eat some heavy, thick meat, like some good ol' grilled chicken or... ahh, some bison, or... anything meaty...   Marvin: Hey! Our oxen are not on the menu here!   Dwardazik: I know!   Grogery: I don't know if there would be a lot of big game here or not. This is a farming village, but it is in the Grand Savannah...   Dwardazik: Well, couldn't hurt to ask. How much time we got before we have to go see what Jim's doing?   There's a general consensus that they can probably take their time in the morning and just make it the first thing they do after going downstairs.   Dwardazik: OK, then, might as well gear up and maybe eat something, then. Sound good to everyone?   Dazki: I could definitely go for some food after that. Preferably no salad!   Dwardazik: Let's have some of the food Grogery made last night, and then see what we can get downstairs?   Marvin: Bah, what's the rush?   Dazki: Well, we've got stuff to do. We do kinda need to get out of here so that Dwardazik can have a drink again.   Dwardazik: That, and let's not lose the advantage we gained last night. The momentum! We took care of that last night so that we'd be able to make our way closer to the Flesh Artist today. Every minute counts.   Marvin: You sure you can count that high?   Dwardazik: I can count how many fists are about to run into your face! It's one.   Marvin: Just... let me take my time, man.   Grogery: Listen, I really need to talk to Jim. So...   Marvin: Suuuure.   Grogery: We don't leave anybody alone after what happened with the giant centipede.   Marvin: Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's on the menu?

They find a menu. Meager pickings... all vegetarian, though there is some goat cheese available. They have some of the Grogery food and a bit of whatever they can get from Overlook.

Dwardazik: All right. Smiles on, everyone. Let's go talk to Jim, see if we can get one step closer to this Flesh Artist.

The Jimquisition

Jim is, indeed, resting next to the fountain at the center of town, lazily watching two children wave sticks at one another as if they were swords.

Dazki: Hail, and well met!   Jim: Hello. You must have done well. No casualties, I can see.   Dwardazik: You could've warned us about the thing!   Marvin: He's probably gonna say something ominous, like, "But then you wouldn't have agreed to do it!"   Dazki: He did warn us that there would be monsters.   Dwardazik: But a GIANT, PLANT, DRAGON? That can GO THROUGH THE GROUND?   Grogery: That ate three of us?   Jim: That is interesting.   Dwardazik: Could've given us a heads-up! Next time you try to fool around with me like that, I won't be so kind!   Jim: You seem on-edge, still. The combat was difficult, then... is there anything I can do for you?   Dwardazik: You can tell us where the Flesh Artist is, and how to destroy him. He turns to the others and gives them a thumbs-up.   Dazki: If you would please give us the information that was agreed upon, we would appreciate it.   Jim: All right, it is only fair to uphold my end of the bargain.   Dazki: And I would also like my vial of blood back, if you please?   Jim: With all due respect, the cleric is still here.   Grogery: So, you're not going to give the vial of blood back until I'm not around?   Marvin: Hey, Kesmet, cast Invisibility on Grogery real quick!   Jim pulls out a rolled-up map and unrolls it, gesturing to the areas as he mentions them.   Jim: Many of the ant nests to the northeast have been rather neutered by the Flesh Artist's various... "art projects". As the Ankhegs are vital to the city's survival, we've grown quite adept at monitoring their population. This cluster was most negatively impacted by the Artist's intrusion. The colony is currently using this horn here as the sole entrance to the hive. I believe this to currently be the entrance to the Artist's lair.   Dazki: Thank you very much. So, I do have one question for you. Is the lair particularly far outside of the influence of the city, and if so, would it be best if we took our transportation with us?   Jim: It is only a few hours out. With proper height, you may even be able to see the horn from here, although the protective vapors created by this town are much weaker there.   Dazki: OK. Good. Thank you.   Grogery: So to be clear, there is no concern that if we go to the Flesh Artist's lair, and then attempt to come back, that we will forget everything that we left here? Including the transportation that we used to get out here in the first place?   Jim: You wrote it down, did you not? The ink should not fade from that distance.   Grogery: The question is whether or not we will know how to get back here, or should we bring the cart?   Jim: The fog is still present in small quantities there. The ink will not fade, your memory should be relatively fine.   Dazki: OK, well, that answers that question.   Marvin, whispering: We've also still got the thing!   Grogery: What of the divination baffling?   Dwardazik: I don't necessarily understand... what's so wrong with bringing the cart with us?   Dazki: I would say, we're going into the dungeon, it would probably be best not to leave our cart tied up right outside where the oxen could lure all sorts of predators in an open field.   Grogery: Not to mention, someone has to keep that incense lit. If we get preoccupied, the incense runs out, and our oxen get devoured by an ant colony.   Dwardazik: Hmm. Very true.   Dazki: Plus, no cart means that we have a good chance at the element of surprise.   Dwardazik: I agree. It will be very inconvenient having to walk there, and hopefully we won't forget it as you said. But if Jim is right, I agree with this.   Jim: I would like to give a warning. Nearer the hive, and within it, you may find the incense to be less effective. The larger guardian Ankhegs have learned to mostly ignore the scent. Luckily for us, they tend to stay close to the nest.   Dwardazik: See, that's what you should've done before! Now we can expect some actual combat from the ants instead of just walkin' by. All right, I won't punch you this time...   Grogery: If we're being entirely fair, he did warn us that there may be threats near the Turmoil, just not that they would be threats capable of eating us alive.   Dwardazik: Rrrgh... ... it was a PLANT. DRAGON.   Kesmet: That was the second thing that had to do with Turmoil that tried to eat us.   Marvin: Speaking of that, I could go for second breakfast.   Dazki: Munch some of your rations on the way.   Dwardazik: Grogery, got any of that bread? Toss some over to Marvin.   Grogery does, Marvin eats.   Jim: Will you be venturing out there today, then?   Dwardazik: Damn straight we are! Every moment we wait, that Flesh Artist gets stronger. Now is the time to strike!   Dazki: I agree. We should head out as soon as possible, if everyone has everything they think we'll need.   Dwardazik: I believe we're all good.   Grogery takes a step closer to Jim.   Grogery: So, is that all of the help you are willing to grant us?   Jim: Is there more help you would like?   Grogery: We would appreciate all the help we could get, but considering how little information we know about this town and the Flesh Artist, we do not know exactly what to ask for.   Kesmet: Potions?   Jim: Potions would be a rarity here. The material is hard to grow in this climate. I can say, I do not know much.   Marvin: You know, if we get rid of the Flesh Artist, I feel like we'd be doing this town a real big favor. I'd think you'd want us to succeed.   Jim: I would like you to succeed.   Marvin: You don't really seem like it! Not gonna lie, you didn't warn us about the plant dragon, you just said "oh yeah, go over here, good luck".   Jim: I did warn of danger, did I not?   Dazki: You did, but the warnings could have been more specific.   Marvin: Not gonna lie, you look like a pretty capable guy. Have you ever tried to take 'em down?   Jim: That creature is much beyond my capabilities. I am already stretched thin, protecting the city from things like drought, things like hunger, things like disease.   Grogery: So, all of the zombies in this town are yours, then?   Jim: I created them, but to own a person... it is not the way of Altzmyr.   Grogery: You have no assistants? No apprentices? Your magic is literally the only thing keeping this entire town working?   Jim: I have acolytes to aid with repairs and simple spellcasting, but I am the head necromancer. Should they fail, it would be my fault.   Dazki: It does seem dangerous and -- forgive me for saying so, but -- a bit short-sighted.   Jim: Oh?   Dazki: If something were to happen to you, the zombies would be out of control, and everyone living here would be in great danger.   Jim: You misunderstand. I do not control these zombies. I have made them, but they are not mine.   Dazki: Ahh.   Dwardazik: What? Is that even possible?   Grogery: Theoretically.   Dazki: The smoke is pacifying them, and that's why they're docile.   Dwardazik: Sounds like you've built yourself a rickety mine with weak supports. If even one of them were to crumble, the entire thing would collapse.   Jim: All the more reason to keep the information here secret.   Dwardazik: We'll keep our end of the bargain if you keep yours. If this information helps us get rid of the Flesh Artist, and you don't betray us, I won't spread a word about this place, and I'm sure the others won't either.   One of the two playing children accidentally breaks its stick and starts wailing and crying. Jim glances over briefly, to make sure that nobody is terribly injured, but returns to the conversation.   Grogery: So, Jim, you had the opportunity to converse with my compatriots quite a bit yesterday about the ideology of Overlook. I, knowing that we needed this information on the Flesh Artist, decided to stay out of it, for you didn't seem quite comfortable with my presence.   Jim: I still am not. I do not like you.   Grogery: Sorry to say that, the more I learn about this town, the more I think that this feeling is mutual. Don't worry, I don't hurt the living, and as we've discussed here, doing something to you would potentially lead to a bad impact on the people of this town who have nowhere to go. But, tell me: if someone is born here, knows nothing but here, and has grown up high as a kite their entire life, do you really think they would be able to leave?   Jim: It has happened.   Marvin: The "grow up" part, or the "leave" part?   Jim: Keeping secrets here is not a viable strategy. A lie is just as easily forgotten as the truth.   Marvin: Jim, speaking of that, I won't lie to you when I say, I feel bad for this town. Your town is depressing. To me. You have no culture. No one can develop any art, any history. There's nothing to celebrate, because no one remembers any of it. It's sickening to me. That's not living. That's just: eat, drink, and die.   Dwardazik: Dwarf without a clan is nothing. A clan is all the history of the family.   Marvin: I'll be glad to forget this place, Jim. I'll be very glad.   Dwardazik: And when you die, and these dead dwarves fall to the ground, dead again, hopefully I'll at least remember to take their corpses back to the mountains!   Jim: Such strong feelings. I did not sense this anxiety yesterday.   Dazki: You'll have to forgive us, we're a bit on-edge because of the challenges that we faced yesterday and that face us in the near future. It's brought out some of our more raw emotions with regards to the city in which you live.   Dwardazik: I want to get out of here, frankly. Marvin's got a point. I wondered what it was that was causing me to feel on-edge, and I think Marvin hit the nail on the head. I'm going.   Dwardazik starts walking in the direction that Jim pointed them.   Dazki: Is there anything else you can give us? Information or material that might negatively impact the Flesh Artist?   Jim: I don't know much about him, other than, he's terrifying. He does have undead. Unwilling, they suffer, perpetually following him, wishing for his approval, for repair. A common fallacy I find in the outside world.   Dazki: Does he have living as well?   Jim: There is, yes. Some of them poached from my very town here. A cult has formed within that area.   Dazki: Do you know how strong, roughly? Like, numbers?   Jim: It's small, still, maybe a dozen. But they are avid followers. They occasionally plague us down here, with their masks. Though, not as elaborate. Probably just for the smog.   Dazki: Oh? Do you have materials we could use to craft masks like that here? Disguises?   Jim: But... you would remember...   Jim appears very uncomfortable with this situation. Still incredibly low-energy, though.   Grogery: Ahh, he doesn't want us bringing any physical proof with us, because we would remember.   Dazki: Ahh. All right, very well.   Grogery: We could always promise to destroy the masks if we are successful in defeating the Flesh Artist?   Jim: We may have been able to salvage a couple. We do not have the craftsmanship here necessary to produce what you want.   Dazki: Any that you may have salvaged may be useful. We will make sure they are destroyed, along with any evidence that may come from this town when we take out the Flesh Artist, his undead, and his cult.   Marvin: And if you think about it, the masks didn't come from your town, they came from the Flesh Artist. And his cult. If anything, it's just evidence that we beat him. Nothing about Overlook.   Jim: I can reluctantly provide you with two masks, though, I admit, I feel our relationship is tenuous.   Dazki: It does seem to be that way, unfortunately. I do apologize. I did not wish this to be the case.   Jim: The anger and hatred, I feel, is a common one. Many who travel here don't understand the reason for this city's existence. Those who do are the ones who stay.   Grogery: It's also possible that you can understand the reason for a city's existence and simply think that those reasons are bad.   Jim: Which is why I will delight in you leaving.   Grogery: I will say this, Jim. Everything has its time to end, eventually. Sometimes it is rather sudden, coming from without. Sometimes it is slow and creeping, coming from within. Do you have a plan for what is going to happen to the people of Overlook when that happens? Because if you don't, I highly recommend coming up with one.   Jim: I imagine the long-term existence of this city is due, partially, to the fact that a god watches upon it.   Marvin: I've got one last question for you, Jim. Honestly, I don't give two shits if you answer it or not. You mentioned that the people who realize what this place is, they stay? How do they even know if they changed their minds?   Marvin just walks off after Dwardazik.   Dazki: OK, well, do you think you could escort us to the edge of town? As we leave, would that be an appropriate time for me to have the vial of my blood returned?   Jim: I find this acceptable.   Dazki: OK.   They walk.   Dazki: Thank you very much for your help. I'm sorry it ended up being challenging near the end.   Jim: It is not yet the end.

The party walks away. After some time, Grogery blurts out:

Grogery: Hey, Dazki, you should probably give me that vial of your blood so that I can use resurrection on it to get your body back if it's destroyed.   Dazki: I was going to just smash it on the ground.   Grogery: It was just a thought I had...   Dazki: It's not a bad thought, I just had not... considered that. Umm... do you have any ulterior motives?   Grogery: ...no. It just seemed like... look me in the eyes, Dazki. I have no ulterior motives for this blood, I am simply looking for a way to help save my teammates' lives if something happens.   Dazki: I just wasn't sure if you wanted to have it as some type of insurance, or whatever, against something that Jim may have done.   Grogery: We can cast spells on it, detect magic, that sort of thing to see if there isn't some sort of lingering enchantment.   Dazki uses the wand of detect magic to see if there is anything on the blood. Nothing's magic. He hands it to Grogery, looking just as uncomfortable as he did when he handed it to Jim.   Dazki: You know what, Grogery, as much as I appreciate and understand where you're coming from, I do think that a little more diplomacy might be appreciated when we're working with someone.   Grogery: Well, that's why I waited to say anything until after we got what we came here for.   Dazki: That's a pessimistically transactional way to look at relationships.   Marvin: Jim looks at his whole town as a transaction.   Dazki: I'm not saying that Grogery is wrong. In fact, I think Grogery is right. I just... sigh... like he said, it's not necessarily the end. We might have to interact with him in the future, and I'd prefer to do that on a more positive relationship, if at all possible. I don't very much enjoy having necromancers unhappy with me. Especially when they still have a vial of my blood on them, as he did until just a few minutes ago.   Marvin: Let's be honest, Grogery's mere presence in our group was enough for him to never be comfortable with us. The two religions, two opposing gods... it was doomed from the start.   Dwardazik: Living people make better company.   Dazki: Yes, I agree, but we don't have to be antagonistic on purpose.   Kesmet: Why not?   Grogery: Overlook is a town that's a little bit too comfortable with itself. Yes, redemption is hard, but when you are just off in the middle of nowhere, living in a drunked-up stupor your whole life, you're not going to have any desire to get better. Jim is a little bit too far in his comfort zone right now. Feeding into this whole, "Oh, yes, have these flesh-eating bodies, that don't have their souls anymore, do most of the farm labor, and walk around pretending to be loved ones so that the people they left behind can't move on"... feeding into that is not going to help him. I think he needs to take a long look at what's being done here, and maybe feel uncomfortable about it for a little bit. I'm sure I'm not the first cleric or paladin who's going to stumble across Overlook. If he intends to have Overlook last for however long he wants, I won't be the last.   Dazki: OK. Well, in the future, if you could at least wait to antagonize the necromancer until after he has relinquished the vial of my blood, I would very much appreciate it.   Dwardazik: Don't worry, Dazki. I eyed him up and down, and he didn't seem like he was too much of a threat.   Grogery: All right. In that case, I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable about that. I didn't think he would attempt anything with all of us there, in the middle of town, but...   Dazki: I know what you meant, and I agree, but when a necromancer has a vial of my blood, I'm still going to want to err on the side of caution. Extreme caution.   Kesmet: I mean, he can't do nothing with it until you die, right?   Marvin: Is that right?   Dazki: ... ... no.   Grogery: There are plenty of things that can be done with someone's blood. Scrying becomes easier, for instance. But I will endeavor to be more careful about risks to us, in the future.   Dazki: Thank you. And I did not mean to sound like I was disagreeing with you, or that I thought your beliefs were wrong, in anyway, or that it is wrong for you to get into spirited discussions with others about them. I don't want you to think that I'm asking you not to evangelize. I apologize if it came across that way.   Grogery: Look at us. Two nobles apologizing to one another.   Dazki: It's almost like we have manners.   Marvin: Wait, you guys are nobles?   Grogery: Yes, I am of the Daointaar family!   Marvin: Yeah, I know that, but...   Dazki: My family's not nearly as important as his...   Grogery: Well they must have been a pretty important family in order to be able to produce an adventurer like yourself.

Kesmet has a short conversation with Baxton, through his ring.

Kesmet: Hey, Baxton. How are you?   Baxton: None of you have died yet.   Kesmet: But how do you feel about that?   Baxton: It's better news about some than about others.   Kesmet: I'm touched that you care. Somebody else from our party wants to talk to you.   Marvin: Hey, Baxton! I hear you suck!

Kesmet de-attunes from the ring and gives it to Dwardazik, who attunes to it.

It Ant Nothin' But A Mound, Dog

The party approaches the ant mound. Several small worker ants, and a few larger ants, are hanging around outside. They discuss strategy for how to deal with the hazards and slowly (but not extremely sneakily) approach the horn. One of the larger guardians becomes hostile towards Dwardazik, out in front, leading to a combat encounter.

Combat Summary

• The goal was to enter into the lair down a hole that was up several 10-foot-high ledges.
• Marvin cast Confusion, which was fairly effective at incapacitating some of the ants.
• One of the guardian ants called for help and summoned others from deeper within the lair.
• Most of the fight was frustratingly difficult for the players to navigate: Kesmet opened his Eversmoking Bottle, which obscured the area, but it didn't seem to affect the ants: the ants seemed to have some form of tremorsense.
• After all party members except Grogery and Dwardazik made it down the hole, there were ants completely blocking it. They eventually devised a strategy to get the ants to chase them around the loop, leading them away from the hole so that they could approach it from the other side. It worked perfectly, ending combat.

Dwardazik let down a rope from the top, anchored to something on the outside, which he used to climb down safely into the hole.

Dungeon Entrance

Descending into the dark depths of the Ankheg nest, first of all, you are immediately accosted with a sour smell in the stale, humid air. It clings to your skin. The sounds of skittering echo off the walls, bouncing off the smooth, acid-etched rocks. As your feet touch down at the bottom of this hole, you land on a carpet of discarded bones, with a sickly crunch. Obvious by how clean and acid-etched the bones are, these are the remains of Ankheg meals, piled up by the entrance, awaiting removal from the nest.   Dwardazik uses his lantern to look down the tunnels. He spies ants down one of the tunnels, and an investigation from Dazki reveals that this is likely not a viable path to get to where they need to go. Two remaining paths are viable.

Dwardazik: Hey, Marvin, you did real good. You joined with a bunch of party members, now you're in a cave, and you're standing in a whole bunch of skeletons.   Marvin (singing): And I think to myself, what a wonderful world!