Session 2: The pond Report

General Summary

The party marched for four hours straight without taking a break. Still anxious, for there might be followers. The party entered the forest, leaving behind the world lighted by the moons' reflection, into the dark thicket.   Moving while staying clear from any noticeable path, the party decided to rest for a while and regain their energy. Azubuike noticing a rather tall tree climbed to the top to surveil the area. Noticing a dim glow coming from the direction of the Tel'a'Sei army. To the other side, the trees made way for a small forest.   Rejoining the party down below Azubuike did his report. The further evening and night were, to the party's content rather uneventful. Allowing them to take a good rest.   With the first light of the next day, it was time to move onward. Surely now the Tel'a'Sei would have noticed their escape and the watchdogs send on a hunt. As the party moved further into the forest towards the clearing mentioned by Azubuike they noticed weird gurgle-like sounds and the splashing of water. Silently closing in on the clearing the party happened upon a pond with small, black, oily creatures, like the one in their cart, playing in it.   Rhogar carefully stepped toward the pond and the creatures. At first, the black beings did not notice him closing in but as he neared the pond they stopped playing for a moment to observe him. Rhogar stopping in his tracks waited. A few moments passed before the creatures continued playing in the water. Rhogar continued towards the pond and as he reached the edge the creatures sprang up and moved as far to the other side of the pond as they could. Rhogar more alert now slowly grabbed his waterskin and bent towards the pond to fill it. As he touched the water the creatures ran even further away now towards the other side of the clearing. Feeling no hostility from the creatures Rhogar called the party towards him. Yulius and Azubuike started towards Rhogar leaving Dena, in her dream state, near the treeline.   As Yulius reached the water one of the creatures threw a stone at Rhogar hitting him on his cheek. Not taking this offense Rhogar ran towards the group and kicked one of the creatures. A battle ensued between the creatures and the party. Taken in by the battle they noticed too late that one of the creatures set his aim on Dena. portalling towards her the creature created a black tar pit underneath Dena and slowly dragged her down into the black oily substance.   As the fight continued Dena was dragged into the put further and further. Yulius and Azubuike moved closer to Dena and tried getting her out of the pit but to no avail. Even binding her to a branch dit not seem to help. Rhogar meanwhile noticing that the creatures' attacks were not as painful or even hostile as they initially thought put tried talking to the creatures. While the spoken word did not seem to be understood by them him playing music did! the creatures danced and mocked the party a bit but did not continue attacking.   Azubuike now trying to pull Dena out of the pit with all his might did not notice the black creature climbing on his back. As the creature reached Azubuike's neck it stuck its fingers in Azubuike's nose. Azubuike infuriated by the endless mockery of the creatures grabbed the creature from his neck and threw him down into the pit. Unfortunately, the black creature melting with the tarpit created an even larger pit and now Azubuike was stuck in it and being dragged down as well!   Slowly Azubuike and Dena disappeared into the pit, Yulius having seen the creatures portal through the same pools of black jumped in hoping to find Azubuike and Dena on the other side. Rhogar meanwhile left alone with two of the creatures remaining walked up to the pit. Not knowing what to do he turned towards the creatures. Both were signing him to jump in. As one of the creatures took the lead Rhogar closing his nose jumped in leaving the forest behind.   On the other side of the pit, the party saw a sky black as midnight with a cold white sun granting vision to the world around them. The portal they jumped through let them to another world into thick oozlike sea. Using enough force Yulius climbed atop the surface without sinking in it again. Dena standing on the surface as well moved, with Yulius, towards an island roughly where the pond was located on the other side.   Azubuike swimming in the ooze made his way slowly towards the island aswell. As he arrived he noticed the small black creatures they fought earlier seemingly unharmed. The creatures signed the party to come closer and sit in a circle with them. As the party obliged one of the creatures opened another pit and showed the other side, the world of the party. As the party looked through the portal they saw two watchdogs from the Tel'a'Sei arrive scouting the clearing. One of the watchdogs moved closer to the pond. As it neared a small red flame giving off an unnerving aura appeared in the world of the party at the same spot the watchdog was standing on the other side.   The party, getting more unnerved by the watchdog closing into the portal, were reassured by the small black creatures as they made foul gestures towards the watchdogs while it inspected the portal but did appear not to notice them on the other side. The Watchdogs being done scouting the area moved on their red flaming auras disappearing from the world the party was in now.   Feeling relatively safe the party decided to take another rest changing guards every other hour. During Rhogar's watch, a metallic screech pierced the silence. The party awakened by it saw the small black creatures frantically running around, opening a portal and gesturing the party to move through it quickly. Not wanting to discover the party jumped through it and appeared in the pond in their world.