Session 27: A slippery trip underground and way too much water

General Summary

We are back in the large cavern. Here at least is something of nature and light, although the fungi are not really my thing. The last time we were here, we went straight for the dwarven fortress, so there is still plenty to explore here. I would rather be back above ground and in the forest, but at the same time, this alien place is fascinating.   First, we are on top of the ledge under which the underdark snake-like creatures hid. We find the place where they left everything they couldn't digest: mainly bones, but also some money. Going back down from the ledge over the loose rocks proves tricky and I slide a bit. The damage is minor though: no more than a few bruises.   We go south through the cave, down some stairs we ignored the first time around and in the darkness there we find another underground river… Argh! Even worse, the ground is extremely slippery and the Naga and Rat almost slide down in the fast flowing river, which ends in a dangerous looking waterfall. This is bad. But there is clearly more to find here and we decide to go on. With some climbing gear a rope is mounted to the wall and the Rat is the first to the dry ledge beyond, then the Naga and then I, although I only make it thanks to the rope. This water is scary, but I made it! The dwarf is less lucky… He rips the rope from the wall, falls into the water and is almost swept down the waterfall! The Rat quickly ties a rope around him, hands it to the Naga and leaps towards the Dwarf to give him a helping hand, but I won’t wait for that. My thorn whip pulls him up in a quick but painful way. With that, the dwarf recovers, grabs the rope and the Naga pulls him on the ledge, together with the Rat.   After this ordeal, only the Tiefling has to pass the slippery slope, and she does so with a rope held by the Naga. She also slides down, but as the rope is held short she doesn’t slide into the waterfall, but ends up in the river. Being a mage, she simply teleports to a piece of dry ledge she can now see.   At the end of the ledge, we find some stairs which wind down to the bottom of the waterfall. The others want to see if there is maybe a hidden room behind the waterfall, but I stay back, I hate all this water! After throwing a few things in the stream, they hit the rock behind the waterfall and decide there is no hidden room there.   We ignore the doors in the side of the cave for now and go on through a corridor. This leads to another ledge, much too close to the river! It is a new stream which merges with the stream from the waterfall and we follow it upstream. I quickly run over a little bridge and and up next to some stairs which go down to a room covered in some filthy water, left from a flood in the past. This is bad, this flood might come back! We continue on, past the flooded room and up another set of stairs.   In the next room we are again on a ledge which is too close to the river, but this time I see a fish helplessly flopping on a bank next to a stalagmite on the other side. There is water in between, but I have to help it! Together with the Tiefling I move towards it, but suddenly the stalagmite comes to life, eats the fish and flings out long tendrils to grab me and some of the others! Even worse, he doesn’t hold me, but drops me straight into the water! Luckily I am prepared and I cast Water walking on everyone so we won’t drown, but even on top of the water, the fast flowing river drags me sixty feet downstream before I can get off. This must not happen again, even walking on top of the water doesn’t feel good.   I run back up the stairs to help the others, but before I can get there the Naga already killed the monster. I never got the chance to repay him for what he did to me, but some scorch marks and arrows show he wasn’t the only one doing damage though. The Tiefling looks hurt, she was bitten by it. The Dwarf appears behind me boasting he managed to avoid the tendrils several times, but in the end he was grabbed as well and dropped on the water.   A bit further we find the end of the caves, which means we will have to go back via the same treacherous route! First, however, there are some cells to be searched. We find a key, which appears to be the key to the dwarven fortress our Rat didn’t need. We also find some gems and more money.   On our way back, after a short rest and with the Water walking recast, we decided to search the flooded room we passed by before. The water is nasty, so everyone rather walks over it than through it. In a corner, we find a body with two potions on it.   Going further back to the room with the waterfall, we decide to search behind the doors we passed by before. The rooms behind appear to be storage rooms, which also have been flooded in the past, spoiling all the food inside. There appears to be nothing of interest inside, until a gray ooze comes to life and attacks! Nature has taken some very strange turns here… Despite being extremely corrosive, it takes only a few hits to take the life from the ooze, I don’t even get the chance to hit the abomination. Afterwards, the Rat collects a few glass flasks full with the ooze, dissolving an arrow in the process.   Next we have to go back over the slippery floor, but this time I decide to cast Spider climb on one of our group members, so he can help the rest past. As it is fun to see a huge snake crawl on a wall, the Naga is chosen and he helps everyone past without any problems.   We go back up the stairs and are finally out of the dreaded watery area. Next to the ledge where we started our trip, we see a tunnel we haven’t explored yet and we go there, ending the trip only 50 feet from where we started.

Rewards Granted

19765 xp total