The Cavernous Crawl - Journal 15

Session 15 - 09/22/2024
***the story so far***
 
As we leave, Balrug mentions that the snow seems soft, and then we fuckin plummet into a hole in the ground (this irony is not lost upon us). We approach the hole, impressed by its staggering size (that's what she said), and strategize how to deal with this encounter.
We descend into the giant Cave. There appears to be vague shadowy figures running across the walls of the Cave, dimly lit, with only a few torches at the bottom of the pit.
We spot a strange man in the distance, seemingly challenging the monsters of the pit. Suddenly, a bunch of clones pop out (clones of all of us appear, Harvoni Clone, Willow Clone, Diaga Clone, R/G/O clones, etc.)
Radio/Guy Diorthóno/Octavius Kardiá - The Precipice Vallation
 
Roger's clone remarks "Is that all you got dungeon? Bring it on!!!!"
Guy's clone remarks this isn't the first time they've fallen into a hole.
Harvoni's clone remarks "Hooooly shit"
 
These clones are noticeably different in primary features

Diaga's clone is a glasses-wearing woman in formal clothing, with a nice leather sweatervest in white sleeves, holding a clipboard and a pencil. "Nothing like old nostalgia to whip you in the face."

Harvoni's clone is the most similar of all the clones, but is wearing a white labcoat with a special symbol (that I do not recognize). The clone has features of a Shifter, but their skin seems a *lot* cleaner, and generally more dolled-up compared to myself. The journal Harvoni's clone is holding is mostly scribbles, but contains Runes.

Roger's clone is proudly boasting a large set of armor, pieces highlighting Bardagi. Roger's clone is with a Displacer Beast, a large puma-like cat, eldritch tendrils erupting from its back. Roger's clone comments on the resemblance of Roger's armor to a past time, "This is before we got all that fuckin MONEYYY man" - Roger's clone remarks after seeing Roger's tattered armor. "But definitely not as good as my scrubs now." as his Aasimar wings bellow out.

Willow's clone is clad in a white ballgown, pink flowers adorned in her hair. She's very dolled up with makeup, a nice set of heels, and she drops a glass of champagne. She remarks, "Will someone pick that up? Hello? Wow, I really am out of the palace. Are you like my long-lost younger sister?"

These clones appear to be future versions of ourselves, 5-years in the future (from 1679), having entered a portal to arrive here, some willingly going through the portal, some falling through. The clones appear to have arrived here recently, evident by the lack of tracks in the snow.
Harvoni's clone remarks "wait, is this gonna screw with the timeline?"
<ABOVE TABLE, WE KNOW THIS IS NOT MARVEL TIME-TRAVEL RULES>
Harvoni's clone continues on, remarking how no one has blown up yet.
As we're standing in this large cavernous ruin, there's a sudden feeling that's giving off a presence, watching us. I look around, and notice that large chunks of ice in the center of the room are surrounded by a bloody fluid. There's also strange etching along parts of the walls, but there's no figure within sight who would be watching.
<<<Willow notices Ice Golems in the center of the room, surrounded by pools of blood. This is odd, since Ice Golems do NOT have blood. Willow also notices that the presence isn't focused on any one of our clones, so its watching over all of us *and* all of the clones.>>>
Guy Diorthóno/Guy's Clone remarks there's a cave-in on the western end - perhaps we investigate it?
As we wander around the northern edge of the cavern, there's etchings of letters on the walls with stars in between them.
We wander around the rest of the cave, and note down the following etchings:
North: Y * E L U E * B R E E *
East: G U E W * R E W N * B
South: R L * O B G E O * N L
West: E B Y L L * N R G E U
These marks bear signs of having been dug by pickaxes or chisels.
As we overhear R/G/O talking with future R/G/O, there's a distinct sense that future R/G/O is more distant.
The Future Party 2 is talking about the western cave-in. Future Harvoni is analyzing which rock we should pull, but Future Roger is remarking the whole cave could collapse. Future Harvoni remarks that there may not be a solution to the puzzle.
 
There's a trail of large boots going down a south-eastern corridor of the cave, but they are shallow prints. It's unclear whose prints these are. <Perception Check: There's a 3 foot clearing of snow that seems to be trailing this set of footprints. These seem to be large metal bootprints that appear to match a Vomethndan Infantry print.> <Investigation Check: This is likely where Balrug scurried off to - Balrug said he was running away from something. It's possible this lowering of the snow is what was chasing Balrug>
Future Willow remarks that the rest of the Future Party 2 is gonna try and find a way to break down the rocks without destroying the cave.
Willow asks Future Willow about the general appearance how Party 2 seemed to have drifted apart. Future Willow remarks it sort of started when the war ended "2 years ago" that everyone went their separate ways - the countries reformed into New Malthendan Empire. (From basic english, this is an amalghamation of malnova and vomethndan mashed together)
Checking the last corner of the cavern, I manage to gather:

tin (-1)

Roger's Displacer Beast seems to recognize us, and is friendly enough to allow pets.
I move back to the Ice Golems covered in blood. The blood is thick, and around the base of one Ice Golem and around the head of another. Ice Golems are magically enchanted and don't contain blood. As I look at the base of the Golems, its clearly not blood - this is more solid, and definitely not frozen blood either. There's a gelatinous consistency, that pools upward. There's a set thickness around the body. There's a blood-like color, but not blood, and definitely did not originate from these creatures. As I investigate the consistency, it almost appears to breathe.
I poke the blood with a stick, and the stick gets caught in a tar-like liquid. I lightly try to tug the stick, and there's a little bit of give to it. I manage to pull it out, but it seemed like the "blood" was holding it in there.
 
As we enter the southeastern cavern, we see a set of three levers near a minecart track.
These levers seem similar to like a cockpit of a train, when holding the lever down it will do an action.
This appears to be a mine, with minecart tracks strewn about. I sketch out the tracks and their junctions.
Willow operates the 3 main levers, and manages to get the tracks to allow Diaga and I to cart over to the 4th lever. I operate the 4th lever to observe its behavior.
Through Willow's and I's testing of the system, we manage to map out the behavior of the track junctions.
As Diaga makes it to the second platform, there's a buzzing afoot.
< BEGIN BATTLE 17 - THE MINESHAFT BEETLES>

Diaga gets attacked by two of the subterranean beetles. The beetles manage to reduce Diaga's armor's AC.

Diaga disengages from the beetles, and retreats from the third platform to the second platform, with Harvoni.

Harvoni readys an action to poke a Spear at the beetles, if and when it crawls up.

I lunge my spear at the beetle, and manage to miss. The saliva of the beetle drips onto the metal of the track, causing the track metal to rust. The beetle crawls for Diaga and Bites again, bearing its teeth on Diaga's armor.

Balrug pokes his head out at the commotion, refuses to elaborate, says hi, and dips back into the cave. We know we're headed in the right direction.

I pull the lever and send Diaga back to the main ruin.

The Beetle sniffs in the direction that Diaga left, more interested in that, but then turns to face me at the lever.

Willow casts Firebolt at the Beetle in front of me, and lands a fiery bolt of fire on it, leaving a burn mark on the side of the beetle. The Beetle returns to facing me.

The Beetle seemed to be able to aim for my chest/torso, and Bites at it, but misses twice.

Future versions of us execute brilliant attacks on the subterranean beetles.

More scuttling is heard from within the cave.

I try to cast Poison Spray on the creature, but miss horribly. I use my Bonus Action to set up a Mine near the subterranean beetle. The beetle on the second platform is vaguely interested in the Mine.

Future versions of us continue to attack the Beetles.

The Beetle manages to completely dodge my Mine, but bites its lip, dealing 5 damage.

The Beetle bites at my silver coins, melting 2 of the silver.

The Beetle manages to completely dodge my Mine AGAIN, melting 2 silver coints, and dealing 15 damage.

I try to Spear the Beetle *again*, and manage to miss TWICE. My frustration grows ever larger.

The Beetle on the second platform, sensing its friends are gone, retreats into the darkness.

Fueled by seething anger, I manage to land a Spear attack, and follow it up with a Poison Spray, killing it.

< END BATTLE 17 - THE MINESHAFT BEETLES>
Willow and Balrug are on the other side of the mineshaft, and go out of sight to explore the caverns.
<<< Willow does some sick ass aerobatics and nails all three chambers, massive poggers >>>
Willow and Balrug navigate the minecarts back to Harvoni on the second platform, and we manipulate the levers to get all of us back to platform 1.
We return back to the main cavernous portion of this cavern. I return to the party that was studying the Western Wall and its markings. We take a SHORT REST, and I expend Hit Dice to heal back to 59.
Future Harvoni chats with me, and says they think they've got a way to remove all the rocks *without ruining the entire cave*. Future Harvoni says she needs my help with Runes to be able to take down part of the wall, making a little bit of tunnel to get through. Future Harvoni asks me if I have a spell that's capable of a range of 45ft.
I decide to use Ice Knife, as it has a range of 60ft.
Using Future Harvoni's notes, I fiddle around with [Experimental Casting Technology](https://www.worldanvil.com/w/aekko-heckinwar/a/experimental-casting-technology) to modify Ice Knife into an Acid Knife, to be able to chew through the stones.
 
Current Octavious finds a wrought iron pickaxe with the following illustration carved on the bottom of the hilt:

 
I hold the pickaxe as I traverse down the tunnel. There's a fair amount of smashed barrels and destroyed pickaxes, and more dead Ice Golems without pools of blood.
We emerge from the tunnel to a fork in the road with a Console containing seven (7) buttons:
Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Magenta, Brown, Grey.
 
Returning to the original clues:

On the North wall, scribbled was: Y * E L U E * B R E E *

On the East wall, scribbled was: G U E W * R E W N * B

On the South wall, scribbled was: R L * O B G E O * N L

On the West wall, scribbled was: E B Y L L * N R G E U

Diaga goes down one of the corridors, and sees a plank named 'Captains Quarters'. Diaga spots a locked chest with a number pad. Diaga lifts up the carpet and spots a stairwell underneath the floor.
The padlock is for five (5) numbers. There seems to be a piece of paper sticking out from the desk. I look at the piece of paper, and it appears to be a journal entry from the Mining Chief.
The journal reads as follows:
"Cold and dark, dank and dim//My men lined up for their rollcall//And in the order which we all had sworn//They all stood straight in the hall//First stood the grey, brown, and yellow teams//The fewest teams hit the paint first//Next the... [THIS PORTION OF THE PAGE IS SMUDGED]//Shortest to tallest they all took their shifts//Though the warmest-colored men ne'er arrived//And their letters numbered spell out a secret code//And my treasure you seek so shall you find"
Dungeon Master Ryan provided a hint:

Keypad Hint: Write out the letters and read them in an order that is not left to right

Chest Hint: The order is the amount of times the colors appear, read the second last line to find what the numbers are

<THE NOTE FILE>:
On the North wall, Y * E L U E * B R E E *
On the East wall, G U E W * R E W N * B
On the South wall, R L * O B G E O * N L
On the West E B Y L L * N R G E U
 
 
snake 1: E S W N E S W S E lol ryan moment
 
snake 2: E S W N E S W N E
 
 
G U E W * R E W N * B R L * O B G E O * N L E B Y L L * N R G E U Y * E L U E * B R E E * G U E W * R E W N * B R L * O B G E O * N L E B Y L L * N R G E U Y * E L U E * B R E E * G U E W * R E W N * B
 
 
 
On the East wall, G U E W * R E W N * B
On the South wall, R L * O B G E O * N L
On the West E B Y L L * N R G E U
On the North wall, Y * E L U E * B R E E *
 
Console: Grey, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Green, Brown, Green, Blue (space)
---
Grey, Brown, Yellow, Green (2), Blue (3)
4 5 6 5 4
 
< THE NOTE FILE>
Diaga punches in Grey, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Green, Brown, Green, Blue (space)
into the Console, and the Console becomes free of the cooling mist that was causing frostbite.
 
Harvoni inputs '4 5 6 5 4' into the Chest.
We find a white plate object that has a large magical effect to it, as well as:

3 Gold Ore

2 Fantasma Crystals

Ting-Triller: A custom magic item?