Everything Bites Jember

Everything Bites Jember

The Everything Bites Jember incident was an unexpected journey into the Undermountain, where a reconnaissance mission to locate a missing companion instead led to the discovery of a new ally, Fjord the Forgetful. While the group was unable to locate Jorm, they gained a steadfast companion in Fjord, whose presence would prove invaluable in the trials ahead.

Background

Following an altercation at the Yawning Portal, the adventurers sought to descend into the well to search for Jorm, a missing ally believed to have fallen into the depths. Durnan, the proprietor of the tavern, worked tirelessly to repair the pulley system that would allow for a safe descent. Meanwhile, Noctis, the familiar of Zeromus, scouted ahead but returned with no sign of Jorm. Jember, demonstrating his connection to nature, consulted a mosquito for intelligence. The insect reported that while there was water at the bottom, no bodies were visible.

The Descent and the Lake of Quippers

Despite precautions, Jember and Olaf descended together on the pulley—unaware that it was only built to support a single occupant. The rope snapped, sending both tumbling into a vast underground lake within a cavern illuminated by bioluminescent fungi.

Almost immediately, the water began to churn as swarms of quippers attacked. As Jember and Olaf fought to stay afloat, a mysterious dwarf approached on a raft, offering aid. The quippers relentlessly bit into Jember, dragging him under as he struggled. Olaf reached the raft and, with a mighty effort, pulled Jember aboard before he could be lost beneath the water’s surface.

The Mysterious Fjord and Cletus

The dwarf introduced himself as Fjord, a wanderer with no recollection of how he came to be in the depths. He revealed that he had been using a journal to record his fragmented memories, his only clue being that he sought adventure and a way back to his mountain home. He introduced the party to Cletus, another dwarf—whom neither Jember nor Olaf could see.

Unease Among the Party

At first, Jember and Olaf were skeptical of Fjord’s behavior, as his interactions with Cletus seemed entirely one-sided. Fjord would pause, as if listening to responses, or laugh at unheard jokes. He often glanced at Cletus for approval before speaking, and his explanations of past events seemed inconsistent or fragmented.

They initially assumed that Cletus was a hidden entity, perhaps a ghost or a spirit, but further interaction made it clear—Cletus was a figment of Fjord’s imagination. Fjord seemed utterly convinced of Cletus’s existence, and any questioning only led to agitation and confusion.

At this moment, Noctis arrived with a note from Zeromus, explaining that the pulley could not be repaired and urging the group to make their way to Skullport. Fjord, though uncertain of his own past, seemed to recognize the name and offered to guide them there.

Fjord’s Camp and Jorm’s Fate

The group was taken to Fjord’s camp, which bore signs of being inhabited by at least two individuals for an extended period. The second bedroll, the second set of belongings, all suggested that Fjord had once been traveling with another person—perhaps Cletus. However, Olaf and Jember noticed that only one set of tracks ever disturbed the ground.

As they sat around the fire, Fjord's severe memory loss became apparent. The group speculated that he had suffered a blow to the head, and his ability to form new memories was severely impaired. Jember, still nursing his wounds from the quippers, sat by the lake’s edge and whispered a farewell to Jorm, convinced his companion had perished in the waters. Olaf, in an attempt to provide guidance, wrote a glowing message in bioluminescent fungus, informing Jorm (if alive) that they were heading for Skullport.

The River and the Otyugh Ambush

At dawn, the group set out on the raft, drifting down an underground river. As the water grew shallow, they abandoned the raft and proceeded on foot.

The deeper they traveled, the more the terrain deteriorated into rot and decay. The ground was thick with decomposing matter, and animal corpses littered the area. Suddenly, two massive tentacles erupted from the sludge, grabbing Olaf and pulling him into the filth.

They had stumbled upon a lurking otyugh, a grotesque creature that immediately bit Jember, poisoning him. The battle was chaotic:

Jember retaliated with arrows, while Olaf called upon Selûne’s divine power.
Gregory’s Toll the Dead reverberated through the cavern.
Fjord, wielding his war pick, struck fiercely at the beast.
As Jember's arrows struck, Fjord perceived the attack differently, seeing them hitting Cletus instead.

The Breaking of the Illusion

As the otyugh weakened, it tried to flee, but Cletus suddenly turned on Jember, attacking him. To Jember and Olaf, nothing was there—but Fjord reacted violently, as if his oldest friend had betrayed him.

In the final moments of battle, Jember delivered the killing shot, and as the otyugh perished, Fjord witnessed Cletus turning to ash, thanking Fjord for "feeding" him. The revelation hit Fjord hard—whether Cletus had ever truly existed, or if he had been an illusion all along, was unclear. For Fjord, the loss was real.

Revelations and the Journey to Skullport

As the battle-worn group caught their breath, Fjord appeared confused and shaken. His prior certainty about the route to Skullport now seemed shaken. Olaf proposed that Fjord had been unknowingly controlled by the otyugh, luring victims to their deaths. Fjord, though disoriented, accepted this explanation, but the loss of Cletus left a gaping void in his fractured mind.

Determined not to take further risks, the party retraced their path upstream and retrieved their raft, now named The Frying Pan. This time, they took a different channel, soon detecting the scent of lantern oil in the air.

Emerging from the tunnel, they gazed upon Skullport, the legendary subterranean city built upon ancient ruins beneath Waterdeep. The adventure, and their perilous descent into the depths, had only just begun.