Session 50 – Abysms of Shrieking and Immemorial Lunacy

Written by KoshcheiBessmertnyi

General Summary

Glitterstem guides the party past the confusing mess of goblin tunnels near the exit, and manages to find a long passageway that, to all appearances, seems to head in the direction of Xibalba. The passage appears untraveled, but there are masses of fungi, as well as webs and the fungal vines and tubers creeping along the wall. Among the masses of pale white mushrooms, the gnome spots a purple (hallucinogenic?) mushroom, and pockets it. Encouraged, he talks of a possible troll hunt.
It is slow going, because of Miletus’ injury, and it is impossible to tell the time of day. After an exhausting trek, the company finds a cul-de-sac near another intersection, which looks like a defensible spot. Everything appears calm, but on the middle watch, Miletus spots a large creature creeping along the stalactites on the ceiling. When he wakes his companions, impenetrable darkness descends on them, and arrows begin flying from the place the creature occupied before. Theobald, now roused, responds with a fireball, and the darkness dissipates. The creature is still alive, however, and moving into the side passage up ahead. The companions give chase, and Theobald treats it with another fireball, that makes a direct hit against it. Glitterstem turns into a giant constrictor and joins the pursuit, while Brandon and Miletus follow soon thereafter.
Theobald is surprised to find the creature still alive, and moreover, shrieking curses in archaic elvish and counterattacking. It rushes its tormentor along the ceiling, and drawing a macahuitl that was strapped to its back, it swings it down on the sorcerer. Its humanoid torso is attached to an arachnid body, and it also bites Theobald, injecting poison into him. The serpent trying to reach the creature from the ground initially has little success, and Theobald, smarting from the venom, is forced to become invisible and to retreat to the main hallway. His place is taken by Miletus, who, fighting through the dizziness, responds blows from his sword, and discharges of arcane energy. Brandon summons forth magical spears, and blasts the creature with fire. Eventually, the serpent is able to envelop the howling monstrosity, and squeeze the life out of it, until its head dangles limply from its humanoid torso.
Gladdened by the narrow escape, the group is disturbed by the creature’s presence. Is it a minion of Xibalba? Was it sent to hunt them down? The gnome also detects magical energy from the creature, but aside from a residually magical but suspiciously familiar web tattoo over its eye, and its quickly extinguishing life force, there is nothing. It has a quiver of obsidian-tipped arrows, the macahuitl, similar to the one they took from drow warriors during their last expedition into the Underdark, and a spider necklace, made of orichalcum and jade, similar to the one worn by Lhingril. Worried about being discovered, they try to drag away the creature’s carcass, and then, they move away back down the main tunnel to complete their rest, which they extend owing to the injuries sustained.
Before rousing again, they are beset by a swarm of stirges in the complete darkness. The bloodsuckers attach themselves to sleeping bodies, while others swarm overhead. Glitterstem summons giant owls to pick off the pests, while the others try their best with weapons and blasts of fire. This helps to dispatch Brandon’s Banes more effectively than the last time he and his companions encountered these horrors (his limp has still not gone away).
Finally, when the party is ready to move again, Glitterstem makes another attempt to remove Miletus’ necklace. The party suspects that Predicant Lorenz can still contact and/or track them without the necklace, but the gnome utters the magical words, and the evocative magic appears dispelled. The elf is no longer constricted when trying to shift the necklace, though he chooses it keep wearing it to throw off suspicion.

Report Date

28 Jul 2018