Session 51 – The Abyss Stares Back

Written by KoshcheiBessmertnyi

General Summary

The party looks for the right way down to Xibalba. The most promising option is to return to the passage where the confrontation with the elf-spider took place. The companions also worry that the creature was sent from Xibalba, and that if its minions locate its carcass, it won’t go well for the party.
The carcass is still there at the site of the battle, and the companions proceed to burn it. Having accomplished this, they look for a cave where the creature might have come from, and Glitterstem succeeds in locating one nearby. The small cave is covered by webs, which stretch over a large amount of bones on the cave floor, including humanoid skulls. Glitterstem’s attempt to ascertain whether the place contains any magic yields curious results. There is nothing clearly magical inside, but the magical energy produced by the spell itself seems to drain away into the tunnel at the back of the cave. Glitterstem then uses minor magic to try to sprout a seed he throws to the back of the cave, but after springing forth a green shoot, it withers and dies. Brandon’s light spell cast in the same location loses a part of the sphere in the exact same location. Glitterstem consults with the fungi in the larger passage, and learns that they don’t grow in that dark hole – their roots lead elsewhere – presumably toward the main Xibalba cave.
The discussion of these phenomena leads Theobald and the rest to a disturbing conclusion – the cave seems to be a portal to another plane, though it’s not clear which one. After a brief discussion, the companions agree that they do not desire to go into the hole, nor to sleep in the cave, though they want to mark its location for possible later use. Brandon pokes around the cave prior to leaving, while Theobald’s magic hand retrieves a few small orichalchum tablets, which he then takes.
The group camps nearby, and is able to catch up on some rest. Miletus claims that he saw a large panther on his watch, but the creature was apparently content to leave them alone. The following travel day, Glitterstem leads the group in the direction indicated by the fungi, the same direction the cat seems to have come from. The tracks are confusing, and are quite difficult to follow, but toward the end of the travel day, the gnome discovers two sets of such cat tracks near a small passage sharply sloping downward. The party camps here, with Brandon stretching a tent tarp around the alcoves where they sleep to prevent being located.
The precaution proves ineffective. The party is woken during the night by a large drow scouting party, accompanied by the two mysterious cats the group has been following. Both have strange tentacles growing from their shoulders. After briefly questioning the companions in elvish, the leader takes their weapons and casting materials, and leads the group down into the sharply sloping tunnel. After climbing over slippery stones, the group emerges in the giant Xibalba cavern, apparently near the place where the encounter with the troll took place long ago. Their captors lead them toward the city, but as they approach the area of the low pylons, near the mongrel settlement, the captives are made to climb into sacks. After, they are apparently taken into the city, and probably out the other side. About a half hour after departing, the scouting party stops, and the sacks are removed. The companions are near the settlement or cemetery where Brandon met the elf-spirit on his last trip here, and are face-to-face with Lhingril.
Lhingril questions the group as to why they decided to enter Xibalba without seeking permission first. After the companions say they are searching for the source of the proliferating fungal tubers, and the strange fungal humanoid, as well as looking for a place to secrete Miletus from the orcs, Lhingril demands to know why Miletus attacked the orcs after making an agreement to ally with them last time he was here. He also seems to be unhappy with Brandon, who was to fetch weapons for the Dire Wolves, and hasn’t yet done so, even after the agreed-upon time for him to do so has expired. Glitterstem and Theobald counter that Lhingril and his people haven’t been entirely trustworthy, either – they forced Enkidu to choose the alliance, and then, they fostered the takeover of the forest where the other Gethen natives live by the fungal tubers. To this, the dark elf responds that Enkidu freely chose to submit to the spell he cast on him, and that in any case, the magical insurance policy has been fully justified by the inconsistent behavior of Miletus and Brandon, as well as Enkidu himself. As for the tubers, he admits that the dark elves don’t fully understand the growing process of subterranean flora above ground, but in any event, many of the plant and animal creatures on the surface have long been affected by the magical forces that suffuse the whole of the Gethen/Aman landmass. For the time being, they help protect orc and goblin allies from the colonists.
The meeting is concluded by Lhingril telling the party that he is willing to let Glitterstem and Theobald return to the surface via the pentagonal mushroom ring, because those two are keeping to their agreement, and are doing good work. He is in favor of having them seek out Theodoric, but says he doesn’t know where he is, though he is nervous about Theodoric making common cause with colonists like Predicant Lorenz. Miletus and Brandon are to be confined in Xibalba, until such a time as Lhingril needs them. The dark elf mentions at the parting that none of the Company members are to use the mushroom ring without consulting its guardians on the surface first. Glitterstem and Theobald return to the surface, with Glitterstem going back to the village to attend to his shamanly duties, while Theobald wants to quickly go to Claymore to make sure the horse-pelican blood kept by Balint is safe.
Miletus and Brandon are taken, without weapons or components, one by one, into an elevator inside a pylon near where the conversation with Lhingril took place. A straight passage from the elevator leads to a small grotto just above the lake. Down here are six other prisoners, all sleeping in little alcoves. Some seem to have been here for months. Among them are Eraf Eglandath - a dark elf, Blossia Nailo - a human, Minocquanee - an ‘earth’ goblin, Whooshdooplink - a fish man, Kek - a mushroom man, the Mongrel leader Meriadar (who Miletus has met) and Miletus’ old companion Enkidu, who doesn’t speak much, other than to say he was separated from his mother Dafna before being taken. The older prisoners instruct the new ones that escape through the tunnels is impossible, as they are haunted by all kinds of foul Underdark creatures. Going into the lake is said to be even worse, especially after Brandon tosses some rocks into it.

Report Date

25 Aug 2018