Session 56 – Exodus Redux

Written by KoshcheiBessmertnyi

General Summary

As the party wonders how they will exit, their jailers suddenly appear at the edge of the newly-created sinkhole. Ingoeth voices shout commands to one another, and arrows start raining down into the opening. It appears that they are pinned, having no effective way to respond to the shooters. The way back leads ultimately to the grotto, which may now be occupied by the jailers, so it is decided to run through the octagonal chamber under fire, and to descend down the stairs, and hope that another way up is found.
The party makes it out of the chamber intact, but after having descended, soon finds themselves in another labyrinth. In one chamber, they encounter another slimy creature, which they dispatch owing to its slow speed. Enkidu presses for a rest, but the fear is that the ingoeth will bring reinforcements if the party delays. Hiding out in the labyrinth for a while may be an option – aside from the slimy creature, the monsters down here are probably becoming rare, now that their generation seems to have ceased. Perhaps the ingoeth will accept a compromise, and let the prisoners go in exchange for the ring. Is it important? Is it the real thing? Enkidu wonders why it was placed here, so close to the prison, but then supposes that its acquisition was so difficult that the ingoeth could not have imagined that anyone could have taken it. As the group rests, he attempts to bond with it, but concludes by saying that the ring is evil, and says that the best thing to do is to throw it in the lake, but Miletus expresses some interest in it, if only to learn more about his sundered people, or to use it as a bargaining chip. Brandon attempts to bond with the ring magically, but the need to move on interrupts the process. Enkidu, as perhaps the least susceptible to it, is given the item, to hold, for the time being.
Continuing around the maze, the group finds another food (or waste chute). Given the difficulty of their situation, they decide to take a risk, and send Minocquanee up – the only person who can fit inside. He is also stealthy, and can converse with the ingoeth in Undercommon, if need be. After some debate, Enkidu gives him his dagger (which actually belongs to Brandon), and the earth goblin scampers up the chute. The party finds a curved passage sloping up, and soon comes to the same part of the maze where they fought the first troll – near the elevator. Soon, grinding is heard, suggesting that the elevator is descending. The party positions itself behind it, and soon sees two ingoeth emerge out of it. One immediately speaks in Minocquanee’s voice, saying in broken elvish that the other ingoeth is the leader, and should be taken prisoner and exchanged for free passage. He also says that there are only four jailers guarding up on the surface at present.
After discussion, it is decided that the best course of action is to have the new captive call the others to drag the elevator back up, because he hasn’t found anything, and then to negotiate for his release (always having the option of flinging the ring into the lake as backup). After the ingoeth Aias calls up, the elevator with Miletus and Minocquanee is taken up, and they issue the demands to have their belongings returned to them. The ingoeth seem to back down, and take them inside a nearby pylon where the belongings are kept, and where the elevator mechanism is located. One by one, the other companions, along with Aias, are returned to the surface. The companions ask whether they will be allowed to go freely if they exchange the ring for same passage, but Aias replies that even if the are released now, they will be hunted down before they have a chance to leave the Xibalba cavern, whether they still have the ring or not. That clinches the matter, so it is decided to flee the place, and keep the ring. Blossia suggests leaving the way she came – traveling to the other end of the lake. But Miletus and Enkidu, who have been that way before, remember that there is another elevator shaft at the other end, and that is difficult to negotiate. Brandon says that the teleporting mushroom circle is nearby. As the ingoeth say that their actual leader has gone into the city to fetch Lhingril in response to Miletus’ missive, time is short, so the party makes a dash for the mushroom circle. Upon arriving, they hear the sounds of singing approaching. Brandon relates that this is a banshee, who had nearly done him in once before, and that they need to hurry. One by one, the companions step into the circle, and disappear.
They reappear in the mushroom pentagon in what must be Neverwinter Wood. Brandon, Miletus and Enkidu recognize the area as near the village of Toothymaw. This area is known to be guarded by a pair of warriors left behind by Lhingril, so the party is still not out of danger. To cut off possible pursuit, Brandon kicks at the fungi forming the ring, hoping that this will stop the magic from functioning, as it did last time. Meanwhile, Blossia searches the nearby woods, and locates a small wooden shack. She knocks on the door, but hears no answer. She decides to leave well enough alone.
Thinking that going back to the village where he was captured and turned over to the ingoeth is a bad idea, Enkidu decides to head north, toward Talon’s Gate. He knows these woods best, so the others follow, for the time being, even though Brandon plainly states his desire to get back to civilization on the coast. But even Enkidu cannot negotiate the goblin paths – they seem to have become even more confusing since the last time he trekked through these woods. After several hours, it becomes clearly that the party has been going in a circle, so they break camp for the night. Blossia creates a magical lean-to where the local denizens cannot trouble them, while Brandon spends the time before going to sleep trying to meld with the ring, to discover its secret powers. He finds that it can subjugate earth creatures (including Underdark denizens, and others), as well as collapse stone structures, in the way already seen in the maze, once per day, but he divines that the ring also has secret powers, that can only become manifest over time. He turns the ring back over to Enkidu for safe keeping.
The following day becomes easier, and they find their way to the Neverwinter River, apparently to the west of the village. Avoiding a large and savage-sounding creature rooting around in some mounds above the riverbank, the party members must make a decision. Enkidu says he would like to continue north, so Blossia casts a flying spell on him, and he soars off. Brandon wants to go east, but realizes that directly east is orc-controlled territory. Minocquanee is lost on the surface, but feels most comfortable with goblins for the time being, so he would like to stop off at Talon’s Gate. Blossia says she will conduct him there, and then probably make a dash across the open country north of the river with Brandon, in hopes that the orcs are fewer there. Miletus is unsure of what to do, but wants to cross the river with the rest. Blossia herself transforms into a water creature, and swims, while Miletus does so under his own power, helping the others.
When they get across, Minocquanee continues to the village, while the rest decide to follow Enkidu. When they catch up with him, Miletus asks him where the ring is, and the half-orc says he accidentally dropped it in the river. He then says he is heading for Kryptgarden Forest in the north, and takes his leave. After the rest of the party turns back, they encounter some goblins from the village, who have come up to search for Minocquanee’s companions. They come out to greet the rest of the party – Miletus cordially, as they consider him an ally. They conduct the group to the village, where they learn news from Chief Chof. Apparently, the Brotherhood has taken Claymore. The alliance between orcs and goblins, negotiated in part by Glitterstem, is intact, and the warriors of the village participated in taking the town. And Lainel Coronnim has become Humbaba’s consort.
Later in the day, Blossia returns to the riverbank. She thinks she can locate the ring, but after crawling along the riverbank in her marine form, comes up with nothing.

Report Date

03 Nov 2018