For Hooves the Bell Tolls - Chapter Three

The Slime King

Quthbert, Volmak, Marinus, & A.G.R.

653 Post Maelstrom

While the party is resting Malbrix attempts to investigate the area with magic only to find a strange interference. Pushing through the magical barrier she releases a power blast of energy. In the confusion Malbrix vanishes leaving behind only a potted plant.
While this is happening the rest of the party is being thrown around as the floor beneath them begins to shake and crack. After only a brief few moments it shatters, throwing the party deeper into the dank twisting tunnels.
Quthbert, Marinus, A.G.R., and Volmak tumble to the ground sprawling out across the floor with Marinus clinging tightly to the plant that Malbrix turned into.
The remaining party members rise, surveying the old cavern they've found themselves in. They quickly realize that there are multiple slimes down here as well, quickly approaching. Marinus also recognizes someone they didn’t expect to see here. The tavern worker, Tommy, who attacked Marinus and Malbrix. The who that called himself the slime King. As soon as Tommy saw the party, he started running for a large slithering mass just out sight in the darkness.
They part drew arms and prepared for a fight. Using some of the old ruins in the cavern, the party managed to trick the Sewer Slimes into coming at them to attack one or two at a time. However, by the time they were finished taking out the first wave, the large slithering mass revealed itself as a massive slime beast. It was at this moment that Tommy, jumping from the darkness, yelled “I am the slime king” then leapt inside the gigantic slime beast.
The mass began to twist and distort shaping into a half man half gelatinous creature. It bubbled and popped as it shifted making nasty wet sloshing noises. Like the sound of a bucket of spoiled cream being tossed out into the rubbish heap.
A humanoid shape rose out of the slime creature like a man rising out of the mud. It oozes and sloshes down the side of his form as he grew taller giving him shape. The creature drew a sword out of its body. The sword glistened in the torch light, coated in a thin layer of the semi-liquid substance that made up the creature's form. The slime King roared, and the slimes began attacking more ferociously like a dangerous creature turned rabid.
AGR defended against the onslaught valiantly until only the Slime King remained. AGR managed to disarm the Slime King before he had to fall back from the damage or risk being destroyed. Quthbert and Marinus rained damage from afar distracting the Slime King while Volmak ran for the sword. Taking up the great sword in two hands, Volmak leapt at the Slime King. Volmak brought the blade down with all his might, screaming “I’m the Slime King now,” as the old king of slime fell limp and lifeless.
The old slime king's body dispersed into the murk of the sewers, quickly indistinguishable from the liquid slime coating the dank cavern. The one remaining slime now follows Volmak around like a well-trained dog. Marinus and their clockwork companion SCUBA repair the damage to AGR to the best of their abilities while the rest of the group rests and recovers.
After a brief reprieve the group heads deeper into the cavern searching still for their lost mounts and companions. After roughly another hour of travel the group came across a large underground lake. Volmak magically searched for their mounts again realizing the party would indeed have to cross the lake. A canoe that would only fit two members of the party rested against the cavern wall nearby, but it appeared frequently used.
The party decides to use it anyways and AGR takes turns rowing people across being with Volmak. Volmak and AGR realize on the other side that this is the thief's hideout and they’ve been using the waterway to access the sewer to sneak around the city. Volmak finds some crates to hide behind and AGR goes back for Quthbert. Volmak manages to stay hidden, but a plank on the dock breaks under Quthberts foot as he attempts to climb out of the canoe.
The thieves are alerted and come running to figure out what caused the noise. It only takes them a few moments to find Volmak and Quthbert who take up arms to defend themselves. AGR uses the commotion to silently slip away and return to Marinus.
Volmak summons vines from the earth around the feet of the thief's guild members as the attempt to get onto the docks. Quthbert takes this opportunity to get in some lethal dagger throws killing two of the assailants. As the three remaining attackers finally get close to Volmak, AGR and Marinus row into the hidden bay. Marinus takes the one closest to Volmak with a trident in the chest. Allowing Quthbert and Volmak to easily finish off the remaining two attackers.
While fighting one of the two remaining thieves Volmak realizes with a shock that man in front of him is none other than Jamesethon. The two clash blades and then with a furious hiss Volmak chops of his head “traitor scum.”
Once the commotion of the fight dies down the group hears someone yelling from a closed door on the side of the cavern, built into the stone. Marinus, AGR, and Quthbert went to check it out only to find the door locked tight. Quthbert revealed his talent with lockpicking to the party and quickly dispatched the lock, opening the door. To their shock they found Malbrix inside. It turns out the plant was a red herring, and the thieves got ahold of her. Unfortunately, Malbrix blacked out during the event and isn’t sure how they managed to capture her.
While the rest of the group is finding Malbrix, Volmak searches in the other open room looking for his secret letter that he is travelling for the Druids of the Greenwood. He finds the letter right where he feared he would, on the middle of a writing desk surrounded by copies. His prototype firearm is nowhere to be seen either. After doing another search with magic he realizes that it must have been taken by the thieves that escaped as it appeared to be moving away high up and at roughly airship speed...
The cave system that the group is now in seems to slope upwards toward the surface. There is a well-worn path through the cave that passes several offshoots of the cave that all have makeshift wooden walls and doors blocking them off. Just a little further up the walkway, through one of the larger doorways, the group finds a makeshift stable and reunites with their lost friends.