Session 29 - Darkness Falls
General Summary
14 Quickening - Contd.
Now fully committed to this fight with Master Dark, the party began to amp up their attacks, with the evil mage responding in kind. Clenching his fist, another black mushroom with red veins grew quickly and burst as Master Dark taunted, "Feel the touch of his Dark Majesty." Ell managed to block his nose and mouth in time, but Jilken, Citrene, and Lus inhaled the spores. All three doubled over in coughing fits; Jilken and Lus began scratching as if covered with tiny insects while Citrene just stared blanking into space for a moment.Lus pulled out a javelin and attempted to hurl it at the mage, but the projectile went high and bounced off of the stonework above the door. Han meanwhile, after seeing what that the mushroom had done created a ball of flame and hurled it at the remaining mushroom. The plant caught fire remarkably fast and soon was a thin wisp of smoke. Master Dark growled a word and thick spikey vine grew out of the wall above Citrene before wrapping around their waist and lifting the halfling off the ground.
Denye backed away from the burning mushroom towards one of the nearby pillars. As she moved she threw her arms up in a series of gestures and called out, "Jilken duck." Three arcane Scorching Rays shot at the dark mage who threw up a hand and cast Shield. As a field of black and purple obscured him for a moment, the first ray struck harmlessly, but the remaining two drilled threw and exploded in his face.
While Denye was attracting all the attention, Janora took a moment to steady themselves and with the smallest hand gestures possible, casts Moonbeam once more. This time the spell completed and a shaft of soft white light filled the doorway where Master Dark had been standing. As the moonlight touched the man, he screamed an inhuman wail of pain.
That scream was interrupted as Ell threw two quick Eldritch Blasts at both zombie Balsag and Master Dark. The one towards the undead bugbear missed, but the other connected squarely with the druid's chest, throwing him out of the pillar of moonlight and into the room beyond. Backing out of the spiky area and slicing up his legs, the young noble looked at the others hopefully and said, "Okay he's gone, let's run!"
Citrene, still grappled by the vine, began to growl and flew into a rage, their halfling form twisting into a large beaver. Flexing their beefy arms and legs, Citrene burst the vine easily and dropping a foot or so to the floor. The barbarian rushed at the zombie gnoll and with one slap of the heavy leather tail, the gnoll was jelly on the floor.
From beyond the pillar of light a growl began, human at first but quickly descending into something much more bestial. A moment later, a figure covered in black ooze and tar burst through the doorway and leapt over the throne. As Master Dark landed he growled, "You will never defeat me. I will always win! You can kill me here...but that will not stop my plans."
Jilken released the crossbow bolt that she had been holding for so long, burying it in the mage's shoulder. Dropping it on it's strap, she pulled up the Reaper and fired again, but was too quick and the shot went wide. Zombie Balsag ripped it's way through the thorns and swung it's heavy morningstar at Ell's head, but the warlock ducked at the last moment.
Four small new purple and white mushroom looking creatures appeared in the center of the room. Unlike the other mushrooms these each had a number of tendrils that waved about in the air. Lus dodged out of the corner of the room and tried to plant a knife in the mage's back. Unfortunately, even though his attention was seemingly focused on Jilken, he just reached a hand back and batted the knife away.
One of the violet fungi had shimmered into being very close to Denye and the wizard backed away hurriedly while throwing a Firebolt, but the lance of flame went wide. Master Dark smiled and began to cast Thorn Whip at Denye but Janora just twitched a finger and with a very satisfied smile canceled the spell. Staring straight at Master Dark, the witch brought the moonbeam pillar and centered it once more on the dark mage. Again he howled in pain as the radiant energy burned at the oily tar that covered him and the Spike Growth spell disappeared.
Taking encouragement, Ell repositioned himself slightly and cast Fear over the zombie, several of the fungi, and Master Dark himself. Unfortunately, the fungi were incapable of fear and Master Dark proved to be too strong willed. The zombie however responded to the spell and began to cower. Shrugging the young man backed up behind a nearby pillar. Seeing the zombie covering it's head in fright, Citrene ran around and with a solid whapp slammed the zombie into the pillar, sending a rain of dust and small stones down onto the group below.
Master Dark thrust out a hand and sent a wave of locust, ticks, and mites at Janora, but the witch just brushed them aside as they came. Frustrated, he curled the fingers of both hands and pointed both index fingers at Jilken. Immediately the Aiel elf began to feel the dark wizards mind reach out begin pressing on her mind and shape. Jilken just ground her teeth for a moment and asserting herself mentally threw off his grip.
In response, the elf whipped out the lightning spear and leapt at the mage. The first slash cut across his body in a diagonal flash of blue. Spinning, Jilken buried the spear in Master Dark's chest and released a blast of electricity into the body. The mage convulsed violently and fell to the ground. As he did so he hissed, "Release the Son, Unchain the Father." Stalking up to the body, Jilken brought the spear down into one of the eye sockets and through the brain.
With the mage dead, the violet fungi vanished and for a moment everything was quiet. Jilken collapsed onto the nearby step and began scratching at her arms and head. Lus cast Mass Healing Word giving everyone a boost before succumbing to her own bout of scratching madly. Ell began burning the bodies of the bugbear and the gnolls, muttering about making sure they couldn't get up again. With the bonfires burning behind him, the warlock turned and asked, "Anybody else worried about what he said about releasing the father?"
Janora snapped, "Not at the moment. Right now I want get this finished and get back to the surface." Stalking toward the door that Master Dark had emerged from, with Ell and Lus close on their heels, they found a medium sized room. The stone door in the far wall is carved with the dwarf’s visage that you’ve seen elsewhere. Old tapestries cling to the walls and four dead gnolls lay in the corners of the room. A large table made of a single stone slab dominates the room’s center.
Bound to the table was the body of a beefy goliath man, his grey-skin covered by swirls and twisted arcane runes drawn in blood. Both his heart and his eyes had been removed and the cavities swarmed with files, with an oily yellow gem in the heart cavity. Janora and Denye examined the body arcanely and together were able to work out that some spell had been cast on the body, but it was as yet quiescent. Deciding to take no chances Ell once again light several fires over the body and they all watched as it was consumed in the flames.
Finally Janora couldn't stand the smell anymore and went to investigate the next room. Carefully opening the door the witch found the remains of a bedchamber. Bits of broken furniture and stone litter the room. Looking around Janora found another secret door in one of the closets. Beyond lay a short hall that T-ed into another hallway.
Approaching the intersection cautiously as well, Janora poked their head around the corner and looked both ways. Stone doors stood at either end of the hall. Before the witch has a chance to say or do anything, Lus called out, "You take the left one. I'll take the right" and ran down the hall.
The southern door proved to open up onto a ledge overlooking a deep, deep chasm. The sound and spray were proof of a waterfall pouring into the chasm beyond the outcropping of stone at the end of the ledge. There were two rusted anchor points near the edge and getting closer it was possible to see the remaining rung or two of a chain ladder dangling invitingly above the darkness.
Back in the hall Janora had moved up toward the northern door but stopped short of opening it when their barghast familiar growled a warning. Calling Denye up, the witch asked her to check for magical traps. Casting Detect Magic Denye set her senses out into the nearby area but did not detect anything magical. She did however report that something living was in the room beyond the door.
Pushing the door open carefully the two looked inside. The room beyond was littered with the slowly fossilizing remains of fallen dwarfs with several doors and passages leading off of it. Against the far wall was a low stone wall, but of living creatures there was no sign.
Ell pushed between them and walked up to the stone wall to look within. An enormous wolverine, covered in mushrooms, lay in a 15ft pit sleeping. As Ell began to back up, his foot slipped on a stone and the beast woke up. At Ell's mental shout, Jilken ran up beside him and fired two quick crossbow bolts at the creature. Both bolts striking and releasing small clouds of spores.
Citrene and Lus both ran up and hurled javelins at the beast as Denye circled around and cast a Firebolt down at it before backing down the hall. Not liking the fire the shroomverine leapt out of the pit and snapping it's jaws down onto Ell's arm. With a sharp cry a wave of fire burst out of the warlock forcing the beast to let go. Ell followed it up with two Eldritch Blasts that crushed it into the wall.
With the beast dead, the party began exploring the various rooms that lead off of the hall. Most were empty, or contained more dead bodies or destroyed furniture. Ell did find one room that still seemed intact, with a bed and desk standing along the far wall and a well worn carpet in the center of the room. Ell started across to examine the desk, but was surprised when the rug slammed into him and attempted to wrap itself around the young man. Ell managed to slip out of it's grasp and call for help over the rings again. Between Denye, Ell, and Janora the rug was soon a pile of shredded fibers on the ground.
The desk proved to be empty, but Ell did find a small lockbox under the bed which he soon had open. Seeing the picks, Janora said, "I found a locked door back by the pool. Think you can open it." Ell soon had it unlocked and pushing the door open the party found a library. Dirt covered most of the floor and many of the books were ruined by rot and mildew. Looking through the shelves the party found many books on smithing, mining, and dwarven law. Jilken and Denye also managed to uncover a small section of dwarven erotica.
There was also a large table strewn with a number of books and maps, most seemed to be about the first war and what little was still known about the Lost Kingdom before it was cast out as well as how things stand in the blighted land. An open book laying on top seemed to be his journal and Ell quickly pocketed it for later reading. He also noticed a locked drawer on the desk and after examining it for traps quickly picked the lock. In the drawer was a large flat wooden box.
Setting it back down on the desk, Ell called for Denye and asked if she could cast Detect Magic. The young Corva agreed and quickly began setting up her ritual casting circle. When the spell completed, the wizard reported that the box was not magical, but that she couldn't see inside. Ell carefully pushed the lid open, revealing a large gold disk with thin lines of octirite embedded and connecting twelve golden bumps along the rim. To Denye's senses this rang with Divination magic and was most likely Master Dark's connections to the coins they had found.
While Denye had been casting the spell, Janora had checked out the other doors. One led into a closet...with no secret doors. The other lead into a bedchamber. It too was full of dirt with several clumps of glowing mushrooms illuminating the room. There was little among the bedclothes, but there was a large stout chest carved from the stone and built into one corner.
Examining the chest revealed a flat silver plate etched with a geometric border and dwarven runes with no other sign of an opening mechanism. Janora called Ell in and asked if he could read the runes and he translated, "With truth I am undone."
Janora spoke the dwarven word "Truth" but that seemed to have no effect. Discussing what it could be, they called Han in. She suggested drawing the truth rune on the plate. Janora quickly did so and found quite a collection of loot.
Report Date
13 Aug 2021
Primary Location
