Plantmonth the 22nd, 1:05 PM, 239 of the 29th age. We doled out some healing but our reserves were damned low. After fixing the worst of our hurts, we gathered into a ragged line and made our way carefully across the glass strewn floor and away from the slowly growing and glowing root of the burgeoning Lifetree.
Once at the hall we walked slowly and with care through the ankle deep piles of busted glass until eventually we were finally past. Beyond there we came to the room that had the Shambling Mound – still filled with roots and growth, but nothing living within. We climbed and pushed, making our way out and then at the “Y” intersection, went back to the northwest to check on the two dead elves there.
Again, male elf killed by a shaft of glass in his chest and his eyes and mouth perforated by numerous shards, and an older grey elven noblewoman. We thought about taking them with us but decidedly ultimately to leave them for now. It was almost 2 when we arrived at the area of the inverted gravity. Without rope we relied heavily on Connal’s monastic skills and Darius’ strength. We had been toting around Godric’s corpse (more meat than body, but still hopeful) during this time as the party did a twist and hand off one by one.
Once on the ceiling, we walked on until we came to the far end of the inverted zone. From here it was a slow go as we passed through there, finally done at ten after 3. We traveled for a bit longer, arriving at the former Githyanki camp by 3:30. From here it was bandages and conversation on what we were going to do next. The first thing we had was a food problem – not enough of it. Wilhelm opted to switch to Murlynd’s Spoon and Connal had the ability to forego food for a while.
We wanted to make the climb up but without rope, we were at a limit of what we could do. Wilhelm had 4 spiders left for spider climbing and there was talk of animal form or Shim’s bat form to fly out but the shafts were too narrow to make it possible. Plus there was the Feyr to get by.
We brainstormed a bunch and came up with a possible plan. One, only 3 of us would try to get out. Connal (the best climber and can fall some distance without getting hurt), Wilhelm for the spell use and the fact he can change into a raven and hitch a ride. And finally Shim who was the smallest and lightest; but with the bat cloak can change form as well as his own spell use.
Then we had to get past the Feyr – and for that, they were going to bring Leomund’s Hut with them
With 3 limits on opening it, we risked one now to empty all the supplies and beds from the hut’s interior, for now storing it here at the Githyanki Thorpe. We split up foods, Connal and his group taking less, just enough to make the surface, leaving the left over for the rest of the party. The goal was to get to the surface, get some food and rope, and maybe some rescuers to come back down. 4 days was the hope – 2 to get out, 2 to get back. The downstairs group also ended up taking everyone’s oil and the spare lantern that Connal had – giving us 6 flasks. Along with Captain Asher’s 5 possible light spells each day we should have enough light for 12 or 13 hours.
As for Connal and his team, they suggested going to the dead Mimic and throwing it down the shaft for the rest of party to eat. Most of the group said no, they were not that hungry. “Yet.”
“Yeah, no.”
“You’ll see.”
We all went off to the shaft up from the 7th level and by 4:30, the two party members changed to animals, gripped Connal’s back, and as a Raven, Wilhelm called to Shakak for Connal to climb like a spider as the monk at one of the few remaining spiders.
He climbed up the almost vertical 90’ shaft to the large slope, followed it on hands and knees some 60, 70’ to the next shaft, and then climbed that one to the surface of the 6th floor. The rest of the group headed back to the Githyanki area. Shim and Wilhelm changed back and they walked north and west. At the chamber with the root, they studied the silver sap and decided to still avoid it still. We went down the hall to the dragon flies and even though Connal was willing to take some to eat, Wilhelm continued to speak for the strange nature down here and advised us to avoid fucking or harming them.
Walking past (very carefully), we continued north until we could hear the Feyr once again ahead of us. From here we spoke to it, letting it know of the Githyanki and they had moved on. They also sadly mentioned the rift had been closed. But – they did explain the hut idea and the Feyr had to think long about it before agreeing to do so. The group then approached, beheld the frightening otherworldly horror, and then opened the Hut. On its way out, it did touch each of them lightly, and the 3 party members each got a point of wisdom. Nice!
From here we went on to the cliff, climbed down, and went off to the Mimic room. Yeah, it was here and rotting slowly (along with the eyewings). The group moved to the Mimic (in a pool of weird juices), donned gloves, and began to push the 400 to 450 lbs dead blue and red oversized animated treasure chest. It was slow going, and the slope up didn’t help. It had the habit of gouging the clay floor and making our hands and clothes sticky.
At 5:35 we were at the cliff, 15’ up. We tied the last bit of scary rope (fraying and not to be trusted) that Connal had to the mimic and the monk was at the top, ready to haul back and lift. Shim made a summons – and got (eventually) a troglodyte. The foul smelling reptilian was told to lift the beast as high as it can while Connal pulled. The 2 worked together, the rope plinking and threads snapping, the Trog hoisting up, the stink on him getting terribly foul. But we pushed and yanked and struggled and the mimic made the top – and shim had the Trog disappear (but its reek lasted another 6 minutes).
Then they shoved and shoved and shoved until at 7:15 PM, they finally arrived back at the hole down beyond the silver sap. They tilted the heavy mimic over the hole, teetered, and let it fall. And fall it hid, rolling and smashing, it ripped the opening larger, clay flying all over as it built up speed. It crashed to the slope section where its momentum continued, sliding and rolling down the shaft to the far one where it free fell 90’ to the floor and smashed open, meat and wood and mucus flying everywhere. The group came to investigate and there was 400 lbs of smashed mimc down here.
“Who the fuck do they think is going to eat this?!” Darius wondered aloud. “It’s rotting and raw.”
From above the 3 friends yelled down the hall, “Good luck and you’re welcome!” and then moved on. The rest of us left the “meat” on the floor and returned to the Githyanki area.
It was 8 PM when they reached the hole to climb to level 5. The slope here seemed easier and Connal donned crampons, the 2 friends took on animal forms and the monk then climbed. It was slow going but he made it to the 5th level. From here we walked on, Connal’s everburning torch lighting the way. We passed the Banshee chamber, the winding halls with the dead elves, and after much walking, came to the area where the strange rain was falling from the ceiling. Shim reminded the group that the rain was a rainbow of colors and whoever it fell on was changed color as well. Last time we had Godric and his waterbane spell to get us through. Now, we had a baladrana and a fast monk.
With the other 2 tucked underneath and holding the folds close, Connal ran and got SOME of the waters on him – turning his baladrana and his helm brown – but the rest of him was unchanged! It was 8:55 at this point and the 3 friends opted to climb one more time here and then camp at the top of the shaft. This was another one that was sloped and with Crampons, Connal was willing to risk the ascend for.
It paid off and at 9:05 PM, we opened the hut, crawled inside, and fell asleep. Both parties woke up on the 23rd and breaking our fast. Healing was doled out and weapons and armor and belongings were looked after. Connal, Wilhelm, and Shim closed up the Hut and kept going. They picked their way through the ruins of the Neogi lair, wandered past the room with the oversized mushroom and then kept going on. The spirit stag was gone but the reek of the rotting flesh corrupting in the former chamber of the Leucrotta was sickening. So much so that Wilhelm was overcome with the heaves and began to vomit. He was hunched over, unable to stand and had to be lifted and dragged out of the chamber.
Even beyond there it took him 10 minutes to get his bearing back. There were a variety of cross and dead end chambers but the party had a pretty good memory for directions and eventually that managed to navigate their way through, coming to the chamber with the shattered glass and the thousands of ladybugs. Again, Wilhelm advised the group to NOT damage the insects and step carefully through.
By 9:30 AM they were at the shaft going up and climbing without aid was not an option. Using a diminishing number of spiders he and shim transformed to their animals and climbed on Connal who swallowed the arachnid as the druid cast Spider climb again. Level 3.
We passed our way through the passage and had a choice – the tinkling sound of the metal trees or the possible encounter with the oversized bees and the grizzly. We discussed it and opted to avoid complications so headed for the trees. Last time the sound was melodious and knocked us out for an hour, this time we were more prepared and some tallow helped us get through with no issue. Beyond there was the chamber that had the hydra in it, and then some passages before getting to the room with the glowing purple crystal in the ceiling and lots of pools of water.
By 10:20 we were at the bottom of the shaft. Hoping to keep some of our precious spiders, Wilhelm instead cast Bull’s Strength on Connal who donned his crampons. He risked the climb this time and with his two friends as passengers, made it to the top of the shaft and at level 2. The pass through this area was simple. The Nymph was gone (the pool still remained) and by 11 we were at the shaft going up to level 1. Another round of climbing and then through the very top floor and finally the final ascent and we were in the crater of Remembrance Overlook – the surface.
The dome was still in place and light was cycling through, but our ability to see out was compromised. We did remember that looking into the dome was possible from the other way. Shim cast 3 invisibility spells on us and we decided we would wait until nightfall before trying to get out So we pulled up the hut, crawled inside, and fell asleep).
The downstairs group had another round of create water in place and then ate their stores of diminishing food, checking off another flask of oil and another 5 light spells from Asher. As for Connal and his group, they woke up and it was dark. Time was a bit lost to them, not sure when it was. They also ate (their own food stores fading quick) and after some time, figured it was late enough to risk opening the door.
Last time we knew the door opened shed a bit of light and other than the sound of the rock crunching on the group as it rolled aside and back – that was it. 2 Minutes tops, and can be opened no more than once per day. Wilhelm took out the runes, went to the door, and after a time or two, managed to get them just right, and the door opened.
We snuck out (invisible), no one was on guard nearby, but we can hear yells and cries and what seemed to be siege engines going off. It was dark but strange lights (fires?) illuminated in the distance.
WTF?
We worked our way up the slope, past the shattered doors and looted souvenir shop, to Tilani proper. Upper Canopy, the tree area to the north had some fires burning. The roof of the Speaker of the Sun’s palace has two 40’ spectral fires burning from the upper minarets, giving the entire place a spectral aura. Roaming bands of armed and armored elves were stalking the streets and it seemed they were gathering up every non elf they could find, arresting them on the spot. Every so often a loud voice would demand “open up” and “Prepare to be arrested.”
It was the strange Battlewagon on the west side of the river that drew the most attention. Hovering 100 plus feet off the ground, it was unlike any of the gnomish ships we had seen to date. It had 8 cannon ports on each side as well as front and rear guns. A crew of elves were working the trebuchets on board, firing rocks down at Little Gorok below, the dwarven section of Tilani. The stout stone buildings were holding for now and the dwarves within were defending themselves but this was out of control.
“Let’s get to the docks, now.” We picked our way invisibly through the streets, dodging patrols and listening to the mess. Seems the Speaker of the Sun died at the end of our combat with his astral projection. And the projection was saying everything out loud that had been said in the fight. Shimalgesh and Eoghan stuck out heavily as well as the rest of the group. Agents from the Kaiser. Sent here. Entered the Crater without approval. And then astrally murdered the Speaker. The elves have decided to militarize and are in the process of expelling every non elf from the city.
And when we got to the docks, Captain Twilick and the Windshade were missing. The docks were a mess, water tanks ruptured, ropes all about. And that Battlewagon…it would have blown the Windshade out of the sky. “I thought all spelljammers were gnomish?” the group wondered. “What the fuck?”
With no ship, we had two things left to do. One, get rope. The docks had lots of it so we were ok here. Two. Get food. For us and the party still in the Crater.
“Animals.” Wilhelm reminded us. The House of Silk and Smoke still had his and Eoghan’s animals in kennels. “Another time, we won't leave without them.”
Not wanting to risk having to cast more invisibilities, we figured we’d get the food first. There was a greengrocer not too far from the docks. We went there, patrols were roaming but not here right now. The grocer was closed but the proprietor was hanging out the 2nd story window, light behind him, holding a bow arrow nocked.
We snuck up to the front but the fight in the distance obscured our sounds. Door was locked but 2 windows. Smash and enter? Not worth the noise. Shim had an idea. Hiding under the monks baladrana, he cast Summon Monster and got a wild, barbaric Elf. Rita.
She unlocked the door and we entered. Tossing open the Hut, we started grabbing whatever food stuffs we could, shoving them into the open door. Hearing us from above, Shim sent Rita up the stairs to take care of the Grocer. There was a fight up there, blows being landed, and then a cry following by something landing on the street in front of the place. We wheeled an entire barrel of pickles into the Hut and pulled it closed, retreating to the back of the Grocery.
The Grocer, dirty and limping, entered his shop, took out a short blade, and stormed up the stairs crying, “I’ll kill you bitch!” to the elf up there accosting his family. As we were leaving we could hear Rita and the Grocer fighting again before he once more cried out and was thrown out of the window a second time to smash into the street.
We were gone before the patrols were going to show up, heading back to the fields and the airship dock. Wilhelm looked through the stalks and grasses, finding small spiders quickly and pocketing them, refilling his pouch for the future. We then went to the docks and managed to coil up 10 coils of rope, opening the hut one more time (at our limit) today, transporting them within.
At this point Shim could hear a voice in his head. It was Twilick! The gnomish captain was an hour outside of town on the way to Aysle. They had to flee 2 days ago when the docks were overrun and the ship was in danger of being arrested and impounded. The Speaker had been working on an elven Spelljammer, reverse engineering gnomish components for years. It was not ready from cross country flight, but as an elevated combat platform? It was MORE than capable. The Windshade withdrew.
Most non elves were being rounded up. Blamed the party, the Kaiser, the dwarves, the gnomes, the humans. It’s a mess right now. Gorok contacted the Windshade, hoping to have them drop much needed crossbow bolts and supplies on the dwarven encampment here in Tilani but the Windshade couldn’t get anywhere near it and had to withdraw after getting a broadside from the battlewagon.
The ship's mage has been working on a messaging spell – good for 6 minutes. Casting it twice a day – at midnight and midday, hoping to get Shim. Success (it was obviously midnight). We let Captain Twilick know we were going to get the rest of the group and might be a few days. Continue to reach out and when we can, we’ll arrange an exact time to open the dome again and run for the ship.
Message spell ended and we were discussing heading back to the Crater now (it was after midnight so the limit of 1 per day was over). We had 38 days of food stuffs, 10 coils of rope in the hut, and 2 of the 3 of us were still invisible. Plantmonth 24th, 12:10 AM, 289 of the 29th age
