Out of the Abyss is a Dungeons and Dragons (DnD 5e) game set in the Underdark. Play takes place every Friday night at Dragons Keep Roleplay Club in Chislehurst South East London. The Dungeon Master is Joshua.
Cast of Characters
Janek Boone - Human Champion (Tony)
Targonis - Wood Elf Ranger (Steve)
Aur - Aarakocra Rogue (Suresh)
Selya Skag - Vedalken Alchemist Artificer (Daniel)
Sunna Mortas - Tiefling Sorceror (Jo)
Skagg searches the lab and finds a magical darkness in one corner. It's some kind of transportation magic and an anathema to the alchemist. Clearly this is how Kasra escaped the tunnels and he will probably return to find his prisoner gone and the place ransacked.
Janek reminds the group that they still need to find The Council of Savants and retrieve the red dragon egg and so they continue on their quest.
Retracing their steps to the cave where they were attacked by the giant spiders and the duergar grey ghosts, they continue their journey along the tunnel, eventually emerging it a cavern with a roof so high up they cannot see it.
The cave is dominated by a monolithic mesa of rock at its centre which reaches up towards the sky. A spiraling staircase path winds around its flanks and the unmistakesable magical miasma of the faeress is clearly evident at the summit. Aur conjures another owl familiar, a game old bird know only as Woot and they climb cautiously up the stairs. The heroes hear the chattering of voices, it is too hard to focus on just one conversation but Janek tries hard and is assaulted by some psychic force. Perhaps the faeress amplifies the effect, it's hard to tell but Janek uncharecteristically lets out a squeal of pain.
Reaching the summit they find nothing but a plateau with a few scant mushrooms. The cavern roof is still far above them and shrouded in darkness. It is clear that the sounds are echoes from the city above, a cacophanous collection of the many thousands of conversations, roars of dragonsbreath and the booming of the forge hammers which make up day to day life in Gracklestugh.
They forge ahead and discover an entrance to a cavern blocked by a thicket of fungus. A gulp of pygmywort later and they are easily negotiating the towering fungal stalks which only moments ago blocked their path and emerge into a cavern containing 7 myconids and 2 Quaggoth all engaged in some sort of transcending tribal dance.
Stool excitedly jumps from Derendel's arms and rushes to one of the 5 smaller myconids. He explains that this is his friend Rumpidump. Rumpidump explains that he doesn't really understand what this dance is all about and they should talk to Voospur their leader. Janek engages the giant myconid and Voospur drops out of his trance. He explains that they were drawn to this place from their home in the Neverlight Grove to partake of "The Ladies Gift" a most wonderous union which allows them to travel to far off places through "The Ladies Dreams". He goes on to explain that The Lady offers a oneness and unity with all myconids and creatures who accept her gift and it is a joyous, blissfull experience unparalelled among living creatures. Skagg is of course utterly entranced by the possibility of experiencing this new mind state and swiftly agrees to receive "The Ladies Gift".
Voospur blows a cloud of spores up Skagg's nose and they immediately enter a trance, their eyes widen and their mouth gapes open as their Vedalken mind tries to comprehend the wonderous nature of it all. They describe a vision of The Lady and explains that they understand the nature of how to travel in "The Ladies Dreams".
It does not appear to Janek's untrained eye that the alchemist has suffered any immediate ill effects but he refuses the gift, as do the others, wary of the long term effects of mysterious underdark psychotopic substances.
They bid their myconid hosts farewell and continue on through the only other exit from the tunnel.and find themselves near Roland's pool. The stench of decay is overwhelming and Aur sends Woot on ahead to be her eyes and ears.
The bird flies out into a large cavern which is strewn with corpses and body parts of many different creatures of all races. The corpses are arranged in a spiral which circles towards an altar tended over by a small hunched figure. The last thing Woot sees before her life is snuffed out is the grinning face of Bupido.
Shocked, Aur marshalls the heroes to attack and with a few magical sqwauks disappears from sight. She stealthily stalks into the cave to take Bupido by surprise but the gnome sees her immediately and attacks.
Skagg clicks the heels of their boots of speed and rushes into the cave hurling a firebolt at Bupido which splashes across his chest. Janek charges and snick snick go his short swords carving deep wounds across Bupido's torso. Targonis is not far behind and Swift Wind twangs an arrow into Bupido's shoulder. The Deep Gnome seems unfazed by this flurry of violence and calmly plucks the arrow out.
"I knew we would meet again and I have so longed to add you to my great endeavour"
Aur swoops in to attack and strikes twice from behind. Bupido points at the shrine and a red mystical energy flows from it into his three chained plail making it glow read. Bupido begins to mutate turning into some huge hairy beast and healing all of the wounds the heroes inflicted on him. The corpse spiral shudders and from it emerge 5 ghoulish figures who begin moving inexhorably towards each hero. Jim Jar reflexively grabs a nearby leg and throws it at one ghoul, hitting it.
Skagg throws a vile of Alchemists Fire but clumsily drops it behind him and narrowly missing Nug who files forth and spews a little part of itself at Bupido. Janek flourishes his blades at his former cellmate, who knows whether the creature he fights is still Bupido, one hit and one miss. Bupido's changed flesh seems to resist his blade's keen edge. Targonis chops one of the ghouls in half as Sunna casts a bonfire under another. Sensing that the shrine is somehow empowering Bupido, Aur attacks it with her shortsword but causes no damage. Jim Jar attacks another ghoul but misses.
Skagg runs away from a Ghoul as it opportunistically lashes out stricking him with its long fetid claws. The Alchemist hurls another firebolt at Bupido as his comrade Nug blasts him with his spew. Half a ghoul attacks Targonis but he is too fleet of foot for the shambling undead. A second strikes at Sunna wounding her as a third attacks Janek but misses. Sensing that Janek presents a great threat, two further ghouls engage but only one manages to strike the champion. Targonis despatches what is left of the ghoul at his feet.
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