Session 79: Feel the Burn Report
General Summary
The Droth rushed to the pool, and dove in. Boris and Roy did their best to stop it, while Jeeves and Roisin tried to help, but it reached the pool and dove in. Moments later, the pool exploded with light and surged with fluid, blasting a wave of acid in all directions; even over the nearby walls. Jeeves nearly died, Roisin dodged it, Roy suffered terribly, and Boris was injured. Roy's iron spikes were also destroyed. Boris rushed over to help Roy recover from his blindness and fight whatever was in the pool, Jeeves finally remembered he had a potion to make himself immune to acid, and drank that. Roisin rushed up through a small gap in the wall to get close. Roy launched more magic at the creature, each time begging Boris not to kill him. Boris tried to hit the mass in the pool, but his strikes were ineffective. Jeeves rushed over and tried to get to where he could see what was going on. The pool surged again with light and acid. Boris and Roy were both blinded and stunned by psychic whispers reminding them of their worst nightmares. Roy would have died, except Roisin cried out and her noble spirit enabled Roy to hold on a little longer. Roisin was grabbed and drawn into the pool, where she ceased to struggle and began to drown. Jeeves rushed to get closer to the pool. Roy and Boris were unable to act. The pool surged once again with light and acid, injuring Boris, and would have killed Roy were it not for Roisin's help earlier, and the magical scales protecting him. Roy was once again stunned and blinded, while Boris was merely blinded, and Jeeves was stunned. Roisin drowned. Boris tried to recover, but failed. Roy was still unable to act. Roy, Boris, and Jeeves recovered. Boris considered diving into the massive pool of acid, but realized that was suicide, and stepped back. Jeeves, immune to acid, dove in and lifted Roisin out of the acid pool, then fed her a potion to revive her. Roisin stood, took out her decanter, and inundated herself with water to wash off the acid before it did more damage. Boris healed Roy. Roy used short distance teleportation magic to move and leave the acidic goo all over him behind; his magical knowledge enabling him to escape further harm. Roisin washed down Jeeves as Boris scrubbed off the last remnants of acid from his own body.
Everything became calm and quiet. The party regrouped and Roy conjured a temporary hidden space where they spent an hour to rest and bind their wounds. After that short rest, Roy used magic to transform the masses of limestone blocks around them into quicklime and the party began to explore the area while Jeeves used paper servants to shovel the quicklime into the pool of acidic goo. It took hours, but eventually the acid was neutralized and the group decided to spend the night in case more creatures arrived. Boris carefully examined each person and found nasty ooze parasites on a few, quickly burning them off with short bursts of holy radiant flame.
After an uneventful night in a wondrous watcher ward, the party looked around one more time, then Roisin consumed the little scroll she had been given, and it tasted like honey as she ate it, but then she felt the uncontrollable urge to vomit, and what came out was a spray of rainbow color that surrounded the group. The group was lifted into the air, seeing several settlements nearby and residents heading toward the clearing where they had been, then the scene shimmered and they were above the retirement community. The rainbow sphere lowered to the ground and dissipated. It appeared they had arrived just after dawn.
The party heard the now familiar chorus-like mental "voice" of The Guardian. "Welcome. You seem to have succeeded. It was even odds you would be destroyed, but you were not, and the creatures are gone forever from this plane. How do you feel about your adventure?" Jeeves responded. "I feel we have a job well done." "Indeed. You have done better than expected. I am permitted to grant each of you a boon. What do you request?"
Jeeves asked for Insight. Roy requested Knowledge of Magical basics. Boris requested Strength of arms. Roisin agonized over her decision, and finally requested speed.
All of them felt the power of The Source infuse them, and the Guardian spoke. "One more boon I offer you. No matter how long you spend here it will be as if you spent only a day. Your next journey is long and arduous. Rest here, prepare as long as you like. No matter how long, even if you spend years here, you will depart this valley as if only a day had passed." With that, The Guardian shimmered and was gone. As the party looked about they observed the small community begin to arise and greet the new day.
