Session 3: Deeper Still Report

General Summary

During this session the party organized into long term projects to complete their work on their initial base in the Underdark, the Mithril Mantle, and they also met their mail carrier. A small and slender Drow that seemed intent upon securing the relations that this party would devise in the area, this entity signaled their approach by firing a single black arrow into the midst of the settlement that bore the sign of their employer in gold lettering, OZ.   After some meager introductions a price was agreed upon along with the intervals at which mail would be delivered, picked up, and what stations that the Gloomstalker would check in with when looking for deliveries that would come to the Mithril Mantle. With this taken care of, the Elf Barbarian, the Dragonborn Barbarian and the Halfling with a love of war and chaos scouted the northern tunnel that spiraled down into the earth gently. Here they traveled for nearly two hours, taking care to stay on the larger, winding passageway to avoid becoming lost. During this time they came upon the old Bullet den and found that 2 creatures had moved in, two basilisk that slept nosily in the cavern. A quick plan was laid and the party engaged them in combat, avoiding anyone being turned to stone and harvesting the eyes and stomach linings of the creatures. They came to a fork in the road, to the left the tunnel cut down harshly while it continued on at a gentle pace to the right. Without giving much other thought to it the party decided to make their way to the right in favor of better terrain. This road was traveled for another hour before the geography abruptly changed, the dirt and rocky clay of the Underdark gave way to cut stone and shaped hallways that were too crude for Dwarven design.   The party proceeded warily into the hallways, unnerved slightly by the fact that they were short in design with none longer than 20 feet before they took a harsh 90 degree turn. Many intersections and choices were allotted to them as they navigated this maze-like structure but they soon found they were not alone. Unwittingly they had stumbled into the hunting grounds that most suited a Black Mantis. They had two run ins with the creature in question, the first was a lone hunter and the second was an ambush by two of the creatures. The Halfling nearly found himself at the mercy of a creature that seized him from behind and immediately began trying to devour him. The Halfling pulled a basilisk eye from his bag and clenched his own shut as a last ditch effort and turned the creature that would soon devour him into a perfect statue.   The party was weary but managed to harvest various pieces of the coveted exoskeleton, knowing that it was often sought after because of its light weight and immense strength as a material for armor. They continued on, navigating the stone maze until they spied a light, the dim light came from a large, circular room that stood apart from the rest of the structure. It had an altar in the middle and a long window cut into the far side, the dim light came from the window. The party entered and paid the altar some respectful distance as they did not know its origin nor its intent but they could see that dark, wet blood still stained the walls in rather unsightly patterns and silhouettes. They made their way to the window and peered a great ways down to an area that was illuminated by a pedestal with blue fire that appeared to be a small island on a lake, hundreds of feet below them. As they gazed out the window the blood pooled and moved, turning into a frightful mist of malice that attempted to engulf them and drain their life force away. The party rallied quickly and with the use of magic and blade they were able to repel the vampiric mists and retreat back into the stone hallways, carefully navigating their way back trusting to their swift movement that they could avoid further danger that day.

Rewards Granted

Black Mantis Exoskeleton Pieces

Character(s) interacted with

Mef - Drow Gloomstalker & Mail Carrier