Nomen Infernale VI: The Stench of Decay Report

Abet Sakhat, Medjay of Khemia, gathered the party members near the caved-in mine tunnel and urged Alexandru and Riven to scout ahead. As the two silently stalked their way deeper into the mine, beneath and behind the caved-in area, they found before them a mound of dead human and beastman corpses in various states of decay. To their horror, they observed a giant, grotesque, sallow grub nibbling on the remains of a young, dark-skinned woman that was undoubtedly once Abet’s younger sister, Ashat the Bayek.

Moving closer for a better look, Riven stepped on loose swarf which caused more stone to fall from a nearby pile. The grub immediately turned its head slightly and struck out with a tentacle coated with a potent paralytic venom. Wrapping around Riven's torso, the venomous slime was absorbed into her system through exposed skin. As she lost sensation in her limbs, she fell limp and defenseless, allowing the monster to consume her later without struggle. Alex, deeply wary of paralysis at this point, slipped deeper into the shadows that he might cut the grub from behind with less risk to himself.

Asbjørn, hearing Riven shout before she dropped to the ground, knew something was amiss and immediately flew into wulfwōd. He ran around the rock pile to face the 12 foot long arthropodic terror. Swinging his Kebian scimitar, he nearly split the head of the grub in half with one blow. While it was distracted by Asbjørn, Alex snuck behind the grub but was unable to find an opening to strike with a backstab due to its alien physiology. It mattered little, however, as miraculously, an effulgent warhammer appeared in the air and as Brother Theophilus chanted hymns in honor of Ator the Lawgiver, it flew to smite the vile abomination of nature. Riven, Asbjørn and Alex were all splattered with the effluvia of the carrion-eating grub’s smashed head as the weapon of pure faith slammed down on to it.

Despite the death of the monster, Asbjørn’s bloodlust was not yet sated as he was deep in the rage of the Rhenish wulfwōd; he tackled the young Eknoi mage, Teleptyon while screaming in his tongue, “TŌBARMAN NE MŌT LĪFFAN!”

Abet was concerned at the frequency with which out of control members of this group attacked one another. Teleptyon tried to squirm away, but got an erection in the process. As Brother Theo calmed Asbjørn with the honeyed words blessed by Maya, Asbjørn also got an erection. Abet became even more deeply concerned.

Abet became distracted from this interlude after he noticed the lifeless and degraded form of his sister and egg-like sacks embedded in the bodies of the corpse pile. As he examined the pile, one of the sacks exploded and a grublet sprang out at him. He sliced it easily, and instructed them to burn the pile. Alex immediately began pouring oil on the pile and praying to Bennos that he would welcome the fallen. Theo asked him to stop and confirmed with Abet that he was comfortable committing Ashat to the flame. He nodded and Alex struck his flint. Abet stared stoically into the flickering flame for a moment before turning to tend to Riven.

Teleptyon took the empty oil flask from the Oameni and attempted to collect a sample of the paralytic for alchemical study, but in the increasingly smoky room was wracked with a coughing fit and touched the creature. He cursed before growing stiff and falling to the floor.

Abet called for the party to retreat from the choked room, but asked Alex to scout further into the mine. Theo braved the smoky room with Alex and noticed a narrow passageway in the far corner of the room. Alex wriggled into the space behind a cave-in and found a more rough-hewn passage that led deeper into the mine. He dared not get that far from the party and returned, assessing that the other members would not fit and stone would need to be cleared if there were not another route down.

Alex turned down the only other open route from the carrion room and walked into a storage room filled with mining tools and barrels of waste rock. He did not see any enemies present and first tried to call Kegho by whistling the song of the white-browed tit warbler, but when no one came rushed back to the main party to tell them of his find.

When he arrived Teleptyon had recovered and Riven had begun to stir. The party moved into the store room and began smashing the place looking for loot and drystone. Asbjørn took up the largest maul he could find and began smashing a nearby boulder with obvious glee. Abet smashed a cask, spilling long-vinegared wine all over the room. Alex began searching the containers on a platform in the far corner of the room.

Asbjørn grunted “heh, white rock” and Abet came over to look. The massive boulder, now split open, did indeed have a rich vein of white stone flecked with a darker creamier white. Abet confirmed it to be drystone and Asbjørn suggested that with all the potential for encounters with Reshpu's minions they should cart off as much as they could. Alex thought there might be an opportunity to make ointments to sell and would consult with Teleptyon. As they are discussing the discovery all of their torches and lanterns flickered off at once. They sat in darkness for a long moment unsure if it was coincidence or if something wicked was coming before Theo lit his lantern. Abet asked Theo to apply his secular healing skills and to make a poultice out of the stone and apply it to Kegho.

As he did they all stood around expectantly waiting for his withered flesh to heal, but he wearily said “at least it doesn’t itch anymore” and added “thank you” when he saw that Theo was crestfallen.

Abet reminded them that even with Kegho healed, they must go deeper into the mine to stop the evil that he had come to snuff out. They all agreed and Alex explained that they’d have to clear rubble to get to the unexplored passage. Alex went back through the smaller tunnel to keep watch. As the larger party members stripped off their shirts and began picking away at the rubble, Alex saw a phlegmatic psuedopod probe the archway leading deeper into the mine. Before he had a chance to even get a craving for his mother’s kholodets, the hallway was filled from edge to edge with a pale, green, translucent jelly.