Mini 13: Crystalline Caves Report
General Summary
9th of Keltier 1524 Continued
Galanith spends the day with Brienda to try to teach her to use a bow. While Nobu continues to work on his paintings.
Isabelle is reading the Priest's Uncle's Journal about shadow rifts. She learns:
- The process of closing one.
- Best done with people or items connected to the shadow world.
- Dispel could be used to close it.
Isabelle suspects that she can Brienda might be able to get the portal to close. Though the outcomes might be varied.
Balthazar heads to the Mayor's library and researches Shadow Portals in general. He learns:
- Portals can open spontaneously at any time of year. However far more common in winter, specifically Keltier.
- Teleportation can open brief rifts.
- Even old portals can randomly close, so be careful going through them as you might not be able to get back out of the shadow world.
- Don't trust people that comes from portals as they could be planar hoppers.
- You can be corrupted by the shadow world if you are there too long.
At the end of the day the group gets together. Brienda is annoyed that Galanith won't fire arrows at her to help test her protections that she has. Balthazar tries to discourage the idea of testing her protections. While they eat, they share what each member learned throughout the day. They arrange to leave early the next day. Balathazar does admit he does not have the Dispel Magic spell.
10th of Keltier 1524
Everyone is up early to get ready to leave at 6am. As they head off Balthazar and Brienda bicker, but also complain together about how early it is and how cold it is. Isabelle tries to distract Brienda by pointing out different flora and fauna. As she points at a Maple tree, it picks itself up and moves with a "Hmph!" It seems to was a Maple Treant that was offended by the pointing nature of humans.
By 10am they find a large chasm opens in the hillside amid verdant trees and is inconspicuous if not actively searching for it. The chasm walls reach down 60 feet into the earth and end on a small patch of dirt and rock. They discuss tying Isabelle and Galanith's rope together to give them a way back out, but then jumping down with Balthazar's magic to catch them. Nobu ignores this and tries to climb down, but falls. Balthazar magically catches him and swears, which gives Brienda permission to say the world over and over again in her own mind. Balthazar coordinates the remaining people to jump at once.
At the bottom the group finds a small tunnel near the back of the hollow is the only access point to the cave system. The party is forced to duck to enter the tunnel. The crushing tunnel extends 600 feet deeper into the earth before expanding into a larger rocky chamber. Small pale-purplish crystals form within the walls and ceiling, no bigger than an index finger in length and width. A musty odor of wet earth fills the air as the cavern stretches before the party. Ceilings within the cave system rarely rise above ten feet. The ground is a mixture of hard-packed dirt and gravel combined with flat sheets of rock. There is no light in this cave system.
Galanith casts light on her shield and Nobu leads the way. Kaida and Isbelle follow behind with Balthazar and Brienda bringing up the rear. A small landing area sits at the end of the long tunnel, with enough space for a few people to rest if needed. Shallow ledges continue down into the cave to the left. Small mineral formations protrude from the walls, growing in number as the party descend the tunnel. Each ledge within the cave system is roughly 3 to 4 feet high. The party slowly goes down the ledges, keeping an eye out for traps and dangers.
When they reach the bottom, the tunnel slowly turns to the right and opens up to a fifteen feet tall in the most cavernous room yet. Two tunnels split ahead: the left-most tunnel descends deeper, while the right one rises. The sound of falling water is audible from the left tunnel. More crystals grow within the walls, though these are too small to be of any value. Mixed in with the dirt and gravel are small bones of cave animals long dead, and an errant humanoid skull peeks from behind a pile of stones. Isabelle sees faint light coming from this room. They stealth closer and see wispy balls of light.
As the group watches the balls carefully, they see the lights for a moment change into humanoid shapes before changing back. They see:
- A beautiful elven cleric of a wilderness such as possibly Erik, but it could be to nature in general.
- A dour dwarf rogue with a pure white beard
- A regal half-orc barbarian missing their right eye
- An older human knight wearing armor bearing this kingdoms insignia.
The group tries to sneak closer Galanith realises that these could be shell's of ghosts, that become little lights to lead people astray in a forest or swamp. It is possible that it could be linked to the shadow world portal, but it might not be. Balathazar agrees that they are likely a type of undead. They sends Kaida out as bait to see how they respond. They did try and attack, but Kaida is immune to their attacks.
The party jumps out to attack the ghosts. They didn't have much trouble dispatching the undead. Though they did, combining their efforts with Balthazar, make Brienda cry. Galanith helps heal Brienda a bit, which stops her crying. With the danger gone, they explore this section of the cave and try to make a choice on if they should go left or right. They decide to go left and continue to follow the left wall.
The sound of crashing water grows as the party walk down the left tunnel and the floor is slowly becoming damp and wet. As they enter a larger cavern they see water pours from a crack in the cave ceiling about fifteen feet overhead into a pool at the right side of the room. There are few aurumite crystal formations within this chamber. They all get the sense there is something behind the waterfall. It looks a narrow hole in the pool floor beneath the waterfall. The hole is wide enough that a medium-sized creature or smaller can swim into it, though it might be a little tight for larger creatures. The pressure from the waterfall aids in swimming downstream.
Isabelle and Nobu go and investigate. They see the stream goes down and Isabelle tells the group about the river section. They all head to this river as a group. This room waits at the end of an 80 ft. long submerged tunnel. The water rests just below the sandy shore, and excess water filters through cracks within the pool. Upon the cavern floor lies the desiccated body of an adventurer. They wear rust-stained scale mail armor, while beside them is a longsword in a scabbard and a pristine-looking backpack. Isabelle pulls out the longsword to see it is undamaged and likely magical.
Isabelle and the group looks into the backpack. The backpack is made of high-quality leather and is stitched with silver thread. It has a main area and side pockets. The party only looks at the main compartment. Flipping open the top pouch reveals a battered human skull surrounded by intricate arcane weaving. Isabelle immediately tips the bag over to pour the skull out with a grimace. As she does so, green fire bursts from its eye sockets as it animates into a floating skull that is on fire and immediately tries to attack them.
For the most part, it is easily attacked but also is also casting fireball on the party, hurting them very badly. They try and destroy the skull but are unsuccessful. They put it back in the bag. Then they have a short rest. Afterwards Balthazar takes the time to identify some of the things they have found. Meanwhile Galanith and Balthazar. They look over the man and see he died from starvation here. He has many burns on him. He was also a knight for the royal guard of this country.
The longsword is a Flame Tongue weapon that requires attunement. The Bag is a Bag of Stasis.
Bag of Stasis
Wondrous item, uncommon
This ornate bag temporarily dispels the effects of “unruly” magical or cursed items placed within. Any magical items or tiny creatures animated by magic placed within the bag become inert and act as non-magical objects of the same kind. If the item or creature is removed from the bag their magic returns within moments. The bag will cease to function if pierced or destroyed.
Balthazar explains what these items do. He recommends they don't touch the bag anymore then they have to until they get back. Afterwards, they try and swim up the river but only Nobu and Galanith can make it. The party takes some time to try a buddy system to slowly get everyone back to the waterfall. They manage this by 3pm. During this time Brienda learns she is not immune to drowning.
The group heads back to try the other path. Nobu leads the way to a new cavern has the tunnel does a hairpin turn. Aurumite formations grow in number as the adventurers continue on. The tunnel dog-legs into a new chamber occupied by multiple standing aurumite clusters on the floor and hanging from the ceiling. The corpse of a long-dead adventurer dressed in leathers sits in a corner alcove. Massive growths of aurumite consume the space where the corpse’s head would be. Isabelle checks out the new body. She sees a right eye is missing and they don't seem to be wearing armour.
The group continues down the next tunnel. The narrow passage opens up into the largest room in the entire cave system, with a ceiling reaching 30 feet high. The largest aurumite growths reside within this chamber due to its proximity to the portal leading to the elemental plane of Earth. Light gleams from the massive crystals — formations larger than a wine barrel grow from the earth above and below. The corpses of two humanoids lie on the ground just inside the room. One appears dressed in skins and furs while the other is in intricate chainmail. Isabelle inspects the bodies to see they were crushed to death.
They sneak around the room and find a large crystal elemental digging at the wall. The party each prepares an attack before running into battle with it! The crystal elemental and two dust mephits attack the party. Brienda learns the hard way that she is not immune to crystal or bludgeoning damage. The party is slowly chipping away at it while the mephits try and blind them. Will they make it or will they be crushed to death just like the adventurer's they have already found in the cave?
