Session 33 - Bad News in the Earth Node!

There is a discussion about how long the party has been underground (Knack has not seen day light in days!). We decide the party should deduct 5 rations. If anybody goes below zero rations they can have 3 instead from scavenging for food. We also decide the party is quite stinky for lack of proper bathing and hygene - Knack performs prestidizzy on everybizzy to get rid of the funk-a-hizzy.

Our adventures explored more areas of the “Ziggurat level”.

They used Lane’s Tiny Hut spell to peer through a vile elemental liquid doorway north of the Harpy fight - in that room is gruesome death and some sort of air creature wearing armor and wielding a flail. The party, not wanting to add their bodies to the collection therein, opted to avoid this room.

They found a pit that turns into a tunnel.

They found deflated air bag / backpacks

They found a “bone stair case” leading to another room containing a shaft that leads up (apparently to a room).

They found a “glass globe” with swirling smoke or clouds. Luke “booped” it with his mage and and that released a tornado and animated four swords. They defeated the swords but the tornado seems “not alive” and they had to avoid it.

They did not return to engage the lizard folks and they did not explore an unmapped area to the south.

The did open the doors to a Dwarven burrial chamber containing the remains of Hendel Foebreaker - an apparent ancient hero of ancient Tyar-Besil who seems to have fought minotaurs and grimlocks.

Knack did some mending on the crumbled frieze. Thanatos said a prayer. Lane sprinkled holy water and said a blessing.

The room was the one place where (almost) everybody felt at peace. Olive’s elemental blood line gave him a slight angst in this Hallowed area.

The DM offered the party some meta-game knowledge which they gladly accepted: Going up leads to easier (non-challenging levels) better suited to the Saturday group. Going down leads to more challenges (suited to this group). The DM also reminded the party that Iron Fang and Tinder Strike BOTH have the ability to create “destruction orbs” when in an earth or fire node - and so far nowhere they’ve been with the weapons has unlocked that ability (therefore, they have not yet found these so called “nodes”).

They then surmised:

• The fire pit / elevator might lead to the Fire node
• The purple glowing crak might lead to the Earth node
• The pit going down (where the backpack / ballon things were found) might lead to the Air node
• The river where the water plunges into might lead to the Water node. (This made Dan/Knack shudder)

The meta-knowledge seemed to be of help and the party then debated exactly where they wanted to venture. Given they have the Fire (Tinder Strike) and Earth (Iron Fang), they felt going to one of those nodes made sense. However Wil/Taraxacam who owns Tinder Strike was absent for the game. They felt it was better to try and find the Earth node since Mark/Thanatos was at the game.

So the party ventures down a long tunnel marked by purple luminescent crystals. Their descent finally levels out and opens to a cavern.

An Important detail was left out by the shoddy DM: The party is now IN an EARTH NODE! (Que Triumphant fanfare sound effect).

The party battles three stubbornly fanatic Stone-plated Black Earth Guards (who will not surrender or flee. Their only excuse is “we can’t”). They seemingly part as Thanatos approaches to let the party pass, but as Thanatos draws within striking distance, the leader yells “Now!” And the fight is on! Two Earth Elementals bristling with the purple crystals noted everywhere rise up from the floor!

In an awesome attempt to surprise the surprisers, Thanatos raises Iron Fang and attempts to gain control of one of the Elementals! But its bonds to Ogremoche are too strong and it resists his control. Our new, new, new, new Earth Profit is apparently “too new” at the job for now.

Despite the odds, the party rises to the fight! Thanatos and Olivine battle the Guards while Lane, Knack and Luke deal with the Elementals. Early on Lane casts Spirit Guardians while Knack and Luke have to fall back due to brutal Slam damage from the elementals.

Lane repeatedly suffers multiple slam attaacks from the elemental he faces. But our brave cleric stays his ground, and maintains his Spirit Guardians spell like a true Warcaster! However the Knack soon realizes, his companion can’t keep this up for long and rejoins the fray to deliver much needed healing to Lane. The two companion stand back-to-back (technically butt-to-head due to height differences between the human and gnome) between the two stony elemental behemoths!

Eventually the guards are defeated and the final elemental goes down. Olive collects a purple crystal fragment from one of the elementals.

The well-traveled party scouts ahead with “sneaky-Lane” on point (“I rolled a 1 for Stealth!”, says John). This seems to alert an odd three-legged creature (a Xorn) with a mouth on top of its head and a human cultist who seems to be worshipping the thing.

The Xorn enthusiastically speaks about “detecting precious metals” and begins moving towards Lane!

Players:

• John/Lane
• Owen/Olivine
• Mark/Thanatos
• Dan/Knack
• David/Luke