General Summary
A Hole New Problem
After the battle against the animated turnips and an aberration-controlled Releg Cirin, Borga Gorehide, Duggg Duddins, E'larus, Róvhén Tinugalad, and Tanya Applebough chose to stay in Bridon Tillage to assist with any repair and recovery. For their efforts around town, the villagers started referring to the group as the Turnip Tillers. Over the course of these days, they noted small tremors continuing around town. Also, small creatures and beasts occasionally emerged from the large sinkhole in the turnip field, which were repelled or slain. It was unclear what was driving these monsters out of the tunnels. On 25 Sedaena 5A 351, they were called to the Leabrace Homestead by Falamin Leabrace. Releg met them there, as did a human man, Theryn, a hired mercenary some of them had seen around the village. Theryn had heard the rumors of their exploits, though some of the tales were seemingly exaggerated. Falamin was concerned with the continuing tremors and emerging creatures. He asked the Turnip Tillers and Theryn to enter the sinkhole to find the source of these problems and deal with them to protect the town.Entering the Tunnels
They gathered some needed supplies around town. Then, using a rope ladder, they lowered into the sinkhole to begin exploring. The tunnels leading from the bottom of the sinkhole seemed newly formed, but as they went further and deeper, it connected to older and more stable passages. There was no light, so E’larus, Theyrn, and Róvhén used magic to light the area. Tanya and Borga took the lead, and soon the paths started to split. Borga found many tracks, but they were all leading in haphazard directions away from the deeper tunnels. Tanya could hear a strange thrumming sound from deeper in, and they followed the most concentrated sounds. As they went, they noticed increasing bioluminescent mold growths on the walls, and the humidity and ambient temperature started to rise. Duggg investigated the mold and found it spread easily from the walls onto his tools and hands, and it tasted faintly bitter.A Pair of Mushrooms
E’larus’s enhanced sight saw creatures in the tunnel ahead. The group extinguished their lights, and E’larus shared this magical sight with several members of the party. They tried to discuss what to do, but the pair of creatures ahead were alerted to their presence. Neither group made an immediate move forward. At an impasse, Tanya snuck forward in the darkness. She saw these were two mushroom-like humanoid creatures; Myconids. They seemed intelligent and were unarmed, though the pair were exuding a constant cloud of spores around them. Tanya snuck back, but the myconids started to cautiously approach. Before the groups could meet, Tanya called out, breaking the silence. The mushrooms were startled, and Tanya tried to communicate with them. The bluish one seemed apprehensive and tried to pull the other to leave, but the redder one seemed more determined. It mimicked some of the group’s actions, seemingly trying to communicate, but apparently could not speak. Unsure of how to further lower tensions, Tanya entered the spore cloud. Her senses were hit with the powdery spores, and it caused a deep ringing in her ears and mind. But as she acclimated to it, she found she could sense the thoughts and feelings of the myconids, and they could sense hers in return. The myconids were urgently seeking help. When Tanya asked why, they said it would be faster to explain to them all. Tanya called to the group, saying the spores were fine. After seeing Tanya seemed in control of herself, most of the group entered the spores as well. Theryn stayed outside the cloud, however, not trusting the myconids and sensing a trap. Once acclimated, the myconids identified themselves by colors: “Red” and “Blue”. Deeper in the tunnels was a nursery for their young. During the autumnal equinox, a “door to darkness” appeared and glass-like creatures had emerged, scaring away the other Underdark creatures. This portal was slowly expanding into the earth and causing the shaking tremors. Red and Blue were not able to save their nursery alone, and they pleaded for the group’s help.The Fungal Nursery
Having seemingly found the source of Bridon Tillage’s problems, the group agreed to help and prepared to move on. However, Theryn still was apprehensive. With the group moving deeper in, his only other option was to return through the darkness alone. Reluctantly, he followed behind them. Red and Blue led the group to their Fungal Nursery. It was a large, humid cavern with patches of mushroom growth in a haze of spores. But floating around were small, solid creatures made of shards of prismatic black glass. Accompanying these was a powerful sound of deep and rhythmic snoring. On the other side of the chamber was a large, black crease in the air. It seemed to be a portal or gateway and on the other side the group saw walls of black glass. As they looked on, another of these floating Grimmlet creatures emerged, and as it did, the crease expanded further into the cavern ceiling and floor, sending a tremor through the area. The group prepared and Borga tentatively stepped forward. Once closer, a grimmlet sensed her and turned to face her and with a shimmer of its glassy body, it shot prismatic energy at her. The other grimmlets took notice of the battle, and the group entered combat.Prisms of Black Glass
Tanya rushed ahead, while E’larus channeled his healing aura and Duggg cast Jump on himself. Róvhén went to the right flank and prepared to cast magic at the grimmlets, and Theryn took position nearby to draw them forward. And at the back, Red and Blue tentatively kept pace with the faster group. Borga began recklessly attacking while being careful to avoid the mushroom patches. She and Tanya were hit repeatedly by prismatic blasts, which sent Tanya to the ground and bloodied Borga. E’larus healed Tanya and kept to the center of the fray to keep his aura active. As the portal slowly expanded, it shook the cavern with tremors and stalactites crashed down. Tanya recovered and ran forward to slash the tendrils of darkness at the portal’s base. It dissipated some, but slowly kept growing back. With the danger increasing, Róvhén and Duggg advanced to throw spells at the grimmlets, but one split into a duplicate in a shift of color as a result. The pair turned their magics to closing the portal instead, and Theryn, Tanya, and Borga moved to occupy the floating grimmlets. Duggg and Róvhén funneled spell energy into the seam, and wild magic began flaring throughout the nursery. The crease began to slowly collapse until it was a singular black seal in space. Róvhén used a lightning spell to try soldering the gate closed. As his wild magic flared, illusory butterflies and verdant petals floated around him, and Róvhén felt an additional push to his spell. The lightning turned green, and the energy constricted the black seam shut. With an abundance of natural energies in the chamber, Red and Blue moved forward while the rest of the group slew the remaining grimmlets. The myconids began to sing in a strange, vibrating way. This resonated with the spores in the air, and great tendrils and stems of capping mushrooms grew along the seal, encasing it in natural fibers and growth.The Sealed Gate
With the danger at bay, the myconids shared feelings of gratitude across the telepathic link. They also shared that tending to this seal was beyond them. Someone with knowledge of natural energies would be needed, and Borga suggested Releg. The group travelled back to Bridon Tillage and reported back to both Releg and Falamin. They shared the events in the tunnels, and Theryn conveyed his concerns about the mushrooms and the party’s connection to them. However, it was Tanya’s comments about a potential connection to Nadiria, the Plane of Darkness, that resonated with Falamin and Releg. Releg said the balance of light and dark felt out of balance in Tarteria, and he asked to see the seal. During the journey back, Tanya asked Róvhén about his magic, and he shared it was from connections to Coe Naneth. Releg said it may be fate that the lot of them were all in this place during this time. At the nursery, Releg examined the closed gate. He said it didn’t seem intentional or purposeful, and it should fade away as time passes beyond the equinox. But he was unsure if the next such event might reopen it. Releg used druidic energies to encase the seal and mushroom growths in a pillar of jagged, brown amber. He wondered if this was what had actually drawn him here, and he vowed to become the custodian of this planar gate. Back at town, Falamin properly thanked the group and paid Theryn for his services. Falamin then asked them to share the events since Harvest Home with a young dragonborn of the faith in nearby Porgorag. He felt that if Nadiria may be involved in some way that the faith of Zenethia should be made aware. Tanya said she’d try to find the orc druid that Róvhén was seeking as well, to maybe further aid the town. The Turnip Tillers recovered into the evening, with the members of the group affirming their decision to continue traveling together. Theryn felt bound to assist and volunteered his aid as well. The next morning, on 26 Sedaena 5A 351, they set out from Bridon Tillage along the Belltree Road.
Report Date
20 Aug 2023
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Characters
23 Sedaena 5A 351 to 26 Sedaena 5A 351