Deep in the heart of
Nolavor's dense jungle,
Fouk Shadim,
Thronn Zamda, and
Sherman found themselves embroiled in a perilous exploration of an ancient Shadim dungeon. The session opened with the party in the midst of combat against a fearsome Ghostwalk spider, a creature capable of phasing through solid matter.
Sherman, drawing upon his survival skills, quickly recognized the nature of these arachnid threats. He warned his companions about the spiders' ability to move through walls, emphasizing the need for caution. The group, heeding
Sherman's advice, decided to avoid direct confrontation and instead focused on exploration and discovery.
As they delved deeper into the dungeon's labyrinthine passages, Fouk noticed arcane symbols etched into the walls. These runes glowed faintly at his touch, responding to his Shadim heritage. The architecture surrounding them was distinctly Vorcian, confirming the historical presence of
The Shadim in
Nolavor. Fouk attempted to decipher the inscriptions, but his ongoing struggle with
Mummy Dust addiction clouded his focus.
To bolster their strength for the challenges ahead, the group decided to partake of the Eldertree Stag meat they had acquired earlier. The effects were remarkable:
Sherman gained immunity to natural poisons
Thronn's Constitution and Strength each increased by 2
Fouk's walking speed increased by 10 feet
Meat-Beak, Thronn's Vul Canis companion, saw his darkvision extend to an impressive 90 feet
As they continued their exploration, the party discovered that the arcane symbols were connected to an ancient ley line network. This system, once used by
The Shadim for long-distance travel, hinted at the dungeon's significance as an important hub in this mystical transportation web.
Tension arose when Meat-Beak, his senses heightened by the Eldertree Stag meat, suddenly lunged at
Sherman's right hand. Thronn quickly intervened, using his bond with the vulture dog to pull him back. "Easy there, Meat-Beak," Thronn cautioned, "those aren't chew toys."
Sherman instinctively pulled his hand closer, protecting the puppet perched there -
Vorrin Shadowleaf, the elf. Vorrin's beady eyes seemed to glare at Meat-Beak, his flesh-puppet features twisting into a sneer.
The goliath grimaced, remembering the twisted tale of how Vorrin came to be: a scoundrel elf who had stumbled into
Sherman's village, caught the ire of
Sherman's mother, and through a series of unfortunate and unsavory events, ended up as this antagonistic presence on
Sherman's hand. As they pressed on,
Sherman couldn't help but wonder if he was going mad, letting this puppet needle him with vicious mockery even as they faced life-threatening dangers.
The group's path led them to a large chamber where they encountered two significant finds: a dormant clay golem and a glowing orb perched atop a pedestal. Intrigued, Fouk approached the orb and touched it, instantly receiving a flood of visions detailing the facility's history:
The Shadim had created the ley line network approximately 2000
Years ago, using it for five centuries to exert their influence across the world. To power this network, they had captured and enslaved the powerful djinn named
Azural. However, their hubris led to their downfall when
Azural eventually lashed out, though unable to free himself, cursing
The Shadim and turning many into undead creatures, and effectively sealing off the leyline network, leaving
The Shadim structures to be retaken by the jungle, lost to time, until Thronn and Fouk,s discovery of the
Corpseflower Temple, and
Xolotza's freeing of
Azural.
The visions also revealed information about
Gartrin & Boria, two disgraced gods of
Nolavor who had aided
The Shadim in accessing the ley lines. Their actions led to the corruption of their homeland, and in an attempt to atone, they founded the Reclaimers, an organization meant to undo the evil they had wrought.
As Fouk shared this information with his companions, the clay golem suddenly activated. Its eyes glowed orange, then shifted to red as it assessed the intruders. Quick-thinking Fouk managed to convince the golem that he was a Shadim authority figure, leveraging his heritage and knowledge of Shadim customs. The golem, bound by ancient oaths, revealed that it had been waiting for over 1650
Years, far beyond its original contract, and expressed a desire to return home.
Throughout their exploration, the dungeon experienced unsettling tremors and rumblings, hinting at some greater force at work. As the party discussed their next move, they heard sounds of a magical battle echoing through the corridors, followed by an eerie silence and the noise of someone rifling through items.
Suddenly, three figures emerged from the gloom - the remaining members of the
Sinister Six: Ratak, Vah, and Krikfleek. Ratak, a minotaur fighter, carried a grisly trophy - the severed head of a feline humanoid, likely a tabaxi. Vah, a darkling elder rogue, wore a look of grim satisfaction, having just defeated Moridec, the powerful leader of the
Mistwatch. Krikfleek, a skulk monk, moved silently, his eyes darting warily around the chamber.
Vah, intrigued by Fouk's apparent knowledge of the dungeon, attempted to psychically probe
The Shadim rogue's mind. However, Fouk's thoughts, clouded by
Mummy Dust and the strange magics of the place, proved impenetrable. This failure seemed to both frustrate and impress Vah, who grudgingly began to accept Fouk's expertise in this ancient place.
As the dungeon continued to shake ominously, with passages collapsing and sealing off their entrance, the group realized they needed to find another way out quickly. Fouk suggested heading to the southeastern chamber to confront a mummy lord, believing it might hold the key to escaping via the ley lines.
The
Sinister Six, clearly out of their depth and frustrated by the lack of information provided by their employer,
Kurgan, reluctantly agreed to follow Fouk's lead. This revelation about
Kurgan - that he was more than just the proprietor of
The Jungle's Claw Tavern, but the leader of a complex mercenary organization - added another layer of intrigue to their predicament.
Sherman, in particular, felt the weight of this revelation. His mind drifted to memories of his first days working for
Kurgan, and how the tavern owner had "sold" him to the
Sinister Six to toughen him up. This arrangement had made
Sherman affiliated with the group, though not a full member, and had shaped him into the warrior he was today.
As the session drew to a close, this expanded group - Fouk, Thronn,
Sherman, Meat-Beak, the clay golem, and the three remaining members of the
Sinister Six - prepared to venture deeper into the crumbling dungeon. They were racing against time, the dungeon's collapse, and an unknown force attempting to break in from outside. The secrets of the ley line network and their means of escape likely lay in the southeastern chamber ahead, guarded by the mummy lord and its undead minions.
More mummies=more mummy dust!