Winedark, Blood and Therapy: In the Sanctum of the Saltworm

General Summary

Wherein the Therapists navigate a dangerous base of operations, confront their fears, and prevent a most concerning summoning

An Audience with Gorev Kevin-Kevin

After dispatching the Trash Ooze, the Therapists declared themselves in need of a rest and decided to head to one of the shacks adjoining the trash dump to heal up. There they discovered Gorev Kevin-Kevin, bound, gagged, and given a pretty good taste of "the business." Freeing him, they earned both his gratitude and information about the Ulam. Apparently, the Ulam was once Renjin Bakrik, a scholar of the "Unknown Era" and a good friend of Gorev. Something happened to Renjin while researching the Saltworm and he "transformed" into the Ulam, completely dedicated to summoning the Saltworm into this plane of existence.
This troubling tale was rudely interrupted by an entity calling itself the Trash King, who promptly tore the walls of the shack down and engaged our heroes in combat. The Trash King proved to be no king at all, as it was quickly destroyed. Gorev even helped a bit with this process thanks to his "potion sack."
With the Trash King dethroned, Gorev led the Therapists to where the Ulam most assuredly is--the last known excavation site related to the Saltworm in Naglade. Turns out that it is a cave, and within that cave is some sort of ancient temple or lair, or something related to the Saltworm. Gorev then took his leave, heading back to Awa Harbor to report directly to Six Bottle. After all, someone needs to tell the people what's happening here if our adventurers meet a grisly end. That thought was less than comforting as the Therapists headed into the unknown.

The Confrontation of Fears

Almost immediately after entering the Saltworm's Sanctum, the Therapists were attacked by tentacled creatures indistinguishable from stalactites. So, it is that kind of Sanctum, huh? Our heroes emerged victorious from this fight, finding it to be an annoying drain on resources more than anything else.
Proceeding deeper end found our explorers faced with a locked gate and a conundrum. The only way around the gate would take them either through a series of sarcophagi and urns glowing with a cold blue light, or take them through the bony remains of destroyed coffins. They opted for the latter choice and were rewarded with an encounter with a Vampire Spawn for their efforts. Artag managed to convince this vampire--Yasmul Khulal--that the Ulam was responsible for absconding with her "immortal beloved" Voh Stuning. Vowing revenge, Yasmul disappeared to hunt down this wretched Ulam. Nice! Unlikely ally!
The next chamber revealed a strange sight--five duergar working a giant sword on an anvil made entirely of bone. The dwarves appeared totally unaware of the Therapists' presence until Rainbow tried to help the smiths and revealed our heroes. Asking the duergar why they were here resulted in a sad story. Centuries (millennia?) ago, this particular family of dwarves ran afoul of Duklun, God of Funerals. To appease this vengeful god, their clan--the Ulcerheat--offered them in service to Duklun, which was useful as the god owed a debt to one Chokass, a powerful wizard. Chokass demanded that the duergar forge him a sword worthy of his stature, telling them to work non-stop until he returned to claim it.
The problem is that Chokass has never come back. And the dwarves have been working ceaselessly since that time. The Therapists decided that perhaps these smiths have suffered enough and decided to see if they could alleviate their pain by removing the sword from the anvil. Dennis (with a little help from Gnorbitt's Mage Hand) managed to lift the massive ten-foot sword off the anvil. Dennis was rewarded with psychic damage and troubling thoughts for his efforts. Describing these to his fellow adventurers enabled them to piece together a story--it is plausible that Chokass and the Saltworm are one and the same, that this wizard, desiring the power that comes from immortality, transformed himself into a lich. These duergar just got caught up in that process, forgotten pawns in a much larger chess match. The dwarves disappeared, finally free from their toil and at peace.
Somehow, this summoned something from within the anvil. Another duergar presented itself before our heroes, but this one was different. More ethereal. More "godly." This was Geel, God of Forgiveness, who, apparently, was once Duklun. The many, many years changed him, though, showing him the error of his previous ways and enriching his domain as one of forgiveness and reconciliation. This god appreciated the service rendered by the Therapists and healed them a bit for their efforts. He seemed to take a particular interest in Artag. Perhaps Artag, especially, is in need of what this god offers?
No time to think about that, there's a Saltworm to destroy. So it was onward--past two resigned Hobgoblin guards--to a room comprised entirely of mirrors. Each of the Therapists saw the thing they most fear and dread in these mirrors, and were rooted to the spot, paralyzed by terror. Uh oh! Dennis managed to shake off the cascading images of his failure to protect Gnorbitt by forcing his "mirror self" to leap in front of what was sure to be a lethal blow for the gnome, and thus, piercing the reality of the illusion for Dennis. Nice! Gnorbitt, in turn, was able to rely on his confidence that this was a trick praying upon his own insecurities--that of losing the world, and thus, Dennis--to re-establish his connection with reality. Rainbow, seeing his utmost fear of a permanent disconnection with The Vast, or the Vast changing from life-giver to death-dealer, was able to call upon his dedication to the Vast to understand that is the Vast is all things, always and unending. That provided the comfort Rainbow needed to come back to himself. Finally, Artag--no stranger to fear and failure--found himself needing to make a choice: either give in entirely to the fear or resist its impulses. He chose the latter, proving to himself that he is not terror's plaything but rather in control of his fears and his emotions.

The Ulam and the Saltworm

Finally, our therapists reached the summoning chamber and discovered the Ulam mid-ritual, surrounded by glass vials that must contain the siphoned essence of fear. In the middle of the room was a disembodied torso, growing larger by the second. This must be the Saltworm and its flesh was taking fear as its form. In the corner was Yasmul, restrained by her own psychic energies.
The witty banter was dispensed with and the final battle commenced. The Ulam and Saltworm proved to be stalwart enemies, using the very nature of fear against our heroes. Some quick thinking on Dennis' part freed Yasmul from her shackles and she joined the fray. More quick thinking from Gnorbitt enabled him to realize that if these fear cylinders were powering the Saltworm's regeneration, maybe that power could be wielded by the Therapists. This did, indeed, prove to be the case and the collective fear of a people was turned against its would-be masters. Ultimately, the Ulam--and thus, the Saltworm--was laid low by the very thing they sought to inculcate and the Ulam left this world realizing his greatest fear--abject failure.
And so, the Isles were saved from this particular threat. About time, too, as the Therapists were late for the promised Ruffboi feast. It was most assuredly a party to remember.

And That's Where We Left It

The Chronicles of Blood and Therapy end here. Maybe we'll see the Therapists again some day.  

Various & Sundry Details

Having earned a well-deserved rest, the Therapists spent it in a variety of ways:

• Rainbow cruised around The Vast, communing with Esphina and riding on the back of a multi-colored dolphin.
• Artag found religion, specifically Geel and the delicate art of forgiveness.
• Dennis and Gnorbitt spent their time in exactly the same fashion as they did when they felt the call to adventure--around drink, game, and coin.

Character(s) interacted with

• Gorev Kevin-Kevin, scholar and archeologist; scion of the family Kevin-Kevin
• Yasmul Khulal, beloved of Vuh Sturning; vampire
• The Ulcerheat duergar, bound to the Bone Anvil
• Geel, god of forgiveness (formerly Duklun, god of funerals)
• Renjin Bakrik, known as the Ulam; would-be summoner of the Saltworm

Report Date

13 Mar 2022

Primary Location

Awa