The Dungeon of Graves: Session 12
General Summary
The Excremental
Report Date
01 Jan 2021
Looking down at the skeleton with the army of ants marching across, Acacius reaches down and grabs the deck of cards. They feel like they are bit by something that is not an ant. They toss the painful cards onto the table. Nam is able to see that whatever “bite” the fighter was a fast acting poison. They reach across the skeleton and bless Acacius with protection from Poison stopping the pain. Nam wants time to investigate everything and the group waits while they examine the cards for magic but there is nothing. They move cautiously across the disabled pit trap, allowing Mogg to move in to investigate for traps. They can see a dark hallway that fades out of their vision. To the north they see a room that once might have been a bedroom. At this point though, most of everything that once resembled furniture is now shattered and torn on the floor except one small desk. The remnants of the door have arrows still lodged into it. All across the area there is heavy corrosion damage.
Moving into the room, they see a couple skeletons that have been melted into the debris. As they fully investigate the room, they notice another secret area, a small slit in the back where the horrid smell seems to be more intense. A couple of them investigate the secret door, some examine the desk and some loiter about. At the desk they were able to find 6 vials clattering about in the drawer, undamaged by whatever caused all this destruction. Nam is able to identify three embalming fluids and one holy water. At the corner of their periphery, some can see and hear the rats in the tunnels. Nam believes we should investigate the smelly hallway.
So far the entire dungeon had natural stone hallways and the rooms had been carved out, as Mogg traveled through the smaller tunnel, they followed the natural looking path until they found a latrine. On one of four holes, Mogg can see a shiny toilet, untouched by the debris around the area. Whomever had inhabited this room had made an area to relieve themselves. As Mogg moves in to look around the area more fully, the toilet bursts out and gains girth as it transforms into an excremental. It lashes out, surprising Mogg who falls instantly as the creature grabs both its shield and shortsword then bites down upon them.
Off in the other room, Tumeti hears the battle and rushes in. They had thought others would be following them and moved further into the area than they should have; however, they were able to heal Mogg. Nam helps Acacius pull Mogg free of the frey, leaving Tumeti alone in the chamber with the excremental. Mogg throws the rope to Tumeti who lets it fall, thinking they need to be ready to absorb a hit. The creature moves up and blocks the view from the tunnel. Tumeti dies instantly thinking only of her daughter. Her companions call out to her as they move back into the main room. They move and shoot, seeing splashes of excrement spew out landing mostly on Sinestra. Slowly but surely they manage to kill the creature. Upon its death the creature is sucked quickly back into the latrine. As they move to follow it, they can see the half burned body of Tumeti. “Oh, Tumeti” Lothar laments. Nam suggests they take her body with them and return her to the Brume but Lothar remembers that she wanted to be burned as not to be a servant of the Shrike.
They talk about how to keep it at bay as they don’t believe it is able to fully die. Some chat about how they should board the area up. Mogg is able to determine that the smell was the same one that had passed their door last night. Lothar brings Tumeti’s body into the main room, “Thank you for all the berries and for listening, I will attempt to free your daughter.” Sinestra starts to actively look in the rat tunnels while Mogg rests a bit. Nam returns to the latrine and starts shooting the pooh with Sacred Flames.
On the door, while they were fighting the excremental, someone has written “Come Play” again. They decide that they cannot take Tumeti’s body with them and determine it is a good time to leave the dungeon to follow her wishes. They are able to leave the dungeon without much trouble and upon leaving they are greeted by the Shrike’s minions escorting a slender sea elf clad in black leather armor. After making their quick “ah yes, you must be here to help” they move to the coast. Making a pyre, they lift their friend upon it while Keartas lights Tumeti ablaze. The swirling haze looks like it's being blown back to the dungeon but it feels like the ocean takes a breath and the haze gets tugged across the coast. The smoke carbonizing and becoming ash being scattered into the Brume.
The group rests there feeling the weight of the morning. The 18th of Zhira has barely begun and they already lost one of their own. As they return to the dungeon, the gargoyles are all back at their original poses. They take the key from the statue and unlock the door and all move back down into the tunnels. Moving past the excremental room, they move down the hall where Sinestra can smell and hear the whooshing of water. Off to the right they find a secret door where they all move in seeing a wooden chest. As they approach, all but one of them are surprised when the hidden creature announces their presence and starts to attack, their hunger leading the charge. Their newest companion rushes in hitting it with a bolt. They attack the ghast and it is quickly killed. They investigate the chest. Keartas wants to open it but Vai’len points out that maybe one of them had a way to open it without using their physical hands. The chest contains a ton of gold.
They continue to move into the larger cave. At the edge of Mogg’s vision they can see an underground stream. The ceiling expands up and is covered in stalactites. Around the edges of the walls they can see the footpaths of many tiny feet. Off in the distance they see some rubble that Taeva and Mogg investigate. They can hear a bunch of scattering and the area seems passable. Moving back to the group they all decide to look around the main cave so nothing surprises them. Leaping across the stream, they all see a rat nest which Nam throws a torch into and lights up. Across the stream, arrows come flying out. Vai'len was barely able to warn the others. Lothar takes many arrows but none to knee.
