The Dungeon of Graves: Session 18
General Summary
The Spikening
Report Date
07 Feb 2021
While Mogg negotiated an agreement with the small rats in the pantry, the adventurers gained a new companion. So far, every time they have lost someone, the Shrike of Czira had another person already in route. This has made some of them wonder how their...employer always knew when they had lost another party member. Usually they meet their new Shrike selection when they leave the dungeon to burn the body, thus not allowing the Shrike nor the Dungeon to raise them; however, the Wights once again physically presented them with the lucky individual the Shrike had selected. The creepy minions delved into the dungeon, only stopping to slay some large rats that were hindering the path to their quarry.
Standing just above five and a half feet, wearing a plague doctor mask was their new companion, looking rather uncomfortable with the Wights. The minions lurked until it seemed that the adventurers understood that the Doctor was with them. Doctor Carric is a tinkerer who freely admitted that they are not great at killing things but hope to be of use to the group. Lothar inquired about having a clockwork creature made for him, which is rather odd for a cleric of Vrokíva, but the Doctor is unable to make him one. While Mogg was wrapping up his conversation, the others discussed what they should do with the remaining hours. Once again they found themselves tired and needing a longer rest that the dungeon would allow.
Hearing the gentle crying of the Madman off in the darkness, the party talks about leaving another note and care package. Mogg takes point in drafting the note, to avoid another stack of wasted paper. As the sneaky Bugbear drops the package off, they notice the large spike and impressive pile of various bones. It looked that someone probably used the spike to impale someone to eat. Leaving the area, they head back up to the level above to clear out another section of the rubble. As they move, they talk about why the Shrike just doesn’t use the Wights to find the Architect, they determine it must be something to do with how they are living creatures and the Wights.
As night approaches, they leave the dungeon to burn Acacius. The Gargoyles watch them leave, some wonder if they laugh every time they leave but as they know the path fairly well they make their way to the coast. The pyre is still there from the last body they burned and even though it is below freezing, the flames take Acacius away. A conversation struck up, one without judgement, they talked about what each of them would be doing if they hadn’t been convinced by the Shrike. Many would be with their family or continuing their work. Not all get the chance to share as the flames died and they made the trek to the cove for a night’s rest.
The cold night passed without trouble; with only some having their normal nightmares. The 21st of Zhira was another cold morning. As they leave to head back to the dungeon, some of them turn to look out across the sea and notice a two masted boat. It looked to be about 30 people on deck, not running any colors as they sailed from the south heading northward making sure to stay a safe distance from the coastal reefs and the Brume. A flash of light can be seen as a spyglass is set upon them but is quickly retracted. None of them vocalize any issue with the boat and they continue their trek to the dungeon. Mogg and Vai’len pull ahead of the group for a moment and discuss how there was a pile of bones where the Madman seemed to occupy. They talk about how it might sway some of the others from the clerics’ want to try to cleanse the warrior of their madness. The rogue points out that they just need to keep the information away from Kaertas until they want the entire group to know. They both get a good laugh and rejoin the group.
They use the same mausoleum entrance and because Lothar seems reluctant to praise the Master, Mogg steps in. But they do note that they might just take the rat tunnels next time. They all decide to help the Madman first as they will most likely make a bunch of noise anyway, then move to the worm to help the rats. They agree that it might be nice to try to do some good in a place full of malice and death. Mogg and Nam move up to the room off the side of the hallway. The Madman seemed not to want to talk as they sprint towards the cleric. In the hall, everyone readies for hostile actions if the Calm Emotions did not work. The spell just washes off the raging man. Nam is grabbed and thrust onto the massive spike almost killing the cleric outright. Everyone attacks. Lothar tries to move in and help their fellow cleric but is picked up and slammed upon the same spike, making a cleric kabob. Moving on the spike is dangerous and hard, the more they wiggle the more they bleed. Lothar is able to power through the pain and removes himself but as he tries to move out of the way, the Madman lays him out, cold on the ground but not dead. Doctor Carric had said he wasn’t too great at killing things, but with his clockwork companion and his spells, they are rather impressive in battle.
A wave of exhaustion falls over the Madman but he pushes through the pain of the Firebolt. Vai’len takes a breath and aims for his throat, nailing him. They can all see the warrior trying to push through the pain but they are unable and the raging man falls to the ground. Mogg, not trusting they are dead, rolls them over and onto their back. They are indeed not dead but are at least unconscious. However, Mogg moves to help Lothar to get Nam off the massive spike. Levin and Kaertas finish off the Madman. Doctor Carric helps heal the injured while Vai’len casually scans the room, pocketing a small rib bone from the pile. Searching the room they find some bottles containing something possibly dangerous and discuss how to deal with the light a bit better. Moving to one of the doors they hadn’t searched the day before, they find more rats, these much larger than Mogg’s friends.
Sinestra moves in to talk with the rats as they are much better with beasts than people. They look to be malnourished, almost at the point of eating each other. The rats had been locked in here and had eaten anything they could. Sinestra tosses in three Goodberries as a sign of more food to come if they were to come to an agreement. What followed was rat on rat violence in hopes of gaining some necessary food. The druid turned to the group as the ratpocalypse was happening, “see everyone, the strong survive.” But it is obvious that most don’t follow her philosophy. After the rats calmed down, Sinestra was able to successfully negotiate with the rats. They follow the rats to their family, the door they had already noted as a rat nest.
As the rats were reunited with their family, Mogg checked on the ogre bodies and they were gone; it seemed that nothing left dead in the dungeon was ever just left to rot. Making sure that they were not going to have to fight all the rats, Mogg moves up to let Sinestra know about the missing bodies and potential food for the rat colony. Sinestra hadn’t been talking about the ogres but had been alluding to the worm. Mr. Nibblers informs that the worm is below and that it eats entire families but it seems that Sinestra’s diplomacy worked and that the rats would wait for them below. They head back to the pantry and on their way they test the fancy ebony door and as they approach they can hear, no feel, the voice echoing throughout the dungeon floor. “So, Marthek failed the Master, I could have predicted this. I, Saracek is the master of this domain, so it should be.” the deep laughter resonating along the stone walls. But nothing assaults them as they scurry out of the hallway and down to the pantry.
Vai’len and Mogg head down the dark hallway first, keeping the others at a safe distance. As they head down, Mogg reminds Nam about his silent alarm horn. The stairs descend for a while before opening up into a larger unworked cavern. They can hear water running and see large stalagmites and above the archway into the cavern they can see in glowing text “Beware of Purple Worms!---Spiegel, the Archmage,” Vai’len shares what she knows about the massively dangerous worms and they fall back to the group. They understand that they must explore everywhere and move into the natural cavern making sure they keep to the cave walls as they can see the giant rats used to keep themselves safe from being eaten. Mogg tells the group to hold until the large purple worm he could see on the outskirts of his vision had passed.
They continue their trek until they are at the end of the stream where it dips below a wall. Levin and Mogg jump into the water with Nam, Lothar and Vai’len holding onto ropes as they navigate down. A dread washes over them, much like the Well, with Mogg swimming back faster than Levin, but both eventually make it back to the group, wet and now wondering what their next move would be.
