The Dungeon of Graves: Session 46
General Summary
Between Two Insect Plagues
Report Date
29 Aug 2021
It was odd, almost as quickly as half of the Damned followed the Shadow Goblin into the feywild, they were back looking rather rested and sun tanned. Those that had helped the King of Crabs had spent two days on a beach in Tlalli after successfully slaying the Sea Fury and had returned to only being away from Gylidd for roughly five minutes. An inky darkness announced their return and all looked well except they were missing Ace. The brave and talented bard had lost his life on the bottom of the ocean and even though it had been only five minutes, the Damned could see the Shrike’s new recruit being escorted by the Wights. While they waited for the heavily cloaked individual, they discussed what they were tasked to do by Traipse, the charismatic individual who had something the Shrike needed and thus had traded their aethrin resources to secure. They also shared what items the King of Crabs bestowed upon them. The one particularly interesting prize was the awakened goat wearing a hat. The therapeutic companion was rather blasé about the situation they found themselves in, but Zany was introduced.
By the time Galron, their new companion, joined the others they were ready to investigate the nearest grapevine covered stone archway. They did a quick introduction and learned that Galron was a member of Blood and Steel. Many understood what Galron’s order was founded on and who they followed, Falkeroc. This Inaethri and the Master are rivals with many stories explaining that Falkeroc often caused the Master’s destruction only for the Master to reform. The order of Blood and Steel was focused around the destruction of evil, evil artifacts and constructs. Their new companion sported heavy armor of brass with gold touches and a massive shield bearing the order’s symbol of a sword going through a helmet. With the group assembled they moved quickly to the grapevine.
As they approached the plant instantly animated and lashed out towards Amo. It was imperceptible until they were upon it. Lord Thevius was the only member of the Damned who wasn’t caught unaware. The lordling instantly launched two eldritch blasts after blanketing the creature in a bright faerie fire. Feeling rather foolish, the rogue disengaged and launched a bolt at the creature. The cleric had been away for the last few days, but it seemed whatever had troubled him was shrugged to the side and he launched his attack at the creature landing a massive hit with his sword. Locked in the tight grip of the vine creature, Amo donned a form of dread and brought out his new toy from the King. Unfortunately the creature lashed out and pulled the weapon aside before Amo got to pull the trigger. Emil moved with deadly purpose toward the creature and with his second hit the massive beams that held the creature aloft, splintered with the dead weight. With the creature dispatched, the stronger members of the Damned went about clearing the entrance of the debris that the body and structure caused. During this process, Sinestra made use of her new Goodberry smoothie maker and prepared some concoctions for the frontliners before handing Amo some of her stash of berries to heal the damage he had taken from the creature.
Scanning the group, Vai’len assessed the group’s ability to move quietly and with their new heavily armored companion she understood that the days of them moving as a group was long gone. It would be up to the rogue and warlock to be the scouts. Moving stealthily down the stairs, Amo and Vai’len could see the low level of fog as the warm air of the subterranean structure mixed with the cooler air of the surface. The stairs led to a small room and after some investigation the room had a set of stairs down and a passageway that ended in a cave-in. The cave-in resembled the one they had discovered when they had followed the Abbot’s footsteps earlier that day. However, the room wasn’t unoccupied. A minotaur had made a small campsite and had been muttering to themselves. Vai’len noted the functional armor and slight glint of a weapon under the cloak and relayed that to Amo who moved back up the stairs to tell the others what they had found.
With the others joining the scouts in the first room, the minotaur was alerted by the sheer amount of clanking armor down the stairs. They could hear a creature rising to their feet and calling out to them. Amo answered stating that they are not here for their wine but for the Abbot. The minotaur joined the others on the other side of the wall that cut the room in half. Vai’len asked about the staircase and after some negotiation they were allowed to be escorted to make sure that the only thing down there was more wine. Most of the party followed their guide who yelled for none of them to take their wine. The staircase led to another wine room. It had no secret doors but contained very fancy wine. Lord Thevius looked in his element as he negotiated, complimented and talked with Smir about the wine. Most of the wine had the same label, bearing the crest of the temple; however, three cases were magical and looked to be of elven make. Specifically the Life Wine was crafted in the Effluvian Jungle by the elves of Zhen Ishraihadasha. Not only did Lord Thevius gain the trust of Smir but he negotiated the purchase of the Life Wine, the only reason why the banished member of the Tsathung hadn’t perished long ago. Apparently Smir was the wine steward and craftsperson for the temple and did not like that the clerics were poisoning some of the wine. Smir had taken out the substances the clergy had inserted into them and did not tell them which ones were untampered with.
The vine creature had been Smir’s jailor and with their deal made, Smir explained that the only place they could think the Abbot would have fled too would be through the old temple and only the Abbot had known how to walk the area without perishing. The air itself would choke the life of anyone who entered. With the direction known where to find the Abbot, the Damned left Smir with the therapy goat and Emil’s warhorse. As they crossed the area between the temples, they could see the standing water and ruins and as they approached the only ruin still standing, Vai’len stopped and investigated the latrine. After a thorough investigation, she discovered that the entire seat could be raised and it revealed a secret ladder. With the disgust of the lordling, the rogue reluctantly moved down the ladder.
Earlier, while Lord Thevius was negotiating with Smir about wine, Amo asked Emil and Vai’len to sign their name in his book for quicker and smoother communication. Vai’len moved slowly down the ladder, she noticed the muddy footprints on the rungs and when she reached the bottom of the tunnel she hung from the ladder to get a better view of the room without actually needing to set foot on the ground. The muddy footsteps led from the ladder to the doors and at what she had initially thought was a crate, the room was filled with more open and empty coffins. It was at this point when Amo’s voice entered her head, being magically assisted by his book, they were able to communicate what she had found and called the others to her. Knowing that they would make a horrendous amount of noise clanking down the ladder, the rogue offered that their element of surprise would be thwarted and they should move quickly.
The rogue opened the lock and allowed Galron to open the doors, not being initially thrown into battle; they followed the fading muddy footprints to the west. The hallway looked to circle around something and as the group moved toward the opening Vai’len called them back sensing the evocation auras from the glyphs on either brass braziers. They flanked a brass door and inscribed upon it was: The vault of Cyngamon, he lit the scented oil before the great frog god and the frog god was pleased thereby. First they had Amo try to dispel the magic as Kaertas hadn’t prepared it after their beach vacation. The warlock managed to dispel one of the Glyphs of Warding; however, one was left. While the Damned pondered what to do, Lord Thevius had walked the entire area and while he did so he noted the different plaster on some of the tombs. The walls of the hallways were lined with tombs inlaid in the wall and Thevius offered that maybe they should open them and decapitate what was in there before they breached the brass door. Meanwhile, Galron had thrown his hammer into the area and when nothing was set off they continued to ponder what to do. Vai’len offered that they burn something to appease the frog god and Kaertas’ threw some of his incense into the braziers. This opened the brass door but the glyph was still active. Not knowing what else to do and ignoring the wise words of Thevius, they sacrificed Terrance to the glyph.
When the tiny owl familiar passed near the brazier, the trap triggered and insects filled the area and the tombs opened around them. The group was instantly engaged and trapped in the insect plague. Amo managed to get out of the bugs but found himself among a bunch of skeletons. Kaertas teleported out of the plague and dropped a fireball on the skeletons around the northern end of the hallway. With Kaertas not able to move his skeletons out of Emil’s way, the paladin was forced to wallop two and climb into one of the tombs to exit the plague. Emil had activated the warding bond between Vai’len and himself before she had slipped into the latrine and now he was taking two sets of the insect plague as the rogue was stuck at the edge of the area. The skeletons around Kaertas shuffled around, hitting the necromancer while the southern set knocked Amo to the ground, through the Death Ward. Sinestra was unable to hit through the cover but was able to heal Amo. The brass door cracked open and a quick creature with sharp teeth and nails emerged out and engaged Galron. Chewing on some of the insects before they attempted to slice the armored paladin. The area in front of the rogue, the only way quickly through the plague, was thick with skeletons. Her best option was to attempt to slay the creature in front of her and to take their place until she was out of the horrible bugs. However, without gaining the advantage she needed all she was able to do was damage the creature. From the backside of the hallway, two of the empty tombs opened and Abbot Grosso stepped out. He approached the back of the party and noticed Thevius, Sinestra and Amo near the back. Not wanting to let them escape, the cleric of Tsathung dropped another insect plague at the back of the group. The Damned were trapped between two insect plagues.
