The Mouth of Doom: Session 36

General Summary

Flamedance

After the eventful day of helping Inako deal with some of the Master’s servants, the Wrenjers returned to Castle Calaelen and most of them spent the next day at the castle. Sworen, one of the Ready Wrenjers and Zetwuzadi’s mentor, had woken up fairly early to beat Enya to the kitchen. By the time the druid had made her way to the kitchen, Sworen had prepared food from his heritage. Enya helped prepare the table for her companions and as they all strolled into the dining room, they could spell the heavily spiced meal. The breakfast was served family style at the largest table so they could talk about what their day would entail. After a short discussion they decided that they would investigate the last few rooms on the second level, leaving the altar room alone but visiting the chaotic statue room to potentially buff a few of them. But that would be for the next day as they had planned on spending the 24th of Asha preparing and stocking up.
While passing Hyrakin some of the delicious food, Zetwuzadi explained to the others her clever plan. They needed to purchase, fabricate or borrow a wagon and leave it near the entrance to the dungeon. She wanted to acquire some more canvas, place it in the glue room and then roll it in the dirt outside the dungeon to create a custom camouflage for the wagon. The paladin had asked if Hyrakin would like to accompany her to the small town but as it was still raining the worg decided to remain comfortably in front of the fireplace in the main room. During the day, Jarvis’ ring was filled and the Wrenjers worked on whatever they wished. Some talked with their mentors about their mission for the first time since they had started..
The next morning Sworen had prepared breakfast again and they all enjoyed a hearty meal before traveling to the dungeon. Nothing assaulted them on their journey and they soon found themselves back in the dungeon facing the hall that led to the room filled with some sort of evocation magic. They knew it sounded like fire but did not know what the room contained. A quick investigation confirmed that the portcullis was still tucked up into the stone ceiling and that there was a large pressure plate just past it. Not trying their luck with the trap they decided to try the other door across this floor. They climbed the stairs back up to the first level and traveled to another ladder that led down near the trapped fancy inn room. The top two levels of the Mouth of Doom seemed rather quiet but as they traveled to the other door, they could hear the flames that Te’Leyuura assumed was the evocation aura.
Artem and Jarvis investigated the door, unlocked it and Jarvis opened it. The chamber was bright when the door opened and it revealed a room where the doors were five feet above the floor. The floor was covered in flames but did not give off any heat. As a moth moves toward light, Enya couldn’t help herself from approaching the room filled with fire. Dangling from the ceiling were eight foot chains situated every ten feet in the ceiling. The chains made a path above the flames to the door across from them, the same door they had decided not to try, and a third door at the southern wall. Tucked underneath each door on the wall were three runes. They radiated transmutation magic but were not a rune from any particular language. Upon Leofric’s request the door was shut. As it was shutting Enya tried to keep the flames visible until the door was fully shut. In the darkened room, Leofric activated one of his twilight abilities and drifted up off the ground, flying. It looked like the cleric was being held aloft by pink sprites than any spectral wings.
As Leofric entered the fire room they felt no heat and were not burned but as he dipped a toe into the magic the flames leaped up and he instantly darted out of the room. With his mohawk a bit singed, Enya patted the cleric on the back stating that it has happened to her before and that his hair would grow back. The others thought it made the cleric look edgy. With the door still open, the wizard pondered the flames. It was clear that they were magical but the original source of the magic wasn’t in the room. The runes were not the reason why the flames were there and so she determined that it must have been a ritual that was conducted many times to create this field of flames. She wouldn’t be able to destroy the magic until she studied more so their only way was to go over the flames. Unfortunately, the wizard hadn’t prepared any magic that would help them in this situation. Taking another look at the runes she understood that transmutation magic would change something, but did not know what it would do. Enya volunteered to touch one of the runes and when she did so a bridge emerged from under the door. The stone stopped at the center of the room and they believed that if all of the runes were touched then the bridge would be complete.
Once again Leofric used his divine abilities to float on the sprites and after touching the two other runes, the bridge was completed for the others to use. The forward scouts approached the southern door first. Zetwuzadi followed, covering them with her aura as well as taking the time to weave a rope through each of the chains. The paladin made sure the rope was high enough that the tallest among them wouldn’t have their toes dangle in the flames if the bridge retracted while they were still upon it. While the scouts investigated the door, Enya moved onto the bridge while the others remained safely in the other room until summoned. It seemed that the fire druid needed to dance in the flame room. While Jarvis opened the door, Artem and Enya used the rope as a precaution. However, the bridge remained. The open door brought the smell of dirt and rot to Jarvis much like a grave.
With all of the Wrenjers across the bridge, the scouts examined the hallway. It contained two stone doors on the southern wall. The east door looked well maintained, not even a scratch on the lock while the western door was ajar. The smell was wafting from the western door and as they approached they could see the coffins on the inside. It was clear that this door had been picked and left open. There were five sarcophagi in the western room. Three of them had lids left open and all of them looked to have been stripped of their decorations. The two coffins with their lids still on had the telltale signs of someone trying to open it but they must have stopped. There were no signs of anyone else in the room but the scouts do note the secret door at the back of the room.
Vadim felt a tremor move up his leg as smoke started to billow out of the obsidian rod at his waist. Ansible had been recalled sometime in the early morning before they had left the castle but it seemed that the warlock was rejoining her companions imminently. After quickly filling in Ansible, she approached the unopened sarcophagi and used her ghostly gaze to peer through the stone. She then approached the secret door and the southeastern door. Zetwuzadi flanked Ansible as she peered through the walls, the paladin was rather impressed with Ansible and they were able to note two bodies on the ground in dungeoneering clothing. They had no visible wounds and could have been the individuals who had ransacked the other tombs. Ansible also could peer into one ornate coffin and notice another one farther back. Within the one she could see she found that it contained a decomposed body, a fancy silver goblet as well as something tangible yet not physical in the body. Te’Leyuura explained that the tangible inky shadow in the coffin must be a Shadow and if those bodies on the ground had no visible wounds they were most likely Shadows as well.
Knowing that light would make it harder for the Shadows to get the jump on them they placed a lit torch at their backs. They had decided to keep the group together instead of having some of them approach from the secret room and some from the front. Jarvis opened the door and five Shadows emerged from the three sarcophagi. The Wrenjers quickly launched their attack with Artem acting first. The rogue easily hit one of the creatures after marking it. The edgy cleric dropped a Moonbeam on the group of Shadows in the back. Ansible targeted the front Shadow with a Scared Flame, slaying the creatures as they had known it would be susceptible to radiant damage. The paladin moved in front of the group and tightened her defenses knowing the Shadows would be upon the group soon. From her position near the back of the group, Enya had to move into the room to bring her Wildfire Spirit in. As she moved past, Zetwuzadi was surprised, hoping that Enya would fall back behind her but the druid did not. However, the druid did drop her companion on the Shadows dealing a bit of fire damage in its wake. Vadim loosened an arrow into the nearest Shadow but remained well behind the paladin.
The Shadows note the Wildfire Spirit but could feel the lifeforce of Enya. They approached the druid and two of them drained some of her strength; however, they did get hit with radiant damage from the moonbeam. Enya’s skin even felt heavy to her as the Shadows stopped their assault. Te’Leyuura moved to a better position, she quickly moved her hands and sent a bead of fire into the room. It was situated in the room that Enya would be in the fire but the wizard sculpted the spell around her friend, just allowing the flames to dance around her. Enya swayed weakly to the dance of the flames. Jarvis moved into the room. He had tried to attack one of them but the Shadow narrowly dodged; however, he gave the druid protection. Artem finished off one with a well placed arrow while Leofric moved his moonbeam. Once again, Ansible was able to deeply wound one of the Shadows with radiant damage. Zetwuzadi moved through the door, past Enya and slew the last one. The paladin then dragged Enya out of the room. The druid slid down the wall to sit, using the wall as support. Te’Leyuura gave the druid a soft pat and told her that after a rest she should feel better. The room is quickly investigated and as they gather the items to help fuel their mission, there is a flicker of light and all the light sources the Wrenjers have flicker as well. The chamber got colder and a low hanging mist started to form at the edges of the room. They were able to tell that with the slaying of the Shadows the Brume was starting to claim the area.
Slinging Enya over her shoulder, Zetwuzadi pressed everyone out of the room as the mist was starting to pour in. As they crossed over the stone bridges the flames seemed to be lacking their oomph. Whenever the Wrenjers go places where there are strongholds that mess with the balance of life and nature things like this have happened. Not exactly, but similar enough that Artem was able to explain that although it seemed rather important that they evacuated this level they were not in any actual peril. What was happening was different than when the Brume aggressively swept the pestilence out of existence. This mist was more gentle and moved like a tide. It was a sign that the evil that was holding the Brume at bay was weakening. They fall back to investigate the last two rooms on this level. Moving through the secret hallway, they were deposited back in the mushroom room. As they gathered around the door, Enya was using the wall as support. They unlocked the door which revealed it is a nondescript empty room with three holes in the ceiling, about an inch in diameter and pointed into the room. The entire floor was some sort of pressure plate and an obvious trap. They don’t move into it but move to the next room.
Inside the second room they found two continual flames resting on the floor. They illuminated a large tapestry that showed the environment of the eastern side of the island. The map showed just the general shape of the land and water but it also marked some key features. Upon the map it labled the Grand Cornu’s landing, the Mouth of Doom, Rappan Athuk and the Gut. Te’Leyuura copied the map in her notebook and the group moved on to the stairs. They had noticed the condensation but hadn’t walked down the stairs. The stairs descended only enough to dip under the floor they had just left before climbing again to return them to the same level. Erukoesk, Zetwuzadi’s celestial companion nudged for Enya to climb up and the bear was able to carry the druid as the group progressed. The hall opened to two doors. They were neither locked nor trapped and upon choosing the southern door, they were greeted by a corridor that turned and ended in another door. Upon opening that door, Jarvis revealed a large statue of a snake holding back water. The dam had water flowing in from the ceiling
When Javis stepped into the room the snake animated and lunged. Te’Leyuura hadn’t been close enough to detect the magic upon the dam; however, the snake missed the artificer. The Wrenjer moved to attack as Te’Leyuura remembered the room that someone had scrawled about a dam. However the day was taking its toll on the wizard and she wasn’t able to figure out what was important about the dam. The other Wrenjers continued their onslaught on the stone snake. After a few moments the wizard determined that the words had warned that the snake needed to be put to sleep but she did not have the spell. Vadim had the finishing shot at the stone creature and the dam broke. Water rushed towards them with all of them being swept down the corridor to the stairs except for Jarvis and their flying familiars. The water now resided in the divet between the stairs but as the group moved back Jarvis had found a stone container in the wall. The water pressure had been holding the drawer and they noted there were magical auras radiating from within as well as the stone drawer itself. It seemed that it repelled water.
At the end of the hallway, behind another door, there were shifting chucky mosaic tiles. Behind the party on the northern wall there looked to be a staircase with a treasure chest past the southern wall. However with Artem and Jarvis’ keen eyes they could tell that it was all fake and the northern mosaic tiles had a massive pit trap and the southern one led down to the Mender’s Ward. At the edges of the hallway and rooms the Brume was starting to sweep in.

Report Date

19 Jun 2021