Seagrow Caves

Approaching the caves

Approaching by boat Dragon's Rest has a row boat the PCs can take around the western end of the island. The trip is 5 miles and takes 3 hours and 20 min. Upon arrival read the following text

A cliff of dark gray stone towards two hundred feet above the crashing waves, which rush in and out of a yawning cave mouth. A swirling slick of colours dances on the water's surface, emanating from the cave

Approaching by coast at sea level Walking around the coast of the island is a little easier than rowing, even tough its father because the PCs have to walk around the bays instead of rowing across them. The 7 mile trip takes only 2 hours and 20 minutes at a normal walking pace. If it's low tide, they can walk among the tide pools at the base of the cliffs

A cliff of dark gray stone towards two hundred feet above the crashing waves, which rush in and out of a yawning cave mouth. A swirling slick of colours dances on the water's surface, emanating from the cave

Approaching by coast at higher level Walking around the coast of the island is a little easier than rowing, even tough its father because the PCs have to walk around the bays instead of rowing across them. The 7 mile trip takes only 2 hours and 20 minutes at a normal walking pace. If its not low tide, they can walk on the cliffs above the cave. Read the following text:

An opening gapes in the cliff face two hundred feet below you, like a mouth drinking in the crashing waves. Two natural stairways formed of stone columns offer ways down the cliff

Entering the Seagrow Caves

Time	Tide
Midnight to sunrise	Low
Sunrise to noon	High
Noon to sunset	Low
Sunset to midnigh	High

• At high tide, the 40 foot high tunnel (area B1) is flooded all the way to area B2. The natural stairways, which are not shown on the map, descend the cliffs into the sea. The PCs can either wait for low tide or swim into the tunnel.
• At low tide, a 5 foot wide pathway is exposed along the base of the cliffs and the edge of the tunnel.

Interacting with the Myconids

The initial attitude of the myconids is hostile but not immediately violent. Adults use their rapport spores to warn visitors to leave and Sprouts flee toward the nearest adults to warn them of intruders. If attacked, the myconids defend themselves.
To convince a hostile myconid to converse or to allow the party to do anything other than leave, a character must succeed on a DC20 charisma check (deception, intimidation or persuasion). Mentioning Tarak or presenting the offering he gave the PCs grants advantages. THe party achieved this thus the myconids are indifferent for now.
An indifferent myconid is willing to explain what's going on; sprouts only know that Sinensa has fallen ill- and that a nasty smell pervades their caves. Adults know that the crystal cave (B6) is the origin of the foul odor and that Sinensa fell ill after going there to investigate. The myconids normally avoid that cave due to the sunlight that filters in by way of the vent at the western end of the cave and even diffused sunlight is unpleasant to the myconids

The blight

The hostile attitude of the myconids is due to a blight spreading through the myconid colony. As the characters explore the cave, they can easily determine that noxious fumes from deep beneath the island seep up around the vein of purple crystals. Ordinarily, the fumes vent to the surface through a fissure in the west wall, but the fissure is now blocked by the enormous orange crystal, which is also the source of the light here. The heart of the problem is the tomb of the red dragon Sharruth , deep beneath the island. The presence of such a powerful dragon far underground causes the volcanic activity that produces the noxious fumes. What's more, the dragon's energy occasionally tears open small rifts into the fabric of reality that lead into the Elemental plane of fire- another dimension of reality that is the cosmic source of fiery energy. The plane of fire is the origin of both the orange crystal blocking the vent (which is actually an egg case)

Ending this plot

If the PCs destroy the orange crystal in area B6, the myconids attitude improves to friendly. Sinensa regains consciousness the following morning. If the PCs are present at that time, Sinensa gives them te ruby morel from area B5 and permission to keep any other treasures/mushrooms they collected in the cave. With the ruby morel, Tarak could make an exiler of health gives he gives to the PCs in gratitude for their help. After they completed this all, they level up