Session 52: Into the Rotting Gate

General Summary

Awkward Introductions

The session began in the very same DINER that the previous session ended in. You were all enjoying or pretending to enjoy your conversation with each other and Croak. Something interrupted your discussions, however, as a faun suddenly appeared in a nearby table. This faun was seated and seemed confused by her sudden arrival in this strange land. Many of you were distracted with food and drink or Croak, but Frode suddenly gestured at her while shouting. "It's a dear-man thing!" He returned to his booze, clearly inebriated, but muttered that he should probably arrest it. There was some confusion at the table as to why he would need to arrest this person, and he claimed that it's "against some law of nature or something."

Kaswink, Agave and DAN Wildcloak were all quite confused by what law of nature he could be referring to and argued with Frode that that would be a distasteful idea. Agave even reminded him that he's a "rat person thing" and questioned if Frode would arrest him for that.

Kaswink finally addressed the faun in the room by asking her how she got here. The faun replied by claiming that she doesn't know, and she even asked where she is. Kaswink continued filling in the blanks for this poor lost person, but it seemed to only cause more confusion. Hysteria even chimed in, but their signing was evidently not understood and they quickly ceased any attempts at communication. The faun seemed to recognize Frode, and he responded to this with a rather strange reaction. "Yeah, I get that a lot, but I'm not the human I think I am. You'll see one day." He then scratched himself as his shirt was apparently quite itchy. Kaswink thought that was a bit ominous, though Frode dismissed her concerns by claiming that everything is ominous and scary in the Spirit World. He brought up The Chained Man as an example. Agave tried to get to the bottom of where this faun came from by showing her a map. She said that she remembered being "near my partner, but then I saw a bright flash, and then I was here." Agave showed her a sketch of the walls in the weird Maze that they went through to get to this realm. She seemed even more confused but stately plainly that she doesn't remember such a thing. She also finally explained that she thinks she "hopped a reality" and that "it happens a lot." There were some signs of shock at such a claim, and Kaswink tried to get some more information regarding it. She explained that she "doesn't know much about other worlds besides the Spirit World", but that it sounds like this faun came from somewhere different than the rest of you came from. Aeryn suspected this is likely the case and provided some more information. "I liked to visit Earth a lot. That was fun." No one at the table really knew that place, but Hysteria made fun of the name "Earth".

Further discussions were had about this strange land that she's from, but things eventually shifted towards alcohol and then what to do next. Agave commented on how dangerous the world is, and Kaswink asked if Aeryn ever needed to fight things where she's from. Aeryn confirmed that she's "not a pacifist", and that she "knows how to fight". With more explanations of what's going to happen when the sun rises and how dangerous the land is, Aeryn confirmed that she would indeed like some help. Help surviving and help getting home were both top of the list. Aeryn seemed a bit on edge, and Kaswink ordered her some tea. The tea was a yellow or gold color that seemed to match the faun's eyes. She suggested eating something and enjoying some tea to help calm down. Agave finally invited the faun to your table and explained that you were all planning on setting out to a realm of rot. Aeryn agreed and moved over to where the rest of you were sitting as DAN was currently up juggling still. It was pretty impressive. Frode greeted the faun again and suddenly, dramatically, offered to tell a story. DAN told him to put the handcuffs away, which Frode did, and then the poor guard seemed to forget that he was about to tell Aeryn something. A name to introduce yourselves as was pondered, but it cycled back around to "Spiritual Travelers" yet again. Kaswink bemoaned the name, claiming it isn't very creative, but Frode argued that it is. Indeed, he claimed that it was very created due to the fact that you travel, you know, "through the cosmos". Kaswink also explained that everyone in this group of Spiritual Travelers is in this Spirit World to solve something happening in their world. She also asked Aeryn if that might be why she's in the Spirit World herself. Suggesting that perhaps she is here to solve a problem in her own land. Aeryn replied with some additional understanding of where she is, "I think I know where I am. I am far off the Web." She then paused and returned to being quiet. Kaswink sighed and called this ominous. Everyone's ominous.

Frode then remembered he had a story. "So I met these little delinquents back in my town. It began much like how you arrived here: A stranger walked in, and I arrested them because they were naughty. The tall one in the trench coat was juggling without permits. I don't know what the rest were doing. All I know is that I dropped them into a jail cell. And then my king, oh, I don't even know if I can trust my king anymore. My king said that we should come here, and that we would right all of the wrongs in the world and that I would save my family. Oh-ho, but you know what happens? We went through a maze, and we found a man chained to a wall. And you might think that that's the strangest thing that could happen, but no! that's the most mundane. Everyday that I'm here something stranger seems to happen. Moths that speak to you, and grasshoppers that stab. Giant things that come from the swamp that aren't in the swamp but are the swamp. The place is nothing but madness. Do you think that you have the gumption to come with us on an adventure?"

Aeryn didn't even hesitate to confirm that they do have the necessary gumption. Frode was delighted to hear this, and Kaswink tried to explain her feelings, "Until we figured out how to get you home we're- well, not really the safest place you can be. Listen, we're already pulling a lot of favors to get people homes already." Frode assured Kaswink that it's just another burden to bear, and Aeryn said again that she would be happy to tag along. She seemed eager to, in fact, and wanted to hear more about the wrongs that you're all righting. Agave had another question for Aeryn, "Out of curiosity, the realm that you're from, did you notice anything strange with either the plants or the land or the animals...did you notice a mysterious sickness spreading across your world?" Aeryn, again without hesitation, confirmed that there is a sickness. She pondered if she may be here to fix that, and Agave became more stern as he tried to provide comfort. "I understand. It's effecting our world as well. That's why we're here, well, at least why I'm here. Hopefully after this upcoming trip things will get a lot better." Aeryn, as things were being discussed about righting wrongs and plagues and such things, began to grow more concerned. Kaswink nudged her for an explanation, to which she explained, "I don't know if I have the heart to right a wrong. Perhaps I am here to decide on that." Kaswink explained that there'll be a few days to make a decision, but that you'll be heading through once everything is done. Agave, seemingly without prompt, asked Aeryn, "You're not allergic to mushrooms, are you?" Aeryn laughed at the very notion. Croak stretched and explained that he'd be staying here for a bit. He assured Kaswink that he would be safe, but grew concerned for those around him when Kaswink brought up his other body. He seemed convinced, however, that Dorcha would keep him safe.

The Citizens of Greed

Kaswink wanted to stop at a nearby Citizens of Greed cart to buy something that would help keep her fur and armor free of moisture for the trip through The Rotting Gate. She was able to get her hands on a few containers of a waxy substance designed to do that very thing, and the rest of you also found some items at this stand that caught your attention. Jars of bugs, hanging roots, tins of different teas and a variety of other such things were available. DAN purchased some Ginseng to be brewed later on, Agave purchased some Societea, Namina acquired the last piece of her Tea Set, and Frode purchased a fiery spear. Kaswink also ended up purchasing a diamond worth 300 gold. Kaswink also traded for knowledge on The Burning Gate and The Resonating Gate. In exchange for information on the Resonating Gate, these merchants specifically wanted something one-of-a-kind, not gold. Agave offered up a drawing of you all (sans Aeryn) in cages from your time in The Maze. After the drawing was taken, Agave could still remember how you all got out, how it all felt, everything about it except what it looked like. It was as if he were now blind in the memory of those cages. The merchants first described how to get to the Burning Gate. They explained that it is far to the east in the badlands in The Endless City of Greed. Getting there can be a challenge if you go straight there as it involves dangerous creatures and cliffs, but another method is to go through a tunnel found in the Forgotten Oasis. They explained that the city truly is endless, filled with memories, people and everything else as it is preserved like a giant vault. Somewhere in the "back or the middle" is a palace where "Igniren and all of her people" reside. They next explained that getting to the Resonating Gate is a bit trickier. Certain Gates are not physical, permanent places but instead come into existence when certain conditions are met. The Rotting Gate is amongst those less-permanent gates as well. To get into the Resonating Gate you need to be in tune with yourselves, each other, nature, and all that. "Having a tea party can go a long way", and this tea set apparently is a piece of the ritual. To help DAN acquire his ginseng, Aeryn offered to trade some seeds. The merchants were curious but wanted to know what kind of seeds she had to offer. She was cryptic at first, simply calling them "rare seeds", but she eventually clarified that they are "from another world". The merchants became excited and accepted the fistfulls of seeds. Aeryn traded away all but one of the seeds with the hidden knowledge that "from one there will be many" and successfully duped these poor merchants.

Oh shit, Kaswink's a Weresnail!

You finished your shopping and returned to your Home Base. Namina finished prep on the Rot preparation that she was working on over the last several weeks, and she also started on some new projects as well. DAN and Kaswink worked on a rebreather with a filter, and Agave and Aeryn went to find some essential plants for potions, creams, filters and all that. Frode spent some time preparing foodstuffs that would provide a little bit of protection as well such as sage butter and stuff. Some Mothlings also dropped off a large stack of gifts which turned out to be Scarves of Purification. Those of you that wanted to likely spoke with Aeryn throughout the downtime to help get a bit closer before this horrific adventure. Everything can be found in the Self Preservation book. Each person then had a nice scarf and a rebreather with a built-in filter thanks to the efforts of everyone involved. The consumable items were as follows: 10 - Potion of Fungicide
5 - Antifungal Cream
5 - Antibacterial Goop
5 - Patricia Habberdien's Vapor Rub
10 - Pleasant Smelling Incense
4 - Protective Incense

Kaswink sat down with Aeryn on Daulok 11, 308. She explained to Aeryn that The Oni has a hold of her soul, and that sometimes she can lose control in battle if things get too heated. She explained that, after learning a bit more about this world, that she has chosen to rid The Spiraling Gate of this Oni. She asserted that this Gate and the Oni's influence might be responsible for anyone going mad in Aeryn's world as well. Aeryn stated that she does have something like that in her realm. Specifically that one species is currently going out of control. Kaswink suggested that corruption from these Gates are leaking over to Aeryn's world as well. She explained that there are ten gates and that each of them has their own thing that they represent. It's possible that some don't really have a clear negative effect on the world, it is possible that what they are capable of is still unknown. Kaswink offered again to have Aeryn join them to help right a certain wrong in the realm of Rot which could help deal with things in both worlds. Aeryn agreed that it would be helpful, but, ever cryptic, she seemed to think that she might just be there to make a decision about something. She did relent, however, as she saw the potential in solving what is going on in her reality. Kaswink was confused by it all, and directed the camera towards Frode. Frode introduced himself and told Aeryn that he was here to help his king and his family. Though he also clarified that he's not sure how he feels about his king anymore. Apparently he was sent here to have the people of this land sign something over called "mineral rights", and he is beginning to believe this is an unkingly thing to do. He told of how his family is sick because of a strange disease and that the Rotting Gate should hold answers regarding it. Hysteria revealed nothing, but Kaswink tried to get some more information out of Aeryn about what she is capable of. Aeryn was unsure of herself as she had never been to such a realm before, but she knew what she was capable of back home.

It was then time for Kaswink to suddenly be covered in a disturbing, translucent ooze. Her fur became so damp so quickly that it looked as though she had just stepped out of a shower in the middle of the conversation she was having next to a campfire. She noticed the uncomfortable addition to her aesthetic and tested the goop by spreading her hands apart and watching as the slime stretched between her two palms. She immediately stood up and went towards the creek to wash up. Frode rose to his feet and moved towards Kaswink first as most of the rest of you followed. Her seat had been covered in the slime but it had completely solidified into oddly perfect, hard, glass shapes. As she moved she left a trail of the same glass, and those of you that followed her found that her armor had been removed, her weapon was stabbed into the ground, and an odd shape was resting in the water. She stood up to reveal her new, bizarre frame complete with eyestocks, shell and flail-like tentacles. She had become some kinda Weresnail. Agave recognized that Kaswink was mostly calm but definitely holding something back. Indeed, within Kaswink's mind was another angry voice telling her that the world is awful and that murder is cool. The world had wronged this voice and it wanted it destroyed. Thankfully, Kaswink was used to such things and was able to fight against it. Frode and others had begun to ask questions, and Kaswink started to shrink within her clothes. She was retreating into her shell, but her friends were there to provide some aid. Aeryn stepped up almost in tandem with Frode. She rested a hand on Kaswink's shell as Frode wrapped his arms around it as well. Frode felt his shirt becoming more and more uncomfortable, itchy, painful even as it scratched into him. He prayed and channeled his prayers through his suffering to remove the disease portion of the Salinkanthropy. Aeryn, however, had instinctively reached for her necklace in a nervous tick. She was merely seeking comfort in the strange situation, but it also provided some healing for Kaswink as the curse portion of her affliction was removed. Kaswink began to revert to normal, and her fur was now covered in hard, fractured glass from the goop solidifying on her. She was grateful but clearly uncomfortable. Her Salinkanthropy had been cured.

A Pot of Stew

After a couple weeks of building stuff, it was finally time to make the stew. Frode began crafting it with some potatoes, Agave added a nice cooking wine, DAN added a special raddish they received as a thank you for helping the farmers in Aotri, Hysteria cooked some shredded pig that they hunted earlier but kept it on the side, Aeryn added some rhubarb, Kaswink added a dark butter roux and Namina somehow added the auras of the stew/the group.

Kaswink began the conversation as the stew was finished and served. "I honestly don't know what I would be doing without both this group and having the chance to be here. I thought for so long that I would be stuck with all of this forever. I appreciate all of you." As she began to speak a large collection of mycelium began to be a bit more visible on the ground nearby. White strands were forming with each word, and Frode joined in. He asked if it was a party trick of Kaswink's, but she assured him that she's incapable of such things. It's just a part of the ritual, and that you're supposed to just hang out and enjoy each other's company. She laughed and commented on how cool it'd be to actually be able to do such things on command, and Frode agreed while reminding Kaswink that she's full of tricks. The conversation between the two of them continued with talks of how they've progressed since arriving in this land. As they spoke, mushrooms began to grow from the mycelium. They all looked like Traveler's Shiitake, and were rather sporadic in their placement on the ground. Aeryn started to join in, but she seemed distracted by the rapid mushroom growth and apologized for not contributing. Kaswink and Frode provided some small comforts about how her company is appreciated, and that she could perhaps just tell a story.

Agave spoke up after this. "Even if there's nothing that springs to mind, you could come and look and see. Just like these mushrooms. From what I remember, they form a very strong bond with each other. They might not be right next to each other, it might not seem like they're communicating, but with a bunch of nature, well, everything is interconnected. I don't seem to have a particularly strong bond or knowledge of mushrooms myself, but I know that whatever happens with us in this Rot realm, we must remain bonded and strong and uniform." Frode, Kaswink and Aeryn all nodded along with this and the mushrooms continued to grow. Some mushrooms had started to grow from the tops of each other to become taller. They seemed to be forming pillars and a thin, intricate, lace-like lattice was beginning to appear as more narrow mushroom stacks extended from the ground to different spots on the pillar. Hysteria, meanwhile, was listening in. They approached Kaswink and requested a translation of their hand-words. They seemed curious if this new person was going to be brought with you into the Rot, and Kaswink confirmed that she likely would be joining. Aeryn seemed a bit distracted like she was overwhelmed from hopping realities. A bit of a thousand yard stare. Hysteria approached her with a bit of paper. "We have solved greater problems than this. We have killed more dangerous enemies. You're with a good crew. Also, I've died before, so don't worry about that." They handed this paper to Aeryn with a thumbs up and a smile.

Kaswink had started to apply the wax she purchased from the Citizens of Greed. She paid special attention to the wound on her wrist which she kept unhealed. It had been there since your encounter with The Well of Darkness when it dissolved parts of her fur, flesh, and her red thread. As the meal continued, the pillars that these mushrooms were forming connected at the top. Strands of mycelium began to hang loosely from the top and formed what looked like the bars of a gate. DAN didn't speak much, but they did hang out and their presence was much appreciated by the mushrooms. As Agave said, it's fine if you don't speak. As this was happening, Aeryn was moved by the note and began to tell a story. "The wanderer, the death of Ashan, brought on by Aeo, who witnessed Ashan slaughter Yadira and Aeryn. Aeo created everything and um, Ashan was the lover of Yadira, and Yadira the lover of Ashan. They married long ago and one day I showed up." She paused, "I confessed my love for Yadira who reciprocated that..." She paused again, "Ashan's son was jealous, Yadira never told Ashan, and Yadira wanted me to confess her feelings. Ashan destroyed the moon and the earth, and Aeo destroyed Ashan, and, in turn, the universe. Dzen noticed a part of her missing. Dzen destroyed Aeo. Dzen then destroyed the multiverse of everything. I think that's why I'm here. That's all I remember, but maybe I'll remember more soon."

Frode seemed to enjoy the story, calling it "not the weirdest he's heard", and wanted to know what it all meant. He seemed particularly keen on knowing what the metaphor is. Aeryn claimed that it isn't a metaphor, that Aeo is the creator of all. She confirmed that Aeo is a "bit of a god", at least where she's from. She apologized for telling her "backstory" and stated that she comes from a "complicated universe." She felt that being here might help her see things in a more "two dimensional way". Frode had some concerns, religious concerns. He asked Aeryn if her god wants her here, and Aeryn was only able to cryptically say "Maybe, or maybe I'm here by accident. Maybe whatever sent me here gave me amnesia..." Frode tried to comfort her by stating that "The gods work in mysterious ways. Trying to figure it out only leads to headache." Aeryn replied to this with a strange, "I at least remember how my universe was made, so I figured I'd tell you that." Agave chimed in, seemingly wounded by the "two dimensional" comment, "I'm sure there'll be many more instances for us to recant the tails of our people. There's quite a bit of complex history in our worlds as well. It might not be as two dimensional as you say." Frode and Aeryn agreed with this, Aeryn to a lesser extent, but Frode had some philosophy to contribute as well. "Many times the truth is much more complicated than people tell me that it is. I'm learning that good and bad is not so cut and dry." Which is quite the revelation for Frode considering where he started! Wow!

A Gate Opens

The mycelium that hung from the top of the gate had completely reached the ground. The complicated, lacy lattice that formed from the pillars were all fractaling around each other, and the area behind the string-like bars began to rot and decay. The grass completely turned brown and black before turning to dust. The vines of your walls rotted down into gloopy, dripping clumps that fell to the ground and filled the ditches of your perimeter. Trees in the background became visible as the wall rotted, and they too were rotting away. Looking around the gate revealed the world as its true form, but looking through it showed a rotting world. Agave jumped to his feet and announced, "It is time for me to save my people! Come friends!" He leaped forward from his seat and marched at a quick pace through the gate. He passed through, and the rest of you saw Agave easily pass through to the other side. His robes rotted away, his body became bloated as puss and gasses bursted from nasty welts and blemishes. Kaswink walked through not too long after and similarly began to rot. Their bodies looked as though they had been out in the open, free to rot for several weeks with their bodies lying in a heap. Frode went through shortly after with a surprising amount of courage. He too fell to the ground and started to decay and Hysteria soon backflipped through without a thought as well. Soon all that remained on the outside were Aeryn and DAN. This newcomer was visibly panicking, and as DAN was about to go through the gate as well, they instead turned towards her. "It is what it is, you know? I mean, people dying and not being dead is a thing that seems to just keep happening, you know? If this is surprising for you, yeah, you're not gonna last long in here. Things usually get to this level of crazy, if not crazier, it just takes some getting used to. You'll get used to it eventually." They stepped through the gate leaving Aeryn with a decision to make. She watched as DAN started to rot, and just as the trench coat was about to fully decay, she stepped through to the other side.

After stepping through the grotesque though strangely beautiful mushroom which formed into an intricately latticed and ornate lace which made up the framework of a gate. Your next step was one that was less certain and more squishy. Each subsequent step released an awful sounding, sloppy noise like you just stepped into perfectly moistened dirt which had approached a point of non-neutonian fluid, not quite liquid mud and not quite solid dirt. Slime, lichens, molds all ran through whatever this substance was as well, and what was likely the rotted flesh of animals and plants could occasionally be smelled. The walls are also unpleasant, though they did have a strictly more “wall” aesthetic, which is more than could be said for the horrendous floors. They seemed to be made of some cold, dark grey stone which had been coated in slime. Tendrils of mycelium from some unseen and massive fungus lined the walls just beneath the layer of gunk. In terms of direction you appeared to have two choices. If these choices had cardinal directions they were unknown, though from the perspective of one of you they could likely be called “Left” or “Right”. Your first decision in this offal place was determining which path to take, and your first trial was to endure the horrendous smells, sounds, feelings, sights, and, yes, even tastes as any breath brought about taste along with smell. A voice, familiar though from a distant memory from when you first heard her story of this place and The Necromancer could be heard. She warned you while simultaneously rising from the goop that surrounds you. "Travel with care, this place can be treacherous. Be wary the many dangers that come with a rotten land."

For some of you, this place and person were unable to be seen due to the lack of light. Kaswink sniffed the air for any combustible gasses, deemed it safe, and several of you lit torches. Kaswink asked the zombie if she had any information about what direction to go. Her’aen, the zombie, explained that "this place is yours" and that you'll likely "end up in the same place either way". It was both a comforting bit of guidance and a brutal reminder that everyone ends up in the same place when they die... well, almost everyone. With torches lit and creepy "guide" present, you began your journey through this place at last. You chose to go to the "right" and it was almost immediately noticed that Agave was acting a little weird. He seemed distracted, focused on himself and where he is, and that Kaswink was a lower priority when she tried to comfort him. When Kaswink asked if he was okay, he turned to her and spoke with a far lower, rougher voice. "Agave? Right. That's what he was called. No, I am Bobcat. You are Kaswink, yes?" Kaswink, and presumably everyone else, was a bit concerned by this development, but the sudden change was still accepted.

He stated that he "had been in the background for so long" but apparently returned when Agave "put on the hand". The memories were presumably the ones given to Agave by the Chittering Spirit, and, strangely enough, this Bobcat person seemed to be pursuing the same goals as Agave. He confirmed that he is able to fight when asked by Kaswink and Frode, and he declared that he was "here to save his people and fight the rot".

Introductions were cut short as Kaswink reminded everyone that there isn't much time to talk. Bobcat put away the journal and other documents that Agave would constantly be working on, and the journey down these grotesque hallways continued. Each step echoed not only the initial step but the subsequent squelch as your foot passed through muck. The echoes were …creepy, the extra noises almost sounded like additional footsteps. Bobcat and Hysteria picked up on something both unlikely and frightening. They heard what almost sounded like there was something definitely wrong with some of the footsteps. It would've been imperceptible under normal conditions with all the sloppy extra steps, but their ears managed to pick up on a distinct difference between yourselves and whatever was out there. There were distinct hard noises like something tapping on stone, like whatever it is was walking on the walls… or at least touching them in perfect timing with your own echoes. Hysteria looked around, aiming their bow up at the ceiling and checking for anything nearby. They didn't see anything at all, and, as Bobcat and the rest of you were starting to look around the corner, the noises started to fade as your own echoes stopped as well. The possibility that you were just hearing things definitely existed, but you refused to believe such things. Kaswink tested these echoes by striking the wall with her weapon. It made an incredibly loud, though reasonable, noise and echoed normally, but one of the last echoes of this strike was louder than normal with a strange tap as if something were hitting another wall far away. Bobcat turned towards your zombie guide to ask what the sounds could be, and her answer only made the situation more ominous. "There can be things in the places that lie between. Sometimes they are nothing, just a frightening noise, and sometimes they are guardians or something maybe a bit more nefarious. Impossible to tell without seeing it, and sometimes they don't really want to be seen."

Bob cat ran down the hall, leaped around the corner, and as he was doing so, he discovered a doorway leading into a room. The doorway was almost perfectly round, however, a small portion of the frame was missing. Beyond it, where you would expect to see stone walls or body parts, you instead saw …stars? There was a void out there, with the only visible details being stars, nebula and so forth. It was beyond just looking up at a night sky with no light pollution, it also felt like you were floating in space they were so clear and abundant. When Kaswink examined this strange sight, she discovered that the stars were slowly blinking out of existence one after the other. The rate that they disappeared was speeding up too, and after some time only half the stars remained.

She tried sticking her hand through the space to see what was on the other side. She easily did so, but also felt such an intense cold that her arm was in immense pain from only a second's worth of exposure. Your attentions were soon turned towards the contents of the room beyond, and you were able to tell that it was a fair bit cleaner than the rest of these hallways. Body parts and sludge were still present, but too a far lesser degree, and a stream of bright green and brown mud ran through the center. A silhouette that looked almost painted to the ground at the other end of the room resembled a person collapsed and leaning against the wall. Black tendrils extended from this strange image in all directions. Kaswink's attempts to get its attention failed, and when she tried to roll a bottle of water to it the bottle got stuck in the strange mud. Bobcat concluded what they started when he ran down this hall in the first place and howled down the dark tunnel. A familiar, thunderous noise erupted from him and echoed throughout the unseen halls. More strange tapping could be heard at certain parts of the echoes, and some time was spent afterwards on just waiting patiently to see if any other noises occur. It took some time, but a strange noise that resembled a body being dragged along the revolting floor could eventually be heard. It only lasted a couple of pulls or drags, and then it was never heard again.

Traveling through these hallways, everything seemed so…straight forward. There was rarely a time a decision needed to be made and it was often something as simple as “left” or “right”. The hallways, as you traveled, gradually gained more and more humanoid body parts which were becoming increasingly disturbing. It was hard to tell where each corpse piece ended and the wall began, and they still sometimes squirmed about in unnatural ways, but they were becoming more hole-filled, maggot-ridden, with flies buzzing, and gruesome fluids spilling out of different points.

At one point during your journey a wall caved in up ahead. As it did, body parts spilled to the ground with chunks of stone, slime poured from the gaping hole into the hallway, and in the space that was left there was a frightening sight even for this dark and rotten realm. In this space of the wall you saw the top half, from the hips up, of a woman. She had tawny hair, a small freckled face and looked incredibly thin…starving even as if years of hardship had prevented her from a reasonable diet. The tips of her fingers were stained black with necrosis, her arms were missing portions of skin which exposed the rotting, pungent and hole-filled flesh beneath them. Her torso had what was once a lovely, though filthy and low-quality canvas dress. A pattern of yellow flowers now eternally stained with a combination of phlegm and vomit, not to mention the puss leaking from her exposed meat and organs. The dress was tattered, and through several torn or missing sections one could spot bones exposed by the emaciated and rotting frame. Where her hips would normally have more guts spilling out, it instead seamlessly blended into the stone of the wall beneath and behind her. Her shoulders and back were similarly stuck along with her wrists…her and the wall one in an almost absurd manner. And what was worse than all this was that Frode recognized this person to be his wife.

She wheezed as you all approached, and she strained to speak with a raspy, dry voice that somehow was still drowning on mucous. Her eyes looked to each of you before finally settling on Frode before she spoke. "Have you died as well, my love? Did you perish?" Frode denied this as he held her, and she continued to force her words out. "Then you are not doomed to rot with the rest of us. Doomed to eternal anguish and life. Our son may have a hope." Frode picked up on the fact that she didn't mention their daughter, and you all saw that there was space behind her to continue your journey. She started speaking again as Frode struggled to take all of this in. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. "My love, we could've been saved. Nay, we should've been saved. The guards, your friends and neighbors offered to take us in. It was the king. In what could only be described as a moment of madness or some unseen plan fueled by ambition he insisted we be left where we were. Grimweld appeared again to apologize, his offer was rescinded and we were left to die with doom in our hearts. I starved, lacking the energy to fight the illness any longer, but not before our sweet daughter succumbed first." Frode cried out and slammed his fist into the wall. Kaswink laid a hand on his shoulder and tried to gently bring his attention back to the situation. "We have to keep going if your boy has any hope." Frode was still sobbing when he turned to Kaswink to respond. "Ja, this is the burden I bear." Kaswink comforted him by reminding him that he doesn't need to bear it alone. As Frode's wife spoke and everything unfolded, something else also started to happen. Bobcat, heard it first. It was just the softest “click” in the distance, like a drop of water falling to a damp floor. Though, it started to get a bit more concerning as those clicks become more frequent, closer, and were joined by the wet squelching of something pressing into the disgusting floor. Then, more echoes, more footsteps, and something slapping against the wall. Something was coming towards you…something that was likely horrific. We ended with a choice: Go through the wall or hold steady and wait for whatever it is to reach you?

Monday D&D, 30 November 2022