Welcome to 2023, dear readers! Thank you for sticking around and checking in on the Quarantine Questers’ shenanigans.
A big thank-you to Brent for keeping diligent notes so that I may transcribe them into the beautifully woven tale you are about to read.
Fiona: Lightfoot Halfling Rogue (Jenny) – FLOWERS!
Thalia: High Elf Wizard (Kurt) – LUMINESCENCE!
Gallan (Sidekick): Wood Elf Fighter (Kurt) – AS USUAL!
Ahfa: Human Paladin (Brent) – DONKEY EARS!
Zulu (Sidekick): Dwarf Cleric (Brent) – CYCLOPTIC THIRD EYE!
THE DAY BEGINS. The sun rises on the first FULL day for our noble adventurers on the tiny volcanic rock of Stormwreck Isle. The party, all sharing one sleeping cell, were in various stages of rest and reflection when comes a exuberant little knock at the door. Then, an exuberant little voice calls for Fiona the rogue.
The red-haired halfling comes out into the early morning day light to see her newest friend carrying a message for her. Fiona does not miss the new messenger pouch slung about the koboldling’s frame and the slim time of poetry is visible out of the top. Obviously, Frub cherishes his new gift from Fiona, despite being mostly illiterate.
But, it’s the thought that counts, right? Right.
Frub brings a message from Myla, another kobold on the island (the resident tinkerer, engineer, and alchemist), who has something for the rogue. Gallan, being roused by Fiona, appears to be a smidge grumpy as he was sleeping in. Myla’s cell is about three doors down (hahahahaha) and contains the obvious clutter of a workshop rather than a place to sleep. Myla gives the rogue back the Boots of Elvenkind from yesterday – repaired and ready for use. As she hands them back to Fiona, she shyly explains that she arrived here with her brothers, Mek and Min a little over a year ago. Sadly, they were attacked by bat-like, blood-sucky things and she suffered extensive damage to her wings. Myla awoke after the attack in Runara’s care. Her brothers were gone. She has not seen them since, and she wonders if maybe Fiona and her brave, skilled friends might seek out information about their whereabouts, if they are even still alive. Myla promises to upgrade some weapons and armor if the party can do this for her.
With that little mini-task under their belts, the party now sets off in search of Runara. This is mostly at the urging of Thalia, who is quite tetchy to see the elder for answers. The first stop is the mess hall/kitchen, where there is an excited buzz surrounding the morning’s meal. Everyone appears to be eating the meal enthusiastically, and the party would like to join in, but as Thalia is impatiently tapping her foot at the entrance, they feel a to-go box would be the best choice.
Alas, there are no disposables here and food IS TO BE CONSUMED in the dining area. So, there’s that.
TALK WITH TARAK. Ahfa the ever-friendly Paladin wanders back towards the serving window/kitchen and asks about a man named Tarak. The lone man in the back (middle-aged, auburn-haired, gray beard and temples) answers that he is Tarak. Ahfa sees the man is dressed in an apron and work clothes, rolled sleeves and all. With an exceptional Perception check, Ahfa notices a distinct tattoo of a hangman’s noose tucked into all the other inkwork on the man’s arms. After some other questions, Tarak agrees to meet the party in another twenty minutes, as there is something he is anxious to speak with them about. The group agrees to return and will try to find Runara in the interim.
There is no sign of the elder in Bahamut’s temple, and no sign that she has been there in the last few hours. Thalia refuses to be daunted and searches for her in the library (Gallan too) while the rest of the party returns to the mess hall to meet with Tarak. The man has finished his kitchen chores and speaks at leisure about his hobbies (gardening, botany, etc) and his dilemma: he made monthly/weekly expeditions to a place around the southwest of the island called Seagrow Caves. He had good relationships with the myconid/mushroom people there and in exchange for the food scraps he could provide from the cloister, he could harvest mushrooms to be brewed into potions of healing, etc. Recently however the myconids hav been turning him away, reluctant to do business, and going so far as to install a octopus-type guardian at the entrance to the caves.
Somewhere in here, Fiona also notices the hangman’s noose tattoo on Tarak’s forearm and immediately recognizes it as a symbol of a thieves’ guild known as as the Gilded Gallows. Hmmm.
However, she’ll have to sort that out later. Tarak has offered healing potions if the party will travel to Seagrow Caves to investigate the mushroom matter for him. He also mentions that the myconids have an unusual way of communicating – they do so through a mechanism called Rapport Spores, which function as a telepathic device of sorts. In addition to the healing potions, he also hauls over a bag of rotted food and flops it on the table. The myconids might be more friendly, he says, if they bring some kind of peace offering.
WELL, HELLO OWLBEAR. Some time later, the questers set out for the Seagrow Caves, opting for the overland pass route that will take around two hours. About halfway into the trek, Ahfa has the strange sense they’re being watched…and suddenly three little lizardfolk dart across their paths from one side of the forest to the other. Whether kobolds notice the adventurers is unknown as they are scurrying away at a terrified pace. The reason why is soon evident; a huge monstrosity has now come crashing into view. Half-bear, half-owl, the creature looks vicious and ready to tear something limb to limb. In the seconds after the initiative roll, as the party gears up to take on this owlbear, most of the party members can see a small wooden whistle around the owlbear’s neck. Curious, to be sure. The owlbear has two attacks: a beak bite and bear claw slash, both of which are well on their way to seriously hurting the party when Thalia casts Mage Hand to attempt to get the whistle from the owlbear’s beck. Once she succeeds, she blows on it and suddenly the owlbear stops attacking immediately. It’s clear this owlbear is trained in some way, but for what is unknown. What is soon known is that the owlbear has no intention of following the party, not even the whistle-bearer, and gets feisty with any attempt that is made to make it do so. Eventually the party just leave the owlbear, who is content to go crashing back into the forest.
After that, the party continues on, much more at the ready and weapons drawn.
ENTERING SEAGROW CAVES. Upon reaching the caves, the group noticed a staircase that leads down into the aves and from their vantage point above, they can see the dark form of a octopus-type creature in the shallows near the cave entrance. They are reluctant to kill this guardian, as Tarak emphasizes the myconids put it there for protection. There is some discussion about how to proceed.
Fiona decides to descend, stealthily, and try to sneak past the spore servant octopus. She succeeds and begins to explore the inside of the cave. However, she moves slowly and carefully since the cave is dim (despite the bioluminescnece of the fungi to light the way). She comes to a pond surrounded by brightly colored mushrooms, and there she sees two little mushroom people (sprouts) working among the fungi. They see her approach and toddle up to a second level, where she then sees two more adult mycos working near a waterfall.
Rapport Spores activated! The myconids telepathically implore her to leave. Fiona responds by telling them they are friends of Tarak’s, and she’s brought an offering (the rotted food). They seem to soften their stance and tell Fiona their leader, Sinensa, has fallen ill. In the last several days, a terrible smell has begun to permeate their lair, and Sinensa went to investigate the room where the smell was the stronger (the Crystal Cave). Shortly after, she fell deathly ill and has not revived since.
SINENSA’S SNAFU. Fiona promises to investigate an asked to see Sinensa. One of the adult mushroomfolk leads her through the Fertilizer Cavern, which smells quite different than the sulfuric smell elsewhere. This room smells like ripe fruit and decaying vegetation – it’s obvious the bags of rotted food from Tarak come here to be spread out and composted for fertilizer. The adult myconid leads Fiona through here into a circular chamber replete with several large groupings of taller mushrooms. Here, four myconids stand facing each other, almost within arm’s reach. They are swaying and seem to be in some kind of meditational trance. The adult explains to Fiona that this is what’s called a “meld”. A way mushroom people communicate with a higher power, but also a way to rest and rejuvenate their minds and bodies. They are asking, seeking, praying for an answer to the blight that has befallen them.
In Sinensa’s sanctum, there are two medic mushrooms tending to a larger third mushroom, who appears to be shriveled and blotchy and is not moving, nor responding at all. The two medics explain they take red spores from a nearby large, barrel-sized, bright red fungi (Ruby Morel) to help receive their leader, but it appears to be futile.
THE ROGUE REMEMBERS. Fiona remembers Tarak saying something about Ruby Morels, and that he can make healing elixirs from them. She tucks that tidbit away for later and asks about the crystal cave. As she moves towards the cave, the smell of rotten eggs and brimstone are growing overwhelmingly worse. Fiona stands at the entrance and surmises that the chamber extends back another 50 to 60 feet. It’s hard to tell because the cave is filled with a hazy smoke, but she can make out a orange glow towards the back. Off to her right, she catches a purple glint in the cave wall as well. She moves closer and sees it is a glittering vein of amethyst gems.
She takes out her hammer and begins to work on dislodging some when suddenly a great buzzing movement catches her attention. As she turns, three soccer-ball sized mosquito-bat things are flapping around her.
Stirges! Bloodsuckers!
Fiona stabs at one with her dagger and fells it immediately. And then one gets its proboscis pierced into Fiona for 4 points of damage and on the stirge’s next turn, Fiona takes another 6 points of blood drain damage. She is able to stab and kill at another stirge and rolls a natural 20 to punch the third one into a blood splat against the nearest cave wall.
But, she’s feeling pretty weak at this point (down to 2 hit points). She quick glugs a healing potion and goes for the amethysts again when she sees four steamy, smoky dragon shapes coming towards her. Fume Drakes.
A GROUP THAT REUNITES, FIGHTS. Fiona decides help would be a good thing and bolts back out into the larger parts of the lair. She telepathically asks the myconids to call off the octopus guardian so her friends can help her, and soon she is joined by her comrades back at the crystal cave.
In the moments that Fiona explains what is going on, they realize they are all communicating telepathically with each other. It is very strange in deed, and when the DM has the party do some Perception rolls, a couple of insights become evident: the group senses Ahfa’s fear at not being able to protect his friends. Also, waves of pride roll off Gallan and crash into the minds of the others in the group.
As the party enters the Crystal Cave, Fiona points out the stirge carcasses, as well as the large bloodstain against the cave wall to their left. The brave warriors enter in further and are soon accosted by four fume drakes, who seems opaque at first, but grow more corporeal as they come closer. Ahfa and Zulu, feeling mediocre, roll poor initiative, while Fiona and Gallan are completely ready for the fight. Zulu the Cleric soon finds his footing; the smell of roasting dragon takes over the party after his Guiding Bolt hits its target. Between the wizard’s Sleep and Shocking Grasp spells, the cleric’s Mystical Flame, the paladin’s battle axe, and Fiona’s arrows, the fume drakes are dispatched quickly enough. For good measure, Thalia stabs at the one that she put to sleep.
THE FIRE CRYSTAL. The party advances to the orange glow in the room and Thalia is able to discern with a great History check that this orange crystal is likely some kind of detritus from the volcanic activity below the island’s surface. And not only that, the crystal appears to have otherworldly characteristics about it – namely chaotic manifestations from the Plane of Fire. She also explains that the crystal is blocking the fumes that would likely seep out through fissure in the cave’s ceiling…but because the fumes have no way of escaping, they back up into the lair, making the myconids sick.
Fiona hands a crowbar to the paladin and together they hack into the orange crystal, which easily shatters into pieces onto the cave floor. Almost immediately, the smoke noticeably clears out and the orange fragments have turned to a black sooty quartz-looking pieces. The cave brightens now with the smoke clearing and the sunlight streams in through the open fissure, and this brightness explains why the mushroom people likely never venture in here, as the bright light is deadly to them.
CAVE RESOLUTION. As the party makes their way back into the leader’s chamber, they see that Sinsensa is awake, although weak. Incredibly grateful, she allows the party to pick some ruby morels to take to Tarak. She also reminds the party of the chaotic and violent draconic history here of the island, and that any answers to the mysteries are likely to be at the observatory on the southeast side of Stormwreck Isle. Note: Thalia is very very excited to receive this news.
The party returns to Dragon’s Rest, and as it is evening, most of the inhabitants are taking their evening meal in the mess hall/kitchen. As they sit down to join in, they realize they are eating THE MOST DELICIOUS FOOD EVER.
AND THE BEST PART: Oh, no, wait…that’s actually just them leveling up! Level 3! Whoooooooohoo!
What an excellent, excellent day!
As always your faithful scribe,
Heather