Saralas: Session 69

21 Elient, Caves of Hunger, Before Dawn

• Something dark and humungous shifts behind the wall. We become aware we are not alone inside our minds.
• According to Korag, this is what happened
  • Saralas and Min suddenly freeze in place remaining motionless and not speaking, eyeballs roll into my head.
  • Karthos thinks this is an eldritch horror from the farplane, probably got caught in an interdimensional rift.
  • They bind Min and me and drag us into a cave to the southwest.
  • We are apparently still not awake. They spend a lot of time debating what to do.
  • Resda apparently thought of the idea of dragging a Remorhaz up there.
  • They discuss trying to shove the creature back through the portal. Thunderwave would probably draw the Remorhaz
  • They talk about breaking the ice, they talk about banishing the creature, guessing it might dislike ice
  • Resda banishes the creature, and we apparently start waking up
• The creature was invading my mind, forcing me to remember everything I have ever experienced all at once. I am shaken and take a little time to come to myself.
• I look around. We are in a mirrored cavern, every surface is covered in a mirror finish and it is hard to keep bearings straight.
• I am very angry that they didn't listen to me.
• We head south. A grove of frost-covered trees fill this cavern. By some miracle these trees are alive. There is a low wall broken in several places.
• This place looks like it has always been here, and did not fall from the city.
• Karthos notices something moving in the trees to the south.
• I inspect the trees. They are pear trees in remarkably good health.
• I eat a pear. It is very delicious. I feel full and remarkably satiated.
• Karthos signals us that there is a dryad. It is female and appears to be watching the party.
• I thank the Dryad for the pear in Elvish. Her name is Hathawyn and she says she is the keeper of the grove. We are welcome to have as many pears as we like.
• She says she is not sure how long she has been here, thousands of years maybe. She says a netherese arcanist created the pears and bound her to the grove to be their keeper. She says it is incredibly lonely. And that the dark elves who passed through were not nearly as friendly. The last ones passed through maybe a month ago.
• We talk for a while. She seems kind and tells us the pears are safe to eat but can sometimes cause some odd effects. And the caves are quite dangerous. She knows the way to Ythryn, it is the cavern to the southeast. Which is where the dark elves most commonly travel. She says they most often come from the west. This play may have been sealed above ground, but maybe not from the underdark.
• She says she is tied to the trees.
• Karthos asks her about the world mushroom, and she says if the world mushroom were to die ecosystems would be catastrophically damaged throughout the planes. Every living thing depends on mycelium one way or another. "It is woven into the very fabric of life."
• She asks if we have avoided the gnoll. We say we have avoided it so far. She says it is the most fearsome predator in these caves. It comes through from time to time. It likes to turn invisible and lay in wait, and is very patient.
• We follow the path the dryad pointed out, an ice tunnel that goes on for a mile. The tunnel opens into a vast grotto enclosed in gleaming ice. Beyond that we see a massive city. It is an at angle, like it is leaning away from us.

21 Elient, Entrance to Ythryn, Morning

• Professor Skant is amazed to finally see the place he's been researching
• It warns us that the city is likely infested with ghosts, gouls, gnothics, and the remnants of the powerful Netherese wizards.
• As Resda and Professor Jackass talk they start insulting us. I angrily stalk away, though I can still hear them. Resda asks "What are we looking for, a scroll? Where is it."
• "It's a machine, and where do you think it would be? In the heart of the city!"
• The idiot orb says I am stupid, then repeats what I just said.
• Wodna appears, apparently the gem was a homing device. She points out the library and reminds us she needs a book.
• She also says we must not delay, because the red wizard departed town not long after we left, and she is probably on her way here now with the cultists.
• Korag says we should deal with the Mithilar first. Wodna says we have a few things to deal with first. He looks more closely and realizes that the tower's central structure is protected by a magical field that not only blocks physical access but also teleportation.
• Professor Skant says the force field must be disabled by performing a spell that can only be learned by visiting the 8 towers of Ythryn, the Rite of the Arcane Octad, and a want crafted from nether oak.
• We discuss going to the nearest tower to start this, since Avarice is on the way.
• Karthos points out the big tower. We know, Karthos.
• He also points out that there are hundreds of undead, including a very powerful Lich
• They debate where to go next.
• As they debate, I see a 25-foot tall tomb tapper strolling down the way. It is like a faceless thing. It looks small from here but judging by the buildings is very large.
• Karthos casts pass without trace, and we try to make our way to the nearest tower.
• We notice a shadow overhead, a huge flying creature has alighted on one of the spires. We don't recognize what it is.
• We make our way down the ice to the inner wall of Ythryn. There are spires around the city, and one we pass by we see an entranceway. We approach the tower.
• About its perimeter are stone gargoyles. Examining the inside of the spire we find it to be in ruins, and does not contain anything of interest. Karthos guesses these may have been guard towers.
• We head further into Ythyrn. We find an amphitheater, the air around it filled with static. Three metal masts rise from the arena like metal tridents, each emitting a low hum. It looks like a sporting arena. Skant says "It's chain lightning, you idiot, a commonly played game in Netherese society."
  • He explains that it is played with 2 teams of 6 people. To win a team must eliminate the other team's players by hitting them with a 3" diameter iron ball. each time a player is struck they are teleported off the field.
  • Throwing a ball through the arches charges it so it does lightning damage when it is thrown.
• We head around the arena, towards the tower. As we move, we hear chittering rock crumbling noises from the ruins to the west. But from here we cannot see anything.
• We continue on, approaching a tower reaching up like a talon from the ruins. A blue light shines from its highest window.
• Every square inch of the tower is covered in runes. The runes are in Loross. I can't read them, but I recognize them as being magical.
• Resda comes over to look, and she says many of the symbols refer to magical spells. They appear largely related to abjuration magic. And one of the runes above the door is for an insanity abjuration spell. Resda thinks the spell would fire again. Skant suggests scratching out the rune.
• Baerwin strikes the symbol, and his glaive rings with incredible force of magic, and it clangs loudly to the ground. The symbol is otherwise untouched.
• Skant suggest dispelling magic instead. Korag casts dispell magic, and the rune flashes slightly then the light fades away.
• Baerwin enters, and the trap does not fire. He takes Karthos with him.
• We follow inside. There is a set of stairs which we go up.
• A huge anvil chiseled with vivid blue runes rests in the center of a 30 foot diameter, 30 foot high circular chamber. Resting above it is a hammer with similar runes. Beyond this a corpse of a wizard in rubble.
• 6 demos magen surround this room. Karthos would know this if he could speak.