26th Zarantyr, 1000 YK
- They're just outside of the mushroom byeshk mine, and discuss what to do. Leonus wants to just leave, but the others want to explore the hole in the mine.
- Kalshana points out that them wanting to explore the hole is itself pretty sus, no? Warden curses and asks for Lozaal to open his head and see if there's any spores in there.
- Lozaal removes the backplate from Warden's head and gets a look inside. He looks for spores, but doesn't see any inside. He keeps looking even after confirming no spores, because he won't get another opportunity to do this at least for a while.
- Leonus is outvoted, they're going to look in the hole. He says "bones" in exasperation.
- Dax' Athla has a rope of climbing, so they have a way to descend into the hole. Lozaal suggests actually looking at the hole before talking about descending.
- They tie cloth around their mouths and noses to avoid breathing in the spores. Warden remembers he has the Red Owl's mask, which he was just carrying around in his bag.
- Lozaal also remembers he's carrying the personal pictures of a bunch of the Swords of Liberty.
- Lozaal uses some of Kalshana's incense to test the masks, but they can still smell smoke (because smoke particles are very small). They begin looking through their inventories for stuff that might help.
- Warden suggests he could make some antitoxin, but they don't know if the spores are poisonous.
- Dax reinforces the masks, layering them.
- They briefly go off topic and give Kal some more shit about Riedra.
- They go in and observe the mushroom people raise their arms and begin to scream, like the shrieking mushrooms. Lozaal goes up to the hole and looks down, revealing an expansive network of chambers filled with gigantic fungi and other plants, many of which are bioluminescent.
- [Green Leaf Volatiles] pats Lozaal and the shoulder, and continues to scream.
- Warden states his intention to seal off the mine, after Kalshana argues with him destroying them.
- Lozaal is okay with blocking off the mine.
- Kalshana mind links with [Beeps of electricity passing through Mycelium]. She asks how they would feel if they couldn't leave the mine, but this confuses it. She then asks if they know what they're waiting for, and experiences certainty and joy from it.
- Kal catches a glimpse of another mushroomfolk who is totally fungal, rather than a hobgoblin with fungal growths. She immediately goes for it but Lozaal restrains her.
- They see a female-figure that is entirely fungus, even seeming to wear clothing made of fungus.
- Leonus checks Kal out to ensure she isn't infested with spores. She's not being influenced, she just wants to see the mushroom lady.
- Warden fondles his balls, and they are cold. That means aberrations are near!
- Lozaal suggests leaving the mine and taking a breath, and discussing it. They go outside.
- Leonus suggests tying Kalshana up outside of the mine, but she takes umbrage at this. "Like a dog outside of the shops!?"
- They don't try to tie her up. Kal suggests she can wait outside, but they don't believe she will.
- Lozaal suggests trying to talk to the fungal woman outloud, he isn't comfortable letting it into their minds if Warden's balls are chilly.
- Leonus asks about the significance of Warden's balls. He explains they are Gatekeeper Stones, and they grow cold in the presence of Xoriat.
- Lozaal suggests going back in, but requests that Warden show restraint. It's a new creature, they should learn what they can.
- They re-enter the mine.
- Warden fondles his balls the whole time, confirming that the fungal woman is the source of the chilly balls. Lozaal also fondles Warden's balls to confirm. Lozaal compliments Warden on the smoothness of his balls. Warden thanks him, claiming orc craftsmenship.
- Lozaal speaks to the figure, which initially only speaks Daelkyr. It very quickly picks up Goblin, though, seeming to take the knowledge from Lozaal's mind.
- It introduces itself as a Bridesmaid of Avassh.
- It continues the conversation in goblin, Lozaal asks what it means to be a bridesmaid of Avassh. The Bridesmaid does a little twirl, spreading spores around. It then says "make new".
- Ah.
- It doesn't take credit for the state of the mine though. Lozaal asks why they're all here. The Bridesmaid explains they were Sown long ago, and they await the coming of the Harvester, that they might be harvested and experience joyous communion.
- Lozaal asks what it means to be harvested, the Bridesmaid says "We experience the full cycle. Birth. Death. Decay. Regrowth. Joy."
- Weird.
- Warden, in the mindlink, expresses concern. He doesn't think sealing the mine will be enough. He wants to destroy it.
- Dax asks how often the harvesting happens, the Bridesmaid responds "never in my life."
- Lozaal doesn't think they're equipped to destroy the fungus, it's too vast. Perhaps Warden should contact Batul.
- Kal casts Sending to contact Batul.
- Dax asks, in the mindlink, whether the Bridesmaid can show them images of the Harvester. Warden warns against actually asking it.
- Dax throws caution to the wind, and asks the Bridesmaid what the Harvester looks like.
- The Bridesmaid beckons her closer. Dax approaches. The Bridesmaid puffs spores into Dax's eyes, and Dax instinctively recoils and then stops.
- Dax is unable to communicate verbally, but is hallucinating. Kal mindlinks with her to see for herself.
- Dax sees a lizardfolk made of fungus and wood, but when Kal mindlinks it shifts to a kalashtar made of fungus and wood.
- Warden drags Dax away from the Bridesmaid. The Bridesmaid lowers its arm.
- Leonus examines Dax, and sees that her eyes are bloodshot.
- After a few moments, Dax comes to her senses.
- Dax explains that the Bridesmaid appears to be an imperfect imitation of Avassh. Spooky.
- Leonus gives Dax another once over to double check that she's okay.
- Kal sends a reply to Batul, who promptly responds.
- Lozaal begins to leave, and says farewell to the Bridesmaid. It says "May you be harvested soon."
- Lozaal remembers another question, and asks if the Bridesmaid knows how deep the cave goes. It says "Deep, touches the root."
- Leonus guides Dax out of the cave, as she's still a bit disoriented.
- Warden uses Stone Shape to close up the entrance to the mine, sealing it off. He tries to make it look like the natural mountainface, so it doesn't draw attention. He then uses his chisel to draw his ghulra in the stone face, "Warden was here."
- He also writes a message in Druidic, stating "Warning: Cult of Avassh inside. Enter with caution."
- Lozaal gathers everyones masks, and burns them. Their other clothes are covered in spores too. Lozaal doesn't want them to spread the spores outside on their clothes. Dax throws a vial of alchemist's fire on the ground, and they all take turns to roll in it to burn the spores. Kal really didn't want to do it, but she is convinced.
- Leonus lays on hands to heal everyone back up afterwards.
- They all check each other over, to make sure they got all of the spores. Warden uses produce flame to get any straggling spores that survived the flaming oil bath.
- They discuss how to proceed. Lozaal jokingly suggest just going south to Grimstone Keep, which Kal agrees to. Lozaal then clarifies he was joking.
- They plan to go to Sylbaran, and back to Threshold, and then onwards to Sharn.
3rd Olarune, 1000 YK
- The party arrive in Sylbaran, and spend some time at the lake.
- Lozaal goes to buy some tools whilst the others find a nice spot on the beach. He also suggests getting some sandwiches! They're in the Eldeen Reaches, so he picks up milkshakes (pre-flavoured straight from the cow), and some honey milk for Leonus.
- Dax tries every flavour of milkshake. She buys one of each, and then mixes them.
- Lozaal asks Kal to play a game. He has her milkshake, and he has two vials of "spicy juice". He is going to hide her milkshake and the bottled nightmares behind his back, and if she can guess which is which, she gets the milkshake. If she gets it wrong, the nightmare goes in the milkshake. Kal suggest she will drink a nightmare if Lozaal does. He agress.
- Kal chugs the nightmare but Lozaal doesn't. The shit!
- Begrudgingly, Lozaal chugs the nightmare.
- Kal dreams (which is itself a novelty) of being a gnome with a pet cat, and something happens to the cat, and it's very upsetting.
- Lozaal dreams of pulling on a hangnail, and it peeling the skin all up his arm.
- Leonus is baffled, why would they do this? Kalshana explains that she doesn't normally dream, so it's a novelty. He nods as if he understands, but he doesn't.
6th Olarune, 1000 YK
- Terfel Glas and Oargev ir'Wynarn arrive at Wroat. They see the newspaper, and read Civil Unrest in Stormreach.
7th Olarune, 1000 YK
- They arrive back in Threshold. Lozaal wonders aloud if there might be a Byeshk refinery in Sharn, but remembers the undercity is riddled with disease. Leonus asks what a disease is (he's joking, he's immune to disease) and Warden comments on how poor the Karrnathi education system must be.
12th Olarune, 1000 YK
- They arrive back in Ardev. Lozaal asks the group about summoning Kosaten, the Trader, but he wants to ask the others before they reveal to Leonus that they have that capacity.
- Warden suggests a plan where Dax goes off and summons Kosaten and they all pretend they only just met him.
- Lozaal explains that he doesn't distrust Leonus, he just wanted to check first.
- Leonus gets a Sending from Etrigani Alorenthi ir'Wynarn. He finds somewhere quiet to report whilst Etrigani scries on him.
- Lozaal thinks Leonus made up an excuse and is just upset that they briefly excluded him from the mind link. Warden wants to go comfort him.
- Leonus explains, seemingly to no one, everything that happened. He talks about going to Nasaar Kol and explains that the Order of the Emerald Claw agents there were dead. The ruin is home to some seemingly powerful undead, which he thinks warrants some light surveillance to keep an eye on things. Whatever the Emerald Claw wanted to do there, they seemingly failed. He briefly touches on the expedition into the Byeshk Mountains and a cave with links to something called a Daelkyr. Etrigani then gives him new orders via Sending.
- Dax agrees about hiding the Light at the Crossroads from Leonus, so they summon Kosaten while he's reporting.
- Next week, Leonus meets Kosaten!
Sendings
Kal to Batul
"Hey Batul. Found cave of Avassh mushroom followers in Byeshk mountains. Too big to attack - sealing cave up. Cave full of spores - danger! Kal"
"Hello, Kal. Get out of the cave, stay away from it and don't breathe in the spores. Exactly what it is in there?"
Second Sending
"Some hobgoblins coated in mushrooms and screaming. Also a pretty mushroom lady called the Bridesmaid of Avaash. This mushroom showed us images of Avaash."
"Leave the cave, Kalshana. Right now. The Bridesmaid isn't a lady, she's the entire fungus, and you don't need to breathe her spores."
Etrigani to Leonus
"Leonus, I am going to scry on you. Find somewhere quiet and report. I have new orders."
Leonus reports via Etrigani's scrying.
"Thank you, we'll keep an eye on it. Emerald Claw activity in Sharn, check in with the embassy. Leonus, a witness saw Richtus, be careful."
Names of the Mushroom People
- [Green Leaf Volatiles]
- [Petrichor]
- [Earthy Funguy]
- [Glory to Mushkind]
- [Mother of Vinegar]
- [The Concept of Mutualism]
- [The Neverending Spory]
- [Ozone]
- [Chicken of the Woods]
- [Beeps caused by electricity passing through mycelium]