13. A Sticky Situation

5th Eyre, 999 YK

They feel sad that The Tombstone has left them.
Bhaltair spends some time collecting seeds and cuttings of various plants in the Abyssal Forest of Khaar so they can grow more of them at Maruk Dar.
They continue searching for Sundew, and as they walk, Zaphkiel vanishes. Where they were stood is now a closed, giant flytrap. Uh oh.
Naze unsummons Zaphkiel, but Zaphkiel had the keg of Bloodvine Sap so they need it back!
Runmae and Valaari try to force the trap open, they manage to open it just enough for others to try and get the keg. Zaphkiel can't reach because of their wings, but Warren manages to get the keg out.
Bhaltair knows the plant is likely going to lose this trap now that they've opened it. Bhaltair wants to kill the trap and get it over with but the others don't want to waste the time.
They have a look around for more traps, to be safe, and only Runmae spots them in the undergrowth. They were in a veritable minefield of traps!
As they try to navigate out of it, the plants release a sweet smelling pollen that attracts Warren. The others have to grab him and restrain him. Both Runmae and Valaari slap him but he doesn't come to his senses.
They have to navigate the mantraps whilst Warren struggles to get eaten by one of them.
They get out of the field of mantraps, but Warren continues to try and go back to them for several minutes before the pollen wears off (and he sneezes it out).
Warren wipes the snot on his poncho (Runmae's cloak). Runmae is displeased.
They continue on, and on her scouting, Runmae hears the sounds of an animal crying for help. She goes to check it out, and sees a huge animal entangled in the dewy, mucilage-coated tendrils of a gigantic Sundew plant.
The animal is unfamiliar to Runmae. She returns to the group and tells them what she saw.
Valaari identifies the animal, from Runmae's description, as a Catoblepas. They're usually found in the Shadow Marches, in Xoriat manifest zones. They corrupt the land around them.
Valaari is concerned it may damage the plant and make it unusable, they ask the group if they think they could find another Sundew rather than dealing with this one.
They have an hour and a half left in the demiplane, they're going to look for another plant first and come back to this one if they can't find one.
Naze is concerned that if they look for another plant and can't find one, the quality of this one could degrade enough that they can't use it at all.
Warren is also concerned that if the plant ingests the Catoblepas, it may corrupt other plants in the area.
Valaari says they need to trust the forest to protect itself, it's done a pretty good job of it so far.
Warren is also concerned that the corruption may cause mutation, rather than death. That could also be bad.
Valaari and Bhaltair iterate that they can't do anything about it, they have no way of removing the animal. Even if they kill it, they can't remove the corpse, it's too big.
Bhaltair also wants to study it!
Bhaltair is scaring Warren a bit, they're all a bit on edge.
They spend half an hour searching, and Bhaltair spots another Sundew. It's similarly gigantic.
They go to find a log to throw at it, to trigger it to entrap.
Runmae and Valaari go and find a log, and then gently push it against the Sundew plant. The Sundew immediately ensnares the log, but a few seconds later releases it. Hmm.
They debate how to approach this, the "fruit" are in the middle between several tendrils. They decide it'd be safer to get the leaves, cutting off parts of the tendrils.
Valaari goes to find a different log, not wanting to get close enough to the Sundew to retrieve the previous one.
They attach some ropes to the log, so they can make it "struggle" in the hopes that the Sundew won't release it. The others will then cut tendrils off.
Valaari and Runmae push the log forward, while Bhaltair pulls on the ropes to make it "struggle". The others then run forward with their cutting implements and cut the tendril down.
Bhaltair also wants to get some seeds, but they're on other vertical tendrils, held up off the ground.
The plan works! The tendril holds onto the log, and then the others run forward and cut the tendril down.
They now have a leaf big enough to pick up a log. They drag it away a bit, and then they chop it up into smaller, more carryable pieces. They need to dry it to make the medicine.
Now to try and get a seed pod. The tendrils flare out around the seed pods, so there's significant risk in trying to get one.
They discuss trying to get one with a grappling hook, or maybe an arrow with a rope attached to it. They don't want to risk anyone's life by trying to climb the plant.
Bhaltair applies some of the mucilage to a grappling hook, as suggested by Warren, and then Runmae throws the grapple to try and get the seed pod down.
The hook grapples a seed pod, and then Runmae and Valaari yank the rope with sufficient force to get the seed pod clear of the tendrils.
Bhaltair takes the whole pod, hoping it will preserve the seeds.
It is time to return!
Bhaltair doesn't want to stick to the route strictly, but Valaari is concerned they might get lost because the forest can change. They'll follow the route back and be careful in the areas where they need to be, such as the flytraps and the Tripkee.
They pass the catoblepas on the way back, it is still struggling and crying for help.
As they approach the demiplane exit, the hummingbirds return to feast on Bhaltair's bountious nectar.
Valaari instructs the group to not swat them, again, simply let them do their thing.
Bhaltair stands away from the group to allow the hummingbirds to feed as the rest of the group exit.
Bhaltair experiences a reluctance to leave. Their animal friends will never understand them, not like the Abyssal Forest does. They turn to the others, in the exit, and calls to them, saying they want to stay longer.
Valaari comes out and talks it out, it's too dangerous to stay and they need them.
"You're free to do what you wish with your life, but you're carrying things that are important to the Maruk Ghaash'kala."
Bhaltair doesn't want to go back into the Ironlands, where it's cold and there's no sunlight.
Valaari states they can come back, but right now there's too much they don't understand. Isn't Bhaltair worried that the only other intelligent creatures they encountered were afraid of them?
Bhaltair has to go and deal with the pasta (irl), putting a momentary pause in the conversation (very dramatic).
The pasta dealt with, they continue (very tense).
Valaari reiterates that the denizens of this place see Bhaltair as a cruel, evil creature. Doesn't Bhaltair want to understand this before staying here?
Bhaltair thinks the only way to learn more would be to spend more time here.
Valaari says to see how they feel when they leave, as something here is influencing them.
Bhaltair has an intrusive thought of wanting to see what Valaari's insides would look like on their outside. Bhaltair asks if Valaari ever "opens up".
Valaari is confused. Bhaltair asks what they look like on the inside?
Valaari moves them on and steps into the tunnel.
Bhaltair is shocked by the thoughts going through their head. They ask the others if they all look the same "on the inside"?
They aren't sure how to respond to this. Runmae tries to usher them out of the demiplane.
They theorise on if Zaphkiel's insides look different?
Zaphkiel looks at Naze. Naze nods. Zaphkiel fades out of existence.
Bhaltair starts asking Naze questions about innards, "is everyone's insides red?"
Naze is uncomfortable.
With the next step they exit the plane, and Bhaltair shuts up mid-sentence. They comment on suddenly feeling a lot lighter.
Valaari is keeping an eye on them.
Valaari appreciates Bhaltair not acting on the intrusive thoughts. Bhaltair is sure they would've died.
Naze re-summons Zaphkiel.
"We've been through a harrowing experience"
"It wasn't that bad"
"It was pretty bad"
They decide they need to take a moment to rest and refocus, before journeying through the Ironlands.
Bhaltair still has the magical breadcrumbs following them for a couple hours, so they decide to wait for them to stop before entering the Ironlands and the Kech Shaarat territory.
Naze gives Warren some medical attention.
Naze distributes health to the others, critically succeeding on both Valaari and Runmae (who had 1 hp missing each) and healing them both for 22 hit points.
Bhaltair plays music for the rest of the duration of the Breadcrumbs spell.
They decide to rest, and discuss whether to rest in the tunnel where they are or go to the grove they rested in the previous day.
Valaari is concerned that something may follow them out of the Abyssal Forest.
Warren, Runmae and Naze are pro-tunnel.
They camp in the tunnel, with both Zaphkiel and Bhaltair keeping watch.

6th Eyre, 999 YK

They wake up, do their daily preperations, and re-enter the Ironlands.
They gather more of the iron razorgrass to use to make cold iron weapons.
There is a momentary crisis as the bag of holding disappears from her inventory. Fuck.
We manage to remember what it had in it.
They give the gourd of latex to Naze, and then the rest of them collect more iron (for cold iron weapons) and steel (for other stuff).
We end the session with them min-maxing their inventory management and then they level up.

Animal in the Sundew

The beast is about 15-foot long, from head to tail, and looks like something akin to a deer with the build of a malicious ox or buffalo. It has large tusks, like a boar, with antlers protruding from it's armoured head. It's neck is long, with mossy fur covering it's head, neck, upper back, tail, and around the cuffs of its hooves. The rest of its body is hairless, and looks similar to the skin of a hippo. Boney plates extend from it's spine, getting gradually smaller as they approach the base of its tail.

The creature, or perhaps the plant, is also giving off a pungent odour which threatens to bring up your last meal.