27th Nymm, 999 YK
- They spend some time deliberating on what spells to get. They determine 4 spells they want to get scrolls for, which is going to take Mr. Fox one day to scribe.
- They get scrolls for Cloak of Light, Dream Message, Radiant Beam, and Ymeri's Mark.
- While they wait, they go to speak with Drolga to inform her that they're taking her as guide.
- Drolga advises them to find some way of protecting their lungs, even if it's just cloth covering their face. They acquire scarves and face masks, and also some air bladders in case of emergency.
- They also fashion some makeshift swamp shoes for Okor, as the bog will be particularly treacherous for him.
- All prepared, they pick up their spell scrolls and rest for the night, ready to head out in the morning.
28th Nymm, 999 YK
- During the night, Mirnac sends a dream message to Svash Ramaal and Valaari Vhesh-Kaan.
- Valaari will mention this dream to Torgaan Shashaarat, but Mirnac manifested in their dream as a shadowy demon, so it's a bit sus.
- They make their daily preperations, handing out potions and such, meet up with Drolga, and then begin their journey to Shaazarak.
- Rotrak also designates Mirnac as his Witch's Charge.
- At the end of the day, both Rotrak and Xander feel a weight lift off of their shoulders. They both recognise this as the influence of the spirit of betrayal, the one that turned them against each other days ago, leaving them.
- Rotrak further theorises that the region around Festering Holt may be the domain of Eldrantulku, the Oathbreaker.
- At some point over the next few days, Rotrak feeds his scroll to Pestilence to learn the spell. "Like a seagull eating a sausage"
3rd Lharvion, 999 YK
- They pass the Ash Beacon.
- The air here is acrid and acidic, they cover their faces to blunt the impact and avoid too much damage to their throat and lungs.
5th Lharvion, 999 YK
- They arrive in the wetlands that surround Shaazarak, and put on their swamp shoes. Drolga warns them all to stay close, she knows the safe route, and to ignore the lights, as inviting as they might be.
- They help Okor get his swamp shoes on.
- They travel through the bog, and come upon corpses floating in the water. The corpses resemble people they knew, people they've lost. Szfalka finds himself drawn to the water, to go to them, but catches his reflection in the water and remembers he's hotter than them.
- They try to ignore the corpses and the wisps, continuing. They come to a point where the wisps seem to be closing in on them, and then one of them blinks out.
- They don't trust that.
- Rotrak casts Countless Eyes on Mirnac. Her shadow also sprouts eyeballs. Huh.
- The Call of the Depths washes over them, compelling Szfalka, Drolga, Rotrak and Okor to enter the water. Xander and Mirnac feel the call but are not forced to act upon it.
- Szfalka enters the water and immediately feels humanoid hands try to grab him from beneath the surface. He slithers free and back onto land, before attempting to stab an invisible wisp (and misses)
- Xander attempts to cast a spell on one of the wisps, which seems to fully absorb the spell.
- Okor is compelled to enter the water, and gets dragged down by humanoid hands.
- Wisps converge on the group and begin shocking them.
- Mirnac fires a beam of holy light into one of the wisps, which absorbs it. She then determines they are immune to magic (with some exceptions).
- Szfalka stabs a wisp and it...starts bleeding? A glowing, iridescent substance. He then slithers behind Mirnac.
- Xander goes full send and also stabs a wisp, magically embodying a spirit of battle.
- Okor smashes the wisp nearest to him and then runs out of the water, and smashes another wisp.
- They are struggling to hit the wisps.
- One of the wisps intimidates Mirnac, and then they all feed on her fear to heal themselves
- "What do you have fears for!? Look at what you've done!"
- Rotrak rips off his skin, revealing a man-sized scorpion underneath.
- Xander casts Enlarge on Okor, making him Huge
- Xander then misses an invisible wisp with his remaining actions.
- Okor swings twice at a wisp and misses both times.
- Rotrak skitters up behind a wisp and stings it, somehow envenomating it.
- A hand reaches up from the water and drags Pestilence to his death in the depths.
- This fight is a bit of a slog, they're really struggling to hit the wisps and the wisps don't deal much damage.
- Szfalka critically hits a wisp and kills it! He then intimidates another one
- Xander goes ham on a wisp. Now most of them are poisoned or bleeding.
- Rotrak (as a scoprion) clacks his claws and casts an AoE heal on the group. The wisps are immune!
- Mirnac casts Bless to buff the group (and improve their chances of hitting!) and then lands a successful hit on a wisp!
- Szfalka and Xander tag team a wisp and take it out, and then Xander moves to flank one with Rotrak.
- Szfalka intimidates one of the wisps into immediately fleeing.
- Rotrak then gets obliterated by the nearest wisp, knocking him unconscious.
- Okor swings twice at the nearest wisp and fails.
- Drolga swings at the same wisp (the one that is fleeing) and hits it real good, but then fails to follow up and take it out
- Mirnac does Kalok Shash's work (apparently) and rushes to heal Rotrak, getting him back up (he's still a scorpion)
- She then continues doing Kalok Shash's work and hits a wisp, almost taking it down.
- The frightened wisp attempts to flee and gets taken out by Okor and Drolga
- Szfalka takes the final wisp, and everyone (the players) have a little metaphorical cry
- Rotrak is still a scorpion
Mirnac's Dream Message to the Ghaash'kala
there is a village in the wastes with a scaled monstrosity as its leader. and demons consorting in all shades. clans gathering in a storm of carrion. the odds are insurmountable without adequate sacrifice. are you ready to spill blood for kalok shash?