27th Rhaan, 999 YK
- They begin harvesting the Spectators and Nothics whilst Naze tends to injuries.
- Bhaltair asks Faebzen to help with harvesting. Faebzen is confused, what could possibly be of value? If anything, the lingering magic could be a risk
- Runmae explains that magical beings often have useful parts, they can make use of them for...stuff
- Faebzen's a chill dude, not fazed by anything, so sure. He helps.
- The drow then lead them to the front, where they see barricades of stone and shadow, many with holes in them (being actively repaired). The corpses of many-eyed horrors and drow are strewn about the space, including a single true Beholder.
- Ihanna asks if their curiosity has been sated.
- Bhaltair makes an assessment of the battlefield, and observes that the Umbragen are losing this war. They just lack the numbers, even though individual drow are more than a match for several of Belashyrra's horrors, the abominations aren't running out any time soon.
- Bhaltair asks Valaari what they should do? The drow will eventually all die if they don't help.
- Valaari says they have their own war to worry about. Bhaltair is concerned that they may be related.
- Belashyrra wants to see everything, and Xander has been mapping all of Khyber.
- They aren't sure what they can suggest to help anyway, the beholders just blow through their defenses
- Runmae asks what they will do if they find allies? Ihanna explains that with more numbers they can act offensively, and try to evict the beholderkin from the tunnels. Defensively they are fine, Shyntezca can defend the demiplane, but cannot leave it.
- They ask about Shyntezca. Ihanna explains that she is an ancient elf, and the conduit of the Umbra. She is god-like, made the Umbragen who they are, but she cannot the leave the demiplane.
- Bhaltair asks why they haven't collapsed the exit? Ihanna says they can't, the portal can't be closed and the beholders will just disintegrate the stone.
- Valaari says they don't have the numbers to reinforce.
- Runmae asks how long the drow think they can hold? Ihanna thinks they can hold indefinitely provided the assaults don't escalate.
- Bhaltair asks if there are any other exits from Taer Umbra? Ihanna says there is another, that leads to a tunnel system. They haven't explored it thoroughly, but it does have a route to the Ring of Storms in Xen'drik.
- Ah
- They discuss maybe they can get the peoples of the Lagoons of Piety involved? Perhaps the Dukedom of Reeds and Water Lilies or the Kuo-Sho would help?
- Runmae doesn't think the Kuo-Sho would, they're too afraid of everything. The boggards, maybe.
- But they'd have to resolve the situation between the frogs and the fish first, before either group could be convinced.
- They have concerns about what would happen if the Dukedom got involved. Bhaltair worries that it could destroy their culture, as those that survive would return to the Lagoons riddled with trauma, and that demiplane would do horrific things with that
- This is true of allying with the Dukedom to deal with the tribes too. The best scenario is that the frogs just stop any tribes that enter the Lagoons.
- They decide to continue with their mission, but send word back to Maruk Dar. If they can, they want to help the Umbragen. In no small part because Umbragen allies would be incredibly helpful for their own war.
- They're going to continue their mission, and try to locate Vralkast, with the hopes that it may reveal a safer/quicker route to Taer Umbra. Otherwise they risk losing too many people just getting them to the front.
- With that decided, Ihanna and Faebzen take them back to the entrance they entered through.
- They inform the drow of their plan, that they want to get to Vralkast. Faebzen gives them some advice, explaining how to get there, and also draws them a map. He also assures them that the tunnels themselves should be marked, like the tunnels they used to get here.
- The drow are blunt, they say they do not expect to hear from the group again, as they are likely to die in Ravener's Maw. Fair enough.
- On the way, Bhaltair, Runmae, and Valaari discuss (in secret, using languages) the risk of Warren being in Ravener's Maw.
- They ponder that the demiplane is likely going to effect him more than the rest of them (there is a precedent, given how the Abyssal Forest of Khaar impacted Bhaltair), and they aren't aware of any way to mitigate it.
- They decide to tie rope to Warren to ensure he can't wander too far.
- They get back into the tunnels, and rest before proceeding to the Maw.
28th Rhaan, 999 YK
- They make their preperations, and then head to the entrance to the Maw
- Valaari informs Warren of what's going to happen. Warren agrees, he's a bit anxious now.
- Valaari ties themself to Warren, so he can't get lost. They leave enough slack on it to allow a decent (40ft) range of movement. This leaves Runmae free to get stuck into melee.
- All together, they then enter the demiplane.
- Bhaltair immediately notices a kind of rhythm to the place, a vibration in the ground. Warren immediately feels a pulse of rage go through him, and the sounds of all of their heartbeats are thumping in his head. It's so much worse than when he was alone. After a few seconds, the heartbeats all seem to sync up.
- Valaari asks how he's doing, and he complains about the noise. It's so, so loud here.
- Bhaltair begins to hum a counterperformance, to try and lessen the impact on Warren. It does seem to lessen the pounding in his head, as long as Bhaltair keeps it up.
- Naze also gives Warren a quick physical examination, but doesn't glean anything that isn't obvious. His pupils are dilated, he's sweaty and twitchy.
- Bhaltair does a quick Planar Rift check to detect portals. They do confirm there is a portal, very far, to the east. There is one much closer to the west, only a couple of hours away. They estimate the eastern portal to be days away.
- They decide to check the closer portal out, it may give Warren a break.
- As they go, they try to avoid detection, but it's no hard. The demiplane is loud, and they can avoid the sources of most of the noise. Warren jumps at every sound, wanting to join in the hunt.
- Bhaltair has a spell to project a scrying sensor ahead of them, which can see in all directions. It would give them some warning of anything approaching.
- They project the sensor 100 feet ahead of them, and continue west.
- As they reach the portal, the sensor sees beyond the forest and Bhaltair sees something horrifying. It looks like an amalgamation of every imagined apex predator. It's body plan is like a theropod dinosaur, but with much longer forelimbs than the swordtooth titan. It has an armoured carapace, beginning on its head travelling down its back to the tip of its tail, and the whole length of it is covered in spikes.
- Bhaltair describes it, and Valaari has a flash of insight. It's the Tarrasque. Valaari goes pale, which is unusual, and explains if that wakes up, they're dead. There's nothing they can do.
- They are not going to approach it.
- The portal is between them and it, at the edge of the crater.
- Bhaltair suggests using vapour form to check out the portal, to minimise the risk of waking the Tarrasque.
- Worth it
- Bhaltair casts a spell to speed themselves up, and then turns to vapour and approaches the portal.
- They go through, and emerge in a forest with the Ring of Siberys in the sky. Based on the surroundings, they estimate they are somewhere in the Towering Wood.
- They try to narrow down where they might be, using the ring, and determine they aren't far from where they fought the Vrykudlak, near Vaanka Dar. Gods.
- They go back into the portal, and return to the others. Once there, they revert to solid form.
- Bhaltair struggles to explain, as fear has found root in their heart. The portal goes directly to the Eldeen Reaches.
- It's not particularly visible, the portal on both sides is in the hollow of a tree.
- Bhaltair wonders if the Tarrasque has been recently active, they send the scrying sensor to check the crater for signs.
- There are shed scales in the crater, so it's been active at some point.
- Bhaltair doesn't think they need to be concerned about the Tarrasque going through the portal. The prospect of it being so close to their home is terrifying, though.
- Bhaltair tries to mark on their map of the Reaches roughly where the portal was, and Runmae also quickly makes a rough map of the plane so far, marking the portal on this side as well.
- With it mapped, they decide to get the fuck out of dodge. Bhaltair leaves the sensor behind to watch and ensure the Tarrasque doesn't awaken.
- Runmae covers their tracks as they travel, to try and prevent them from being tracked.
- They walk east until it gets dark (though still fairly bright due to the enormous moon in the sky). They decide no fire, they want to avoid attention, and they'll have watches throughout the night.
- Bhaltair, unfortunately, hasn't got the Liminal Doorway spell available, so at least for this night they're camping in the Maw.
- Valaari says they should climb, and camp in, a tree. It's probably safer than being on the ground.
- Though looking at the trees, the lowest branches are like 70 feet up. They can't even get up there with magic.
- Maybe a hollow will be better, then.
- Runmae manages to find a hollow in a redwood, and they hole up inside it.
- Warren is having a really rough time. He's a jittery mess, it's taking all of his willpower not to just charge off into the woods to join the hunt.
- Naze throws some holy water in his face, irritating him.
- Bhaltair casts a Garden of Healing, channeling spirits to magically calm Warren, even if just for 10 minutes.
- Runmae produces some rum, but Valaari shuts it down. Alcohol is the last thing Warren needs.
- Warren awakens in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and feeling like his bedroll is crushing him. He scrambles to free himself, noticing that he has claws and his snout has elongated. He has taken the form of a monstrous, humanoid rat, though he doesn't have the presence of mind to think about that. It's still him, and he won't attack his swarm mates, but he goes for their rations.
- Valaari tries to address him, but it doesn't immediately go through. Valaari keeps trying, and Warren indicates that he understands, but he's so, so hungry.
- Valaari raises their hands in a hopefully peaceful gesture, gives him some of the rations, but takes the others away. "You can't eat all of it or we'll starve"
- Valaari then gets closer and tightens the rope, limiting Warren's range of movement. "Sorry, you're staying with me"
- After getting through a week's worth of rations, Warren comes back to his senses, and realises what's happened. He tries to speak, and he can, but it's hard to get words out.
- "Valaari...something's happened"
- Valaari informs Warren that he's transformed into a more animalistic form. He should try to remain calm, Valaari is sure it will revert when they leave, he just needs to maintain his sense of self.
- Warren is panicking, but lacks the means to express it. He makes panicked rat noises, unable to form words.
- Valaari tries to offer some comfort, they'll work it out. They'll keep him safe.
- Runmae wakes up and sees Warren. Valaari tells her to keep her rations away from him.
- Bhaltair comments that they think they prefer what happened to them in the Abyssal Forest. They feel like they got off easy compared to this.
- Bhaltair tells Warren he's going to look in his bag, to see if he's eaten all of his food. Bhaltair goes into the bag and retrieves the potion of emergency escape they gave Warren, to make sure Warren doesn't get away from them if he gets spooked and flees.
- Bhaltair will prepare a spell to create food tomorrow.
- Warren is finding that the rations aren't sating him. He really craves warm, fresh, raw meat. Preferably from the body, it doesn't even need to be dead. Preferably not, even.
- He goes to chew through the rope that Valaari tied around him, but gets bopped on the nose and admonished for it.
- "We could go hunting, make up the rations I ate?" he asks through oversized teeth
- Not what they're here for
- Warren comments that an army marches on its stomach
- and his is empty
- So empty
- They decide they need to muzzle him and finish their rest. Who's taking next watch?
- Warren volunteers, they say no
- "I'm still loveable Warren, under the fur!"
- "No, end of discussion"
- Warren explains that he wouldn't harm his swarm mates! He will provide
- Bhaltair says they can't, they're diurnal hunters. Rats are pack hunters too, he can't go hunting on his own. He'll have to wait until morning.
- Fine
- He curls up on top of his bedroll, and they try to go back to sleep
1st Sypheros, 999 YK
- In the morning, as the twin suns rise, Warren returns to his normal form.
- Valaari comments that he looks better. Does he feel more like himself?
- "Hey now, they're just as ugly as yesterday, no more no less. Don't be mean"
- His head is pounding, and he's still hungry.
- Valaari asks if he remembers what happened? He does
- He apologises for eating the rations.
- They get up and keep moving.
- Bhaltair casts the scrying sensor again, as soon as they start moving.
- Runmae keeps covering their tracks.
- Bhaltair moves the scrying sensor ahead of them, looking in all directions (since Runmae is slow anyway)
- The sensor spots something weird coming towards them, like a long snake with many pairs of clawed legs and a head like a blue dragon. It has electricity dancing around its jaws.
- It's coming right for them.
- Bhaltair tells everyone that they need to hide, right now. They recognise what it is, it's a Behir, and it's air walking.
- They need to get under something.
- Valaari drags Warren with them, as the whole group scrambles to hide.
- Runmae gets inside a log
- Valaari and Warren hide in the same bush.
- Bhaltair dives into a bush
- Naze panicks, dismissing Zaphkiel and looking around frantically for a hiding spot.
- Bhaltair intervenes and makes Naze invisible.
- He's still panicking, and Runmae tells him to just get into a fucking bush
- He sprints and falls into a bush
- The behir stops nearby, looking around and flaring its nostrils. It's just as surprised as they are when a large rock collides with it and drags it through several trees.
- The rock then gets up, laughing, revealing The Tombstone! He's a little bigger than when they last saw him
- The Tombstone is a bit dazed, looking around, and then back the way he came. Stepping through the trees is an enormous ape, with a short tail and a pair of heavy horns on its head. Megaprimatus Furiosus.
- The Tombstone laughs, beats his stone hands to his chest, and goes "well! back to it then!"
- Then I end the session.