1. Journals

61. The Divinity Inherent to Wormkind

February 14, 2026

5th Sypheros, 999 (3/12/993)

  • We had a quick chat about who they would all want to see at Far Comfort.
  • Bhaltair goes first because they're confident, they want to see Oalian, and they aren't sure it's possible.


Far Comfort (Bhaltair)

  • They ask some questions of Bhaltair, to gauge their intentions in coming here. Bhaltair is naive and well meaning, he means no harm.
  • They struggle to answer the final question, "what are your intentions in coming here?"
  • Bhaltair is directed a room, with "natural" decor, though it's all subterranean plants. Within, is a humanoid version of Oalian, like a little treant. Not what Bhaltair was expected.
  • The Oalian speaks as if they are Oalian, which throws Bhaltair a little. They say this is one way they can communicate outside of Greenheart.
  • There's a flash of panic in Bhaltair at this. They were not sufficiently prepared for what this would entail, and this copy of Oalian is very convincing. The voice, mannerisms, way of speaking are all spot on.
  • Bhaltair asks if they got their message? "Oalian" states that to their knowledge, there have been no further Vrykudlak attacks, and presumably caravans have resumed.
  • Bhaltair asks why Oalian never told them of their origin, where they come from. Oalian pauses, and then states they don't talk about those times for a reason. Oalian had no way of knowing where Bhaltair would end up, or what they would see. They've done well for themselves though.
  • Bhaltair says they don't think the party would be together still, they are the sap that binds them.
  • Bhaltair is concerned they shouldn't have come here. The doppler shouldn't have the information they just gave them.
  • The doppler explains that they operate under strict standards of confidentiality. Nothing leaves this room.
  • Bhaltair asks how they do it? Get it so accurate. The doppler explains they read surface thoughts, prod with questions and replicate what the customer is expecting.
  • Bhaltair asks to see their true form, but they refuse. Some things should be kept private.
  • Fair enough
  • How long do they need to be here for? "As long as you want"
  • Bhaltair vibes with the tree for a bit
  • Then they ask about the Seer Unseeing. The doppler says they've not encountered a Great Olm themselves, but there is a cult in Cartilay.
  • A bad cult? The doppler is unsure, they apologise and say they are translating as they go using Bhaltair's thoughts, they may have used the wrong word
  • Does this cult have a name? The doppler doesn't know
  • Bhaltair just hangs out with them for a while longer, and then returns to the others. They mostly had to wait as Bhaltair has the money (except for Runmae)


Far Comfort (Runmae)

  • Runmae doesn't have violent intentions "anymore" towards the person they want to see
  • Runmae is going to see her ex-wife, Anisa, in a room covered in art gallery.
  • Anisa is a half-orc, waiting at the end of a bed. She's wearing Runmae's scarf.
  • "Hey there, sugar"
  • Runmae says "hey". This is maybe also not quite what she was expecting.
  • "You've been busy in the time I was gone?"
  • Well, yes. Bills need paying, and you weren't here to pay them.
  • Sigh
  • "Where have you been, Runmae?"
  • All over the place. Travelling.
  • Anisa broke off their relationship because Runmae was always away, always working. She didn't give Anisa the attention she deserved. Runmae never much cared for the art, either, and Anisa was an artist.
  • Runmae has regrets. She misses how simple life was back then, she misses going to bars and being swung around by her "large wife". She lives a life that prioritises practicality over art and now she realises its not enough.
  • "Anisa" tells her that what's done is done, but Runmae is better positioned now to take hold of a future that makes her happy. To make room for culture, music, art. She should check out The Cleft when she gets a chance.
  • Runmae talks about her life now, the Ghaash'kala, the Demon Wastes. She has doubts about the "curse" of the Wastes, but she won't abandon her new family.
  • Anisa always loved that about her
  • They chat for a while longer, and as she leaves, Runmae tells Anisa that somebody in The Cogs still owes them money.
  • Nim makes a joke about this being an AI app to generate your loved ones. Good grief.


Far Comfort (Warren)

  • Warren has to wait for Bhaltair to come out, cos Bhaltair has the money
  • He asks for some money to do the thing
  • "You're not even gonna ask how my experience was? The first thing you say was to ask for money?"
  • lmao
  • "I'm just joking you can have some money"
  • Seriously, though
  • Warren asks how Bhaltair's experience was?
  • "It was fine. Very strange, very uncanny"
  • "Just keep in mind, anything they tell you is a lie. They can't possibly know the real answer to any question, it's to bring comfort"
  • Warren is okay with that
  • And he's sorry about being rude
  • Valaari is so puzzled by this whole thing. What's the point, it's not them? They don't understand the appeal.
  • Thydar comments that most who patronize it do so to speak to those they've lost at sea.
  • Valaari still finds it uncomfortable, it's still not actually them. It's all a facade, a lie
  • It is, that's fair
  • Runmae asks if there's no one in Valaari's life they never got the chance to say something to? Valaari says it wouldn't change anything if there was, they still wouldn't be saying it to them
  • Bhaltair was mostly curious to see who it would be
  • Runmae says it was who she expected. Valaari asks if she feels better? "Not really"
  • Runmae talks a bit about her experience, though doesn't specifically say who she saw. "I was never creative like her"
  • Bhaltair looks around for who Runmae may be speaking about, but they aren't there
  • Bhaltair isn't sure what Runmae means about not being creative, she makes stuff all the time!
  • Bhaltair looks to Valaari, who shrugs. Runmae is speaking in metaphor and wistfully trailing off mid sentence, they're all super confused
  • She gets embarassed and deflects the focus away from her
  • Warren finally goes in, he wants to see his mom.
  • He ends in a room that's vaguely reminiscent of a room in Maruk Dar, and his mom is sat at a table. He sits down across at her.
  • She calls him "kid", he has no memory of her ever using his actual name. Kids aren't raised as families in the Maruk Ghaash'kala, they're raised communally.
  • Warren isn't sure why this is the person he most wants to see. What he needs from it.
  • He has a need for vulnerability, but in a way that isn't going to get anyone killed. He doesn't feel like he has a long time left with the Ghaash'kala, most people die young.
  • What happens to him when he's no longer useful?
  • His mother plucks the concern from his mind, and says there will always be a use for him. Even if he can't fight. Then she pauses, and tells him that with his current state, there's a high likelihood he won't get old.
  • He says he knows, he's likely to die in battle
  • No, he misunderstands. The curse of Zoanthropy will regenerate him, he won't get old.
  • He'll live until something kills him. And that is likely, eventually.
  • "That's fucking horrifying, thank you. I'm going to leave now"
  • Fair enough
  • He has the shortest session of all of them, returning to the others with a haunted look on his face
  • Valaari asks if he's okay
  • "Yeah...yeah I'm fine. Yeah"
  • "Did something happen?"
  • "Don't wanna talk about it here"
  • Okay. Bhaltair asks "here in the city, or this street?"
  • "Yeah, yeah"
  • Oh boy
  • Anyway we were gonna do other stuff?
  • Bhaltair quickly looks Warren over to see if he's stolen anything. Valaari is amazed that Warren was so destabilized by himself.
  • Did the doppler know, or are these just Warren's fears?
  • If only they had someone who knows about zoanthropes. Damn, where would they find someone who might know those things? Someone from the Eldeen Reaches maybe.


Back to Sowshore

  • Bhaltair wants to visit the Shrine of Spears, for sightseeing reasons. They also ask if the others want to investigate the haunted Ship-of-Prayers?
  • Valaari's down
  • Runmae wants to check out The Cleft too. Thydar says they'll go through it on their way to Tor Udar
  • Bhaltair also asks if they could go see the interior of The Break, where the Harbour Gods live?
  • Thydar says nobody will stop them, but the Godtenders may turn them away depending on which gods are currently in their shrines and their status
  • Runmae translates it as "no, we aren't allowed"
  • Bhaltair calls out the lie, and Runmae says she's freaked out by the harbour gods
  • "How is it different to the Olm?"
  • Runmae has no desire to see what they have tucked away in the wall. It's not worth the risk
  • Bhaltair says they don't appreciate being lied to, she should voice her concerns.
  • "Maybe you guys shouldn't have gone in Far Comfort, things are weird now"
  • Runmae accurately translates what she was told. Whether or not they can go depends on what god is in there, it might not be safe. Runmae thinks its a bad idea.
  • Bhaltair notes the concern, but they want to see. "maybe the rest of you shouldn't, not sure you could handle seeing a god"
  • Valaari definitely could
  • "Okay, me and Valaari can go"
  • Runmae is like "they're talking about gods, in boxes! Doesn't that scare you?"
  • Valaari comments that what the Vralfolk are calling gods may not be what they consider to be gods.
  • Bhaltair finds it intriguing, doesn't Runmae want to see what it takes to contain a god?
  • Valaari says "better a god in a box than the Tarrasque asleep next to a portal to the Reaches"
  • Runmae is just shaken by the concept, and she's worried about the rest of the group. Valaari is more concerned about the dopplers in Far Comfort to be honest
  • Bhaltair looks at Warren. Yeah.
  • Half of em want to see a god. Thydar suggests they do so tomorrow, as there's a god currently active.
  • Ghost ship it is, then. Bhaltair's the only one particularly bothered about the Shrine of Spears.
  • They head to the dock and behold the Ship-of-Prayers. It's organic and weird, like a giant bug shaped like a boat. Under the water, they can see cillia that could act as organic oars. The ship can row itself.
  • Gross
  • Bhaltair walks along the dock on the outside of the ship, but doesn't observe anything on the outside that indicates what it's deal is.
  • Valaari tries to determine if this is an object or a creature. "I cast esoteric bullshit"
  • It is not a creature. It is many, many creatures. The ship is made of worms, which have accreted a calcified substance and formed a shell in the shape of a ship.
  • Gross
  • Valaari explains that to the others.
  • Bhaltair attemps to read psychometric resonance on the ship. They detect a powerful sense of reverence, the ship was an object of worship.
  • Thydar is spooked, he's gonna stay here. Warren stays too.
  • They board the ship, with Bhaltair continuing to investigate for signs of a haunting.
  • Once on board, Bhaltair is amazed at how noisy it is. It creaks and moans in a way no normal ship would, and there's a chittering quality to it, like it's infested with thousands of tiny creatures. They feel like they're being watched. As they take that in, there's a crash from somewhere deeper within, like something heavy fell over.
  • Obviously, they go towards it.
  • As they get deeper, the air suddenly fills with a haunting wailing noise, but it sounds off to Bhaltair. There's a childlike quality to it, like someone trying to sound scary. They also notice holes in the walls, which the sound is coming from. The voice is saying something, but it's in Giant and none of them understand it.
  • Bhaltair says they think the worms are trying to scare them. Some kind of defense mechanism? They'd like to continue, but if things get too intense they can leave.
  • Valaari does have a scroll of translate, if they need it. Perhaps a bit overkill for this.
  • Runmae and Bhaltair listen and identify that the language is Giant. Valaari casts the scroll, which effects the entire squad.
  • "LEAAAAAAAVE! THIS SHIP IS VEEEEEERRRRYYY HAUUUUNTED"
  • "THE WOORRRRMMMMSSSS ARRREEEE GOOOIIING TOOO EAATT YOU"
  • They try to talk to the voice, but it's not responding to them. It continues in that vein.
  • Runmae comments that, come to think of it, she hasn't seen a single ghost!
  • They're continuing into the ship
  • As they go, there's more spooky noises and screams, but no actual threat presents itself. Valaari tries to work out how they're making the noises, but only identifies that they're coming from the walls.
  • Bhaltair is a bit irritated, and says "I'm kind of an expert in spirits and ghosts, I know you're not a ghost! I'll talk to the actual ghosts"
  • There's a small voice that says something like "They can't actually do that" and another that sharply cuts them off with "shut up!"
  • "TURN BACK NOW! THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING!"
  • Runmae comments that they're underground on a ghost ship, talking to agoraphobic worms. What has her life come to?
  • Bhaltair says "that's it" and sits down and consults the spirits.
  • Hmm
  • They can feel spirits around the ship, in the water, back towards the city, but the ship itself is a void. There are no spirits. Huh, that's weird.
  • "Huh. Don't know who they're devoted to but there's no spirits here"
  • Bhaltair wants to try and head for the captain's quarters. They examine the walls and theorise that there's a network of tubes within the walls that allow sound to be projected to anywhere in the ship. Would be very useful to give orders to the crew.
  • Runmae mentions ships sometimes have communication rooms like that, on a normal ship they'd be near the top.
  • Bhaltair runs their hand along the wall and can faintly feel the tube in the wall. They can follow that to get to the source.
  • But how do the ghosts know where they are in the ship?
  • They follow the tubing, and stop responding to the ghosts.
  • This leads them to a communications room, with a bunch of stations arranged throughout, and a large group of terrified goblin and kobold children.
  • At least it's not gnomes
  • The kids are just causing chaos, having fun. They were worried the party would be angry with them for trying to scare them.
  • The ship was empty when they found it! It's fine
  • There was food on some tables though, mostly fresh
  • Valaari is also concerned the ship could leave
  • They ask if the kids have fully explored the ship?
  • No, it's pretty big
  • They found worms though. Gross ones that don't taste good
  • "You ate some?"
  • "Only a couple"
  • Bhaltair looks around and checks out the consoles around the room.
  • They can't see any indication of how the ship is commanded to move. There's no maps.
  • Bhaltair wants to go see the worms in the bowels of the ship. They got a sense of devotion from the ship, and they suspect it's from the worms.
  • Before they go, the kids ask if they can stay?
  • "It's not our ship so we can't really tell you to leave" - Bhaltair
  • "I'd suggest you don't stick around though" - Runmae
  • "Yeah, plan to escape if the ship starts moving" - Valaari
  • "But the ship hasn't moved since it got here"
  • But it could! It sailed itself into the dock
  • Bhaltair also points at Runmae and whispers "if you ever see them again, scare the shit out of them"
  • The idiom doesn't translate, but it would be funny
  • Have fun with the worms! Remember they taste kinda gross!
  • "Please don't eat any more worms"
  • "They're kinda gross"
  • Yeah
  • They head down into the depths, and find a large room with worms hanging out, and strange accreted structures that could've been shrines of some kind. No people though.
  • Unless the worms are people
  • Don't be silly, worms aren't people
  • "Yeah, trees can be people but not worms. Don't be silly"
  • Bhaltair does an object reading to try and work out what happened, what brought it here?
  • They see a vision, of many humanoids praying in the ship, to the worms. Making the ship move. Then they get caught in fog, and the vision cuts off. The ship continued its journey without its crew, heading to their destination.
  • Do they need to do something about the worms? Or do they get a free ship if they pray to them?
  • "Can I try? Just get it to back out of the dock and back in?"
  • "Will they entertain a silly request?"
  • "They're worms! They're not intelligent!"
  • Valaari argues with this, they grew a ship! And made it move! That's not normal!
  • Can they...ask the worms?
  • Bhaltair already tried that, in every language they know. They didn't react.
  • There is a worry that if they pray to the worms, asking where they're from, the ship may take them there.
  • "And there are children on board"
  • "I'll adopt them"
  • "That's kidnapping"
  • Damn
  • "What happened to the Valaari that said 'fuck it' and let Warren go to the whale? I just wanna talk to some worms!"
  • Bhaltair says they still wanna search around a bit, maybe the others should go and also take the kids
  • "What are you going to do?"
  • Bhaltair does a little prayer, trying to mimic the vision, praying for the worms to exit the dock and then take them back in.
  • The worms in the room stop their vibing and rear up, facing their teeth towards Bhaltair, but the ship doesn't move.
  • "It's cos the rest of you don't believe"
  • Bhaltair is disappointed.
  • "We can try again later..."
  • "I told you they might not entertain such a silly request"
  • Bhaltair laments that they've lost the respect of the worms
  • Valaari reaches out to their mysterious source of information about the worms. They learn of the The Vermillion, and the priests of the Vermiscension. A religion that recognises the inherent divinity of wormkind, the great recyclers,. Starworms provide light. The worms recycle waste, and produce bountiful food. They believe that with sufficient worship, the worms that carved out Khyber will complete their cycle around the world, and the harvest will begin.
  • Valaari blanches. Gods damn it.
  • They explain what they learned, and that the ship is likely from there.
  • Maybe they originated in a Khyber demiplane?
  • "I mean, worms are everywhere"
  • "Yeah, that's the problem"
  • They decide they do need to get the kids off the ship, especially since they ate some of the worms.
  • They go back to the children. Bhaltair goes back in looking terrified, saying that the worms tried to eat them and they need to get off the ship.
  • It's a compelling performance, and it scares the crap out of the kids. They vacate the ship quickly, panicked.
  • Bhaltair turns to the others and asks if that was a bit much?
  • "No, we needed to make sure they don't come back on the ship. It would be terrible if something happened to them and we could've stopped it"
  • Thydar and Warren observe a bunch of screaming, terrified children emerge from the ship.
  • The party are casually walking, since they aren't scared. Warren rushes onto the ship to rescue them!
  • "You guys are okay!? What the fuck!?"
  • But the screaming!
  • "Yeah we wanted to make sure the children wouldn't be eaten by the worm hive"
  • "What!?"
  • "This ship is currently fine, but may not remain so"
  • "The worms are gonna eat people?"
  • "Some people believe they will"
  • "I tried to pray to them and they just looked at me"
  • Warren is confused. "You prayed to the worms that wanna eat people?"
  • They didn't know that until Valaari did their esoteric nerd shit
  • Anyway it didn't work, the ship wouldn't go out of the dock for them
  • "You what!?"
  • Valaari only told them to make it wiggle!
  • "It didn't work so it's fine"
  • Valaari explains to Warren about the Vermillion.
  • "And I'd rather the children not be on the ship when The Harvest begins"
  • Warren is horrified. Can they get the fuck off the ship before The Harvest begins?
  • Valaari comments that they've been through the Lagoons of Piety, a land of knightly frogs and terrified fish people, and this is what fazes him?
  • "There's a difference between believing you're a cool knight and believing worms will eat the world"
  • "That's why religion can be dangerous, people are people and sometimes they believe in the end of the world"
  • Runmae comments that, thankfully, there are birds and lizards in the world who will eat the worms, preventing the Vermisingularity.
  • ...
  • and anyway they'll be fine, the Harvest is definitely far away. They were in a room full of worms and it was fine.
  • Valaari isn't sure the worms can even process Bhaltair anyway
  • "Just be careful where you step, Warren. Don't wanna piss em off"
  • They leave the Ship-of-Prayers together, and the world is just a little bit more horrifying than when they boarded.
  • They ask if Warren is afraid of ghosts, and he says no. There's just a lot going on right now, and he didn't want to think about worms, and being eaten by worms, and not being able to die whilst being eaten by worms.
  • "Why would you not be able to die?"
  • "because of my condition"
  • "Condition? Bhaltair can that happen?"
  • Warren needs to speak to Naze about HIPPA
  • Bhaltair recalls that the zoanthropes were basically invincible during the Silver Crusade, only silver would put them down. They also recall stories of ancient lycanthropes who were exiled to Lamannia, who haven't aged.
  • Valaari thinks this is a boon, no? It'll make it much harder for Warren to die in battle, he can be the bane of the demons
  • Warren isn't prepared for that though, he's lived his whole life believing he'd die young, end up in a shallow grave or the stomach of some Carrion Tribe. He's not prepared to watch the others die.
  • Bhaltair says he may watch them die, but Bhaltair will get better.
  • Valaari says, if it comes to it, they can kill him. They know how.
  • "You'd really do that for me?"
  • "If you really mean it, and you really want to"
  • Warren goes up to Valaari and gives them a hug. It's awkward and weird. Valaari is clammy to the touch and cold, it's not warm or comforting at all.
  • It's okay, Warren's too warm anyway.
  • Valaari freezes like a rabbit in carriage lights. Nobody ever hugs them... or Warren, actually