Quest: Digging Deeper
Start: 13th of Excitol, evening. Sybil Morvina gathers the Tremor Chasers at her home (Morvina's Tree) and prepares the disparate adventurers for a scouting and recovery mission at the location of a recent, enormous seismic event in Umbradeep, near the ruins of Uldrazim.
Euclid Lazuli was walking around Biggityburg and was on her way to buy arrows at a nearby shop. Upon opening the door and stepping through the threshold, she found herself in a circular wooden room with a quaint little kitchenette to the right, some curved stairs leading up to the left, and a dining table with some occupants in the chairs. Seated already were Ragnar Dravenson, Imari, and Bauble. As they were introducing themselves, a pot rolled down the stairs and Sybil Morvina entered the room. She introduced herself to the group, welcomed them to her home (Morvina's Tree), and briefed them on the situation: a massive, unexpected seismic event occurred in Umbradeep, near the ruins of Uldrazim, She asked that they investigate the origin of the earthquake, assess the damage, and aid any affected individuals or creatures in the area. She also warned them that an Illithid colony (Nexus Encephalon) has occupied the ruined city and that they are quite dangerous. As such, she gave them Brownies of Burrowing for movement, Eldritch Eclairs to strengthen their resolve, and Madelaines of Mind Shielding for psychic protection. Bauble was assigned to be their guide and borrowing aid, should the party be trapped with all the unstable rock around. With that, they exited the tree into the affected area.
Ragnar Dravenson led the Tremor Chasers ahead into the cave system, and had to dig through a cave-in. At the head of the group, the stone fractured and fell out from underneath Ragnar Dravenson and he fell into a larger cave. Euclid Lazuli saved him with Feather Fall, and the rest of the group jumped into Ragnar's arms and descended safely. Zephyr scouted ahead and found 6 Quaggoths hiding in a nearby tunnel, all sustaining significant injuries from the recent earthquake. Down a ravine in the same cave was a gathered pile of Quaggoth corpses. Some of the Quaggoths heard the Tremor Chasers, and they began casting unfamiliar spells. Ragnar Dravenson leapt across the chasm, and combat initiated.
The Tremor Chasers eliminated all the surviving Quaggoths and continued on. A long trek through the collapsed caves revealed crushed Intellect Devourers - more and more as the group progressed. Another burrow through a cave-in led to a breakthrough to a stone brick alley - the north side of the the ruins of Uldrazim. The group crawled though the opening and assessed the region. Imari's familiar flew around and observed the ziggurat, the castle with the collapsed tower, the massive cave in to the right where the quarry previously stood, and hundreds of aberrations and beings milling around the city, primarily concentrated around the castle in the center and the neighborhood to the north. Also seen circling above the city were about a dozen large white orbs (Intellect Snare).
Attempting to sneak into the city, the Tremor Chasers were spotted by 2 Illithid and their Brain Golem thralls. One pair deposited their parchment stack within the square building and ran off, while the other pair ran off towards the castle. A struggle ensued, and the single Mind Flayer and Brain Golem were dispatched.
The Tremor Chasers entered the building, discovering that it is the well maintained Granite Codex, and is a holding area for a significant amount of religious texts and documents gathered by the Nexus Encephalon. The materials discussed all Deities, both Diviners and Rivers, as well as many writings about the Ends of Empyrean. Additionally, Imari found 5 soft, gross, insect-like hilts and took them. Ragnar Dravenson went to exit the library and ran directly into an Intellect Snare. It grappled Imari and Ragnar Dravenson and attempted to siphon their thoughts before it was eventually punctured and killed by Euclid Lazuli.
The group settled into a back room of the Granite Codex and took a short rest, bandaging their wounds. They remained undetected by the colony, due to the lack of Intellect Devourers. At the end of the rest, the group snuck outside and spotted a group of individuals and a giant eagle flying across the top of the cavern, silhouetted by the bright deep crystal above, followed by a number of Intellect Snares flying up and out from above their perimeter of the castle. The Tremor Chasers followed, running to Velkrazar from the west and up the stairs, behind a pair of Brain Golems who were already chargeing up the stairs as the Bill's Bimbos descended on teh top of the ziggurat's south side.
End: 13th of Excitol, moments after end of Session 057, with the Tremor Chasers and the Bill's Bimbos converging on the top of Velkrazar to battle the Nexus Encephalon.