Participants: Saiki Keylar, Verdant Sprout Upon the Breeze (known as Day's Eye Opens to the Sky at this point), Eltharion, Fang
Location(s): Burrows north of First Landing
Keywords: Giant Moles, Elven Ruins, Watcher Kobolds, possible portal archway
The full report can also be found here: Saiki's report.
Short summary:
The group investigates the Burrows and giant molehills found north of First Landing.
As one might guess, there were giant moles, predating the countryside. Most moles were aggressive, and covered in a strange oil.
Also found in the burrows: Several Kobolds, investigating the moles, a precious giant geode, the corpse of a Kobold explorer, and a strange statue next to an intricate gateway.
Said statue turned out to be an Earth Elemental. It nearly murdered the party.
The party proceeded to bravely retreat.
Full report:
Saiki's typographed report is pinned to the board in The Blinking Pug.
Investigation Report concerning the mysterious appearance of abnormally big burrows in the plains region North of First Landing
Preliminary scouting highlighted the presence of tracks belonging to a large group of animals, along with disturbance in the local fauna.
Day 1 - Departure at 8:00, Clear Skies with Temperate Climate
Exploration day was uneventful, probably due to the regular patrols around the area.
| Note: Despite the reported scarcity of the typical small wild game, the area immediately around First Landing can be foraged for berries, probably due to the diminishing number of rodents normally eating them. |
Arrival on site at 16:47.
Examination of the holes performed by Druid Day’s Eye Opens to the Sky. Average hole diameter measured to be 1,56 m, shape resembles a giant mole heap.
| Theory: The holes have been created by multiple burrowing carnivores of moderate size. Proved True |
Interrogation of local bugs by the same individual proved to be unfruitful.
Camp set at 18:00
Night uneventful.
Day 2 - Wake at 7:00
Exploration of the tunnel system begins from the most southern of the heaps. Found remains of small animals at the entrance.
| Note: Old World moles are carnivores, but prey on worms and small insects, eating as much as their weight daily. Mole runs are “worm traps”: like a spider and its web, a mole senses a worm falling into a tunnel, quickly reaching and eating it. Moles produce a toxin capable of paralyzing earthworms for later consumption, storing them in “larders”. |
Attack from a mole-like creature happens immediately after our entrance.
Notes from the fight:
|
Found a deviation from the main tunnel of significantly smaller diameter. Tracks are not from furred animals, and seem to be bipedal. Further identification of said tracks revealed their Unknown origin. Large number of them. Further exploration of the tunnel system led us to encountering several other moles, one of which was white-furred and smaller, who began following us after being saved from infighting with the others. The white mole had a different behavior than its partners, probably due to a mutation.
A Kobold, blue scaled, was subsequently sighted, and rumblings started to shake the tunnels. The cause of those soon revealed to be an even large mole-like animal, 5 meters wide, 6 meters tall, and 10 meters long. Decided to avoid its attention, and the mole passed over us without noticing our presence. However, its immense size collapsed the earth behind it, leaving us trapped, if it were not for our Recallers.
| Theory: The giant mole too, is the product of a mutation. Something is probably causing a greater number of those. Magical involvement likely. |
Only way left was the one forward, so we took it. We failed to spot a Kobold ambush. The Kobolds, as expected, used traps. We won, and captured one of the Kobolds for further interrogations. Camp inspection revealed one pair of Bracelets aiding one’s agility and several bottles of a tonic useful in fending off a physical aggressor.
| Theory: Kobolds have an enchanter. |
Interrogation of captive Kobold was unfruitful save for knowing that the aggressive and giant moles were not by their design. Disarmed and left them, then proceeded with further exploration of the caves.
The road split again: one path new and one old, filled with crystals. The mineral was revealed to be fluorite, with a faint trace of Evocation. We collected samples. Going further, we found a Geode of bigger crystals. probing revealed the samples to be akin to Potency Crystals used in the Old World. Gathered a sample.
| Theory: Moles ate the crystals and mutated. Proven false: the albino mole could not eat the crystals. |
Found a new room. Inside are a statue of a riding cavalier and an archway in wood. Conjuration detected from the archway, probably a transportation device similar to the Portal. Statue animates and reveals to be an Earthen Destrier, an Earth Elemental. It was a very hard battle, and some of us fell unconscious, but we prevailed.
The destrier held a Trident capable of shrinking and elongating in size, and its elemental core, which still retained dormant power, later awakened by Saiki Keylar. Detailed inspection of the archway revealed its function as a portal, confirming the previous theory. Moreover, a trapdoor was under the destrier, but we decided to conclude our preliminary exploration.
- Saiki Keylar