BDC | Rod of Seven Parts | RECAP: 8-11-23 and 8-25-23

8-11-23

A creature (medium sized, red eyes, clicking footsteps) approached Simon during watch; a ring, metal, with leather accoutrements, very unusual. It left a frosty, melting rime on the stone floor, and lingering cold all around. Simon referred to it as a “drowned one.” He never gave a name, but died here in the depths of the earth, and doesn’t wish to die again. He was brought here by a summoner of some sort, but can’t remember the summoner’s name.

“Take this, I hope it serves you better than the one I found it on.”

An examination of the ring shows it to be of storing, specifically armor storing – magically holding a the wearer’s armor, great for sailors. It takes a round to loud/unload; the leather are adornment straps. Undead is a favored enemy of Simon’s.

Afte the incidents at the mud pit, Shepard healed everyone to full. More travel, and we come to a sheer chasm, with no obvious way across – no surrounding ledge, or rope bridge. The chasm is about 20 feet across, too dangerous to jump. Jarlebank produced a long ladder from his robe, which was laid across the chasm and provided room for the party to crawl across. They supplemented this with ropes from either side, to ensure the safety of the less agile members of the party. Of course, there was a cave fisher high above the chasm, and it looped up Jarlebank as he attempted to cross the ladder. Jarlebank ended up finishing it off with his Dagger of Wounding. In it’s lair, Peaches found a pair of Bracers of Potions, which were given to Jarlebank and loaded with a potion of Cure Serious Wounds and a flask of oil.

The party continued travelled further, downward into the dark, for hours. Ultimately they reached a large cavern, spacious, with some bioluminescence and the sound of hammering in the distance. Despite the party’s efforts, they set off a series of shriekers again, but these were backed by tentacled fungi that viciously attacked, delivering to Peaches a vicious and poisonous attack that caused the flesh of her leg to rot off in great sloughs. Jarlebank drops Sonja into a pit to protect him before Fireballing the fungi.

Not long after, a group of larger fishmen enter to check on the shriekers, and Sonja (whom Jarlebank case Enlarge upon) made short work of them. Nearby were a group of slaves – 13 human and five bugbears. They reported they’d been here for a long time, maybe years. Fearing the bugbears might get hungry and see the humans as lunch, Simon chased off the bugbears.

The humans had more to tell. Sometimes, they said, a “big fish with tentacles” would come around, select one of the slaves (usually a human) and take them away. They said this happens from “time to tome” but were unsure as to realistically how often the big fish came around. As far as how they’d gotten here, the humans said that they had originally were captured by orcs. They were subsequently sold to drow slaves, and then eventually sold to the fishmen.

Nearby were larger caves, with lots of tracks leading to ancillary caves. Many of the tracks led to a certain cave, which the party investigated and within found a crude altar, with lit candles upon it. A secret door nearby. Behind that door was a large, very active laboratory, where a drow scientist, missing a hand, worked on various glassware and bubbling boiling flasks. Upon seeing the party, he spoke in common: “I work fo the Masters, just like everyone else.” He rather impertinently allowed the party to take a Javelin of Lightning.

Mandible Collection

• Fire Beetles (2)
• Cave Fisher
• Umber Hulk
• Ankheg

8-25-23

At the shore of the underground lake, Sonja tied himself off with rope to, using his darkvision and necklace of adaptation, entered the water and made his way below the surface toward the small but visible lake in the distance. With each step, the muddy bottom billowed up into a sediment cloud that stretched backward behind Sonja. He detected no current, but the water was unreasonably cold. Simon assisted with Sonja’s rope, paying it out and attaching a second 50’ length when the first ran out – the island being approximately 85-90 feet from the shore.

Sonja reached the island which proved to be quite small: 10’ wide by maybe 35-40’ long. Simon (who has the best swimming skill) then swam to the island himself, with Jarlebank paying out rope attached to him, creating a chain of ropes from Sonja to Simon to Jarlebank on the shore. Simon, who had RUAT, sought out the second piece, and was directly further into the lake, and downward as well, not back toward shore. Thrax begins the process of flying the rest of the party out to the first island as Sonja re-enters the water and begins heading towards the second.

Below the water but just barely visible from the shore, Sonja is hit by two consecutive Lightning Bolts – they just look like flashes of light to most of the party, although Simon can see them for what they are. Shepherd Dimension Doors the party to the second island, onto which Sonja has merged and where we are confronted by a fishman of unusual size and strength. The large fishman expertly tossed a net at the pair, and captured them, knocking them over with Jarlebanke face down in the water. Shepherd, knowing well that the danger was significant, cast Blessing of Fervor. Sonja charged the fishman, hitting him well, releasing the net and allowing Jarlebank to kill the creatures with magic missiles. It was alone, and all it had on it of any value was a nonmagical bone knife, very sharp but otherwise unremarkable.

Still, at the farthest island, the group tried to get some sleep, but were interrupted: several of the large fishmen emerged, in a v-shaped formation, from the water and approached the island. Lightning bolts flashed and hit Jarlebank and Shepherd, causing them significant damage.

It was then that Sonja rose up and attacked… Shepherd. The dwarf delivered a substantive hit to the cleric, who yelled in both pain and confusion. Jarlebank fireballed the approaching fishmen but to little effect. Simon succeeded in grappling Sonja, forestalling his attack on Shepherd and allowing him and Jarkebank to seek out their true attacker. A peek through the gem of seeing showed that the fishmen formation was an illusion

Simon and Aladar both take damage from an unknown sources, turning their skin translucent. The pain of their drying skin forced them into the water for relief.

At some point, Jarlebank was overtaken by the same force as was Sonja, and delivered an ice storm spell to the rest of the party. He was knocked unconscious by Peaches, iirc.

The aboleth was killed.

Peaches, Jarlebank and Sonja go back and see the drow alchemist, who is of minimal help. He’s leaving and not interested in giving offense. Jarlebank drew a symbol on the wall – alchemical laboratories are expensive and rare near Whie Moon Cove, and this one was comprehensive and (if the drow’s statements were accurate) abandoned.

After an evening’s rest, Sonja went down into the aboleth’s lair to retrieve whatever he could find. The water was full of the dead aboleth’s mucus, but could be breathed. He found:

• A huge pile of coins of several denominations and mints. It took several trips for Sonja to raise 2000pp,  4000 gp, and 7000sp, leaving the loose copper behind
• A cloak of the Manta Ray
• A wooden box containing a full set of Nolzur’s Pigments (three pots)
• A Philter of Love
• A beautifully crafted statue of an elvish woman, sculpted in platinum, worth a minimum of 2000gp – Shepherd identified the elvish woman as the drow goddess Lolth
• 4 50gp gems
• 2 500gp gems

Total monetary treasure: 25,900gp

Divided by six: 4,316gp

Divided by seven (extra share for party): 3,700gp