Kay’s Journal, 8/21
We’re still in the cave, still following the ‘somewhat’
infernal dagger.
Carrying torches in the darkness, we went deeper into the
cave. Before long the cave opened up into a larger area with mushrooms on the
far wall. Corncob went to check it out, and then told us the fungus might
release spores. Lovely. Trying to avoid disturbing the fungus, we followed the
wall of this larger room around to the right.
There was more fungus on the walls and ceilings. Pujol
noticed something odd – the floor wasn’t rock, but it seemed thick and spongy.
It appeared to be a thick layer of the very spores we were trying to avoid
having the mushrooms release.
Trying to get away from the spores, we moved back to the
center of the cavern, where it looked like there was a solid rock ‘island’ with
a central rock pillar we could climb to get up above all the fungus.
Once we got there, we took a moment to look around and
decide what to do next. As we paused, there was movement on the other side of
the rock island, like a flutter of leaves. A large flower…like, feet across…opened
up and a cloud of spores shot out at us…
…OH MY GOD THAT’S THE BEST FLOWER I’VE EVER SEEN! It’s so
gorgeous. The most vibrant pink petals, the lovely scent. I just had to get
closer. It looked like Fathom saw it too, as she started moving that way with
me. I don’t get why nobody else did. Couldn’t they see it?
Then, out of nowhere, that gorgeous flower caught on fire! I
have no idea what could cause it. I mean, we didn’t have torches anywhere near
it. I went faster toward the flower to put it out as soon as I could. It was a
minor miracle that the flower didn’t seem to be burning…a testament to its
greatness! But how long could that last, really?
Pujol accidentally got in my way as I moved toward the
flower, and tripped me with his war schawm. Clumsy! Then Fathom tried to grab
me, but I ducked out of her grasp easily. What the heck? Did they not see we
needed to save this flower?
Luckily, Gooseneck got to the flower to start putting it out…except…it
grabbed him and pulled him into the flower, and closer around him. Um…hrm.
Perhaps this flower is not so awesome after all.
As my head cleared, I saw that Abran and CornCob had climbed
up the pillar, where they were looking at a second flower. Pujol moved forward
to try to cut Gooseneck free, as did I. Fathom blasted it with her magic bolt.
That seemed to be the only thing that was really hurting it. While Pujol and I
continued to saw away at the tough, leathery plant, it didn’t release Gooseneck
until Fathom cast another bolt at it. Gooseneck tumbled out, with his mouth
full of plant guts. Apparently he’d started eating it back. Fair enough!
Abran and CornCob shot at the plant that was on the upper
level until it also died.
Fathom started climbing up the pillar, but fell and landed
on some of the mushrooms. It released another cloud of spores. Pujol, Abran,
Gooseneck and I all ended up inhaling some of the spores. We started feeling
pretty bad right away. I’m not sure what those spores were doing, but it was
not good for us. Even after we got up to the upper level, we felt sluggish and
had a cough. Finally, it occurred to me to mask up. I cut some fabric off the
bottom of my cloak to cover my face. Gave some to Fathom as well.
We rested up on the second level, but even after resting
those of us who’d taken a face full of spores didn’t feel much better. CornCob told
us that people who inhaled those mushroom spores often die of disease within 24
hours of exposure. Lovely. Now I’m going to die in this stupid, ‘somewhat’
infernal cave.
After delivering the good news, though, CornCob was able to cast
spells on Gooseneck, Abran, and me that cured the disease, but after those
three the gods weren’t answering anymore or something…I don’t know how cleric
magic works. In any case, Pujol was still sick, and probably wasn’t going to
last until the next day, when CornCob though he’d be able to cast the spell
again.
As we discussed what to do, Fathom heard a voice telling her
to bring Pujol to him. Sure thing, Creepy Cave Voice. But Pujol agreed that the
thing to do was move forward, so that’s what we did.
We moved deeper into the cave. Once again, the narrow
passageway opened up into a larger cavern, but this time there was a bugbear
standing at the entrance. He asked why we were bothering him, and Fathom told
him we just wanted to get past…if he let us through, he could get on with his
day, and we could get on with ours. It didn’t seem to convince him, as he tried
casting a spell of some kind on Abran, but it didn’t work.
Abran tried to intimidate and threaten the bugbear to let us
pass, CornCob tried asking nicely, and Fathom told him that the master of the
cave called us to him, and does the bugbear really want to risk angering him?
That last bit seemed to do the trick. The bugbear changed
shape to some kind of fiend, wings and all (‘somewhat’ infernal…yah). Then he
let us through. As we moved forward, Fathom’s dagger started to glow. Ahead of
us, we could see a large, more or less humanoid mushroom. We can all feel the
magic radiating off her. Animated little mushroom guys are gathered around her
feet. Fathom and Pujol moved in closer to her – must have been more Creepy Cave
Voice giving them instructions.
Mushroom Queen reached out to Pujol, and drew the poison
spores out of his body. So, that’s good, but I’m sure there’s going to be a
cost for it…
Well, that didn’t take long. She wants us to go on a small
side trip to a place she doesn’t want to go, but she can open the way for us.
She pointed to a wall, which becomes a large stone door with a glow behind it.
Apparently, we’re to go through to another plane, and then use the dagger to
collect a soul from someone who, according to Mushroom Queen, shouldn’t have
it. To collect said soul, the current owned must be killed with the dagger. She
did tell us that the target is not a good person, but I’m not sure I trust Her
Mushroomy Majesty’s judgement in such things. I mean, she has a demon for a
door man.
Abran, of course, tried to score some favors in the deal.
She refused, thankfully. Who knows what that would have cost?
We all agreed to go, and the door swung open. We could see
the glow of the lava and feel its heat, though the heat didn’t seem to be a
problem for us.
I guess we’re going to hell.
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