…recovering from the predation of the leeches, the group peers down a large sinkhole and wonders what lies at the bottom. ‘Doom’ is offered as a possibility, so the group decides to venture along the twisting passages formed by ancient waterways. After some (long) time, a chasm is reached.
Reiza’s boots of Striding and springing are lent to Lord Lubboch, who leaps the chasm with a rope. Upon landing, he is entangled in the adhesive tongue of a Cave Fisher, which immediately starts reeling in its prey. Dalliance detonates a fireball in front of the rock outcropping that shields the lizard from the party’s view and manages to ‘convince’ the creature to let go of Lubboch.
Lubboch is unamused with his status as food, and leaps the chasm again, stabbing the poor, hungry creature right in its head and slaying it. As a debate rages about whether to go ‘downriver’, Reiza (under the effects of a Fly spell) decides to swoop into the water and see what can be seen – which is precious little.
Onward into the passages. Onward and onward until eventually the group reaches a dimly lit room from which wafts the pungent smell of fungal composting. Suspecting shriekers to be present – the group hatches a plan. Upon executing the plan, Reiza changes it – abruptly deciding to turn right instead of left. Pursued by a host of ambulatory fungii and some disgruntled fungus farmers, the group charges onward into a large cavern filled with pools of brackish water.
There, Reiza is attacked by a goggle-eyed fish man who hurls bolts of lightning at him. Reiza closes for combat, pursued by the hasted Parker and the furiously pumping stubby legs of Bud Feaster. Reiza and co. end up on the edge of a large underground lake, but no sight of the fish-man remains. At this instant, Barada is attacked from behind by a previously invisible assailant – who narrowly misses shanking him in the kidney. Simultaneously – the (invisible ) lightning hurler appears behind Reiza – and a furious battle springs up – with much damage dealt and taken.
Daliance summons an Umber Hulk to attack (or at least threaten) the fungus farmers and their charges, while the group tries to dispatch the fishfolk. They are tougher then it would seem, delivering hammerblows to Reiza and necessitating desperate measures to finally pummel them into submisison (death).
Hot on the heels of the party ‘victory’ a team of fishfolk rise from the shallows and begin working in concert to blast Parker, Reiza and Bud into unconsciousness with blasts of ‘plasma’. The remaining members launch desperate rescue missions to regain their fallen comrades and retreat from the lake edge.
Resting in a shelter erected through Dalliance’s magic, it is necessary to fireball the large fungal protest group. The survivors flee. The group rests. The ‘plasmacised’ victims regain strength and he group debates about how best to follow the tug of Barada’s rod – which now leads to a damp place…under the surface of the lake…
It seems that an Airy Water frontal attack may be our only option. Unless there are any brave souls that want to do some invisible water breathing scouting? Except for me, I don’t do brave, just over the shoulder of others blasting.