Khessa helps gather mushrooms, but in addition to gathering the ones the party specifically sought, she also takes a moment every now and then to curiously examines others and traces drawings of the most bizarre specimens in her spellbook, while trying to hypothesize how the extremely dangerous Necrohulks might develop... 'A spontaneous aggregation of certain mushroom species? Magical influences? Excess necrotic energy density, perhaps following some massacre?'
When the party is ready to return to the ship, she once again takes the front row (since she is still one of the healthiest members) and leads the way.
Khessa is able to deduce that these Necrohulks were kept alive by something else. There is some being on this island that provided the Necrohulks with life, something with great magical power.
Do you think this is something you should investigate, or do you just want to get out of here with the mushrooms?
[[Speaking tactically, what we should do is avail ourselves of an action short rest and save the spell slot and use our hit dice, plus Coriana would get back her spells. We could also do both. If we do not do an action short rest, Coriana needs 5 minutes to recover at least one slot.]]
(OOC: I forgot about the option to take an Action Short Rest. I guess I'd leave it up to @JehanO. Would Syllen prefer to use our once/LR option to take an Action Short Rest, or would he rather use a 3rd level spell slot now? It might make more sense to save the Action Short Rest for when Syllen is out of Wild Shape uses and Xanrym is out of Bardic Inspiration uses.)
Syllen would prefer to not short rest unless Coriana really wants too. As for searching for the cause of the Necrohulks, Syllen is indifferent. With Coriana's approval Syllen will cast his healing spell.
Do you think this is something you should investigate, or do you just want to get out of here with the mushrooms?
When Khessa shares the information about the Necrohulks, Xanrym is very interested in learning more about this strange magical power. While Xanrym is largely focused on recovering the Lost King's bones, he votes to investigate further.
Xanrym says, "It seems like a perfect time to explore a little more while we have Avery's troop of berserkers to help fight off any other monsters we encounter. We've already collected the mushrooms! If things start to look bad, we can stop investigating and head straight to the boat." If The Company decides to investigate more, he would just wait until everyone is done healing (via either method) before they start.
"The less exposure we have to this place, the better...we've completed our objective," Theldrin votes for a quick exit from the island.
(OOC: Theldrin only lost a few Temp HP so far and used one 3rd level slot, so isn't really in need of the Action Short Rest, but is fine with it either way. Slot could come in handy but he will leave it up to the others.)
Coriana wants hit points and at least one spell slot back. She only has 10 hp. She either needs the action short rest or a lot of immediate healing and one minute to do a ritual to regain one slot. I have made my preference known but I can deal with either.
She is marching back to the boat either way and returning the mushrooms.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards. DM - The Old Keep
You all head back to the beach where your boat was parked, and as the berserkers all disappear, you all make another DC 15 CON Save against the spores on the island. Avery, Khessa, Theldrin and Xanrym all save, only taking 1 Poison Damage. While Coriana and Syllen fail, taking 3 Poison Damage. (all rolled in Game Log)
Assuming you all survive, you jump onto the boat and row away from the beach. As we see the adventurers disappear into the gloom of the Sullen Sea, the camera pans over to a figure watching them sail away from behind some trees. You can just make out the features of an aged Drow with fungal growths all over his face, he scowls as the boat sails away and whispers something in Drow, praising the "...patient Master of the Spider Throne..." before retreating back into the overgrowth.
The trip back to Pedestal is uneventful, and you arrive back at the docks in what you think is the late afternoon. The duergar woman doesn't acknowledge you as you dock the boat back at the mooring.
Are you going to head back to the Dripstone or do you have other plans for the rest of the day?
Theldrin votes for delivering the mushrooms to Es Sarch as soon as possible, then deciding what to do next.
Xanrym agrees with Theldrin: deliver the mushrooms right away and see whether Es Sarch has any other information for them yet. He says, "If Es Sarch has another 'job' for The Company, we can at least rest and have a good meal at the Inn before we head back out into the city or into some other cursed place in this 'Great' Grotto."
Khessa is uneasy when she sees the aged Drow with fungal growths all over his face: "He doesn't look like a disciple of Lolth. The 'signature' of that extraplanar parasite and self-proclaimed goddess is spiders, while that drow seemed infested with fungi. Perhaps he was behind the mysterious creation of the Necrohulks... I wonder if Es Sarch knows anything."
The blonde arcane warrior, however, doesn't regret not giving in to her curiosity. Discovering more about the origins of the Necrohulks would have been incredibly interesting... but also potentially suicidal, given that two of those monsters had nearly wiped out the party with their initial salvo. All it would have taken was a group of three instead of two, and it would have been the end. No, curiosity about the Necrohulks will have to wait until the party is better able to handle them. 'Also because, if I die in these depths, no one will save my family—who will therefore spend their entire lives in slavery. I cannot let that happen'.
Once they're safely back in Pedestal, the tall adventuress also agrees to go immediately to Es Sarch. Not only to advance their shared goals, but also to tell him about the strange drow and see if he, 'well informed' as he is, knows anything about it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Khessa helps gather mushrooms, but in addition to gathering the ones the party specifically sought, she also takes a moment every now and then to curiously examines others and traces drawings of the most bizarre specimens in her spellbook, while trying to hypothesize how the extremely dangerous Necrohulks might develop... 'A spontaneous aggregation of certain mushroom species? Magical influences? Excess necrotic energy density, perhaps following some massacre?'
When the party is ready to return to the ship, she once again takes the front row (since she is still one of the healthiest members) and leads the way.
Khessa Nature Roll: 24
Khessa is able to deduce that these Necrohulks were kept alive by something else. There is some being on this island that provided the Necrohulks with life, something with great magical power.
Do you think this is something you should investigate, or do you just want to get out of here with the mushrooms?
Theldrin's view is that we should take the mushrooms and leave as soon as possible.
(OOC: I forgot about the option to take an Action Short Rest. I guess I'd leave it up to @JehanO. Would Syllen prefer to use our once/LR option to take an Action Short Rest, or would he rather use a 3rd level spell slot now? It might make more sense to save the Action Short Rest for when Syllen is out of Wild Shape uses and Xanrym is out of Bardic Inspiration uses.)
Syllen would prefer to not short rest unless Coriana really wants too. As for searching for the cause of the Necrohulks, Syllen is indifferent. With Coriana's approval Syllen will cast his healing spell.
When Khessa shares the information about the Necrohulks, Xanrym is very interested in learning more about this strange magical power. While Xanrym is largely focused on recovering the Lost King's bones, he votes to investigate further.
Xanrym says, "It seems like a perfect time to explore a little more while we have Avery's troop of berserkers to help fight off any other monsters we encounter. We've already collected the mushrooms! If things start to look bad, we can stop investigating and head straight to the boat." If The Company decides to investigate more, he would just wait until everyone is done healing (via either method) before they start.
"The less exposure we have to this place, the better...we've completed our objective," Theldrin votes for a quick exit from the island.
(OOC: Theldrin only lost a few Temp HP so far and used one 3rd level slot, so isn't really in need of the Action Short Rest, but is fine with it either way. Slot could come in handy but he will leave it up to the others.)
Coriana wants hit points and at least one spell slot back. She only has 10 hp. She either needs the action short rest or a lot of immediate healing and one minute to do a ritual to regain one slot. I have made my preference known but I can deal with either.
She is marching back to the boat either way and returning the mushrooms.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Syllen spends a minute healing and uses his free casting of false life.
Avery heals 12 HP
Coriana heals 21 HP
Syllen heals 14 HP
Xanrym heals 6 HP
It seems most want to leave the island, but I'll give you all some time to decide what you want to do.
Avery is ready to leave, not wanting any more exposure to the spores
Also ready to leave
Coriana takes a minute to use magical cunning to restore a pact magic slot.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Seeing that he's outvoted, Xanrym looks disappointed, but he graciously agrees to head directly back to their boat.
You all head back to the beach where your boat was parked, and as the berserkers all disappear, you all make another DC 15 CON Save against the spores on the island. Avery, Khessa, Theldrin and Xanrym all save, only taking 1 Poison Damage. While Coriana and Syllen fail, taking 3 Poison Damage. (all rolled in Game Log)
Assuming you all survive, you jump onto the boat and row away from the beach. As we see the adventurers disappear into the gloom of the Sullen Sea, the camera pans over to a figure watching them sail away from behind some trees. You can just make out the features of an aged Drow with fungal growths all over his face, he scowls as the boat sails away and whispers something in Drow, praising the "...patient Master of the Spider Throne..." before retreating back into the overgrowth.
The trip back to Pedestal is uneventful, and you arrive back at the docks in what you think is the late afternoon. The duergar woman doesn't acknowledge you as you dock the boat back at the mooring.
Are you going to head back to the Dripstone or do you have other plans for the rest of the day?
Theldrin votes for delivering the mushrooms to Es Sarch as soon as possible, then deciding what to do next.
Xanrym agrees with Theldrin: deliver the mushrooms right away and see whether Es Sarch has any other information for them yet. He says, "If Es Sarch has another 'job' for The Company, we can at least rest and have a good meal at the Inn before we head back out into the city or into some other cursed place in this 'Great' Grotto."
Avery concurs, "Let's deliver these mushrooms, and see to some rest."
Khessa is uneasy when she sees the aged Drow with fungal growths all over his face: "He doesn't look like a disciple of Lolth. The 'signature' of that extraplanar parasite and self-proclaimed goddess is spiders, while that drow seemed infested with fungi. Perhaps he was behind the mysterious creation of the Necrohulks... I wonder if Es Sarch knows anything."
The blonde arcane warrior, however, doesn't regret not giving in to her curiosity. Discovering more about the origins of the Necrohulks would have been incredibly interesting... but also potentially suicidal, given that two of those monsters had nearly wiped out the party with their initial salvo. All it would have taken was a group of three instead of two, and it would have been the end. No, curiosity about the Necrohulks will have to wait until the party is better able to handle them. 'Also because, if I die in these depths, no one will save my family—who will therefore spend their entire lives in slavery. I cannot let that happen'.
Once they're safely back in Pedestal, the tall adventuress also agrees to go immediately to Es Sarch. Not only to advance their shared goals, but also to tell him about the strange drow and see if he, 'well informed' as he is, knows anything about it.