"But, he is the only way you'll be able to find the truth to the questions that have been haunting you so long... what does it matter if this world or a billion others has to burn in the shadow of the Primer to finally have peace with yourself."  Those words echoed in her mind over and over again, and the seed that had been planted in her mind weeks ago had sprouted, slowly growing, instilling the thought in her mind that, yes, Umbra was the only way she could find the truth. What does the world matter? What had the world ever done for her? Closure is what she seeked. Celestials proved their uselessness to her years ago, why try again when the answer is just out of reach? When it's right there?

All she had to do was serve.

Svana opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted suddenly by a fairy and whatever was in her mind had dissipated. She blinked in confusion at the creature and glanced over to Jezzika as if seeking advice on what to do. After a moment she hesitantly says, "Uh... Perhaps another time? We're kind of having a moment here."

Svana had held onto Jezzika's hand as they weaved their way through the grove, not liking the sinking feeling that she was getting at all from this place. Upon hearing the murmuring, she tries to decipher what they are trying to say before ultimately proceeding forward.

Perception(?): 24

Perception: 5

Duke sends a telepathic message to Svana and only her.

"Declaration: We have not spoken since the tavern at Gracklslugh. Inquiry: Could we converse at a free moment? Secondary Declaration: I believe that I am experiencing what you humanoids call loneliness."

Duke was too focused on his friend to focus on anything in the cave.

Svana deviates her attention on the murmuring voices to Duke. "Of course! I-I apologize for neglecting you. I've just been so wrapped up in this whole... thing, it's been difficult to find a moment to converse with you. When we set up camp we can go ahead and talk, dear. I can always make time for you, Duke. Never be afraid to ask me to spend time with you."

"Declaration: Okay. I will speak with you tonight."

"I'm not sure!" Stool says. "Everyone is gone, something terrible has happened here. Something is very wrong!"

"Where is all the life in this place?" Jezzika asked, holding Svana's hand, weaving through the fungal forest. But, Svana found it first. A massive, enormous mushroom at the end of the cavern. Something was inside there, something terrible, something awful, and then, two things happened.

A voice Svana recognized spoke to everyone. It filled her heart with fear, and anxiety. 

“Welcome, travelers.” a familiar voice voice gurgled and spit as it spoke from ahead both aloud and in your minds at once. “Are you here for the wedding rehearsal? Friends of the bride or her intended? No matter! Let the love of the Great Seeder embrace you as you become one with her chosen, the Great Body!”

And then, another voice spoke aloud and in your minds, one that sounded like a Queen, and far more terrifying.

NOW, NOW, RASHIM, SHOW OUR GUESTS THE PROPER RECEPTION FOR THIS INTRUSION. DESTROY THEM.

You can hear moaning from the ground ahead of you. It turns into a symphony of wails, cries, and hisses. The only light comes from a few glowing mushrooms along the edge, but even in the gloom, you can’t miss the source of the sounds. The heads of creatures of a hundred humanoid Underdark races peek from the ground, mold and fungi growing around them. One voice calls out loudly in Undercommon — a female drow fighting to speak. “Please...for your gods of light...run!” She manages to stir within her living grave, raising a spider medallion half-embedded in the bloated growth that was once her hand. Half her face is rotten and pustulates, a bed for the sprouting of scores of tiny mushrooms. “The Great Seeder...trap...she’s here...the Lady of Decay...Zuggtmoy..."

A massive humanoid creature emerges from the forest. Rashim. But twisted, and molded, and transformed. A fungal behemoth, twice the size tall of a human. Surrounded by a spore cloud, he raises his hands and mind controlled fungal humanoids rose from the dirt like zombies, wailing, crying.

"Svana. I can sense you. After all of this time. Could it really be you? Join us with the Lady of Decay, and be one with us, and you, too, will hear the sounds of your brothers screams as I murdered him. Feel my rage, feel my jealously, feel my JOY as I slew him. WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Jezzika spins to look at Svana. "Svana, who is this monster?!" 

Duke just looks at his friend, waiting to see if they're going to flee this demonic terror, or pursue vengeance.

Ree'lyn | Drow | Warlock | Level 5 | AC 15 | HP 36/36 | Temporary HP 8/8 | Cantrips Known 3 | Spells Known 6 | Spell Slots 2/2 | Slot Level 3rd | Innate spells 6| Eldritch Invocations 3

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Stool, can you sense and speak to the other members of your grove?" - Ree'lyn asks the Myconid.

"I cannot sense them!" Stool begins to have a panic attack. "Everything here is twisted, mutated, in pain! Oh, the wails! Their cries! She is here! She is here!!"

Ash's body tenses at the shrieks and she grabs Quinn's hand, ready to book it away if that is what the others decide on. "I think we were just... leaving... Sorry to... Intrude?"

All the air had been sucked out of her lungs when she heard his voice ring through her eardrums, her eyes widening in fear, her body unmoving, frozen in place as she listened to him admit what she had been trying to get out of him for years. She felt her heartbeat quicken and when she saw him emerge, it took a lot of her willpower to not throw up her rations then and there. Even with his body twisted and mangled, she knew it was him. Whatever was left of his face she recognized and his voice always had sent icy chills down her spine, but now, more so. When Jezzika turned to ask her who he was, she finally found the courage to speak. "My fiance."

Slowly, she moved her shaking palms to her waist to pull her spellbook from its holster. When her hands met with the leather of her book she calmed down significantly, her breathing and heartbeat returning to a normal pace as anger replaced fear. Fueled with all the rage that she had stored up for years, she looks at him with a fire burning brightly behind her dark red eyes.

"I'm right here, you son of a *****."

Mama didn't raise no ***** initiative: 12

Enkindle tried to keep together. It's even why she stood close to Duke, trusting the construct to clock her one if old instincts took over. Then came the voices, and well... none of it mattered much anymore. Her head is all but completely engulfed in flame as the orange-eyed terror stare dagger at the approaching behemoth. As the holy symbol upon her shield began glowing with an inner light, the fire genasi slowly turned ahead.

Not enough that her eyes fully left the behemoth, but enough to catch Svana out of the corner of her eyes. "By the nine, its about ****'n time." Enkindle says as fire began growing in hand.

Enkinitation: 17.

And in that moment, Duke made his decision. "Declaration: I will stand with you and assist you in claiming vengeance. Secondary Declaration: You are my best friend and I would rather die here as your friend, than have continued to idly persist as a non-sentient slave in a landfill. Thank you for being my friend, Svana."

Friends forever initiative: 10

Jezzika stood her ground next to Svana. This was Rashim! 

"I will fight with you." she announced to her, and her hands formed liquid shadow and dripped from her hands, ready to throw.

Initiative: 4

Just..not very quickly.

"Of course we'll fight with you, dear," Amara tells Svana, eyes glittering gold.

Goddammit Svana, eldritch evils are bad ******* news. Also initiative: 5

Ash notices the other preparing for a fight and chuckles nervously. "Alright... Guess not. Guess we're doing this..." She gives Quinn's hand a slight squeeze before letting it go, her armor slowly taking moisture from the air and covering her body. As she drops Quinn's hand, the ice trails down her arm and forms into her falchion. 

Please don't let me die here...

Init: 11

(Pre-casting of Armor of Agathys and summoning of falchion.)

Initiative: 14

Quinn looks deep into Ashs' eyes,

I love you.

*i would do anything for love initiative 20*

Quinn20, Enkindle17,  Ronnal14, Svana12,  Ash11, Duke10,  Amara5, Jezzika4.

Twenty myconid drow infected horrors erupt from the earth forming a circle around those who wish to fight, wailing. Moaning. Crying. 

"For the Spore Lady, be ONE with the QUEEN!!" roars Rashim and advances.

Rashim: 10
Infected1: 1
Infected2: 15
Infected3: 8
Infected4: 1
Infected5: 3
Infected6: 5
Infected7: 3
Infected8: 10
Infected9: 3
Infected10: 13

Editing..

FIRST WAVE OF TEN

Quinn20, Infected4(30), Enkindle17, Rashim16(200), Infected10(30), Ronnal14, Infected1(30), Svana12, Ash11, Infected5(30), Duke10, Infected7(30), Infected8(30), Infected2(30), Amara5, Infected3(30), Infected5(30), Jezzika4, Infected6(30), Infected9(30), Phineas1

"Unnatural fiends," Phineas spits, seeing Svana's reaction confirms his thoughts. 

Initiative: 10