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Chapter 5: The Darkness of Dimwater

Agreeing to continue their quest into the subterranean passage, the adventurers seek answers in what lies below...


Due to the condition of some of the tunnel's rungs, Aric offers his rope as a safety measure, and one by one the company descends. A dank, earthy smell fills the air as they delve further underground, and the temperature grows increasingly cooler. Once the last of the party members is safely lowered, Aric recoils his rope and begins his own descent. At the midpoint of his climb, one of the more rusty rungs pulls loose from the wall; however, the agile Northman quickly catches himself before plummeting to the ground. The barbarian remains extra vigilant as he continues on and safely reaches the bottom.

The party finds themselves in a small 5x5 room about 30’ from the surface. There is an open doorway to the east that leads into a darkened hall, and a pitted, metal lever protrudes from the wall to the right of the doorway. The floor is covered in a few inches of stagnant water that is slowly draining into a slot at the base of the doorway, and an old, leather boot floats and bobs about on the water's surface.

It is quite cramped in the tiny room as everyone huddles together, peering down the long hallway that stretches away into darkness. Slowly dripping water echoes from somewhere off in the distance, and here and there small puddles of water have collected on the corridor floor.


Map:

Osprey Palearctic, elven fighter/magic-user

Osprey readies his bow and then begins searching for any concealments (doors, switches, triggers, etc.) down the hall. After a few feet he looks back to see if the group wants to maintain their usual marching order or have him continue to search ahead.

P.T. Codswallop, halfling impresario:

Eyes alight with anticipation at this promising development, Phineas rubs his little hands together as he looks around this crowded chamber for secret doors. He expects his productivity to improve as the party continues to empty into the hall.

Trusty Yon, Human Cleric

"Goodbye, blessed light," says Yon, with one last glance up to the circle of luminance at the top of the shaft, before taking his place in the file and heading down the tunnel with the others. "I do have a prayer remaining to provide us with light, if needed. For now perhaps the torch is best."

Hex eyes the remaining cleric covetously, wishing he had access to such an impressive enchantment. He will follow the others some distance back and let them examine the room first before he enters, frail wizard that he is keeping guard and helping to search for secret doors if there is enough room and it is safe.

Kragg "Well I do have a few more torches should we need to use them."

Aric tenses as he descends beneath the earth into the realm of darkness. His people like open sky, the smells of nature, the whip of the winds.

"Aye, a torch," the barbarian says. He can hardly swing his great sword in such confines without beheading a little person. He draws axe and knife.



"Let us be wary of traps," he says, nodding at the rogues.

Some of the party members scour the immediate area for any more concealed doors or passages, but they find nothing.

They then fall into marching order and proceed down the darkened corridor, which is wide enough for two to walk side-by-side. Torchlight reveals that the passage continues on into darkness, and the hollow echoes of the company’s footsteps testify to the hallway’s immensity.

At about 40 feet off in the distance, the party notices an eerie, purplish glow, and there appears to be a subtle wavering and undulating movement to the glowing lights.

P.T. Codswallop, halfling impresario:

"Stupendous!" Phineas whispered in gleeful astonishment. "Magnificent! And it seems my new little ring is similarly impressed!"

Hex halts and gets ready to throw something sharp at the the haze. "I heard tell of strange creatures that hide in dank dark lairs, yes yes yes. Hard to spot yet hard to stop. Be wary my fearless companions!"

Wil remains poised and ready for action. He will lend his careful eye to searching for concealed or secret doors on his side of the passageway.

Aric's hackles rise at the sight of the unnatural purple glow. The barbarian's primal instinct for things magical rises Detect Magic [1d100] = 8

He grips his weapons, ready to pounce, waiting to see how his comrades react.

Osprey Palearctic, elven fighter/magic-user

Osprey approaches slowly, bow is down though arrow still nocked.

Aric's innate ability to sense magicks takes hold, and the barbarian is assured that there is nothing mystical associated with the lights.

The adventurers cautiously approach the source of the eerie, purplish glow to find that it is a 5' wide colony of strange, luminescent fungi clinging to the wall. It climbs up the left side of the corridor to where the wall meets the ceiling then continues to spread a few feet further onto the ceiling itself. Its long, tubular-shaped stems slowly sway back and forth, appearing almost as if they were underwater.
Smaller patches of the bizarre fungi continue to spread along this stretch of corridor, and an even larger mass of the glowing, purple stalks is spotted up ahead just on the edge of the party's torchlight.

"Before we get too close, perhaps we should see if the is growth is dangerous, or responsive to life yes?" Hexalon the halfling illusionist says quietly, pointing at the lilac fronds warily, gathering his sling and a bullet in preparation

Kragg "Yes lets ensure it is safe to pass."

P.T. Codswallop, halfling impresario:

From the back, Phineas agrees in earnest. "Undoubtedly! Unquestionably! Most assuredly!" he concurs enthusiastically as he waits for someone up front to do something.

"Perhaps you could "sling" one, Hex?" suggests Yon.

Hex will attempt to fire a sling bullet into the fronds with the largest mass. "Stand clear please," he calls before letting fly

Hexalon steps bravely forward and asks the others to stand back so that the diminutive halfling is clear to fire a sling bullet into the mass of writhing fungi. He winds his sling and whips a bullet squarely into the soft, fibrous fronds. It strikes with an audible, fleshy sound and remains fixed where it lands. The section that was stricken ceases to move, its glow slowly dims, and then dies out altogether. The rest of the fungi colony continues to waver back and forth as if nothing has occurred.