The Saturday Game 1/26/19 – Fungus Among Us

We rejoin our party staying at the Spicy Unicorn Pub. The Paper Merchant gives out seventy-five gold to each player from last adventure’s spoils. Some party members go shopping to resupply and we are appalled to see that prices are twice as much in the Underdark! We review a previously overlooked note taken from the halfling male’s body. One of our party translates it from Yuan-ti.

The Paper Merchant and Druid make some discreet inquiries into the Vanguard of Seratas. No one has heard anything about the Vanguard, but all are familiar with Seratus, a powerful demon lord worshipped by the Yaun-ti. The worship of this demon makes the Yaun-ti widely disliked in the Underdark.

We follow up on the rumor of work for a party such as ourselves and are directed to a marble building in town. We enter a reception area like a throne room. A hooded figure with yellow symbols on his cloak introduces himself as Essarch, an information broker. He tells us of an island in the lake outside Pearl. On the island, a blueish glowing fungus grows whose spores destroy the fleshy creatures of the Underdark. However, Essarch feels surface dwellers such as us would be less susceptible to this damage. Also, on the island are mushrooms which provide a remedy against a plague which periodically scourges Pearl. In exchange for our obtaining ten of the life-saving mushrooms, he will pay us either five hundred gold or provide us with information. We head to the docks and meet one Captain Gordon. For fifteen gold, he agrees to sail us to the island in his dodgy-appearing fishing boat that barely fits us all. For an additional five gold, he agrees to return in one day to pick us up.

After making beach fall, we discover yellow mushrooms protruding from the ground like fingers. They are not the mushrooms we were warned about and the Druid samples some for his herbalism research. We discuss how to clear the air of these spores, deadly or not, and arrive on the genius idea of setting fire to them. With a small flame from the Druid, the spores catch and a massive explosion flashes through the island. We scurry to put out the remaining flames while the Cleric says a prayer of healing to mitigate the collateral damage we caused to ourselves. But that is certainly a fast way to clear out the spores!

Walking further inland, we enter a circular clearing where the blue haze of the spores is already reforming, but also spot the plague cure mushroom. The Luchador bravely enters the clearing and begins to pick them. He reports nothing more than a mild itching sensation and continues.  Suddenly, the Bard and the Cleric feel bitten by some invisible creature.  Other party members rush to hit the unseen creatures. The Monk hits the one on the Cleric. The Luchador attempts and succeeds in grappling the one on the Bard. The creature or creatures yank at and knock the Cleric, Monk and Sorcerer prone. A combo arrow from the Paper Merchant with a hit from the Luchador kills the one on the Bard. The Monk hits a fatal blow to the second creature. With death, they become visible. The Luchador has gathered eighteen of the mushrooms for Essarch and we decide to leave before attracting other attackers.

We return to the beach and the Druid creates a protective ring of fire around the party. The night passes uneventfully as we take a long rest.  In the morning, the Druid returns to take more samples of the fungus for experimentation. Party members volunteer drops of their blood to gauge reactions. The Druid finds that every sample is affected by the spores, except that of the tiefling Bard. Why this is remains a mystery for now.

As promised, Captain Gordan appears and we all sail back to Pearl. The party members discuss the properties of the mushrooms and decide to investigate before handing them over to Essarch. The Druid seeks out the apothecary and shows him the samples. The apothecary immediately becomes visibly upset and tells him to leave. The Paper Merchant’s contacts decline to provide any information once Essarch’s name is mentioned. It is clear Essarch is a respected, even feared figure in Pearl.

We head to Essarch’s building. He is pleased since we brought him more mushrooms than originally contracted. For our efforts, he pays us fifty platinum and agrees to answer some questions. As for the Vanguard, he knows little except that they are Yuan-ti and forbidden from Pearl. He offers us another job to assassinate his rival Elissara who operates from a lair beneath the Dusklorn Inn. In a rare display of restraint, we decline the offer for moral reasons.

We ask Essarch about the sled marks we have been following. He says he knows that dark elves pulled it out of the East Gate of the city heading towards Pedestal, a city to the northeast all but ruined by earthquakes. The party determines to push on to Pedestal. As we approach, we hear ominous whispers in Dark Elvish which none of us know to translate. A central spire is the only building still standing with any integrity. Its entrance has been cleared of rubble from the earthquakes to allow entry of human-sized creatures. The marks from the sled lead directly into the building.

As we enter cautiously, a drow elf confronts us exclaiming, “House Malreal claims Necromancer Spire!” and draws his sword. Taking cover behind a pillar is another drow with a bow raised. The Luchador attacks and takes the swordsman prone. The Cleric runs up to the archer and casts thunder waves which inadvertently causes the ceiling to start collapsing. The archer casts a spell and a magical darkness falls. In turn, we search for magical or mechanical means of dispelling, but fail.  Because the swordsman is grappled by the Luchador, party members dispatch him with several blows, but no one can put hands on the archer. We quickly loot the swordsman and back out of the spire as the building seems to be falling about us. A quick roll call reveals the Cleric is missing! We rush back frantically searching the darkness against imminent collapse of the spire. The Bard locates and carries the unconscious Cleric out calling for heals or healing potions. We regroup outside knowing the archer has had a head start to escape and warn his allies of our presence.