Session 2: Tunnels of the Damned

General Summary

The session began with the party standing in an oozy crypt filled with six or seven corpses that had caustic, bubbling ooze seeping from them. Riggor examined the bodies and determined that the acidic substance was likely saliva from some creature that had been feeding on the dead, melting away bones and clothing. After finding little of value among the corroded remains, the party opened a stone door and proceeded into a large chamber.

The new chamber contained a massive statue of a snake-like creature with eight legs, with moss covering the ground and mushrooms growing from the walls. Hex heard movement coming from a southern door while Plalbur investigated the mushrooms, discovering they were edible and tasted remarkably like frosted flakes. The party sampled the strange fungi before deciding to explore the northern door first.

Entering the northern chamber, Wartortle immediately felt intense heat emanating from a brazier filled with glowing crystals. The room contained a central pit filled with writhing, jelly-like kelp that Hex identified as blood kelp - a highly nutritious plant grown using corpses as fertilizer. Suddenly, an ooze creature emerged from the corner and attacked the party, beginning their first combat encounter.

During the battle with the ooze, Skon struck first with his rapier but found that the creature's acidic body corroded his blade, giving it a permanent penalty to attack rolls. Riggor placed a protective flesh seal on Plalbur and shot the creature with his crossbow, while Hex also attacked with his sword and suffered similar acid damage. The ooze was eventually defeated when Hex delivered a killing blow, causing it to explode harmlessly into jelly that required the nearby party members to dodge the splatter.

After the combat, Plalbur ate some of the blood kelp despite its dangerous properties, taking necrotic and lightning damage that was negated by his protective seal. Riggor successfully harvested three strands of the valuable kelp for later use. Wartortle then smashed open several crates with his weapon, revealing a grisly collection of body parts from various races including elves, umizu, and even a gutted turtle shell.

The party next encountered an Umizu - a merfolk creature with twin tails and a trident arm - when Wartortle attempted to throw Riggor through a doorway as a scouting tactic. The Umizu initially appeared confused but quickly recognized them as intruders and attacked. The creature struck Wartortle with a critical bite from its snake-like jaws, dealing significant damage and poisoning him, while its harpoon attack missed its mark.

The battle against the Umizu saw coordinated attacks from the party. Hex maneuvered around the creature using acrobatics and struck with his longsword, while Skon slipped between the creature's legs to deliver rapier strikes enhanced with sneak attack damage and poison. Plalbur cast Moonbeam, creating a cylinder of silvery light that took time to manifest as it traveled through the salt sea, ultimately dealing modest damage to their foe. Wartortle entered a rage and delivered the killing blow with his battle axe, after which Riggor's held crossbow shot pinned the two halves of the corpse back together in a darkly comedic moment.

Following their victory, the party discovered a chamber filled with red glowing eggs being warmed by multiple braziers. Riggor was thrown into the room by Wartortle and observed serpentine creatures with eight legs developing inside the eggs, reminiscent of the statue they had passed earlier. When Wartortle used a brazier to crush one egg, it revealed a bluish creature that appeared to be some form of drake or mutated dragon without wings.

Their exploration was interrupted by the arrival of a hostile tortle and another umizu warrior. The tortle immediately cast Thunder Wave, forcing the party to make constitution saves as the spell's thunderous energy rippled through the water. Most party members succeeded and took reduced damage, but Riggor failed his save and was both damaged and pushed back ten feet by the magical force. The umizu warrior followed up by attacking Riggor with both bite and harpoon, successfully poisoning him with venomous fangs.

The ensuing battle was intense and tactical. Hex killed the tortle by stabbing it through the neck opening of its shell with his Hellfire sword, dramatically declaring that the creature's soul had been sent to hell to be reborn as a lesser devil. Plalbur activated one of Riggor's necrotic seals when he struck the umizu, causing it to explode for additional damage while granting temporary hit points to an ally. Skon delivered the final blows to the umizu with his short sword, applying poison damage and triggering another of Riggor's seals for a fiery finish.

With their enemies defeated, the party began their now-established tradition of consuming their fallen foes, cutting up the umizu warrior for an impromptu meal. They decided to take a short rest to recover from their injuries, with Skon keeping watch while the others bandaged their wounds. Riggor searched the room's cupboards and discovered three valuable healing potions, while Wartortle found only ordinary rocks in another cabinet.

During their rest, the party systematically destroyed all the remaining dragon eggs in the chamber. Plalbur used his Shillelagh to crack them open, revealing more of the serpentine creatures inside, while Hex created what he jokingly called "snake baby preserves" from the mutilated remains. The party committed to destroying every egg, preventing these potential future gods or abominations from reaching maturity.

After barricading a door with a wooden cupboard, the party eventually smashed through it to explore a sleeping quarters that had belonged to their defeated enemies. Plalbur's investigation of the beds revealed a baseball-sized circular amulet that opened like a locket, containing a drawing of an umizu woman inside. The room also contained a large sack filled with mysterious rocks similar to those found in the cupboards.

Descending a set of stairs, the party entered a chamber containing the remains of broken statues and one massive intact sculpture. This six-armed izu statue had three hands on the right side and two trident arms on the left, but the topmost left arm was missing its trident entirely. Hex discovered an octagonal groove inside the missing arm, suggesting that some object could be inserted and turned like a key, though they were unable to locate the missing piece among the rubble.

The session concluded with an ominous cliffhanger as Wartortle entered a chamber of complete darkness where visibility was impossible. A cold, clammy hand brushed against his face while a long finger trailed down his shell, accompanied by a mysterious feminine voice that spoke from the shadows. The entity welcomed them as "new supplicants for our master," suggesting the presence of a powerful and unknown force that awaited the party's next move.