Session 17: The Horrors Beneath Report
General Summary
With the morning sun high above it was as suspected, these aberrations broke thru the tunnels being dug and came from their destination. Peering down into the hole, about 40 feet down a pit of loose dirt and sand sat. Affixing a rope Malakar would descend first, sliding with speed into the sand, finding the ground mostly solid. Calling for the others to follow, his eyes adjusted to the darkness as she scanned about, a steep broken stair well lay to the north and a tunnel south. Only a few among them could truly see in the inky darkness, and while the expedition was getting itself sorted Isenara would push off ahead creeping towards the tunnel. Before any really took notice of her movement, the ground beneath her would shift and tremble. Bursting up from the sand would be a swarm of worms with vicious sharp maws seeking fresh flesh. Letting out a scream as several latched on, her stomach would turn, as she staggered away in haste, only to find herself engulfed in a second swarm that burst from the sand. The others would spring into action only to find a third swarm of the fowl smelling worms would burst forth latching on and tearing at their flesh. Nythara would flee to a corner to send her magic bolts, being joined by Talindra she would hiss as the swarm of worms moved towards the largest concentration of bodies, "Why did you have to come towards me!" In a few seconds the blades of Zaelith, Malakar, Daereth, and Bahzel would join with magic of the others and dispatch the undead swarms of flesh eating worms. The next several moments would be filled with the sounds of vomiting as the expedition purged itself of the sickness caused by their bites.
Malakar would push on ahead up the steep steps as Talindra tended to the bites of his companions. In the room these steps lead to he would find worked stone, and more steps now leading down to a large pillared chamber. In the gray scale of his dark vision he could see lines and writing etched into the stone below he would call back that he thinks he has found something. The others would carefully make their way out of the sand filled room and towards what Malakar had found. Nythara shadow stepped her way to the front and moved to look closely at the image on the floor, "This is some sort of ritual circle...bring me a light!" As Talindra would begin to move forward Malakar would move around south then take note of a long hall to their south. Within he would see undulating and pulsing of some sort of globule mound of flesh. Walking back carefully hoping to not have been noticed, "Everyone back, somethings down there." Isenara would tilt her head as her mask began to glow again signaling undead nearby. Nythara would speak, "To late..." The sound would be noticed first, a sticky grotesque squelching as the creatures moved. Coming into view first of those with darkvision, the creatures were comprised of limbs, torsos, and chunks of flesh assembled with no semblance of care or meaning, simply flesh bound together in grotesque amalgamations.
Daereth and Malakar would push to the front to meet the blobs of flesh as chunks of bone flew at the expedition like lethal darts. Bahzel would light another torch and throw it into the fray, illuminating for the others what they could only hear before. The color and state of the flesh became more apparent showing the body parts assembled together in various states of decay. With a heavy thud and the cracking sound of bone a callosal sized flesh monster would squeeze itself thru the door way roaring into the pillared ritual room. Malakar would strike with his blade then vanish in shadow to make room for his compatriots to move before being swarmed by the monsters. For his troubles he would be struck mightily by the large mass his vision starting to dim, but not before Talindras magic would flare and his vision aligned, still on his feet, his head however still aching from the blow. Aria would rush forward to charge Daereths blade with her magic, lightning of the storm crackling around it, he would growl stepping to cover her, "Stay back!" as a hail of bone shards and barrage of fleshy appendages rang against his shield. Isenara would creep around the north of the pillared room avoiding notice, while Nythara fled back to release a massive fireball into the choke point as the flesh blobs poured forth now scorched in flame. Aelornas voice would sing out from the darkness inspiring her comrades, followed by adamantine darts and the soothing melodies of her healing magics to ease Malakars suffering. Zaelith hearing Malakars warnings would shroud himself in illusions creating several mirrored doubles before entering the fray cutting his way thru the first wave that had come. This success however revealed a painful lesson, as he destroyed these monstrosities they would burst forth their putrid flesh like acid melting away living tissue. Bahzel would surge forward next into the gap created by Zaelith reaching Daereth and Malakar striking down the creatures with his Hammer infused with Vitality which burned the undeath from the creatures. Aria would withdraw as Daereth ordered, tho she would have to talk to him about giving her orders, her magics would flare smashing one of the smaller blobs to the ground before summoning a terrible tempest to barrage the colossus.
Daereth seeing Malakars wounds, and the danger of the creatures demise would begin to shout and draw the ire of the largest of them before vanishing thru shadow to draw it away from Aria and the others. His ploy worked as the massive flesh monster chased him across the ritual room away from the others. Its massive appendages hammered down and his shield could not hold them at bay, crushing him into the stone and leaving him battered and unconscious. Talindras healing magics would surge out, healing the others of their rotting flesh while Malakar, Bahzel, and Zaelith cut their way towards Daereth. Another fireball would explode from Nythara as Isenara in position would send a poisoned bolt with little effect against the creature. Aelorna would again send her soothing melodies to rouse and heal Daereth as the others closed on the massive abomination that loomed over him. He would struggle to shout for them to stay back but his voice could not find strength. A flash of light flew over his head as Isenara sent a blast of vitality to banish the undead from the world of the living. The life giving energies would cut thru the undead flesh and the creature would explode in a much large blast, coating several of the expedition in its flesh eating ichor.
Tending to their wounds with the immediate threat resolved, they would begin to investigate the ritual space. "This is not ancient...it has been used in the last few years....and this red, coloring of the carved grooves, this is blood magic," Nythara would comment. Aelorna studying the ritual text would speak up, "its some kind of resurrection ritual? But thats not right...its not restoring a body, I am not sure what its doing, but its bringing something back that is gone." The room to the south was filled with bodies that had not yet been absorbed by the blobs, and the smell was nauseating of the decaying corpses. "This appears to be the sources of the blood for the ritual," Nythara would say coldly. Finding some stairs leading further down those with dark vision would scout ahead first finding this area mostly intact and almost habitable. As the others joined they would find a locked door as well as several ancient hidden doors. The hidden doors would hold ancient artifacts of this place from its proper time, while behind the door was a locked chest of modern creation, and many curious magic items. Scrolls and wands of disguise, compulsion, and other methods of subterfuge and influence. Aelorna in her searching of the room would find tools for dying ones hair and evidence that it was used with blood, reminding her of the curious rumors from Eglasil. "That elf the Autumn Elves are hunting....many said he would dye his hair with the blood of his victims..." she would frown, looking then to the wands and scrolls they found. There was still much of this lower level left to be explored however, and much of this would have to wait for that to be done....
