The Fungus/Fungaloid Four's First Adventure -
After defeating the Pudding King and helping give the wererat gnomes the chance to integrate with the rest of Blingdenstone/Granitegem, which most turned down for hopes of a better life with the group in what will one day be Gemspore, the younger party is approached about the disapearance of an adventuring party by a stranger in the tavern.
The stranger explains that they were recently sought out by one of the adventurers from a party that passed through not long ago who became separated from their party. Apparently, the adventurer told of an ancient temple that was writhe with traps (which was how they came to be separated) and they are worried about their missing friends.
The stranger turns out to be Schecktud Lapisscratcher, one of Blingdednstone's respected elders who actually survived the slaugher and invasion by the drow so many years ago. (Ohh, I never actually had been to Entermoch’s Boon, so I couldn’t lead them there any better than the old tales. The tales clearly state that you must be chosen to find the entrance, unless you be born of earth that is.)
He explains that the survivor would like to accompany them. Here Schecktud introduces a sea elf by the name of Ren. (Ren’s full name is Huzerenaza Tikkermean or Huz/Naza/Ren for short. Ren is a slender male sea elf (malenti) with long raven black hair that is perpetually braided and constantly being twirled. He is honorable and hot tempered [he insists on giving his full name for his introduction, but then verbally insists on the party calling him Naza or Ren for short]. He seeks revenge against those who cast him out from the only home he ever knew (sea elves). [Until he is alone with the younger/smaller party and namely when Enthlopidae is there, he is visually on edge. It comes off as worry over his friends. He speaks in curt, hurried, and rough tones.] He is also greedy. “Who is there to take care of me?” - Jed)
Schecktud also explains that he understands that the main party has a goal of clearing out and securing a new residence some miles away and says he believes the others would be up to the task, knowing they seek to prove themselves. Schecktud has secured a table in one of the private caverns for the group to discuss things more in-depth.
Ren explains that they were searching for a rumored figurine of wondrous power, an onyx dog, that once belonged to an elven royal family. He also explains that it is known to bring luck to those who wield it. His party, however, was not prepared for the number of traps that were littering the approach to the temple in which it was last known to be (See Backdrops/Threats below).
As Ren is explaining the circumstances, he casts geas and says "You must assist me on my quest!" Those who fail a Wisdom save (DC ) must assist and feel compelled to do so (cover the save with “Has everyone partaken of some food, drink, or substance while here? Including Raggamuffin because of rapport spores and “second hand intoxication.”).
Oz, Ozniem, sold the other party members off to kobolds to be slaves when they became overcome with greed and madness so they would be unable to interfere with Oz's plan to claim the figurine as their own and also claim to be the rightful heir to the elven kingdom of Avalona. Avalona resides deep in the heart of Neverwinter Woods.
Centuries ago, from out of the temple came Mind Flayers who went to the surface to raid a elven village and many of the elves were enslaved, experimented on, and turned into Mind Flayers themselves, including the queen--the all mighty ruler of the magic queendom. Now, after the invasion of the giths and the slaads from the plane of limbo and the astral sea, the temple were they performed the transformations has once again surfaced, with the figurine of wondrous power still entombed inside.
Oz, Ozniem, sold the other party members off to kobolds to be slaves when they became overcome with greed and madness so they would be unable to interfere with Oz's plan to claim the figurine as their own and also claim to be the rightful heir to the elven kingdom of Avalona. Avalona resides deep in the heart of Neverwinter Woods.
Centuries ago, from out of the temple came Mind Flayers who went to the surface to raid a elven village and many of the elves were enslaved, experimented on, and turned into Mind Flayers themselves, including the queen--the all mighty ruler of the magic queendom. Now, after the invasion of the giths and the slaads from the plane of limbo and the astral sea, the temple were they performed the transformations has once again surfaced, with the figurine of wondrous power still entombed inside.
Backdrops
Locations
Avalona - Elven Village(?) that was linked to the material plane, but is currently from another plane (Fae? Earth?). They once were from the material plane, but they transported their entire village that was inside Kryptgarden Forest(?)/ Neverwinter Woods(?) to the other plane after mindflayers attacked the city of moon elves and captured many, including the royal family, and enslaved them. This transporting of their existence was for their own survival. Now, however, with the demon lords causing such chaos in the world, the spell is beginning to fail and they are showing back up in the material plane. Enthlopidae is the true ruler of this village/ruler, as they are the only surviving descendent of the royal line.
Grimring Temple Monsters Kobolds Mindflayers? Doppleganger DM Notes Storyline Elder of Blingdenstone approaches the smaller party and introduces another advevnturer who is in need of assistance. He then asks the party to assist him in finding his lost party. Locations The Grimring Temple Aurora(sp?)? - The elven city in Neverwinter Woods Gemspore? Mount Hotenoe? NPCs Inciting Action The party is approached while they are resting after the battle. Told of the party that got seperated. Asked for help by the party member who made it back. Travel The party travels to the darkness under Mount Hotenue. The come across some traps on the way. Traps: pit trap rock fall false loop with hidden door? Eventually, they find the Grimring Temple Grimring Temple Room 1 **As you cast your eyes over the threshold you are instantly captivated by the mysterious sword floating in the center of the room. **You can feel the power coursing through the blade from across the room. **Do you step closer? **Looking at the sword closer, you take note of the eldritch iconography present on the sword. **You feel compelled to grasp the hilt. WIS Save DC 14 **Red tendrils race up your arm, tearing cloth and searing into your skin. You cannot drop the weapon. **As fast as the pain hits, it seems to fade. You feel more powerful than ever before. **In your head, you hear a voice cooing softly to you. It whispers your name and tells of a destiny of greatness. Gain Eldritch Sword of Power Room 2 **Rising from a pool of violet, viscous liquid stands an obelisk. Energy spills forth from it in visible waves. **You feel its presence pushing and pulling at your mind. Room 3 **Mushrooms cover the floor in nearly every available spot ad make seeing the otherside of the room impossible. **Do you enter the room? **Negotiating your way past the mushrooms, you spot what appears to be a book a top a crystal podium. **Do you step closer? Do you touch the book? **You reach your hand out to touch the cover of the book. As your hand comes to rest on the cover, you recoil in pain (1d4 Psychic Damage) and horror as you realize what the covevr is made of...skin. History or Arcana check DC 13 **You have heard of a book such as this. Could it be a replica perhaps, or maybe the real thing. The necronomicon. Room 4 !Door is locked and trapped. Trap Must say "My being is your being. My body yours to take. Use me as you wish." in order to pass into the corridor. !ELSE The trap is sprung and the gargoyle head statues let out a poisonous fog. CON Save DC 13 for poison condition and 1d6 poison damage. **You start to jostle the handle and attempt to open the door, but even with your finese it will take a minute. From behind, the party notices a fog seeping into the coridor. Those it envelope (CON Save DC 13) begin to hack and cough. Poison! You must hurry, for you currently have no way out. **In the center of the room is a shinning bowl of liquid purple. **Do you touch the liquid? **The liquid is quite viscous. As your finger delves into the liquid matter you see ripples stretching outward from where you interupted the surface of the liquid. **As the ripples settle you see yourself looking down upon the room in which you stand, but it looks...younger? **Two people enter the room and bow before the bowl of liquid. **Together, they chant: "My being is your being. My body yours to take. Use me as you wish." After they finish the chant, they rise from the floor and cross over the thresshold and through the now open door. **What do you do? Room 5 !Chest is locked. It can be unlocked with the skeleton key in the hands of the dead Orc. Contents are as follows: 150 gp, 375 sp, 1500 cp Weapon of Warning (Staff) **You see the body of a fallen orc laying near the center of the room. There appears to be what would only be called corruption seeping out of him in (smokey/ghostly) tendrils. **Clutched in one hand is a golden key. Room 6 **As you decend the staircase, you take note of the light flooding through the open doorway and casting itself onto the bottom steps. The shadows dance in the pulsating violet glow. **Reaching the bottom of the stairs, you spot cushions featuring runes strategically placed around a mass of undulating tentacles that appear to encircle a swirling portal. Room 7 Scrolls Revivify * 3 Power Word: Kill **You spot the summoning circle immediately after turning the corridor. **Breaking your gaze from the long ago etched runes, you notice a stack of scrolls in the corner. **What do you do? Room 8 **An eldritch symbol is etched into the floor in the middle of this room. **Do you dare to venture further? **As you cross the middle of the room, you feel the tinglings of emotions being pushed on you. It feels like bliss and...butterflies? Room 9 !Trapped Northern Entrance Trap Balista attack with poison (1d10 damage of piercing and poison) and chance of poisoned condition (CON Save DC 10) Tripwire. Can be stepped over easily. (Perception [Passive] DC 15) (DC 19 DEX Save to avoid) **In the center of this room stands a water fountain topped with a balista. Room 10 **This is the room that has been calling to you, you now realize, since you first entered this temple. **Butterflies and sprites fill the far side of the room. The only sign of life this place has offered. **Past them, atop a dias that keeps it out of the water, is an altar. It is stained with blood. **Sitting in the center of the altar is a small onyxx figurine of a dog. As your eyes settle on it fully, you realize this is the item that appears to be radiating bliss. **Do you inspect the room? **It appears this was once the sacrificial chamber of what you can only guess are the accursed Alhoon, those illithid liches that share minds and souls...sacrificed souls that is. **You puzzle out that the liches likely used the figurine to calm their sacrifices before offering them up upon the altar. Room 11 **Enveloped in a pulsating violet light, you see a statue of an illithid. Its eyes glow red as you look upon it. **Casting your gaze down, you see tendrills of (smokey/ghostly) corruption swirling towards you. **Ensnared in these tendrils, you see a tiefling woman. Here, Ren calls out to the tiefling, "Oz! Oz, I'm here!" and charges forward. **The tendrils appear to halt at the waters edge. **You guess that the water must have found its way in from the river that you followed on your way here. The water is much clearer here than in the dark lake. **To your right (left on map), a boulder stands blocking the path. **To your left (right on map), thorns block a room that you can barely make out. There appear to be bookshelves and a far cabinet. Room 12 Books Spell Tome Books of Records Books of Monster Lore Books of Magic Items
Grimring Temple Monsters Kobolds Mindflayers? Doppleganger DM Notes Storyline Elder of Blingdenstone approaches the smaller party and introduces another advevnturer who is in need of assistance. He then asks the party to assist him in finding his lost party. Locations The Grimring Temple Aurora(sp?)? - The elven city in Neverwinter Woods Gemspore? Mount Hotenoe? NPCs Inciting Action The party is approached while they are resting after the battle. Told of the party that got seperated. Asked for help by the party member who made it back. Travel The party travels to the darkness under Mount Hotenue. The come across some traps on the way. Traps: pit trap rock fall false loop with hidden door? Eventually, they find the Grimring Temple Grimring Temple Room 1 **As you cast your eyes over the threshold you are instantly captivated by the mysterious sword floating in the center of the room. **You can feel the power coursing through the blade from across the room. **Do you step closer? **Looking at the sword closer, you take note of the eldritch iconography present on the sword. **You feel compelled to grasp the hilt. WIS Save DC 14 **Red tendrils race up your arm, tearing cloth and searing into your skin. You cannot drop the weapon. **As fast as the pain hits, it seems to fade. You feel more powerful than ever before. **In your head, you hear a voice cooing softly to you. It whispers your name and tells of a destiny of greatness. Gain Eldritch Sword of Power Room 2 **Rising from a pool of violet, viscous liquid stands an obelisk. Energy spills forth from it in visible waves. **You feel its presence pushing and pulling at your mind. Room 3 **Mushrooms cover the floor in nearly every available spot ad make seeing the otherside of the room impossible. **Do you enter the room? **Negotiating your way past the mushrooms, you spot what appears to be a book a top a crystal podium. **Do you step closer? Do you touch the book? **You reach your hand out to touch the cover of the book. As your hand comes to rest on the cover, you recoil in pain (1d4 Psychic Damage) and horror as you realize what the covevr is made of...skin. History or Arcana check DC 13 **You have heard of a book such as this. Could it be a replica perhaps, or maybe the real thing. The necronomicon. Room 4 !Door is locked and trapped. Trap Must say "My being is your being. My body yours to take. Use me as you wish." in order to pass into the corridor. !ELSE The trap is sprung and the gargoyle head statues let out a poisonous fog. CON Save DC 13 for poison condition and 1d6 poison damage. **You start to jostle the handle and attempt to open the door, but even with your finese it will take a minute. From behind, the party notices a fog seeping into the coridor. Those it envelope (CON Save DC 13) begin to hack and cough. Poison! You must hurry, for you currently have no way out. **In the center of the room is a shinning bowl of liquid purple. **Do you touch the liquid? **The liquid is quite viscous. As your finger delves into the liquid matter you see ripples stretching outward from where you interupted the surface of the liquid. **As the ripples settle you see yourself looking down upon the room in which you stand, but it looks...younger? **Two people enter the room and bow before the bowl of liquid. **Together, they chant: "My being is your being. My body yours to take. Use me as you wish." After they finish the chant, they rise from the floor and cross over the thresshold and through the now open door. **What do you do? Room 5 !Chest is locked. It can be unlocked with the skeleton key in the hands of the dead Orc. Contents are as follows: 150 gp, 375 sp, 1500 cp Weapon of Warning (Staff) **You see the body of a fallen orc laying near the center of the room. There appears to be what would only be called corruption seeping out of him in (smokey/ghostly) tendrils. **Clutched in one hand is a golden key. Room 6 **As you decend the staircase, you take note of the light flooding through the open doorway and casting itself onto the bottom steps. The shadows dance in the pulsating violet glow. **Reaching the bottom of the stairs, you spot cushions featuring runes strategically placed around a mass of undulating tentacles that appear to encircle a swirling portal. Room 7 Scrolls Revivify * 3 Power Word: Kill **You spot the summoning circle immediately after turning the corridor. **Breaking your gaze from the long ago etched runes, you notice a stack of scrolls in the corner. **What do you do? Room 8 **An eldritch symbol is etched into the floor in the middle of this room. **Do you dare to venture further? **As you cross the middle of the room, you feel the tinglings of emotions being pushed on you. It feels like bliss and...butterflies? Room 9 !Trapped Northern Entrance Trap Balista attack with poison (1d10 damage of piercing and poison) and chance of poisoned condition (CON Save DC 10) Tripwire. Can be stepped over easily. (Perception [Passive] DC 15) (DC 19 DEX Save to avoid) **In the center of this room stands a water fountain topped with a balista. Room 10 **This is the room that has been calling to you, you now realize, since you first entered this temple. **Butterflies and sprites fill the far side of the room. The only sign of life this place has offered. **Past them, atop a dias that keeps it out of the water, is an altar. It is stained with blood. **Sitting in the center of the altar is a small onyxx figurine of a dog. As your eyes settle on it fully, you realize this is the item that appears to be radiating bliss. **Do you inspect the room? **It appears this was once the sacrificial chamber of what you can only guess are the accursed Alhoon, those illithid liches that share minds and souls...sacrificed souls that is. **You puzzle out that the liches likely used the figurine to calm their sacrifices before offering them up upon the altar. Room 11 **Enveloped in a pulsating violet light, you see a statue of an illithid. Its eyes glow red as you look upon it. **Casting your gaze down, you see tendrills of (smokey/ghostly) corruption swirling towards you. **Ensnared in these tendrils, you see a tiefling woman. Here, Ren calls out to the tiefling, "Oz! Oz, I'm here!" and charges forward. **The tendrils appear to halt at the waters edge. **You guess that the water must have found its way in from the river that you followed on your way here. The water is much clearer here than in the dark lake. **To your right (left on map), a boulder stands blocking the path. **To your left (right on map), thorns block a room that you can barely make out. There appear to be bookshelves and a far cabinet. Room 12 Books Spell Tome Books of Records Books of Monster Lore Books of Magic Items
Threats
Rushing Water Trap
This trap uses pressure plates spanning the center of a bridge to send a torrent of water rushing out of a reservoir that is dammed up just for the occasion.
Effect: Targets all creatures on the bridge. DC 17 DEX save or take 12 (2d10) bludgeoning damage and be knocked from the bridge and swept away out towards the Dark Lake just south of Granitegem (Blingdenstone).
Trigger: pressure plates, activates when any plate is triggered, so long as there is water in the reservoir (6, 1d6)
Countermeasures: A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check (made with advantage if Ren is with the party) will spot the odd row of tiles.
This trap is activated when an intruder steps on one of the alternating hidden pressure plates that causes a hidden ballista to fire.
Effect: +8 to hit against one target, 18 (1d10) piercing and (1d10) poison damage
Trigger: alternate tiles, activates when 20 or more pounds are placed on alternating floor tiles.
Countermeasures: A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check will deduce that the alternating floor tiles are pressure plates, and wedging an iron spike or other object under the pressure plates prevents the trap from activating. Alternatively, step on the safe floor tiles in alternating order.
Water-Filled Room
A pedestal with a button labeled 'Do Not Press' sits in the center of the area. Creatures that push the button trigger the trap which makes the doors slam shut and the area gradually fill with water.
Effect: Initiative +2, doors seal shut and room fills up with 2 ft. of liquid per turn, after 1+(CON bonus) minutes (min 1) of holding breath your HP drops to 0.
Trigger: button, a button labeled 'Do Not Press' activates the trap when pushed.
Countermeasures: A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools disarms the trap, removing the trigger from the button and allowing it to be pressed as many times as you want. Unsuccessfully attempting to modify the button triggers the trap. Alternatively a creature may be able to build up the incredible willpower necessary to resist the temptation to push it.
The doors can be opened with a DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools.
Destroying Traps Traps can be damaged and destroyed, sometimes to good or bad effect. Pipes containing fire or poison will rupture and spray over the area, while mechanisms can be rendered inoperable with enough force. Determine the HP and AC of your traps based on the tables below. Sometimes a fragile trap is more dangerous than a resilient one if destroying it will fill the corridor with acid.
Electrified Floortile
This trap uses a pressure plate that causes electricity to course through conductive poles in the floor and electrocute anyone standing on them.
Effect: Targets all creatures within a 10 ft. square area, DC 14 DEX save or take 12 (2d10) lightning damage
Trigger: pressure plate, activates when plate is tripped.
Countermeasures: A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check will spot the odd tile, and a DC 10 Dexterity check using thieves' tools/stone masons' tools disables the tile harmlessly. A character without thieves' tools/stone masons' tools can attempt this check with disadvantage using any edged weapon or edged tool. On a failed check, the trap triggers.
The electricity will be drawn to metal and can be dampened by padding.
Ballista Trap
Destroying Traps Traps can be damaged and destroyed, sometimes to good or bad effect. Pipes containing fire or poison will rupture and spray over the area, while mechanisms can be rendered inoperable with enough force. Determine the HP and AC of your traps based on the tables below. Sometimes a fragile trap is more dangerous than a resilient one if destroying it will fill the corridor with acid.
| Substance | AC |
|---|---|
| Cloth, paper, rope | 11 |
| Crystal, glass, ice | 13 |
| Wood, bone | 15 |
| Stone | 17 |
| Iron, steel | 19 |
| Mithril | 21 |
| Adamantine | 23 |
| Size | HP (Fragile) | HP (Resilient) |
|---|---|---|
| Tiny (bottle, lock) | 3 (1d4) | 7 (2d4) |
| Small (chest, lute) | 2 (1d6) | 9 (3d6) |
| Medium (barrel, chandelier) | 8 (1d8) | 20 (4d8) |
| Large (cart, 10x10 ft. window) | 5 (1d10) | 28 (5d10) |
Comments