Jinx OOtA 5 - Graven Hollow and the purple worm eggs
Continued Story of JinxJinx When we got to the library, I admit I was surprised that it was a real library. The people in the underdark seem unlikely readers. Eldredge was given a set of crystal speaking stones. While standing in the archives of the past, present, and future you can see a vision of what has happened, what will happen or what is happening now.
He used the stone to look at the past.
An imperious Drow wizard was casting a spell that got out of his control, cracks appeared, and suddenly a hole between the material plane and the abyss. Suddenly demons came through the cracks! The Drow mage started to summon something but fesswriss made it go wonky and all kinds of demons came through. I'm suspicious of that story because the Drow mage has lived here his whole life and knows about what fesswriss can do to spell casting.
When Eldredge looked at the future, he saw two demons fighting each other. One of them might have been the two headed one.
We were directed to see Vezerin Devere. Apparently Vezerin has lived away from Menzenbaransen for many years. He is an arch mage who left under unclear circumstances. He has built a tower and quite an enclave and he called for us to come to him.
He told us that his arch rival, Gruumph Baerne was the one who had summoned all the demons, essentially creating a portal that they could get through. They have wreaked havoc in the Underdark since Baerne let them out.
Vizeren wants us to gather things for him that he thinks he can repeat Baenre's spell with. It's quite a list!
I may not know as much as someone born and raised on land but even I know that the Drow hate their above ground cousins, people like me; elves that is. They're not terribly fond of dwarves either.
Vizerin has promised us he will help us with spells. Eldredge's eyes lit up at that. And he has given us each an amulet for one time protection against a fiend.
We have had to leave Frank and our spies and remaining faction troops here close to Vizerin's tower. Vizerin kept saying something about a dark heart but I didn't know what he was talking about.
Ugh, Huldir killed a purple worm that came tunneling out of a hole right behind me. It was gross but as usual Huldir had no problem dissecting the thing and as luck would have it, it's a good thing he did because he, and I couldn't quite believe it at first, he found a +3 dwarven hammer of some special sort. You have to excuse me for not paying much attention to dwarven weapons. They seem to have more than their fair share of weaponry and yet he still fusses about Dawnbringer. It's not my fault he is a gloomstalker. He just has to stay on the other side of the battle from me.
On the other hand, he's a good fighter and now that he has this enormous hammer, he will be even better at fighting. As much as he complains about Dawnbringer, and as much as we've argued, we formed a bond back when we were the only two who didn't get petrified. I know he would never admit it out loud but he knows it and I know it.
We set out somewhat trepidatiously for the worm hangings....I believe that's what they call the worm tunnels. The thing is ...those worms can come out of the tunnel walls at any time, just about anywhere.
We somehow managed to get through the worm tunnels to this lower elevation where there was some kind of mechanical trap made with eggs sitting high in the air. It looked like if you climbed one of the chains to get to an egg, that the whole thing would come crushing down. It was a delicate operation so I was the one chosen to get the egg.
The place had a foul stench. Just as I had retrieved an egg successfully, this Drow kid had charmed the pants off of Eldredge and he wanted to help her. She needed two eggs for some magic she and her mother were working on. So I had to help this Drow child get two more eggs. They were so grateful that they gave us a bunch of stuff and the Drow mother gave us her name so that if we ever got into trouble in Menzenbarenzen, we should try to get in touch with her.
Zora Hallah was the mom's name. I noted it down because I thought it was a real possibility we could use a friend in the Drow city.
She gave us a beautiful brooch worth 120 electrum, 6 gems woth 50 gp each, 2 potions of greater healing, and a book of drow poetry worth 100gp.
Before we even got the eggs, we had defeated a bunch of worms and gotten a bunch of loot. We also freed some prisoners including some moon elves.
4 50 foot length of spider silk 4 flasks of oil 20 lbs of rancid food a pile of moldy blankets 6 maces 16 javelins 4 casks of unspoiled wine 10 gp each a locked tribute chest 180 gp minted in Gracklestugh and Menzenbaranzen. 3 gems worth 15 gp a potion of gaseous form a +1 drow dagger silvery filigree
half eaten remains of a drow drow pouch 30 gold pieces
2 spell scrolls: phantasmal force and shield 25 platinum pieces 1 magic ring it is a ring of protection We threw the rancid food and moldy blankets out of course. I gave the ring of protection to Nevik, my last remaining Alliance spy. That's probably why he's still alive!
We had our egg. Our next stop was the land of oblivion - to see a beholder about his eye. I've never met a beholder before but everybody says not to let his gaze meet your eyes.
He used the stone to look at the past.
An imperious Drow wizard was casting a spell that got out of his control, cracks appeared, and suddenly a hole between the material plane and the abyss. Suddenly demons came through the cracks! The Drow mage started to summon something but fesswriss made it go wonky and all kinds of demons came through. I'm suspicious of that story because the Drow mage has lived here his whole life and knows about what fesswriss can do to spell casting.
When Eldredge looked at the future, he saw two demons fighting each other. One of them might have been the two headed one.
We were directed to see Vezerin Devere. Apparently Vezerin has lived away from Menzenbaransen for many years. He is an arch mage who left under unclear circumstances. He has built a tower and quite an enclave and he called for us to come to him.
He told us that his arch rival, Gruumph Baerne was the one who had summoned all the demons, essentially creating a portal that they could get through. They have wreaked havoc in the Underdark since Baerne let them out.
Vizeren wants us to gather things for him that he thinks he can repeat Baenre's spell with. It's quite a list!
- The intact and unhatched egg of a purple worm, for channeling great physical power.
- The central eye of a beholder, to break down magical resistance and overcome magical forces.
- Six feathers from six different angels — the authority of the celestial realms and a force to enrage fiendish creatures.
- The heart of a goristro, to reach and influence the hearts of other demons.
- Thirteen timmasks, also known as “devil’s mushrooms,” sprouted from the footprint of a marilith, a balor, or a goristro — a lure to draw demons in.A few drops of blood or ichor from a demon lord, to connect with the demons the ritual will call.
- Gromph Baenre’s grimoires and notes on his ritual, to assist in better understanding the power that summoned the demon lords.
I may not know as much as someone born and raised on land but even I know that the Drow hate their above ground cousins, people like me; elves that is. They're not terribly fond of dwarves either.
Vizerin has promised us he will help us with spells. Eldredge's eyes lit up at that. And he has given us each an amulet for one time protection against a fiend.
We have had to leave Frank and our spies and remaining faction troops here close to Vizerin's tower. Vizerin kept saying something about a dark heart but I didn't know what he was talking about.
Ugh, Huldir killed a purple worm that came tunneling out of a hole right behind me. It was gross but as usual Huldir had no problem dissecting the thing and as luck would have it, it's a good thing he did because he, and I couldn't quite believe it at first, he found a +3 dwarven hammer of some special sort. You have to excuse me for not paying much attention to dwarven weapons. They seem to have more than their fair share of weaponry and yet he still fusses about Dawnbringer. It's not my fault he is a gloomstalker. He just has to stay on the other side of the battle from me.
On the other hand, he's a good fighter and now that he has this enormous hammer, he will be even better at fighting. As much as he complains about Dawnbringer, and as much as we've argued, we formed a bond back when we were the only two who didn't get petrified. I know he would never admit it out loud but he knows it and I know it.
We set out somewhat trepidatiously for the worm hangings....I believe that's what they call the worm tunnels. The thing is ...those worms can come out of the tunnel walls at any time, just about anywhere.
We somehow managed to get through the worm tunnels to this lower elevation where there was some kind of mechanical trap made with eggs sitting high in the air. It looked like if you climbed one of the chains to get to an egg, that the whole thing would come crushing down. It was a delicate operation so I was the one chosen to get the egg.
The place had a foul stench. Just as I had retrieved an egg successfully, this Drow kid had charmed the pants off of Eldredge and he wanted to help her. She needed two eggs for some magic she and her mother were working on. So I had to help this Drow child get two more eggs. They were so grateful that they gave us a bunch of stuff and the Drow mother gave us her name so that if we ever got into trouble in Menzenbarenzen, we should try to get in touch with her.
Zora Hallah was the mom's name. I noted it down because I thought it was a real possibility we could use a friend in the Drow city.
She gave us a beautiful brooch worth 120 electrum, 6 gems woth 50 gp each, 2 potions of greater healing, and a book of drow poetry worth 100gp.
Before we even got the eggs, we had defeated a bunch of worms and gotten a bunch of loot. We also freed some prisoners including some moon elves.
4 50 foot length of spider silk 4 flasks of oil 20 lbs of rancid food a pile of moldy blankets 6 maces 16 javelins 4 casks of unspoiled wine 10 gp each a locked tribute chest 180 gp minted in Gracklestugh and Menzenbaranzen. 3 gems worth 15 gp a potion of gaseous form a +1 drow dagger silvery filigree
half eaten remains of a drow drow pouch 30 gold pieces
2 spell scrolls: phantasmal force and shield 25 platinum pieces 1 magic ring it is a ring of protection We threw the rancid food and moldy blankets out of course. I gave the ring of protection to Nevik, my last remaining Alliance spy. That's probably why he's still alive!
We had our egg. Our next stop was the land of oblivion - to see a beholder about his eye. I've never met a beholder before but everybody says not to let his gaze meet your eyes.
Children
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