Source of the Black Tar

 

Objective

The purpose of the mission is to find the source of the black tar/ooze and eliminate it before it because an insurmountable problem. Durella has said that this HAS be dealt with, and if left to grow, it would be disastrous for everyone. As a secondary objective, if we manage to destroy the source, then we want to destroy any of the remaining ooze.    

Observations

- The ooze in this tar river seemed to be corrupting and/or absorbing its surroundings (including things it infested -- ogres noticed the area was "unnatural" as we followed the tar/ooze river towards the tar  

Bane followers were trying to eliminate the source of the tar, but for the purpose of spawning something they could control instead

The giant purple ooze cocoon contained an ooze infested T-Rex, which likely wasn't fully developed, but was already incredibly strong

During the fight, it spawned something above it head, but it was destroyed before it could do anything

Bane followers use sacrifices to do powerful spells, and some of the armored soldiers were from Caer Callidyrr's gates

Upon killing the infested creature, the bane followers tried to summon something else... but Tavvok destroyed it before they got a chance

The ooze attempted to take over Tavvok, but he managed to overpower it

In the end, the ooze seemed to disappear -- did it sink into the ground?

encountered a humanoid with black feathered wings as we left camp

- it approached only as we approached, and was able to cover 150feet in an instant   - disappeared in an instant as well after appearing in front of Ilpi   - on the return trip we saw it at a distance again, and simply appeared just in front of "Aceso", and said "This is just the beginning...", before disappearing. We could not remember his face afterwards       We did manage to destroy the source of the black tar/ooze - an ooze infested T-Rex that emerged from a purple ooze cocoon. The robed figures that followed Bane, did attempt to "spawn" something else following the death of the T-Rex, but we were able to destroy whatever they were trying to spawn before it came to life. Once the source was destroyed, all the ooze seemed to disappear, but the landscape in the area has been permanently changed. At least in the short-term, the immediate problem has been dealt with.  

Follow up

- Aceso is going to meet with Durella about the events that transpired   - Any further interactions with this black winged figured should be carefully detailed   - Could we help Caer Callidyrr with their Bane follower problem? Root them out, and eliminate them? Talk to the Ambassador first  

We may want to further investigate the area surrounding the source of the Ooze to see if there are any corruption left over from the ooze to clean up

Preparation Details

Clear-cut 1 - 2 hrs. south of Ft Vegapath   At Clear-cut 1 Significant field of necrotic tar, IS GROWING.   Growth was fast enough to be noticeable while standing there.  

"Fire seams adequate disinfectant."

    Growth was fast enough to be noticeable while standing there.  

"Fire seams adequate disinfectant."

        Another mission - not sure if this creature was the same or not, but also described as tar-like   -------   tar-like creature that had the ability to take over others’ bodies. When   inhabiting a host, it was able to teleport between shadows. It dealt incredible damage to the   host body     we heard large footsteps in the distance. At first, they seemed to be coming   from the north, but they jumped around randomly to all different directions       A large, shadowy hand burst out of the ground in front of Ayula, followed by the rest of a   humanoid creature, around ten feet tall. It seemed to be covered in or made of a black, tar-like material   that absorbed a lot of blows and made weapons stick to its body. It had teleportation abilities, moving   between the shadows. We fought it off to the best of our ability, but once it was significantly injured, the tar coalesced into a blob and teleported away, leaving an ordinary troll behind.      

dispatched the troll quickly. The tar blob went up to Ayula, entering her body and injuring her greatly. None of the healing, magical or non-magical, that we attempted had any effect, and she died. The blob left her and sank into the ground.

        Durella   -------  

"Seneschal" of Kevelvore (effectively the grim reaper)

long ago he had a grew tired

- reap the mortal souls, gave up this power to mortals -- "essence of what gave him his power"   - this is the shadow of that power  

slug... leaves behind something when it moves. Like that.

can be dealt with something blessed with the power; holy water.

- but the field of tar is likely much too large  

find the source of it. must be pulling it from of it.

- could be a stone, child, animal, rip in space...   - if we eliminate the source, we don't know if the rest of the Ooze will die...               Investigation and interview of previous mission members   -------  

got 2 samples of the tar substance and 1 of the mushrooms

The mage in a previous mission cast a magic spell that caused the black ooze and mushrooms to sprout on people and caused poison damage

- fallen bodies that we saw during our travels had this tar/ooze and mushrooms sprouting from them – is the ooze causing corruption?      

in the presence of fire, the tar liquifies

under "Detect poison and disease" - it does show a poison

under "detect magic" - hints of necromancy and transmutation, but this seems to fade. Might be related to the caster?

   

liquifies as you apply gradual heat, it seems to regain its texture and solidify in a time afterward

Presenting a holy symbol to the sample, in its closest proximity you can feel a resistance pushing the sample and symbol apart slightly

        Testing:   --------  

heat until liquified

pour into 6 separate vials, then re-seal/cork

let cool and reconstitute

    Container 1:  

heat up sample to get it to liquify

check if the volume of liquid is the same as when it was first poured (if letting take the size of the container, increased its volume or not)

scrunch up a small piece of thin paper, light it on fire, and drop it on

looking to see if it burns, or just liquifies, and reconstitute after being on fire.

I want to see if it burns slow like tar, or very quickly once it catches

what is left afterward

if it doesn't catch, or when it stops burning, then re-cork it.

    Results: You can see after re-liquifying the blighted substance that it again recedes, but to a level slightly higher than you originally measured.       The lit paper sizzles as it contacts the substance- Even at its solidified and complex state it remains slick and still liquid.       Container 2:  

expose to strong direct sunlight, and see the affect (if any)

    Observing its time in the sun, it seemingly crept up a small amount compared to what was measured into the container.       Container 3:  

expose to cold (I can get someone to prestidigitation ice in RP if you want)

    Chilling this substance seems to remove very little of its mailable nature, it becomes noticeably firmer, but still has a springy resistance in its texture.       Container 4:   Using sacred flame on it       As the flames crash over the sample, in their wake you see dark particles. Closer, you see crumbles. Charred, husky, chunks and flakes scatter in the sample’s stead.       A further test was conducted of Container 1, where flame was continuously added directly to the sample:   - vapor had a deathly smell worse than its more constituted form   - caused some sort of disease on myself, which I quickly cured.   - In the case of being infected, it’s better to react quickly   - Burning the material is dangerous  

Operation Details

1. Given the warning provided by Durella, we decided to go out prepared with potions and various other supplies.      

ensure everyone has 2x potions on them

ensure everyone has 2x good berries

drink from the grove

- the grove isn’t looking as healthy as it was  

Ralla: Potion of Barkskin

        Weather:  

chilly

gentle mist

first frost of the season

melting due

    Durella was with us at the fire, which is very rare.  

the ones to the south are trying to take the moonwell

this new enemy is not the first

in this most opportune time... those who tried in the past may be trying again (not the enemy we have now)

some time ago, a few people found something in the dragon den, and whatever is there is now gone/free

whatever it is, is bad and evil

if it's left to regrown... would be disastrous

has no form

- corrupts   - seeds evil  

in the past it tried to rip away from the dread lord

of the three, he isn't the only one who ever tried...

        Durella has LOCKED eyes on Ayula   - I see that you've tasted the darkness   - something else hangs on you...   - likely because of being taken over by the tar-monster on her last mission   - it's not a parasite... it's trying to suck collect everything it can for its master       innocent... feeds on darkness   - if it would have gone to someone else... it would have been much worse.   - feed off the rage... make you strong... and make it strong   - only stayed on her... because the other feed it   - likely has no interest in someone like me...       when it's hungry... perhaps move away.  

running away, then they fired at it, then it attacked.

       

Grab horse

- Ayula & Aceso riding together   - Tavvok & Ralla riding together   - Ilpi alone          

Gate is open -- Jacob is reading or writing something

5 to 10 minutes from camp (100 feet up)

- 1 or 2 figures (silhouettes)   - see an arcane spark from one of them -- casting something   - walking from the left to the right... almost a line in the sand   - looks like lightning   - "ohh, Jim..."   - eldritch evil in the area... setting up a barrier      

worthwhile to get a little further from camp

Aceso leading the group

- an odd figure jumps out   - slight wings   - clothed and black   - stared at the party   - 150-200ft away   - distance halved in an instant.       As you stop... it seems to stop.  

almost floating

we stopped to tie the horses off to the side

about 60 feet away...

Ilpi moves up to 50 feet

hard to place... doesn't seem like an illusion. Almost spectral.

   

travel up to Ilpi... disappear in a puff of smoke

this creature seems to have disappeared

    Ilpi does a little jig... suddenly stopped.       As you saddle back up... head south  

decide to cut to the west

        Ilpi asked the Jims about what they would know   - something happened last month with the soldiers that pissed them off       Ilpi heard a random voice:  

the brothers are fighting...

       

huge parts where the forest start to be missing

turned into an open plains of sorts

vegetation in parts of the plains... white and grey... almost as if bleached

terrain is leveled out... then pushed up towards a gently incline

Ilpi - "this ground isn't naturally formed... likely only going to get worse"

- there is almost an odd inconsistency... random and chaotic   - but as we went further it starts to decline ever so slightly...      

The terraforming change becomes more pronounce

- boulder in a random place   - glass that is white -- no color      

Come across a "river" of the black ooze

seems to be going in the opposite direction than it should

- but it makes sense... it's pushing outwards as it's growing   - we would continue forward against the flow of the bubble black "ooze"   - there were ogres in the river, seeming infested or being taken by the tar - quickly disappeared       An ooze stuck to the backside of a rock  

seems to be basking in the sun

when hit they seem to split

ooze took over Tavvok's horse

Tavvok decapitates his horse - a much smaller ooze comes out

they don't explode with fire or divine spells

   

5 minutes into the trip... at the 11 o’clock an ooze jumps from the river onto the cliff.

- chews 3 feet of the land away instantly...           as we continue, it went from planes back to forest... deep and dense  

30 mins after

- forest cut away to a valley to a set of stone steps   - surroundings seems much more normal / natural   - 100 feet before the edge of the clearing   - pear through this pool of ooze... there are humanoids surrounding it.   - black hand on the front of the armor (6 armored guards with black hand on front; red and black robes on 3 other caster types)   - Tavvok knew it was Bane's followers - the black lord   - ritual or chanting (but nothing ominous)       - Aceso -- Bhaal and bane don't get along and are rivals; Durella said Bhaal's name   - no ominous chant from the robed figured       Ralla turned into a spider   - approached the figures.   - armored figure - “I don't get paid enough to be dragged out here”...   - robed figured - writing and reading as he studies this liquid      

“alright boys I think it's time”

- robe figure walks over, slices throat of guard   - throws it toward the ooze   - ooze would erode away - happy with his success... but the tar would re-emerge   - the robe figure frowned…      

Aceso would say “enemy of my enemy?”

   

Tavvok turns into a human

- walks out...   - robe person tells him to drop the illusion   - he does   - one of the guards recognizes him -- "hey it's Richie Rich"          

the legend of a dragonborn lined with gold; who bribes guards to steal children

  Robe Figure about the Ooze:  

ladies of the first circle bound him (Bhaal) in the north

- some fool let them out   - attempting to open a rip for him to let his master through      

they wanted to sacrifice Ilpi... "fey blood"

unless you possess true mastery of the art... of the power... you will lose.

- art of the arcane      

Ilpi volunteers to be a sacrifice if he falls... let me stay down if I fall...

    the robes lead us to a purple tar swamp.   - there is a large blob/ooze in the center   - several smaller ooze blobs in the area   - recommend we keep clear of the little ones       a massive purple ooze with something in it (cocoon?).  

we'd all coordinate an attack

shift and change... swirl.   - cry of a massive creature   - ooze falls away to reveal:           GIANT T-REX covered in ooze   - We all attack for several rounds, while the robed figures are doing some sort of ritual      

the robed guys sacrificed guards and used a massive spell

the following turns they would use firebolts

   

something spawned on his head, but Ralla destroyed it

    eventually we killed it despite Ralla/Ayula/Tavvok going up and down... with Tavvok going down many times      

Ilpi, Ralla, Aceso did a massive amount of healing!

Tavvok took an incredible amount of damage

Any everyone pumped out a lot of damage

   

the robes start doing some ominous chanting as it fell...

    the ooze blob/cocoon reappears as they chant.      

Tavvok RUSHES in and destroys it!

   

it attempts to take over Tavvok... but he somehow resisted it

robed figures are gone.

   

all the ooze has disappeared in the chamber... and outside as we got out.

went 15 minutes away that was safe... sat for an hour to recover.

   

The land seemed to be permanently changed by this.

    As made our way back to camp:   A shadowy figure... just appears in Aceso's face. Black angel wings... (human sized)   "It's only just begun..."   - Then disappeared…       The face is blurred as soon as he tried to recall... cannot recall despite being right in his face moments earlier   - Tel said this could be possibly a "Deva of sorts"?       When we mentioned to Tel that Bane followers included soldiers from Caer Callidyrr, she said they knew it was a problem and that the king has been trying to deal with it.