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When the terrifying mind-numbing shriek ends, most of the strong-willed Pathfinders find themselves no worse for the wear, other than a faint lingering headache. All except Sira and Thorur who was hit especially bad by the blast.
Sira staggers nearer to the creature, just coming within its reach. Yu Khan, very uncharacteristically, races towards the creature. Immediately, the fungi whips one of its tendrils to slam against him. Despite the bad bruise, he presses on and swings his club at the plant creature, but its tough hide deflects the blow.
Thorur, despite feeling very groggy from the mind shriek, still pays attention to the condition of Caena, proferring his potion of healing. Caena quickly gets onto her feet, thanks Thorur for the offer, and gulps down the healing draught. Immediately, much of her wounds close and broken bones knit back. She then steps closer to the cliff, getting ready to climb up.
Lucifer launches a bullet which smashes into the fungi, causing some of its sap to start leaking out. Genryl attempts to do the same but his shot goes wild.
Although the fungus continues to heal quickly from its wounds, its violently waving tendrils show how agitated it is, especially with its multiple wounds. With a feared attacker in range, it suddenly opens up its giant maw filled with sharp wooden-like teeth and chomps down onto Yu Khan's thigh, puncturing a large vein. The sharp pain and sudden loss of blood causes him to fail unconscious. This also ends the inspiring comedy that he has been pelting the party with. With one foe down, the creature swings its tendrils at the next nearest enemy, Lucifer, He manages to duck away from one but the other slams into his chest with a sickening crunch of bones.
Again, another barrage of psychic static bursts into your mind. It draws forth images of monsters from your nightmares to fill your mind, in an attempt to numb and distract you.
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Lucifer ducks under the waving tendrils and hops away from the fungus' gnashing teeth just in time.
Completely unexpectedly though, instead of stabbing at it as per his usual modus operandi, Lucifer rams his shoulder against the plant. Caught by surprise, the fungus' stubby legs clutches desperately to the ground, but they fail to find purchase and the creature falls over the cliff, landing prone right in between Thorur and Caena!
Meanwhile, Yu Khan quietly stops bleeding.
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As the large plant creature is knocked off the ledge, Genryl catches sight of the downed Yup for the first time. He gives a shout of exclamation and rushes past Sira and over to the bridge. While passing by the creature, he calls down a blessing of Halcamora on Caena, in hopes her larger form will be of use against the creature.
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From high above, Sira heaves the vial of herbicide straight down the chasm on the vulnerable fungus before it even has a chance to get to its feet. The vial smashes apart, showering the creature with the sickly green liquid. Almost immediately, large parts of the creature starts to burn and melt away. A horrific scream smashes through all your minds and you clench your heads tightly, willing the sound to end. Fortunately, it ends quickly as the fungus falls unconscious from the massive damage it has taken. Immediately, Caena in her enlarged form and Thorur, when he recovers, chops repeatedly at the prone and helpless creature, ending its existence.
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With its demise, a sudden calm and peace descends upon all the Pathfinders. Having gotten used to the ceaseless chittering in your minds, hallucinations of wispy figures just at the edge of vision, their sudden end catches pleasantly by surprise. No one speaks for moments, cherishing the tranquility, fearful of any unwelcome sounds might destroy it all...
"Bravo! Well done!" Dr Quolorum's high-pitched echoes throughout the small cavern, accompanied by very enthusiastic applause. He has finally stepped into the caves, and although looking somewhat beaten by the various psychic attacks, looks none worse for the wear. He rushes over, all intent on finding some way down to the chasm to examine the carcass of the fungus, and Genryl had to make a rapid grab at before he stumbles over.
Carefully, the Pathfinders patch their wounds and do a slow sweep of the area. Among the piles of bones and broken gear at the bottom of the chasm are some valuable items that the fungus' previous victims had left behind, including a necklace of fireball with a single bead remaining, a damaged set of gloves of climbing and swimming, and a robe of useful items with several patches remaining. That done, with Thorur's climbing gear, the Pathfinders manage to get Caena and him up from the chasm, and Dr Quolorum down to spend time with studying the plant lifeform.
The task completed, the Pathfinders make their way out of the caves, and retraced their path through the mountains. The trip this time is vastly different. The mountains seems to be pulsing with a sense of harmony and serenity, now that the psychic phenomena has been removed. You actually enjoy the journey back, only mildly marred by Dr Quolorum’s insistence that you assist in carrying the carcass of the creature, which carries a very strong odour, back to the university. And when you return, he further insists you stay a few days for so he can run tests on them to study the long-term effects of exposure to the creature’s attacks, but thankfully, there seem to be none.
With the demise of the dreaming fungus, over these few days, the villagers of Dunhob also report a steep drop in strange phenomena. Storms cease, nightmares subside, and life returns to normal—at least until another terror rises in Ustalav.