Richard follows Alpha to the northern part of the caves.
Maruf spends some time working in his portable lab mixing up two potions of cure light wounds and gives them to Alpha and Richard. The morning that the party is to return to the caves, he spends some more time mixing up some bomb reagents and a few extracts before reentering the tunnel.
Kharax spends some of his coin on scrolls to aid his his allies better.
"Alright, let's fix Khonnir and the fire!"
Returning to the "hill", the party finishing exploring the Dome, before entering the complex. To the south, nothing of interest is found, but at the north end, a series of caves are discovered. Entering the caves, you see several strange shell fragments and bits of bone lie scattered across the floor of this large chamber. Ancient cave paintings of fourarmed humanoids and strange animals decorate the walls—but to the south, a particularly unusual depiction that looks like an oblong shape burning in the sky above several kneeling four-armed figures dominates the prehistoric decor.
Amid the broken pieces of tribal artwork and jewelry, but one necklace made of amber-trapped insects of no recognizable species seems to be in surprisingly good shape.
"These markings show creatures with four arms, just like the skeletons we fought." Richard examines the walls, trying to piece together the story told here. He points to the burning object. "I thought they were alien, but this seems to show them witnessing The Rain of Stars from the ground."
Upon finding the amulet, Richard scans it for magic, revealing it's purpose. "This is a swarmbane clasp. Alpha, do you want to wear it?"
Once he's made a few notes and sketches of the painting, Richard is ready to resume the expedition.
"Pah! You can never trust artists and their silly metaphors. Probably means something totally different."
As Richard takes the clasp, the sand on the floor begins to swirl and vibrate, as a plant-like creature, similar, but larger to the one fought in near the entrance, comes to life!
"I shall use this. I am not currently equipped to handle vermin."
"Another one of these? Watch your feet everyone!"
Richard sights down his crossbow and fires a bolt before the creature can ready itself for combat.
After his shot, Richard dives over the creature, drawing his rapier as he spins to threaten its flank.
"Gods damn it! I hate these things!"
Alpha will step forward, attempting to flank this creature.
Kharax, takes his whip out and tries to aid Alpha's next strike with a distracting lash.
Richard lowers his crossbow and fires, putting a bolt into the creature!
Maruf jabs with his spear, stabbing the beast!
Alpha then pummels the creature with his shield!
As quickly as it moved, the creature stops, black ichor oozing from its three deep wounds.
Collecting the amulet, the party moves back into the complex, and enters the double doors in the entry area. The doors open to reveal a corridor. Doors lead away to the east and south.
Looking through the eastern doors, reveals a circular room with doors leading away in all the cardinal directions.
Crossbow ready, Richard follows Alpha south.
Before heading in to the next area, Maruf quaffs his mutagen and his features become, if possible, even uglier and more offensive as his skin hardens and his muscles tense.
Heading to the south, the party enters another short corridor with doors to the southeast and southwest. Taking the more direct path, the party enters the southwest double doors. The stench of mold and decay fills this open, dark chamber, no doubt created by the thick blanket of fungal matter coating the floor. Several chairs sit before work tables containing unusual tools and equipment, while a row of doors line the curved southern wall. In the rear of the room, a strange, vibrant plant slowly but dangerously whips about its trio of tendrils with spiked heads.
A noxious smell overwhelms the party as the weed's tendrils whip around to attack Alpha and Maruf!
The plant's tendrils manage to slap Alpha and Maruf, leaving a sticky, oily residue!
[dice=Fort vs sicken]1d20 + 5
[dice=Fort vs nauseated]1d20 + 5
Alpha's systems resist the organic corruption caused by the plant.
He overclocks his weapon and swings it at the creature.
Alpha darts forward and smashes the plant with his shield!
Richard circles the room to get a clear shot at the plant.
"HHHHHNYYYYYYYEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Richard circles and tries shooting the plant, but misses!
Maruf fights off the poison, and stabs at the wily plant, but misses as well!
"Back, back ye feral houseplant!", snaps Kharax as he uses his whip to aid the Cobbler's defenses.
Kharax swings at the plant, distracting it!
The plant lashes out with its tendrils, managing to hit Kharax!
Alpha bashes at the plant again.
Drawing his rapier, Richard tumbles forward and lunges at the plant, trying to give the Cobbler an opening.
Alpha narrowly misses the plant, while Richard darts under a tendril and distracts it even more!
Maruf lets out more unintelligible growls and howls as he drops his spear and claws savagely!
Kharax lashes at it again, to aid the Cobbler's defenses, then backs up a bit to avoid retribution.
Maruf tears into the plant with his claws, taking it down!
Searching the room, you check the smaller rooms and find a body in each. Each corpse appears to have been a worshipper of Brigh. The four bodies of the Brigh worshipers, while in advanced stages of decay and fungal infestation, do hold some possessions. All four possess silver holy symbols of Brigh worth 25 gp each. Three of the bodies carry masterwork light hammers. The armor worn by one body is a suit of masterwork chainmail that hasn’t yet been ruined. A body, that apparently, was once the leader, still wears a ring of protection +1 and carries a belt pouch, inside of which are three fungus-encrusted (though still viable) potions of cure moderate wounds
Maruf lets out a snort. "Sorry, suckers." After dividing up the potions , Maruf leads the way to a side door.
Maruf opens the northeastern door to reveal a short corridor. Doors sit in the walls on the north and south.
Alpha will stow the potion handed to him by the Cobbler.
Poor souls. Richard hesitates to loot the corpses of fellow explorers, but he realizes that their best chance of getting through this place and relighting the fire will require such things.
Richard has no objections to Alpha taking the ring. "With you taking the lead, it makes sense to give you the best protection. Looks like that plant got you once. Do you require healing?"
Following the Cobbler, Richard points to their left. "Let's try that door."
The Cobbler throws open the door!
Maruf throws open the door! Inside, the room reeks of stagnant water and decaying vegetation. A long trough of water runs along the walls of this room; a layer of brown scum and algae grows on the water’s surface and on the walls. A single workstation sits in the middle of the room connected to a large machine made of tubes and bubbling tanks of water.
Inside the room stand three short, squat, green humanoids, tendrils of fungus hanging off of them! One points a glowing light hammer at the party!
Alpha moves forward and bashes the hammer wielding humanoid.
Alpha darts foward and just manages to slam his shield into the slower reacting humanoid!
Richard reaches for his stungun, but Alpha is quicker to get to melee. Not trusting his aim with an untested weapon and an ally so close, he instead sights down his crossbow and fires a bolt at the creature to Alpha's left.
Richard identifies the creatures as vegepygmies! Not actually humanoids, but plants! He knows they are resistant to all, but slashing weapons, immunes to electricity, and have plant traits.
Firing his crossbow, he hits the left vegemite, but the bolt is slowed by it fiberous hide and doesn't fully penetrate!
*thunk!*
Aw crap.
"Ok, arrows are no good!" Richard calls out, remembering too late what these creatures are. " These are basically plant monsters. They are immune to lightning. Edged weapons work best!"