When the nilith starts casting another spell, Kka rolls her eyes. "Great! What fresh hell is it going to throw at us now?"
.
And sure enough, her question is answered by a flood of anguish and self-doubt...
The anguish and self-doubt continue to afflict her...
... but she doesn't let it get to her and returns to the task of chopping the nilith up into little pieces.
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Kka hesitates slightly as doubt washes over her, but doesn't let that slow her down. She chops three times, and after her third strike, the nilith falls to the ground, dead. Combat over!
Hero Point for everyone!
Cherry Berry's Protector Tree remains standing. In this pseudo-forested room it looks like it'll survive.
You look through the room, and you find some treasure hidden behind some vines. You find a bag with 253 sp, three topaz gemstones worth 60 gp each, a thundering runestone, and a moderate bravo’s brew.
Kka pulls the Gloom blade from the nilith's now dead body. She gives the corpse a kick just to make sure. "Thaat'll teach you to try and mess with our minds."
While she cleans off her swords, Kka's wounds continue stitching together with only a few scratches left to fully heal. Kka breaks out her medical kit and patches up Lough, Cherry and herself.
She then stores away all the loot with an air of satisfaction.
Once she's satisfied that there's nothing more for them in this room, she says, "I guess we're done here. I wonder how our feebleminded friend outside is doing now thaat we got rid of her jailer. Let's find out."
She pokes her head out the door and calls out to the medusa. "Murmur? How are you feeling? A little more clearheaded, or not?"
Cherry takes a moment to check up on the tree as Kka patches everyone up. "I really wish I had more slots dedicated to this spell. This underground space really needs more plants, but they can't survive in most places down here."
Kvit is relieved after the clearly-magic resistant loth creature falls limp. He thinks to himself, "that wasn't mentioned anywhere in that tome..."
Kvit examines the new tree. "Based on the strangeness we've found down here so far, sunlight is likely the only thing we won't find down here. If you could make giant mushrooms you'd be all set."
.
Sneakers is sitting on Kvit's shoulder and looks at his master in confusion or shock. Heheh, speaking of strange, this guy just made a joke. I think."
.
Kvit does not acknowledge Sneakers' comment but smirks slightly, though it's difficult to tell between the whiskers and long nose.
When Kka cracks opens the door to call for the Medusa he is immediately serious again and listens for any response.
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Kka opens the door to see how Murmur is doing. You see her staring in amazement at the giant spider to the east dragging off the fungus corpse back to its lair. "Mrrmrr.. Chkk prrroi wee."
She notices you and waves, then points back at the spider. "Drrrp plak?"
When it becomes clear to Kka that Murmur's feebleminded condition is unchanged, she reports back to the group. "Doesn't look like killing this guy here haad any effect to the snake lady outside. We'll probaably haave to take her baack with us to Otaari and see if Vaandy caan do anything for her at the Library. Either thaat or leave her here to fend for herself."
She then pokes her head out again and checks on the spider's location. "Not sure whaat we're going to do about the giaant spider if we caan't get to it. How about we see whaat's behind the secret door and worry about it later."
She moves over to the door and checks it for traps and locks.
Kka checks the secret door for locks and traps. Fortunately, neither are present. The secret door leads to a narrow hallway, which leads to a new door, which is also untrapped and unlocked.
The remains of a table and some chairs are scattered around the room. While the western door has been ripped off its hinges, the southern door is still intact but open. Two torn, soggy corpses are slumped in the doorway.
Nothing of value is in this room. You can, however, see to the west and south. To the west, you see an underground lake.
At this southern terminus of the foul underground lake, a small wooden dock juts out from a stone and masonry building. The dock is in ruin; its front has been ripped away with massive force, leaving the rest of it sloping down into the water. The building had a door at the dock’s end, but it has been ripped off its hinges, with a chunk of the door partly submerged and leaning against the cavern wall. South of the structure, the lakeshore gives way to a forest of massive fungi. The water near the dock occasionally bubbles, as if something massive dwells somewhere below the surface.
To the south:
While the fungal forest continues to grow high, there are also signs that this area was recently tended. Rocks outline sections of healthy growth, and the paths are clear of all the but the occasional bits of mold and fungus. Bioluminescent moss provides a low, even glow throughout the area, as though intentionally cultivated for the effect. To the east, a wide stone bridge spans a massive chasm. A gigantic iron ladder snakes down into the darkness of the chasm from its other side. Beyond the bridge and the ladder, the fungal forest becomes even more overgrown.
When Cherry insists that they bring Murmur with them, Kka shrugs. "Okey dokey! Bring her along if you like, but she better not be shooting any arrows at us or she's toast."
When they find the ravaged bodies, the shattered door and another access point to the underground lake with the wrecked dock and bubbling water, Kka shakes her head. "Hmmm... not sure I like the look of thaat. Seems something big came out and took out these two..." she indicates the corpses, "...and if those bubbles are anything to go by, I don't think thaat something is very faar away."
Avoiding the dock, she heads south into the fungal forest and sees the chasm and gigantic ladder heading down the side. "I guess thaat's another way down to the next level. I think we should leave that until we've finished cleaning out this level."
She eyeballs the three doors to the south. "How about we check these out?" The question is rhetorical as she makes her way to the first of the doors and checks it for locks and traps.
Kka inspects the doors on the southwestern side of the cavern. The doors don't seem to be locked or trapped.
This squat stone building looks like a storage room. Inside, a pile of fungus woods still sits, along with a bundle of axes and saws used to collect the fungus and cut the boards into shape.
This shed has a small hole where a lock would be, but traces of rust around the hole are all that remain there. Inside, the tools once stored here have met the same fate as the lock and are nothing more than a piles of rust around axe handles, wooden shims, and other non‑metallic materials. The shriveled corpse of a fat rust monster lies in the center of the room.
This simple storage shed is filled with small, gnawed bones, discarded scales, and a pungent reptilian reek.
You find a large reptile that attempts to tear your face off. You recognise it from one of the stasis cells one level up. This one must've escaped somehow. This must have become its nest. You kill it.
Among the remains of its nest you find magical armbands, as well as a secret door. You open it, and it leads to another portal room.
Across the bridge, you see two giant floating puffballs slowly drifting closer to you. You play keepaway with them and eventually kill them.
Across the bridge’s span, fungus grows to greater heights—some reaching nearly to the high ceiling of the cavern, fifty feet overhead. The remains of old paths remain here, but most are covered with clumps of smaller fungus or patches of pale slime. Spores drift through the air, and huge red blooms on the fungi shift as though in a wind, although there’s no wind here. An enormous iron ladder hangs down into the deep chasm. Each link of the chains that hold it up are about as large as a human, but the rungs are spaced to give even small creatures an easy climb.
Just across the bridge, a glass window is visible in the southern wall, with thick curtains preventing you from looking inside.
There's more of the cavern to explore to the east, but you'd have to pass by the enormous spider, first. Though it seems pretty occupied with webbing up its fungal prey at the moment.
When they come across the magical armbands, Kka hands them over to Lough. "This looks more like your thing."
Having finished exploring the southwestern section of the level and finding no other way forward, Kka carefully leads the way over the bridge and along the southern wall, keeping an eye on the spider in case it decides to try and add them to its collection of fungal prizes. Reaching the thick curtains, she looks for a way past them.
The spider keeps an eye on you, but is occupied with wrapping up its current prey. It ignores you for now.
The curtains are on the other side of the glass, there's no way of moving them from this side. With your darkvision (the room isn't lit), you do see vague shapes through the curtain of several people huddled together. They seem to be standing around a table. The glass is thick enough to not let any sound through.
Not finding a way through the glass, Kka continues sneaking along the southern wall until she reaches the door around the corner in the southeastern corner of the cavern. She checks it over for locks and traps.
Kka quietly slips past the spider and reaches a door. But she also notices that opposite the door, a narrow pathway leads to a different room in the cavern.
Kvit doesn't want to fight the spider, but doesn't want to be left behind either, especially with Mrs mumbles.
Lough quietly sneaks past the spider. Kvit, on the other hand, stumbles and kicks a loose rock across the cavern floor, which clatters loudly. You hold your breath and make ready to attack the spider, but it seems content with its current prey. It makes no attempt to jump down.
The path ends at a door leading west. A large boulder covered with spidery carvings blocks a cave entrance to the east.
The carvings are in Elven, which no one can read.
You notice that this boulder is trapped. You think that something will happen if you handle the boulder in the wrong way.
Disabling the trap would be a DC 28 Thievery check, or you can make a DC 25 Nature, Perception, or relevant Lore check to to find the proper way to move it. Or you can make a DC 30 Athletics check to just roll the boulder aside. Failing these checks would mean the trap goes off, however, unless you disable that first.
Kka eyeballs the boulder and squints suspiciously at the trap she finds. "Looks like this odd rock is set to go off if we mess with it. I better take caare of it just to be safe." She gets to work on the trap mechanism.
"<Click!> There we go. Problem solved. Now, lets see what's behind this door." She turns and checks the door for traps and locks.
Cherry, not really noticing that the spider is distracted, still sneaks the way they saw the others doing.
Cherry Berry rejoins the group, trying their best to be as quiet as possible, but doesn't escape the spider's notice. Luckily for them, the spider is content with its fungal snack.
Kka checks this door, deems it safe, and opens it.
Sheets of webbing hang on the south wall of this room, between two wooden doors.
At the other side of the door, a medium-sized spider looks at you in surprise. A second passes, and it emits a shrill shrieking sound. A few seconds later, a drow opens the door behind the spider, crossbow in hand, but not aimed directly at you. She bends down and starts petting the still-hissing spider.
"Well done Zhirax, who's a good girl? Yes, you are!"
The spider starts cooing happily and demonstratively stands in front of the drow as if to guard her. The drow finally addresses you.
"I noticed you passing by, so I sent Zhirax here to warn me when you'd arrive. You're not from down here, right? Would you mind telling me what you're doing in this battleground between urdefhan, caligni, and drow? By your surprised faces I can tell you did not expect much civility down here."
She seems mildly amused and interested in you, but is still on guard.
Cherry mutters to themselves. "Why is everyone down here fighting each other?"
Then out-loud, "Hello, we are from the surface. I don't think we'd be down here, but it seems that someone is planning one or more attacks on our town, and we would rather they stop."
"And you are right, many of the denizens we have run into have been more of the 'see you, scream and attack type.'"
Kka prepares for combat as soon as she spots the thankfully smaller spider on the other side of the door. Before she can react, the drow shows up, calms down the spider, and initiates conversation. Kka listens, then replies.
"As Cherry said, we're from the surfaace and our job is to shut down the threat to our town thaat's been brewing down here. That threat's name is Belcorra, and pretty much all of her minions we've run into so far haave shown little interest in conversation and quite a lot of interest in killing us."
"We don't know anything about this baattle you've got going down here between the urdefhaan, caaligni, and drow, or how it fits into Belcorra's schemes. Given the apparent rationality of the drow and caaligni we've run into, my guess is thaat you're just incidental interlopers into Belcorra's realm down here, in which case we haave no quarrel with any of you."
Kka thinks back and remembers the first drow they'd run into. She snaps her fingers. "Hey! Speaking of drow. We raan into one of you guys a few levels baack. We saved his butt from being eaten by some baad guys. Went by the name of Faalxi Orshendiel and said he'd be waiting for us in Yldaaris, wherever thaat is. He a friend of yours?"
The drow frowns as Cherry Berry explains the situation. It looks like she's going to raise her crossbow, when Kka drops the name "Falxi." She startles for a moment, then lowers her crossbow again.
"Duh, of course you're Feathers. I did not expect multiple tengu to roam down here anyways. Falxi told us you're wandering around down here, says you're good people. He didn't mention your companions, but I guess if you're good, they're good as well."
She drops to a more relaxed pose and pets her spider once more.
"Well, this is a bit of a pickle. Yldaris is a small drow outpost one level below, and Falxi said you're welcome, but you also mentioned you're working to fight Belcorra. You might not have any quarrel with us, but Belcorra hired us to take over the world above. So that technically makes us enemies.
"But I have an idea. Like you said, there's this feud going on between the three tribes that's getting in our way of conquering topside. We're pretty much in a deadlock here. If we attack one of the other tribes, that'll weaken us both enough that the final tribe can defeat the both of us. If you were to eliminate either tribe, we'll consider you allies. For the time being, of course. How's that sound?"
She smiles enthusiastically, as if she didn't just suggest wiping out an entire tribe of humanoids.
Kka is pleased that dropping Falxi's name bought them some goodwill. "Ah, so he's one of your bunch then, is he? I guess he wandered a few levels faarther up than waas good for him. Lucky for him we found him before it waas too late."
She then purses her lips as if in distaste. "Belcorra hired you to help her take over the world above, then? Thaat's definitely too baad... for you thaat is. Means your life expectaancy and that of your drow friends is likely a lot shorter thaan you'd hoped for. Whaatever she's paying you isn't enough. I'd reconsider your deal with her before it's too late."
"Fortunately, you haaven't actually taken arms up against us surface dwellers yet or you'd be gaasping your laast in a pool of your own blood right now. How about this for a deal, then; you drow don't mess with us while we go take care of Belcorra, and in return, we won't mess with you... for as long as you don't mess with the surface, thaat it."
Kka pauses a moment, then decides to sweeten the deal a little. "And though we can't agree to pro-actively eliminate either the caaligni or the urdefhaan for you, we will definitely defend ourselves with vigor if they were to attack us first."
The carvings are in Elven, which no one can read.
Kvit lingers back at the elven script, appearing to mutter to himself. Before rejoining the rest in time to catch Kka "subtlety" threatening someone again.
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The carvings are in Elven, which no one can read.
---
Kka, your tone is very threatening for someone not wanting to roll an Intimidation check. I'm not gonna penalise you for it, but I will warn you that she might not like that tone.
I know the words look threatening on paper, but in this case, Kka isn't using the Intimidating (Darth Vader-like) voice she'd use if she were actually intending to generate fear.
She's instead talking in a matter-of-fact (not-exactly-friendly but also not-especially-unfriendly) tone meant to merely inform the other person of the facts of a situation.
Kka presented her deal in the same tone that someone would if they were initiating contract talks on a business arrangement. Not in a take it or else or offer you can't refuse sort of way, more of an airy I don't really care one way or another way.
But, yeah, Kka is no diplomat and even in otherwise casual conversation with friends, some will find her bluntness and focused intensity a little rude and combative, even when she's not trying to be. That's just the way she is.
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"I'd like to hear your proposal at least," Cherry says. "And the details of the situation."
Kvit chimes in with an idea to get them a little more information.
"A third option, if I may, if we were to weaken the other two, what targets would you suggest? I think we could get them to fight each other easily enough."
"Excellent," the drow beams. "Look, I don't really have the final say here, let me bring you my boss, he can decide for us. Zhirax, stay."
She pets the spider one final time, then leads you to another room to the southwest. There's another door to the southeast that's slightly ajar where pained screams come from every now and then.
This large room might have once been richly appointed, but it’s now full of mold and decay. Shattered furniture covers the floor, and tattered, mildew-specked tapestries hang from the walls. At the north, curtains obscure a wide bay window made of what looks like transparent stone.
Five more drow are in this room, standing around a table. The drow walking alongside you hails them.
"Heya boss, got an interesting issue for you. I found these four snooping around, say they're friends of Falxi's. He says they're good people, but I just found out they're here to kick Belcorra's incorporeal ass. My first instinct was to shoot them full of holes, but then I thought they could be a 'neutral fourth party' that could solve our territory was for us., in return for us turning a blind eye at their intrusion. Whaddaya think?"
The drow with the bow (Orange on the map) looks you over and is silent for a moment. "And you say these surface-dwellers are interested in helping us in our turf war here? From my experience, many topsiders are burdened with things such as 'morals' and a 'conscience.' Are you sure they're okay with a little bloodshed?"
Though he's talking to the drow woman, he looks at you when he says it.
Kka scoffs, then in an impersonation of the drow boss's voice, repeats his words back to him. "Okay with a little bloodshed?!? Are you kidding me? We've left rivers of blood in our wake as we've worked our way down to this level. If you're looking for bloodshed, then you've found the right people."
She then gestures to the drow woman. "But, as we told your lieutenant here, we don't kill things unless they give us good reason to do so. So far, neither the caligni nor you drow have done that. If that urdefhan prisoner we ran into is anything to go by though, I expect they'll be far less talkative than you guys and will probably try to kill us on sight, in which case they'll get what's coming to them."
Kvit is both interested with and annoyed at the mischaracterization. "Morals and conscience only apply towards those not intending on destroying the "surface-dwellers" and their cities. We've accomplished plenty of bloodshed on the way down here, including some urdefhaan and caaligni so far."
Cherry frowns then shrugs. "I'd rather we not fight at all. Belcorra doesn't seem to be the type to treat 'minions' well. Even if, if, you conquer Otari, you know who your nearest neighbor would be? Absalom. Know who has conquered Absalom? Nobody."
The drow leader waves away Kka and Kvit's concerns. "Pfff, of course you weaklings don't want to incite violence yourselves. That's fine. As you guessed, the urdefhan will solve that moral quandry for you themselves. We're currently interrogating one of them, but he's not exactly forthcoming with information."
He nods to the door opposite you, where screams and curses are currently coming from.
"They'll happily attack anyone without clear skin, so go nuts on them. If you don't want to harm the caligni, that's fine, they're holed up in their own little stronghold. We'll deal with them eventually. But if you could return to us with the head of the urdefhan war hero Khurfel, we'll consider you temporary allies. For now. Otherwise, we won't let you pass back up."
He looks at Cherry Berry. "You make a good point. We have heard of Absalom, and we will take the necessary precautions. But Belcorra has promised us many reinforcements if we give her Otari. Absalom will not stand a chance with our forces combined, trust me on that. So you'd better succeed at your mission quickly, before we succeed at ours."
Kka scoffs internally at the drow's words. "Yeah, right! Belcorra might be able to take Otari with the help of these losers, but even with a dozen Belcorras leading the charge, they wouldn't get very far going up against Absalom."
"Wait up a minute. You said something about not letting us pass baack up. Does that mean the urdefhaan and this Khurfel guy are down one level? Hmm... that complicates things a little."
She turns to the others. "I'm not sure we want to be heading downstairs without fully exploring this level first. There's that whole lake area to the northwest we haaven't haad a look at yet."
"Hmm, that complicates matters. As I said, due to our agreement with Belcorra, we cannot let you go. But, let's say we capture you and order you to do our dirty work for us. It's only reasonable to let you guys rest and resupply. Throwing you to the urdefhan unprepared would be a waste of everyone's lives, no? We don't break our agreement with Belcorra, you get to prepare, and everyone profits. Well, except the urdefhan. What do you think?
"Well then," he starts without waiting to see if you agree. "I have three tasks for you, my captives. First, we want to tame that big-ass spider that's lurking on the ceiling just outside. Iribo, take these wretches with you and get me that spider."
The woman who escorted you here salutes.
"Second. We're running low on arrows. We can order more from our settlement deeper underground, but that'll take time. Go back upstairs and get me a hundred arrows. Here, use this." He digs in his pocket and throws you a single gold coin.
"Tomorrow you report back to me, give me my arrows,and I'll send you downstairs to deal with the urdefhan. If you don't report back to me on time, we consider you deserters and we will hunt you on sight. Now, get out of my eyes."
---
Kka catches the coin that the drow tosses at them and it disappears into a pocket. She gives a sloppy salute in return. "Sounds like plaan. We were going to take care of the spider anyway. We'll be baack with the arrows tomorrow." "Yeah, right! Not a chance, bub. Thanks for the gold though."
Turning to the rest of the group, she says, "Okay. We're done here. Let's go." She starts heading for the way out of the drow warren.
Kvit doesn't wait around and follows Kka out before anything happens. They could decide which faction(s) to interfere with later without the drow staring at them.
"Giant spider, no problem. We've seen worse."
As they approach the area... "The only thing I know about giant spiders is they have a lot of eyes. I have something to try and confuse it. Though getting up to it still might be a problem. Would you like to levitate Kka?"
"I don't like them." Cherry says as the group moves on. "Their assurance seems unwarranted in a situation where they seem to have every disadvantage."
"I can let one person walk on air," Cherry states, after Kvit talks about the spell.
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As you stand close to the spider's territory, the spider clicks and hisses as it senses your ill intent. It spits a glob of venom at you as a warning, which catches Kka straight in the face. She shrieks as the venom burns her eyes, and you quickly retreat. Cherry Berry does a quick round of first aid, but after half an hour, Kka's eyes are still swollen shut. Between Kka and Cherry Berry's combined expertise, you come to the conclusion that Kka needs long-term medical care, or she could lose her vision permanently. So you go back to Otari and see if the church of Erastil can take care of her.
As you're in town, rumour quickly spreads that one of Otari's heroes is gravely injured, and a throng of people gathers around Kka's sickbed, asking when she'll be better and what happens to vanquishing Belcorra now that Kka's incapacitated. The head priest of the church shoos everyone away, saying Kka needs rest and is forbidden from adventuring for the near future. The crowd slowly dissipates, leaving behind a familiar figure...
Dorianna stands there this time wearing some travel clothes, her hair in better shape than before, the griffin toy that you once saw on her lap is sticking out of her bag
"Oh no, what have happened to Kka, will she be all right?" she asks with her eyes wide open. "Lough, Cherry, Kvit it is great to see you, I once again wanted to thank you for saving me ... that was an odd time in my life"
You can see that she is prepared like she would be heading somewhere, her bag holding travel supplies, herself having a staff.
Kvit, already concerned for Kka, despairing that the mission is on hold until she recovers, and despairing that there wasn't time to waste, turns to see the familiar Dorianna standing in the room.
His tone is a bit terse, maybe more than he intended even. "Hello Dorianna. She will be fine eventually." Maybe not before this whole town is overrun...
...
Sneakers scampers over to a chair nearby the girl and climbs up on top of the back to reach almost eye level with her. "Where you off to miss? Vacation? A long way away from here?" His voice lowers a bit conspiratorially , "Probably a good idea."
Dorianna throws a glance at the figure standing at the wall, a tall woman which if you looked right was semi-translucent. "Vacation? No, not really." the girl says shifting in place
"You see, when you freed me my dreams did not end but I saw her in them. Soon I learned this is my old relative, or a spirit of my relative Aesephna Menhemes, who was part of Roseguard." Dorianna let the message sink
"Aesephna tells me that I need to help you defeat Belcorra, as she can't find peace if that monster is not put to rest once and for all."
When Dorianna explains the spirit moves closer, a tall and muscular woman looks at you all "Well Roseguard were taller and looked a bit ..." she tries to look for a word but stops to not offend anyone
"As Dorianna mentioned I am Aesephna, when I learned that Dorianna is in trouble I tried to do what I could to aid her, but you helped her sooner, for that I am in your debt. I will help her with her gifts but for her to grow and reach her potential we need to defeat Belcorra, and I am ready to aid you in that. We need to destroy that creature!" says Aesephna and you can see similarity between the girl and tall ghost, the same set of eyes similar way of moving, just one is bigger and more muscular version of the other.