Session0068

==June 21st==
Arriving in the Underdark via their magic painting, and inadvertently triggering a trap in doing so, the party finds themselves in a cavern being flooded with lava by a pair of salt-powered constructs, presumably made by Kajido. The party successfully destroys the constructs and escapes the chamber.
After escaping the chamber, the party takes some time to rest and heal from the encounter. While resting, they discuss their plans for after dealing with the Earthstar, and how they intend to address the Morningstar and Asmodeus. XVIII says that they will not be joining the party when they go after Asmodeus, as they have things that they need to take care of before their pact with the Raven Queen comes to fruition and they must leave the Material Plane.
Pepper tells Jack that Lo is pregnant, and the two discuss their future. 
XVIII suggests to Jack that when it comes time to stop the Morningstar's ascension, that the two of them should try to separate Avourel Orion from her and deal with him separately. XVIII suggests that Avourel would be weaker alone, and also explains that they would like to be present when Avourel dies to ensure that both he, and the souls that he has captured, end up where they belong in the afterlife. Jack questions XVIII about whether or not they will be obligated to take Djinni to the afterlife, and says that he will not allow XVIII to do so, as he needs her soul, though he doesn't reveal the details of his arrangement with Heartsong to resurrect Djinni by merging her soul with a version of her from another universe. 
The party continues to discuss XVIII's pact with the Raven Queen, and tries to come up ideas for ways that XVIII could get out of the arrangement. Louche suggests requesting a favor from the Lady of Pain, or using the psalm of absolution to release the Raven Queen's grasp on XVIII temporarily. Frog suggests sending XVIII to another universe via the Star Road, which Heartsong confirms would be possible. XVIII nonetheless says that they do not regret anything about their life and the ways things have happened, and they don't want to run away from the pact.
Having concluded their rest and healing, the party begins searching for the Earthstar. They navigate a tangled series a subterranean tunnels and caves, wherein the air is filled with the spores of the Earthstar, and the surfaces are coated in slime and fungus. While exploring, they encounter the mycelia of the Earthstar. They briefly study the mycelia, deducing that they connect to the Star Road, and that touching them would be incredibly dangerous. 
Eventually, after the party gets lost in the caves and is unable to find their way, Ice casts a find the path spell, and the party follows the spell toward the Earthstar. The spell eventually leads them to a subterranean river, which they follow to a large cavern that appears to the be the central hub of the deep myconid's colony. Within the chamber, they note that there are several demons present, as well as monster corpses animated by myconid spores. Notably, some of the deep myconid are making contact with the Earthstar's mycelia, seemingly without harm. 
As Falgron is attempting to scout the chamber, he is spotted by one of the demons, and battle breaks out, as the demons and deep myconid attack the party. During the fray, Frog is forced to drop the Star Shard, causing Louche, Malkoth, Ice, and his familiar to leave the radius of its light. All of them besides Malkoth become infected by the Earthstar's spores, which causes them to begin mutating grotesquely. 
Category:SessionLog