Session0069

==June 21st==
At the nexus of the deep myconid colony in the Underdark, the party battles and defeats the deep myconid and demons present, keeping one deep myconid alive for questioning at Falgron's request. In the process of the battle, Louche becomes mutated by the Earthstar's spores, and temporarily loses control of his body. Even after being cured and regaining control of himself, Louche's mutations remain.
The party takes some time to rest and heal after the battle. As they do, XVIII speaks with one of the souls of the slain deep myconid, utilizing a newfound ability to communicate with the souls of the dead granted to them by the Raven Queen. They discuss the myconids' fate in the afterlife, the nature of the Earthstar, and the nature of death. 
Meanwhile, as the party is healing and recovering from the fight, they begin to hear movement and commotion coming from various tunnels branching off from the central chamber of the colony where they currently are. Falgron warns that the deep myconid communicate through their spores, creating a type of hivemind, such that the rest of the colony is likely aware of the party's presence. Deciding not to linger longer than necessary, the party uses some quick healing magic, then continues in search of the Earthstar, following the subterranean river and Patches' find the path spell. They decide to leave the unconscious deep myconid behind, rather than keeping it for questioning.
Pressing onward, the party follows a cave network alongside the subterranean river. Hearing movement behind them and deducing that they're being followed, they decide to block the path behind them, and Louche uses dynamite to cave in the tunnel.
Continuing further into the caves, the party starts to see an increasingly dense presence of the mycelia of the Earthstar. They also pass by a number of shrines bearing the holy symbol of Araumycos, at one of which they find a deep myconid in some sort of communion with the Earthstar, touching its mycelia and unaware of its surroundings. After taking some time to examine and study the situation, the party moves on. 
As the party is traveling, Heartsong emerges at Odell's request, and answers some questions about the history of the Earthstar and its corruption of the Star Road. Heartsong explains that in order to destroy the Earthstar and prevent its corruption of the Star Road, the Star Shard must be plunged into its core. This will end not only the Earthstar's threat to this world, but by extension, its threat to the other parallel versions of this universe that are corrupted by it. After some discussion of multiverse theory and the nature of other universes and possibilities, Heartsong returns to Frog. 
Eventually, the party arrives at a colossal cavern where the subterranean river disappears underground. As they begin exploring the cavern, they find that it is inhabited by monsters, and they also spot Benny Barracuda and Shroob on a high cliffside, upon which they can see the core of the Earthstar. The party battles their way through the monsters and toward the Earthstar. Along the way, several party members begin to become infected by the spores of the Earthstar, the presence of which seems to weaken the Star Shard. Simulatches - Patches' simulacrum, is destroyed in the fray.
As the situation begins to grow dire for the party, XVIII makes it to the top of the cliff and slays Shroob, as Frog makes it to the Earthstar's core with the Star Shard. Frog plunges the Star Shard into the Earthstar, which begins to shrivel and wilt away, as its spores begin to incinerate. In the process, Frog touches the Earthstar, and is pulled out of the universe and into the Star Road.
In the Star Road, Frog sees the Earthstar's corruption being purged from countless doors leading into other parallel versions of his universe. Heartsong emerges and thanks him for saving the Star Road, and offers to allow Frog to proceed into any door of his choice, which could lead to any universe, or any version of his own universe. Frog decides to return to the same universe he came from, and Heartsong leads him toward the appropriate door. Along the way, they pass by Patches (Deity)'s Citadel of Candles, where Patches and Tamrius Grimm are preparing to depart. Heartsong explains that Patches arrived in the Star Road through unknown means, and has been unwilling to explain his arrival or his nature to the astral spirits.
After nearly an hour of travel, Frog and Heartsong arrive at the door, and proceed back into Frog's universe.
Upon arriving, Frog discovers that almost no time has passed. The Earthstar having been destroyed, Benny Barracuda attempts to flee, but the party catches and kills him. Afterwards, they retrieve the abyssal plane shift tuning fork from Shroob's possessions, and then teleport out of the Underdark and back to Mycorrhiza.
Arriving back in Mycorrhiza a little after midnight, but still affected by the psalm of awakening and as such not requiring sleep, the party spends the remainder of the night resting and recovering. During this time, Odell completes the rune of divine transference.
Meanwhile, in the wilderness of the Alviren Empire, Gragnok, who has been escorting Grenfi Nackle and her troop back from Mimrinoth to Ossidia, awakens in the middle of the night, finding himself in a dark demiplane with Avourel Orion and Thalien Omadithas. After a brief confrontation, Gragnok is mortally wounded by Avourel, with some assistance from Thalien. In Gragnok's last conscious moments, Avourel assures him that it is not over, and produces one of his glass orbs that he uses to capture the souls of the dead. 
==June 22nd== 
Category:SessionLog