Ep. 16 - Dark Places, Strange Faces

Get ready for some dark times (seriously, it's a hole in the ground). But what lies beneath the surface? Dig into this episode to find out!

## Plot

The bards and the miners make their way into the bottom of the hole on the S.S Chaos Sauce. They find a path that leads left or right, and many stalacites and stalagmites. Yashee grows nervous at the thought of a cave in.

The group hears flowing water in the path to the right. It narrows, meaning they have to walk single-file. They walk in this order: Wimpy, Randy, Yashee, Raz'ul, Erin, Trish. As they near the entrance, Randy and Wimpy notice an eye open on a stalagmite. The stone grows tentacles which grab Randy, Raz'ul, and Wimpy, and it draws them in as its mouth opens.

Yashee attempts to stomp the tentacle holding randy, but it's too wiggly. The monster takes a bite out of Wimpy's shoulder and grapples Yashee and Trish. Randy attempts to cast a red Chromatic Orb, but misses. Wimpy goes into a rage and tears the tentacle holding him. Trish throws a small explosive at the monster, but seems to miss. Erin escapes the tentacle holding her and starts to run, calling to the others as well. Raz'ul turns into a goat, then a giant badger. Yashee drinks her Diminution Potion and goes into a rage. She attacks the monster's eye, but hits its mouth instead, before following Erin. The monster grows back one of its tentacles and sends it towards Erin and Yashee, but it comes up just a little short. The monster then draws in Raz'ul and noms him a bit. Randy pulls out his daggers and slashes the tentacle holding him. It releases him and he runs to the others. Wimpy attacks the tentacle holding Trish, tearing it off. Raz'ul bites and claws the tentacle until it releases him too, and he runs to join the others. Yashee tries to twist one of the tentacles, but it's too twisty. She then dashes into the passage with everyone else, and they escape the monster's range.

Raz'ul casts *pass without trace* to avoid future unexpected conflicts.

The bards marvel over Yashee's new, smaller size - in between the heights of Randy and Raz'ul. She feels less claustrophobic due to her smaller size as well.

Heading forward, the group moves more stealthily. The passage is oddly smooth. It winds for a ways before opening into a large cavern. There is a slight bioluminescence lighting the darkness beyond Randy's drift globe. There is the sound of water running, and also lapping on a shore line.

The group sneaks towards the water, finding a well-worn path among the beautiful cavernous displays. They find a crossroads near the stream. To the left, it dips into darkness. To the right, there is a hut. The miners are marvelling over the rocks, as Raz'ul asks them about the hut. Raz'ul wonders if the hut is related to Jermaine somehow. The group sneaks up to the hut. It's warmer in that direction, and the hut turns out to be part of a larger 'shanty-town' beside the shoreline. There is no light inside or anywhere besides the walls, and Raz'ul calls this town 'First Basom'.

Inside the hut there is a days-old half-eaten fish. Randy wonders if the arrival of the meteorite did something to the people here.

At the sound of splashing on the shoreline and a gasping noise, the group head outside and see a creature, hunched over and looking around. It has fishy eyes and tentacles hanging from its mouth. It has smooth skin and a tunic of sorts. It is also grabbing its throat. Raz'ul runs up to the creature and, assuming it to need water to breathe, pushes it into the water. Upon seeing that that didn't work, Raz'ul grabs its four-fingered clawed hand and helps it up. He sees it holding their throat and realises it's choking. He tries to do the Heimlich maneuver, but is unsuccessful.

At this point, Yashee goes to help Raz'ul and randy runs towards them and together, they clear the creature's airways. A squid with a bite mark lands on the ground. The fish-person tries to talk to the bards, but finds they cannot understand its language. it says 'God behind the door' in elvish, which Raz'ul recognises. The fish person decides to cast a spell to let itself speak their language.

They introduce themselves as Gil and ask if the bards are 'believers or heretics' of the God Behind The Door. Gil also mentions a 'surface girl' who came down and 'looked terrible' but 'didn't really heal', and claimed to be the God Behind the Door returning. Randy connects this girl to Jenny, and the bards agree to investigate. They express interest to Gil in this. Gil explains how their high priests took the girl to the holy place and the Door, and how she then took all of Gil's friends and family away. The bards offer to bring back Gil's family and friends if they can take them to the door. The miners watch this exchange without offering a word.

The group follows Gil upstream to a grotto. The grotto contains a large, intricately carved stone door, with a stone border, and water flowing from beneath it. There's a differently carved stone beside it with different markings. Another rock beside it has been turned into an altar of sorts, and there are other altar-stones with gifts such as fish, shiny stones, and other smelly odd offerings.

Gil explains the typical ritual that will summon the God to open the Door. The bards decide to try their own 'ritual', invoking their ensemble magic to break down the door.

Their magic shakes the room and batters the door without effect. As Boom Queen starts laying out sticks of dynamite, the door begins to rumble and slide. A gust of cold air comes from the door. From within, out walks a group of Gils. A shadowed figure walks out from behind the Gils. The figure is tall, wearing robes, with large eyes and four long wiggling tentacles. It greets everyone in the room by name. The alien creature looks at the bards and wonders if there are 'problems yet for this planet', if the surface dwellers are anything like their ancestors. When Raz'ul mentions Jenny, the figure introduces itself as Jenny, the Goddess behind the door, (slurping noises), and Squidvicious.

## Song - "Rock Apart the Rocks"

### Chord Dice (minor)

* A minor as given
* D minor
* B diminished
* F

### Drum Roll

* Tails/user bank: 40 - rock 43
* Kit: 26 - hex kit

### Lyrics

*Let's Break it down!!

Toppling, tumbling

This door is now crumbling

Our rock is a force

That starts up the rumbling

These sound waves are striking it

Right at it’s core

We’ll crank it up louder

And open this door!

Rock apart the rocks, rock apart the rocks! (4)

Knock it to the ground

We’re bringing it down

No doorway is safe

When the sauce is unbound

So get yourself ready

'Cause our sound is a force

These beats are blowing up

And we are the source

Rock apart the rocks, rock apart the rocks! (4)

(Instrumental break)

Rock apart the rocks, rock apart the rocks! (8)*