Chaostracized

Thumbnail for Season 2 Chapter 43 featuring Erica

## Synopsis

In Season 2, Chapter 43: Chaostracized, we battled our way past quippers, electric eels and even a small cave-in to arrive at the exhaust pipe coming down from the Shade assembly.  At that point it was time for the group to split – Graven and Pockets breaking off to the left while Safira, Erland and Orba followed the tunnels to the right.

Progressing slowly and carefully, things were eerie yet uneventful until we came across some severed sea spawn limbs – and though we prepared ourselves for the worst, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the bloated faces from the northern shores of Anti-Suyu had come to assist Orba per her request.

Upon learning of our intentions, the faces placed an undead spirit in our service to protect us as we traversed the caverns.  This spirit, Avril, had apparently been a sorceress in life and died during a self-inflicted explosion of wild magic decades prior – but despite the potentially unpredictable nature of her spells, we were grateful for the help in an area that we were entirely unfamiliar with.

Our first major hurdle came just moments later when the next room contained a few lingering sea spawn, but a well-placed hypnotic pattern from Avril kept most of them dazed and disoriented while the rest of us dashed to the other side.  This was only the beginning of our creature troubles, however, for the next chamber boasted a terrifying hulking crab that was so well-camouflaged we didn't even detect its presence until we were almost within its reach.

This colossal crustacean stood in the way of the only exit, but the environment proved to be just as big of an obstacle – with a small ridge comprised of loose rocks that both Erland and Safira struggled mightily to ascend.  This opened up a painful opportunity for the crab to clobber us with its claws, but thankfully it was slow enough on land that once we got beyond its reach we were able to outrun it with ease.

After that, a tight corridor filled with oversized barnacles gave us the impression that one false step might once again put us in danger – and sure enough, some chuuls hanging from the ceiling were more than happy to pounce on us after our intrusion.  As we turned the corner, a fog cloud kept them occupied long enough to cover our tracks – and within the next series of tunnels, Avril had an epiphany about where we'd ended up.

With memories flooding back to her, she realized this particular cavern was where she'd met her demise – a sudden surge of wild magic overtaking her as she did battle with a creature of the shadows.  To finally be allowed to rest, she needed to defeat this beast – and while we may have had the option to simply run while Avril provided a distraction, we chose to stand by our spectral guide and fight the darkness head-on.

In addition to picking a hallway that acted as an effective choke-point, Avril's spells were especially volatile here and Erland came through with a series of devastating blows at just the right time.  The shady centipede-serpent got in a few good slashes and demonstrated the fear that its fog could instill, but it was no match for our steady onslaught of might and magic – and when it fell, Avril felt herself untethered from her extended suffering.

The very next chamber contained the valve we were searching for, so we waited for the telltale rumbling of cleansing air being pushed through the pipe before giving it a forceful rotation and turning back.  As she disappeared, Avril released one last surge of wild magic that thankfully was a boon rather than a threat – and while we started our sprint back to reunite with the others, we asked ourselves…

## Trivia

* Natural one count: fifteen natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 1 each by Jordan and Riley, 2 by Matt, 5 by John, and 6 by Erica. Across both Seasons, this Chapter ranks highest in number of nat 1s rolled in a single session.