Session 35

Karayan raised his staff, made of glossy black stone with a polished skull at the top. When he swung it, a ripple of green energy followed, striking Caeli and draining some of her life force. Then held his action.

Mavka, still cradling Karaa's head in one hand, used the other to trace a glowing orange rune on the ground, then slammed her hand into it. There was a brief moment of silence before a faint shrieking grew from it, erupting as several giant bats emerged from the rune and began swirling around her and Karaa to protect them.

Zeema, sensing some undead presences behind Gossamer, took a deep breath and then roared out a cloud of some kind of black poisonous acid.

Helio almost cut the head off of the zombie and pushed it into the pool, but it stepped back up and tried to drag him in with it, to no avail.

One of the shadows grabbed Mavka by the throat, trying to strangle her. It drained some of her life force and weakened her. Four of the bats attacked the shadow in retaliation, and it started to fade as if it were disappearing.

Gossamer cast silence on Karayan, and Caeli continued attacking him while he was stunned. Mavka tried to charm him but failed, and he just laughed (silently). Mavka instead began pulling Karaa toward the exit; the shadow lunged at her as she passed, but the bats kept it from hitting her.

Zeema stuck her hand into one of the shadows and cast shocking grasp, sending silver lightning shocking through it as it let out a pained groan.

Gossamer took two shots at Karayan; the first ricocheted off his helmet, but the second sunk deep into the flesh just above his collarbone. Helio took two swings at the zombie but missed both times. One of the shadows tried to hit Caeli, but missed. The other hit Zeema, draining her life force and weakening her.

Four of the bats tore apart the shadow that tried to hit Caeli, while the other four circled around to protect Karaa and Mavka.

Karayan stepped off the platform and out of range of silence, sinking into the pool of green. The green liquid seeped into his staff and he swung it around his head with a shout. Everyone took a lot of damage from a sudden awakening of shadows. When he stepped up onto the ground, a cloud of green gas erupted into being. Caeli tried to get out of the way, but fell into the green goop, and some of her life force seeped into it, glowing. Caeli then levitated him back into the sphere of silence.

Mavka tried to see if Karaa was still alive; she was cold to the touch. She cast healing word on Karaa, and then cast cure wounds on herself.

Black, smoky flames burst out of Zeema's hand as she nearly vaporized the remaining shadow.

Gossamer shot Karayan in the kneecaps, and he tried and failed to wrestle free from Caeli's levitation.

Mavka cast erupting earth on the throne directly beneath him, sending debris and green goo flying. Gossamer and Caeli were caught in the crossfire, and some of the green liquid splashed them, draining their life force and siphoning it to Karayan.

Gossamer tried to shoot Karayan, but the goo made the arrow sticky and she missed. Her second shot hit.

Karayan finally broke free of Caeli's levitation spell, and he pulled a lever somewhere that made the green pool start rising. Caeli leapt up to the balcony. Mavka checked on Karaa again; her eyes were moving underneath her eyelids, as if she were dreaming. Mavka threw Karaa over her shoulder, wildshaped into a warhorse, and bolted for the stairs. Gossamer followed. Zeema flew up into the air with her cool dragon wings, and Helio tried to leap onto the balcony, but the zombie finally hit him, pulling him down.

The bats swarmed around Karayan's head as he turned around to leave. He just said "This has been fun," and left.

The goop started rising and Helio got stuck in it until Zeema was able to get him up. Mavka cast water walk and the party was able to walk on the green goop without any ill effect, and they made it to the pyramid entrance just in time. Mavka cast erupting earth once more on the wall of the pyramid, and it burst like a dam. The green liquid seeped into the dark earth.

They were in the underdark. The pyramid looked as if it belonged there. Mavka put on some gloves and took some samples of the plant life, then cast pass without trace and sent her bats scouting ahead. When they returned a few minutes later, they led the group to an area with more life than there had been at the pyramid. There were stalagmites and stalactites, with giant mushrooms, glowing algae, and purple vines.

The group tried to hide as much as they could, then sat to take a long rest. Gossamer took the first watch. Although there was life, there was no movement, and there was a cold feeling on the back of her neck, but nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary.

Mavka took the second watch. She cast mending on Karaa's broken ribs and her mangled hand and she started to wake up. Mavka brought Karaa up to speed about the events of the day and then asked about the memories she saw. Karaa said she needed to think about it. When Mavka asked her if she wanted to sleep, Karaa said it was safer if she didn't.

Karaa said her family, her order, died because of her. She was given some kind of power, against the wishes of some of that order, and if they found out she was here they would probably try to kill her. Apparently Karaa's sister had been the one to block her memory, and Karaa said she wasn't supposed to remember it yet.

Karaa led the group through the wilds of the underdark. She was very experienced in this terrain; though her face was stoic, her hands were shaking. Mavka held one of them, and Karaa flinched, worried she'd hurt her, but she didn't pull away. Gossamer checked up on Helio and Caeli.

Karaa led the group to a crumbling stone gazebo that she said was a spiritual oasis of some kind, and that most things would stay away from it. The group set up camp and Mavka and Gossamer split watches again. During Gossamer's watch, Karaa jolted awake and bolted out of the gazebo.

Gossamer went after her, but Karaa yelled at her to stay back as a white light erupted from her chest. She started floating in the air and white lightning struck out from her, hitting Gossamer and hurting Karaa herself. Mavka woke up and ran outside, moving toward Karaa, but Karaa yelled at her to stay back. Once the light had faded, she cast cure wounds on Karaa, and the group decided to leave to avoid unwanted attention.

The stones became more gritty, as if it were sandy. Karaa led the group to a cave with sharp stones. Gossamer took the first watch and saw some shadows and heard some screeching and wailing. She sent a message to Feviss asking if she was safe, and Feviss responded saying she was on her way. Mavka took second watch and just noticed something moving in the sand.

Karaa woke up and said it was time to leave. She said she didn't want to endanger anyone else and that she'd be better on her own. She told the party that her city's name was Vilthar, and the lake was called Galdarth. Karaa said she wanted to stay behind to figure out her new powers.

Gossamer messaged Feviss again and told her to meet them at the lake.

Karaa asked Mavka to keep an eye out for her sister, Agna. Mavka had a goodbye talk with Karaa.

They arrived at the lake, and Feviss was there in a rowboat, too. She had a beetle-slug thingy which she started butchering when she arrived on the shore, berating the group for being so stupid.

The slug was full of a slimey goo that Feviss was shoveling out, pouring into a certain shape. She said there were many things trapped under the lake, and that it's probable that one of them was trying to break out. She also said that an abeloth, like the kind that the orb was from, might have the kinds of answers we were looking for. She was digging as she talked, and eventually hit some kind of iridescent glass.

Caeli jumped through, followed by Helio, then Gossamer. Mavka gave Karaa her old flute, a hug, and a kiss, then helped Zeema jump through before jumping through herself.