On the Ropes & Down the Slopes

## Synopsis

In Season 2, Chapter 19: On the Ropes & Down the Slopes, Safira's quick reflexes kept her free from the grasping vines that burst forth from the ground – and with a look of horror, Praxis identified the threat as what he called a "Snow Creeper"; an especially dangerous species of carnivorous plant native to the mountains.

Ordering us to make for the high ground, Praxis broke into a full sprint and we followed suit – but it wasn't long before some of us became entangled by the extensive network of tendrils throughout the cavern, forcing us to stop and hack our way out… even if sometimes it meant catching our allies with a stray attack in the process.

Erland's speed allowed him to separate from the pack and he was the first to reach the staircase leading up, but heading down a cold hallway alone seemed like a dangerous proposition in his condition – so he waited on solid ground for others to catch up and tried to get a read on where the source of the massive plant was located.

With the lower level fast filling up with thorny obstacles, Orba, Graven and Praxis were forced to abandon the usual route and head for the rocky walls in an attempt to climb.  Each ledge was more precarious than the last and Graven found himself struggling to find safe footholds, but with time everyone made their way to the second floor – just a stone's throw away from the exit to the surface.

Despite Praxis's warnings, we pivoted our plan from escape to extermination after locating the heart of the carnivorous flower – a decision fueled in part by the sudden, insatiable hunger that passed over Erland… a sensation not felt since our detour through the Last Sip in the Chaki Mountains.

He'd come back at one point to help cut Graven loose when he was struggling with the vines, but our decision to go on the offensive was a step too far for Praxis – who gave one last look back before abandoning the cause and heading for the passage out.

Unsurprisingly, his reservations were well-founded – for the closer we got to the source, the more dangerous its defenses became.  Instead of just barbs, the plant began slinging globules of poisonous dreck that whittled away at Erland and Orba – but a steady stream of arrows from Safira cleared the way for Graven to enter the chamber and unfurl a room-filling Fireball that burnt every branching limb to an impotent crisp.

Giving into his appetite as he had before, Erland fed on what remained of the plant – which despite its bitter taste seemed to unlock a stronger resistance to the septic energy coursing through his veins, a deceptively powerful enhancement to his existing set of unusual skills.  From here we rushed to the surface, where in the dark of night Praxis was relieved and surprised to find all of us still breathing – but with the cold setting in our attention turned quickly to finding shelter for the evening.

After a very brief "lesson", we strapped the slides to our feet and embarked on our first ride down the mountain – a surprisingly smooth endeavor for the most part where Safira showed off her natural athleticism, though we tempered our excitement knowing that this was merely a precursor to the more difficult slopes to come.

We arrived at the cave that Praxis had picked out as a safe spot to rest, but there was plenty still left to discuss before we could sleep.  Praxis provided us with a map of the Eastern Skybowl and imparted the most recent scouting information as well as some general advice about the terrain, but the specific route we'd take was ultimately our decision.

During our watches, Erland had a discussion with Safira similar to the one he'd had with Graven the night before, elaborating on what he'd learned from Ortiz in the Northern Stouthills – and our cleric capitalized on what magical energy he'd preserved by using the Sending spell to contact Josco Tibbets, though a creeping feeling in the back of his mind made Graven believe his communication may have been overheard by a third party.

The morning came and it was time to say goodbye to our guide, but not before pointing us in the right direction and we shuffled off toward the more challenging slopes of the Skybowl.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: four natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 1 each by Anthony and Jordan, and 2 by Matt.