Session 03

Date range of Session 03

## 34th of Duoary

### Trouble in the Mines

The session opened in the depths of the Xeros Mine, with Deitrick, Amanita, Balthazar, and Electra Shimbleshanks fighting through fungal-infested passages.

Amanita and Balthazar noticed the wind blowing through the tunnels seemed to rise and fall, like breath, indicating that the entire mine was alive and a single, living organism. Deitrick, slightly apart from the group, saw a huge amalgamation of rotting vegetable matter approaching the party, and both he and the nearby Balthazar saw a vision from their childhoods, dark visions that filled them with the sensation that they should leave the mines. After Balthazar killed another shambling plantwalker, Deitrick unleashed a *fireball* on the huge creature. To his surprise, the mine’s mycelium roots seemed to absorb the orange light of the spell. The creature then climbed onto the roof, shambled over to Deitrick and uncoiled root-like tendrils from above. It struck Deitrick and enveloped him in its roots, slowly drawing him towards itself to eat him. Amanita rushed over to stabilise the now dying Deitrick, but she could do little to bring him back to consciousness. Balthazar directed a powerful *confusion* spell on the creature, giving the trio time to save Deitrick.

Electra, meanwhile, having decided to split from the party, headed north, where she witnessed even more horrors. She saw the corpse of an elven man in commoner’s clothing fused to the fungal growths in the walls and two eyes peering out of a pool of brackish water. A large, almost crocodilian creature emerged from the water and moved to attack her. But Electra, with her charms, enthralled the creature, ordering it to “head north”. The creature approached the corpse and connected glowing blue mycelium tendrils to its head. The corpse opened its mouth, and a guttural voice replied, “Yes”. Electra, terrified, dashed back through the passageway, swearing profusely.

When she returned to the group, she saw Deitrick unconscious on the ground and a small thread of mycelium beginning to find purchase on his head. She responded by immediately casting a *healing word* and bringing him back to consciousness. Deitrick, now awake, thrust *Hope’s Abandon* into the ground, revealing its monstrous true form. He summoned the barbed devil Pyrocast from the earth and ordered them to kill the creature. Pyrocast jumped into the gaping maw of the fungus creature and began tearing at it from the inside. The confused creature fled from the group, taking the devil with it.

Amanita then spotted the creature Electra had run from and immediately fired two spore blasts towards it, breaking the charm the cleric had placed upon it. As the disenchanted creature bounded down the hall towards the injured party, Electra used *Amnesty* to cast *seeming*, making all four party members appear as fungal plantwalkers. The creature slowed to a halt, sniffed the air around the group, and then shambled away, satisfied that they posed no danger. While the party was safe, Deitrick refused to linger a moment longer in the mines. Casting *longstrider* on himself and telepathically telling Pyrocast to continue fighting or flee, he dashed back through the mines and teleported back to the entrance, leaving his new companions to the mercy of the mines.

Amanita cast an *identify* spell on the nearby remains of a plantwalker and discovered a combination of the spells *plant growth* and *raise dead* had been used to create the creature. She also noted that the fungus seemed to be operating similarly to the Celium Network, with the entire cave system being connected and the fungus appearing to be a cousin of the Sisterhood’s Network. She warned the party not to touch anything.

Balthazar, having been momentarily separated from the group, returned to find a group of fungal plantwalkers. However, Electra’s luscious lashes and poor imitation of a plantwalker’s shambling quickly revealed the creatures to be his companions. The party then split into two to cover more ground, with Savos and Balthazar heading south and Electra and Amanita heading further north.

All three quickly found themselves approaching the heart of the fungal network. They saw more dead bodies fused to the fungus, including a raven, a nobly-dressed toad and a knight with missing arms. The toad and knight bore the heraldry of a golden fish. While Electra claimed to know the symbol and remarked to Amanita that the toad and knight were members of the “order of the shiny people,” Amanita recalled seeing the symbol in the memories. She recognised the toad as Rismath Tunley of the nearby town of Goldenscar. Upon hearing this name, Balthazar realised that the toad had visited Morozova Manor several months prior before mysteriously vanishing.

As he made his way through the cave, Balthazar seemed mesmerised by fruiting bodies of glowing green fungus. He proceeded to pop each one he saw, triggering surges of wild magic. On one occasion, he saw a vision of himself as an old man attempting to cast a teleport spell before sundering himself in two.

The trio continued to follow mycelium threads towards a central chamber filled with more bodies and a large, pulsating chrysalis. Balthazar recognised one of the bodies as that of Jane Parlence, the cobbler who had made his shoes. To free her, he set a bonfire under her feet, but the room began to shake as the fire touched the fungus. They also noticed what seemed to be members of the Divine Church and a toad priest who appeared to be breathing. Amanita approached the toad and attempted to slowly pry away the mycelium connected to them with her knife. Once again, the room shook, and the chrysalis started to crack. Panicked, Amanita ripped the toad from the wall, almost killing them in the process, before quickly stabilising them. At this point, the chrysalis began to open, and Balthazar conjured a watery sphere. But there was nothing they could do.

From the chrysalis, a figure emerged, a horrific being of lichen and mycelium shaped in a skeletal form. It was a “creature not yet ready for this world”. Amanita, Electra, and Balthazar were struck with terrible pain and some force that rendered all three unconscious, if not dead. Before her world went black, Amanita felt mushroom flesh hit her face as her companion Savos exploded before her.

The trio found themselves plunged into a dark dreamscape, peering over the cliffs of the abyss and seeing only darkness and mountains of madness. These were sights they were never meant to see.

### Deitrick’s Escape

Meanwhile, Deitrick, having rested for about an hour, started to fear for his companions’ lives when his myconid-esque appearance disappeared. He yelled, “Is anyone alive” into the open mine and, hearing no response, decided to head back to Pinewatch. When the townspeople asked whether more people should be sent to the mines to help with the infestation and aid his companions, Deitrick responded for them not to bother, claiming that more lives would be lost in vain. Then, he returned to Morozova Manor.

About three hours after leaving the mines, he arrived at Morozova Manor. He was greeted by Tobias, who seemed confused to see him back alone. Deitrick remarked that “something terrible [had] happened” and claimed his friends had sacrificed themselves so he could escape safely. Tobias seemed unconvinced by this account and led Deitrick to Alexander.

Alexander was unimpressed and simply inquired whether he had lost another man. Despite the lies he told Tobias earlier, Deitrick relented and told Alexander the truth – that he fled to save himself. Alexander seemed even less impressed, suggesting the tiefling should have stayed in the mines with Balthazar and the others. Rather than dismissing him, Alexander stared into his orb until Deitrick left his sight.

Deitrick then sought a friendlier face in Baghra, who gave him several healing draughts. He told Baghra about his ability to aid her in making the potions and revealed everything he had seen in the mines, including the mycelium network’s apparent ability to absorb mana. Baghra seemed concerned about the situation in the mines, organising a group of guards to visit the mines and imploring Deitrick to help his companions. Deitrick begrudgingly agreed.

When they arrived at the entrance to the mine, Baghra took a sample of some fungal remains, but as they delved deeper, they found the tunnels empty of any plant life. The only signs of the struggle were a few smears of blood on the floor and a small golden bangle, which Deitrick recognised as Electra’s. Baghra, believing Deitrick’s account, seemed perturbed by the mines and simply stated, “We should leave this place”.

As evening approached, Deitrick decided to keep his promise and dine with Mayor Eliza Brook. He held nothing back, telling the mayor the full details of what happened. She seemed disappointed and confused by his decision to leave his companions and attend the date after such tragedy. She left early. The date could have gone better.

After these stressful events, Deitrick contacted his associate, Mornon, to aid in future matters in the Shadowfen.

## 49th of Duoary

### Waking Up

#### Amanita

Meanwhile, about three days' travel to the north of Pinewatch, Amanita awoke in a damp marshland deep in the jungles of the Shadowfen. Above her was Sister Morel, a small Raven woman in the veiled vestments of the Sisterhood, who appeared to have cast some healing magic on Amanita. Amanita immediately began asking for her new friends and her companion Savos,before warning Morel of the twisted mockery of the Network she had witnessed in the mines. Morel was deeply concerned and left immediately to warn the Sisterhood in Greensgood. Amanita – perhaps recalling the last time she was left alone in the depths of the Shadowfen – began to make her way back towards Morozova Manor.

Upon returning, Amanita asked simply for some time to herself. She summoned a new companion, the warrior Sir Miros, to assist her in any coming conflicts. After some time, a stranger knocked on her door and introduced himself as Mornon of the Court of Fire. The young tiefling asked about Amanita’s experience in the mines, and she described what had happened. He recalled a story from the Ashlands about one of the Eldari families who had attempted to do something with the Network. It was said they created an abomination not too dissimilar to the creatures Amanita described. Amanita was horrified and noted that the Sisterhood had lost contact with their already disconnected Ashlands Network many years prior. She asked for his aid and to speak with individuals from the Ashlands, but the tiefling seemed to have little contact with the region’s peoples.

#### Balthazar

Balthazar similarly awoke in a strange location, in a hastily built cage guarded by the Morozova butler Fobb. When he came to consciousness, Fobb immediately let him out of the cell and fitted him with clothes, food, and fresh water. The butler revealed that Balthazar had “not been [him]self,” leading the mouseling to theorise that he had been doing something harmful to himself or others.

Upon arriving back at Morozova Manor, he remained mute and headed straight for his room. Where he locked himself up alone. As the fear began to consume him, Balthazar heard a small voice in the far corners of his mind. The voice sounded somewhat familiar – almost like the voice of his subconscious. It told him not to fear and suggested that he needed to be stronger. The voice urged him to seek out the book *Root and Stem*, an artefact that would make him stronger. When Balthazar tried to cut his connection with the voice, he failed. The voice simply said, “You know Alexander mistreats you; he treats you as weak”.

#### Electra

Finally, Electra found herself in the boughs of a tree, woken by a message in her mind. The authoritative voice of Deuteronomy boomed, telling her, “*Get your shit together. You are an embarrassment to your family. You need to return to your station. I hope you haven’t died*”. Electra, shaken and dishevelled after three days without any kind of self-care or beauty routine, simply screamed that “*There’s killer fucking mushrooms here, and nobody told me about them*”. In an attempt to keep her composure, Electra cast a disguise on herself and made her way back to the Manor.

When she arrived at Morozova Manor, she claimed to have been on a retreat. But she was fooling no one. They informed her that they had noted her disappearance to the Shimbleshanks in the Frontier. She also encountered Mornon and storming towards him, she proclaimed that Deitrick was “a shady little shit” for leaving them in the mines. She told Mornon that she never wanted to see Deitrick again and warned him to tell his associate to stay out of her way.

### Dinner at Morozova Manor

Once again, the party found themselves in the Manor’s great hall for dinner. When he appeared, Balthazar seemed to be acting overly cheerful, but both Amanita and Electra, having shared in the horrors of the mines, saw through his act. Electra produced the freshly washed and groomed Colossus, who had survived the ordeal, and Balthazar hugged the dog tightly. Amanita awkwardly plucked a small bioluminescent mushroom from her cloak and handed it to the mouseling, assuring him it would be a constant light even in the darkest cave. Most concerningly, Balthazar and Electra, who had previously not shared any language, could comprehend each other perfectly. However, they did not seem to share any telepathic abilities.

Zanz or Vanz Kan Danz, who had not performed previously due to the “tragedy” of their disappearance, entertained the guests for the evening, performing simple card tricks and other such illusions. About halfway through the show, Balthazar felt a stabbing pain in his chest, as if something was forcing its way out. A fungal root burst from his chest, rapidly spreading from his tiny body. Baghra immediately ordered for Balthazar to be rushed to the infirmary. Amanita, Electra, and Mornon followed in close pursuit.

Before reaching the infirmary, Baghra turned to Amanita and asked her to retrieve an object which could save Balthazar’s life. She told her to access the Greenhold and find the tome titled *Root and Stem*. Amanita agreed, rushing towards the Greenhold. Casting *speak with plants*, she asked for access to the hold on orders from Baghra Morozova. The door acceded but warned the Sister to “listen not to the whispers inside”.

Inside, she saw a wealth of magical objects and relics, including the pulsating green heart of the house itself, a wooden pedestal displaying Root and Stem, and a glowing, aurora-borealis-like crystal in which she glimpsed the shadowy figure from their dreams. Distracted for just a moment by this crystal, Amanita heard a voice commanding her to retrieve the book, give it to Baghra, and then return it to Vanz Kan Danz. The voice also commanded her not to speak to anyone about her actions. Without the will to refuse, Amanita agreed and took Root and Stem from the hold.

Meanwhile, at the infirmary, Baghra began mixing together a concoction to help Balthazar. Cancerous mushrooms continued to sprout from Balthazar’s head and mouth. Electra told Baghra everything about the mushrooms and, in an attempt to pacify the cancerous fungus, cast a charm monster spell on the growth, ordering it not to move. The fungal growths seemed to obey her and remained still. By this time, Amanita had returned with Root and Stem, and Baghra was able to cast a powerful spell on the plant. The growths became spectral, and Baghra lifted the creature from Balthazar’s body. Before Baghra destroyed the fungus, Electra noted the incoherent consciousness of the fungus and recognised that its only need was to grow. Baghra then handed Amanita Root and Stem to return to the Greenhold.

Rather than return to the Greenhold, Amanita located Vanz Kan Danz, who was standing in a nearby hallway. When she offered the book, he took it hesitatingly as if expecting a trick. When he realised there was no trick, he bolted through a door and into the night. In his haste, he left behind his mouse companion Precious. When Amanita tried to assist the mouse and lift them up, the mouse polymorphed into a person, who threw Amanita across the room and rushed through the door, yelling, “Karlton what the hell are you doing? Don’t leave me behind!”.

When Amanita returned to the infirmary, Baghra offered both Electra and Amanita potions to drink to expel the fungus from their bodies, leaving Balthazar and Baghra alone for a moment. Baghra began to theorise about the fungal growths, explaining that the Morozovas were not always so magically gifted and noting stories that spoke of the origin of their powers. But she refused to talk more of such matters. She reassured the mouseling that he had done his best and seemed impressed that he had survived such a strange and powerful infection.

Amanita soon noticed a slight draft in the room, which seemed to be coming from the wall – an exterior wall. Confused, Amanita once again communed with the plants of the house. But there was no reply. Not even a consciousness. The house was dead. At this time, several guards appeared, informing Baghra that Vanz Kan Danz had broken into the Greenhold and stolen *Root and Stem*. The old woman theorised that he must have snuck in behind Amanita. Giving Mornon, Balthazar, Amanita, and Electra each a *longstrider* potion, she urged them to chase after the thief.

The session ended after a series of harrowing events, with the party poised to chase down the feline magician-turned-thief.