Episode 397 - Fungal Fortress

With the previous hiccup cleared up the gang heads deeper into the Abyss. Will they find Aludra ad Jaela and whoever else is being held here? Will the forces of darkness continue to halt their progress?! I CERTAINLY DO NOT KNOW!

## **Story**

### Long Story

It's been a weird couple of episodes. Toby got mind controlled and began creating strange illusions that attacked his friends. Lahni fought a weird serial killer. But all that's over now, as Toby regains consciousness and wakes up. As does Rowan, who's a little disoriented. Skud is wounded, but he heals himself and everyone else. From around them, a creepy, insect-like sounds reverberates. It's clear they need to gtfo of here, and how best but to fly. Toby has his Broom of Flying, which he attaches some rope to for some of the others. Skud, Eckhart, and Lahni hang on to the rope, climbing it, being *Levitated* as well, and holding a shield beneath heer as if she's air surfing, respectively. Meanwhile, Daisy carries Bucky and Rowan.

The mushrooms are getting bigger, and more poison-colored. Up ahead, is a mountain with a giant morel mushroom, which is actually a castle, the holes serving as windows/entrances. And it's swarming with demons. Fortunately, they are able to find a less populated entrance to entrance at. Toby wants to disguise everyone as dirtier creatures, to fit in, but (also fortunate), they haven't showered in, well ever, probably. Anyway, they stinky.

Anyway, they land in what they assume is an empty hallway, but soon, Bucky hears a strange noise. They look up to find a hideous, goopy, tentacle-y mushroom slime creature attacking them! Oh no! Rowan zaps it (and Bucky, Lahni, and Eckhart) with a lightning arrow, Lahni punches, Eckhart slashes, and finally, Skud casts *Spiritual Weapon* to make an identical copy of the slime (but smaller) up next to it. This finishes the thing off. Phew. That was gross.

Bucky wants to take some of the slime for himself, to do drugs with. Lahni licks the slime to test it, even though she's immune to poison. Suddenly, an incredulous look comes over her face...

### Short

The group spends some time deciding how to get to the castle, and then significantly less time actually getting to the castle. Upon arrival, they are almost immediately attacked by a gross slime creature, which they handily defeat. Lahni licks some of the lime, and we won't find out what happens until next episode! (They don't this is forgotten about)

## **Trivia**

* It's true. The Wiki is new. But the love? The love is the same as ever...

## **In This Episode...**

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - Toby Treacletart
* Jennifer Cheek - Rowan Grey
* Mike Bachmann - Skud Derringer
* Nika Howard - Lahnik "Lahni" Caplain

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Bucky
* Eckhart Dayhammer

### **Locations**

* The Abyss
	+ The Slime Pits

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [On-Hold] - Stop Tiamat!
* [Active] - Destroy The Orb!
	+ [Active] - Find the final missing piece
		- [Active] - Investigate The Slime Pits of The Abyss
		- [Active] - Find/Rescue Adira Harper, Aludra Wyrmsbane, and Jaela
	+ [Back-burner][Toby] - Deal (or no deal) with Vecna
* [Side-line][Boris] - Restore the used Planar Crystals that power The *BTS*
* [On-Hold] - Return to Catherine Beanlord's graveyard in The Elemental Plane of Earth get the body of Tuck Frump
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Great Colosseum in Caer

### **Quotes**

* **"Blue birds have blue babies, and red birds have red babies. What kind of birds have no babies? SWALLOWS!"** ~ *Nika Howard!*

* **"MisterRed, thank you, for your service."** ~ *Jennifer Cheek, you're welcome*

* **"It was definitely, the most intense swirly I've ever given. I MEAN, THE *ONLY* SWIRLY I'VE EVER GIVEN!"** ~ *Skud*

* **"Can slime even eat an ass?"** ~ *Mike Bachmann*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Bachmann - 2?
	+ **Nika - 18**

* **Rowan** rolls *Survival* to tell what creatures are about
	+ 14 - This is a well-tracked area, and there are a lot of "monster-y" footprints in the ground. Demons, specifically

* Everyone rolls *Perception* as they come up on the giant morel
	+ **Skud** - 25
		- The morel is a castle!
	+ **Lahni** - 23
		- The morel is a castle!
	+ **Rowan** - 12
		- Sees nothing

* **Toby** rolls *Sleight of Hand* to disguise them all as something that might live down here
	+ 14 - They already look dirty and gross

* They all roll *Perception* to look out for imminent dangers
	+ **Lahni** - Nat1+11
	+ **Skud** - 24
	+ **Rowan** - 18
		- They find an abandoned hallway, with no one in it

* They all make a WIS Saving Throw
	+ **Skud** - 21
	+ **Rowan** - 23
	+ **Lahni** - 24
	+ **Toby** - Nat20

*Combat Begins vs Mushroom Slime Thing*

* Initiative
	+ **Rowan** - 22
	+ **Toby** - 13
	+ **Lahni** - 12
	+ **Eckhart**
	+ **Bucky**
	+ **The Slime**
	+ **Skud** - 2

*Round One*

* **Rowan**
	+ Casts *Lightning Arrow* (at 4th level) on The Slime - 17
		- * Hit - ~~24~~ 12 lightning damage {resistant to lightning} + 8 radiant damage
			* Also requires DC 18 DEX Saving Throws from everyone in the AoE
				+ Lahni - 29
					- Success - ~~9~~ 4 damage *(I think)* {resistant to lightning}
				+ Bucky - 18
					- Success - 9 damage
				+ Eckhart - 10
					- Fail - 19 damage
	+ Ranged Attack against The Slime - 28
		- Hit - 19 damage

* **Toby**
	+ Casts *Blindness* on The Slime, requiring a DC 22 CON Saving Throw (with advantage)
		- 22 - Success
			* No effect
	+ Casts *Misty Step* to move away from it

* **Lahni**
	+ Monk Punch vs The Slime {x4} - 30, 29, 26, 26
		- Hit, Hit, Hit, Hit - 52 Mustard damage

* **Eckhart**
	+ Slashing Sword Attack vs The Slime - ??
		- Hit - some damage

* **Bucky**
	+ Moves away

* **The Slime**
	+ Tentacle Punch Attack vs Rowan {x3} - 20, 20, >20
		- Hit, Miss, Hit - 36 Acid damge
			* Also, Rowan uses 1 Tattoo charge to get an Opportunity Attack with her Dancing Rapier (with advantage)
				+ 28 - Hit
					- 22 damage, and uses another charge to do 10 Necrotic Damage (and gets those back for herself)

* **Skud**
	+ Casts *Spiritual Weapon* up by the slime that looks exactly like the Slime, but smaller, and it attacks - 25
		- Hit - 15 damage - *Kills it*