Session0027

Episode 0027 - Being Mortal
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**Setting:**

Taruki Jungle - Death Cap Temple - Inika Village - May 4th-6th, 211 AW
**Synopsis:**

* As they depart Death Cap Temple, the party is attacked by Drez and Shriarsiss, who try to take Pepper from them by force, nearly killing him in the process.
* The party defeats and kills Drez and Shriarsiss, and decides to take their heads to Ntambu to report what happened to the Oubutu council.
* In Ntambu, the party reports the events at Death Cap Temple to the Oubutu, and learns that Shriarsiss seemingly manipulated Drez into seeking Pepper.
* Their business in Ntambu concluded, the party travels to Inika Village to search for the water elemental nexus and the Psathyrella Circle, as described in the Fable of the Thousand Year Door.
* In Inika Village, the party speaks with the locals, and learns that the leader of the Psathyrella Circle, Silvertooth Bradley, perished in battle against an elemental called Lord Sashimi, and was replaced by his successor, Jonathan Jones. They also learn that the village's Mycorrhizan ambassador, Marasmius, went missing around the same time.
* The party meets with Jonathan Jones, who explains that after Lord Sashimi killed Silvertooth Bradley, he rallied the Psathyrella Circle and defeated Lord Sashimi. Ever since, Jones claims, the elementals and monsters in the region have heeded his command.
* At the party's request, Jonathan Jones and his archdruid Whitebeard Wyatt lead the party to the water elemental nexus, located within a cavern at a shipwreck graveyard on the floor of Shipswallow Bay.
* As the party begins investigating the elemental nexus, Jonathan Jones locks them in the cavern with the nexus, and Whitebeard Wyatt summons Lord Sashimi to attack them.

## May 4th

Within the final trial chamber of Death Cap Temple, the party regroups from their battle with the elementals, and gathers the Chaos Core and other treasures left behind with the statue of Myriostoma. As they are investigating, Heartsong briefly emerges from Frog to look at the statue of Myriostoma. Jack, Frog, and Heartsong discuss Jack's role in the Fable of the Thousand Year Door, and the nature of fate in bringing Jack and Frog together.

After regrouping and gathering their things, the party proceeds back outside Death Cap Temple. Outside, they discover the Drez, along with several other gnolls, has staged an ambush. Drez demands Pepper be given to him, and the gnolls attack.

As the party battles Drez and the gnolls, Shriarsiss also appears, seemingly having been disguised as a tropical bird, and comes to Drez's aid. As the battle progresses, Drez and Shriarsiss try to convince Jack to hand over Pepper by threatening to kill his friends if he doesn't comply. Eventually, Shriarsiss uses a *heat metal* spell on Jack's trunk, forcing him to remove Pepper, who is nearly killed by the spell. Frog manages to take Pepper and teleport him to safety, while the rest of the party continues battling Drez and Shriarsiss.

After a tough fight, the party manages to defeat and slay both Drez and Shriarsiss, along with the rest of the gnoll ambushers. Jack removes both of their heads, and the party collects their belongings, including a few magic items.

The party speculates as to Drez and Shriarsiss's intentions, and decides to return to Ntambu to report what's happened to the Oubutu council, in hopes of also searching through Drez and Shriarsiss' chambers for clues.

After regrouping and gathering their belongings, the party makes their way back toward Ntambu. En route, Jack and Pepper discuss the events of the past few days. Jack expresses a desire to find a safe place for Pepper to live, and suggests that they might stay at the College of Mimrinoth for a while when they arrive there. Pepper seems interested in the idea, and also shares his affection toward Lo, who is also planning to stay at the College.

In the evening, the party arrives at Ntambu, where they head toward the Seat of the Oubutu council. Meeting with the council, the party presents the heads of Drez and Shriarsiss, and explains the events that took place at Death Cap Temple. When requested by Baraka, the party agrees to submit to divination magic to ensure they are telling the truth, and the council calls upon an oracle to cast a *zone of truth* spell. Within the *zone of truth*, Jack repeats the story of what happened. The council seems satisfied, and offers their apology for Drez and Shriarsiss' actions. Atherexl proposes the removal of gnoll and yuan-ti members from the council, but the other councilors reject this notion. They also urge the party to remain peaceful and keep what has happened to themselves, to prevent further violence in Ntambu.

Odell asks the council for permission to search through Drez and Shriarsiss' belongings and chambers for clues as to their interest in Pepper, but after some deliberation, the council refuses, citing the importance of respecting their succession process and keeping the local peace. After some discussion, they agree to a compromise, wherein Orchid will search through Drez and Shriarsiss' belongings on the party's behalf, accompanied by Pepper to search for any of Djinni's belongings.

After a brief search, Orchid reports that she found a note written from Shriarsiss to Drez, suggesting that Djinni's destructive power lives in Pepper, and encouraging Drez to try to take that power for himself. Pepper also finds a bracelet that had belonged to Djinni within Drez's possessions, and the council agrees that he should keep it.

Malkoth asks the council if there is a teleportation sigil in Ntambu, but the council says that there is not.

After concluding their business with the Oubutu, the party finds lodging for the night, and settles in to rest for the evening.

During the evening, Malkoth turns Blakjak into a spider, and sends her to search the Seat of the Oubutu for a teleportation sigil, speculating that the council was not honest with him. In her spider form, Blakjak searches the Seat of the Oubutu unnoticed, and discovers a teleportation sigil within a hidden basement chamber.

Later, Odell and Frog also return to the Seat of the Oubutu, and use an *invisibility* spell to sneak inside to search for more clues regarding Drez and Shriarsiss' plans. They carefully search through their chambers and offices, but don't find anything of note, other than the same letter from Shriarsiss to Drez that the council described to them.

For the remainder of the evening, the party rests and relaxes after the day's events. Rye and Jack take Pepper and Lo to catch fireflies, accompanied by Buttonsworth and Princess Porcini. They discuss the events of the day, the relief of being rid of Drez, and what he might have been plotting. Rye also asks Jack about the origins of Djinni's name, speculating some relationship to the elmental djinn, but Jack knows of no such relationship.

Jack confides that he is considering leaving Pepper to stay at the College of Mimrinoth when they arrive there, explaining that he wishes to find Pepper a safe place to live. Rye speculates as to how Jack would be able to use his abilities as a conduit, without Pepper present to provide magical energy. He speculates that the Chaos Core could potentially provide sufficient elemental energy, or that Jack could simply use the magical of the other members of the party. In order to test this notion, Rye asks Jack to try to access the magical energy that allowed Louche to be reincarnated into his mortal form. Jack attempts to form a connection to this power, but it unsuccessful.

At midnight, Patches, who had been gradually sprouting plant matter on his body over the course of the day, collapses into a cocoon, emerging shortly thereafter as a wooden warforged.

## May 5th

In the morning, as the party makes preparations to depart Ntambu, Rye asks Patches to cast a *banishment* spell on him, curious to see if he will be returned to the Nine Hells. Patches casts the spell, but Rye finds that he is transported to extradimensional space.

The party sets out towards Inika Village, in hopes of finding the water elemental nexus and the Psathyrella Circle of druids, and charging the Chaos Core with water elemental energy.

Along the way to Inika Village, Gragnok receives a message written on a *paper bird*. He does not share the contents or source of the message, and destroys it after reading it.

While traveling, at Odell's request, Patches uses a *legend lore* spell to attempt to learn more information about Qaz the Proclaimer. From the spell, Patches learns that Qaz was once a spiritual leader amongst the kuo-toa and grung of Ymana, but was outcast by his people due to his failure to protect them from the corvin. The people instead plotted to worship a grung named Wiik-Wiik and thereby transform him into a deity. By virtue of the nature of the spell, Patches discerns that Qaz is not necessarily a figure of legendary importance in his own right, but rather could be seen as a legendary figure due to his association with the party themselves.

Just after nightfall, the party arrives at Inika Village. As they approach from a distance, they can see that the village is a small commune comprised mostly of small huts, and occupied primarily by inklings - strange gnome-like creatures with squid tentacles in place of hair - as well as some sahuagin. AS the party approaches, a pair of inkling patrols stop them and ask for their identities and business. Frog introduces himself as the Crown Prince of Mycorrhiza, and asks to speak with Silvertooth Bradley - the archdruid of the Psathyrella Circle. The patrols don't seem to recognize the name, but direct the party toward the Boneyard Boozer - a shipwreck that has been repurposed into a communal eatery, bar, and meeting place.

The party heads to the Boneyard Boozer. There, Rye begins playing music for the tavern, and Malkoth quickly befriends an inkling named Reef, with whom he shares drugs and drinks.

Meanwhile, Frog introduces himself to the bartender, Pearl, and explains his business in Inika Village. Pearl informs Frog that Silvertooth Bradley was killed, and that the "crew" - seemingly referencing the Psathyrella Circle - is now led by a sahuagin named Jonathan Jones. She reveals that the Boneyard Boozer includes a private room for crew members only, and offers to tell them about Frog's arrival, then heads to the private room.

A few minutes later, a sahuagin dressed in pirate garb emerges from the private room, and introduces himself to Frog as Whitebeard Wyatt. As the two begin talking about Frog's business, Rye begins playing enchantment-laced music to charm Whitebeard Wyatt. The charm seems to be successful, and Wyatt invites Frog and the party in to the private room to discuss their business.

In the private room, the party finds that Whitebeard Wyatt is accompanied by several other sahuagin in pirate garb. Wyatt explains that Silvertooth Bradley died about 3 months ago, in a battle with a great water elemental called Lord Sashimi. He says that after the death of Silvertooth Bradley, Jonathan Jones became the new captain of the crew, and that Wyatt himself now serves as archdruid. According to Wyatt, after the death of Silvertooth Bradley, Jonathan Jones rallied the crew and slew Lord Sashimi, avenging their former captain. He offers to take the party to Shipwreck Point - a tower of shipwrecks and giant sea creature skeletons just offshore, which serves as the crew's headquarters - to meet with Jonathan Jones in the morning.

Meanwhile, Rye speaks with the other crew members and asks about local gossip and events. One of the crew members, a sahuagin called Henry Fishlips, says that the Myconid Kingdom's ambassador, Marasmius went missing without explanation about 3 months ago - around the same time that Silvertooth Bradley was killed. He also explains that the crew's role in Inika Village is to protect the village from the hostile elementals and sea monsters that reside in Shipswallow Bay, but that ever since Jonathan Jones killed Lord Sashimi, the elementals and monsters have been peaceful, and obey his commands. Still under the influence of enchantment magic, Whitebeard Wyatt also confides to Rye that the crew is responsible for maintaining a nearby nexus of water elemental energy.

Meanwhile, keeping watch outside, Gragnok and Odell notice that the waters near the tavern are teeming with water elementals, which seem strangely docile and peaceful. Odell speaks with an inkling named Islet about the elementals, and she explains that the elementals have been peaceful ever since Jonathan Jones slew Lord Sashimi after the death of Silvertooth Bradley - corroborating the story as told by the crew.

After they finish talking with the crew, the party decides to retire for the evening. They ask Pearl about lodging, and she explains that they don't have much in the way of accommodations. She takes them to the lodgings of the former Mycorrhizan ambassador, Marasmius - a small hut near the Boneyard Boozer - and says that they can stay there in his absence.

Investigating Marasmius' hut, the party finds the magical painting which leads to Mycorrhiza is hanging from his wall. They also find a small chest containing a handful of magic items - presumably his sale inventory - which they take.

## May 6th

In the morning, the party reconvenes with Whitebeard Wyatt outside the Boneyard Boozer, and he takes them to Shipgrave Point to meet with Jonathan Jones. Buttonsworth, Porcini, and Lo remain behind to watch their belongings and mounts.

At Shipgrave Point, the party meets with Jonathan Jones. He relays the story of Silvertooth Bradley's death in battle against Lord Sashimi, and the crew's subsequent slaying of Lord Sashimi. According to Jonathan Jones, as insinuated by others, he killed Lord Sashimi himself, and the elementals and sea monsters have obeyed his commands ever since.

Frog asks about charging the Chaos Core at the water elemental nexus. Whitebeard Wyatt confirms that the crew maintains the nexus, but expresses some skepticism about the party's intentions and trustworthiness. Jonathan Jones expresses similar concerns, insisting on the importance of protecting the nexus from outsiders. He asks to see the Chaos Core, and the party shows it to him.

After some insistence, Jonathan Jones agrees to take the party to the nexus, though he bemoans the lack of support and gratitude that the Psathyrella Circle has received from the Mycorrhizan crown, and complains about not having an ambassador for the past 3 months. Frog assures him that after their business is finished, he'll set things right between Mycorrhiza and the Psathyrella Circle.

Whitebeard Wyatt casts a *water breathing* spell on the party to allow them to reach the nexus, which he explains is located in a cavern on the floor of Shipswallow Bay, about a half mile off the coast. Together, Jonathan Jones and Whitebeard Wyatt lead the party into the water and along the floor of Shipswallow Bay toward the nexus.

Along the way to the nexus, the party encounters a great number of water elementals and large sea monsters, all of which seem to disregard their presence and obey Jonathan Jones' orders. Jonathan Jones leads them through a shipwreck graveyard, and to a hidden cavern entrance located beneath one of the shipwrecks. Within this cavern, the party finds the water elemental nexus.

Observing the nexus, Jack recognizes that it seems to be out of control, apparently unmaintained for a long period of time. He mentions this to Jonathan Jones and Whitebeard Wyatt, but Wyatt downplays the issue, saying that it's been difficult to maintain the nexus since Archdruid Silvertooth Bradley died. Suspicious of foul play or trickery, Jack subtly casts a *dispel magic* spell on Jonathan Jones, but the spell has no effect.

As the party begins investigating the cavern and preparing the charge the Chaos Core, Jonathan Jones closes a heavy metal gate at the cavern entrance, and locks the party inside. Meanwhile, Whitebeard Wyatt begins chanting in primordial, calling upon Lord Sashimi to come to their aid. As he does, a colossal water elemental enters the cavern. Jonathan Jones says that he can't let the party ruin his "arrangement," saying that Shipswallow Bay belongs to him, and Lord Sashimi prepares to attack.