Expedition 132: The Threshold to Mechanus

## Summary

The Party enters nexus, Fights four Gorgons follows a stream of Modrons back to a threshold stone linked with a portal Mecanus Ranag hears a voice calling to them and we enter the portal, we have to do paper work, and fight an insane sphinx before talking to a Dao named Demmeron.

## Detailed Description

**Gonertons Nexus Log: 1.**

*Nexus is far more strange than I had thought.*

The scrambled writing outside of Nexus doors seems unchanged since the compacts first findings. I hypothesis the original source of the writing is now inactive. The doors to the wailing league nearby remain shut though the strange sounds that give it the name are escaping. Ark has instructed mining of living stone can wait and we proceeded into Nexus.

As the doors to Nexus are knocked a strange spacial effect moves us inside. I felt no sense of acceleration the as if the world moved while I stayed put. I suspect the door channels nexus spacial warping properties, or perhaps suppress them so nexus dose not leak into the mage line. Inside we were in the conjuration section and passed by a series of windows I recognize as the elemental plane of water air and fire. I lacked a clear reference point to judge the location the windows open to on the plane of water and air. The window to the plane of fire and many chaired bodies placed on spikes. Its possible these land scapes are illusions but I suspect they are true portals. Unfortunately the chaotic nature of nexus deterred me from trying to open one as all exits seems to force creatures in or out.

we counted further down the hall to a continual stream of Modrons the stream forked to our left into three more streams and came from a similar fork to our right. I guised this was the primary supply of modrons for the tower and was interested in the source. Ark informed me in dwarvish that the Modrons attacked anyone speaking common. At the moment the modrons seemed non hostile so I prepared a ritual to let us communicate telepathically. As I completed the ritual four gourgons came from the direction of the modron stream. One breathed on Me an Ranag and we began to petrify. The experience was horrific I believed we would all die there turned to stone and eaten by the monsters. Ark'fayed valiantly teleported me out of danger as my limbs began to calcify. Finn stunned two of the creatures with a hypnotic pattern and Ellie moved forward to interposing herself between the group retreating group and the gorgons. With a brief clash of her sword against the stony armor the gorgon hide was shattered and the creature was fleeing. The creatures were vulnerable to thunder damage. Ranag manged to break through the petrifaction and leveled their blast rod at the second active gorgon almost destroying it in a single blast. Ellie finished it off as it fled. we managed to dispatch a third gorgon with ease and pulled the two bodies away as a flood of modrons broke through the clog.

Finn proceed to harvest blood from the creatures for its anti divination properties before we followed the modron stream to its source. Ranag pushed ahead as the modrons tripled in number as we followed the branches. After three more branches Ranag located the source allowing Ark to teleport the party in to a large chamber with a huge teardrop shaped portal that the modrons fell form. A threshold stone hung from the top of the chamber. At the time I didn't question its placement but the threshold stone of the axis of law and chaos is in windhome. Ranag heard a voice call out in their language. We knew that there was a place of great power near mecanus for their god and we suspected this portal was close enough to for them to call out. We took a moment to examine the room and the structure the threshold stone was imbedded in. By my estimation 28 million modron are being summoned and destroyed in nexus each day.

We jugged there was enough space to to fit though the portal on the back of a giant gull and crossed into mecancus. Sound did not transfer through the portal and that was indeed a wise discussion the perfect harmony of mechanus functions was enthralling I lost myself in that devine perfection. As Ark brought me to my senses a mecha Sphinx stood before us asking if we had permission to enter. Ranag said they heard a voice that they believed to be from their god, The sphinx asked again if we had explicit permission unable to satisfy it the sphinx instructed us to come to the containment center. On our way Ranag used the nexus key to contact the voice that had called them. Demmoron instructed us to tell the sphinx they had asked to parley with us. After confirming this with the sphinx we were instructed to enter the containment cube and fill out all the required paper work to correct the damage we had caused. every sound we had produced in mechancus as well as emotional vibes we experienced in the last week needed to be documented. Foreign sound seems to damage mecancus. and judging by the quick response time of the sphinx its addressed very seriously. it took several hours in the contaimenht cube filling out the paper work before it was up to the sphinxs expectations for mortals. Ark and myself found the process though time consuming relatively easy.

once the paperwork as completed we were escorted to a transfer tube insulted from our actions. The Sphinx told us that due to the materal plane being in a chaotic straight they were authorize to grant a boon to restore law. We asked the sphinx to help us restore Saren'rae it agreed if we recovered a weapon burried in mountain. The sphinx then opened the transfer tube and warned us it has not been used recently and to be carful. as we moved down the tube we noticed a destroyed monodrone and spider webs working around the stairs. we decided to feather fall to the bottom to avoid any hazards. the party fell into a web of a spiderfyed mecha sphinx. I suspect separated from the influence of mecanus in the tube was not helpful for its current state. Perhaps it was wounded in a previous conflict with creatures invading mecancus and slowly atrophied. Ark attempted to use Ottos irritable dance but the creature was immune. The poison on ranags blade also was also useless and the creatures mechanical body resisted mundane attacks. eventually though Ranag tore out something vital and let the poor creature fall down the transfer tube. I gathered many of its components on our way down.

We exited on the plane of earth. A Dao waited for us They were the first follower of Demmoron and choose to take the gods name as their own in respect. The Dao guards the border between mecancus and the plane of earth. They provided us with a map of regions where planar bounders were weakening due to the loss of Demmeron. Nexus was not on the map however the Dao was familiar with the portal constantly spitting out monsters. The Dao provided us with a scroll that explained an arcane ritual to mend the damage and we used the rod of refuge to return safely