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Previously on War for the Lost Plane

Starring:
Kaelan, level 15 tiefling Monster Slayer Ranger/Fiend Warlock
Scarlet, level 15 human Oath of Devotion Paladin
Gillian, level 15 triton Champion Fighter, College of Lore Bard
Kethra, level 15 half-elf Assassin Rogue
TIM, level 15 warforged War Domain Cleric

We carefully pass by the mutant giant, his oversized eye watching us the entire time. The tingling sensation I felt when casting the simple cantrip suddenly explodes with magical energy.

I glance back and see TIM, who had also cast a spell to impress the creature, feeling similar effects. Rycresh had warned us about the chaotic magic of these caves and how they respond to magic.

I watch as TIM’s wooden-metal form turns to a purple hue, and yellow splotches break out all over his body. I feel an oddly magnetic sensation as all the mushrooms on the giant’s wall suddenly throw themselves in my direction.

The fomorian’s eyes grow wide. He grabs his club and advances on us. “You stealers! Get out of my cave!” The lumbering giant charges at us. 

Without hesitation, TIM throws his newly purchased magic rug on the ground in front of us. The giant hits the rug at full speed only to stop as if it hit by a wall. It blinks several times, then lays down and closes his eyes as the rug gently curls up around him.

“I guess that was a good purchase after all,” I say.

Following the Slaad ambush, we delved into the nearby Twisted Caverns, a labyrinthine cave network filled with mushrooms, fog, and lingering chaotic magic.

Surprisingly, our first several encounters weren’t hostile. We saw what looked like a mutated giant humanoid calmly eating mushrooms and steered clear.

Kethra stumbled into a small cave room with an odd bird-like figure who referred to itself as The Kikimora. The Kikimora was interested in trading, and had several potions and magic items.

However, it wasn’t interested in coin or gems – it desired a piece of us. For the potions, a portion of our “restfulness,” and for the items, a part of our memories!

We were mostly interested in information about the slaad and the dungeon, but it would require a trade to get it to divulge. Scarlet stepped up for a potion, and the friendly yet creepy bird locked eyes, draining some of her stamina, and incurring a point of exhaustion! She gained a potion of detect magic for the trade.

TIM bravely risked the memory drain. A similar eye-locking life-drain took place, and TIM lost the ability to read people’s emotions, losing proficiency in Insight! He was able to choose from one of three magic items, a staff of “cloud walking,” boots of “teleportation,” and a rug that “puts people to sleep.”

TIM chose the rug, and discovered it had the power to knock any creature unconscious just by touch (and a failed CHA save). Kaelan attempted to cheat the system by offering up Styx’s stamina for the other potion (Comprehend Languages), and the Kikimora accepted. Styx wasn’t happy, and hung onto the potion himself.

Satisfied, the ragged bird revealed that some slaad had been seen leaving the caves, and before that, a “ball of light” had entered. He revealed that the nearby giant was friendly, or at least non-hostile, and knew the caves. The area directly to the south was dangerous and full of enemies, but there was a river we could follow to safely reach the slaad.

Not wanting to sacrifice any more of our training or stamina, we backed out of the cave and visited the fomorian. He was indeed friendly, if a bit obsessed with his mushroom collection. TIM and Kaelan had to cast cantrips to paint his mushrooms to prove their friendship.

The fomorian allowed us to pass to the river, but after casting the cantrips, the wild magic of the caves sparked to life. TIM turned a shade of purple with yellow splotches, while Kaelan temporarily became a low-powered magnet, drawing objects closer to him. Unfortunately that pulled the mushrooms off the fomorian’s wall, and he grew angry. We failed to calm him down and he charged, club raised!

D&D

Acting quickly we threw the Slumber Rug out in front of us. The fomorian failed the save, gently laid down, and went to sleep as the rug curled around him. TIM was sad to lose his rug, and we promised to return to retrieve it, and deal with the hopefully less-cranky fomorian.

We reached the river and used our Folding Boat to cross, with Scarlet rowing and singing. She’s gotten quite good at this! The river seemed to wind further east, but we parked it at a nearby bank to the south when we spotted slaad tracks leading into a tunnel. TIM grabbed a large mushroom top that matched his odd coloration and placed it on his head.

TIM the mushroom man walked through the tunnel and emerged into a cave and a pair of slaad having a conversation.

The slaad were animated but not hostile as they approached TIM, unsure what to make of him. Kaelan had Styx hurl the language potion at TIM, and TIM understood that the slaad found him hilarious (and possibly delicious) as they approached. TIM allowed one of them to take a bit out of his mushroom hat as he reached out to cast Tongues.

Thanks to the spell, TIM was able to have a full conversation with the blue slaad. Once again he had to use Thaumaturgy to entertain and pacify a creature, and once again the wild magic of the caverns affected him – this time causing to him spew glitter everywhere, including all over his body.

TIM the glitter mushroom-man.

The ridiculous disguise proved effective when speaking with the slaad, who gave us some critical information. We quickly realized this was not the same slaad that had ambushed us while sleeping the night before – these slaad still had their control gems. The slaad revealed that the “ball of light” was a celestial being that had stripped many of the slaad of their gems, and was controlling them.

We can reach it (and presumably, the controlled slaad) by going south. The blue slaad chuckled that we should head directly south from here and run into the “faking slaad” where we’ll surely be killed, though begrudgingly mentioned that the river would also take us there.

TIM the glitter mushroom-man thanked the slaad for the stirring, informative conversation and backed out of the cave, returning to the river. So far we’ve managed to avoid much of the cavern’s dangers, a trend that we’d like to continue!

MVPC – TIM

Post-session live discussion:

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