C1 Session 35: Burrowing Dangers

  The group stands in the large cavern in Coldharbour as they discuss their situation and what options lay before them. Ra'Giin casts Leomund's Tiny Hut so the party has shelter and camouflage while they sleep. As the spell is complete, the Kahjiit's body slowly disappears as he is encompassed by the hut. Ridil is amazed by this magic and everyone enters to settle down for the night. Ra'Giin explains that this hut will keep them safe and hidden as long as a creature doesn't dispel the magic. Sixx decides to keep watch during the time of the night that he is not in trance and begins bandaging his self-inflicted wounds. Ridil approaches him and asks Sixx why he hurts himself. Sixx tells him that is a difficult question to answer but that he walks the line between life and death in order to get back to a lost love. Ridil turns his attention to Svaela. He is concerned for her and asks after her well being. She responds that she will be ok, but that she has been through a lot. All the of events of dying, being resurrected, losing Drathis and coming to Coldharbour, if she were to think too much about all of this, she would go crazy. Ra"giin approaches her, looking into her eyes and tells her it is unwise to not think of everything. He explains that he understands the loss she feels but how can she be certain the feelings she has for him are all her own and not some trick he pulled over her. Svaela breaks down in the middle of the hut and begins sobbing. Ridil offers her wine, to which she drinks. She cries for so long, she ends up falling asleep, holding Ephyra's hand and weeping. 

Ridil and Ra'Giin begin talking about how they are going to find their way out of Coldharbour. Ra'Giin speaks to Sixx and asks him which side he is on, moving forward from his past, and using his abilities for good. The rest of the party lays down to sleep as Sixx takes his watch. He watches as Ronk, YukYuk and Stul forage for more food and eventually curls up and sleeps in the cavern. 

When everyone wakes, Ra'Giin begins casting another spell as Ronk brings the group mushrooms for breakfast. He tells them that food is hard to come by here and that they need to take food when they see it. Ephyra decides to look for food as Sixx follows close by for her safety. She finds a fungi called Fire Lichen, which is spicy but is completely edible. The goblins scout ahead in the multiple tunnels, one of which Ronk tells them not to go down, another has webs throughout. That leaves the party with two tunnels to choose from. Ra'Giin asks Ronk about a way out, or less dangerous paths. He tells them that one tunnel will take them to the city of Darkfort, one will take them to Mythmoor, an underground lake...almost. It is more a series of waterways that extend from the large underground lake that those use for travel beneath Coldharbour. Sixx mentions that taking the waterways would make them harder for Rhys'Von to track. The group decides to begin their journey to Mythmoor, a few days travel. YukYuk, who had been down one of the tunnels, comes running out and up to the group telling them their friends are coming. The group begins to gather their things and move as the two goblins are inviting themselves along with the group. Ra'Giin says his farewells to Ronk. Ronk asks if he finds a way back to Blackmarsh to let him know. 



The group leaves hastily. YukYuk and Stul stay in front and behind the group respectively to help scout and keep watch. Ra'Giin also sends Fira out ahead and she eventually flies back to tell him telepathically that there is a cliff. Once they make it to the cliff they notice it isn't a drop off as they were expecting, rather, it is a 50 foot wall with a bundled up rope ladder resting at the top of the ledge. Ra'Giin sends Fira to the rope ladder to attempt to knock it down. She is able to just get it nudged over the edge, but it gets caught halfway down on the jagged rocks. Ephyra remembers she has Mage Hand and uses it to drop the ladder the rest of the way. The group climbs, for some it proves difficult, but they do all make it to the top of the cliff. They decide to pull the rope ladder up and store it in Ra'Giin's bag of holding in order to slow down Rhys'Von's pursuit. The group decides on one of two tunnels before them after the goblins tell them its clear a few hundred feet down both tunnels. The group travels for hours and hours. As they do, Ra'Giin uses his sending stone to speak with Vredic and Silas. To Vredik he tells him to make sure Nirius's body is preserved and safe, and mentions the book on Ephyra's bed and the danger it poses that he is to take and keep safe. To Silas, he asks if she has offered any advice to him, to which Silas tells him that she has been silent. 

During the time traversing the tunnels, Ridil and Ephyra come across bones scattered throughout and a rotting corpse, of which Ra'Giin takes and casts animate dead. During Ra'Giin's spell to animate the corpse, Ephyra and Ridil feel the ground begin to rumble and they catch everyone's attention to tell them to run. A huge Remorhaz bursts out of the ground in front of them and they immediately begin to fight. The gigantic burrowing monster proves to be a challenge, causing damage to the goblins and some of the party. Ridil attempts to find a way around the Remorhaz to continue forward, but most of the group is blocked by the creature and cannot get out. Ephyra is able to discern that the Remorhaz is immune to fire and cold and Ra'Giin casts Banners Wrath, dealing gamma radiation damage on the creature. Ephyra casts Bardic Inspiration on Svaela and Sixx uses his Crimson Rites to further attack the creature. Ra'Giin casts Inflict Wounds while having Fira cast Shocking Grasp, both of which causing major damage to the Remorhaz. Ridil takes the final blow, killing the large insect-like monster. 



Sixx and Ephyra both take meat from the creature for everyone to eat, and with the amount of foraging Ephyra does the rest of the day, each member of the group has enough food and water to last them 6 days. Ra'Giin finds a pile of bones with a pouch. Inside, is an unfinished map of Coldharbour. The surface of the plane is complete, but the underground, where they are, is complete up to Mythmoor. Ra'Giin takes the map in order to help the group through to the underground lake. 

Having fought the large Remorhaz and traveling for what seems like the majority of a day, the group is spent. Ra'Giin sets up Leomund's Tiny Hut and the group settles down for the night. Ephyra, wondering if the map is safe, casts Detect Magic, though the map doesn't emit anything. Ridil remembers the metal box he found that Svaela has. She returns it to him and he is finally able to open it. He finds a spell page, a gem, ruby dust and a flask that purifies water. Along with everything, he also finds a headhunter contract for someone named Tithyd. Sixx offers to complete a short watch while everyone falls asleep. He takes the map and decides to illustrate the groups run in with the Remorhaz. He is very proud and excited to show Ra'Giin in the morning. While he is drawing, something catches his eye....a large black, winged, horned creature walks past the hut while the group sleeps. 

Upon waking, Sixx hands over the map to some mixed reactions. 

After journeying forward, the group makes it to Mythmoor, a vast black lake with waterways and tunnels extending every which way, strange creatures dotting the edge of the waters and two boats before them on the shore.



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