I've been having some trouble getting these started recently, distracted by other things, but I'm hoping to get back on track and do at least these weekly D&D write ups.
Last time on D&D: Fei angered the forest fighting a banshee, and on following up she found a lich's amulet along with Sy and Cassian. The three eventually destroyed the amulet, but only after shenanigans had properly ensued.
"All I'm saying is that this shows I am stronger than a lich, and therefore I should be able to be history's first good lich," Sy explained patiently as she walked back to camp.
"There has never been a good lich! Lich's are inherently evil! Why did you just confess you wanted to be evil?" Cassian said, exasperation evident in his voice.
"I'll be the first. Just think of how much I can help people if I'm immortal!" Sy responded.
"Could you not find another means towards immortality?" Fei asked. "It seems entirely unnatural, so I do not think I favor it, but is this lich-dom the only option?"
"No, that's true, I could find another way I'm sure," Sy allowed reluctantly. "I'm just saying, I would be a good lich."
Sadun trailed behind the arguing trio. The events of the past half hour barely made any sense to her, and this argument was not helping to clear her head. "Where did those horned rabbits fit into all of this?" the dragonborn asked from behind.
"Those were al-Mi'raj," Fei explained again. "I summoned them. I thought they might be able to contain the lich's spirit if they could put the necklace on before Sy here did."
"So the necklace was the bad thing?" Sadun asked. "The thing you guys were fighting about? Look I just feel bad that I chopped one of those rabbits in half."
"Do not worry yourself over such, as a summoned creature it did not truly die, merely returned to the plane from which I summoned it," Fei said reassuringly.
The four arrived in the clearing where the group had spent the night. Whistle, the blue skinned bard who had attached herself to the group, was organizing the groups wooden weaponry while the humanoid rabbit paladin Poppy shuffled papers around. Poppy glanced up at the approach of Sadun and the others, and quickly gathered his papers again, stuffing them in a pouch he wore around his armored waist.
"Oh, you're back!" Arnick called. "I was just looking to see if there were any edible mushrooms around here." The gnome walked back from the opposite side of the clearing. "I think I found some, but I thought better of picking them when I remembered the trees don't like people bothering plant life around here. I don't know if mushrooms count."
"I still have owl bear jerky that Talna made for us before she left," Sadun said, "it should supplement our normal rations if anybody would like some."
"Where did you four get off to?" Whistle asked. "We were just getting worried about you. Last I heard you were going to talk to the treant."
"We investigated the tree stump where Cass and Fei saw the banshee," Sadun said. "I don't want to talk about the rest of it, I'm not sure I even understand what happened next."
"I fought a lich and won!" Sy said excitedly.
"Sy was almost possessed by a lich, but that hammer saved her," Cassian corrected dryly. "I suppose having your soul in an inanimate object has its uses."
"So long as we're all here, I had some ideas on how to handle the red ooze that is causing such trouble for this forest," Fei said, motioning the others to gather around her. "The treant said it has to always be consuming, correct? Perhaps if we could separate it from the other oozes and then prevent it from touching anything, it would consume itself. Or starve. Either works."
"How do we do that?" Sy asked. "We know if already ate its way out of the tunnels underground, right?"
"I have some spells that might help," Fei said. "I could set a magical snare that would hurl it into the air and keep it aloft, but it is a complicated spell that takes some time to set up, and the ooze has to wander across the trap. But it may be easier if we could just levitate it." The druid turned her masked face to Whistle. "And we have an air genasi with us. Could you do it?"
"Oh," Whistle stammered, "I can't, I'm sorry. I just, I have difficulty using my people's natural abilities. Is all."
"How will we separate it from the others anyway?" Sy asked.
"I was thinking we could use the same tunnels under the forest that trapped it before," Fei said, in an almost excited voice. "If I use my magic to locate it above ground, we can find where it is from below and I can cause the earth to move aside, dropping it down."
"Well, I think we should find out more about those tunnels," Sy said.
"If you think you can get more from the treant, feel free," Fei said. She sat down on the dry leaves covering the ground. "I'm going to draw up a list of the spells I'll need to make this work."
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Whistle, Cassian, and Arnick followed Sy to the area the treant stood in.
"Oh great and wonderful treant," Sy intoned in the sylvan language of the fei forests of the world, "grant us your knowledge of the tunnels beneath this land that we may help to destroy your enemies and our own."
"Sy, that's just a tree," Arnick said from behind the horned elf. "The treant is that one there."
The treant's foliage rustled as though in laughter at Sy's mistake. Sy cleared her throat. "Ahem. Yes. Anyway, we were hoping you could tell us about these tunnels."
"Why is the druid not with you?" the treant rumbled a question back at Sy.
"She has a plan to get rid of the oozes," Sy said, regaining her characteristic enthusiasm. "We'll go underground, and then get the ooze apart from the others, and hold it aloft until it dies."
"Hmm," the treant let out a long sigh. "I do not know that this will work. Still, it is no loss to me if you perish in the attempt."
"What can you tell us about the tunnels beneath the forest?" Sy asked again earnestly.
"There is an opening to the tunnels just there, between those roots next to your half orc friend," the treant said.
Sy turned towards Cassian. "Oh, I see! Cass, there's a cave amongst those roots there! That's how we get in!" The elf turned back to the treant. "What is down there, oh mighty one?"
"We trees of the forest do not know. Only our roots go so deep, and just as you creatures do not see through your feet, neither do we see through our roots," the treant said in a slightly patronizing tone.
"Ah, I see, that makes sense," Sy said thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to find out for ourselves then. Thank you!"
The treant rustled its leaves again, though Sy could not tell what the noise represented.
Silence descended on the forest once more as Cassian lead Sy, Arnick and Whistle to the entrance to the underground.
"It is dark down there, I can't see very far," Whistle observed.
"Do not concern yourself. I can see clearly in such situations," Cassian said. "I shall go in and scout a bit, shall I?"
"Sadun, Poppy and Fei are still back at camp," Arnick said thoughtfully, "but it doesn't hurt to have some knowledge of the land. I say we explore!"
Cassian had already walked into the cave. "Watch your heads," he called over his shoulder. "It's a bit low ceilinged. Well, Arnick will be fine," he added, glancing back at the four foot tall gnome.
"I'm going next," Sy said, "I want to see what's down there."
"The tunnel is very narrow," Cassian warned, "I don't think more than one of us will fit across, so stay behind me."
The pair descended in silence, leaving Whistle and Arnick in the daylight above. The tunnel sloped downwards, steeply at first but then becoming a gentle curve until suddenly the ground gave way to a staircase.
"Stairs, so somebody lived down here once," Cassian said. "These steps seem to be sized for smaller feet too. Gnome sized perhaps," he said.
"Or ratfolk," Sy said. "The treant mentioned ratfolk to Fei yesterday.
"We're coming in too!" came Arnick's voice from above. "Whistle cast magical light on one of my arrows, so I'll just use that to light the way!"
"What are you-graagh" Cassian's question turned into a grunt of pain as a brightly lit arrow slammed into his shoulder. "Gods that hurts, what was that for?!"
"Oh, sorry! I guess it is really narrow in there," Arnick said, coming down behind Sy.
Cassian pulled the glowing arrow from his shoulder and hurled it away down the stairs. A shadowy figure darted into view below, grabbed the arrow, and disappeared with it.
"We're not alone down here," Cassian said. "Something grabbed the arrow."
"I know, I can't see anymore," Whistle complained from the back of the group.
"Let's go back, this is important information, and we'll want to be a full party before we come back down, in case there is danger lurking," Cassian decided.
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"Oh good, you're back," Fei said, as Sy and her group returned to the campsite from the previous night. "I had another idea; we could fly over the oozes and test their weakness to various sorts of magic."
Sadun paused from where she was practicing swings with Briarblade and looked back at the others. "I would offer to go with Fei on this plan she's come up with, but I'm not much use in the magic department. I would appreciate knowing if I'll be any use in the coming fight though."
"Oh, that sounds like a great idea," Sy said. "How will we do it? I have plenty of spells that could work and I would love to know what will actually harm those disgusting creatures before we get started."
"I was going to become an eagle and fly you there," Fei explained.
"I can ride too," Whistle said. "I have magic that could help. Besides," the genasi shrank down until she was no taller than Arnick, "I won't take up too much room."
"It is decided then," Fei said, and promptly her shape began to bend and twist until a large brown feathered eagle stood before them. She gestured toward her back with its sharp beak. Sy and Whistle scrambled on, and the eagle launched herself into the air. She flew to the upper reaches of the giant redwood trees, but did not break the canopy.
Soon, the trio broke through into a scene of devastation as the barrier hiding the oozes fell behind them. Dead and decaying trees dotted the otherwise empty field. The undergrowth was long since dissolved by the grey and green oozes that were evident all around. Fei flew on, until she found the massive red lump of the red ooze. She circled lower as Whistle and Sy readied their spells on her back.
As the ooze came into range a wave of psychic energy slammed into Fei's mind, and it was all she could do to level out her flight and stay aloft. Her senses suddenly rebelled and she fought to control her own body.
Whistle and Sy clung on as the eagle came to a sudden glide, and as soon as it became clear they would not be flung from the sky they peered at the ground.
"There," Whistle said quietly, pointing at the red ooze below. She pulled out her bow and knocked an arrow. With a mutter she loosed, and the arrow stuck into the ooze. While the tip pierced it, the ooze did not seem to notice the arrow. The pulse of purple psychic energy that Whistle's enchantment unleashed a moment later however caused the ooze to quiver in response, as some small flakes of it crusted over and broke from its mass.
"My turn," Sy said, hurling a bolt of lightning at their target. The electricity struck the ooze as it reared upwards, and broke, flowing along the sides of the ooze and grounding itself a moment later. "Well that was disappointing," Sy said sadly.
"Watch out!" Whistle cried, as three grey blobs launched themselves towards the still confused Fei. Bolts of magical energy flew from each of the grey oozes and flew unerringly to slam into Whistle's shoulders and chest. The genasi cursed in pain but maintained her grip on Fei's feathery back.
"Those monsters," Whistle said angrily. "Well I have another idea." Leaning over, Whistle pointed at the red ooze again, and a sound as of thunder exploded from the air next to it. The impact of the sound wave shivered through the ooze, sending specks of red flying away.
"I've got a better one," Sy said gleefully, hurling a ball of fire directly down. The fireball exploded, incinerating several grey oozes around the red one and singing more of the red ooze itself into ash.
"Here," Whistle said slowly, her arm beginning to move up, "comes. Another." Before the slow motion bard could finish the sentence, another wave of magic missiles impacted against each of the trio. The pain was enough for Fei to shake herself out of her daze and begin flying more evasively.
"I've got another spell to try," Sy said to the now responsive Fei, "but I need to be closer!" The elf looked down again, preparing another fireball in the interim. "Hey, those grey oozes have spread out! No fair learning from my attacks!" She threw the fireball anyway, destroying two of the slower oozes near the red one.
Fei stooped on the oozes, flying down aggressively while Whistle cast healing magic on herself and Sy. Leveling out a mere sixty feet above the ground, Fei turned south again. As they began to leave, Sy threw a Ray of Frost at the red ooze. "Gods above, it didn't seem to even affect it," Sy muttered. "I though surely the ray of icy goodness would work since the red one steams so much."
Just before they could leave the blighted field, a trio of pink colored slimes leapt into the air in front of them, but Fei deftly maneuvered between the obstacles and they were soon flying over healthy forest once again.
"I didn't see those pink ones before," Whistle said. "Where did they come from? I hope the red one isn't multiplying somehow..."
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Arnick, Sadun and Cassian gathered around the eagle as Fei touched down. Sy leapt from Fei's back and somersaulted in midair, but ruined the acrobatic feat by landing on her face. Fei's shape once again twisted in on itself until the druid was standing before the group again.
Sy stood up and brushed herself off, utterly unembarrassed. "I burned a bunch of slime," she declared.
"Yes, fire seemed to work," Whistle said, returning to her normal size. "As did my psychic arrow, but the red one seemed to shrug off lightning and cold damage." She looked apologetically at Sadun. "Sorry, but maybe your Briarblade will work, we didn't try poison."
"Now that we know this," Fei said, "we should rest and try to deal with the ooze tomorrow, when we are well prepared with proper spells."
"Yeah, I need to refresh my fireball reserves," Sy said. "Hurling around burning death like that really takes the wind out of my sails."
"Were you a sailor too?" Cassian asked, intrigued in spite of himself.
"Oh no, that's just a saying I picked up," Sy said.
"You were a sailor Cass?" Arnick asked, curious.
"Oh yes, in my world I sailed many seas. We were the sort to 'liberate' the goods of others though. But I was the best cook on the ship, where do you think I got these fantastic arms?" Cassian flexed his arm muscles as Arnick looked on appreciatively.
"Well, it is only about midday," Sadun said. "If we have some time I'd like to write in my journal, and then do some practice. I may not be equipped to be effective against the ooze but I can at least keep them occupied."
The group spread out around the campsite and went about their individual tasks as they whiled away the daylight hours. As the sun set and evening came on, Whistle once again conjured her dome of safety, and the group began filing inside for the night.
Before going into the dome, Arnick sat down next to Poppy, who had once more spread his letters out on the ground in front of him. "Hi Poppy, I'm sorry I haven't been able to speak to you much yet."
The rabbit folk had again gathered his papers out of Arnick's sight, even though the gnome could not read a word of the rabbit folk's language. "Hello," Poppy replied hesitantly.
"Do you need anything? Help fixing anything, or anything like that?" Arnick continued.
"I would like to get to a city or town of some kind, and not be stuck in this hostile forest," Poppy said dryly.
"That's fair. I think we're going to go to a city once we're done here, so that lines up pretty well," Arnick said. "I just want you to know we're here to help you."
Poppy cast a glance at the dome. "I don't know, you keep fighting amongst yourselves. Particularly the elf and the half-orc. And I don't trust the druid. I saw them fighting over a necklace this morning, when they were out in the woods. I don't know about any lich, it seemed very strange to me."
"Oh, yeah I don't know what that was about either," Arnick said reluctantly. "Look, they're weird. Sy is weird, but she's powerful."
"'Powerful'," Poppy said.
"Yeah, I've seen her fight," Arnick said. "Lots of magic fire."
"And she gets upset about some hammer?" Poppy pointed out.
"Oh yeah, don't touch the hammer, I guess," Arnick said. "She gets possessive about it. I think she might die if you take it away from her? I'm not clear." The gnome quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, how are you on finding your family?"
"I'm less trying to find my family than my family and I are trying to find... things," Poppy said slowly.
"What kind of things?" Arnick asked, all curiosity.
"You know," Poppy said vaguely, and waved a paw. "Things."
"Beholder things?" Arnick asked.
"Poppy glanced around, but the rest of the group was out of earshot inside the dome. "Yes," he admitted, very hesitantly.
"Are you fighting the beholders too?" Arnick asked, hopeful.
"Mainly," Poppy said. "I don't trust most of you yet. One of you was saying she wants to be a lich."
"Oh, I do have a book on beholders, but it's in draconic," Arnick said. "I don't know if it might help. I would say the best translator if you need help would be Sadun."
"She's kind of scary," Poppy said. "She's very quiet."
"She's actually quite sweet," Arnick said. "And my sister trusted her, so she can't be a bad sort. But while Sy knows draconic, I don't know that you'd want to talk to her."
"Yes, the elf seems a little unbalanced," Poppy said, glancing uncomfortably at the dome again.
"But Sadun would be happy to translate for you, I'm sure," Arnick said reassuringly. "She really is very nice."
"She has the giant swords though," Poppy said. "And she chopped a rabbit in half earlier..."
"Oh, yeah, I understand. I can talk to Sadun for you," Arnick said. "Do you have any information on the beholders?"
Poppy glanced down at the letter he still clutched to himself. "Maybe."
"Do you know which is the good beholder?" Arnick asked.
"Maybe," Poppy said again. "I haven't read the letter yet."
"So the letter has information you may need but you haven't read it yet?" Arnick asked.
Poppy looked around the clearing again. "You don't know who's watching," he said quietly. He motioned to the trees.
"Oh, the cloaked man who has been following us," Arnick said. "He can't read that far. Can you read that far?" The last question was shouted into the trees.
Ekemon's voice came back down. "No!"
"Anyway," Arnick said, turning back to Poppy, "I was wondering if you might want to help with this next battle. Do you know anything about this slime stuff?"
"No," Poppy said. "But I will think about helping you. If it's light enough for me to see this time."
"Ok, well just let me know if you need anything," Arnick said, standing up.
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"Would you like to show us that letter Poppy?" Fei asked, as Arnick and Poppy entered the dome. Poppy's ears flicked in alarm, and he turned a startled look on Arnick. The gnome shook his head vehemently. "I can read lips," Fei explained dryly, "And I watched Arnick say something about you having information on beholders."
"What's this?" Cassian perked up. "Do you have something to share with us Poppy?"
Poppy threw his paws up in front of him, and Arnick stepped in front of the rabbit folk. "Leave Poppy alone," Arnick said defensively. "We haven't earned his trust yet."
Cassian stood to his full height want towered over the shorter rabbit. "Look, we're on the same side. If you have something that could help against the beholders, it is your duty to share it with us."
"You say we're on the same side," Poppy said cautiously, "but I don't know that you are on each other's side, much less mine. You just fought over some amulet."
"Listen, are you dead?" Cassian asked harshly. "Because we could easily kill you if we weren't on the same side."
"Ok," Poppy said with exaggerated calm, backing towards the door of the dome.
"Why did you have to say that?" Arnick protested to Cassian.
"It is a good point," Fei said, "if we wanted him dead he would be dead."
"I'm just going to step out until we all calm down," Poppy said, taking another step back.
"I don't think you should go anywhere," Sy said, gesturing. Poppy stiffened as Sy's magic flashed over him, attempting to hold him in place, but the rabbit shook the effects off quickly.
"I see how it is," Poppy said, pulling a scroll from his belt. Sy raised her hands for a counter spell, but Poppy was faster, swiftly chanting the scroll's contents. A dark doorway appeared, and the rabbit disappeared through it.
"That was a dimension door!" Sy shouted. "He can't have gone far!"
"What in the hells are you doing?" Whistle demanded, aghast.
Sy and Fei dart out of the dome, but Whistle managed to magically paralyze Cassian before he could get out. A second later Arnick and Sadun ran after Sy and Fei. Outside Fei was already a giant eagle, with Sy in her talons and hurtling through the woods in Poppy's direction.
"Don't let them hurt Poppy!" Whistle called, falling behind as Sadun and Arnick ran after the eagle.
"Toss me on Fei!" Arnick shouted. Sadun obliged, scooping the gnome up and hurling him into the air. Arnick managed to grab onto Fei's tail feathers and clung on as Fei began looping through the woods attempting to shake him off. Poor Sy, still clutched in Fei's talons, lost her dinner from the acrobatics. Sadun cursed as low hanging branches from redwood saplings whipped across her face. A more disgusted curse rang out as she encountered Sy's leavings. Behind the group, the sound of Cassian's chainmail joined the sound of Sadun's cursing as he shook off his paralysis and joined the chase.
Fei, unable to shake Arnick from her back, rolled again and released Sy, attempting to get the elf on her back. Sy, still dazed, simply fell. She was saved from a painful landing when Arnick grabbed her arm to keep her aloft. Fei spun again, finally hurling both Arnick and Sy high into the air. The elf attempted to teleport back to Fei, but her stomach rebelled and the spell misfired. Sy disappeared and appeared on the ground, unconscious. Nearby, Arnick used his superior reflexes to slow his fall with various branches nearby, and descended to the ground just as Sadun caught up to his position.
"Fei's still ahead!" Arnick shouted. Sadun scooped Sy's unconscious body up onto her back, and continued running.
Ahead of them, Fei stooped on the running figure of Poppy and grabbed him in her talons. As he was lifted off the ground, Poppy cast the spell he had prepared, and Fei disappeared abruptly. The rabbit fell back to the ground, the impact knocking the breath from him.
Sadun and Arnick arrived just as Poppy picked himself up and began running again. "Poppy! Wait! We'd like to be friendly!" Arnick called out.
"No, leave me alone!" Poppy shouted.
"You can't be here alone, it's dangerous!" Arnick replied.
"If I can't be here alone, but I can't be with your party because they are dangerous, where can I be?" The rabbit asked, slowing to a jog.
"They didn't... they just... look they're just idiot!" Arnick said in exasperation. "They don't mean the things they say most of the time! They definitely don't want to kill you, that's not their agenda. I'd let you alone if we were in town, but this forest is dangerous."
"You say that, but as soon as they wanted my information they became very hostile to me," Poppy pointed out.
"They have their reasons, they want to kill the beholders just as much as you do," Arnick said.
"They couldn't have waited until we were in a town? They couldn't have asked nicely?" Anger tinged the paladin's voice.
"What can I do to convince you we're friendly?" Arnick asked desperately.
"Have the bird stop chasing me? I think it's coming back shortly," Poppy said, slowing down again.
"Look, let's trade letters. I have a letter that is dear to me, but if we trade you can give my letter to them and it won't matter," Arnick offered.
"How can I trust you though? You're with them, and they threatened me," Poppy said again.
"Well, we did save your life when you were dying in the cave from your fight with the troll," Arnick pointed out. "I know their behavior just now was tactless, and it was very bad timing, but they really do just want to kill the beholders here." Arnick sighed. "I promise on my sister I won't let them hurt you."
"For my part, I apologize for my companions. I also will not let any harm befall you if I can prevent it," Sadun said, catching up. She dropped Sy, who landed on her feet.
At that moment, Fei reappeared overhead. "Please stop!" Arnick shouted as Fei began to dive again. The eagle pulled up at the last moment, and seemed to reluctantly settle into a nearby tree.
Poppy put his paws up as Cassian and Whistle caught up as well, arguing with each other. "Alright, I don't want any trouble," he said.
Whistle grabbed Sy's hammer from her belt. "What is your problem!"
Sy collapsed, gasping on the ground. "Please give me my hammer back, this is not a fun feeling."
"Neither is being threatened," Poppy pointed out.
"I didn't threaten you," Sy protested.
"You tried to magically restrain him!" Whistle shouted.
"Whatever, just give me the hammer," Sy growled. "I only said to give us the letter anyway."
"You could have taken no for an answer," Whistle pointed out.
Sy fell unconscious to the ground. Whistle sighed and put the hammer in the elf's hand.
"That's not acceptable Whistle," Cassian said. "You know Sy needs that hammer."
"Threatening our friends is acceptable?" Whistle retorted.
"It was just a statement of fact," Cassian said defensively. "I wasn't actually threatening to kill him."
"Maybe we should all settle in for the night, and we can discuss this in the morning once we've calmed down?" Sadun suggested.
"Fine," Whistle said, "but I'm not staying with those three." She created a new dome where she stood. "Cass, Sy and Fei can all go sleep at the other campsite. Poppy, you'll be safe in here, they can't get to you." Saying that, Whistle and Poppy walked into the dome.
Fei landed on the ground and returned to her human form. "I suppose there's nothing more to be gained right now. We should return to the camp and get some rest as well. Can you stand Sy? I can see you're awake again."
"Yeah, I don't want to be where that bard is anyway," Cassian said. "I still don't trust her. Stealing my friends weapons all the time." The half-orc walked back to the first campsite in a huff. Fei and Sy trailed behind him.
Arnick and Sadun looked at each other. "Well, we should go get our stuff from the first site, right?" Arnick asked. Sadun nodded, and the pair trailed after.
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Sadun and Arnick began picking up their equipment that had been left behind in the first dome. The dome itself had disappeared when Whistle created the new one, leaving everything in the open. Sy and Cass had already gone to sleep, while Fei kept a watch.
Arnick walked over to Fei. "I think maybe next time you could try not being so hostile to people. I understand where you're coming from, but Poppy doesn't know us very well yet. Such abrupt and forceful language can be frightening, and maybe we can try talking things out first next time, without all the aggression," the gnome said.
"So you want me to be nice?" Fei asked.
"That would be nice, yes," Arnick said.
"What do I get out of it?" Fei asked.
"Information that he's willing to share," Arnick said immediately.
"I could see that," Fei said. "But this was his fault. He should not have acted so sensitively."
"What?" Arnick said, confused.
"We threatened his life once and he tried to run away," Fei explained. "He should have stood his ground."
"He is one of the last of his kind," Sadun said from where she was picking up her greatswords.
"And?" Fei asked without turning away from Arnick.
"Maybe running away is why he is one of the last of his kind, and not dead like almost all the rest of them," Sadun said. "If we were to be kinder in our approach, Poppy and others like him may willingly give us the information we seek."
"I understand that," Fei said. "If he wants to leave, he can. But he will probably die out there alone, so he should stick with us to stay alive."
"Well, as long as our long term goals are aligned I think we can move forward," Sadun said. "We will see you in the morning. Please don't wake anymore banshees."
"Goodnight!" Arnick said, as he and Sadun began walking back to where Whistle and Poppy were.
"Goodnight," Fei said. "Do not let the bed mites bite. They get very large in these parts."
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Sadun and Arnick returned to the new dome. Inside they found Poppy, sitting awkwardly with a white skinned, white haired person crying against his shoulder.
"Who is that?" Arnick asked.
"The clothing is the same as what Whistle was wearing," Sadun said slowly, "but I don't recognize the face."
"I am Sen," the person said, looking up. Sen's eyes were red from crying, and tears streaked their face. "I am really Sen, and I cannot be Whistle anymore. It is too much."
"I'm sorry," Arnick said, giving the seated figure a gentle hug. "It is nice to meet you. Again? What are you exactly? I've heard of shapeshifters before, are you a bad one?"
"Anybody can be good or bad," Sen said, wiping tears away.
"Well," Arnick said doubtfully.
"I've met evil changelings, I've met good changelings," Sen said. "My entire family are changelings."
"So I can tell you're not feeling well, but do you want to talk about it?" Arnick asked.
Sen's white skin began shading into the blue of Whistle again. "It is hard to talk as Sen," they said. "It is easier to be Whistle when I have feelings."
"I can understand that, I think," Arnick said.
"I am stressed and upset," Whistle said, fully the form Arnick and Sadun were familiar with again.
"Understandable," Arnick said. Sadun nodded. "Just breathe," the gnome added.
"Cassian has been nothing short of hostile to me," Whistle said. "And jumping six months into the future has not helped. I was only away from my family for a week when I met you. I was only supposed to be gone for two months! They might think I'm dead!"
"You're not though," Arnick pointed out.
"I have no way of contacting them!" Whistle wailed. "I was hoping to find a scroll of Sending in the city, but it is taking forever and we keep fighting each other!"
"Well, getting to the city is the plan," Sadun said quietly. "So long as we don't kill each other."
"Why did they have to threaten poor Poppy?" Whistle asked.
"Well," Arnick said. "I can see where they are coming from. I think we all just need to talk it all through. And not let these miscommunications keep getting between us."
"You are the champions, and you are supposed to save my home. Poppy's home," Whistle said. "But I can see how the champions keep failing if this is what other groups have been like."
"Yeah," Arnick said. "I'm not a champion myself, but I can certainly see the concern." Sadun hung her head behind the gnome. "And Poppy," Arnick continued, "I know what they did was wrong, and I'm sorry for it, but I don't think you'll get an apology from them."
"I figured that out," Poppy said morosely. "I've seen how you operate."
"I don't want them to hurt you Poppy," Whistle said sadly.
"I also do not want them to hurt me," Poppy said, only a little sarcastically.
"I think it's supposed to be tough love," Arnick said.
"Can we save that love for the beholders then?" Whistle asked.
"I think we need to rest," Sadun said. "And we can try to recover from this in the morning."
"Yeah, rest is helpful," Arnick said.
"One last thing," Whistle said. "Changing to our base selves is not something we usually do in company. I would appreciate if you could keep Sen to yourselves."
"You are indeed on our side, right?" Sadun asked. "You will help in our fight against the beholders?"
"If I can," Whistle said. "This is my home. I would like for us to live free of the threat of beholder based annihilation."
"I would like that for you as well," Sadun said. "I just wish we could all agree on the best way to do that."
--------------------------
The next morning saw the group gathered again at the original campsite. Whistle motioned Sy to the side. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday," the bard said.
"The trying to kill me thing?" Sy asked sardonically.
"I didn't want to cause you harm," Whistle said. "I just wanted for you to stop threatening Poppy."
"Well, thank you," Sy said. "Don't take my hammer again."
"I won't," Whistle promised, before walking away.
In the campsite, Fei came out of her meditation. "Let's go into the cave," she said, decisively.
"Yes, let's go," Cassian said, walking towards the cave entrance.
"I would rather not be in the dark again!" Poppy called from ten feet behind the group.
"Well, we shouldn't use light until we know something is in front of us," Sy said.
"What if the three of us who can see in the dark go in front, and the others of us stay in the back with my lantern?" Sadun suggested.
"I like that idea," Cassian said. "I scout ahead with Arnick and Sy, and you stay back until we need help."
"I can cast magical light on some coins that you can hide in your pockets when we don't need them," Whistle offered.
The group reached the cave entrance, and Cassian proceeded into the tunnel, shield out front. Arnick and Sy began moving quietly behind him while Fei cast a spell that caused the group to blend in with the shadows. The attempt at stealth was somewhat ruined by the constant sound of Cassian's chainmail clanking against itself and screeching against the walls of the narrow passageway.
Fei walked into the tunnel a short while after waiting a minute, and a minute after that Sadun lead Whistle and Poppy in as well, holding a glowing coin over her head.
Sy jumped in surprise when Fei whispered in her ear. "There's something like a rat snout poking around the corner at the bottom of the stairs here," the druid said.
"Well, if it's a rat we don't need to worry," Sy muttered. She whispered to Cassian "Fei is scared of a rat."
"A rat?" Cassian asked.
"There's a rat at the bottom, it's the size of Squin," Fei said.
"What's a Squin?" Sy asked.
"Oh, like Pip," Cassian said, understanding dawning.
"Why do I not understand the language you are speaking?" Sy asked, bewildered.
"Hello?!" Cassian called out. "I know you're down there! We're friends!"
There was a squealing noise overhead. Looking up, Cassian saw a rope wound around a stalactite over his head. The rope was being pulled by an unseen figure, bringing a sign with it. Cassian glared at the sign. "I can't read this," he said. "It's not in common. Or they have very bad handwriting."
"Here," Sy said. "Let me look." The elf chanted a quick spell, and looked at the sign again. "It says 'Leave'" she declared. "I knew magically comprehending language would come in handy."
"We can't do that!" Cassian called. "I know you don't want us here, and we don't want any trouble! But we need to pass through to save the forest!"
Another sign was winched into position. "It says 'don't care'" Sy explained. Another sign squeaked into view. "'I live underground.'"
"That's a cool invention!" Cassian called. "Can we at least talk about this?"
"This sign just says 'we are,'" Sy translated as the next sign came overhead.
"Look," Cassian said. "I'm coming down."
The pulley system squeaked faster, as though the operator was panicking.
"The sign says 'no'," Sy said. "Here, I have an idea." The elf drew her quill and ink from her pack and wrote something on the sign, then pulled the rope until the sign disappeared. "I wrote 'stay calm,'" she explained to the puzzled Cassian.
"What is going on?" Sadun called from further up the stairs, as Arnick cast an illusion to appear as a ratfolk. "Oh dear," the dragonborn sighed.
"We're coming down! We just want to talk!" Cassian called, walking down with Sy and Arnick at his heels. A metallic clank sounded down the corridor.
"What are they doing?" Whistle whispered to Sadun.
"They didn't tell me," Sadun said.
"There's a ratfolk, they're negotiation," Fei explained.
Sy sent Mischief ahead, and there was a loud metallic clang. Mischief returned unharmed. "There's a bear trap," Sy explained. "But Mischief was too fast for it."
Arnick stalked forward and returned a moment later. "There's a single malnourished ratfolk up there," he said. "It's not Pip. It keeps resetting the bear trap."
Sadun and the remainder of the group finally reached the bottom of the staircase. "Have you offered to pay for passage?" the dragonborn asked.
"We have money?" Sy asked incredulously.
"Yes, I'm holding the party funds," Sadun said.
"Can we make an arrangement to pass through your tunnels?" Cassian called out. He was hit in the face by a sign a moment later.
"The sign says 'food'," Sy said.
"I have owl bear jerky Talna left with me," Sadun said, handing some over to Arnick. The gnome ran forward and placed the food at the bend in the tunnel where the bear trap was located, then backed away. There was a scrabbling noise, and then the sound of soft padded feet skittering down the tunnel away from the group.
"I think that means we can proceed," Cassian said.
The party continued down the passageway, gingerly stepping past the bear trap in the floor. The tunnel beyond the trap was fashioned into a long hallway. Occasionally very short doors opened up on either side, but there was no further sign of life. The stonework of the walls became nicer the further they went, until they finally reached a pair of short wooden doors. Symbols were inscribed in the stone above the door.
"What does that say?" Cassian asked.
"It says 'welcome to town, enjoy food,'" Sy said, puzzled. "Town?"
"Let me go through the doors first," Arnick suggested, still wearing the appearance of a ratfolk. The gnome stepped to the front and examined the doors. They were locked. When he looked closely he saw a string passed through the keyhole, and tied around the doorknob. Arnick tentatively turned the knob, and felt the string drawing tight. Releasing his grip, he pulled a dart from his belt and pressed himself against the wall and threw the dart. The dart flew true, piercing the string, and the string disappeared through the door.
There were no further sounds. Arnick pushed the door open. A sign hung down on the other side.
"The sign says 'Why'", Sy said from behind the gnome.
"Ah, an emotional trap," Fei said knowingly.
Whistle shrank herself down to be ratfolk sized and walked up behind Arnick just as the door swung closed again. Cassian knelt down with a sigh and shoved the door open. There was a squeak of surprise as the door opened. "Arnick, go through first, then the rest of us. I'll keep this open.
"There's a voice behind the door saying 'please let go' over and over," Sy said.
A dull dagger came around the door and flailed ineffectively at Cassian's arm while the party filed into the next room. Arnick plucked the dagger from the ratfolk's hand and replaced it with one of her arrows.
"Why did you give it something sharper?" Cassian asked incredulously as he let the door go. The ratfolk tried to rush past Cassian. Cassian reached to grab it, and the rat stabbed the arrow into Cassian's hand and kept running. "Gods!" Cassian shouted. "Really Arnick? Really? Look what happened!"
Fei turned as the ratfolk ran past her and tossed a net over its head. The ratfolk instantly became tangled and tumbled to the floor in a heap, screaming.
"It says hold me tight," Sy said. "No I'm joking, it says 'let them go'. No idea why it's using a plural form."
"We should let it go," Cassian said thoughtfully. "I'd like the ratfolk as allies against the oozes, since they had the red one trapped before."
"It says it's the only one," Sy said. "And called us intruders."
"You stabbed me!" Cassian said.
"Well, you forced your way into its home and tried to assault it," Sadun pointed out.
"You want to see assault? This would be assault," the half-orc said, pulling his hammer out.
"Cass!" Arnick shouted. The ratfolk began trying to chew through the net.
"I'm just demonstrating," Cassian said, putting the hammer away. "I wasn't going to do anything."
"Do you want food?" Arnick asked the ratfolk. "Come with us if you want food."
"It says no." Sy said.
"If you come with us, food will come to us," Arnick said as persuasively as possible.
The ratfolk simply looked terrified. "It says 'how'" Sy translated.
"Can we just keep moving?" Cassian asked. "This is getting ridiculous."
"Can we let it go?" Whistle asked.
"It could eat the slime for us!" Sy said.
"Why do you want us to leave?" Fei asked the ratfolk.
"It says 'because this is my home'," Sy said, rolling her eyes. "Like we haven't heard that excuse before."
Sadun pulled out more of the owl bear jerky and put it on the floor next to the ratfolk, who began scrabbling to eat it as fast as possible. "Can you help us now?" she asked.
"We're wasting time here," Cassian said insistently.
"We're just going to go bring an ooze down here, kill it, and then leave," Fei explained. "If you help us get where we need to be, we'll feed you."
The ratfolk squeaked. "He said 'yes'," Sy and Arnick said simultaneously.
The ratfolk lead the group into a large chamber. Ancient looking huts lined a large thoroughfare through the chamber, and openings to caves carved into the rock indicated further habitation. The ratfolk pointed to various of the huts as they walked, squeaking as they went.
"He's pointing out where his dead friends used to live," Sy explained. "And he says his name is Squideon." Squideon looked very sad when Sy described his friends as dead.
The group reached an intersection of huts along a perpendicular thoroughfare, with a stone statue of a ratfolk holding an open box aloft sitting in the middle. Squideon pointed at it and squeaked again.
"He says that legends say this statue was of their king," Sy said.
"How did everybody die?" Fei asked, looking up at the statue on its plinth. Squideon grabbed a piece of paper and drew a picture of a large eye with tentacles coming out of it. "Ah," Fei said. "We're trying to kill that too. Did your kind eat oozes in the past?"
Squideon disappeared into a nearby hut and returned with an illustrated book, and began flipping through the pages. The drawings in the book depicted ratfolk surrounding and capturing the red ooze, and restraining it in a special box.
"So you used a box to contain it?" Fei asked. Squideon nodded, and gestured at the statue.
"Wait, is the box the statue is holding the actual box your people used?" Whistle asked in amazement. This received another nod.
Cassian looked at the statue through his magical glasses. "I think this rat is still alive," he said, "it looks like those petrified kobolds we saw at Sorzen's tower. We may be able to save him!"
"If we kill the beholder that petrified him, yes," Sy pointed out.
"Are there traces of beholders in the area?" Arnick asked Squideon. The ratfolk thought a moment, and walked into a different hut, returning this time with a coin. The coin was embossed with the image of a beholder with no eyes.
"Those coins don't last long," Fei said. "We saw them before, when we killed some beholder minions a long time ago."
"Look, there's a pile of tentacles on the floor," Arnick said, walking towards another part of the cavern. Squideon squeaked in alarm and ran after the gnome.
"He says don't touch," Sy translated, helpfully.
"Those tentacles are disintegrating into dust," Cassian said, peering at them through his glasses again. "But this is not part of our objective, we should probably go."
Sy knelt next to the dust by the tentacles and moved to scrape some of it into a jar she produced from her pack using her dagger. Squideon grabbed the elf's arm, attempting to stop her from touching the dust. "This is the only chance we might get to collect this!" Sy said. "And it could help us find the beholders!"
"I agree with Sy," Fei said. "We should get some in case it helps us find the beholders later."
Sadun pulled Squideon aside and shook her head sadly. "It's no use, but I don't think they'll actually touch it right now at least," she explained to the extremely alarmed ratfolk.
"So what do we do about the box?" Cassian asked, looking back at the statue of the king. "We need the box from the statue, but it's petrified to the statue."
"Maybe we can defeat the ooze without the box," Fei suggested.
Whistle turned to Squideon. "You have stories about this ooze, right?" she asked. Squideon held up the book he had pulled out earlier. "I wonder if this will help us figure out how to make the box again," she muttered.
Squideon looked puzzled, and walked up to the statue and lifted the box out of the statue's hand before putting it back.
"Wait," Cassian said, "the box isn't petrified! The magic stops at the statue's hand!"
"And it does look like this picture of the box in the book," Whistle said, flipping through the book.
Squideon pulled the box down and handed it to Cassian. "Food in here?" the ratfolk asked, through Sy.
"Yes," Cassian said. "Soon, that is our goal."
"The ooze is bigger than the box," Fei observed. "But maybe we can cut it into smaller pieces."
"Let's go then," Cassian said. He and Sy began walking away, with Squideon walking happily between them holding the box over his head. "Is there anything down here beside you?" Cassian asked, as they walked.
"Evil boxes," Squideon said. "Made of wood."
"Mimics," Cassian said darkly.
"The oozes are northeast," Fei called after them.
"We can use this metal that points north," Arnick said, pulling the vial he had obtained at Sorzen's tower out.
"Say, Squideon," Cassian said after a few moments. "Is there any treasure down here?"
"Yes!" Squideon replied.
"Is it your people's treasure?" Cassian asked.
"Yes," Squideon nodded.
"So you wouldn't want us to take any of it, I suppose," Cassian said.
"Maybe one," Squideon allowed.
"I'm sure your people wouldn't mind, since we're helping to get you food and may even find a way to restore them," Fei said.
Squideon thought a long moment as the group walked in silence. "Maybe," he said finally. "But dangerous."
"What's dangerous?" Fei asked.
"Treasure protected," Squideon explained.
"What is protecting it?" Cassian asked.
"Tentacles," Squideon explained.
"Wait, you mean the eye things?" Fei asked.
"Yes," Squideon said.
"Little ones or big ones?" Fei demanded.
Squideon pulled another piece of paper from his robe and drew three monsters, one with no eyes, one with one eye, and one with many eyes.
"So they're down here already?" Fei said. "And if we kill the beholder, the ratfolk may be able to help us with the ooze!"
"There's only the one," Sy said.
"But there are more that were petrified, I looked in a few of the huts," Fei said. "I think we should go after the beholder first, we could get magic treasure to help, and the ratfolk can help us if this is the one that petrified them. I think it's a risk we should take."
"You convinced me!" Sadun said.
"I agree too," Cassian said.
Squideon sighed, and walked to a wall. Knocking on it, the wall fell away, revealing a tunnel beyond.
TO BE CONTINUED
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