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After standing around discussing the hole made
by Graiç's leg, Jak led an expedition back to the island's
center to search through the overgrown scree left by the sunken
tomb shrine. Suspecting that the harpoon that 'killed'
the island monster might still exist in the creature's heart
ages later, the team turned over rocks and cleared rubble
for hours. Tressta found two foundation blocks that
might have once belonged to the sunken shrine but nothing
more of interest was uncovered.
Edahyla was asked if she could commune with
the island based on their theories that it was an animal.
The Faer said she would try back at the hole above camp.
After travel back to the island's eastern shore, Edahyla
knelt before the foetid opening and concentrated her magics
into the wet darkness. As she sat enrapt by the humid
entrance her face and body began to take on exaggerated features
of worry, despair, and horror. Finally, she fell backward
to the stony slope and began convulsing. The color was
gone from her face and eyes as she told that the island was
filled with great pain. She had sought to ask questions
but instead the presence within had swept through her, pulling
unbidden from her the answers it wanted. Finally, exerting
some control over her increasingly violent shaking and shifting,
she explained that the island 'has a thorn it wants removed'.
Jak asked if she felt the presence was evil and Edahyla
seemed confused. She explained with Dammon's assistance
that it was akin to a force of nature, something to be feared
and respected, but not evil. Zêla comforted the
shaman and the day's remainder was spent back at camp collecting
wormy fruit and preparing the raft for travel. That
evening's conversation eventually steered toward Paldor debating
the best route to civilization once the raft is set to sea.
It again became evident that the island was uncharted
and their location uncertain.
Before the sun rose rose, Dammon was awakened
by the stabbing insistence of his familiar. He awoke
slowly despite its stabbing claws, which he realized didn't
hurt as much as they once did. His conscience explained
to him that the Faer 'woman' had wandered into the hole in
the hillside while others slept. Soon, others were awakened
when Dorkun reported that the Faer 'thing' was missing. In
the early morning, it was decided to enter the hole to find
her. After one or two forays into the hot and sticky
caves, Zildara cast a magical light on a torch and the group
ventured into the splitting tunnels.
Past a number of splits evidence was found
something slithering across the loose skin floor of an interior
space. Tressta spied ripples shimmering across the walls
and floor as she hurried back to the group. Exclaiming
that "they're everywhere!" the group gripped their
weapons, not knowing what to expect. Then, toward the
back of the line the walls gaped wide and tendrils whipped
forward flailing at Zêla and Dammon. Dammon retreated
toward the entrance as barbed tendrils tore at and pulled
Zêla closer to a maw of ridged tongues. The second
giant worm pushed out of the wall, turning toward the sorcerer
and blocking the passage out, separating Dammon from the rest
of the party. Zêla swung and struggled against
the tendrils, freeing herself at the last moment before being
dragged whole into the giant maw. Jak moved forward,
slashing the tendrils free from Zildara and then pushing Zêla's
unconscious form out of harm's way and into Zildara's care.In
his own conflict, Dammon cast bolts at the monster which quickly
bound him with tendrils and swallowed him whole. From
inside, Dammon sensed his familiar reluctantly entering the
caves and then uttering something arcane. The worm-thing
jerked violently in response. Jak turned on the beast
fighting Dammon, driving his spear into its side. Within,
Dammon summoned a final burst of magical barbs from the Staff
of Tharad'zor, slaying the giant maggot-beast. Zildara
cast a couple spells to aid in the battle as Jak stabbed and
stabbed again at the remaining monster. Tressta
rushed forward as well, stabbing her rapier through the fleshy
cave wall and into the worm's side. Zêla, recovered
some by Zildara's magics, began an inspirational song. The
remaining creature began retreating into the wall. Jak
charged in after it and finished the monster off.
Returning from the tunnel he found Zildara
and Tressta observing a ghostly Uren deeper in the tunnels.
Tressta explained that it had stood there on the edge
of their lights since the battle began. Dammon questioned
his familiar without success and cast an invisibility upon
himself to the creature's insistence that he leave this place.
Instead, Dammon wandered down another split to a farther
wider chamber filled with viscous pools where some things
swam just under the surface. Returning the group he
appeared before the ghostly figure and tried to speak with
it, but like the other island ghosts it made no response except
to motion the group deeper into the isle.
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