Session0013

April 13th
Having defeated the Kameshiman invaders in the druid grove within the Molldorf Mines, the party begins investigating the area. Within the grove, suspended atop an obsidian pedestal, they find a nexus of powerful earth elemental energy. Studying the nexus and its surroundings, they discern that the nexus has likely been present for many centuries, and the druids work to maintain it. Jack notes that the nexus is similar to others that he has encountered, including the one that the party saw in the Emerald Highlands. However, according to Jack, this nexus is significantly more powerful than any he has encountered before. Malkoth, examining the magical nature of the nexus, deduces that it is not a planar portal, but rather a concentrated source of elemental conjuration magic.

Nearby, the party finds a statue which depicts two figures. One is a gnome with a mushroom cap growing from his head. The other is a myconid with a wide cap, adorned with overalls and holding aloft an orb. The orb is inlaid with primordial runes representing the four elements, and the runes for the earth element are inlaid with green gems. A placard on the statue bears the following inscription, written in undercommon, which Frog translates for the rest of the party: "“Accompanied by the gnome hero, Juno, the legendary conduit Myriostoma charges the Chaos Core with the strength of the earth element, founding the Dikarya Circle. We who serve here honor their memory, and protect the nexus with our lives.”" Frog explains that Myriostoma was a legendary hero of Mycorrhiza around the time that the kingdom was founded, who helped to lead the myconid out of the underdark to the surface. She was said to be a conduit, having similar magical capabilities as those of Jack. Juno, Frog explains, was a gnomish hero from Sibillini around the same time. He assisted the myconid in their escape from the underdark, and the kingdom of Sibillini subsequently helped the myconid to settle on the surface, beginning an alliance that has persisted to the present day.

Regarding the remainder of the inscription - the Chaos Core, the Dikarya circle, etc. - Frog is unfamiliar.

Jack reveals that he is familiar with the object that Myriostoma is holding in the statue - the orb inscribed with primordial runes. He shows the party a painting wherein he is holding the same orb, the primordial runes of which are aglow with magic. Pepper explains that he made the painting, after he saw the image in a dream. When asked, he says that he occasionally sees visions such as these in dreams.

Rye and Odell work together to disassemble Thumpicelli - the bomb-throwing that they defeated previously. Emblazoned on one of the constructs panels, they find a symbol depicting a bearded figure wearing a crown. Frog recognizes this symbol as that of The Architect, one of the leading generals in the armies of Kameshima, known for producing arcanomechanical constructs that fight in Kameshima's armies. Using schematics that they recover from one of the dead kobold cultists, the party disassembles Thumpicelli, and recovers a magical engine from it, as well as several bomb-bobs.

Meanwhile, in a separate side conversation, Gragnok tells Patches that he saw his true form when he was temporarily granted truesight by Thimble. Patches says he doesn't know what his true form is, and asks Gragnok. Gragnok says that his appearance is that of a lean, blue-eyed, white-furred tabaxi of average stature.

XVIII rouses the unconscious druids to discuss what has happened. The apparent leader of the druids, a molefolk who introduces herself as Maude Mole, thanks the party for their assistance. She and Frog seem to recognize one another, and Frog briefly explains the circumstances that brought them to aid the druids. Maude explains that the Kameshiman invaders overwhelmed the druids, seemingly with the intention of exploding or collapsing the druid grove. When asked, she says she in unsure why the invaders would have attacked or what they were after.

The party asks Maude Mole about the purpose and function of the elemental rift. Maude explains that the druid's role is simply to maintain and protect the rift, preventing outsiders from accessing it, and keeping it stable to prevent it from threatening the safety of the mines above. She remains somewhat evasive about the exact purpose of the rift and why the druids protect it. When pressed for more information, she says that she is not at liberty to say more, even to Frog. Odell says that the Circle of Naturalists at the College of Mimrinoth would gladly aid in protecting the nexus, but Maude insists against it, emphasizing that the secrecy of the nexus is paramount.

Frog asks Maude Mole about utilizing a magic painting to reach Mycorrhiza, and Maude says that she could assist after the next Zenith. When asked by the party, Frog explains that there is a magical painting within the Mycorrhizan consulate in Molldorf, which can be used to teleport to Mycelium Palace, with the druids' help. He explains that his intention is for the party to use the painting to travel to Mycelium Palace and meet with his adoptive parents, the King and Queen of Mycorrhiza, to make a formal agreement to rescue Princess Porcini.

XVIII and Rye awaken and question the Kameshiman kobold prisoner that was kept alive from the battle, using magic charms and a detect thoughts spell to gain as much information from him as possible. They ask how the Kameshimans intended to escape after exploding the druid grove, but they learn that the Kameshimans had no intention of escaping, and were prepared to die as part of their mission. Their instructions were to invade the mines, bringing with them the component parts of Thumpicelli. They were to use the provided schematics to construct Thumpicelli, dispatch the druids, and explode the druid grove. Having gleaned as much information as possible from the prisoner, the party executes him.

Maude Mole begins working to stabilize the elemental nexus, while the other druids begin restoring the grove. Maude explains that the hostile elementals encountered by the party within the mines above were likely a result of the nexus' power being left unchecked. When asked, she gives the party permission to take the remains of the elementals with them as payment, given that one of them was made almost entirely of silver.

The party returns through the mines to the surface, bring the remains of the silver elemental along with them. Back in Molldorf, they exchange the silver elemental for currency from the treasury of Molldorf for easier transport. They also bid farewell to Murty Mole, who returns home to his family.

The party spends the rest of the evening resting and relaxing in Molldorf. The locals throw a celebration in their honor for saving the mines.

Odell purchases a pet mole from a vendor in town.

During the festivities, Rye privately warns Jack that there might be a time approaching when Rye will need to pretend that he is betraying the party, in order to protect his cover story. He gives Jack a secret hand signal, which he says will designate when the time comes.

Later, Rye finds a private place to pray, and offers a prayer to Asmodeus. He reports that his mission to find the Psalm of Assimilation and fulfill the prophecy is underway. He also says that he has gained the trust of allies, and convinced them that he intends to betray Asmodeus. In order to solidify this cover story, Rye asks Asmodeus to send assassins to feign an attempt to slay him.

Overnight, Frog has a dream of being in the Star Road, where he is greeted by Heartsong. Heartsong guides Frog along the pathways of the Star Road, showing him starlit doorways that seem to lead to other worlds. Heartsong explains that the Star Road acts as a pathway between worlds, which exists outside of time and space. Heartsong leads Frog to a doorway, wherein Frog sees a colossal creature of mold and fungus sitting within a wasteland canyon. Heartsong says that the creature is the Demon Lord Araumycos which has been banished to the Abyss, and that it seeks to use the Star Road to return to Materi.

Heartsong explains to Frog that his task is to prevent Araumycos from using the Star Road to return to Materi, if Frog is willing to accept. He reveals that Frog has already begun on this path by protecting the elemental nexus from Kameshima. Frog asks Heartsong about the nature and purpose of the nexus, but Heartsong says that it is not his place to speak of it. He tells Frog to seek the Fable Bearer for more answers. Frog recognizes the Fable Bearer as Aristoadle, a prominent arcanist and advisor to the royal family of Mycorrhiza, who leads an order of historians called the Order of Fable Bearers.

April 14th
In the morning, the party reconvenes at the Mycorrhizan consulate, and makes preparations to depart for Mycelium Palace. Maude Mole uses a druidic ritual to activate the magic painting of Mycelium Palace within the consulate, explaining that the painting will function as a one-way portal for the next hour, and that in order to return, another druid will have to activate the painting on the other side. The party steps through the painting, teleporting to Mycelium Palace.

Arriving in Mycelium Palace, the party finds themselves in an ornate gallery containing several other similar paintings, including the one that they came through, which depicts Molldorf. Upon their arrival, they find that the palace has been overrun by Kameshiman forces, which seem to have defeated the palace guard and taken control of the palace.

The party fights their way through the palace, defeating the Kameshiman invaders along the way. During the fray, Patches utilizes the magical properties of Syn to grant a boon to Odell. When he does, his symbol flares brightly as usual, but this time, it remains brightly lit instead of returning to its normal state. He finds that the blade's properties are now enhanced while he wields it, and also discovers that the blade has conversely granted him new powers of his own.

With Frog leading the way, the party battles their way through the palace, eventually reaching a foyer. From the foyer, they are faced with a decision to proceed toward the throne room, or to fight their way past a pair of Kameshiman soldiers that seem to be guarding a hallway that leads to living quarters. The soldiers attempt to dissuade the party from coming in their direction, urging Frog that the King and Queen are in danger, and that somebody in the throne room wishes to speak with him. After a brief discussion, Rye and Gragnok proceed toward the living quarters, while the rest of the party heads to the throne room.

Rye and Gragnok manage to dispatch the tortle guards. They discover that they were guarding the kitchen, wherein several unconscious prisoners are being kept, including Aristoadle and the king of Sibillini, Martinet. Using a potion, they revive Aristoadle, who performs some healing magic both on them and the other prisoners. Aristoadle insists on joining Rye and Gragnok to come to the aid of the King and Queen, but Gragnok and Rye insist that he stays behind and protects the other prisoners, noting that he seems unfit for combat. Aristoadle reluctantly agrees, and urges them to protect Frog.

Meanwhile, in the throne room, the party finds that the highest-ranking generals of Kameshima have taken the throne, including Kamm, The Architect, The Phantom King, Benny Barracuda, and Wladimiro. Wladimiro stands before the other generals, with the unconscious King Trumpet and Queen Chantrelle in hand. Kamm is holding Lucio and Cremini, the imperial senators of Sibillini and Mycorrhiza, respectively, unconscious and manacled.

Kamm demands that the party stop as soon as they enter the throne room, and instructs Frog to leave his allies behind, drop his weapons and spellcasting focus, and come with the generals back to Kameshima. He threatens the safety of Princess Porcini and Prince Marcello, and present a severed gnomish hand as a threat. He warns Frog that if he refuses to come willingly, he will take Lucio and Cremini instead. Urging Frog to decide quickly, he begins to prepare a teleport spell. Malkoth and Odell both recognize the spell, and also discern that it seems that Kamm intends to leave behind Wladimiro, as well as King Trumpet and Queen Chantrelle.

Frog briefly bluffs to buy time, requesting a moment to talk to his allies. Meanwhile, Jack discretely turns XVIII invisible. XVIII attempts to sneak into the throne room by crawling across the ceiling while Frog bides for time, just as Rye and Gragnok arrive at the throne room as well. However, XVIII inadvertently draws attention to himself, and the generals see him coming. Seeing that Frog has been stalling and does not intend to hand himself over, Kamm finishes casting his teleport spell, after instructing Wladimiro to keep Frog alive and kill the rest. With the teleportation complete, Kamm and the rest of the generals disappear, taking Lucio and Cremini along with them.

The party begins battling Wladimiro. As the fight begins, Wladimiro's brother, Walentino, also emerges from hiding and attacks.