The Best Show Starring the Worst DnDPlayers

After arriving at Bearemy’s stall, our adventurers began recounting the day before. While discussing their next move, our adventurers were approached by a woman named Kaylessa Irkell, proprietor of The Swinging Sword. Kaylessa asked the party to investigate Lance Rock, a monolithic stone protruding from the ground just outside of Red Larch. Kaylessa told the party she believes all of Red Larch’s troubles are coming from Lance Rock.

The party began making their way to Lance Rock, using the rock itself as a beacon. While travelling to Lance Rock, Nikolai was ambushed by two jackals. After killing one jackal quickly, the other attempted to flee. The fleeing jackal did not make it far, as a giant spider wrapped in bandages came bounding out of the wood in chase of the jackal. The fight was obscured by high grass, but that jackal was never seen again.

After arriving at Lance Rock, the party began to investigate. Sending his owl, Lo, into the air for a better view, Soot saw a cave at the bottom of a ravine, with a winding path cutting its way down the ravine. After giving this information to his friends, they began to work their way down the ravine. At the end of the path, a cave opening was found.

While investigating the walls of the cave for markings or paintings, Soot tripped over a body lying on the floor. After barely regaining his footing, the zombie began to rise. Nikolai sprang into action, quickly killing the zombie.

As the party made their way through the cave, a giant spider wrapped in bandages descended from the ceiling onto Soot, only to be thrown off before scurrying away. In the next chamber, the party found two iron chests. As they began to investigate, a loud voice was heard in the chamber. The voice said “You dare challenge the lord of Lance Rock?! Death is your reward!” before rocks began falling from the ceiling. The party narrowly escaped before beginning to open the chests. After opening the first chest, Soot was again attacked by a giant spider wrapped in bandages. After Zephyra removed the spider from Soot’s face, the spider began to transform into none other than Raz himself.

The party then spent some time using rocks to block the only entrance into the chamber before making camp. Further in the cave, a great power awaits their arrival.

After awakening from a night's rest in the Lance Rock Cave, our party prepared for the task ahead. After progressing deeper into the cave, the party came across a man who called himself "The Lord of Lance Rock", cleaning his tools. As the adventurers approached, The Lord of Lance Rock welcomed his new test subjects to the program.

Raz volunteered, and upon climbing onto the table, transformed into a wolf. The Lord of Lance Rock was shocked, and began seeking other subjects. While The Lord was distracted, Raz attacked. Jumping onto the Lords's back and biting into his skull, he brought the Lord to the ground.

After killing the Lord, the party proceeded to make us of his now discarded possessions. While examining the room more closely, our adventurers were attacked by crawling hands! The party quickly killed them and decided to return to Red Larch and seek their reward.

After a night of drinking and talking, the adventures turned in for the night. The party awoke to get breakfast, took a table and began planning for the day. After some danish hijinks, a guard ran into the Swinging Sword exclaiming "Everyone come! Come quick!", and prepared themselves for whatever may lie beyond the door to Red Larch.

As the party awakens to another fine day in Red Larch, they proceed to the ground floor of the Swinging Sword in search of breakfast. After a very eventful morning involving disappearing danishes, a guard burst in the room frantically seeking help.

As our adventurers exited the Swinging Sword, they came upon a very large hole in the ground. As they approached the investigate further, the ground fell away and Soot and Raz fell into the hole.

Once Soot and Raz had collected themselves, they found 4 children and a woman trapped in the hole. Zephyra tied off and threw a rope down to Soot, who fashioned a swing to the end. As the party helped the victims exit the cave, Raz began to uncover a wooden structure under the mound of dirt. Raz dug a wagon out from the mound, and the party began to reassemble the wagon. As they finished repairing the wagon, the party decided to venture deeper into the cave.

Walking deeper into the cave, the party came upon two statues of dwarves facing one another. The party decided to investigate the statue to the right first, and found another walkway cut into the rock. At the end of the walkway the party came upon a bathroom. The party then decided to explore in the other direction, and soon entered a room with three corpses in the center. After clearing the giant rats that were eating the corpses, the party pressed on.

The tunnel ahead opened to yet another room, with a black rock hovering in the center. After investigating the stone, the party continued to a long corridor. At the end of the long corridor, the party entered a large square room with a dwarven statue in the center. Offerings were left around the statue, which the party did not hesitate to accept.

The adventurers made their way deeper into the cave, soon meeting a man sitting next to a lantern in front of a door. After speaking to the man, the adventurers progressed through the door.

In the next room the adventurers were ambushed! After killing their attacker and gathering themselves, they heard more people approaching.

The party then hid, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. After fighting off the first few attackers, a thunder-bolt shot by Fyzzlewick caused those not yet in the room to flee, a rockfall blocking their return.

It was here the party made camp, safe from danger.

As the party collected themselves from the battle that took place, they began to explore the room they are in. The adventurers first found three skeletons, laid across the room from one another forming a triangle.

Raz placed the crystal orb the party found at Lance Rock on the enchanted floor. As the crystal began to float, it projected an image against the inside of the orb. It was a swirling visage, appearing to show a group of people frantically writing notes while surrounding the stones. The next was two men laughing at the stones in a different position. As the adventurers set the stones to the orientation they saw in the first image, Soot heard a loud rumbling, scraping sound come from behind a wall.

The adventurers investigated the wall, eventually breaking it down to find a corridor that lead to a chest. After collecting the contents of the chest, they began to explore the corridor that had collapsed. The adventurers followed the corridor, soon finding themselves in the yard of Waelvur's Wagonworks. There they met Constable Harbuk. As they were telling Constable Harbuk they were approached by a man who introduces himself as Illmeth Waelvur, A middle-aged, but weathered man. Illmeth offered to investigate the cavern, as to prevent Constable Harbuk from discovering what was inside. As Illmeth was questioned by Nikolai, he pulled Nikolai away from Constable Harbuk.

Illmeth told Nikolai the existence of the tomb must remain a secret. As Constable Harbuk and the rest of the party approached, Illmeth promised to not only investigate the tomb but also repair the sinkhole. Constable Harbuk, satisfied with the promise, took his leave. As they were discussing their findings with Illmeth, the adventurers learned that the man they had killed in the tomb was in fact the leader of the Believers. A man named Larrakh arrived some time ago, and persuaded the Believers he could read the stones. Larrakh slowly became the leader of the Believers, and lead them to increasingly worse situations.

Raz invited Illmeth to the tomb the following day to present to Illmeth what he and Fyzzlewick learned about the stones. The party prepared their story for when they met Illmeth, and set upon covering their tracks in the tomb. As the rest of the party went back to the tomb, Raz made his way to the home of Illmeth Waelvur. There he was given more information regarding the Believers and Larrakh.

The party reconvened at the Swinging Sword, where they saw a man reading a strange looking book. Fyzzlewick sat down with the man and asked about the book. The man introduced himself as Endrith Vallivoe, owner of Vallivoe's Sundries in Red Larch. He learned the book was purchased from Womford, where a recent shipment of many Dwarven books had arrived. Soot met with the chef named Iraun Thelder and ordered breakfast for Illmeth and the adventurers for the next morning. The party then rested for the night.

The next morning the adventurers met in the dining hall, where Fyzzlewick introduced his new mechanical companion named Crockpot, a medium sized dog. Soot then presented Fyzzlewick with the book Endrith was reading the night before.

After some deliberation, the adventurers decided to pursue the delegation from Mirabar, who a few days before they learned had gone missing.

Before exiting the city of Red Larch for Beliard, the party prepared themselves. After taking Bearemy's measurements, the party made their way to the gates of Red Larch.

Not far from the safety of Red Larch's walls, the adventurers saw 3 figures on a hilltop in the distance. Soot investigated the area using the eyes of his owl companion, and informed the party there were 3 ogres ahead. After coming up with a strategy, the adventurers continued forward. Soot, disguised as an ogre, approached with Fyzzlewick. Soot announced he had caught Fyzzlewick stealing food. As the ogres began to attack, Fyzzlewick soaked them in grease.

After the ogres slid down the greased hill, they were set afire by Raz. After a long and intense battle, all the ogres lie dead. Soot began extinguishing the wildfire, as the rest of the party investigated the ogres.

Continuing along Larch Path, it wasn't long before the party came upon 4 shallow graves set into a hillside. After some discussion, the decision was made to excavate the graves. As Soot cleared dirt and rocks away from the first, he soon came upon a male dwarf's face. As the party began to investigate the rest of the graves, they were approached by a shepherd and sheep. The shepherd introduced himself as Larmon Greenboot, and began telling the adventurers he noticed the graves a few days ago.

After speaking to Larmon, the party decided to travel along with him and his sheep toward Beliard. Along the way Larmon pointed out a spire in the distance, stating he has noticed monsters and people setting up camp there.

Soon the adventurers met a group of pilgrims at a riverside, resting before the continued with their journey. After gathering more information about the Dessarin Valley and the Sumber Hills, the adventurers continued on their journey.

As the adventurers were travelling alongside the river, ahead they saw bubbles forming in the river. As they approached closer, a group of 5 people began surfacing from the river, walking to shore.

The leader of the group demanded the party leave, and soon a rock was thrown. This is where we will find the adventurers when we return.

As the party approached the group of people who exited the river running parallel with Larch Path, a stone was thrown. A long, harrowing battle followed. After the party dispatched the group they soon recognized as cultists, they returned to Larch Path.

There Larmon Greenboot, a local shepherd, was waiting for them. He invited the adventurers to his farm to rest, as he saw the battle that took place and the injuries that resulted. The adventurers then slept for the night, all the adventurers except Raz slept inside. Raz spent his night in the barn with the sheep.

The following morning the party reconvened in the barn with Raz and the sheep. The adventurers discussed their next pursuit. Before departing Fyzzlewick began tinkering with Raz's boots. The boots began to glow with a pale green light before quickly dimming. Fyzz shorty thereafter presented the boots to Raz.

After beginning their journey to Beliard once more, the party was able to travel for some time without incident. Not long though, a clearing was seen ahead in the path. Soot took the vision of his owl, and investigated the clearing before moving closer. Soot was able to see 3 humanoid figures positioned around the clearing.

Nikolai lead the party forward, soon triggering the pitfall trap at the center of the clearing. Then 3 orcs leapt out from the cover of the trees, attacking the adventurers. After killing the orcs, Raz tossed their bodies into the pit at the center of the clearing.

The party then pushed onward. The next leg of their journey was uneventful, but soon thunderous sounds were heard in the distance. The party pressed on, and soon the thunderous sounds were recognized as explosions. After moving closer loud laughs, screams, and voices were heard through the trees. A path that had been burnt through the dense tree cover was soon discovered, with smoke rising to the sky at the end.

After a short discussion the party decided to continue along the burnt path, toward column of smoke rising into the sky. As they approached, Nikolai deftly avoided triggering an alarm. As the party investigated the tripwire and alarm, they were beckoned to by a man with blackened, charred skin. The man welcomed Soot to the camp, excited to welcome a fellow fire user to his camp.

As the man turned to guide the party back to the camp, a dagger was thrown into the man's back. He quickly spun around, frantically looking for the source of the dagger. Raz lead the man into the woods, claiming to see someone throw the dagger and run. After Raz and Soot had the man alone in the woods, Raz attacked. As the battle began, Soot disguised himself as the burnt man.

Raz leapt up at the man's face, biting with sharp fangs. After a short fight Raz fell to the ground unconscious. As the battle continued Soot made Raz invisible and marked his location with a distinctive stick. Soon Raz awoke invisible and attacked the man, biting into the back of his neck. Fyzzlewick let loose a bolt from his crossbow, delivering the final blow to the man. The burnt man fell to the ground, and small wisps of flame began to circle his body, slowly burning it away. Soot quickly buried his body and began trying to extinguish the forest fire.

The adventurers then continued with Soot disguised as the burnt man leading them. As they approached the camp the burnt man was greeted as Ash. The party was identified by Ash's right hand man Adar Hillbelly. He recognized them based on descriptions given by Cult of Eternal Flame spies in Red Larch.

Soon the party convened in a tent and began discussing their situation. Fyzzlewick then went to speak to Adar to find out the group's intentions. Adar told Fyzzlewick the camp intended to recruit more followers for a future attack on the nearby camp of Cult of Crushing Wave members. As they left the camp they planned to expand the magically opened volcanic vent to decimate the area.

After Fyzzlewick provided this information to his friends, a decision was made to kill the cultists before they could cause any further destruction. Raz and Soot awoke before the sunrise. Slowly and methodically moving from tent to tent, slaughtering all the members of the camp.

As they approached the last tent, Raz wrote a message in the sky. The message read "We will douse all your flames, surrender to the waves". After calling the message to the guards attention, the guards frantically fled, leaving Adar behind. Soot and Raz then collapsed the tent and set it on fire, killing Adar.

Later the adventurers resumed their journey to Beliard, arriving after about half a day's travel. The guard at the gate of Beliard directed the adventurers to speak to Leshor at the Watchful Knight for more information about the Mirabar delegation. The party learned the delegation was made up of 40 members, ranging from artisans and craftsmen to noblemen. Leshor also told the adventurers about a local farmer named Eann who saw some troubling things nearby. Leshor informed the party Eann would be arriving soon, and they would be better off speaking to him.

As the party waited, a woman who introduced herself as Senya told the adventurers about warriors in blue and white armor who were seeing flying on giant vultures at the nearby Feathergale Spire. Not long later the door to the Watchful Knight opened, and Eann entered.

As Eann entered the inn and took a seat at the bar near our adventurers, they began speaking to Eann about what he had seen near Feathergale Spire. After learning what Eann knew, the adventurers set out for Red Larch.

The party was in the midst of their travel to Red Larch when they suddenly felt and heard gusts of wind above them. Looking toward the disturbance they saw two large eagle-like creatures, but with a head similar to that of a deer. After Zephyra had climbed upon on of the creatures and began attempting to calm it, the other was quickly killed. After Zephyra was thrown from the creature's back, both creatures were slain. The party continued forward for Red Larch.

Several hours after their battle with the perytons, Nikolai spotted a tripwire attached to a rope of daggers. After disarming the trap, the adventurers continued forward. Soon they were confronted by a group of six people who, after realizing the part's strength, attempted to flee. The party refused to allow them, soon killing them all. Raz, controlling a large swarm of ravens, picked several of the hunters clean.

The party pushed onward in their quest, soon arriving in Red Larch. After reconnecting with some friends, they began to plot their course for Feathergale Spire.

The adventurers began their journey to Feathergale Spire from Red Larch, arriving after about six hours. Soon they came upon the entrance, a raised drawbridge across a very large and deep chasm. As the party looked around, they located a bell. After a brief discussion the bell was rung, and the adventurers heard a female voice call out across the chasm.

The adventurers were welcomed into Feathergale Spire, their escort giving them a tour while walking them to the pinnacle. As they walked out onto the landing of the pinnacle, they were greeted by a man who introduced himself as Thurl Merosska.

The adventurers began speaking to Thurl about the Feathergale Knights, Spire, as well as the surrounding Dessarin Valley. Thurl invited the adventurers to a feast later that night, and asked them to rest in the tower until the feast. Raz began searching the area as a squirrel while his friends spoke to Thurl. After his friends returned to the tower, Raz began running around Thurl's feet to draw his attention. Thurl picked up Raz, allowing Raz to climb onto his shoulder. Raz then jumped to the ground behind Thurl, and returned to his normal form.

Raz approached Thurl from behind, scaring him. Raz assured Thurl he was there to help, exposing the symbol associated with the Cult of Howling Hatred he carved into his chest. Thurl, beginning to trust Raz, told him about the Cult of Black Earth encampment at the Sacred Stone Monastery, and asked Raz to investigate them.

Raz rejoined his friends in their room, and they soon heard a knock at the door. Their escort asked to speak to Zephyra alone, leading her out of the room. Once they were alone, the woman asked Zephyra if she should talk to Thurl about the possibility of Zephyra joining the Feathergale Knights. Zephyra quickly accepted, and joined her friends who were walking down to the great hall.

In the great hall they were invited to sit at one of the two long feast tables. As they ate, Thurl asked the adventurers to tell the feast tales from their travels. As Soot was recounting an adventure, he was interrupted by a guard announcing that a manticore was on the move. Thurl stood, proclaiming that anyone who brings the beast's head would receive his ring.

As this was happening, Raz was making his way to Thurl's room. After sneaking inside in the form of a spider, Raz began to rifle through Thurl's things. As Raz was finishing he heard the sound of footsteps rushing toward the pinnacle. Soon after Raz proceeded to the pinnacle, where he found his friends getting fit for their hippogryphs and giant vultures.

The adventurers took flight in chase of the manticore, quickly locating it. Once the manticore knew it would be caught, it began throwing tail spikes toward its attackers. After catching the manticore, the party quickly killed it. Nikolai delivered the final blow, flying inverted above the manticore. Nikolai swung his flail down toward the manticore, and watched as it embedded itself into the manticore's head. Nikolai then felt his chain go taught, then violently come loose. He then saw the head of the manticore still attached to his flail.

The party then returned triumphantly to the pinnacle. After arriving, Nikolai jumped from his mount. Landing with one knee down, the head of the manticore held high on the end of his flail, he was approached by Thurl.

After arriving back to the pinnacle of Feathergale Spire on their gryphons and giant vultures, the adventurers were greeted by Thurl. Thurl expressed his gratitude, and praised the party for their hunt. Thurl offered their rewards, the ring he offered initially, as well as a bag containing spell scrolls and potions, Thurl then asked the adventurers to investigate the Sacred Stone Monastery, as he was worried the Cult of Black Earth had recently been spotted there.

After resting at Feathergale Spire for the night, the adventurers left for Red Larch early in the morning. After a day's travel they arrived in Red Larch, quickly making their way to the Swinging Sword. There they were met by an unfamiliar face, who told the adventurers the Swinging Sword was now under his management. The innkeeper provided the party with horses and a wagon, and provided them lodgings for the night.

The party left Red Larch for the Sacred Stone Monastery the following morning. Soon the path they were travelling grew too narrow for the horses and wagon, and the adventurers continued on foot. After squeezing through a particularly narrow portion of the valley, the adventurers came upon a great sight. A large natural amphitheater with a large stone building in the center greeted them.

After exploring the exterior of the building for some time, the adventurers proceeded to the front door. As Soot reached for the doorknob, his hand glowing with heat, Zephyra quickly attempted to open the door. A panel in the door then slid open, and a golden gargoyle mask looked through from the other side. Soot, quickly disguising himself with the same mask, claimed he was a recruiter returning with prospects

The party was invited in, and lead to a man named Qarbo. Soot explained why he came, and Qarbo began to question the prospects. To determine their commitment to elemental earth, Qarbo asked the adventurers "What is your greatest failing?", and "Why do you think you are worthy to be a servant of elemental earth?". Raz displayed his scarred symbol of the Cult of Black Earth to Qarbo, identifying himself as a member. After the party answered these questions through Soot's incessant sneezing, Qarbo invited them to "continue below". Soot and Raz gathered the adventurers equipment, and lead them below.

As the adventurers continued down the staircase behind Qarbo, the stairs regressed to form a slide. Landing at the bottom, the adventurers quickly began to take in their surroundings. They saw a door of metal bars slide open, and began hearing heavy footsteps approaching them. As they finished equipping their weapons and armor, they saw a large figure that appeared to be a cross between an ape and a giant beetle. They quickly killed the monstrosity, Fyzzlewick delivering the final blow with this electrified crossbow, and Raz summoning 4 apes to do his bidding.

The adventurers then searched the room they were in, discovering a sarcophagus containing a skeleton with a breastplate emblazoned with a symbol. The party continued through the only door they could see, entering the mines.

Zephyra sent Fish to scout the mines before they entered. Fish alerted Zephyra to a tunnel with a partial cave-in. The party travelled through the mine to this tunnel, Raz setting his apes upon clearing the collapse. While the apes worked, Fyzzlewick mined some gemstones from the wall. As the party looked down the tunnel ahead, they braced themselves for what was to come.

As the adventurers gazed into the darkness of the tunnel in front of them, Nikolai noticed a shadowy figure slowly approaching the party. The shadowy figure introduced herself as Myra, and asked why the adventurers were here. Myra claimed to have been hired to find the Mirabar delegation. The information she gathered lead her here, to the Sacred Stone Monastery. The adventurers offered to help Myra, and they turned to return to the mines.

As the group searched the mines, they came to a hallway leading to three cells. Myra recognized one of the slaves as Bruldenthar, a member of the missing Mirabar delegation. Bruldenthar told the adventurers he and the rest of the delegation were ambushed by the Black Earth cultists first, then warriors on flying mounts ambushed the entire battle. There were casualties on every side, and Bruldenthar was taken prisoner. The Black Earth cultists paid pirates for transport across the river back to the monastery.

Bruldenthar told the adventurers he would like to explore deeper in the mine, hoping to find more members of the missing delegation. He soon lead the adventurers to a guarded, locked gate. Soot first tried to talk his way in, soon walking away. Out of sight of the guard, he disguised himself as Qarbo and tried again. After one guard started to grow suspicious Zephyra tried to whip him.

After killing the guards, Bruldenthar told the party he knew where to find the key for the gate. He lead the adventurers to a room near the slave cells, and told them the key was inside. Soot, still disguised as Qarbo entered the room. Inside Soot found three orogs, an ogre, and a well. After failing to make the hand sign indicating he was with the cult, the guards attacked Soot. After killing the guards, the adventurers began to search the room. They found the key they were searching for, as well as an opening in the bottom of the well.

Fyzzlewick was lowered down into the well on a bucket, Raz jumping in after him. Around the hole at the bottom of the well they found the symbol of the Cult of the Crushing Wave. Raz then used wild shape to transform into a fish, and swam down the pipe. Raz has not yet told his companions what happened after that.

As Raz returned, the adventurers were settling in for a night's rest. In the morning they awoke to find Myra and Bruldenthar missing. The adventurers decided to proceed deeper into the mine, and began descending the stairs.

As the adventurers proceeded further down the stairs, they began to hear the sound of heavy footsteps. Soon they came upon a group of guards, who after a short interrogation, began attacking. After killing the guards, the adventurers pressed on. At the foot of the stairs they came upon a large natural stone bridge, stretching across a giant chasm. Fizzlewyck called attention to the three gargoyle statues looking over this bridge.

Soot set out across the bridge. When he was about halfway across the bridge he was attacked by the gargoyles, who attempted to push him from the bridge. Raz seeing his debtor in grave danger, summoned two eagles to help distract the gargoyles. As the third gargoyle swooped in to Soot, Soot grabbed hold. Soot held the gargoyle in his firm embrace long enough for his friends to cross the bridge.

As the rest of the party reached the safety on the other side of the bridge, Soot released the gargoyle, and shook off another attempt to throw him from the bridge. Rushing to join his friends, they quickly killed the gargoyles. Nikolai caused one gargoyle to explode from the strength of his attack. Raz followed by flicking a stone at the other, causing that gargoyle to explode as well.

As the adventurers continued into the room behind them, they were fired upon! A crossbow bolt narrowly missed them. Zephyra quickly responded with an arrow of her own, as Raz began approaching the arrow slit. Raz slid a hand into the arrow slit, allowing venomous claws to stab into the duergar on the other side, killing it.

As the party continued through the broken doorway, they saw a group of four humanoid figures huddled ahead. The adventurers approached the group, and quickly a battle broke out. As the adventurers were fighting off the 4 hobgoblins, they saw a monstrous creature approaching slowly from deeper in the room. Soon the hobgoblins lied dead, and the adventurers looked ahead at the bulette and the man riding it.

Raz ran forward and attacked the bulette, as the summoned eagles began attacking the man riding the bulette. With the man dead, the adventurers turned their attention the bulette. As they did, the bulette leapt into the air. Raz and the eagles attacked, attempting to stop the bulette. The bulette flew through the air toward the party.

The bulette leapt into the air toward the party, landing heavily and knocking them away. As they were pushed back pieces of jagged stone slashed into them as they flew past. Zephyra shot the bulette with an entangling arrow, and soon the bulette was dead. Looking around this great hall with a soaring ceiling and decrepit, large stone doors, the adventurers saw passages leading west and south, and a small stone door to the east.

Beyond the eastern door, the adventurers saw a trail of blood trickling across the stone floor. As the party investigated they saw the duergar they had killed through an arrow slit moments before, as well as a bound Aarakocra behind it.

They released the Aarakocra, and learned his name was Krouc. Krouc had been following the party since they first arrived at Feathergale Spire. After seeing them depart, he followed them here. Rather than approaching the front door like the adventurers, Krouc came to this temple through another entrance. Krouc told the party that the day before they had arrived to Feathergale Spire, he saw dull orange light rising from the Spire, heard rhythmic chanting, and soon he saw the body of a man fall from the spire.

Krouc and the adventurers decided to continue further into the temple to find their way back to the surface. Raz approached the door opposite the party, and slowly pulled the door open. Inside Raz saw 4 humans seated around a table. Raz turned and alerted the rest of the adventurers, and Soot proclaimed "I got this" while walking toward the door and putting on his golden gargoyle mask.

Soot asked the first man he saw what he was doing, and accused the man of taking a late break. After trying to convince the men he was one of them, Soot provoked an attack. The battle spilled out into the main hall, and soon the adventurers heard and felt heavy footsteps approaching from deeper in the temple. The adventurers paid the footsteps little attention, turning quickly back to the men in front of them with a renewed urgency. The last man fell, and another bulette lumbered into view about 100 feet ahead of the adventures.

The bulette began charging at the adventurers, sensing that its master had died. The adventurers looked around at their options for escape or evasion, quickly deciding to instead turn and fight. The adventurers charged forward toward the bulette, ready for the harsh battle that would take place.

The bulette leapt in the air, landing on the party. Raz and Krouc avoided being hit by flying, Raz flying on eagle familiars. Zephyra, Soot, Fizzlewyck and Crockpot were knocked to the ground, shards of stone and bullete armor poking out from their skin in places. Krouc flew into action, flying down and rescuing Fizzlewyck by moving him to the safety of a nearby room.

Raz summoned a cloud of ravens while healing Zephyra, allowing Zephyra to stand once more. Nikolai threw his shield to the ground covering Soot and grabbed his sword with both hands, then charged yelling at the bulette. Both of Nikolai's swings narrowly missed the bulette, leaving Nikolai unprotected in front of the monstrosity.

Zephyra fired two arrows at the bulette, the first twisting and writhing with vines. As the arrow plunged deep into the bulette's armor, the vines spread. The vines restrained the bulette to the cave floor. Krouc swept in, grabbing Soot and flying him to safety. The bulette turned to Nikolai trapped, hurt, and bleeding. It grabbed Nikolai in its mouth, shook its head violently, then tossed him to the side unconscious.

Fizzlewyck delivered the final blow from a bolt glowing with blue light. The bulette finally fell to the ground dead. The adventurers quickly tended to their injured, then quickly escaped into one of the nearby guard rooms. Krouc kept watch, unharmed from the battle that took place.

After tending to their wounds and resting, the adventurers decided to push further still into the Temple of Black Earth through the southernmost passage. The adventurers soon came to a door with a frowning dwarf warrior in plate with spiky maces instead of hands. Fyzzlewick read the Dwarvish writing, and before saying anything to his friends he entered the room.

Inside he found Miraj Vizann, an Earth Genasi, and second in command of the Cult of Black Earth. Miraj turned to face Fizzlewyck, believing Fizzlewyck to be his new apprentice. Miraj told Fyzzlewick he was unable to reactivate one of the four large stone statues in his workshop. Fizzlewyck offered to look for answers during his travels, and began looking around the workshop. On one of the shelves Fizzlewyck found a white marble elephant. Placing the elephant in his apron, Fizzlewyck began to walk out of the room to inform his friends.

As he exited, Raz turned into a wolf spider and entered. Fizzlewyck told the other adventurers what he had seen inside, as Raz began exploring the workshop. Raz soon descended from the ceiling on a sliver of spider silk onto Miraj. Raz began biting, and slowly injecting venom into Miraj.

Miraj attempted to swat at his back to kill whatever pest was biting him, but was unable to kill the pest. After a few minutes of frantically slapping and swatting at his back, Miraj fell to the ground stiff. Raz ended wild shape and returned to normal, opening the door to let the party know

It was safe.

Soot ran to the statues and began reading the carvings Raz found, telling his friends the carving read "Ogrémoch". Soot searched his mind for any references of Ogrémoch, and soon recalled the legend of the Prince of Evil Earth. Raz removed the orb that was taken from the Tomb of Moving Stones below Red Larch. Placing it into the socket on the chest of one of the statues, Raz saw a faint blue light begin to glow around the orb. As the adventurers looked on, they soon heard the sound of small chunks of rock fall to the floor, and the grinding of stone against stone.

As the stones and dust fell to the floor, Raz was granted a vision. The other adventurers saw Raz's eyes glaze over, faceted like gemstones.

Raz watched as Ogrémoch, a 50 foot tall hulking mass of stone and green crystal, stood surrounded by bulettes and the Black Earth army. Ogrémoch plunged his hand to the ground, killing several Black Earth cultists as he does so, and removes a boulder roughly the size of a house. Throwing the boulder, Raz sees across from them the Howling Hatred army, giant vultures and griffons flying above. The boulder strikes a griffon, knocking it to the ground. As the boulder and griffon slid through the Howling Hatred ranks, crushing and killing several cultists, the armies advanced on one another.

As the battle raged an invisible tornado tore through the ranks of the Black Earth cultists, moving toward Ogrémoch. Ogrémoch broke a chunk of crystal from his shoulder, throwing it toward the Howling Hatred. As the crystal crashed to the ground, dirt and rock began to fall into the crater it left. Soon a gargoyle rose from the hole, and began attacking.

Ogrémoch turned and met the invisible squall head on, grappling an unseen attacker. As the battle continued below, soon both sides lie dead or fled. Ogrémoch and the invisible squall still locked.

Following the vision Raz returned to the adventurers, and explained to them what was seen as they searched Miraj's workshop. The adventurers collected any loot they could find as Soot and Nikolai took turns attempting to lift Miraj, the earth genasi. After not being able to lift Miraj, Zephyra cast levitate on him. Soot quickly made Miraj invisible.

Fizzlewyck began working in the shop, and created a homunculus which he named Tinywick. The adventurers then continued further, eventually finding a great chamber bisected by a chasm. On the other side were two bulettes, bound by the neck to large stone pillars. The chain in the middle lied snapped on the ground. The adventurers took turns hooping across the 5-foot platforms connecting the north and south side. Soot narrowly fell, casting misty step to save himself.

On the south side of this chamber Soot put on his golden gargoyle mask and approached the bulettes. The bulettes walked to the end of their chains and sat down, eagerly awaiting food. Soot threw some meat to the bulettes and walked by while the closest was distracted. The other bulette slowly turned toward Soot, its tether snapping and falling to the ground.

Raz saw the bulette break free, quickly stabbing Miraj and pushing him toward the free bulette. Bulette quickly devoured Miraj's body. As the bulette was eating the rest of the adventures ran past the tied bulette to the next room. Raz stayed behind, soon turning to the bulettes. After removing the tether of the still bound bulette using mage hand, Raz backed up to the chasm while keeping the attention of the bulettes.

As the bulettes leapt toward Raz, Raz jumped backward into the chasm. The bulettes continued to fall into the darkness of the chasm, and Raz teleported back to the edge of the chasm. Joining back up with the rest of the party, they continued exploring.

They soon came upon a set of double doors, and found an Ettin named Broog-Norb inside. Broog-Norb believed the adventurers to be a part of the Cult of Black Earth as Soot was wearing his golden gargoyle mask. Broog-Norb told the adventures he needed fire to cook, and the party soon lit a fire for him. Soot and Raz manipulated the fire to keep Broog-Norb distracted as the party snuck through the room.

The next room didn't hold anything remarkable aside from some scraps of bloody clothing marked with the Howling Hatred symbol. Tinywick also found a nail with a stone handle. Continuing forward the adventures found a rectangular basin of water surrounded by woodland images like deer, bears and ducks. Tinywick tested the water with his toe, and let the adventurers know the water was safe.

Soot proceeded to the door to their left, and as he started to turn the doorknob he heard "Ahh... visitors...". Soot paused to make sure his gargoyle mask was on and entered the room. The torturer asked who was to be question, and Raz bumped forward. Hands bound, the torturer motioned to a rack and said "We can do this the easy way or the hard way".

Raz pushed the torturer into the rack instead, binding his hands and covering his mouth. Raz then removed the silent knife and began questioning the torturer. While Raz was questioning Zephyra, Nikolai, and Fizzlewyck began working to release prisoners. After releasing a dwarf woman named Orna, Nikolai offered his flail and motioned to the man Raz was questioning. Orna entered a rage and viciously beat the man.

Soot told the guards looking on that the torturer was a spy. Zephyra motioned to the rack and asked Soot if they should burn it. After looting the chest they found in the room, Zephyra set fire to anything wood in the room. Raz returned to the ettin and lead him toward the torture room. As the smoke from Zephyra's fire began trickling out, Raz opened the door and invited the ettin to eat. Broog-Norb pulled a leg from the rack and began eating, and the adventurers continued further.

As they walked further the started to hear the sound of hammers hitting molten metal. Fizzlewyck immediately entered the room, and was greeted by two duergar and a dao. After a few moments of navigating the language barrier, Fizzlewyck was able to introduce himself to the dao, who introduced herself as Xharva. Fizzlewyck was able to convince Xharva to work with him, and together they made a 12-inch, 10 pound stone that Xharva called an "earth orb" as the party rested. Xharva wished the party farewell, and they continued foward.

Continuing north, the party walked past a large stair case descending into darkness, then a door on their right. Slowly opening the door and looking inside, Soot saw 5 Black Earth cultists inside. Raz summoned eight spiders, and took telepathic control of a ninth. Raz and the spiders went bunk to bunk killing all the sleeping cultists before moving on to the ones seated at the table.

Returning to the adventurers from the spider, Raz said it was time to go in and say hello.

Following Raz's spiders the adventurers proceeded into the room and made quick work of the Black Earth cultists waiting inside. They exited the room to the east, soon coming to a statue which Raz identified as Ogrémoch. Looking closer at the statue they saw a plaque stating Miraj Vizann was the artist who created it. Proceeding further the party came to yet another door. On the other side they heard laughing, talking, and the sound of stoneware.

As Nikolai opened the door Raz lead a spider army in and positioned on the underside of the door frame. As the first ogre began to exit, Raz and the spiders attacked. They completely webbed the ogre, quickly moving sacs of the ogre to the edges of the web. The adventurers rushed in, quickly killing all the cultists.

Exiting through the door opposite the one they entered through, the adventurers continued through a hallway to the next door.

Raz listened for a moment before walking in and heard someone planning something. As Raz walked in Soot made Raz look like a clown. Raz was met by a woman named Yarsha and her duergar assistants. Looking around the room Raz saw a map with Miraj's room marked with a red "X". Yarsha began to tell the adventurers how she planned to kill Miraj to take his place as second-in-command.

Raz told Yarsha about the orb the adventurers retrieved from beneath Red Larch, and Yarsha excitedly asked to see it. Raz and Fizzlewyck left the room, Raz to retrieve the orb from the statue it was last placed in, and Fizzlewyck to go back to Xharva's shop.

As Raz was retrieving the orb, Fizzlewyck made himself invisible outside of Xharva's shop and snuck inside. Quickly but quietly Fizzlewyck snuck to a table and stole another Earth Orb. Returning to Yarsha, Raz presented the orb. Yarsha identified the orb as a "history orb", used to identify the past interactions between magic and stone. The adventurers spoke amongst themselves to decide what to do about Yarsha.

Yarsha warned the adventurers that Marlos' lair was close, and Marlos was dangerous. Raz stepped forward saying "I think you fail to see the danger in front of you" and attacked. Raz's wolves swarmed Yarsha, leaving nothing behind. After seeing this one duergar began to run while the other stood to fight. As the duergar turned to run he was swallowed by Raz's wolf pack. Zephyra stabbed the duergar with a dagger twisting with vines, and soon the duergar was completely enveloped by vines.

The adventurers began to prepare to rest in this room for the night and found Yarsha's valuables. After a night's rest they proceeded further into the Temple of Black Earth. After going west through two rooms, they found a set of large double stone doors to their right.

As the adventurers entered they saw a man facing away from them. Soot called to him, and the man began to turn around. Nikolai was able to shake off the effects of the man's gaze, but Soot was not, and his feet soon turned to stone. Still wearing his golden gargoyle mask Soot told the man he made a mistake and asked to have his legs returned to normal.

While they waited for help to arrive, Soot entertained the man with a card trick and a song, thinly disguising a plea for help to his friends outside the room. Nikolai attacked Marlos, but tripped while running over. Nikolai landed prone in front of Marlos and was once again able to shake off the effects of his gaze.

After a short burst of attacks Marlos' snake hair began to agitate and spit venom and Marlos said through a smirk "finally a welcome challenge"

As Marlos began walking toward Nikolai he calmly said "Ah a human, its been some time since I've killed one of you..." and Nikolai looked up to meet his gaze. As Nikolai did this he felt his legs begin to stiffen, and looked down to see his legs becoming stone. Marlos attacked his hair snapping and biting at Nikolai, then swinging his war pick, Ironfang, into Nikolai's shoulder.

Soot called out to Marlos, who quickly turned to find Soot's gaze. Soot, already half-stone, turned completely to stone. As the stone crept up his chest, he threw all his money to Raz yelling "I'm sorry!".

Zephyra let loose a thunderwave as Fizzlewyck heated Marlos' war pick. Ironfang burst into flame, consuming Marlos until nothing was left but a puddle of mud. After Fizzlewyck lifted Ironfang and felt its influence, he was unable to set it down again.

The adventurers continued into Marlos' lair, collecting his valuables. As they progressed further into the temple they came to a room with a bound water genasi named Doot. As they looked around the rest of the room, they saw a Black Earth priestess and 4 cultists surrounding a large black stone obelisk. The priestess stated she planned to feed the water genasi to the black pudding that lived inside. As the adventurers looked, they saw black booze beginning to pop and squeeze from the porous surface of the stone. The adventurers attacked, and soon Doot was freed.

With the Temple of Black Earth empty, the adventurers ascended to the Sacred Stone Monastery with Soot's statue in tow. Luckily they found food and drink still prepared on the table. Clearly the Black Earth cultists had left in a hurry. The adventurers ate and rested for the night. Before resting Raz and Zephyra spent some time reflecting on Soot and his place in the group.

As they descended back into the Temple of Black Earth, they met Xharva. Xharva stated she was going to relocate to Red Larch. Xharva agreed to transport Soot's statue to Red Larch. The adventurers continued, soon coming to the great ancient staircase they had seen previously.

As the adventurers came to the bottom, they saw a cave chamber laid out below them. Raz approached an alcove to the north, and watched as shadows begin to stir and swirl. A fight quickly broke out, the specters quickly dispersed. As the adventurers looked to the door to the south they saw a purple glow beneath the door and began to approach.

As the adventurers looked to the door and saw the purple glow below it, they paused to collect themselves.

After walking through a hallway, the adventurers came upon two giants playing tic tac toe with colored stones and a bound Tabaxi

After losing to Nikolai, Maul became angry and started attacking. Karg attempted to calm him down, but Maul was inconsolable. The Tabaxi stood after shaking off his shackles, and prepared to fight back against his captors. Nikolai hit a giant with a thunderous blow, knocking loose stone from the ceiling as it fell around the adventurers.

Killed giants. Fizzlewyck saw two unlit half-spheres protruding through the wall, and after some clever positioning with the refracted light, was able to open a secret door. After collecting the treasure inside, the adventurers pressed on.

Nikolai, White Claw and Zephyra continued down a hallway alone to the next room. Their they found two guards named Clark and Keith. After Nikolai attempted to bluff their way through, a fight broke out. Zephyra quickly sent her cat companion to warn Raz and Fizzlewyck.

As the fight ensued, Fizzlewyck and Raz began walking toward the room. As the entered two earth elementals burst through the floor between them and Nikolai, White Claw and Zephyra. Nikolai charged forward to attack, but unfortunately was surrounded by the earth elementals. White Claw and Zephyra watched as the earth elementals brought their arms crashing down on Nikolai.

Raz summoned a rhino and ordered it to attack. Fizzlewyck then ordered the earth elemental to duel the other.

As the party continued their fight against the earth elementals, Raz’s rhino collapsed one’s leg, causing it to fall onto Nikolai’s corpse. As Raz’s rhino ran forward, Raz lowered their own horns to match. As Fizzlewyck hit the elemental that freed itself from his domination, a thunderous boom rang out from Ironfang causing a large piece of the ceiling to fall toward the group. They all deftly leapt from harms way, narrowly escaping the boulder. As White Claw and Craig the guard began to duel, the rest of the adventurers stood back, judging White Claw’s abilities. After finally killing Craig, the adventurers prepared to continue forward.

In the next room the adventurers came across a fat, egg-shaped creature with three arms, legs, eyes, and a white mouth atop its stony ovoid body in the center of the room. To the monstrosity’s side was a human man dressed in shards of rock as armor, casually dropping gemstones into the creature’s mouth. As the adventurers entered the man turned and asked if they had brought an offering, White Claw responded that they had, and threw his spear at the man. As the spear flew past the man’s head, he shielded himself and prepared for battle. In the heat of the battle Fizzlewyck ran beneath the creature and struck upwards with Ironfang, sending the creature flying into the air. As the man fell and the party stood around his corpse, it soon began to smoke. As his body exploded into shards of stone Raz, Fizzlewyck, and White Claw leapt back, avoiding danger.

Zephyra sent her cat Fish to scout ahead, and soon Fish came to a long, twisting hallway. At the end of this hallway Fish found a room covered in stalagmites and stalactites. As Fish entered, he was gripped by an unseen tentacle and ripped toward the ceiling. Fish then found himself face to face with the creature’s mouth. Zephyra’s vision ended suddenly, with the rest of the adventurers surprised by her shock as she came back. After telling her friends what happened, they all continued into the room with an intense feeling of purpose.

As they entered the room, six tentacles descended from the ceiling, grabbing two of Raz’s snakes and pulling them to the ceiling. Raz then saw the creature for what it was, a pink-gray mass of teeth, bumps and tentacles, clinging to the ceiling. The creature was unable to eat the wriggling snakes it was holding, as 6 more snakes began ascending a stalagmite toward the creature. As the snakes bit in, the creature felt the venom course through its body. The creature soon lied dead. After mourning the loss of Fish for some time, they continued forward.

In the next room they were greeted by the sight of an armored earth elemental standing around 6 small creatures composed of mud. Seeing this Raz summoned 8 wolves behind the creatures, and they soon attacked. As the battle raged, White Claw shadowstepped into the air above the elemental, stunning it with a punch before leaping to safety. Raz began staring down the elemental, planning the next attack.

As the battle between the wolves, armored earth elemental and the small mud creatures came to an end, the adventurers collected themselves and pressed on.

As the journeyed forward, Raz began to antagonize Zephyra. As they approached the next room, they heard loud clacking.

After Raz arranged the wolves into columns, they continued forward.

Eight hook horrors leapt out at the adventurers, and a long but calculated battle commenced. Fizzlewyck killed the last hook horror by sliding under its legs and swinging up toward the undercarriage. After celebrating their victory, they continued on to explore the area. Fizzlewyck felt what he recognized as hammers hitting metal through a wall to the north.

The adventurers saw a bright purple glow ahead to the west and continued toward the glow. Raz entered and began to feel confused and lost as the bright purple glow flooded the area. Raz warned everyone, and as they set up camp, continued to antagonize Zephyra. As the adventurers were laying down to rest, Fizzlewyck gave Zephyra a clockwork cat in remembrance of Fish.

Before Zephyra awoke she was greeted by her cat Fish in her dream. Fish spoke to Zephyra, giving her motivation to continue her adventures.

As the adventurers awoke, they began to collect themselves and Raz noticed that Zephyra appeared different than when they slept. Raz began looking more closely and questioning Zephyra, unsure as to if this was the same Zephyra the party rested with the night before. Zephyra re-introduced herself to Raz, proclaiming she will no longer try to impress Raz.

Continuing deeper into the dungeon they soon came across a large stone bridge. As Raz lead the party across, White Claw saw the temperature of a boulder beginning to rise as it began to move. As the boulder began making its way across the bridge toward the adventurers, White Claw shadowstepped next to it, pushing it into the darkness below. After watching the first fall the rest adventurers turned and saw another beginning to move toward them. After pushing that boulder from the bridge as well, they continued north.

In the first room they saw a group of cultists seated as if they were praying, in the other they saw what they recognized as a stable with odd saddles. Fizzlewyck sensed the movement of large creatures preparing to rest through the wall ahead in the stables. The adventurers decided to enter the first room, preparing their attack. White Claw shadowstepped first to the back left, Fizzlewyck drawing Ironfang and preparing to attack. The adventurers decided to all attack at once to take the cultists by surprise. Fizzlewyck slammed the pick of Ironfang into the ground capturing three of the four cultists in the path of the cracking and splintering earth, Raz descended from the ceiling as a wolf spider biting into the woman in sandy robes at the back left, Zephyra threw a bolt radiant energy toward a cultist, White Claw shadowstepped to the guard at the back right, stabbing the guard in the side. The cultists collected themselves and turned to retaliate, and the battle officially began. Raz’s poison crippled the woman in sandy robes, and the adventurers watched as she fell to the ground completely still. White Claw sensed her temperature change as her body began to fight off the poison circulating with her blood. After discussing options with everyone else, Raz decided the woman was of no use to them and stabbed her in the head, killing her. After disposing of the cultists in a heated battle, the adventurers continued back to the stables.

Raz looked over the stable wall and saw a baby bulette, roughly the size of a rhinoceros, on the other side. Looking into the rest of the stables, the party found 3 baby bulettes total. As they were attempting to sneak past, they accidentally drew attention from the baby bulletes quickly turning to begin calming them. Raz fed the bulettes to help calm them, then mounted one and beckoned it forward by suspending food in front of it with mage hand.

In what Fizzlewyck identified as the workshop, they found a dwarf man named Rhundorth. After questioning Rhundorth shortly, the adventurers attacked with Rhundorth providing support. After Raz’s bulette fell dead, Raz felt an intense anger and commanded the wolves to devour the attacker. With all of the cultists falling dead, the adventurers turned and began to speak to Rhundorth. The adventurers invited Rhundorth to join them and continued deeper into the dungeon.

In the next room they found two more armored earth elementals guarding a constantly swirling and changing monolith. The party began to prepare their attack, and battle soon broke out. Fizzlewyck commanded one earth elemental to touch the monolith and watched as the elemental was sucked through the portal to whatever lies on the other side. Raz’s wolves all attacked the last elemental in unison, knocking it to the ground as it died.

Raz then sent a wolf to touch the portal and watched as that was sucked through as well. Seeing this Raz stepped forward and touched the monolith, and soon all the adventurers found themselves on the Plane of Elemental Earth. Fizzlewyck finds Ironfang missing after he steps through the portal, then turned around to retrieve it. After placing it in the bag of holding he entered through the portal, bringing Ironfang along. After collecting themselves and looking toward Ogremoch, the adventurers looked for a place to rest before the upcoming battle. As they entered into a mountain range shaped like a crescent moon with a secluded cave in the center, they found a shadowy figure with its back toward them in the cave.

After entering the cave and finding a shadowy humanoid figure, the adventurers met a Kenku named Sigh. Sigh relayed his orders from Thurl to infiltrate the Cult of Black Earth and descend as deep into the cavern fortress as he could. There he encountered a portal and was pulled onto the Plane of Elemental Earth. After acquainting themselves with Sigh, the adventurers settled in to rest and prepare for their battle with Ogremoch.

The next morning the adventurers exited the cave and began walking toward Ogremoch. As they got close White Claw held a paw in the air and a shadowy aura engulfed the group, allowing them to approach without being noticed. In preparation for the jump up to Ogremoch White Claw and Raz tethered themselves together. Zephyra placed a hand on Sigh, White Claw and Raz, and a glowing holy energy adhered to their skin protecting them from death.

Once everyone was within 120 feet of Ogremoch, Raz and White Claw executed their plan. Raz and White Claw teleported to eye level with Ogremoch, White Claw looked to Raz and wished her luck before teleporting onto Ogremoch. As White Claw teleported over Raz summoned 16 wolves at Ogremoch’s feet. White Claw stabbed his spear into Ogremoch after setting foot on him, breaking a considerable chunk of stone from his body. Zephyra, Fizzlewyck and Sigh stayed back and prepared their ranged attacks. Zephyra channeled Akadi’s power into the form of a large cat head.
Sigh snuck closer before taking a shot with his shortbow, the arrow piercing into Ogremoch. Simultaneously Raz’s wolves swarmed Ogremoch’s feet, biting and clawing chunks of stone from his legs. Fizzlewyck fired two bolts at Ogremoch, creating a crack in his torso on the first, spreading further on the second.

After this assault Ogremoch stomped on the ground, knocking all the wolves and Crockpot prone to the ground. Ogremoch then ripped a boulder from his chest and threw it toward Sigh. The boulder collided into Sigh, and the sound of breaking rock and bones echoed through the valley. Raz then brandished the Wand of Magic Missile and 7 missiles slammed into Ogremoch, breaking more chunks of Ogremoch’s body away. Zephyra called lightning toward Ogremoch, a bolt of lightning shocking into Ogremoch’s chest. Sigh popped out from before the rock he was using for cover and took a shot with his shortbow at Ogremoch then went back behind the boulder to hide, however Ogremoch was able to sense Sigh’s position through the ground. Fizzlewyck took a shot with his crossbow, crackling with arcane energy as it soared through the air toward Ogremoch’s hulking form. White Claw stabbed into Ogremoch with his spear repeatedly. Sigh once again popped out from behind his cover and fired at Ogremoch, missing narrowly. Ogremoch was still able to locate Sigh through the ground even after Sigh hid behind cover. Ogremoch started swinging his arms at the ground out of frustration and desperation. After the assault 5 wolves lied dead, however 11 were still alive and now they were angry. Raz once again threw magic missiles from the wand, and more chunks and glowing purple liquid crystal began to ooze from Ogremoch. Raz then flew eye level with Ogremoch and threatened. White Claw then stabbed with his spear and punched Ogremoch, his attacks not having much an effect.

Zephyra worsened the storm above Ogremoch, and a lighting bolt struck into Ogremoch’s open crystal veins, cleaving him in half from the inside out. Ogremoch lied dead. Zephyra looked at Ogremoch’s body was reminded of Akadi’s words in her vision. The adventurers then collected all the items that Ogremoch had been collecting and storing within himself. After looting his body, the watched as the ground of this area began to fall away to blackness. Raz looked down into the abyss below, unable to see the bottom. The adventurers then made haste back to the portal, narrowly escaping before the ground crumbled under their feet.

After stepping through the portal back to the Black Geode, Fizzlewyck felt Ironfang shaking itself toward the swirling monolith, and after striking it Fizzlewyck watched as the swirling slowed and began to grind to a halt and shrink, and soon the mass of the portal consumed it and the portal exploded into shards of crystal and stone. Fizzlewyck felt Ironfang begin to crumble in his fingers and watched as Ironfang rust and crumble to pieces. The adventurers felt the cavern around them beginning to tremble and quake and began rushing out of the Black Geode back toward the Fane of the Eye. Raz summoned two giant eagles and mounted one and rushed toward the exit.

As they exited from the Black Geode back into the room where the two giants were holding White Claw and playing a game. The adventurers decided to rest in this room before continuing to explore the rest of the Fane. As they were resting Raz removed her bandages, for the first time showing her true form to the rest of the adventurers.

After resting for the night, the adventurers continued to the southeast corner of this room, Raz pushing it open without hesitation. In that room they found a significant amount of fungus, some glowing some not. Raz recognized three mushrooms as being hazardous and plucked them from the ground with her mage hand. As they were in the room looking around, Sigh felt a tentacle grasp around his throat with barbs stabbing into the flesh. Sigh was able to shake off the effects of the venom. Sigh then felt a sharp beak bite into his back. The rest of the party heard Sigh cry out in pain and turned and prepared to attack. After a short battle the creature was dead. Raz ripped the creature’s beak from his body and gave it to Fizzlewyck, and the adventurers continued further.

In the next room in the Fane the adventurers came upon a waterfall running north to south along the eastern wall of the room. As they followed the water to the south they saw two figures begin to rise from the water.

As the adventurers entered into a room filled with beautiful coral, rising to a platform in the center, they saw a man with half his face covered in barnacles and a crab claw for an arm standing near a floating water globe. As they approached, they could hear the man chanting something, and upon noticing the party he turned to face them. After questioning their presence in his lair, he told them he was in the process of summoning his Prince, and they interrupted his ritual and turned to attack.

After a long battle featuring 8 apes, an octopus, a floating cat head and the adventurers, Gar was dead. After his death, Raz and the 8 apes made their way to the floating globe of water, placed Gar’s trident into their bag of holding and proceeded through.

After passing through the portal, they came upon a water filled world. As soon as they appeared on the Plane of Elemental Water they were set upon by an unseen aquatic attacker. As the adventurers prepared, White Claw was able to sense a temperature difference in the water where the creature was. After killing Olhydra, the adventurers collected a shark skin bag, and began to make for the portal back. As they were approaching the portal, they noticed the current was now flowing toward them from the portal.

They stepped through the portal, and stabbed into it with the trident. The portal shuddered briefly before the water in the caverns began to rush quickly toward the portal, returning the water levels to a lower level. As Raz gathered her bearings, she was assaulted by visions of herself being destroyed by the Cult of the Crushing Wave. Then an old, ancient voice reached out. The voice invited Raz to find it deeper in the water node to the northwest.

Raz immediately leapt up the center waterfall and began searching for what reached out to her. As she leapt to the top of the waterfall, the rest of the adventurers proceeded up more slowly. At the top of the waterfall they were greeted by several ruined and derelict ships moored in the pool. At the center of the ships, a hydra began to rise from the water. White Claw instinctively launched a spear at the hydra.

White Claw's spear soared through the air before stabbing into the hydra's central neck. As the party prepared to fight the hydra, Raz continued past it deeper, in search of the
voice that reached out to her. As she ran past the hydra, water splashed from her footsteps. The hydra was more concerned with the attackers in front of it, not paying any mind to the splashing water. Fizzlewyck ran foward and too a shot with his crossbow, as the bolts pierced
into the hydra's neck, the head on the end of the
neck
fell. Zephyra
charged forward
with her
warhammer
and swung for the hudra's
chest. Two of the hydra's heads then bit at White Claw, both missing. The third head bit at Zephyra and connected solidly.

Raz continued to search
for the source of the voice.
The rest of the adventurers assaulted the hydra, including Crockpot. As Crockpot ran foward and leapt toward
the hydra, he grabbed the hydra's neck and ripped a head off. After biting back at Crockpot, the hydra grew two heads from each wound. The hydra looked toward the adventurers with all 18 eyes. Raz entered into a chamber and heard the voice of the aboleth once more. The
aboleth asked what brought Raz to the cavern, and offered Raz whatever she desired in exchange for her servitude. Raz told the aboleth she wanted its heart, and watched as the aboleth then
rose from the surface of the sickly, slimy water. Raz then summoned 16 giant poisonous snakes onto the aboleth.

The fight with the hydra continued with White Claw stabbing his spear
into two
of the hydra's necks
before grabbing a head
in each hand and slamming them together. The shock of the impact caused the two heads to detach from the hydra's body. Fizzlewych fired a physical bolt, rather than
his usual magic bolt,
into the chest of the hydra. The crossbow then reloaded itself with a magic bolt, and Fizzlewyck let it loose toward one
of the hydra's necks, severing the head. Two of the hydra's heads
then
bit at Zephyra, White Claw and Crockpot respectively. Two more heads rose in place of the ones that were severed, bringing the total number
of heads to 12.

While the hydra fight raged, Raz faced down the aboleth. Raz channeled a wave of black energy toward the aboleth, Raz's snakes then swarmed the aboleth, 10 of them
biting into it. As the snakes bit in, their venom began to course through
the aboleth. The aboleth was unable to withstand the assault, and soon fell limp on the surface of the water.

The fight with the hydra continued. White Claw stabbed and slapped the hydra once more, knocking two of the heads to the ground. Fizzlewyck, seeing an
opening,
casted heat
metal on
the crossbow bolt
protruding from
the hydra's chest. As the heat spread up the necks toward the heads, the began to drop off one by one. The wounds caused by the heads detaching were quickly cauterized, preventing the hydra from growing more heads.

Raz collected the loot from the floor of the aboleth's lair after buthering it to retrieve the
heart, and
the group reconvened. The adventurers continued to the group of Kuo-Toa that Raz saw in her vision. As Raz walked foward she held aloft the tentacle trident she collected from the floor of the aboleth's
lair, teling the Kuo-Toa that she was their new god. One of the Kuo-Toa walked forward and held up an offering of another trident to their new god, hoping to appease her. The adventurers then made their way through the connected rooms to the shrine, convincing more Kuo-Toa as they went.

Soon they met Kuo-Toa who could not be convinced. After failing to convince the Kuo-Toa, one threw a spear toward Zephyra. Raz, still a room behind with her followers, planted one of the beans she received from Soot right before his death.

As the fight drew on, one of the Kuo-Toa grappled Zephyra and attempted to throw her down the pit they were circled around. Zephyra was able to keep her footing, and White Claw shadowstepped behind the Kuo-Toa before stabbing it, saving his friend.

During the fight, Raz watched as a pyramid with a 60-foot base sprung from the ground and
began to fill the cavern. Raz led her army of snakes and Kuo-Toa into the pyramid, likely making quick work of the ancient inhabitant within. After exiting, Raz met her friends once more and they all decided to rest in the relative safety of the pyramid.

After their rest, they continued forward and came upon a cavern with nets strung from stalamite to stalagmite. As they entered, crabs began to club up the nets. The adventurers made quick work of the crabs, and soon sat down to have an impromptu crab bake using melted butter from Fizzlewyck's alchemy jug. The adventurers then exited the Plunging Torrents back into the fane of the eye.

In the fane they soon came upon a black cloud floating alone. After experimenting with it, they determined they could walk through. albeit not without mental resistence and nausea. As they entered into the chamber beyond the cloud, Zehyra fell into a it obscured by the black fog clinging to the ground. In the pit she was attacked by a rust monster as her friends entered into the room behind her.

As Zephyra slipped through the darkness into a hidden pit in front of her, the rust monster within sprung its attack. Raz and White Claw leapt into action, jumping into the pit and quickly killing the rust monster. After Raz, Zephyra and White Claw climbed out, they approached the three captives shackled to the wall. The first captive was a middle-aged man with a wrinkled face, large beard, and smelled faintly of salt. After Zephyra woke the man and asked why he was here, the man replied he was on vacation. Zephyra turned away in exasperation before the man asked if he was going to save her. Zephyra approached the second captive, a young man with the symbol of the Cult of Eternal Flame burnt into his chest and questioned him as well. He told Zephyra he had been placed in this room in case the rust monster ever escaped from the pit.

Raz approached the last man, and after asking Zephyra to retrieve some green fungus from the fungi field they had passed through previously, woke him as well. Raz asked if the man was hungry, and if anyone had attempted to eat the green fungi. The man told her he was hungry but had not seen anyone eat the green fungi. Raz then offered a mushroom to him, while simultaneously pretending to eat one as well. After releasing the man, he made a mad dash for the southwestern exit from the chamber. White Claw shadowstepped in front of the man, tripping him. After the man got up and dusted himself off, he once again began running. White Claw tripped him once more, this time standing on his back so the man could not flee again.

After a short discussion the adventurers decided to re-shackle the man and leave the other shackled to the wall. The riverboat crewman said he would hide in the rust monster pit until they returned for him. The adventurers then made their way to the west and came upon a room with debris scattered around a stone pedestal holding a glass sphere. They did not see any debris within 20 feet of the sphere. Fizzlewyck began to ritual cast detect magic to better analyze the source of magic he detected previously. While he was doing so, Zephyra began to investigate the crystal atop the pedestal. After poking it with a piece of rubble, causing it to rock back and then forward again, a whirlwind rose around the pedestal and trapped Zephyra within. Four swords then rose from the ground, and began flying toward the adventurers not trapped within the whirlwind.

After killing and the swords and saving Zephyra from the whirlwind, the adventurers collected themselves. They decided to continue to the north where Fizzlewyck had detected a source of magic and saw a stone lamp glowing with magical green light in the center of the room. Zephyra asked Raz for a stone, and casted light on it before launching it toward the ceiling. As the stone collided into the ceiling and began to fall back down, the adventurers heard a beautiful song beginning to echo through the chamber. Three harpies descended from the darkness above, their sweet song filling this cavern.

As the adventurers stood in the aftermath of the battle with the harpies, they saw flashes of orange light toward the north, and felt a breeze blowing from east to west. A decision was made to investigate the orange flashes, and everyone continued north. As they entered into the next chamber, they saw a whirlwind of air trapped within armor. The elemental levelled its flail toward the party and asked “Who do you serve” in a windful voice.

As the adventurers entered the room, an air elemental levelled its flail toward them and asked who they serve. After a short conversation White Claw said they serve no one. The air elemental responded "Then you shall die!"

After killing the air elemental the party continued into the room to the north. In this room they came upon a statue of an amorphous figure with a purple crystal for an eye, hunched over as if it were feeding. Raz climbed atop the statue and took in her surroundings. Fizzlewyck asked Raz to remove the crystal, and Raz was able to shake off the effects caused by removing it. Raz told Fizzlewyck it tried to do something to her, and Fizzlewyck gestured toward the bag of holding for Raz to place it inside.
While standing atop the statue Raz screamed "Vanifer", and watched as the flashes of orange light coming from the west began flashing more quickly and violently.

Raz jumped down from the statue and dismissed her bees. The adventurers began following the source of the flashing orange light, and soon found the creator. Vanifer, the Prophet of Eternal Flame was facing a statue, desperately praying to the altar. Raz and Zephyra paused for a moment before walking in, Raz leading.

As Raz entered, Vanifer turned around and greeted the adventurers. Vanifer expressed her admiration for Raz and the adventurers before stating she would cleanse Raz with fire. Two men with firey orbs implanted in their chests stepped from the shadows, and a floating, flaming skull removed itself from the shadows. Fizzlewyck drank a potion causing him to grow in size, and the adventurers prepared to attack. Raz and Zephyra focused on Vanifer while White Claw and Fizzlewyck took care of the two men and the skull. As the first man fell dead, the flame orb in his chest violently exploded, sending scraps of armor flying through the air.

After a long battle Raz was able to pin Vanifer to the ground and cover her
mouth, preventing her from casting spells. Raz then elevated Vanifer's head to show how her plan has fallen apart and how alone she is. While White Claw was fighting one of the men, the man stabbed his spear square into White Claw, knocking him unconcsious. . Vanifer, realizing her death was imminent, used misty step to free herself from Raz's grasp. Vanifer began running north to make her escape. Tinywick and Zephyra delivered a healing spell to White Claw, bringing him back to consiouness. White Claw then drank a healing potion before rushing after Vanifer. As Fizzlewyck killed the last man, he also exploded. Fizzlewyck was able to avoid getting hit by the explosion, Crockpot unfortunately was not.

Raz, chasing Vanifer, leapt into the air tackling her. Raz stood and told Vanifer to cleanse her. Vanifer casted fireball at Raz twice, not visibly affecting Raz. Vanifer then turned to run, Raz chasing after her grasping at her. Vanifer was able to avoid being grabbed and continued running. In the next room the party came upon two minotaurs standing guard. Raz used charmed person and commanded them to kneel.

Both minotaurs and Vanifer knelt in front of Raz. Raz lowered herself to eye level and began to antagonize Vanifer before turning her attention to the minotaurs. Vanifer used misty step to once again escape Raz's grasp, making her way to a floating platform and screaming "Ash" to make the platform descend the shaft. After watching Vanifer flee, the adventurers looked toward the minotaurs which were starting to stand and snarl.

Raz turned to chase after Vanifer, and as the minotaurs saw Raz turn to flee, they both let loose a cone of embers toward her. Raz was able to escape the worst of the attacks, absorbing the firey embers that did make contact with her. The rest of the party prepared for their fight against the minotaurs, steeling themselves for the fight to come. Zephyra grabbed a minotaur by the head and said "How dare you" before releasing necrotic energy from her hands, the minotaur fell to the ground dead and headless. As the battle with the minotaurs raged behind her, Raz followed Ash down the fiery shaft as an eagle.

Raz descended into a cave filled with lava and fireballs began to erupt around her. Raz began to fly across stepping stones creating a path through the lava, soon finding herself surrounded by Vanifer, a fire giant, and two Eternal Flame cultists. Raz commanded everyone she could see to beg, everyone but the fire giant falling to their knees and begging Raz for their lives.

The party still fighting the minotaurs saw pillars of fire erupt from the shaft as Raz was being fireballed below. White Claw stabbed toward the minotaur he was fighting, deftly stabbing his spear into the minotaur's chest, then slapping him in the face. Fizzlewyck charged forward with his goat horns, impaling both minotaurs on his horns, killing them. The adventurers then turned their attention the firey pillar that Raz descended down.

Raz, still surrounded by the fire giant, Vanifer, and 2 Eternal Flame cultists, readied a spell for when Vanifer next opened her mouth, anticipating her to use misty step. The adventurers above proceeded to the shaft, and White Claw leapt down, able to spring from the wall and land gracefully on one of the footpath pillars. Fizzlewyck climbed atop Crockpot and had Crockpot run him closer to the shaft. The adventurers soon made their way to platform and began descending to rejoin Raz and White Claw.

As White Claw arrived to the bottom of the shaft, he shadowstepped across the lava to behind the fire giant. Raz once more summoned her wolves as the fire priest behind her and White Claw began to prepare his spell. Raz's wolves swarmed one cultist, knocking him to the ground and devouring him. White Claw kicked off the fire giant's knee, leapt to his face height and stabbed into the fire giant's eyes, then kicked off the giant's chest to the ground. Zephyra ran forward and hugged the giant's leg, once again letting necrotic energy flow from her hands and the giant fell to the ground dead. Fizzlewyck instructed Tinywyck to fly over and deliver a shocking grasp to the remaining cultist. Electrical energy sprung forth from Tinywyck's hands, arcing across the splints of the cultist's metal armor. Crockpot then ran forward and leapt toward the cultist, colliding into him and knocking him off balance. Raz's wolves circled the man, biting and tearing into the man until the orb in his chest began to leak magma. Raz then ran forward biting toward the man's face, but he was able to dodge the bite. White Claw ran toward the man once more, stabbing his spear into the cultist's while he was prone. White Claw missed with his first spear attack, but after pulling back and stabbing once more connected squarely into the cultist, killing him. The flame orb in the cultist's chest began to grow in size before exploding and sending scraps of splint armor flying.

The adventurers collected themselves after the battle, healing themselves and recuperating. Fizzlewyck began to search for a place for the party to take a long rest, finding a relatively safe area to the southwest of the magma pool. Zephyra searched for better armor among the corpses before the adventurers settled down for a long rest, unsure what trials awaited them the following day.

After waking from the long rest Raz lead the adventurers deeper into the Cult of Eternal Flame's dungeon. Raz soon noticed a secret passageway hidden behind a pillar near where she was surrounded by the fire giant and other cultists.

After following the passageway the adventurers found themselves in a room with a convex floor, littered with burnt and charred humanoid skulls. Across from them they saw aa hole in the floor. Zephyra went to investigate the hole, and felt intense heat rising from the hole with intense light, and heard the crackling of flames below. After descending the chain ladder connected to the wall of the shaft, they came to a room with a circular wall of fire in the cetner. The wall of fire left 5 feet between it and the cave walls. Through the flames Raz saw several humanoid figures.

Raz controlled the flames and created an opening. Through the opening she saw a man and woman in traveller's clothes, a man with the symbol of the Cult of Crushing Wave carved into his chest, and a moon elf. As the moon elf saw the flames open, she turned to greet her savior. The moon elf introduced herself as Teresiel, and asked if Raz had rescued the other two missing
members of the Mirabar delegation.

Teresiel asked for help with delivering a packet of nine magic seeds to the abbey at Goldenfields. Raz offered to free Teresiel in a exchange for a few of the seeds, and Teresiel resisted. Teresiel stated she was not the owner of the seeds, but a delivery person. Teresiel did offer one seed, and Raz began to close the flames, displeased with the offer. Raz told Teresiel she would take 5 seeds and leave Teresiel with 4, and Teresiel counteroffered with the opposite.

Raz then summoned her mage hand and moved it to the pack of seeds, then caused the flames behind Teresiel to flare in an attempt to distract Teresiel. As Teresiel turned to look at the flames, Raz removed the seeds from Teresiel's hand with her mage hand. After an argument regarding the lawful ownership of the seeds, Raz closed the flames and began to ascend the chain ladder. Raz then turned and reopened the flames and beckoned them all out. The woman in traveller's clothes asked Raz to escort her and her husband to any town in the Dessarin Valley. In exchange, they would give Raz 500 gold pieces each. As Teseriel began to ascend the ladder, Raz stopped her to ask a few more questions. After Teresiel answered Raz's questions, Raz gave her some seeds and ascended the ladder.

As the adventurers entered into the room with the flaming skulls, four skulls began to levitate and rise from the ground. The adventurers had faced Flameskulls before, and were confident this was but a bump in the road. After disposing of the Flameskulls, the adventurers continued through an opening and saw a metal catwalk stretching across a pool of lava 30 feet below. Raz was the first to cross the catwalk, and as she was crossing a spear flew past her head. After surveying the lava once more, Raz noticed all the salamanders were holding spears. White Claw was the next to cross, and once more a spear flew from the air. White Claw deftly caught the spear before continuing to run across the catwalk. Zephyra crossed, and was unable to dodge the spear launched at her. Fizzlewyck was also hit with a spear as he crossed, but noticed there were no more spears in the lava, so Crockpot was safe.

As adventurers walked through the passageway at the end of the catwalk, they saw two men in black robes accented with reflective flame-like patterns, and a man with a firey orb implanted in his chest. As the adventurers entered one of the men in robes turned to face them, and asked what they were doing in this room. Raz exposed her Cult of Eternal Flame symbol, and stated she was undercover. Raz then gathered information about Vanifer from the man, she stepped forward and called Vanifer a coward. Raz told the man Vanifer was runing from her and prepared to attack as the man screamed "I knew you weren't a sister!".

After a short but intense battle, all the cultists were dead. As the adventurers stood in the aftermath, the orb in the man's chest began to expand and soon exploded. The adventueres then looked through the rooms adjacent to the altar. In one room Raz found potions, an absurd amount of gold, and a tin tube.

After collecting the items, the adventurers continued forward, and found themselves in a titanic room filled with a lake of magma. Across the natural causeway they saw a gargantuan stone colossus rising from the lava, its head thrown back as if it were screaming. Tears of lava were streaming down its face with lava pooling in its mouth. Standing in front of an altar made from two smooth, glossy black stones they saw Vanifer, a humanoid flame wrapped in armor, and a young red dragon.

A long, intense, and heated battle took place, but soon Vanifer lied on the ground paralyzed, the dragon was dead, and the flame wrapped in armor was extinguished. As Raz approached Vanifer, she turned to her friends and said they may want to close their eyes. Raz stood over Vanifer's body and said some final words to her before throwing Vanifer's dagger into the lava. The dagger splashed into the lava and began to float on the surface. Raz looked down to Vanifer and said "Weep with your colossus!" before dragging her claws down from Vanifer's eyes, killing her. Raz then pushed Vanifer's body into the magma and watched as it sank below the surface.

As the adventurers looked up at the orb of fire above the Weeping Colossus, they recognized it as the portal into the Plane of Elemental Fire. After taking a short rest to patch their wounds and regain their composure, Raz wild shaped into an eagle and ferried each of the adventurers one by one to the head of the Weeping Colossus. Before entering they all took a moment to pause and prepare themselves, before crossing through the portal.

On the other side they were greeted by a long, natural stone bridge flanked on either side by lava and volcanic vents. There, Zephyra began to pray to Akadi for help in the coming battle. After not receiving a response for a few minutes, Zephyra began to grow disheartened. Then a shimmering figure began to take shape, and the adventurers were greeted by a frost salamander. The frost salamander told Zephyra he was sent by Akadi, and asked how he could help. After Zephyra explained the mission, the frost salamander told Zephyra that Akadi had been preparing a siege on Imix for some time and he would help her.

As the party stood here discussing their battle to come, they began to hear low rumblings to their right. Soon a volcanic vent began to erupt, sending molten hot rock and lava flying into the air. Debris came crashing down on the party as they all began to dash for the volcano in front of them. Inside, they were greeted by Imix.

After a long battle with Imix, the adventurers quickly made their exit from the Plane of Elemental Fire. After exiting they all quickly made their way to Vanifer’s room and began to rest. They stayed in this room for five days to recover. During this time, Fizzlewyck asked White Claw if he liked being blind. White Claw explained his history and how he came to be where he is, and Fizzlewyck then offered to give White Claw vision. A surgery was performed, and White Claw was able to see for the first time in his life. As White Claw was recovering the adventurers began to look through the treasure they received from Imix.

The adventuerers came to the edge of a large pit with howling wind rising from the pit. Raz approached and removed her Decanter of Endless Water, and filled the chasm with water before jumping in and body-surfing to the bottom. After 80 feet the shaft closed into a tunnel, allowing Raz to pause before continuing further. Zephyra picked up a rock and casted light on it before dropping it down into the shaft. Raz used her mage hand to catch the rock 30 feet above her, giving White Claw enough vision to continue bouncing from wall to wall toward the bottom. As White Claw was descending, Raz froze the water in the shaft into a water slide. Fizzlewyck, Crockpot and Zephyra jumped into the water slide.

At the other end, the adventurers entered into a totally lightless cavern. They felt and heard wind as they entered, noticing that it was constant. Raz lead the party foward, holding the lit rock 25 feet ahead of herself, granting everyone vision and distracting any potential enemies from their true location. As they continued deeper they soon came upon a chasm bisecting their path, with one path leading off on either side. Raz continued to follow the corridor and found a room filled with dead bodies of creatures and a female drow, but the smell of death was more faint that she expected. Raz used her mage hand to retrieve two daggers on the drow's hip. Raz held forth the daggers and asked Fizzlewyck if he needed them. Fizzlewyck, still invisible, took the daggers from Raz. White Claw looked into the room, and saw that none of the bodies had any physical damage, and the drow especially looked discolored, with her mouth open as if she was gasping for air. White Claw stopped Zephyra and told her what was ahead, Zephyra told White Claw she didn't need to breathe and continued onward. As she entered the room, she felt air being pulled from her lungs as the whistling in the cracks at the back of the cavern slightly increased. White Claw told the group he needed spears, and Fizzlewyck took some time to turn the two daggers into two spears.

When Zephyra returned Raz asked if she took the armor, and Zephyra told Raz she did not. Zephyra told Raz the effect she felt inside the cave. Raz gave her unseen servant the rock to hold before lowering her unseen servant into the chasm, granting her vision to the bottom. Zephyra took a running start and leapt across the chasm and locked her immovable rod in the middle of the chasm. Fizzlewyck climbed on Crockpot and had Crockpot made the jump. Zephyra threw a rope across the immovable rod as Raz filled the chasm with water before freezing a path across.

Continuing deeper into the cave the adventueres began to hear a gross rasping song being carried by the wind toward them. Running toward the song, the adventueres were soon staring down a large demon that began to shimmer with projections of his image to conceal his true location. A battle began, and before long the demon was dead. Inside the room, the adventueres found two humans, an aarakocra and a drow hanging from chains in the center of the room. As Zephyra began to approach the first human, Raz read his surface thoughts and found he was planning to run as soon as Zephyra let him down. The other human was also planning on running. Raz continued to the aarokocra, read that her name was Kazra, and that was dreaming of the open sky and flying in the open air once more. Raz then turned her attention the male drow, named Balix. Balix was thinking about what happened to his friend in another room.

Zephyra decided to let Kazra down first. Kazra thanked Zephyra for letting her down, then asked Zephyra to escort her to the surface. After giving Kazra a rock to aid her exit, Zephyra proceeded up to Balix and released him next. Balix told Raz he was captured in the Fane of the Eye while looking for surfacers. Balix stated he was a historian who studied the history of Tyar-Besil. Balix told the adventurers he was looking for his friend he entered the Fane with. Raz told Balix the ice bridge she created should still be there, and for Balix to make a quick exit and not return.

After a brief conversation with one of the humans, Raz held forward her silent knife to Zephyra, and told her mercy is a choice. After a few intense moments, Zephyra took the knife from Raz. Zephyra ascended once more to face the human with the knife in hand. Zephyra asked the man if he had captured anyone and brought them down into the Howling Caves, and he told her he has. The man told Zephyra the Cult of Howling Hatred was withholding food until he brought sacrifices down. Zephyra asked what he planned to do if he got out. The man said he would go to Red Larch, maybe find another cult. Zephyra slit his throat before he could finish his sentence. Raz stood under the body, allowing herself to be bathed in the blood of the man. Zephyra then removed his body and passed it down to Raz before turning her attention to the other man still hanging from the chains. The man said he was going to run and never come back. The second man promised to not hurt anyone. Zephyra unchained the man and handed him down to Raz, Raz settled the man on his feet and let him flee.

The party walked to the 10-foot wide exit. The next chamber was very large, with small humanoid corpses scattered amongst the floor, with homes cut into the walls of the cavern. As they began to explore the room to look for a diamond, two small humanoid sized specters rose from the ground and a fight broke out. The fight was short lived, and soon the specters were returned to their ethereal home. As they continued to explore the dungeon, they found a large frozen cave. As the adventueres crossed the ice they saw the ice was clear, and they were able to see below the surface. On the other side of the ice they saw bloated bodies of sverfneblin floating against the underside of the ice. Right as the adventurers crossed the water, it began to boil and crack. The temperature in the room drastically changed until the heat was almost unbearable.

After passing by the entrance once more, the adventurers went in the opposite direction and came upon a field of fungi. Zephyra recognized some of the mushrooms as having healing properties, and eating several has the same effect as potions of healing. Everyone took some time eating these mushrooms to regain some health as Fizzlewyck tried to identify what mushrooms were here. After walking through the fungi field, they came upon another body of water with a yellow casket in the center. Raz sent her mage hand over to push the lid off, and as the hand made contact with the casket a plume of yellow dust rose into the air. Inside Raz saw a gleaming shortsword, a cloven skull and a cloven helm. There were carvings on the lid indicating these remains belonged to Godwyd, a dragon-slayer and peacekeeper. The adventurers rested here for a while before continuing onward.

During the rest Raz asked Zephyra if she was alright, following her kill. Zephyra said she didn't regret her decision, but did wonder if killing that man was her decision to make. After discussing how Zephyra killed that man, the adventurers then rested.

The party finished their short rest on the shores of the glowing lake. Zephyra and White Claw took some time to gaze into the waters to center themselves. After keeping close to a wall and approaching the exit across the lake and entered a passageway with smooth, rounded walls almost like the walls had melted.
After exploring the cavern and coming back empty handed, they turned to leave. As they turned around a black ooze began to seep from the walls in front of them, cutting off their escape. After Raz summoned 16 wolves, the fight did not last very long.

After killing the black pudding Fizzlewyck repaired White Claw's spear after the acidic body of the pudding dulled it. After returning to the glowing lake, the adventurers proceeded to another corridor before coming upon a chasm. Zephyra used her immovable rod and rope from White Claw to create a line across the chasm for everyone else to cross safely. After following the corridor leading away from the chasm the adventurers came upon two women chained to columns with the symbol of the Cult of Howling Hatred carved into their foreheads. As they were freeing the two captive women, the women warned them about the invisible demons that guard them. After freeing the women two large ape-like creatures appeared and began to attack. After Raz threw a demon ape into the chasm, she leapt in after it. While at the bottom of the chasm, Raz began decimating the dead demon ape.

Zephyra and White Claw created a line for the two prisoners to cross the chasm, and escorted them to the other side. After giving the prisoners directions to exit the cave, Zephyra and White Claw returned to their friends. Continuing to follow the corridor the adventurers came upon four emaciated, frail, odd looking men standing in a line preventing passage. Zephyra walked forward and casted Thunderwave, knocking all four of them back 10 feet. Soon, the adventurers found themselves looking toward the portal to the Plane of Elemental Air. Before the portal they saw an averiel calling out and holding aloft a spear. As they entered, the elf called out "With this key I call forth my lord and master!".

Soon a man wearing tattered monk's robes with flowing white hair began to exit from the portal. The adventurers steeled themselves and readied themselves for an intense battle.

After Yan-C-Bin had finished exiting the portal, Aerisi greeted the adventurers on his behalf. Aerisi then translated for Yan-C-Bin as he spoke to each adventurer individually, congratulating them on their hard work. After offering the party a deal, which the party quickly rejected, a battle broke out. Aerisi was quickly devoured by Raz's wolves. Yan-C-Bin fought the party valiantly, but soon he was also dead.

After gathering their loot and closing the final portal, the adventurers made their way back to the Fane of the Eye, then to the altar where they encountered Vanifer. After Raz experimented with the altar for some time, a bowl on a post rose from the top of the altar. After placing their crystal ball which reveals the history of statues and monuments into the bowl, Raz was given a vision.

Raz's vision concluded and as she was telling her friends what she saw, a wall slid to the side, revealing a portal beyond. As the adventurers gazed into the portal, Zephyra stated she must return to Red Larch. Raz and Fizzlewyck offered to stay behind and guard the portal while Zephyra made the journey to Red Larch and back.

After returning to Red Larch Zephyra and White Claw said their goodbyes. White Claw had set out on his journey to gather enough money to open a restaurant, and after only a few days with the party was able to make more than enough. White Claw and Zephyra said farewell, and Zephyra made her way to Valivoe's Sundries for some shopping.

While there she purchased some diamond dust, food, some clothing, and paper. Valivoe turned a corner and shouted out the items, and Zephyra heard many children begin scurrying around the shop to collect the items she requested. After gathering her items Zephyra went to the statue of Soot and made a circle with the diamond dust, and began to cast greater restoration.

While this was happening, Raz and Fizzlewyck were guarding the portal. As they were keeping watch Fizzlewyck was tinkering, and soon placed an arm on the table in front of Raz. Fizzlewyck asked Raz to remove his left arm, and attach the arm he made in its place. Raz offered to put Fizzlewyck to sleep, and Fizzlewyck accepted. After Fizzlewyck went to sleep, Raz began to work. Raz separated the arm and replaced it with the constructed arm, then woke Fizzlewyck up to calibrate it. Fizzlewyck then shot the fist at a wall and watched as it returned. As he was doing this, Raz turned her attention back to the portal.

As Zephyra was casting her spell, the statue began to shake and pieces of stone began to fall to the ground. As the stone was falling away, the skin beneath soon coming to the surface. Soot looked to Zephyra and asked where they were, and if the caterers had arrived. Soot told Zephyra he had been in a dark place for a long time, and began calling out for Raz. Soot told Zephyra he had a problem he had to talk to Raz about, and Zephyra promised to return Soot to Raz. Zephyra then told Soot that the party had killed all of the cultists, and began making their way to the Helm at High Sun.

After arriving to the Helm at High Sun, Soot asked for some food. The man offered beef steak and sweet potato pie, then gave them a fried chicken leg and apple pudding. Soot and Zephyra were thoroughly confused, and were worried about the man's well-being. The man then introduced himself as Garlan, and asked if they would like anything to drink. Soot and Zephyra were offered iced tea, but were given beer. Soon a man came upstairs, looked at Zephyra, and quickly exited. After the man began running away Zephyra chased after him and casted hold person. Zephyra then asked why the man was running, and the main claimed Zephyra was going to kill him. Zephyra asked why she would kill the man. The man introduced himself as Justran, the cellarer at the Helm at High Sun. Zephya asked why the man would from her, and he replied that she didn't like his people. Zephyra then noticed he was wearing robes similar to the Cult of Crushing Wave. He claimed the Cult of Crushing Wave was less of a cult and more of a book club. Zephyra told the man to get rid of the robe, and that he was no longer a member of the Cult of Crushing Wave. Zephyra also told the man to tell his book club they no longer existed. After he agreed to her terms, Zephyra released hold person and returned to her food.

Zephyra and Soot then made their way back over to the Swinging Sword to rent a room for the night. Zephyra then travelled to Waelvur's Wagonworks in search of a horse. After getting a horse Soot and Zephyra began making their way back to Raz and Fizzlewyck, and soon joined them in the Fane of the Eye. Soot told Raz his soul was being held by a being known as Zikom, The Flawless in a place called the Flame of Fear. Raz told Soot that seemed to be where they were going, and gestured toward the portal. After collecting themselves for a moment, everyone entered the portal. On the other side they found themselves in a barren wasteland. Rocks broke the surface of the ground randomly, mountains pierced the orange sky, although no sun could be seen above. As they surveyed the land, they saw four small figures in a square formation leading four other figures in a line. The figures were walking toward a small settlement that seemed to be made from brass. The tops of the buildings reflected the ambient light in a brass color. Soot described the being holding his soul as very large, with very large horns.

Raz commanded his zombies to arrange themselves in a way to make a landing area in the valley floor 20-feet below where the party entered this plane. The party made their way into the valley and began making their way to the eight figures in the distance. As the figures approached Soot told them he had brought his king for an audience with Zikom. The fire-headed dwarves asked how they came, and what they were seeking an audience for. Fizzlewyck then rose on the hands of the zombies, and asked in Dwarvish if they do not kneel before kings here. The dwarves raised their warhammers, and the battle began.

After the battle the adventurers released the captive Duergar and plotted their next move. They asked one of the duergar about Zikom. The duergar told them that Zikom was dangerous, and the road leading to him was guarded. The adventurers then started making their way to the city, which the duergar called the Jewel of Fear.

Along the way the adventurers entered into a cavern on the roadway. Through a five foot opening, the room opened before tightening into another five foot walkway. Mountain peaks rose all around them, forming a rough circle around the cavern. As they entered into the cavern, they saw scraps of armor and weapons littering the floor. Moving through the cavern, the group was soon surrounded by darkness.

As the darkness surrounded the party Soot and Raz dispelled the magic, preventing the creatures from shrouding the area in darkness. The creatures attacked anyway, targeting Soot.

The battle was long, and the creatures were able to conjure darkness to obscure themselves. After the battle Fizzlewyck took a scimitar from one of the creatures and fashioned a crown from it. Soot summoned a tiny hut for everyone to spend the night in, and after a brief moment of small talk the gang went to sleep.

After their night of rest the adventurers continued forward to the Jewel of Fear. As they approached the gates they were greeted by two Azers guarding the gate. The adventurers announced themselves and requested a meeting with Zikom. They told the Azers Lord Fizzlewyck of Raven's Keep sought Zikom. The adventurers were lead through the brass city to Zikom's court at the center of the city.

The party entered into a large building, the entrance flanked by two large obsidian columns. They continued down an obsidian walkway set into the brass floor, with veins of gold running through the obsidian. Seated in front of them on a throne was Zikom, The Flawless. A hulking mass of red skin with large black wings and horns Zikom looked to be a cross between an Efreeti and a Balor. Changed by the indeterminate amount of time spent in the Abyss, Zikom was once a regular Efreeti. After slowly changing into the being seated in front of the party, he was able to carve out a layer of the Abyss as his dominion.

As they approached Zikom, he called out to the party in Abyssal to ask who stood before him. Raz responded to Zikom in Abyssal, and said they had come to bargain for Soot's soul. Raz offered Soot's physical form in exchange, and Zikom told her that would not be enough. Raz continued to offer material objects, to which Zikom stated he wanted a soul. Zikom told Raz he would trade a soul for a soul. Zikom asked Raz if she came with an offer or just to waste his time. Raz responded that she did not see value in Zikom's time.

Zikom, taking offense to Raz's indifference, summon his guards. Four creatures flanked the brass throne, each creature had four arms, twolong bows, green skin, and hair that looked like algae. The creatures readied their bows and looked on as negotiations began to turn sour. Raz summoned 24 wolves in response, and Zikom told Raz he would teach her the value of his time. With that, a battle broke out.

After Zikom fell to the ground he began to glow and smoke, and soon his body exploded into a fireball. After the demons and Zikom were dead Soot approached his soul with his hand outstretched. After Soot touched his soul there was a flash of white light, and the two were united to become one again. As they looked around the room the adventurers saw a staff leaning against Zikom's throne, with a setting roughly the size of their history rock. As the adventurers placed the history rock into the staff there was a flash of blue light, and the adventurers felt themselves being pulled somewhere else.

When their vision returned they were standing in the sky amongst clouds. Ahead of them stood Frosty the salamander. Frosty told them they were being transported to a place called The Ascending Descent. Raz asked Frosty if he had a top-hat the adventurers coudl use to take a long rest. Frosty presented them with a top-hat that looked to be made of clouds, and when it is placed on your head it will grow to accomodate their group. Frosty told them their vision will be ending soon, and to beware the Sentient Sky.

Soon their vision ended, and they found themselves standing on solid ground once again. The adventurers took in their surroundings, and saw many islands of different sizes floating in the sky. Below them was a spiralling column of air, similar to a tornado viewed from above. While standing on their island Soot used detect magic, and did not detect any magic. Zephyra began to look around for anything she could define as the Sentient Sky but was not able to see anything out of place. Following that Raz summoned two giant eagles, and the adventurers mounted the eagles and took off for the adjacent island.

As they were travelling to the next island, they saw a spiky, serpentine body flying alongisde them visible through breaks in the clouds. As they landed on the next island, the body of the being came into view through the treetops above as it descended to the island. As it landed, the adventurers prepared to attack. They made quick work of the creature, and began to discuss their next actions. Raz began to cut off parts of the snake to cook later before entering into the snake's mouth in search of the heart. Fizzlewyck cut the snake open at Raz's position to make it easier for Raz to exit. Raz summoned owls to transport the adventurers to their next destination, and they soon took to the air in search of their destination.

As they were flying over the last of the smaller islands, they saw metal glistening inside a depression on the island below. The adventurers landed and began to investigate the chest they found in the depression, and Zephyra began to run her fingers along the wings along either side of the chest. After opening the chest and going through the items they found within, a giant eagle began to descend upon them. As the eagle landed it began to shapeshift into its natural form, a giant. The giant let out a great roar, and the party prepared for the fight.

The battle with the giant was long and treacherous, but the adventurers were able to kill it. Zephyra took some eagle feathers and placed them into her cloak. Raz put on the tophat given to them by Frosty and took a long rest on this island before continuing further. After the long the adventurers took to the skies once more and began to make their way to the top-most island. Once they landed on the island and began to take in their surroundings, they were brought face to face with the Sentient Sky for the first time. A gargantuan, winged, creature seemingly made from clouds began to form above them. It let out a terrifying roar, and the adventurers steadied themselves for the battle.

After eating some of the meat they removed from the eagle, the adventurers set up camp to take a long rest. After the long rest Raz performed a coming of age ceremony for Soot, and began to perform a ceremony for herself and Zephyra. Raz asked Zephyra for the two platinum rings before placing one on each of their fingers. After completing the ceremonies, the adventurers saw an indent in the ground of the island that was similar in shape to the history rock. As Fizzlewyck placed the history rock into the indent, it rose from the ground on a post as the ground of the island began to slowly sink. After descending about 40 feet, the adventurers found a silver portal set into the rock in front of them. Raz and Zephyra hung back and allowed everyone to pass through the portal to have a moment of alone time.

On the other side of the portal the adventurers began to fall. After landing they looked around and saw they were in a pit lined with copper walls. At the bottom of the pit was scraps of armor, weapons, and bones. As they returned to their feet they saw four iron cobras began to snake out from holes in the metal. After killing the cobras the adventurers climbed out of the pit and took in their surroundings for the first time. They saw a land made of islands floating atop gears, and the islands were orbiting the platform the adventurers were on. After observing the patterns for a moment they were able to see a path form momentarily to an isolated island. After crossing to this gear they found another pillar with a setting roughly the size of the history rock. Fizzlewyck placed the history rock into the pillar, and the gear began to rotate and descend. At the end of the descent the adventurers were faced with a cave door, and after lifing the history rock the door rolled open.

Inside the adventurers found three large humanoid figures clad in armor with one wearing an amulet.
As the adventurers approached one of the guards called out to them in Abyssal to tell them they aren't welcome to continue following the path. The adventurers began to attack, and soon the two guards were dead. After killing them Fizzlewyck and Raz approached the one that had not moved, knocked it over, and retrieved the amulet from its neck. They then noticed an indent, and once more placed the history rock into it. As the door in front of them rolled open they were hit with the scent of coal smoke, decay, and death. Raz gave Fizzlewyck the amulet, and Fizzlewyck placed it around his neck.

Standing at the opening of the cave, the adventurers smelled death and brimstone wafting out from within. In front of them they saw a large copper being, with corpses on spikes on its arms and shoulders and mechanical legs. Through the darkness the group saw a fiery spiral begin to take shape. As Raz stepped forward the engine began to roar with the sounds of screams. Raz saw the Hellfire Engine Cadaver Collector begin to roar to life, and summoned 6 dire wolves. The adventurers made quick work of the terrifying creature. The adventurers saw corpses spread across the room, most being Azers and Githzerai. The adventurers then began to pore over the bodies for useful items.

After passing through a portal into the next area, the adventurers found themselves in a dark dungeon with maniacal laughter ringing out along the wall. The adventurers continued deeper into the dungeon, and soon came upon two Githyanki with spirals carved into their foreheads, laughing maniacally. Raz told them he brought sacrifices, and gestured to Soot. Soot knelt in front of Raz, and as Raz was moving her clawed hand toward Soot, she casted hold person on both Gith. After killing them the adventurers continued forward into what they found to be a prison.

In the prison there were a few humans some Githyanki and Githzerai. Raz began to speak to them and found there is a death knight ahead that is a guard. The gith told them the guard goes by Chris, and began to lead them toward him. After Raz called Chris a coward, the battle began.

As the adventurers stood in front of the chamber, they were told Tharizdun was being held in, they began to prepare themselves for the battle ahead. Raz and Soot both wished for duplicates of themselves, and soon another Raz and Soot formed in front of them. They then entered into the chamber and felt themselves being transported, and soon found themselves surrounded by blackness, but were still able to see. The adventurers gathered themselves, and began to hear deep, haunting laughter ring out through this space. The laughter seemed to have no beginning or end. A deep voice then called out, and welcomed Raz back to her home. Raz antagonized the voice for some time as Soot summoned a genie as shadow congealed into an amorphous, three-headed form. The battle then began in earnest.

The battle raged on. It was intense, but the adventurers came through with their lives by the skin of their teeth. As Tharizdun fell, the space they were in began to shrink quickly. As the space engulfed them, they found themselves once more in the Tomb of Moving Stones beneath Red Larch, where their adventure first began. They made their way back to The Swinging Sword in search of the letter Zephyra was expecting to arrive.

After collecting the response, Zephyra showed Raz the note. Zephyra had offered to buy the Greenboot's farm, and they agreed on the price of three platinum. As Raz was inspecting the note, Kaylessa approached Fizzlewyck and let him know that a Dao named Xharva had asked for him to come see her if he came back to town. Fizzlewyck made his way to Xharva's workshop to make some final alterations. As Raz, Zephyra and Soot were preparing for bed, Raz challenged Zephyra to a duel the next day. Zephyra accepted, and the group rejoined Fizzlewyck at the arena where they all first met the following morning.

Raz explained the rules of the duel to Zephyra, and asked Soot to count to 10. Fizzlewyck returned with two metal arms. Raz and Zephyra stood back to back as Soot counted to ten, and once he reached ten Raz turned around and hugged Zephyra. Zephyra looked up at Raz, and slowly kissed her.

Note from DJ: First I would like to thank Don, Jon, Sarah, and Mike for making this adventure book into something larger than itself. I could not have picked a better group of players to go on my first DM journey with, and I greatly appreciate all of you helping me growing, being patient with me during every mistake, and making my first campaign more than memorable.

Next, I want to thank each and every viewer who joined us on this journey. The support you all showed us will never be forgotten, and I am eternally grateful to all of you for it. I am incredibly glad we were able to share all the laughs with you all, and I look forward to all the laughs we will share in the future. Thank you, all.