WB2, Session 19: Conversation with Dead People

Session 19: "Conversation with Dead People"
Tuesday 20th, April 1001AC
(destiny token 1)

Companions

• Urist, dwarven cleric of Kagyar (level 3)
• Rurik, dwarven fighter (level 3)
• Zao-rin, human monk (level 3)
• Danik, human scholar mage (level 3)
• Serrin, human bounty hunter (level 3)

Lost companions

• Grom, half-orc druid, went missing during dragon attack.
• Adran, gnome bard, fell to his death after being dropped by a Drahie.

And so the shade of the Drakkin Herald of the Rock Claws, Tranur-Kun, and his son had left the chamber of the Bound and the companions now found themselves in the deep silence of the pyramid underground.
A quick check revealed nothing of interest apart from the silver chalice that held the life energy of the drakkins only moments ago and moments later, Rurik appeared around the corner, looking worried: Clouds of black mists had appeared all over the cavern's skies above.

After a quick discussion of past events, the party decided to go back outside. As they emerged, they indeed noticed the sky filled in all direction by small black cloud patches, moving south. Suddenly, Urist noticed the dragon flying slowly toward them from the North and all but Danik immediately climbed the rope back down into the large chamber below.

As Danik studied the black dragon, noticing that he was flying in odd patterns, unsteady, the others pushed into the northern stairs. Soon, Danik joined them as he saw that dark patches of mist were whirling around the dragon, surging into it as it tried to dodge.

• The stairway walls were melted by a powerful acid. It also seemed as if something larger than the width of the corridor allowed pushed it's way through it.
• Rocks blocked the top of the stairway but the dwarven senses of Urist and Rurik soon revealed that the rocks were put there, as if to block the passage and that this should lead outside.
• Above, the dragon had arrived.

After some time, the rocks blocking the exit were cleared up. After a time, it seems that the dragon had also left and things were calm once more. As the companions emerged from the pyramid not far from the mushroom forest's edge, they noticed dozens of Basidiomids coming up behind them, slowly shambling up the stairs and toward the exit.

Unsure what to do at first, the companions took defensive positions but the diseased Basidiomids only seemed to want out. As they found the path blocked by both dwarves however, a short combat erupted as the creatures went into panic, trying to push their way through. Spores exploded from their heads, trying to blind and intoxicate everyone but after a time, everyone moved aside and the mushroom men rushed toward the undergrowth of the forest, some too weak and dying as they reached the surface.

After making sure that the creatures were no threat, the party journeyed back to the Simphiwe village. There, they found the streets empty and even the circle in the middle of the village where women were always chanting, was deserted. All the inhabitants had found refuge in their huts and coming to Manelesi's hut they learned that:

• The young woman was in a complete panic and seemed terrified, lost in a ritualistic prayer, on her knees, body rocking back and forth.
• She thought the world was ending because of the recent awakening of what she called the "old people". Apparently the elder shaman, Nozizwe had said the same and had recently left to meet with Ziphozonke himself (the black dragon) to try and get guidance for her people.

After some discussion about what was happening and the consequences of having released the Bound, Urist noticed that, outside, there were still patches of black mist surging from all directions, though somewhat less now. As he looked about, he also saw a patch of the clouds just outside the village. In it were shapes of drakkins fighting each other, spectral black apparitions of the reptilian men in armor and wielding ghostly weapons, locked into a battle that seemed to ignore everything around them.

Calling upon the others, they all closed the battlefield to get a better look. There, they cleared saw that some of the drakkins had Rock Claws symbols while others wore the Sun Jaws one. Suddenly, one of the later, slightly more massive than the others, noticed the companions and came closer to them. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and pointed his finger at them.

As nothing seemed to happen, the specter appeared confused for a moment, then suddenly cries of pain and surprised erupted from some of the closest huts and black filaments exploded out of them, then surged into the drakkin itself, it's shape becoming stronger.

As combat erupted, this new power seemed to be very effective at killing it's own kind and the creature cleaved through two of the ghostly Rock Claws before the companions could react.

• During the battle, a Sun Jaws drakkin soldier tried to drain some life energy as well but the range of this ability seemed smaller than on the other one. However, he did drain Danik, leaving him slightly weakened and that seemed to grant him some strength for a short time.
• As the drakkin commander form dissipated, Serrin managed to drain the life energy that remained for a moment. His body was covered by a black filaments aura as well as his blades and while it lasted, his attacked seemed more effective than usual against the spectral enemies.
• One of the Rock Claws drakkin soldier also tried to drain some life energy from the nearby companions but immediately noticed that it could hurt them and only accepted the energy giving freely.

As the Sun Jaws drakkins were dispatched, the black filaments form dissipating into nothingness, the remaining Rock Claws thanks the companions, acknowledging them as the Saviors of the Bound.

• He mentioned a "Call" to the south, where the battle would happen. He seemed unable to resist it for long.
• What had happened with the draining of life energy from living creatures was very important to him, especially since, once "strengthened", even the spectral drakkins seemed to gain quite an advantage in combat. He mentioned that he would have to report this to the Herald Tranur-kun and that he should decide what to do next.

As the ghost disappeared, joining other black mists on their travel south, the group gathered back near Manelesi's hut and discussed what to do next.

• Urist indicated that, in order to protect the Simphiwe, they might be able to draw the glyph that he had copied from the Dragonbone temple that seemed to pushed back ghosts though. With more than 500 inhabitants and 70 huts in the village however and that would take a very long time and a lot of silver, without any idea if it'd work at all. He decided to focus on Manelesi for now.
• Danik, rebounding on Urist's idea and his copy of the glyph, remembered that the old drakkin spell book contained something about the making of glyph, a ritual of sort. After a quick check, he found what he was looking for though the process seemed costly and complicated.

As their inner clock reminded them that the end of the day was closing, all noticed the last trails of black mists in the cavern skies above far south of their location...

Notes
Completely forgot to actually press the Publish button so this one is a bit delayed, sorry about that.