Session 5: Fungus Coronation

4th day of Sowing, 519 AE. (25-Apr-2026)

With the passing of the Thaw the weather continued its trend to warm days, with residual snows lightening and trending more towards rain. The past week seemed to have put in a final push of snow, but locals now hoped the weather had turned towards sunnier days.

Knowing that camping in the wilds while recovering entailed some risk, the companions set camp and posted a rotating watch. Making some efforts to conceal the entrance to the Zareth-Ka tombs they settled in for the first night.

The first day of the next week saw scattered snowy rain. During the afternoon three Bloodmaw Horde orcs mounted on horses sat upon a nearby rise. Dorcus, who was on lookout duty, spotted this and called to her companions. One of the orcs then galloped down to the camp, around it and several lengths back towards its fellows. Halting, it then bellowed a war-cry, stood upright on its mount's bare back and fired a single arrow, which landed just in front of Dorcus. The creature demanded to know why the companions were camping in their tribe's territory and why Dorcus was associating with "pink-skins". The orc demanded tribute and, as the barbarian's companions began trying to flank the orc, cried "we will be back!" before galloping off.

Jewel scouted the surrounding area the following day and located a root-cave beneath a great oak. The companions decided to move camp to the ancient tree and spent several hours securing the new site. To the north of the giant eagles' grove Jewel surveyed a field used by the area's local horses, watched over carefully by their eagle stewards.

Morning of the third day coincided with the last day of The Thaw, thus having a full moon. Still windy and snowy, during the afternoon the Gilded Banner approached camp on mounts, led by a blonde Paladin of the Light of Thalar. These rivals explained that Lewel had sold them the location of the tomb entrance, however they would not delve into it while our heroes were engaged in adventuring there. With adventuring business to conduct to the west the group moved on, after examining the tomb entrance. While on watch during the night Dimrock witnessed a human transform into a man-wolf and loped northwards. Reporting this to Lyra when handing over the watch, a sense of unease settled over the camp. Some hours later Lyra heard the distant clattering of bones. The sound repeated some time later, but closer to camp. Finally hearing the sound of metal on bone, she woke her companions just as a dozen animated skeletons came into view. These assaulted the reinforced campsite, with Kratos taking a minor wound before Dimrock and Alira channelled the power of their deities to repel the evil things.

Dawn of the fourth day marked the first day of the Sowing Moon and a heavy snowfall. Suspecting the previous night's undead had come from the Snakefolk tomb, checking the status of the site and setting watch there was prioritised. However, the entrance proved unaltered and the tracks of the dead came from the north and west of the rockslide area. Checking the horse meadow to the north of the eagles' grove several were found mauled to death and no live horses remaining. Around midday a caravan of merchants travelled near to camp and Dimrock purchased some cooking utensils in order to aid in the provisioning of game and forage for longer keeping. Late afternoon, during Dorcus' watch, seven Bloodmaw Horde orcs approached camp. Demanding tribute, they eventually were satisfied to go their way with provisions. By the following morning the snowfall had lightened, and several wounded horses—bearing bite and claw marks as of a huge wolf—were seen straying from the direction of the horse meadow.

Wind and scattered light snow greeted the dawn of the sixth and final day of the companions' recovery. Jewel was on watch during the early afternoon when a column of heavily armed and armoured horsemen approached. Somewhat nervously Jewel called out to her compatriots, however Kratos recognised the leader of the troops - Cadbryn, a squire from Castle Thorneford. Engaging in conversation, it turned out that the young man was patrolling in response to increased sightings of Bloodmaw Horde orcs. It seemed the creatures had claimed the lands to the west of the Ashwater as their territory, which they were prowling in ever-increasing numbers. Apparently demanding tribute from established inhabitants and tolls from travellers, returning in increasing numbers whenever met with refusal. Kratos shared details of the group's own encounters with these orcs, Cadbryn wished them safe travels and continued his patrols. That night the peace of the final watch was broken by noises near camp. Lyra, who was taking her turn at guard duty, carefully investigated to find a large piece of wood crudely carved with the Bloodmaw Horde emblem mounted near camp.

After a week's rest the companions broke camp and returned to the Snakefolk tomb. They found their camouflaging measures undisturbed and the upper chambers unchanged. Making their way to the octagonal room they checked that the undead creature behind the northern door had not broken free, then proceeded to the trapdoor which had been concealed in the chamber behind the southwestern-most passage. Making their way down the hatch's ladder the companions heared a large dragging chain beyond the secret door. Kratos suggested a distraction, so Lyra caused a minor magical flare to briefly appear within the large chamber beyond and the group charged in. Within, a large six-legged reptilian creature wearing a helm attacked. This creature turned its gaze upon Kratos and the elf felt ripples of magic course over him. Adroitly resisting its effects, he struck the thing a solid blow and the group then made short work of the monster. Lopping its head off they discovered a key attached to the collar around its neck.

The group then carefully searched the room. Jewel quickly found that one of the statues was holding a shortsword of some silvery alloy. Breaking it free and giving it a test swing it felt unusually light in her hand - the pommel being a knot of snakes tails, giving way to two entwined snakes bodies as handle, splitting into two separate snake bodies for the crosspeice, the end of each terminating in a snake's head. During this time Kratos located a second secret door immediately opposite the one through which they entered the chamber. Behind this they discovered stairs leading upwards to the west and downwards to the east.

Following the staircase downwards they found a rough chamber with walls of mixed earth and stone running south of the base of the stairs. The space was filled with earth, detritus and random objects stuck into the mix. A number of mushrooms scattered the surface. Searching the morass a small rotten pouch with a few coins was located.

Picking several mushrooms, the group moved on — only to stumble into the apparent resting area of over a dozen of the potato-headed, goblin-like bipeds. As several awoke, they jabbered angrily and gestured for the intruders to leave the way they had entered. When the party instead took a south-eastern passage, the creatures followed, growing more agitated and prodding at them with pointed sticks. Another of the bipeds appeared ahead, this one wielding a broom, and the situation quickly broke down into violence. Kratos snatched up the severed head of the reptilian creature and levelled it at them, turning several to stone. With more closing in, Lyra cast a spell that sent most of the creatures into a magical slumber. The few that remained scrambled to gather mushrooms, rubbing them frantically on their petrified companions, while the broom-wielder fled the way it had come.

Quickly following the passage before them, our heroes found themselves in what appeared to be a small storage room with a door on its eastern side. Somewhat battered and broken, the door opened easily enough. On its other side was a small chamber with a door in each of its four walls. The southern-most door bore a large, sturdy steel lock.

Realising the key they'd found on the reptilian monster was the right size Jewel tried it, discovering that it fit and turned easily. Allowing the door to swing slowly open inwards. Within the group found a locked chest, a small wooden cabinet fixed to the wall and, on the wall above the chest, hung a serpentine mace. Made of the same material and of a similar design to the shortsword Jewel found earlier, it featured a knot of snake tails as pommel, running into a snake-bodied handle that expanded into a large snake head. Dimrock grabbed the mace and hefted it in his hands, to find that it was unnaturally light, similar to the shortsword which Jewel discovered. Kratos opened the cabinet to find four vials of liquid, each having a different colour.

Picking the significant lock on the chest, Lyra unlocked it without difficulty. But as she opened the lock, a cleverly concealed needle darted forth, injecting her with a viscous poison. Lyra stopped breathing immediately and collapsed. The companions worked in desperation to try and keep her from perishing. Kratos poured first one vial of liquid down her throat, to no effect. Then another, at which she briefly revived. Only to stop breathing again moments later. Dimrock and Alira exhausted their minor healing magics, each having some small effect. Finally, the elven woman's shallow breathing steadied and her eyes flickered back open.

Using the ten foot pole they carry with them, Dimrock carefully pushed the lid of the chest open from as far away as he could. The lid swung easily open to reveal thousands upon thousands of glittering coins within. Realizing they could not possibly carry all the coins out, the companions invested half an hour in collecting what they judged the most valuable: coins, a small pouch of gems and jewellery and a scroll tube containing what appeared to be wizard spells. They locked the room's door and started back to the surface, planning to buy supplies and items enabling them to transport the remainder, then return for the bulk of the coins. The only event upon retracing their steps was the mummy-ooze creature they had encountered on their previous expedition. The thing had proven hard to defeat back then, however Kratos raised the head of the petrifying reptile they had defeated and the monster turned to stone.

After an uneventful journey back to town, the companions bought a wagon, several horses and hired the services of four soldiers from Thorneford Castle, to guard their wagon and goods whilst they retrieved the remaining treasure. Resting up overnight the companions departed shortly after dawn and made their way back to the tomb entrance. Following their map back to the treasure chamber, our heroes encountered a number of the small potato-headed bipeds in the same area as previously. These seemed keen to attract the attention of the companions and Lyra chose to follow them into a nearby chamber, where the small creatures gestured excitedly for her to sit in a throne. Lyra complied and more of the creatures gathered, bowed down before her and crowned her with an odd construct made of forks, sticks and other small items. Leaving the area unhindered, Lyra found that the creatures reverently followed her. Indeed they were quick to leap to her defence against any perceived threat, but followed her directions as obediently as they could given the language difficulties.

Over the course of two trips our heroes were able to remove the remaining coins from the treasure room and haul them back to town. Lyra had a little difficulty making the potato-headed bipeds understand that she wanted them to remain behind and not follow her to Thorneford. But eventually she made them understand and they stayed behind.