Of Jungle Deeps and Ocean Depths

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*The passage widens slightly here, to almost five feet, even though the ceiling is still rather low. The ground under your feet grows first damp, then soggy, then downright muddy, and stinks of some kind of slime. Long scraping tracks, from no known beast, appear here and there along the passageway. It's hard to tell how large they were, because the mud has distorted the tracks.*

*Ahead you has little pieces of phosphorescent moss growing from some place ahead of you. It appears that it widens ahead, and you all slow and take careful look around the corner.*

*This cavern appears that it was once the place where the spring began its journey to the stream and pond above; it is a large cavern, about twenty feet across. At the far side is the place where you assume the stream starts. On top of it is something out of a nightmare, a huge mound of rubbery, black leeches, liberally beslimed with some foul substance, writhing and squirming over each other. Bones of fish lie strewn about the floor, and every few seconds a fish skeleton will work its way out of the mound to slide greasily to the floor. The leaches are steadily sucking away the water and the wildlife from the sacred spring, and as you watch, they seem to be growing nigh-imperceptibly larger, pulsing like an alien heart.*

 

[Jarval]

"I'm going to make a wild assumption here, but I'm going to guess that thing might be the cause of our problems." Mourn quips. "Fascinating looking creature, that's for sure. Has a little of the look of a beast native to the Far Realm to it, although that is perhaps something of an extrapolation too far."

Muttering a few words in Draconic, Mourn weaves a pattern in the air before looking closely at the rubbery mass.


(OoC: Casting detect magic and taking as much time as he needs to thoroughly scan the creature for any signs of magical auras.)

 

[silentspace]

*Invelion peers out into the chamber, studying the creatures.*

OOC: Has Invelion heard anything about these creatures? Harper Knowledge +9, Knowledge Nature +7 might be applicable... Would a Cloudkill settle in the chamber, enveloping the slimy mass, or would a Cloudkill only stay for a few seconds before sinking to a lower level?

 

[Lichtenhart]

"Avast, me mateys, we need a plan. If we go and kill'em the spring would sweep us away. An' we need also to hurry, or they'll become too large fo' us. Two coppers fo' any ideas." he offers, turning to the others, especially the little frogmen.

 

[silentspace]

"We need to be cautious here. This thing has killed brave Gripplis. I am considering conjuring a killing cloud in this chamber, then retreating upwards while the cloud kills that vile creature. Or, perhaps, blasting it with balls of fire from a distance."

 

[Keia]

Rappai, Grippli Cleric/Divine Oracle (Jarrijan, Grippli Monk)

Rappai looked on the creature with revulsion, and was uncertain if it even was a creature. She thought through the stories* passed down to her from those before for any inclination to what this creature was.

"Wait, Jarrijan . . . wait," Rappai cautioned. "Let Rappai learn of the thing before you do anything, let Rappai learn."

Rappai cast Know Vunerabilities on the thing and began to study it.

OOC: *Knowledge (religion) +15, Knowledge (history) +9.

 

[Erekose13]

Undinar travels with the group down to the chamber with the 'Beast' amazed at the size and disgusting nature of the thing. Glad to have an extra sword he whole heartedly welcomes Mad Harry to the group. "Indeed caution would seem to be the order of the day with this creature. What do your spells tell you Rappai?" he says as the little frog seeress finishes her casting.

 

[Zerth]

"Yuck. What is that? If you do have any means of blasting that pile of slime without having to go near it, I'm listening," Tiana says with a genuine look of disgust on her face.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*Mourn seeks no magic on the creature itself, but a strong aura is underneath it, shining out through it. You think that is probably the spring itself. However, in the litter of bones, leaves, and other debris you can see about a half dozen other magical auras of varying strengths.*

*Invellion, you think the cloud might work, but with all the litter on the floor you aren't sure if there's a low spot or sinkhole anywhere. You and Rappai aren't exactly sure what the creature is, though you both know a leech is a blood sucker. So many leeches could probably suck even an ankly dry in a short period of time.*

*Rappai incants her spell, letting her consciousness dissolve so that she can dip the knowledge she desires from the great shining pool of all things.*

*She learns that the creature has no particular weaknesses or resistances to any of the sacred energies, nor does one need weapons of any particular strength to attack it. But it is a mass of leeches; trying to control its mind would come to naught. Also, it is soft and yielding, and it might be better to cut it instead of trying to bash it.*

 

[Jarval]

"Hah." Mourn says, making a mental note as to the locations of the magical auras. "It's not innately magical or carrying any enchantment, at least as far as I can tell." He informs the rest of the group.

Turning his attention back to the auras hidden under the debris on the cave floor, Mourn drops the detect magic spell, and in its place casts a prestidigitation. He starts cleaning the rubbish away from where he saw the auras, looking for any sign of what might be generating them.