Editing Game-Summaries:5/30/2020 Recollections (section)

==Recollections by [[Tallulah]]==
The call to action arrived one morning as my friends Ford, Kaylorr, Zanna and Avant had agreed to help me assemble some new training obstacles at Ravenwood Training Camp.  Ford offered to prepare us a three-course mushroom meal throughout the day so he busied himself with food prep as the rest of us worked on a strategy to clear some trees for the new obstacles.  While we worked, a hooded rider in a red cloak approach us from the East and delivered a letter.  The letter was from a woman named Falratha who has been providing aid to the drow—a horde of necromancers has overtaken the Underdark city of Sschindrylryn.  She had been advised to contact the Eternal Order for assistance…and since her letter found the five of us, we decided to answer her call.

We agreed to set out promptly so Ford packed up the remainder of our lunch and we set out tracking the rider for a town to the east called Far Hills.  Wethril and I led the group for a several days journey.  It felt good to be away from camp and to track the land without really knowing where we were headed or what we would find there.  Along the way, we came across a long abandoned village as well as a small camp of cyclopes which we were able to sneak past without altercation.  On the following day, Kaylorr stumbled across a lair with shiny metallic shards embedded in entrance of the cavern.  There were gargantuan sized dragon prints surrounding the lair.  Our curiosity got the best of us so we decided to harvest some of the metal to discover it was in fact mithril!  While we were collecting the shards, we also managed to wake the dragon within!!!  As soon as we heard its large metallic body stirring we ran away from the cavern entrance as far as we could until we heard and felt the enormous thuds of dragon feet behind us.  We halted our retreat and turned, very slowly, around to face the mithril dragon.

Arcades Sabboth is a beautifully terrifying creature who demands your respect with his presence and not only because of his size.  His body and wings glittered blindingly in the daylight and with each step he took mithril that had been solidly embedded in the rock reabsorbed into his body.  There was an illusion of fragility to him—that he might shatter into a million pieces like glass, though there was certainly no doubt of his strength and power.  There was so little doubt in fact that I found myself paralyzed with fear as Ford reached into his pack and held up one of the mushroom maple cupcakes we had never gotten around to eating on the day the rider arrived at Ravenwood.  The dragon approached the offering, sniffed the cupcake and promptly snapped it from Ford’s extended hand.  Ford somehow managed to keep both his hands and earn enough of the dragon’s respect with his baking that we were able to speak with him.

In speaking with Arcades Sabboth we learned that he has been living here for 3000 years and that his mission is to protect all those who live near the World Tree.  He typically does not concern himself with human affairs with the exception of making peace and he graciously allowed us to consider him a friend as long as we do not seek to make war.  Upon informing him of the army of the dead he was disturbed and yet advised us to seek to negotiate with the army of the dead.  He agreed that we may call upon him if we need assistance in achieving peace.  This encounter touched us all…it’s not every day you meet an ancient mithril peace dragon.  We watched in awe as Arcades turned and majestically returned to his lair.

Since Arcades also was able to give us directions, we found Far Hills—a small farming village nestled in the foothills of the Pardor Range.  We met Eleveid, the bartender at the local tavern Maarit’s.  From Eleveid we learned that Falratha and her merry band of minstrels have been staying in the area though he didn’t know where her camp was.  Fortunately, one of the townspeople outside the tavern was able to point us in the right direction just past the “Way Down”.

Following this tip we came across what was surely called the “Way Down”.  An enormous pit with curved, sharp teeth-like spikes protruding from the earth stood in front of us and there was a small building constructed overlooking the pit.  As Zanna began to detect magic a guard came out of the shed to deter us from approaching and to move along.  We announced that we were from the Magistery and looking for Falratha but he did not seem impressed.  He went back inside the shed and returned with his captain who was also pretty standoffish but did point us in the general direction of Falratha’s camp.

When we arrived at the camp we found Falratha and her friend Arrizz sitting around a fire.  After introductions we learned that they have requested the Eternal Order’s assistance in delivering supplies through the Way Down to drow refugees who escaped Scchindrylryn.  In the past Falratha had been able to successfully bribe the captain of the guard, Helk, for unhindered passage.  About a week before our arrival however, something came up out of the Way Down and since then Helk was no longer open to bribery.  Falratha would need a couple hours to move and unload the caravan into the Way Down so Ford and Zanna returned to the guard house to investigate while the rest of us stayed put at camp to strategize.  Upon their return we decided to try our best to convince Helk to take a bribe so we set out with the caravan to the Way Down.

A guard came out of the shed to halt our approach as expected.  Avant cast Mass Suggestion that the guards accept our offered bribe and Falrotha stepped forward to negotiate.  She shook the guard’s hand and as he return to the shed he slipped something into his pocket.  The captain of the guard returned to speak with Falrotha who offered him a muffin in return for permission to descend.  Helk hesitated but reluctantly accepted much to all of our relief and surprise.

We began the process of unloading the caravan of supplies and Arriz transformed the canvas from the wagons into three little boats.  When we reached the bottom of the Way Down we found ourselves at a gentle river in a pitch black cavern.  We divvie the supplies and ourselves up into the three boats.  I joined Falrotha and Arrizz in the first boat followed by Kaylorr & Zanna and finally Avant & Ford in the final boat.  It was peaceful traveling along the river and I found I’ve even grown to enjoy the smell and feel of the damp, heavy air of being deep underground.  Then, as the narrow tunnel opened up into a larger cavern I heard a splash that put me on alert.

Falratha guided the boat to a shoreline and beached it.  From behind us I heard canvas tear and water splashing so I turned to see the second boat holding Zanna & Kaylorr rocking violently and a large fish-like creature rise from the dark water launching itself at Ford & Avant’s boat.  Zanna shouted to Falrotha, “what ''are'' these things?” to which Falrotha replied, “They’re Kuo-toa, kill them all.”

Zanna and Kaylorr’s boat was flooding with water.  Zanna attacked with her rapier and Kaylorr cast Guiding Bolt but to no avail as the Kuo-toa ripped through the bottom of the boat causing Zanna, Kaylorr and crates of supplies to tumble into the water.  Avant and Ford attacked the Kuo-toa still hanging over the side of their boat with their longsword and rapier and I managed to land two well placed arrows in the creature as well.  Zanna magically stepped to shore along with myself, Falrotha and Arriz.  Kaylorr, attempting to save one of the supply crates, found himself on an opposite shore bank.

Falrotha, distraught about losing any of the supplies, jumped into the river followed by Arrizz to recover them and we resumed in holding back the Kuo-toa as best we could.  More of them were baring down on Ford & Avant’s boat.  I sent a lightning arrow at a pair of approaching Kuo-toa which lit up the cavern as it travelled through the air and met its targets.  In the darkness a tentacle rose from the surface of the water, snatched a Kuo-toa and pulled it under.  The remaining fish creatures shrieked an awful sound and fled under the water as a green noxious liquid spread along the surface of the lake.  My foot slipped into the poison water causing me to leap back from the edge of the lake.

Zanna reconstructed the damaged boat and Avant seemed to be having an internal struggle as Ford made efforts to get the third boat back to shore.  A well-placed flame strike from Kaylorr followed by one of my lightning arrows caused the monster to thrash its large tentacles creating an enormous wave of water flooding the cavern.  I was washed into the lake along with Zanna and Kaylorr.  When I surfaced I found myself bobbing close to the giant tentacled beast; I sent a thunderwave in its direction and made for shore as quickly as I could though was unable to escape the attacking tentacles entirely.  Making it to shore, I discovered Falrotha and Arrizz had managed to recover two of the crates and the rest of my party had also managed to get on dry land.  Arrizz was down and the tentacle monster was draining Avant to replenish its own health.  Zanna hurled a chromatic orb at the beast and it froze into a solid block of ice.  For good measure she picked up a rock from the ground and chucked it at the frozen creature, a tentacle snapped off and floated away, fairly anticlimactically.  Never-the-less the beast was dead.  Falrotha returned to the water to recover the final crate and we worked on catching our breath and healing our wounds.

After a short rest we continued down the river, over a bridge and found “the stairs” which descended into the upper dark.  Falrotha thanked us for our assistance in their mission and stressed their greatest need is for supplies and fighters for their cause.  Kaylorr offered to provide them with a Greater Seal of Sanctuary so we agreed to accompany Falrotha, Arrizz and the supplies to Szith Morcane.  We arrived a few days later to a small drow hamlet.  The refugees were surprised to see us and grateful for the support and the blessing.  Our mission complete we plane shifted home.

We must be prepared to go back.