JoshyDnD Week 5
Session 5: Return to the Temple of Chauntea The gang awoke in the morning, still somewhat distrustful of their Tabaxi friend, whose doppelgänger had betrayed them. Heading downstairs to the bar, the orc ordered a beer, but became incensed when told the price had risen due to a shortage from the siege. His yells awoke the Githzerai monks, who were meditating, who then approached the group. Pleased that the portal device had been recovered, they handed over the deed to their monastery as promised, asking however that they be allowed to stay there until their mission was complete. The adventurers did not answer, but instead asked about the location of the waffle maker they were promised. The monks responded that they had determined that the ruffians that kidnapped their master and stole the waffle maker had been hired by the very same priests who had cheated the adventurers out of a payday days earlier. The gang was also alerted to the fact that the citizens of Waterdeep were growing restless, and that the Lords, who had not met in a long time, were supposedly meeting to discuss the siege. Their goals aligned, the adventurers set out, using their newly acquired portal device, to the Temple of Chauntea that they had visited in their first adventure together. The loggers they once met outside were gone, so the halfling stole their axes. Entering the temple, they discovered it was similar to how they left it. The corpses were gone, and the paintings of Chauntea in the entry hall were slashed, but blood and mud stains they had caused remained. The flooded rooms remained so, although the colour of the water had turned murky. They did notice, however, that the symbol of Chauntea painted on the ground appeared newer than the stones around them. The group found that rooms previously blocked off by large rocks were now open, and they entered the one near the fungi in the dorm room. Entering a room with a thick covering of fungus mush on the floor, they encountered a Myconid Sovereign, three Myconid Adults and five Myconid sprouts (mushroom people of decreasing size). A sprout approached the Orc to smell it, but was punted away. In retaliation, the Sovereign, their leader, sent hypnotic spores towards the Orc, who spent the next minute (an entire battle) mesmerised by pretty colours and unable to fight. The myconids put up a valiant effort, but were rarely able to penetrate the armour of the adventurers. One particularly lucky sprout, however, would have killed the Goliath Barbarian all by itself (see: 56 damage from two crit hits) if not for the Goliath's incredible defences. Nevertheless, the group sliced and diced (causing all of the mushrooms to squeal loudly whenever one was hurt), and burnt with a well aimed burning hands spell, the mushroom men, who dissolved into the goo on the floor. The gang found an odd, round, purple stone with an engraved picture of a mushroom on it, and left the room. The room with a floor covered in mush. The mush-room, if you will. The group continued, and found a hallway they hadn't visited. Entering at one end, but via the long side, they saw a statue and a door directly to their right, a long hallway to the left. At the end of the hallway was a door pointing on the long axis, and a door on the far side. Along the far side were four paintings of a sickly but strong woman (the same one depicted carrying a vial and a dagger in the statue) spreading decay during all four seasons. Along the near side were cages filled with dead Grung, empty vials, dead snakes and cracked eggs. Investigation into the statue and paintings yielded the same name: "Talona". The Orc, who had met followers of Talona before, explained her to the group. "She's bad - spreads sicklyness and disease and stuff" the Orc managed to say, before the Tabaxi tripped and opened the door next to the statue. "Releassse meeeee", a voice called to him, and he obeyed. The room he had fallen into was a small but empty dungeon, with a man with the head of a snake chained in manacles on the far end. Skeletons of other Yuan-Ti lay to his sides in other manacles, as did a body in torn robes. The Tabaxi walked to grab the key, but was grabbed in time by the Orc. Failing to break free, the Tabaxi cast misty step out of the grapple. The other group members entered, and together they attacked the chained Yuan-Ti until he lost his concentration. The Tabaxi picked up the key and, now aware of the trickery, threw the key (which was miraculously caught by the Goliath). Together, the group attacked the snake being (who failed to convince the Orc to turn on the Tabaxi, who the Orc was still suspicious of after being betrayed by him twice (sort of)) and chopped it's left leg off before stabilising him. "We might need him later," they reasoned. Out of the prisoner's unconscious hand fell another stone - exactly the same as before, but with the symbol of a snake. The group returned to the hallway and investigated the door on the wall with the paintings. It had a downwards pointing triangle etched into it (the Orc noted that this was the symbol of Talona), with each corner having space for the stones they had found, and one other. One with the picture of a mushroom. One with the picture of a snake. And one with the picture of a dragon. The group, resolute, turned to open the door at the far end of the room, and entered a large octagonal room. There was a raised octagonal pedestal in the centre with stairs leading to it, and in the middle of that a 10 foot square cage, within which was a green dragon wyrmling. An acolyte, wearing the same robes as the corpse in the snake room, was preparing to cut the dragon with a blade before the adventurers entered. He looked at the adventurers, as did the dragon. They looked back. And our time for this week was over.
