Session 007.1 - Plants, Webs, and Fire

## Desnus 23rd, 4724, Day 20

Upong waking, the group discovers Thaniel with a terrible infection caused by the bite from the Dragon Turtle Belvore.
The Disciples of the Damned suggest receiving the help from a quack of a medic that they had personally interacted with before.
After marking the location on their map, the group speeds away while the Disciples care for Thaniel in their absence.

They arrive at a hut surrounded by forest and populated with various creatures.
They find and introduce themselves to a small Leshy working around a cauldron in front of the hut.
The Leshy, in turn, introduces themself as `Fig` and listens to the groups needs of a medicine to cure their sick friend.
Fig tells them of a tree with wonderful fruit found at the end of a nearby dungeon; if they can get there, Fig will be able to make the medicine they need.

Fig guides them deeper into the forest where the dungeon should be according to `Grapevine`.
They find a sinkhole that serves as the entrance to the dungeon but must first contend with the swarms of spiders that have webbed the entirety of the area for a home.
The blasts of fire and from Fig and follow-up explosion from Avoh make quick work of the spiders.
They use a span of rope and a piton to create a stable anchor for them to descend into the depths.

At the bottom of the rope, they enter a cave system and find a large `Ogre Spider` watching them from the roof before it skitters away.
They continue through the cave and discover leftover supplies and notes from a single-man expedition conducted over ten years ago.
They use an incredibly large ribcage as a bridge to cross a ravine and continue their journey.
The cave soon plummets into a chasm lined by sets of old wooden steps spaced with the occasional platform.
Some kobolds below notice their descent and rush to attack.

The attackers are soon cut down and the group continues their search.
They find a chest that they discover is trapped when it shoots a dart into Kat's chest.
Luckily, Fig is prepared and cures her of the affliction it caused.
The group continues their descent with stronger caution before entering a system of caves carved from the gently flowing water and overgrown with wild vegetation.

Within the expanse they encounter a few zombies to be slain and discover a shrine along with another journal entry from the decade-past expedition.
From it, they find that speaking a certain phrase in Elven causes the shrine to glow.
The group continues exploring and finds some of Thorn's missing dogs and Athe instructs them to return home after receiving playful kisses from them.
Watching the dogs bound away, they notice a handful of large stone tablets with various phrases with some written in Elven and others in Common.

-# Elven
- Whispering winds
- carry us
- now our hidden refuge.
- hence; reveal

-# Common
- Ethereal passage,
- show thyself

They return to the shrine for Athe to approach and speak the Elven lines until they are said in the correct order.
> Whispering winds, carry us hence; reveal now our hidden refuge.

A magical portal appears in front of the shrine with the final words spoken.
Before any discussion could be made, Fig jumps into it and the rest of the group follows.
They appear in a large room dominated by vegetation with a lone tree bearing multiple undeveloped fruit and one perfectly ripe fruit.
As they approach the tree to claim the fruit to save Thaniel, an undead covered in mushrooms appears from the other side of the tree and beckons them to join the soil and feed this sanctuary.
He motions towards a corner of the room, and the Ogre Spider makes its appearance.

The ensuing combat is fierce, enduring, and culminates in the groups victory but not before Avoh collapses broken and the Austere is knocked unconscious momentarily from a potent attack by the spider.
When combat concludes, Fig runs to the tree and plucks the only ripe fruit before taking a bite from it.
They then immediately begin shovelling the fertile soil into their cauldron and submerge their roots inside, promptly growing a new face-adorned fruit.
They rip off one of their grown face fruits and offers it to the group as the necessary ingredient for the medicine they need.

The group eventually return to the inn with the medicine crafted by Fig.
It is applied to Thaniel and Fig soon departs with jovial words.
Amoretta looks at her friends, bloodied, bruised, and with a pile of what was Avoh in tow.
She asks them what they went through with the quack to end up so ragged.