Session 26

The way up is tough, but you are grateful to make the assent without being assaulted by monsters. The atmosphere of this place alone is enough to make you tense, even without the threat of immediate attack. The tower is windowless, and you are forced to proceed upward in the dark. After some effort, you finally see red light emerging in the distance. You realize that the sun is setting and that you've finally reached the top.

The noise of your ascent is drowned out by the whistling winds which whip fiercely across the top of the tower. Even above that noise, you can hear voices as you get near.

"What do you mean they're already here? I haven't even deactivated the golems yet. They could get crushed to bits?"

Peeking out into the open, you find yourselves looking at an unusual sight. A huge bonfire burns at the center of the summit, kept alive though magical means, apparently, since the fuel beneath is seems to be completely used up. A well built wooden shelter dominates the far side of the tower, though it bends and sways slightly in the wind. You can see inside that five cots have been set up. On the near side, you can see barrels full of food and drink, as well as a several chests of tools. The individual who you heard speaking has now turned towards you.

"Good God that was quick." You're facing Aura, who for all intents and purposes, seems entirely normal. She had been talking to Finn, who stands nearby, upright, but apparently unconscious judging by the way his head hangs to one side. "Welcome back, friends… You're sane, right?" says Aura. You almost suspect that she's asking the question seriously.

Finn replies, "I tended to them myself. They are our only hope. You'll need to explain to them the task at hand and then set them on their way. There's no time to loose. I can't maintain this link much longer." Finn shivers and then collapses. Aura seems unconcerned.

"Oh, but you're in terrible shape," continues Aura. "I've been expecting you, but it looks like you could use an extended rest before you continue in your mission. Sit and rest for a bit. Tell me about your adventures in the outside world." Gesturing for you to sit down near the fire, Aura kicks Finn viciously. "Get up and be sociable." Gasping after the strong blow, Finn's eyes shoot open, and he struggles to sit on a nearby cot.

<Explanation of task>

"I've been given a summary of the situation by our mutual friend, and can give you a few details concerning your task. If Wimpington is correct, the beast is still vulnerable is its present state. Although its influence has spread as far North as Waterdeep, it has yet to culture a suitable environment where the entirety of its being can live. In its past life, it lived in and amongst the magical energies that powered this world, and now it is attempting to recreate this environment inside the bodies of the world's population. Magic no longer has a fixed source and so the beast must make do with the sentient creatures who now conduct magic in its various forms, so I've been told.

It's efforts to create this new body have so far failed, though it is only a matter of time before the beast grows intelligent enough to solve its present difficulties. Even now legions of adventurers are reassembling it though the minute traces remaining in ancient magical artifacts. For now, it survives through the assistance of a strange giant deep beneath the earth. It is your job to seek this giant out and destroy the beast at its source. If you can kill the creature at its roots, the rest will wither and die, freeing the world from its toxic influence.

"This tower is an exhaust vent for the creatures spores. "Aura snaps at Finn who cringes before moving towards the signal fire. Grasping iron rods at its side, Finn pushes as hard as he can, ignoring the red hot metal searing his hands, in an effort to move the giant brazier holding the fire. As the fire moves, its flames greatly diminish and the exit of a shaft is revealed traveling down the length of the tower. Now that the fire has been moved out of the way, a column of brown spores comes swirling out, accompanied by a forceful wind.

"We've been burning the spores in an effort to hamper their spread, though our efforts have been only moderately effective. The vent presents an opportunity as well as a danger, however. Through it, you can reach the underground lair of the beast itself. The fierce winds will ease your descent, though I'm afraid I have no idea where you'll land. If my trails are any indication, you should be able to reach the bottom without taking any damage at all. Although Finn and myself seem able to resist the spores, we are not immune like you, and would surely succumb if exposed to the heart of the beast. The jump will be a one way trip, though we will remain here, waiting for your Message spell. Once you've killed the beast, message us and we will figure out where you are underground and help create a suitable escape route. Do you have an last questions before you take the plunge?"

<After jumping>

As you throw yourselves into the shaft, you are suddenly overcome by the concern that this whole escapade is a really bad idea. The gusts shooting upward end you tumbling end on end as you plummet into the darkness. The distance downward quickly seems to exceed that of the tower itself and you feel as though you are falling into the center of the earth. This notion is aided by the fiery red seams that appear around you as you enter what you guess is the body of the beast. All at once you hit something, bounding off soft plant matter. You're again swept off your feet down another tunnel leading yet deeper. The air here is hot and stale and you could swear that you heard the rumbling of magma, flowing through some unseen channel. Just when you are convinced that you'll continue falling forever, the cute that you were being carried through spits you out into a wide chamber.

The room seems to be made of the same brown tendrils that you've been seeing since you traveled through the long root though these seem somehow much older. These tendrils split off forming wide stumps that fill the room like teeth. Great red ribbons shine between gaps in the tendrils, filling the room with dim light and a great deal of heat. On the far side, the chamber narrows into some sort of orifice, though you're distracted from this by the sight in the center of the room. The bodies of hundreds of adventures are piled on the floor here, many impaled on spiked roots and others torn to pieces. The look like they died fighting each other and some have been here for quite some time, judging by the smell. Scurrying amongst the dead, a band of survivors now faces you, eyes filled with madness. Roll initiative.  

Although most of these vines join the infrastructure of the floor and walls, several of them have joined together to form five tremendous arms, each with a huge red fruit bound inside of them. You feel certain that at last you have reached the true heart of the beast. The creature doesn't seem to have any intention of going down lightly, however. Even as you approach, ready to attack, it begins to swing and wave its arm aggressively. From out of the hole in the giant's chest, an army of ghosts begins to swarm. Appearing as they did at the moment of their deaths are every enemy you've ever killed, all eager to carve out a pound of your flesh. Facing down this spectral squadron and these mammoth trunks, you roll initiative.

Looking back, you are alarmed to find that the way in has already collapsed, leaving you trapped in the rapidly disintegrating cavern. Looking for another way out, you are blinded by the sudden appearance of a hole in the ceiling. It appears that you were not as far underground as you had at first imagined, and you are overjoyed to discover that Aura and Finn seem to have already engineered your escape route.

Your delight turns to horror, however, as you gaze at the thing descending this newly created shaft. You suddenly realize that your friends are in no way involved with this newest development, and that weary as you are, the day isn't over yet. You ready your weapons as a massive headless giant climbs carefully down from the land below, followed closely by two others. Although similar in size and shape as the other giants you've found lying around, these are not only very much alive, but are more finely dressed, if you can even make that sort of comparison. To your relief, they seem to ignore you, heading straight for the crumped form of the giant laying on the floor. Gathering around it, they hoist it up on their shoulders and begin to drag it up towards the hole in the ceiling.

Needless to say, this does nothing to aid the structural integrity of the room, and you are soon swept off your feet as huge cracks appear in the floor, sending the stonework up in every direction. Looking up, you can see the departing giants have been joined by yet another curious sight. A large white sphere hovers in the air, at first shepherding the giants and then sweeping the room with a powerful beam of light as though searching to make sure that nothing had been left behind. As the light sweeps over you, it stops for a moment as if pausing to consider your existence. After not more than a few seconds, you feel yourself growing lighter until you begin to float in the air towards the strange sphere.

Higher and higher you're drawn until you feel like you could reach out and touch the surface of the pearl, and then somehow even further. You are suddenly surrounded by bright light, and we'll find out what happens next, next session.