Chapter 4: Under the Tree

[KingOfCowards]

Sorry for the absence. Busy...busy.
Simon covers his face again as Burd moves inside the room, then follows after him gingerly. "Let us see what can be gathered without disturbing the puffball. Mind your footing, it seems the slime is everywhere."

[Pulpatoon]

Okay, Bürd and Simon are shifting through the treasure. What are Gizzy and Jonas doing?

[zebediah]

Okay, Bürd and Simon are shifting through the treasure. What are Gizzy and Jonas doing?

This:

Simon:

The sensation in your hands reminds you of certain fungi that, if gathered in sufficient quantities and concentrated, can be used as a paralytic. It's a valuable resource to doctors, who can use it to immobilize and numb surgical patients. Only this sludge is much more powerful than the stuff you've encountered before.

You are also aware of the stimulating herbs used to counter the fungal paralytics. You are pretty sure you could find them in the area. You're less ure on the exact method of preparation.

Pulp,I think you mean Jonas, right?

If so Jonas will excuse himself and go fetch the herbs - if that is something that could be accomplished in, say, 20-30 minutes rather than a few hours.

[PyroArrow]

Tokioso 'Gizzy' Gizmoebius [AC: 12 HP: 2/5]:

Gizzy will just keep a look out as Bürd & Simon shift through the treasure.

[Pulpatoon]

Okay, Bürd and Simon are shifting through the treasure. What are Gizzy and Jonas doing?

This:

Simon:

The sensation in your hands reminds you of certain fungi that, if gathered in sufficient quantities and concentrated, can be used as a paralytic. It's a valuable resource to doctors, who can use it to immobilize and numb surgical patients. Only this sludge is much more powerful than the stuff you've encountered before.

You are also aware of the stimulating herbs used to counter the fungal paralytics. You are pretty sure you could find them in the area. You're less ure on the exact method of preparation.

Pulp,I think you mean Jonas, right?

If so Jonas will excuse himself and go fetch the herbs - if that is something that could be accomplished in, say, 20-30 minutes rather than a few hours.

Aw, geez, sorry that I keep mixing Jonas and Simon up. Also, sorry for missing your earlier message.

Okay, Jonas has left the chamber. Did you say anything to your companions before leaving? Are you planning on going towards the fiery fungal chamber, or back through puffballs?

[Pulpatoon]

Tokioso 'Gizzy' Gizmoebius [AC: 12 HP: 2/5]:

Gizzy will just keep a look out as Bürd & Simon shift through the treasure.

With Gizzy squatting by the narrow entrance to the chamber, peering back down the tunnel, Bürd and Simon begin to rifle through the treasure. The slime is covering everything, and must be scraped and sloughed aside. It seems to have rotted through anything organic—the rotten burlap that covers many of the items dissolves upon contact. Metal and stone items have held up better, and the few items wrapped in oilskin appear to be pretty well-preserved.

There are a few rotting purses spilling coins on the floor. Most of them are copper, a few are silver. Bürd's practiced eyes quickly counts them up: 33 Silvers, 305 Coppers. A fortune.

There is a very beautiful stone of some sort, polished to a high sheen. INT to identify.


Wrapped in oil wrap is a mandolin. It appears to be of very fine make, featuring delicate carvings and inlaid wood designs.


The altar, a folding triptych designed for traveling, was only partially covered by oilcloth, and it's wooden frame has rotted. There are many constituent pieces that look valuable, however: bits of semi-precious inlay, tarnished silver hinges, and two rectangles of painted ivory that dimly display scenes of animals and personages gathered around a reposed figure.

An amphora, corked and sealed with wax.


An anvil. Weighs about 200 lbs.


A rotted wooden crate of 15 small glass rods. About 5" long, 3/4" in diameter.

What at first looks like a 1 pound bar of iron, but you soon realize is a magnet.

8 bags of chesnuts, rotted.
17 sacks of dried mushrooms, rotted an absolutely disgusting.
A decorative basket woven of brightlly dyed reeds, rotted.
A pair of painted oars, appear fine at first, but crumble at your touch, everything under the paint being rotted.
A rope net with little lead weights along the perimeter. Rotted.

Bürd and Simon's hands are now completely numb, and beginning to tingle painfully. You cannot move your fingers.

Let's have a Save vs. Poison from each of you, and a DEX check for carefully handling the above materials.

[mb.]

Bürd carefully sorts through the pile... (DEX 8) [1d20] = 18
...and saves vs Poison (14) [1d20] = 2

Bürd inspects the polished stone... (INT 15) [1d20] = 20 ...and decides it's nothing too special, but pretty enough that it's surely worth something.

Wow. Fate (mostly) hates me today. Guess it's time to sacrifice some virgins again.

[KingOfCowards]

Save vs. Poison (14): [1d20] = 14
Dex Check (9): [1d20] = 1
Int Check (9): [1d20] = 13

Simon feels like he just mucked out pig stalls for hours on end. The mandolin would have been the first things he picked up, so hopefully he can get to it before Bürd breaks it. I am interested to see what's in the amphora, but this might not be the time nor place for it. He will grab that as well if he can, tucking the mandolin in as much as it will fit into his satchel. He also fills his belt pouch with as much coin as it can hold, and even dumps out his sling stones to carry even more coin. He shrugs when Bürd lifts up the stone with questioning look, and groans at the pain in his hands as he starts back through the narrow tunnel.

[Pulpatoon]

Fickle hand of fate:

[1d20] = 13

Bürd's hands are stinging so badly that he drops the magnet on the box of glass rods, smashing them.

Simon's hands are completely paralyzed. And his arms feel numb and tingling. Simon was halfway through putting the mandolin in his pack when he lost the use of his hands. He is able to nudge the mandolin in the rest of the way, but cannot secure it, or put the pack back on. You cannot pick up the amphora. Exiting through the tunnels will be possible, but a much clumsier affair, since you can't brace yourself at it's narrower points.

[mb.]

Bürd grinds his teeth, takes a step back, and gives the whole pile a moment of concentration, looking for tell tale signs of magic, before he tucks away the coins, pretty stone and magnet, and follows Simon.

[Pulpatoon]

Bürd with the magic-o-vision:

You detect nothing magical, except the general environment. This whole tunnel system is magic in a deeply unsettling way.

[zebediah]

Okay, Jonas has left the chamber. Did you say anything to your companions before leaving? Are you planning on going towards the fiery fungal chamber, or back through puffballs?

Sorry, I forgot about Jonas' condition...

Jonas waves at his companions Burd, Simon, there is an herb that can counter the effects of this fungus and it can be found nearby. I will head outside and look for it, it shouldn't take me long to find it.

He will make his way through the puffballs, as carefully as he can.

Dex roll, right?

[1d20] = 20

So I guess that calls for a fortune point, Jonas' last.

[1d20] = 20

[mb.]

We cleared a path, so Jonas should just be able to walk through the puffball chamber, shouldn't he?

Bürd pushes through the narrow tunnel, joining Gizzy and Simon in the smoky main tunnel, "I'm thinkin' with th'smoke an' all, we'd best be headin' back, aye lads?"

Bürd leads back towards the puffball chamber. Assuming nothing unexpected happens, and no one disagrees, we'll head all the way back to the tunnel we passed on the right when we came back down, bringing Marcus' body with us.

[PyroArrow]

Tokioso 'Gizzy' Gizmoebius [AC: 12 HP: 2/5]:

"Aye, on th' hedin' back."

[Pulpatoon]

Jonas: may I please have a WIS check?

[mb.]

I'd suggest that we three, after dragging Marcus' body back to the side tunnel, sit down, take a break, and wait for Jonas to return. Aye?

[PyroArrow]

Tokioso 'Gizzy' Gizmoebius [AC: 12 HP: 2/5]:

"Certainly"

[KingOfCowards]

"I'm ready for rest.", Simon sighs, nearing exhaustion.

[zebediah]

Jonas: may I please have a WIS check?

[1d20] = 15

[Pulpatoon]

Everyone, bear with me for a moment while I figure out what's going on with Jonah, before you guys pass through the tunnels.

Jonas:

You emerge from the narrow tunnel, taking extra care to expose yourself to as little of the paralytic slime as possible. You walk quickly through the curving tunnel, past the chamber with the puffballs, and begin to round the next curve of tunnel, to the spot where Marcus lies, when suddenly a a brilliant flash of light fills the darkness.

Your eyes capture the high contrast shadows of roots growing and diminishing as the source of the light speeds towards you.

[1d6] = 5+1=6 points of damage.

You are struck in the chest. Your clothes part, your skin sears, and ribs break. You are knocked back onto the ground, and out of breath. Your eyes are awash in the after-glare from the bright light, and you are still deafened by the ringing in your ears, but you receive the impression—perhaps vibrations running through the roots under your cheek?—that someone is running away down the tunnel.

You are hurt badly, but you're a tough sort, and after you catch your breath, you feel ready to get up.