Chapter 1: Welcome to Stonespear Province

[GreyWolfVT]

Galot tries to use the stone cloak to hid and blend in with one of the walls and tries to be very quiet.

[Pulpatoon]

Anurak dives into the pile of debris. Gurzubar dashes into the porthole, followed by Krodok. Galot camouflages himself with his stone cloak.

Bubba, Ollan, and Oothu stand their ground, weapons ready.

The bobbing light draws nearer. As it approaches, it becomes clear that it is actually four lights, and they are accompanied by a musical chirping.

Four short mushroom-creatures are casually strolling through the long cavern, conversing in a sing-song language, puffing on long pipes that emit tiny bubbles, and carrying hand-held lanterns that produce a strong, directional beam of light, which they play over the visible party. Behind them float three rectangular metal platforms, loaded high with a bewildering variety of fungal blooms. Their lights illuminate a cloud of spores surrounding them—although whether they originate from the mushroom-creatures or their cargo, you cannot tell. In their wake, tiny mushrooms sprout.

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Coming within hailing distance, the closest of the creatures holds up a hand in a gesture of welcome, and emits several chirps. It pulls from a container a puffball, and gestures to the party, a clear invitation to partake in something.

Inside the porthole, Gurzubar and Krodok have just enough light to see by, as the fungoids' lights spill through the narrow window-slit. They are in a cylindrical shelter, large enough to fit 16 humans, if they don't have intimacy issues. There is a stone cistern (very dry) and two stone bins that might have once held provisions. At the western end of the cylinder is another exit porthole, this one closed.

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ACTIONS!
Next action-update: Friday afternoon, EST!

[caveman]

Cedrik raises his hand in greeting. "Oh mighty mushroom men. We come in search of a prince of our surface world. Have you seen he or his entourage?"
Cedrik smiles hopefully, propping his battle axe in front of him.

[Pulpatoon]

The fungoids do not appear to understand Cedric's words, but gesture at him encouragingly with the puffball, inviting him forward with a little spongy hand.

[Nate]

Gurzubar whispering to Krodok: "They heard us talking about eating them mushrooms! Now they're gonna eat us!"

[Zhym]

"You think those are some of them funny mushrooms?" wonders Bubba skeptically.

[Pulpatoon]

Gurzubar whispering to Krodok: "They heard us talking about eating them mushrooms! Now they're gonna eat us!"

Krodok anxiously whispers back: "Krodok not eat mush rooms! You tell them Krodok not eat mush rooms!"

[Nate]

Gurzubar cautiously exits the porthole with hands up. "look, we didn't eat any mushrooms! We don't mean any harm"
Gurzubar slowly pulls a cigarette from his pocket and offers it towards the Fungus people. "Wanna smoke?"

[Nate]

With a cigarette in one hand, Gurzubar uses his free hand to reach for the offered puffball, placing the cigarette in it's place.
"See, just peaceful folks sharing stuff in an underground nightmare world, nobody trying to eat anybody."

[GreyWolfVT]

Galot comes out of his hiding spot "Well then guess i was smart in not eating them then."

[mjulius]

Ollan, speckled by the lamp light, eagerly takes the offering.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Anurak

In the debris pile, under his shield, Anurak can hear only muffled chirping and voices. He wonders what''s going on out there beyond his hiding place and tries to peek through a crack to see, but he doesn't do anything that would reveal himself.

In his head, he counts the seconds until something terrible happens. Horrifying possibilities race in a jumble through his mind and he does his best to hold his breath and avoid any possibility of breathing in the potentially deadly spores that cloud around the mushroom people. Though, when he goes light-headed and nearly passes out, he has to gasp for air, which kind of negates his efforts. At least he's further away than most of the others he tells himself. Maybe that will save him. Idon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodie.

[Pulpatoon]

Gurzubar and Ollan each reach for the puffball, at which point the fungoid gives it a gentle squeeze, releasing a cloud of spores. Over the next few seconds, as the spores settle over the party, their piping squeaks resolves itself into meaningful speech in your heads.

The following exchange is comprehensible to everyone except Anurak and Krodok:

Fungoid: "Sqrp vrrkpt skirrip pipt thtat instance toat bipedal skeept animalia. Nrnrnrnop zlip bipedal tikkrtop adaptations. Are you from the surface? Griirrup diurnal?"

Taking the proffered cigarette, the fungoid hands it over to another fungoid, who waves a talisman/contraption over it and declares, "Herbaceous clirpt materials. Possible restorative effects on meatforms. Anomalous chronostatic register." He tucks the cigarette into a small tube and stashes it away in a satchel.

The first fungoid says, "Thanks for the specimen. We are representative instances of sapient kroptk ascomycota. The local sentient fauna refer to us as 'Science Fungoids,' and you may feel free to do the same.

"I see you have uncovered one of the old beetle shelters. Any discoveries of interest?"

Dice:

Encounter Check: [1d6] = 4

DIALOG!
Next action-post: Monday Evening, EST!

[Pulpatoon]

The fungoids wait patiently for the party to reply. Finally, they conclude that you were not responsive to their communication spores, and move on. Their bobbing lights and floating platforms head to the west. Tiny mushrooms grow up in their wake.

Oothu says: "I... uh, suppose we can light the lamp again?"

A soft, raspy noise emerges from the porthole. Krodok has fallen asleep in the chamber the fungoids referred to as a "Beetle Shelter."

ACTIONS?
Next action-post: Wednesday Evening, EST.

[caveman]

Cedrik was scared. He gestures to the others, and hurries down the tunnel heading east. He's looking for signs of carnage and the lost prince.

[mjulius]

Ollan blinks at an opportunity now past, apparently in reveries not worth mentioning.
He pulls himself together, grasping at the remnants of spores.

East it is... and follows Cedric, but perhaps we should rest?

Sorry for the absence. Unforeseen bugbears.

[Pulpatoon]

The party finds themselves with two proposed options:
1. Rest. It is getting late, and the party can tell that exhaustion will soon begin to slow them down. And the Beetle Shelter seems like an easily secured, if snug, place to settle in for the night; or
2. Continue East.

Dice:

Encounter Check: [1d6] = 6

All seems dark and quiet in the Underworld.

ACTIONS?
Next action-post: Friday Evening, EST!

[GreyWolfVT]

Galot suggests "How about we rest then go east afterwards?"

[Zhym]

"You think a rest is possible in this place?" asks Bubba. "But, yeah, sure, let's try to sleep if we can."

[Captain Kinkajou]

Anurak

Burrowed into the debris pile and hidden under his shield, Anurak feels about the safest he has felt since the incident with the fire hounds. The continuing terror that has relentlessly threatened to overwhelm him since then has left him quite exhausted. The suggestion of rest is a most welcome one.

"I believe I will rest easiest if I remain concealed here", his muffled voice says from under the shield. "I would greatly appreciate it if one of you good fellows would ensure you wake me before you depart from here. I wouldn't want to get left behind."