Burning Witch Adventurers Session #58- The Vault of Eyes

 Much of the adventuring clientele of the Burning Witch have been captivated by the recent revelations from a series of dramatic dungeon delves but Riverborn Scamandros remained steadfast to his previous interests: securing a steady supply of psylirium from the Great Cavern and a trade of Riverwine's wares for supplies from the brewers in the market of the Brothers. As other adventurers plot first steps towards new realms or how to reclaim old property, the Magician was able to win over crew to the potential rewards of pure exploration. The following party headed south across the square of the Monument of the Old Gods towards the cliff-face entrance of 'The Complex', lugging a crate of wines:

• Abraxis (Level 4 Fighting Mutant)
• Fancy Jean-Yves Beauvollier (Level 5 Bard)
• Peaches (Level 2 Thief)
• DT (dungeon terrier)
• Forrest (ghost hound)
• Palla (Level 0 Amazon hireling)
• GaWoosh (Level 4 Gome)
• Scamandros (Level 4 Magic-User)
• Kiddo (Level 
• Thea Noir (Level 4 Assassin) 

The party returned a day later, exhausted and smelling like fresh vegetation, mildew, and liquor. Like last week's delve, their looted treasures were few but valuable.

Here is a written record the the session's events composed by Fancy's player Josh:

-This account is from a misplaced page from the journal of “Fancy” Jean-Yves Beauvillers.-

Today I set off with Scamandros, Abraxis, Gawoosh, Thea, and Peaches (and some other D-listers as well) for the “Great cavern”, an underground jungle-biome the liked of which I have never before seen. Rumor has it that this place is inhabited by mutants of various sorts.

Before way made our way to the elevator that provides direct access to the cavern (button #4) we made a stop at the brothers’ market. Scamandros was up to something, but I don’t remember what because my mind started wandering. It occurred to me that sausages are still sausages even after we eat them. After all, a sausage is just ground up meat (sometimes with herbs) wrapped up in a tube of intestines. Therefore, if we eat a sausage, it remains meat wrapped in intestines until the time which it is passed. Anyway, Freedom said high to boss brother and then we went on our way.

On the way to the elevator we noticed that some bloody eye-themed graffiti had become a recent fixture near the elevator. Most likely this was the work of the pale apes which have become recent adherents of the remaining eye tyrant that we may or may not have released from weirdo-jail recently. We passed the graffiti and made our way to the elevator which safely delivered us to the Great cavern.

The Great cavern seems to be lit with a pale blue luminescence somewhere above us which provides enough light for us to explore. It also seems to be sufficient for the plants here which seem to mostly be quite similar to surface species.

We ventured north to a cliff that Scamandros is familiar with. On the way, we waded across a shallow river and only aquired a few leeches which were swiftly dealt with. Shortly after, while gathering samples and cuttings, we spoke with a mouse that had numerous ears. This conversation bore no remarkable fruit. The jungle was similarly unremarkable. Perhaps something more interesting will surface at a later date?

Once we reached the cliffs, we found an old iron ladder at the base and numerous openings in the cliff wall above us. Climbing the ladder, we explored a series of rooms that were connected vertically by ladders and old rusted trapdoors. In one room, we found dozens of “dauberlings”, wasp-pixie-people-things that I spoke with. Their mouth piece was named “Daffodil” and they spoke and odd, low dialect but I was impressed that they could speak, at all. They allowed us to pass unmolested and we went further up.

The next room contained a mummified nerd with a nice beard and a book. While it was mostly moldy and ruined, it seems to contain some minor hedge-magic spells within. It reminds me of my uncle Renés recipe book.

The final room contained a bunch of creepy eyes on the wall of a weird, cone-shaped room. There was a window overlooking the Great cavern which afforded us a nice view through the stained glass. The far end of the room triggered my divinations that there was something dangerous about it. I wasn’t that interested anyway. The return home was thankfully uneventful

And here are GaWoosh's player Curtis' drawing of the events:

Treasure

• Moldy book containing the following spells (acessible to both magic-users or druids): Purge Colds and Allergies, Enrich Porridge, Hide Eyes, and Summon Giant Snail
• Purge Colds and Allergies- Spell Level 1. Duration- Instant. Range- Touch or Caster. A cold or allergen causing a reaction are removed from the target's body, bringing the illness/reaction to an end. The caster can collect the expelled bug or allergen can into an air tight container in 1d3 rds. before is dissipates into the air.
• Enrich Porridge- Spell Level 2. Duration- Permanent. Range- 10'. Material- A pot of porridge. The contains are able to sustain a group of up to 12 individuals for a day and heals 1 HP. 
• Hide Eyes*- Spell Level 3. Duration- Permanent Until Eyes Retrieved. Range 50'. Material- A pair of glass eyes. The target's eyes are replaced by a pair of glass eyes, leaving the subject blinded. Their organic eyes are hidden some place in the range of the spell that is not on another living being. If the target finds the eyes and places them back in their head, the blindness ends.
• Summon Giant Snail-Spell Level 4. Duration 3 Turns. Range 240'. A psionic Giant Snail is summoned from the astral Otherworld to aid the caster. Materials-A skin full of wine or a pint a beer/cider. Communication- The Giant Snail will be able to understand the caster for the Duration of the Spell. Aid- Will help the caster however they can. If the caster is attacked, they will attack the enemy and only flee if they fail a morale check. If the caster is not being attacked but the Giant Snail is being harmed, the snail is retreat back to the Otherworld. If they flee, the spell is broken.
• A 10' x 5' map of an unknown city
• Jade beard beads (2 carats ea.) 9 x 100gp ea.

*Thanks to Sam and Ben for help with coming up with what this spell does.

Experience Points

•  900xp from treasure
• Suck clouds defeated 2 x 10xp

Player Character Cut

• 141gp 6sp ea. (64gp ea. to Kiddo and Peaches)
• 184xp ea. (92xp ea. to Kiddo and Peaches)

Write-ups, art, or maps form the session are worth PC Level x 100 XP. Let me know if anyone has any downtime activities they want to perform (though I will make note of the festival currently happening). I know Trish is seeking to cultivate a relationship with Sooz'awn.

 GaWoosh and The Invisible Mail Box

As the party made its return to the surface civilization of Orm, the gnome made a little stop in a secret cavern to pick up some mail (the message "Checking your mail box" was relayed to the Gnome Hero via Freedom the Sapient Cat). Inside as a stack of notes. Most of their contents are of a sensitive nature so some of the details will be relayed in a different form. The most pressing thing in the missives is a concern that the Brothers may not have much longer before they have to start working for the Eye of Terror. The forces of the Eye seem to not care about the accepted neutrality of the Brothers that other Dungeon Denizens observe. The Imperial Mother and her forces seem oddly not present and the tactical situation makes it difficult for the Foreman to visit the Throne Room on Level 3.

After Hours in the Tavern of the Brothers

Before the party surfaced, they stopped back at the Tavern in the Borough of the Brothers. Outside of the duo of brewing Brothers and about half a dozen other of the diminutive vat born works, the following beings are also present:

• A Mutant from the Tribe to the north.
• Three vat spawn guards pledged to the service of Valtropis.
• A dwarf, known to Thea Noir and GaWoosh as 'Ratchet'
• A mysterious figure clothed in a dark robe with a deep hood.

As the group begins to sample a dandelion wine made by Scamandros, the brewers tell the party of the ill tide of events that have been occurring in the Complex this last fort night. Word is that the Sorcerer King Valtropis is dead (though disputed by this loyalists present) and that creature of terrible power has taken up residence at the Pool of Life on Level 2. Not long after, graffiti of a new symbol, an eye ringed by ten smaller ones, has appeared on parts of Level 1 and Level 2. The Brothers say it belongs to something called the 'Eye of Terror.' In the last week, patrols of pale, hairless gorilla folk have appeared. They have locked out the Brothers from work in areas marked by the Eye of Terror. The patrols have been attacking others that do not swear loyalty to the Eye whether that be mutant, kobold, subjects of Valtropis, or some other force. Currently, these new comers have not caused fights in the market but their actions outside of it has really slowed down business.

Since Thea's player Trish isn't on the Discord, let us handle any questions or further conversation you all have in the comments below.