Belowdown Ep. 9

The Belowdowners’ rest was shattered by an encounter with goopy skeletons, spurring them to find a way out of the dungeon floor they’d been teleported to. Their ranks were unexpectedly bolstered by Bufo, a gunslinging frog-man who claimed to have been flushed into the dungeon through a watery pipe. With a new, squishy ally capable of fitting into small spaces, the party decided to ascend rather than descend, wisely choosing to leave the world-ending horn and a colossal, sleeping snake-monster behind.

Making their way past the slumbering beast, they found a staircase leading up to a new level. Their caution was warranted, as Wolf’s investigation of a sarcophagus immediately roused several more goop-covered drow skeletons. The battle was swift and decisive. Cad, channeling the divine power of his goddess Shug, unleashed a mighty Turn Undead that instantly vaporized three of the skeletons and sent three more cowering in fear. After Junie weakened the remaining foes with an alchemical concoction, Cad finished the fight with another blast of holy energy, leaving nothing but dust and treasure behind.

Their victory yielded a significant prize: three suits of fine Mithril Chain Mail. After gearing up, the party confronted a heavily-locked vault door. While some attempted to listen for the combination, Cad dispensed with subtlety, tearing the reinforced door open with sheer strength. Inside, they found a box of silver and rare orichalcum coins, marked with a single word in the Reptilian tongue: “Payment.” To everyone’s surprise, Bufo was able to read the ancient language, a skill that promised to be invaluable. Their path forward led them deeper into the floor, climbing their way out of the dark pit.

OUTLINE:

A Frog in the Pit

• The party decided to rest in a barricaded room on a dangerous dungeon floor.
• They were joined by a new character, Bufo, a small Gripply gunslinger.
• The party chose to find a way up, avoiding the world-ending horn and a giant sleeping snake-humanoid hybrid.
• They snuck quietly through the snake’s treasure-filled chamber to reach a staircase.

The Sarcophagus Ambush

• The party ascended to a new floor containing several sarcophagi.
• Wolf investigated one, triggering an attack from six goop-covered drow skeletons.
• Cad used Turn Undead, instantly destroying three skeletons and making the other three flee in terror.
• Junie weakened the remaining skeletons with an alkali flask.
• Cad used Turn Undead a second time, destroying the last of the enemies.

Mithril and Muscle

• The party looted three sets of Mithril Chain Mail from the defeated skeletons.
• Wolf and Bufo equipped the new armor, upgrading their defenses.
• They encountered a vault door sealed with a three-dial combination lock.
• After failing to solve the puzzle, Cad used his strength to rip the metal door open.

Ominous Discoveries

• Inside the vault, they found silver and valuable orichalcum coins.
• The container was marked “Payment” in Reptilian, which Bufo could read.
• They explored another room containing funerary tools and a sealed urn.
• Junie identified the contents of the urn as Sovereign’s Glue, a powerful permanent adhesive.

Scouting the Depths

• The party rediscovered the central shaft that runs through the dungeon floors.
• Bufo read necromantic runes on the wall: “The black pool awaits below.”
• Bufo explored a side passage, discovering edible whistling fungi and another deep hole.
• He descended two full floors, scouting a Viperian shrine and a toppled, petrified statue before returning.
• The party decided to ascend the central shaft, ending the session as they emerged into a misty new floor.

NPCs:

• Giant Diamond-Patterned Snake: A colossal, 30-foot-long snake with a human torso and a viper head. It was found sleeping coiled atop a massive hoard of treasure.
• Goopy Skeletons: Undead skeletons covered in a magical goo. When one skeleton in a group is destroyed, the goo transfers its energy to heal the others, making them difficult to fight one by one.
• Shug: A hag who ascended to godhood over the course of the campaign. She is now the deity worshipped by Cad.
• Zortash: A powerful archmage who created numerous automaton copies of himself, each believing it is the original. The real Zortash is supposedly located somewhere deep within the dungeon.

ITEMS:

• Mithril Chain Mail: A superior form of chain mail armor made from the lightweight and durable metal, mithril. It offers the protection of heavy armor without the usual drawbacks.
• Orichalcum Coins: Coins made of a rare, unusual yellow metal. They are highly valuable to collectors, wizards, and metallurgists, worth significantly more than standard gold pieces.
• Sovereign’s Glue: A legendary magical adhesive. Once it sets, the bond is permanent and can only be broken by a ‘wish’ spell.
• Whistling Fungi: Clusters of neon violet tubular fungi that are edible, though not particularly tasty. They emit a tiny, audible whistle when picked or compressed.
• World-Ending Horn: A gigantic horn that fills an entire room on Floor 18. Inscriptions on it claim that it has the power to end the world.

LOCATIONS:

• Floor 17: The floor directly above Floor 18. It contains rooms with sarcophagi, a vault with a dial lock, and a chamber with funerary tools.
• Floor 18: The floor the party was teleported to. It contains a chamber with a world-ending horn and a treasure room guarded by a giant sleeping snake monster.
• The Central Shaft: A massive vertical shaft that appears to run through the center of every dungeon floor, with brass rung ladders alternating on its sides to allow for ascent and descent.
• The Deep Pit (The Belowdown): A massive, multi-leveled dungeon that descends deep underground, seemingly like an inverted skyscraper. Each floor presents new dangers, mysteries, and inhabitants.
• Viparian Cavern: A natural cavern scouted by Bufo below Floor 18, containing hundreds of stacked stones that serve as kill counters for the ancient Viperian race.

FACTIONS:

• Snake Folk (Viperians): An ancient reptilian race that appears to be the original architect or inhabitants of this section of the dungeon. Their imagery, language, and culture are found on frescoes, carvings, and in shrines.

QUESTS:

• Escape the Deep Pit: The party’s primary goal is to find a way out of the massive, dangerous dungeon they have been exploring.
• Find the Original Zortash: The party is aware that a powerful archmage named Zortash is somewhere in the dungeon, and they have been searching for him.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

• Adder: An evil Shabdi Kineticist, a being similar to a human but with greater potential. He is a blaster who manipulates energy, often with destructive intent. His motivations are simple: he is evil.
• Bufo: A tiny, gunslinging frog-person known as a Gripply. He is very squishy and an adept climber, able to fit into small spaces. He unexpectedly knows how to read the ancient Reptilian language, making him a surprise asset to the party.
• Cad: A Goblin Priest who worships Shug, a hag who recently ascended to godhood. He is one of the few who remembers the world before it was reset. He wields a Cold Steel Longsword that is magically unable to land a killing blow on mortals.
• Junie: A resourceful Ifrit Alchemist with an entrepreneurial spirit. She has fiery-looking hair and bronze skin with small horns. Her primary goal is to gain enough money and fame to open a large-scale home improvement chain. She is a master crafter, capable of making a vast array of items.
• Wolf: An Orc Seawolf fighter who acts as the party’s former boat captain and current, often reckless, leader. He is strong but foolish, possessing a very low wisdom score. He wields a Silver Longsword in combat.