Sewer Sludge

July 27, 2020 

The group decides that although something is up at the Wench's Blade, they want to check on the creatures in the sewers.  The sewers look different or maybe it's once again that Shyrrik starts wretching at points, which doesn't help the rest.  They find the creatures, who are happy to see them.  They once again offer life to the group, especially Dakxer, in the form of poop, but are denied.  More for them!  

While down there, they decide to try and find the area under the Wench's Blade as a possible route up to them or to see if they have a secret exit.  What they find instead is two secret doors, at least Volhoric tells them he sees them.  They are across from each other but Volhoric can find no way to enter them.  Then the mist pours out from the doors, the sides, the top, and bottom.  A face form in it.  

Go away, the face hisses at them.  Go away.  They back off a bit but are even more curious.  After a few minutes, with the mist doesn't attack, they again start looking at the doors but still find no way to open them.  Drewgan had used up his energy to get down to the poop creatures and doesn't have the energy to shape the wall.  Dakxer decides to use the ring but instead of going through the door, goes through the wall and into the hallway.  He finds huge demonic creatures there, none to happy with him.

"Leave," one snarls at him.  Dakxer is so surprised that he activates the ring again and shifts through the door, setting off the trap.  Lightning shoots over his body, his muscles tensing and spasming.  Eventually they calm down.  As he goes to heal himself, he notices the runes on the ceiling.  He knows they will interfere with his healing spell so tries a wand.  The runes flare up and the wand hurts him instead!  As the wand causes flaking of the skin and necrosis, Dakxer mumbles to move away.  The rest of the group did see the runes flare up.  

After they have moved away in the sewers, Dakxer tries a spell again and it heals him.  The group stops for a few minutes and discusses their options.  That's when Volhoric notices the demon creatures have come out into the sewers and are watching him.  Drewgan and Shyrrik notice other creatures have appeared to the east and west.  The ones to the east stand still and watch but the ones to the west are slowly coming forward.  The group retreats to a room.  It has an access out to the city.  After seeing the demon creatures get closer, they decide a hasty retreat in order and leave the sewers.  

They go to Marko and he's surprised to see them as he hasn't seen them in a while.  

"But we saw you just the other day," says Dakxer.  "Well, I mean, they did," he mutters, waving at some of the others.  "They gave you a wand to check."  

"No.  I would have remember that," replies Marko in his slow, calm voice.  Marcus casts a spell and does think there is some enchantment magic lingering around Marko but can't be completely sure.  

"Great.  Everyone will forget everything," exclaims Dakxer.  "Soon, he won't remember he knows us!  We gotta tell Tessa.  Unless she has already forgotten us!"  Dakxer, with renewed purpose, heads toward the door.  The rest stare at him as he leaves.  They say goodbye to Marko and follow.  

Only to Dakxer's surprise does Tessa remember them.  She greets them and asks what has happened and what they have found.  Dakxer is ranting about people forgetting and soon only they will know what happened.  Finally, Tessa asks if Volhoric will take up the narrative.  He tells her what they found under the Wench's Blade.  

"What would you like me to do?" asks Tessa.  

"Come with us before it's all gone," cries Dakxer and heads back to the sewers.  

"I can meet you at the crossroad nearest in half hour.  I will gather some people.  Sooner, depending on how close the people are."  The group agrees and leaves.  They head to the crossroads and keep watching on the Wench's Blade but nothing out of the ordinary happens.  

When Tessa arrives, she has a few sergeants with her and six guards as well.  They look surprised at going down in the sewer and the group hears them talking how they have never been down there.  The smell soon cures them of wanting to stay down there but they are curious about it.  

"Everything is going to be gone," wails Dakxer.  "I just know it."

"Well, our tracks are still here," responds Shyrrik, pointing to the ground.  "And the bigger ones on top show the demon things we saw walked around a bit."  

"You two, stay here at the exit and hold it.  The rest with me," barks Tessa, following the group.  Two break off and stay in the entry room while the rest file after her.  The group heads to the area.  Shyrrik points out the tracks to Tessa, who nods at what she sees.  Tessa has guards stay at corners and intersections, leaving a trail but also guards at key points.  They hold up their lanterns, watching around them.  Soon they find the room nearest the Wench's Blade, just south of where the secret doors.  

"How many demon creatures did you see," asks Tessa, seeing all of the prints near it.  

"Four, maybe six," responds Shyrrik.  

Volhoric is checking the doors and something seems off.  He realizes they could be mechanical one way doors but then how do they get across?  Maybe magical tokens or keys to open them?  He also sees the faint runes on the ceiling but they seem dimmer.  

"Look, I will show you," says Dakxer.  He steps forward, presents his holy symbol, and heals himself.  And it works.  He was standing in the same place as before when the magic was twisted and hurt him.  Nothing.  He's healed.  The runes didn't flare up, either.  Tessa is watching him.  

"See, they reversed everything!  We are too late.  Marko has forgotten us or maybe is dead."  With that proclamation, Dakxer heads back to the nearby junction room.  

While this is happening, Drewgan had hung back and was watching.  He turned into an earth elemental, merged with the stone, and went into the secret hall way.  He found a newly created wall, probably a wall of stone spell, in front of the secret doors.  Even if they could open them, it would be blank.  He went west through another secret door and came into a large room full of bodies.  All dead.  And as he looked at them, he didn't see enough blood for the slashes and cuts on them.  He didn't recognize any of them nor did they have any tabards to say where they were from.  He glides down into the earth and over the other way.  Drewgan finds a room that could be under a tavern.  There are kegs with beer and wine.  Cabinets with clothes for ladies.  Make up tables.  Vats with something brewing.  They even have a well for their own water.  He sees no stairs, though, or obvious way to leave.  He silently glided back to the group and joined them.  

Dakxer was going on and on about how everything was bad and as soon as they left, Tessa would forget all about them.  Tessa for her part, motioned for them to leave.  They retrace their steps and head back to the entry room.  

Glancing at Dakxer, Tessa says, "I do agree something is happening down here and I want to know more.  I can leave guards-" She stops as Volhoric shakes his head.  

"I don't think that a good idea.  I think they would be in danger," Volhoric says.  "Or, make sure you write down names, tell them what to do, write it down for them on instructions, so you can tell if they lose memories."  Tessa purses her lips at this.  

"Is there any chance all of you are going to keep looking into this?" she asks.  

"Yes!" comes the quick chorus of cries.  

"Let us head back up," Tessa responds.  The group leave the sewers.  Tessa orders a few guards to go check on Marko and has the rest disperse, to keep their eyes open in that area and then report back to her.  They nod and move to obey.  Then she leads the group back to the barracks and her office.  

"Da, thank you for looking into this more.  I cannot give you more authority without talking to the mayor but know you are working with my permission.   Find out what is going on under there and see if anyone at the Wench's Blade is involved or knows.  Also, I want you to send me a missive every morning and night with progress.  Only if you send me a missive saying you are not looking into it anymore will I know that you have stopped.  And if the missives stop, I will know to come check on you."  The group nods at this and then leaves to figure out their plan.  

Session XP:         1000XP 

Player XP bonus: 

Ben:1000(G),1000(JH)    Greg:                     Tony:1000(JG)   John: 1000(T)      Jim:1000(B)         

GM Notes

• As usual, good and bad with technology
• We updated to the new version of d20Pro
• Some weird things like double rolls, maps not showing up, and minor other things. 
• However, map movement was greatly improved!  They could all move across the map of Nesme in real time and no stutter to me.   
• I had made maps but this ended up being good and bad.
• Good that I had maps of these areas.
• Bad that I didn't line them up well enough for d20Pro's grid such that I could easily show the sewer map. 
• Further, I revealed large sections of the map but then kept areas dark, and that made the players curious.  A bit of meta playing but that's fine.
• I really want the prestidigitation spell for myself and the use of cleaning up poop and other sewage filth, or the equivalent, from me. 
• It almost makes it too easy but then again it's magic and that's the point.   
• I want to think that what happened was logical, not the seeming paranoia of Dakxer. 
• The only person who lost memories was Marko and he didn't have the wand anymore. 
• The runes were inactive and the secret doors barred but tracks in the sewer were still there. 
• I mean, if the bad guys could do that much memory manipulation that easily, they would already have used it on leaders.   
• No combat and that surprised me.  I figured they would attack the demon creatures. 
• I think with no Raz, they weren't sure how well they could do. 
• The sewers would have limited them and no hippo! 
• The creatures didn't attack, just slowly walked forward, and that seem to take them off guard. 
• I'm still not doing well in preparing.  I need to work more on that.   

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