11.3 In Too Deep
SESSION DATE: March 29, 2025
PRESENT: Rory, Kemurial, Freya, Lim Dul
Deep Dive
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Adventure Photos
Adventure Song & Lyrics
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World Anvil Journal
sooo... we go to are cowtewth to thweep for tha nite and win we waik up we can thee the caoth wathteth owthide and it wookth tewwibel down their. ther ith all kindth of bad thtuff and wotth of awmeeth fitin and thtuff and ther ith wed dutht cwowdth all over tha pwathe tho u cant thee vewy gud. it wookth wike a dethert or thomethin cuz tha gwownd ith all kindth of cwakd and dwy.
then there ith a voithe comin fwom tha ship that thayth their ith gonna be a thtorm and we shud get weddy for it tho all tha ship peepel thtawted thtwappin all tha thupwithe down and thtuff and thin we hed into tha thtorm. it wathth a wile and ith vewy shaky and kinda thcawy but evinchuwy we git owt tha other thide of it and it kinda thettleth down. tha enjneerth haf to wepare thome thingth but we akshuwy maik it owt pwetty gud it theemth.
maweki thaid we need to mor to do thome biger wepareth tho they find a pwathe to wand thith thing. they find a big ol thitty to wand in and they thay we gotta go down tha wopeth and git off tha ship to gard it and were wike yah we can do that tho we do that. dum dum akthed if they hav a thcope or thomethin to hewp him thee far away and they do tho they gaiv him won.
we all hed down the wopeth and theirth nothin hear. kimiweel thumonth hith dier woof and the wetht of uth wook awownd and dont thee n e thing.
but thin we notithe thome twakth between tha bildingth and they wook kinda fwesh and not vewy old or coverd up. thin i here thomewon waffin and he thowndth kinda old. at firtht it thowndth wike ith comin fwom evwywere but thin it kinda thtawth comin fwom won thpot and i wook over and there ith a vewy old guy walkin tord uth and heth jutht waffin wike cwazy. he hath a bony thtaff with thome thkulth on top. kimiweel twieth to git him to thtop and he doeth and heth wike thuper inthane. he thayth heth a majishin and a twavler and they dint wike hith theeweeth and he overshot or thomethin i dont no. thin heth wike ther r cweachurth that fowwow me and they need to be fed and wud we wike to be there nektht meel and were wike yah no thath not gonna hapin.
thin he maikth hith thtaff gwow bwite yewwow and kimiweel twieth to comand him to thtop agin and he doeth but evin tho he dwopth hith thord it thtill goeth off doin watevr thpell he wath cathtin and it maikth thome dutht fwy up and ith windy and thereth wike a townaido or thomethin and thin win all the dutht dieth down wer not in the caoth n e more. inthted were in a woom with a thircle and thtar on tha gwownd and therth thome thkullth awownd the thircle. it wookth wike heth twyin to thacwifithe uth or thomethin.
well i dont want no pawt of that tho i twy to wun owt of the thircle befor it cud do thomethin to me but win i get to the edje of it it bwathth me bak into the midel of the thircel and im jutht wike woah that thukth we r thtuck. kimiweel fwaya and dum dum all towd me that win i wint to the edje of the thircle the thkullth eyeth wit up wed and thin turnd off win it shot me bak tho i go over to won of tha thkullth and twied to nok it over but it dint move tho i twied to kik it hawder and almotht hurt my toe tho im not doin that no more. fwayath wike wet me twy to shoot it tho were wike gud idea. she shootth won of tha thkullth and it bwaketh into a buncha peetheth and sheth wike there that might hav workd tho im wike ok wet me twy agin and i end up wunnin wite into tha wall owtthide tha thircle tho yep it workd. and now my shoder kinda hurth cuz i hit the wall pwetty hawd ouch.
n e way we keep goin and dum dum weadth the way and thin he awmotht fell into a twap but he thaved himthelf phew and thin he wint wite into anuther won and i had to waff it wath kinda funy haha. he fwieth up outta tha twap and wookth for more in tha hallway and doethnt find n e tho we jump over tha wonth he fownd and keep goin.
thin we git to a hyuge woom with a gyant water fowntin in tha midel. ith a thuper tall woom and we can thee wike balcneeth on tha wallth goin up the woom and it gith dawk but thereth a hoe up top and we can thee thome wite thwu it but it doethnt git down thith far tho ith thtill dawk down hear.
thin we thtawt hering thowndth fwom up above and it thowndth wike wind and thuddinwy we can thee thome fwying deminth comin down a cuppel of them wook wike mothketothe... mothketeoth... thothe anoyin bwood thuckin bugth but they are vewy big and the other wonth wook wike thome kinda weerd bird thingth with fethery wingth. they r pwetty danjeruth cuz they thtunnd kimiweel tho he cudnt do n e thing for a bit but we finawwy took thim owt. we had to fwy up to git them cuz they wudnt come down to uth or if they did they wud fwy bak up but we got em. thin we taik a wittle tiem to wetht up befowe we keep goin.
i go awownd tha big woom to thee if ther wath n e thing we mithd. their ith a hallway at tha other thide of tha woom but of corthe i gotta thee wath goin on with thith fowntin.
the fowntin hath thome thuper dirty water tho im not gonna dwink it but it wookth kinda shiny or thomethin and win i thtick my hand in it to feel it tha water thtawted to bubel and move AND THIN A BIG OL WERM COMETH OWT AND TWIETH TO GWAB ME WIKE WAT THA HECK MAN I JUTHT WANTID TO THEE WAT THA WATER FEELTH WIKE. tho now we r fitin thith worm wite after wethtin oopth. well we git thome gud hith on it and it twieth gwabbin uth and it cant but thin it did gwab me and thin it tuk me down in tha water with it. i thot thith wath jutht a fowntin but if thath the cathe thith ith the deepetht fowntin i ever thaw cuz it wint DEEP into a dawk woom with awmotht nuthin in it but me and thith thtoopid worm thing. it jutht took me deeper and kept thuckin my bwain and memweeth and it huwt weel bad. but thin my fwindth caim and fownd me finawwy and they helpd taik it down man that wath pwetty bad. wuckiwy i hav thith neckwathe that weth me bweeth n e wear cuz if im gonna be thtuck under water i wanna be abel to bweeth fine.
kimiweel and dum dum athkth me if i wud help them bwing tha thingth body owt of tha water tho they cud git thome thwime fwom it tho i help them do that. they wernt abel to git n e thwime tho we jutht cut it up to thee if we cud find n e thing it thwawwowd. it dint thwawwow n e thing but won of ith teeth ith cut wike a key and it hath thome witin on it. it thayth thomethin abowt ith wegathy wieth in tha abith and kimiweel thayth welp wookth wike we need to go bak into tha water and wook for tweshur tho we do that and waddya no we find thome. ther ith thome gold and a thtaff of fier in there. fwaya taikth tha thtaff cuz u no she wiketh fier and we thpwit the gold wike nowmal.
thin we go bak owt of tha water agin.
dwaugnir i dont no wear we r but we cud uthe ur gidinth to find are way owt thankth.
Private Notes
- After our bridge meeting, the rest of the day goes by uneventfully.
- After looking out at the scenery as we fly over it, we head back to our private quarters. TNGBU.
- The next day we catch our first glimpse of the Chaos Wastes. It's a dry desert with different types of corrupted and destroyed cities, ruins, fortresses, with clouds billowing over massive armies moving about. We see monuments of demonic sculptures hundreds of feet high, with thousands of creatures around them, seemingly worshipping whatever dark gods they represent. The clouds of warpstone below can cause magical hallucinations.
- The landscape is dry and cracked desert, with very little signs of vegetation or clean water in sight. Certainly nothing that looks to support life as we know it.
- We see banners of all kinds amongst the armies depicting their lords and whatnot. There are monstrous sized horses with riders. There are large scale conflicts we can see in just the short time we've been here.
- The intercom sounds, calling for a storm warning. This storm seems to be one of warp, Chaos and lightning. It's massive, and is unavoidable. The engineers begin their prep work as we head toward the storm, strapping down supplies, and awaiting whatever impact this storm will bring.
- As prepared as we can be, we head into the storm. For a couple hours, it's the most grueling roller coaster ride we've ever experienced. Finally we get through it, and repairs are being made as necessary.
- Malekai says we'll have to moor and tie down. They're looking for a spot to moor, and we'll have to guard the mooring lines so they're not used as an entrance to the ship while they make repairs.
- We find a megalithic city and moor there. After scouting with their equipment, they see no movement within the city, as vast as it is. He says this is where we begin our watch.
- We head down the ropes. As we make our way downward, the pendant Max gave us is slightly glowing and giving off a bit of heat. The closer we get to the ground, the more noticeable this became. The protective measures seem to be holding for now.
- We have good line of sight all around the ship's mooring location.
- Lim Dul asks for a spotting scope so he can see things from a distance. Kemurlal summons his dire wolf to assist us.
- As we look around, we notice that, while not overly plentiful, there are tracks between some buildings. They don't look very old or worn down. Rory hears a cackle, which sounds like an old man laughing like an evil Disney villain. It sounds like an unnatural echo, as if the area had walls and it bounced off the walls. Rory's suspicious about it. Rory begins hearing footsteps getting closer. Rory grabs his sword, ready for whatever may come. Suddenly, an old man appears. He's walking with his robes and boney necklace, his staff made of femurs with three skulls on top of it. Kemurial orders the man to stop where he's at. He does so. He says he hasn't seen folk like us in a long while. He asks us our names. He laughs once again, mocking our answer that we're simply travelers making our way through. Lim Dul approaches without his weapon drawn. Lim Dul looks over him trying to determine his origins. Kemurial uses his Channel Divinity and gets a pulse of something fiendish about this old man. It doesn't take a genius to see he's clearly insane. Lim Dul asks how he stays alive, and Kemurial asks if he needs healing. He says he's simply a magician, a traveler, and "they" didn't like his theories, and that he may have just overshot a little bit. The only thing that needs anything are the creatures that follow him. They need to be "fed". He asks if we want to be "their" next meal. Obviously we don't. His staff begins glowing yellow, and Kemurial casts Command, trying to get him to fall prone. The man fails his Saving Throw, falling prone. Lim Dul kicks his staff away from him. He continues saying "they need to feed". Suddenly, we see that his staff has continued growing, firing off a whirlwind of storm activity, with tornadoes and earthquakes. Then, as suddenly as it began, it stops. When it clears up and the dust settles, we look around and we're no longer on the city streets. We're inside a room, with warpstone walls and floors. We're in a pentagram with a skull at each of its star's points.
- Rory attempts to leave what he believes to be a sacrificial circle, but as he reaches the edge of the circle, he's thrown back to the center violently. He's able to stay on his feet without taking damage. We noticed that as Rory approached the edge, the eyes of each of the skulls glowed bright red and stopped glowing when he was flung back.
- Rory moves close to the edge of the circle without bumping into it this time. The eyes on the skulls glow red again. While standing next to a skull, Rory tries to kick it over, but it doesn't budge.
- Rory gives up and lets Freya cast her Eldritch Blast at the skull. Everyone agrees to let her try, and lo and behold it works! We're free!
- We head down the hallway.
- Lim Dul takes the lead as we carefully make our way through the corridor. Suddenly, the floor collapses beneath him, but he's able to prevent himself from falling down into the 60-feet-deep pit. He gathers himself and continues on carefully... right into another pit trap. This time, he loses his footing, taking a good amount of falling damage. He uses his weapon's Fly spell to remove himself from the pit. He then checks the hall for further traps and finds none. We're all able to jump over the pits easily. We continue.
- We come across a large square room with a very large fountain dominating the center of the room. The room is easily 100+ feet high. At the top, there's a circular hole in the ceiling that opens into what seems to be an upper level of some kind. There's light coming from the hole, but it doesn't reach all the way down here at our level. There are balconies lining the walls going up the whole way in tiers, as in a large theater or auditorium.
- Rory stays back to ensure nothing sneaks up behind us as they continue into the large room to investigate further.
- We hear movement above us. As we look up, we see the shadows moving. As we keep looking, we hear the very slight sound of wind as creatures with wings extended come floating down out of the darkness. We have a couple Vrocks and Chasmes to take care of. Kemurial warns us, yelling "FIENDS!". INITIATIVE!!!
- The first vrock flies down and uses its Stunning Screech ability, but luckily everyone succeeds on their saves.
- The first chasme flies down and uses its Drone ability. Luckily again, everyone makes their saves, so they're not unconscious. Then it moves toward Friar Karl and attacks him, doing massive damage to Karl. Poor guy.
- Rory rages and moves under the giant mosquito/chasme and takes a couple whacks at it, hitting both times. Nice.
- A second chasme appears from the darkness and attempts the same Drone ability, but both Lim Dul and Kemurial succeed on their saves. It then attacks Kemurial with its proboscis, but misses and flies back up a bit, allowing Kemurial an attack of opportunity, which he hits with!
- Lim Dul flies up and begins chanting.
- Freya casts Scorching Ray, taking out the chasme Rory hit. She turns her attention onto the nearby vrock with the other two rays. Fire doesn't seem as effective on these guys as she'd expect.
- Kemurial casts a quickened Command to attempt to make the other chasme to grovel, but it saves. He then casts Sorcerous Burst and hits the chasme.
- Friar Karl retreats a bit and casts Guardian of Faith at the entrance of the hallway.
- The second vrock flies down slightly and positions itself over Lim Dul and Kemurial and uses its Stunning Screech ability. Lim Dul saves, but Kemurial isn't so lucky. He is stunned until the end of the vrock's next turn.
- New round. First vrock emits Spores around him, but Rory, the only one in range, makes his save for no effect.
- Rory's turn. Rory sprouts his own wings and flies up to meet the vrock above him. He then uses Action Surge to attack the vrock twice, making contact both times. He uses Blinding Smite on the second attack, blinding the creature for one minute or until it makes its save, which is done at the end of each of its turns.
- The first chasme uses its Drone ability again, but everyone saves, or had saved previously, so no effect. Lim Dul uses his reaction to use Telekinetic Seal, but it doesn't take effect as the chasme makes his save.
- Lim Dul flies up to the second chasme while chanting. Lim Dul attacks the chasme, doing some massive damage to it. Then he takes another swing at it, doing yet more damage to it. Nice!
- Freya's up. She transmutes Scorching Ray into Thunder Rays instead. She fires two into one vrock, and one into the nearly-dead chasme near Kemurial. She takes out the chasme.
- Kemurial retreats into the hallway as he's still incapacitated.
- Friar Karl gives Kemurial a little heal to help him out a bit.
- The second vrock is up now. It goes after Lim Dul. As it gets close, Lim Dul tries the Telekinetic Seal trick again, but it saves once more. It then tries to Shred Lim Dul, but misses both times.
- Round 3. The first vrock is up. It's still blinded. It attacks Rory, but misses both times. It makes its save on the blinded condition, ending it.
- Rory attacks the once-blinded vrock and takes it out. Rory turns his attention on the other vrock, hitting it and pumping a Blinding Smite into it, blinding him as well.
- Lim Dul flies over and whacks the remaining vrock, knocking it prone and causing it to fall to the ground, taking the attack's damage in addition to fall damage. Oh and now that he's in range of Friar Karl's Guardian of Faith, he gets attacked by it, taking half the damage thanks to making its save. And Lim Dul pops his seal on the vrock, making it take even more damage. Great turn!
- Freya's up. She casts Mind Sliver on the vrock, doing psychic damage to it.
- Kemurial, no longer incapacitated, moves up to the vrock, attacking it as he stands over the winged demon. He makes two heavy attacks against it, killing it. Quite poetic that the paladin gets the killing blow on the last remaining demon! Combat over.
- We take a short rest. We move into the hallway from which we came. Rory focuses down the hallway to make sure nothing approaches from that direction while we rest.
- TSRGBU.
- We search for loot.
- We don't see any more movement in the shadows above us.
- Rory does a quick lap around the room looking for anything suspicious and finds nothing.
- Rory moves up to the water and cautiously sticks his hand into it. The water begins roiling and out pops a creature from the water. Rory tells the party "guyth i fownd thomethin thuthpithith." INITIATIVE!!!
- Kemurial moves up to the aboleth and attacks it, missing with one attack, and hitting with another.
- At the end of Kemurial's turn, the aboleth makes a tentacle attack at Rory and misses.
- Lim Dul burns a seal to boost his AC. He uses his Boots of Striding and Springing to gain a bit of movement, enough to make it to the creature. He attacks it and attempts to topple it. He attack lands, doing good damage, but the creature doesn't fall prone even though it failed its save.
- At the end of Lim Dul's turn, it makes a tentacle attack at Rory, but Rory uses Shield to prevent it from hitting him.
- Rory attacks the creature, hitting twice, doing some good damage to it.
- At the end of Rory's turn, the aboleth makes another tentacle attack at Rory, and hits this time, grappling Rory.
- The aboleth, on its own turn this time, makes tentacle attacks at Lim Dul and Kemurial, missing both. The aboleth attempts to drag Rory underwater. Lim Dul takes his opportunity attack, hitting it. The aboleth takes off under the water, taking Rory with it, way deep down into the "fountain". There's a whole other room down here!
- Freya's up. She jumps into the water and swims down five feet.
- At the end of Freya's turn, the aboleth uses a fourth Legendary Action to use its Psychic Drain ability on Rory to Consume Memories, doing some psychic damage to him. Oof!
- Friar Karl casts Orison on a couple of the party members. Rory doesn't know who because he can't see them.
- Round 2. Kemurial's turn now. He jumps into the water and looks for signs of the aboleth and Rory.
- At the end of Kemurial's turn, the aboleth uses a Legendary Action to Psychic Drain Consume Memories on Rory again. Rory once again fails his save, taking more psychic damage.
- Lim Dul's up now. He follows Kemurial, jumping into the water behind him. He looks around, but sees nothing. He readies an action to attack if he's attacked.
- At the end of Lim Dul's turn, the aboleth consumes Rory's memories again. Of course Rory fails the Int save again, so he takes a bit more psychic damage.
- Rory attacks twice, hitting both times. He uses Blinding Smite on the second attack to blind the aboleth.
- At the end of Rory's turn, the aboleth consumes yet more memories. Rory yet again fails the save, taking psychic damage.
- Now it's the aboleth's turn. It dives deeper into the depths of this fountain room. It attacks Rory, hitting him twice. It then tries to consume more memories, but Rory makes his Int save this time! Hallelujah! He still takes half damage though. It also makes the save on its blinded condition, so it's no longer blinded.
- Freya's up. She quickens a 5th Level Scorching Ray at the aboleth. All SIX rays hit, doing lots of damage to the creature!
- At the end of Freya's turn, another Legendary Action. Rory saves again! Half damage this time.
- Friar Karl's turn. He casts Guardian of Faith and places it just beneath the water's surface. He then jumps into the water as well. His torch gets extinguished.
- Round 3. Kemurial's turn. He swims around trying to find the aboleth.
- At the end of Kemurial's turn, the aboleth yet again tries to suck Rory's memories. Rory saves a third time in a row, taking half damage.
- Lim Dul's turn. He swims toward the aboleth. He uses his Lance to reach the creature, and hits once. He then uses Action Surge and takes two more attacks, hitting both times!
- At the end of Lim Dul's turn, guess what? More psychic suck!
- Rory's turn. Rory gets the final blow on the aboleth. Combat over.
- Rory assists Kemurial in carrying the aboleth's lifeless body up and out of the water.
- Kemurial and Lim Dul try to harvest some of its slime. Rory, being proficient in Nature, provides assistance, but we're ultimately unable to salvage any.
- We cut and gut the aboleth to search it for loot. One of its many teeth is actually carved into the shape of a key! It has writing carved into it. In Deep Speech, it says "My legacy lies in the abyss." Kemurial suggests we dive down to look for a chest. We do so. About 300 feet down, we find a chest. We use the key to open it.
That's it for this session!