--- extract from Bell's Journal

Thornet 22nd

After helping the animals with the first group I noticed from my window the second group being surrounded with bigger and deadlier frayed creatures, I decided to join and help, there was a giant ape that threw a rock at me as soon as I got there... a pack of wolves, a couple of foxes and another giant crocodile, since we were primarily a party of spell-casters a skeleton-ghost looking creature appeared as a result from the fray, it was very deadly, Wobble and Ciri apparently had really bad nightmares as the creature absorbed them and while that was happening Johnson and me kept fighting the rest of the animals, we were really hurt and about to go down, I don't think we would have survived if I didn't call upon the help of a draconic spirit, after the animals were gone, the extremely creepy creature was easier to deal with.. I'm very worried about the current attacks going on, I hope we can survive this.

The writing on the page, while attempting to be neat and precise, is jagged and inconsistently sized.

Going into this, I certainly expected trouble, but thought that with the party that had signed up, we could manage it. When it came time to prepare, we were missing two of our four members, one of which had double-booked themselves. Thankfully, we found replacements in time, and managed to assemble at the gate after the makeshift barricade I had requested to be assembled to try and control the flow of our enemies was completed.

I remember thinking myself ready for what was coming. What a fool I was.

A motley assortment of frayed animals charged us as soon as we opened the gates. Of note, Johnson bravely took the brunt of the punishment, and was forced to fall back to stand beside my summoned elementals, which took a decent amount of the pressure off of him until they fell, after which he was forced to try and seek respite over the barricade, to no avail.

During the course of the battle, my magic interacted with the mist a couple times, the first summoning a strangely ethereal nightmare creature that proved a near-deadly opponent, and the second horribly disfiguring me, resulting in the current quality of my writing.

Trying to use magic against this enemy is disheartening, but it's all I have. So I'll keep doing it, and hope that I can clean up whatever messes I make along the way.

Relnea's Report
Objective: Extraction of Stranded Scouts

- Initial rush onto the surface was met by minimal resistance from the surrounding horde. The creatures here were countless, though our group pushed through and headed for where the Scout party was previously spotted.
- Our destination was soon found to be one of the gorges that houses some of the glass casing for the O.G.R.E., though not the main device. Initial inspection found that the Scouts were nowhere ro be seen. Others in our group soon heard their shouting and advanced (my helmet was sealed so I cannot report on any specifics on what was said).
- We made our way down the gorge, finding ourselves atop of the glass. Here a quick skirmish with the mist infected began, before a defensive line was set up to stop more of the horde from advancing inwards towards the injured scouts.
- The scout party was extracted, though one of our group was believed to have been subjected to madness induced by the mist and had to be left behind as more of the horde closed in.

--- Extract from Bell's journal

Thornet 22nd

We were told of several scared and frayed animals escaping into town, I was joined by Sayvan, a rather violent Blue Drakon and a very strange but kind tiefling.

We managed to rescue a young fox that was being attacked by it's frayed friend at the Maude Theater and cure a frayed pup from a pack of wolves that was hiding in the library, the pack of wolves were relocated to the western tunnels located behind the mole depot and as for the young fox, he agreed to be taken by our tiefling companion so he can further protect him until the fox is ready to be released into the wilds again.

After that we ventured to find a giant frayed crocodile that was attacking civilians in the small lake behind the tea house, It was a pretty chaotic fight overall, the blue drakon kept punching the tiefling for some reason and to my disgrace I had to turn into a giant octopus to fight it, anyways, we sorted that out and made our way home safely with minor injuries, I think some of my companions got frayed. I hope they get the adequate treatment at the hospital.

This adventure was... Interesting, to say the least. For as dangerous as the Mist creatures are said to be, the ones we ended up fighting were a nuisance at best. Stumbles from the Basil aside, we worked together efficiently- Though I still don't know how I feel about executing a puppy. One thing I know for sure, though, is to make sure my mask is up before jumping into a fight.

"I Can't seem to remember any battles my head is killing me from this though. The others told me that I fought and shot a non corrupted fox. I wouldn't do that though they must be lying... Other then that It was interesting to meet some new people was nice to see bell at least from what I remember."

The boy walked off, fully healed but in tatters. Having made it back to the hospital.... He passed out at the entrance.... having been put to bed for just the night.

"We were informed of a group of enemys closing in on the defenses that was build on the OGRE. Upon arriving upwards we were quickly ambushed by a these bug creatures riding on wyverns. Capable of casting spells within the Mist.

We were able to take them down, but a huge mist cloud was slowly approaching us as they were escorting a dangerous creature as a sort of exploding battering ram. With the help of Ash dispelling the thick mist, we were able to engage with the large horde of creatures escorting the giant beetle and eventually killing it in time before it hit the OGRE. Of course some defenses that were build were damaged during it, but not a significant amount luckily enough."

That was... Interesting I enjoyed seeing the surface. though those creatures could have been a big problem.

Report of the Mayor's Office: Emergency O.G.R.E. Repairs - Thornet Day 20

In an earlier scouting mission to the surface, the western O.G.R.E. apparatus was slightly damaged, causing it to begin flashing. I was able to assess and address the immediate issue, then contact who we needed to for repairs.

In addition to the maintenance and repairs, a protective cover for O.G.R.E. and the glass ceiling was quickly devised.

Mayor Thimble and the Dremel Union led a party of adventurers to the surface for these goals. The party consisted of myself, Vermillion Vigil Commander Hilda Crowe, Doctor Barthalomew Roland Atticus Inigo Nostradamus, Mister Basil, Torren, Scout Recruit Iggy Faustina, and Mister Hulden.

At the same time, a party had gone to engage Mist Monsters at the Eastern entrance above Underhaven. We could hear their combat at a distance. The Mist gathered in that area.

After meeting at the Mayor's Office, the party climbed the western catwalks. From there, we accessed the surface. Materials, weapons, rope and slagstones were provided to the party for their use. These materials were obtained graciously from the Rats in the sewers. The party split into two teams.
The building team: Mister Hulden, Mister Basil, Doctor Barthalomew, and myself, harvested nearby trees for wood, and help the Union construct cover over O.G.R.E. We posted beams and secured many of them in place.

The lookout team: Commander Hilda, Iggy, and Torren, watched for the approach of Mist Monsters while we worked.

Almost immediately, Mist Monsters resembling froghemoth tadpoles were spotted. From what I witnessed, they were walking eastwards towards the combat. A few times, the lookout team debated whether to attack the Mist Monsters, ultimately choosing to wait so construction could continue.

When the cover was mostly complete, a Frayed froghemoth joined the other Mist Monsters. At this time, the lookout team had decided to trip the advancing tadpoles with a rope. This was successful. Afterwards, the tree they had been using awoke. A second tree awoke later during combat. Both trees were talked down by Mayor Thimble and Commander HIlda. One tree killed several of the tadpoles.

When combat began, the Frayed froghemoth was observed to command the tadpoles. It's attention targeted Doctor Barthalomew. Iggy and Torren were the first to attack the frayed creatures. The froghemoth was significantly damaged. However, both sets of attacks were enhanced magically. This granted the mist monsters immense speed. Several used this speed to run eastwards towards the other combat. The froghemoth and remaining tadpoles approached Doctor Barthalomew. Mister Hulden and the Doctor quickly killed them.

After this event, the party returned to Underhaven. Mayor Thimble offered payment, which Commander Hilda and I declined. Adventurers were permitted to keep some of the equipment used in exchange for half-pay.

If you would like more detail, I can write more. I can also attach my early report about O.G.R.E. if helpful. Please read my other letters, as time is very short. Materials should be available shortly. - ⚘

The sounds of thunder and, explosions, followed by bright flames and radiant lights filled the skies above the O.G.R.E. leaving behind ash and mist in the battle's wake, the sight one to behold as some three dozen monsters were felled whilst the great abomination in the sky was given a lasting scar by the efforts of those who had bravely ventured up into the surface to face the unending waves of fray.

Though almost none returned with physical injury, and those that did were hardly life threatening- the toll that was paid was deeper than flesh and blood...

The Ashen Witch returns, almost catatonic, wisps of mist and embers burning it away lingering on her as she stumbles along in her companion's arms, looking around somehow both vacant and fixated- her entire bearing broken down by whatever happened up there.

The woman was not allowed much time in the public eye before being hidden away in her home, the Cinder's Rest would be closed for some time, hopefully to allow the elf to recover from whatever had happened to her.

A hastily written transcript from Ash Corda's medical journal.
Doctor's Notes- 19th Thornet, 3733

Underhaven is under direct attack. The hags have found us. The army- no the /hoard/ that has been gathering is built up to a nigh-impossible force. My final steps of preparation will begin now. We have gathered a team of Underhaven's finest, with myself as their medic. Tomorrow, we face the deluge.

The hags have a vile sense of humor. Once this is all over, someone aught to clean up the words. And a smiley face? Like pouring salt in a wound. I have just awoken, our preparations are nearly done. The Mist will not have us. Neither will the Frayed and Mistborn. It is only a few hours till we head up to the surface. The hotline has proved vital in this plan.

Minutes until I see the surface for the first time in my life. I wonder how it'll look. Smell. Feel. But- priorities. I hear the horde. And yet- I do not fear. I put my trust in the adventurers. In Crumb.

A moment of respite- The fighting has gone on for longer than I anticipated. And yet- because of my allies, because of our plans, we live. Thrive in this, even. Perhaps there is more to me than I initially thought.

Another breath that we can take- though every moment is fleeting. The Mist grows stronger with every foe we slay.

We have made it out alive. Physically, all of us are well. Between Crumb and myself, there was almost no need for healing. Mentally... Morrigan and Zullie have borne the brunt of the Madness. They seem to be recovering, but... I cannot imagine the horrors that they experienced. I have taken Morrigan home, and return to my station, where I will write down my observations of the Mist, what it did to us, and what we saw.

----- End of Transcript -----

An informative excursion to the surface. It proved effective training and has shown some areas we may need to work on (primarily helmet removal and replacement). Preparations to deal with the oncoming horde will need to be made swiftly.

We finally got to see the top land, was weird but also pretty..... Mostly weird though.

Helmet got busted though and had to change it with the panic and everything it took us a bit but we need it.

Gonna have to go talk to those kobolds they sound cute as hell. But for now gotta focus on the fuckers in our door step gotta get ready to deal with them and keep the peps safe.

A piece of canvas is left in the mushroom park, as close to the camp as she dares...
It was far enough that a flustered, nervous figure returned several times to try and take the note back. Each time she retreated, another piece of honeycomb was left in apology. It was hardly polite to take back gifts. Even ones that were mortifying. Lilinoe should've slept before she'd left it...

"Invited to the Market,
I traveled up the slope.
Greetings by the Last Slice Given,
More kindness than I could hope.

Three rules for the guests were spoken,
None broken, forgotten, or lost.
Then up we fly to the Market,
To learn of trade and cost.

Center sits the tent,
Separate from dolls and sweets.
Within sits Sir Cups,
And with rhymes he greets:
“Effort and work make fine trades!
Secrets call to the heart!
Sit beneath the tent,
Offer what you will,
Cups will take a part.”

Food, research, days and nights were sought.
Memories traced and shared.
Miss Fox and Sir Bear earn shiny boones,
To reflect what they prepared.

Storytellers follow,
Adventures for their wares.
A tale told twice,
A first song sung-
Bring gifts that help each share.

I am honored as I write.
I will do my best.
We will seek many sights and wonders
and share when you return next.

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
to those I haven't seen.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
to those I left in mournful scene.

You are welcomed to my home,
Under painting, under sky.
You bring me much peace,
Even when I cry."

"I came up with a solid plan, that would mean we wouldn't harm any moths, for the Druid's sake.
And then she helped the other two in killing the moths... so I joined in on killing the moths."

We were requested to retrieve a box mechanism that was radiating some sort of magic, which was altering the behavior of moths that have taken nest in the desert layer, they consume magic and for now the ecosystem seems to be unaffected by them, they also seem to be much less aggressive after we removed the box, sadly in order to do this we had to take care of three big swarms to save a running Warlock that was part of our party.

The party after trying to first solve the issue peacefully found that in the end they had to slay most of the rats scurrying around the farms. A poisoned trap was planted and the party cleared the grain silo of a monstrous duo of 'giant' rats. Barold McDoland was happy with the completed task and the information gained and set farmhands into work to clean the mess that was left.

Log - 9 - 12

The corners of the page have dried but visible water stains still rummage through the report. One of the letters is pressed flat to the page with ink bleed cleanly through to the reverse. Beside, a crude map has been copied out again in the margin with the eastern gate, marked properly this time with the original left in place for comparison.

'I know weddings aren't so commonplace past the borders of the city, I may as well have taken a look.'

A sketch of a lithe frog thing clothed in plate, hands wringing, drawn twice over as though the first pass refused to sit still. A tag of 'Harold' with a placeholder for a serial number.

'He met us not too far from the city's gates and walked us south. He seemed of an honest sort, but he is nervous. I hadn't thought much of it until we reached the encampment. A wedding is a special occurrence after all.'

Marginal studies of bullywugs run down the side, broad and mottled, weapons slung cross their backs. One stands taller in a chief's attire, with a few question marks pointing to various garments. In three of the smaller sketches, a bullywug is shoving another within a large tent, and in two more they are slapping Harold. Nearby, attendees sit along chairs befitting a swampy soiree.

'The king greeted us with the only common word he had: Guests. He was very pleased with it an used it often.'

A drawing of something aspiring to be a gong, hammered flat from what looks to be salvaged plate, with struck notes trailing off in a wobbling line. Slightly above the drawing is text, 'here comes the-', this last word lost beneath a folded sheet pinned to the page. It opens downwards into a square of parchment roughly a third of the page. Unfolded, a maw takes up most of the space, inked first and heaviest, rising out of the water with tentacles and squiggles all throughout with agitated lines, and a snippet of chain hangs low on one of its limbs. To its side is a serial number.

Below marginal studies return, this time of guards with their heels in the mud, back further away whilst facing the waters.

'I'd expect a warmer welcome for the coming consort from this amphibians, but a part of me shares the same sentiment of "Yeah this thing might eat me."'

A drawing of the king at the front of the gathering, arms spread wide before the giant swamp-thing.

'Surprisingly his vocabulary was twice the size I had credited him with, unveiling his second favourite word: Snacks. It is title I'm sure many would be glad to carry, though preferably elsewhere, and preferably not while our host was gesturing at the lot of us before his bride.'

Thumbnails crowd the lower half of the page, drawn small and hurried. Bullywugs scattering in every direction available to them all in various states of disarray, another in the corner seems to be taking a nap, and off to one side, tiny yet drawn with more care than the rest, a frog in ill-fitting plate holding a torn piece of tent canvas in front of himself.

'The ceremony concluded and the reception began immediately, at which point confirmed the invitation had been sincere and we were the catering. In the corner of my eye I'd see that frog tear a piece of the tent, holding it between himself and the wedding, and I can find no fault in it. Of everything attempted in the clearing, it was the only plan of these frogs with any visible amount of thought behind it.'

A drawing of the king from behind, rotund and low, arms still spread as they were in the portrait before. A limb is wrapped twice around his middle and he has been hoisted clear of the soil, feet hanging. Beneath him the water is stippled densely, and a second smaller frame beside it shows the same stretch of water with nothing above it.

'Our host was collected halfway through the festivities and hoisted into the shallows. The water closed then and went a colour I will write down as misty red, out of courtesy to the squeamish.'

A wider sketch of the clearing afterward. Chairs on their sides, the gong face down in the mud. Bullywugs drawn strewn where they fell, and the tent still stands with a square missing from it. Harold is drawn among them, standing still this time, mouth open. A list runs down beside him in his own words, long, ticked, continuing onto the reverse of the page and then some.

'He had a great deal to say about bullywugs once there were none left to hear it. From what I heard, and seen, his first hand experience hasn't been amiable. We then spoke of the city, he wasn't against the idea, and the return home was pleasantly quiet.

A sketch of the walk back, the company strung out along the mushroom caverns, Harold nearer the middle and the eastern gate towering from a distance.

'I should visit Harold soon, see if he's accustomed well to the city. Given his disposition, he might find the bathhouse calming.'

Signed at the bottom are the initials 'A.A'

Dear Miss Maeve and Pitch,

Thank you again for hosting us at the library. With so much going on, it can be hard to remember the resources that are already available. The time you took to identify what issues Underhaven is facing, then finding tomes and documents to help us further discussion is invaluable. I hope it wasn't difficult, given the age of some of the journals reviewed.

I wish I'd spoken more, sooner, because there was so much in front of us that could've been explored deeper. If you don't mind, I look forward to meeting again soon. I'm trying to be more involved, as awkward as it feels. I hope I have a lot to offer you.

I must also thank you for teaching us that... magic. It's terrifying, but I'm glad to know how they work. If you need help creating more in the future, I am happy to try and help. Thank you to Pitch for trusting us and allowing your 'class' to learn by his example.

I don't trust the privacy of written word, so many thoughts will go unshared for now. I wish you rest, and safety. -⚘

We encountered an extremely distressed old man shouting that a witch or a ghost had stolen his boy. He showed us into the Mushroom Caves. Upon investigating the supposed ghost's "goop", I determined it was actually web.

The man told us his son, Pakker, had been cursed into the form of an animal. He accused his wife, who had left them, of this heinous act.

Hulden used his flight to track the creature to a spot deeper in the cave. We found a cocoon eminating shrieking noises being fought over by a Cave Fisher and a Roper.

Whisper used their powers to imbue us with Haste, allowing Hulden to rush in and rescue Pakker and return him to his father. I freed the boy from the webs and checked after his health. At this point we learnt the boy is a boar.

We lured the monsters to a different part of the cave and despatched them. Thankfully, no one was injured.

We then returned to the man and his son to check in with them. We were suspicious of Pakker's nature. Whisper's connection to the weave allowed them to surmise that there was no curse on Pakker, but they did pick up traces of magic on his pocket watch. The man claimed a young lad gave it to him, saying it would bring him luck.

The watch was enchanted to send messages, and we got in touch with the man on the other side. A young human man soon appeared at the caves. This man was truly Pakker, and we learnt the old man was Percy, his father. It seems Percy's mind has been altered by his life as an alchemist working with mushrooms. He has truly come to believe the boar is his son and has been getting into a lot of trouble. Pakker thanked us for finding his father, and we left the caves feeling a little bemused, but glad we could save an animal's life and stop a fragile old man from getting into trouble.

This outing was a success. I managed to make new acquaintances, perform field testing on a new spell, and feel the thrill of combat!

Tales were shared. A warning was given. More danger is approaching.

"I hope my efforts were able to bring some calm to those that have been affected by the attacks at the vein. As a Scout I will be sure to keep the peace here in Underhaven"

Im not very good at building, only smithing if that counts and I only really fight things as a scout, but guess what.

I Puca Merrystone with the help of Amaryllis did some cooking and I made my family recipe, The Merrystone Deluxe Ramen, while the others Lee and Knox made soup and bread and near the end Sir scum made some vile soup because why not.

Hopefully Captain Miamoria is happy with everyone and what they did and I'm sure there are some spare Merrystone ramen noodles for people near the hospital or if people share.

Report to Captain Dellen: Emergency Building Repairs - Meadowend Day 6

Led by Chief Broghed, a team comprising of Boone Blackridge, Scum, Gorobal Anvozh, and myself went through the areas of the main battles. Primarily, damage was assessed in the upper, northern region of the Vein.  Areas of damaged masonry, scorch marks, and roof collapse were discovered. The most noticeably damaged buildings underwent emergency repairs.
Please find all buildings I believe were damaged listed below this report. Verification with Chief Broghed and those providing repairs is needed. I am not knowledgeable about these matters.

The Pricklepluck Home: The southern wall of the house was complete destroyed. The immense amount of debris was removed. It received emergency stabilizing repairs.

The Public Bathrooms: Rubble needed to be removed to allow access. No emergency repairs were required.

Vein - 30: Emergency repairs to the lower southern wall were provided to ensure stability.

Numerous traps were found around the Vein, on roofs in particular. These glyphs project a magical attack, identified as 'disintegrate'. It is unclear if the other traps produce the same effect. All discovered traps were destroyed or exposed. Caution is advised.

All identifiable holes, gaps, loose construction and areas of weakness have been marked using charcoal.

Damaged Buildings:
Vein 19 - Light Masonry Damage, Scorch Marks
Vein 20 - Scorch Marks
Vein 21- Light Masonry Damage, One Scorch Mark
Vein 22 - Masonry Damage
Vein-24 - Light Masonry Damage, Assumed Heavy Roof Damage
Vein-25 - Light Scorches Marks, Possible Roof Damage
Vein 26 & 26a - Masonry Damage, Scorch Marks, Heavy Roof Damage
Vein-30 - Masonry Damage, Scorch Marks, Roof Collapse
Vein 31- Masonry Damage, Scorch Marks, Roof Collapse
Vein 32 - Scorch Marks, Masonry Damage, Heavy Roof Damage
Vein 34 - Masonry Damage, Roof Damage
Vein 50 - Masonry Damage, Scorch Marks

I am providing a copy of this report to the Mayor's Office. I can explain more to the best of my abilities upon request. - ⚘

Meadowend 5th

I provided aid to those in need at the Hospital. To those who find themselves farther away from the hospital, the clinic doors are always open. Please do seek medical attention should you experience any symptoms of the fraying. May Theire shield you all.

A hastily written transcript from Ash Corda's medical journal.

Doctor's Notes- Circa 3732. Meadowend.

Miamoria has gathered any willing to help with the aftermath. I, of course, will be helping at the hospital. I see Scum in the distance, making his way over. Things are dire indeed, if he is tossing his hat in the ring.

All things considered... things went smoothly. Just over three dozen injured within the clinic. Minimal Fraying outside of a select handful. Every day, I thank my time spent searching for these diamonds. lesser restorative magics works well enough for those lightly impacted. But for mutations, for severe infections... Stronger divine magic is needed.

All reports of people becoming enraged at the sight of a piece of paper have died down. The standing order for communication to be exclusively verbal is lifted. Such will be communicated to the other organizations.

For now, I will retire. My magic is spent, and I had to perform a number of surgeries in less than optimal conditions. The brunt of the relief efforts have been pushed out. The fate of Underhaven is ever in our own hands, and today, we have done well. We are the shepherds, evermore.

More traps were laid within the vein that I disarmed aswell as several amounts of rubble and broken things to be removed and repaired.
I did what was required and I brought heavy machinery
After do thing I returned to where people were making food only for the weak that need 'fresh' 'good' food. So I also assisted in this and made a nice tentacle carrion stew. A lovely meal made of several ages and ripened parts.

In the kitchen lay a lone spoon, riddled with deep inlaid tooth marks.

I enjoy my clientele alive and assisted in such.
Also Ogre has made you all way to casual with destroy people's property and casting larger level spells.
Amusing.

Writing is painful at present, thanks to very nearly being disintegrated, so I'll try to keep this brief.

Concerning our primary task, the evacuation of civilians and bystanders, we were completely successful, albeit with some slight difficulty.

With that out of the way, on to the meat of it.

I now have a grasp on how great this threat is. It is not overstating the matter to say that this requires the full attention and effort of a united Underhaven.

The flame of the Bloodlines must be stamped out with haste, without hesitation. Through means I am not willing to divulge to the public at large, I now know that, at present, there are at least two members capable of casting 8th circle Dunamancy spells, and there are most likely several more than that.

This cannot afford to wait.

I encourage those interested to know the whole story to reach out to me at The Awakened Spellbook Magewright.

We managed to evacuate a lot of people from the area while the fighting was going on. I saw a friend of mine while we were helping but she looked busy, so I didn't want to interrupt.

More importantly, I managed to quickly scan the thoughts of those we rescued, and none of them appeared to be immediately compromised by flumph agents. It turns out this may have actually been the work of shadow people, however, as at least one member of our group was afflicted with some kind of lines from a play that came from the Collecting Theater. On that note, I have to encourage people not to trust rumor and hearsay when it comes to self defense against shadow people or other secretive organizations. While the thrown money was welcomed, I have never witnessed a shadow person being repelled by coin. Please remember to stick to the official defensive wards and measures if you intend to face them!

Also, I commend the medical professionals for the speed of their care but I note they are sorely lacking in those trained in assisting with damage to mental facilities. They would likely appreciate some help from anyone who is able.

Meadowend 6th

We managed to get most of the targets out of their houses and saved as many people as we could've possibly reached. Mist Monsters and group of powerful mages seem to have been the cause of the sudden attack, many of the people we saved seem to have been slightly frayed.

I implore all those that were involved in battling the mist monsters, evacuating citizens, or merely trying to escape to visit the Clinic or the Hospital in the next coming days to get a checkup. If you start experience symptoms of fray please immediately seek medical attention.

I'm not really sure what caused all of this to happen, but I helped defeat some bad people and mist monsters that were attacking the town and saved a Hedge and Ratfolk. Our group did well, I think.

A hastily written transcript from Ash Corda's medical journal.

Doctor's Notes- Circa 3732. Meadowend.

Chaos in Underhaven. The hospital is overrun with patients bearing the marks of spellfire. Our medics are working overtime dealing with a strange malady that has hit the town. Time is a valuable resource.

Reports of people suddenly bursting out in rage. One of our Hesperides has fallen to this affliction after looking at a piece of paper. Putting out a standing order to avoid reading any papers for now.

Screams from the Vein. I have assigned my doctors to their posts, and will help the efforts in the Vein. Too many people with no means of protecting themselves live there.

The adventurers assigned to protect me did wonderfully. They cleared out a sector of the Vein, opening a path for the vanguard. Still- something disturbs me as I write this. I saw a shadowy figure atop the roofs, watching us. It did not interfere. After the fight was won, it cast a long range teleportation spell- likely Dimension Door to leave.

Even more disturbing was what the last antagonist who fell said. "Geas". I am... familiar with the magic. We cannot take this as gospel, but... something doesn't feel right. Did we slaughter innocents under the thrall of another?

- Big ol eel showed up
- Nearly killed everyone
- And somehow I still don't know how my appearance helped me escort this guy

Log - 8 -21

There are dried marks in some sections, must be written by once wettened hand.

'It'd been just a hole, a small one busted open by a small mole. I hadn't expected it to develop into this the next time I returned.'

A sketch of a small cavern leading down into the darker waters, to its right drawn is the latest iteration with boats and a direct tunnel. Metal supports line against the ceiling with lighting hung here and there.

'We'd been called over to assist in escorting a package across the lake. With all the concerns that come with our initial briefing. The captain was a little enigmatic, but he had one of those pups.'

Scribbled lower are those gathered around the captain, this temporary crew scheduled to escort the first shipment across the waters, one tusked, a small one, a fox, and Johnson. All stood upon varnished steel and copper. To the left is a tunnel carved out to the mentioned lake.

'That scenery I'd known would exist only in my memory, but I welcome this addition to what we had then.'

The group is drawn on the boat in various states of alert, with some on polar opposites.

'There were texts, of those before, of sea beasts, large enough to crush ships that once sailed on waters. Way back when. I hadn't doubted the captain's word, but seeing the creature first-hand will take some getting used to.'

The sea monster is scribbled in full, serpentine and toothy, wrapped around the boat. The group is drawn retaliating against it. Notes mention some potential weaknesses, but pure bludgeoning and violence was enough to deter it, ground it to a pulp.

'We hauled it to the other shore with some rope, and after laying the cargo down we'd carved what we could of it.'

The serpent, now dead is simply drawn with x marks for eyes, a small note adds 'buoyant'. The cargo to the side is drawn with the note 'too heavy'.

'The captain mentioned we'd fought just one, had there been a nest nearby? Do these waters go deeper into other locales? As construction continues, we'll disturb these once still waters, attracting more beasts like we did in those caverns.'

'Should we meet again, that beast back then, we'll be sure to take it down.'

'A.A.'

-- extract from Bell's Journal

Today we investigated a series of events that happened mostly in the vein, from the Pricklepluck residence we learned how their windows were broken and Skraz's tail was stomped by someone described by Skraz as a woman that changes her face so maybe a changeling or doppleganger?

Fawkes got robbed and possibly hit by a spell like sleep or command since the only thing he remembers in his own words was a "wham bang" of magic hitting him while he was talking with a child and then waking up feeling hungry, we confirmed the robbery was carried out by children and they removed the explosive thunder gems from the knives he sells, however, these were very carefully and expertly removed most likely by someone experienced with the tools used to embed gems into equipment.

After that, we spoke to Zerrick of the Faerie Folk, someone broke into his house while he was asleep, the lock on the door looked like it was broken by a small explosion of some sort and they broke in specifically to snap his staff in half to get a leaf green thread that allowed him to use magic he does not have expertise in.
This would mean whoever broke in knew exactly what they were looking for as there weren't any other items missing, just the thread from his staff.

Finally, we went to The Orphanage where we spoke to the matron, a woman with impeccable manners, although, I can see why some people would perceive her as scary, she told us there was an assortment of pots and pans stolen from residencies of grown up children that the orphanage relocates to the vein when they are old enough, the residences were unoccupied at the moment of the robbery and those are the only things that were taken.

All of these events seem to be tied to the bloodlines, we know they're most probably gathering children possibly to train them and gathering resources as well because of the big amount of explosive gems they stole. We still have no explanation on why the Pricklepluck residency was targeted or what can they do with pots and pans.. maybe they need to cook to feed all of the new members? Could it be that the explosion at the scout tower the other day was caused by some of these gems? There are still many questions to answer and all we know is that they are most likely planning something big.

Went to find out what these 'ghosts' are about, found 'ghosts', got distracted by finding Maeve's brother, still don't know what the 'ghosts' are about.

while having fun exploring the bird house above the water treatment area we ran into 7 spider robots which were attempting to mine amethyst, we attempted peaceful communication with the bots but they refused to stop mining stating that their orders would not allow them to and refused to bring us to thier creator, after some time rocks began falling from the ceiling due to the spider robots drilling and the party deemed it a threat to the town below, we began combat were after a long fight we were able to succeed. We also learned that the robots only explode if they are killed when they are armed, the longer they are armed for the larger the explosion and the more damage that will be delt ((delayed fireball))

Droath 18

We encountered 7 Robotic Spiders that were equipped with various amount of mining equipment digging into the caves near the Pumps in the Veins. Fortunately these spiders were not initially hostile, and made efforts to communicate with us. From what we gleamed, these Spiders were created to collect metals and gems to return to their Master who is currently unknown. Prolonged excavation would've brought a landslide to Mainstreet, dealing a considerable amount of damage to buildings with the possibility of many casualties. After attempts to negotiate, they eventually saw us as a threat to their main objective in which a couple of the Castanets and Torren were able to neutralize the threat. It's worth noting these Robotic Spiders carry a wide arsenal of weapons with the ability to detonate and cause debilitating explosions. In the end we managed to recover some of Spiders intact for further study and research. To those who encounter any more of these Mechanic Spiders please proceed with caution and inform the Castanets of any additional information.

Log - 8 - 9

Signs of clutching are strewn at the edges of the notes of this paper, claw marks, pecking even given the faint tears near the center. The writing is subpar, but legible enough should one stare at it for a minute.

'danger city threat landslide dig much'

Perhaps inheriting the artistic flair of its creator, there's the familiar ledge, a slope, stick figures swarming near a wall, one with a hat, another with a sash, one has grown a tail and another tusks. Two hold blades, pointing towards constructs eating rocks.

'click, whir, hand talk'

A hand scribbled then here in an odd position, with something more spindly holding each finger.

'talk argue fight punch kick shoot explosion'

Non-sensical drawings litter the page, with scenes overlapping one another yet somehow in chronological order, from negotiations to the agitation to the fighting(?) that ensues down the line. Dragging, punching, swinging... One scene involves a figure with pointed ears sinking down the river, another brings circles with horns bashing themselves against the others, and one having the hatted figure tossed by an explosive. Every line in this section seems agitated.

'ouch'

The pattern lightens, the group gathers in a circle holding hands, each with a curve for a smile and dots for eyes. A building reminiscent of the clinic on main street beside them.

'everyone okay'

The stamp that below is reminiscent of a pigeon's foot.

The hand that follows is much neater,

'What'

Logged: DROATH 18.
=================

Since everyone's given more generalist notes on the situation, I'll just give what I saw. Granted, its nice to be able to write more normal than my speech. Dialects and all that'll do something to you.

I and the rest of the oinkers I was traveling with, part of Captain Fandango's whole Castanets, were taking a leisurely stroll upon a surprisingly strong pigeon. I believe we called it by some random name that sounded like it belong to someone's grandmother. Point being, this pigeon was strong. Really strong. Strong enough that it carried the whole lot of us (excluding Wobble). Anyway, we all got our tushes shipped up into some caverns eventually. You would think I'd remember the context as to why we were trekking up there. I personally just wanted to find something that had some personal interest to myself that was lying around up there. A bag that may've been lying around following an assault by some piggish monstrosity (not including myself).

So, we got our arses up in the cave finally. I was looking around all silly with the crew when we saw a couple of robotic spiders. Seems like there were seven, according to the rest of the group. I'll just mooch off whatever they say details wise. But, yeah. We had this whole shindig with seven robotic spiders all drilling into the cavern's walls like they were addicted to rocks. Granted, I believe they were actually addicted to rocks. They had some sort of affinity for gemstones after we tried to trade the bastards at least one.

Eventually, things just went sour. The crew tried negotiating with the armoured arachnids for a substantial amount of time, trying to get these good-for-nothing robots to stop a project that could've jeopardized the city's safety. The cave kept rumbling from the drilling, I got bonked in the head. Still got a bruise, not a great feeling when you're trying to sleep and you put your head down on your pillow, only to go 'Tonn, damn't!', you know? The point is, they wouldn't stop, they were either hired out or made by some anonymous individual that tasked them with the mining project. I personally didn't care much for their spiel. Honestly, they just made me irrationally angry for some reason. Either that, or I just didn't have a good fight in a while.

So, when all of the Nine Hells came loose, we got into a fight. The arachnids showed us a little light-show and we got to work. Flames shooting about left and right. Hooks swinging into flesh like we were those fish that folks've been selling for copper these days. The whole meal. I personally got a bit singed and nearly taken to the ceiling by a few hooks. Anyway. We took care of them.

During the midst of the battle, Wobble showed up after it seemed his familiar was already there. I saw the bat before with him, so I presume there's some correlation with that. Point being, he showed up to. Massive battle ensued. There were these- I believe I've been told they're gargoyles. I consulted a couple of books down at the library, trying to match up some descriptions because, yes, I am actually literate. But, yeah, it was a whole brawl. I turned big, as per usual, and managed to take out a couple of those machines.

We were persuaded by a team member to keep the robots 'alive', for whatever you would consider that to mean, in order to conduct further research on them later. I will be honest, they are interesting. Besides for the fact that they have a tendency to explode (so much that the monk calls one a 'bomb' in her house), their technology was impressive. I wouldn't mind snagging some of it up for a weapon... or even a little bit of fishing. Those hooks were deadly, I'll tell you that.

After the whole brawl, we got out of there somewhat to very injured. After some hospitalizations and, for myself, a good night's rest, it seemed like the crew was better the next day over.
================
If it matters anything to anyone's interest or my input on the whole ordeal, here's what I'll say;
-Don't touch the spiders. Look, I've heard about spiders exploding a few weeks ago. And, yeah, we've had far too many folks getting the explosion treatment lately. Don't be that oinker.
-The cavern itself is located above those pipes adjacent to the Sundance's whole training facility. I assume its a training facility still, I forgot the name, but... I trust whoever takes the effort to read through this is smarter than I am. All you need to do is swim up a couple of waterfalls (or fly, if you're able to do so), and bam. You've got yourself a way into the caves. The wreckage should still be there, unless someone already took the spiders out.
-Bleeding. Those spiders've got some sort of property that'll cut your flesh in a certain way that makes it bleed profusely. I'm talking like... I needed some Ki in my veins to clot that wound. It was strange, so, watch out if you come across these types. That temporary stuff you get from Patrons or whatever ain't gonna help either.
-Also, the spiders have enough smarts in them to 'speak'. They just keep going 'WHIR WHIR WHIR' and shite. Annoying arthropods, they are. Taught them a good lesson, if I shall say so.

Captains Log - *Trip to The Caves*

"I had a meeting with Iggy, and after I was to make it to the bug pit to train Ash. I never made it though. Waiting for Iggys shop to clear up before our meet, The Castanets and I went on a walk with Torren. Up in the caves, there were some Spider Bots mining away at the roof and walls of the cave. Seeing rocks beginning to fall, we decided to try and stop the bots and investigate. Turns out they know Sign Language. We asked who they worked for, why they were gathering materials and gems, and many other things. They're not the talkative sort though, and we ended up having to fight. They can shoot explosions, and walk on walls. Everyone did their best and fought well. Unfortunately, they detonate when they perish, and I found myself caught in the blast of one of them. Torren and Hilda brought me back to stability and we fought together to finish off the creatures. We took the bots that could be salvaged so that someone may rip them apart and discover how they work. I got dragged to the hospital after that. I'm sure burnt up, and Ash says I shouldn't move for about three days. I should be back up and fighting for Underhaven again soon.

Log-7-28

An autopsy report in another more careful hand has been slipped between the pages of the log.

'We went on an investigation beyond the city limits on a murder,'

A small scribble of the involved group drawn from behind, gathered around a halfling guard opening a fence gate leading to two red splotches. One splotch strewn with few drying portions not entirely cleaned up, and another more rotund corpse laying about. Someone has closed the latter's eyes, at the very least.

'In shorthand, behind those gates is grotesque, further detailing on the missing corpse lies in the autopsy itself, and I wince at the struggle.'

Then further attempts at drawing what little flora existed along a trail.

'We tried to track down the missing body parts, and we'd been dumbfounded to learn one of them were still moving about. We followed that path as best we could, and it lead to a supposed dead end.'

There are numerous arrows pointing towards a specific corner of an alcove, beside that is a drawing of mask fragments, leading with an arrow pointing to the mended set. It has a stern, not quite angry expression.

'Doroteya had done a ritual, and I'd thought it'd been some sort of greeting. At least one in a different language none of us could understand. I found it mildly amusing when it simply vanished afterwards.'

Two symbols, separated enough from its muse may as well be recognized as tumbleweeds to those who've yet to see the original glyphs.

'Disappointed, we lay with our silence and scratched the sand for further clues. We drifted for minutes, until explosives beneath Iggy had detonated, for those few seconds the cavern was alight. He'd been charred and unconscious, just as a fray would crawl out of those walls. It wasn't the first time I've come across the likes of it, but it spoke in a common tongue and a familiar voice, one familiar enough that one of our own would order to cease hostilities. Many of us were too busy running away, or dragging the unconscious goblin elsewhere to have any change of plans.'

A legion of shades guided by Lyx's hand is drawn holding back the large frayed, the group is portrayed in various states of disarray, be it running off or fighting back, and a minute scribble of a pigeon attempts to drag an Iggy off by the collar.

'Something about the fray's presence, or aura, had warped, the witch, I recall seemed to talk it down, calm it even. Doroteya with her quick thinking managed to pull the goblin back to a conscious state, and with a shot from his crossbow he took the frayed down.'

There's a drawing of something muscular and aquatic, waving behind some fences and pots.

'We returned to the city after collecting our bearings. Other than Iggy who somehow managed brinksmanship, we were relatively... arguably unscathed. We spoke amongst ourselves on the way down, of the group responsible for this, the names of the frayed. I recall a thought, there may've been something walking on the surface, amidst the mist, watching us through the walls.'

'Leaving Iggy with the hospital staff and the others to their errands, we parted ways. I'm left with this unsettling, hairy, feeling that this may be the start of our unraveling in the nature of the frayed, the mist and the soul.'

Signed at the bottom are the initials 'A.A'

At the scene of the murder, much of the conjecture during the autopsy was reaffirmed. The tracks in the sand confirmed that the assailant approached the victim from behind and the two fought a bloody battle, owlbear included. His soul was taken, though his beast's was left. Though we did not pursue the avenue: It might be possible to resurrect the owlbear and ask it to relay its death. This is outside of my expertise, however. I am unsure how effective it might be to interrogate an animal that has died.

After the battle, the assailant severed the tongue of the victim. Presumably, they took it with them, as it was the only known piece of the body that was not accounted for. I utilized a tracking-type of magic to potentially pinpoint where this macabre 'trophy' may have been taken. This lead us to a nearby cavern. It pointed 'upwards'.

We speculated that there might be a small pocket-cave directly above us, though given the severe presence of the Fray, it's more likely that the killer retreated to the surface.

Close to the place in which we lost our trail, we found a small alcove amidst the desert cave, where multiple things were found:

1. A shattered porcelain mask.

2. A spell glyph, and several scattered beads.

3. A symbol of Death on the wall.

Alpine was able to re-mend the mask. Once fixed, it held a sort of exaggerated, theatre-like expression to it, the cracks sealed with golden inlays. This is important to note - I later reaffirmed this detail with Ash, who performed a scry on the killer and witnessed other masks: She mentioned 'six golden lines' being a significant detail.

She also heard an unknown language. Similarly, I also heard an unknown language spoken when I placed the mask within a circle of examination glyphs. It vanished from my hands shortly after.

I am unsure what the significance of the mask was, though I highly doubt that it was not coincidentally discarded. My concern is that handling it may have imparted some sort of mark onto me; I will be getting routinely checked after this report is published.

We decided to investigate the beads left in the sand afterwards. Iggy was the one to test them. In doing so, numerous detonations were set off directly onto him- enough that would easily kill most anyone who suffered such an attack in one single, horrific blow. In the same moment, a frayed monstrosity was summoned, and the air was heavily tainted with the Fray.

While we scrambled to save Iggy, we found that the area was doubly charged by this creature. It seemed to be actively sapping all manner of positive energy/vitality straight out of the air. Healing magics failed. We were only capable of stabilizing him through mundane methods.

Worse yet, while we fought the Frayed, it cried out in a woman's voice.

It said, "Please no! Don't leave me in the dark again! You said you'd help me!"

We attempted to subdue the frayed, but ultimately, we failed, and it crumbled into dust.

Morrigan was evidently familiar with who this woman was. She cited, 'Elowen and Isolde, the Shadow and the Muse'. A soul that was captured by this person, or group of people, and is being actively utilized as a Frayed beast.

It is believed that this may be the work of the Understudy. Investigations point toward any information involving the Understudy next.

IN CONCLUSION

- Utilizing some manner of Frayed weapon, the murderer is tearing the souls out of living people.

- In this instance, Fraying directly affects the body ONLY while the soul is present.

- The souls are being repurposed into renewable, summoned Frayed.

- Some semblance of personality is retained, but they cannot control themselves. They are suffering.

- They set a trap that was made to both kill someone and summon one of these trapped Frayed. Why?

- This could have been an attempt to have this summon reap the soul of whoever it was that came to investigate the murder.

- It is highly likely that Beast Tamer has been added to this legion of renewable Frayed soldiers.

- The Understudy is involved.

ꕥ Tatloch

((Notes taken by Anzoras))

-Time of death 2-3 hours pre-autopsy

-No wounds on face

-Defensive wounds/scrapes on arms

-Stab wounds and cuts on torso

>Singly spear wound goes through from front

-No soul

-Wings damaged

>Pre-death

>Possibly pre-fight

-Tortured?

-Missing tongue

>Post-death

-Signs of high psychic damage

-Head wound on back

>Glancing shot

>Oldest

-Weapon used Mist Warped wood handle

-Small amount of Fraying infection

>Infection stopped at time of death

-Foot talons used in combat

-Heart engorged

>Implies difficult fight/ long run

-Some brain bleeding occurred

-Brain intact

-Psychic damage from directed spell

>Psychic lance?

>Resisted against?

-Psychopomp showed up?

>Whisper Wick, the Lantern between Worlds

-Whisper Wick said her brother was here before

>Morrowgnaw, of Violent Ends

-Ash attempted Scrying

>Blood from eye = psychic damage?

-Vision of 100+ theatre masks and music

>Understudy is involved

The Beast Tamer was caught by surprise by some manner of psionic, shapechanging entity. They initially fired a scraplock off on him from behind, which caught him in the head. During their battle, it utilized a piercing psionic force, alongside a weapon that afflicted a heavy amount of Fray toward the end - most likely a sword. When he died, the assailant soon took his soul, which halted the progression of the Fray. It tore out his flight feathers and severed his tongue, in order to clearly send a message. Remnants of gray, slimy skin were also found on the body, indicating that he not only went down fighting, but that he managed to injure the assassin.

During a scry, several things were discovered about our culprit: A motif of hundreds of theatre masks, and many, many asking voices. A song in an unknown language, uplifting, though wrong.

"Dealt with the same group that tried to steal my Chimera Kill. They seem to be branching out alot and taking things through intimidation or something. Careful when dealing with Red Cladded individuals with fancy hats.

Other then that, glad we got the cart from them. If anything I'm happy to anger the higher-ups they might have....wish it wasn't bloody"

A group of mercenaries or bandits depending on your definition called 'Liberalio' arrived with a forged document to steal the payload that Stefan had bought. We killed most of them , some where brutalized.

The mission was completed.

Womp Womp

"The Mist infested arm of a presumed fire giant after the experimentation of presumed hags. It was a terrifying threat. They owe me a tank.
Those fuckers owe me money.
But a formidable foe, I will have to adjust my designs and plans for the future of these things and their plans

A God listened to me and dropped a anvil on a Ent. I AM CHOSEN
Also Puca in a test of strength against the gargantuan arm, beat it."

((I had fun with the event, it was very difficult and made our party have to think more carefully about how we acted and actually stick to a plan oF attacking and making a hole in the arm for its bone.))

Log-7-6

The paper of this entry is more weathered than usual.

'The trip itself wasn't arduous, the idle chatter and company can keep your mind off things, like the wait, or where you're going to, or what you'll have to deal with.'

Pinned to the side unfolds a map and of a trail much larger than any previously drawn in this journal, split into three sections with estimated dates of around when each had been taken. There are notes on shrubbery, scents, a warning against the sleeping habits of tabaxi, and extensive documentation on the Taglock's design, from it's appearance down to its predicted creation.

'We worked alongside other groups to handle the impending threat before it'd fester into much worse. We were given equipment before our departure, helmets to handle the fraying mist's effects, and a device known as a Taglock, this can be attached to a weapon or used with a stubborn hand. We were to deal with the threat primarily with these creations.'

Smaller sketches of the party involved in various states of conversation, sharing a meal, keeping watch, usually looking elsewhere. At some point these little vignettes end, drawing that of a giant hand and a bone jutting out of the ground surrounded by foliage.

'The mist can warp your spells, everything magical in its presence can and will likely be used against you.'

Scattered in one section of the page are further examples against using magic in vicinity of the mist, and notes of the group and their approaches, from sketches of their martial technique to casting practices against the frayed. To the side is meatball of flesh and a stink aura exuding from it, and a small, extremely simplified cartoon of an artificer pinching his nose and pointing a thumb at it, the angry eyebrows look freshly added.

'It warped harmless critters into malicious creatures, we dealt with them in time, but it'd taken a heavy toll on the others.' Snuck in is a drawing of a dwarf being drenched in a barrel comprised entirely of healing potions, that's what's written on the side.

'I watched my senior kickflip against a giant hand and jam one of the Taglocks into the bone, after a few seconds, it puffed right into mist. We had the misfortune to deal with its effects, and had we not had our masks, I'm sure they'd been much worse. I myself came across hallucinations- I think they'd been at least- beyond the burns and the withering, my body was suddenly filled with lacerations, I heard of words I least wished to hear, and something maddening.'

A blob next to a spiky blob. 'Oh, on a separate note, someone was trying to seduce a purple worm with some sort of deranged mating call in the cavern below ours. This may be a hallucination on my end as well, and I may need to visit a therapist to sort out my thoughts.'

There are doodles of the party recovering from the battle, drawn from a secluded corner of the cavern. Some figures seem ecstatic, some more contemplative, and then there's a catgirl seemingly high off her kite, staring blankly into space as a smaller figure feeds her berries.

'Still, I think we're okay, we're all going home.'

There's a colored drawing including blue and white pigments, of a night sky drawn from below the hole closest to the surface, thick with sapphire clouds, with smaller wisps of light peeking between them, an arrow pointing to it with the phrase 'stars?'.

At the bottom are the initials 'A.A.'

"The mist arm of some fire giant was a tough fight, Also trying to not fall from all that stupid shaking and them stupid falling rocks.

I am hurt but others got it worse, I had to protect my friends....... I don't know how but I guess I somehow held the arm from shaking helping my friends with there taglock thing ((Puca had to roll a nat 20, that was the only choice given to hold the arm haha I did it but now have LEVEL 3 EXHAUSTION how fun.

I also never thought I would see the day of Sir Scums tank being... destroyed.... it looked so strong, AND MISS ELLI THEY FELL AFTER WE DESTROYED THE ARM, I really hope they are fine."

The note was sloppy, and kind of hard to read as if written with a non-dominate hand

" Twenty eight of us went out to the caves and we all split up into four groups and fought on four separate layers where this arm had busted through we were given tag locks made by Maeve.. When we approached the undead arm we found it had an arm of mist sticking out of it also attacking us and stopping spells, as it thrashed it knocked us down, dropping rocks on us, shot boiling blood at us and radiated this pulsing green wave from it. Its presences also seemed to upset trees within our layer.. Me and Huyao were the first to make contact onto the arm then Johnson so we started slicing into the skin to expose the bone... Relnea sliced from a distance, and So did Puca.. He even held the arm in place.. And Scum and Wobble were out ranged shooters.. We attacked for hours some of us going down a few times..Scum lost his tank... I even lost Slobber.... and an anvil dropped from the sky? I don't know.. Scum got a kick out of it... We finally broke skin.. We helped each other to hold the tags in place.. Even Maeve came and helped me... and then the ground disappeared from under us me and Maeve didn't make the jump.. so I grabbed her.. the Wind rushed past.. and impact...then darkness.. I don't remember anything afterwards.. just coming to in the Hospital..

This was only the beginning.. We fought only an arm.. Arms come from bodies.. Goods help us when the rest of the body shows its face.. These hags know were are here and they want us gone.. but we aren't gonna let them."

-Paladin of the Underhaven, Ellimor Vashtova

Log of the events of Isket Day 6:

• Multiple parties rode out as vanguards against the invading fray threat.
• Participated in the top-most party, fought numerous frayed creatures including rust monsters, "stalkers", frayed hill giant corpses, and a large mist apparition of the giant's hand.
• After some struggle, all parties managed to place their taglocks on the dismembered giant's arm bone, dispelling(?) the arm and reducing it to fray mist.
• Where is the rest of the giant's reanimated corpse??

Mission Report

The journey to address the giant threat was a long one, several days, and I am thankful we had the support of the city behind us. Had we not been at full strength going into this I fear we would have had many casualties. The combat I am about to describe was intense and exhausting, I spent most of the travel back to the city and the follow days recovering. For the sake of all of us I do hope after this the threat moves away from our city.

Also, I would like to extend my thanks to the parties responsible for creating the taglock, which allowed us to seal the threat and eventually destroy it.

When we arrived at the destination the giant was supposed to be burrowing into we were met by a horrifying sight. The giants arm has penetrated through the surface layer and several underground layers, though fortunately it was only the giants arm, seemingly detached from the rest of the body. The group I was travelling with arrived at the uppermost layer, closest to the surface, where we observed the upper portion of the arm extending down into the lower layers.

The giant undead limb was large enough that it spanned through several layers at least. While we didn’t have to content with the hand of the giant or much movement, there were some defences that made dealing with the arm extremely difficult. This included a massive hand that seemed to be formed out of the mist, several frayed rabbits, some burrowing creatures, and three normal sized giants.

When we initially engaged the arm several giants peeled off it, it seemed like they had been sewn into the undead flesh. However these giants were swiftly dealt with by Iggy and the others, a barrage of arrows and a few spells from myself offing most of the the beasts. One did throw a large lump of flesh which briefly trapped one of our party members, but they managed to break out quickly enough.

The rabbits and other creatures were nimble and managed to spread out amongst the group, attacking us from various angles. They didn’t inflict any serious damage but they were a pest which distracted us from the main threat and prevented us from immediately dealing with the hand and arm. In fact throughout the whole fight the arm was causing problems for the entire group, causing the ground to shake, pulling us towards it, causing it to rain boiling blood and even firing missiles of bone at us. I was nearly knocked unconscious a few times were it not for the abundance of healing potions I had brought with me.

Once we had dealt with the smaller threats we all rushed towards the arm and attempted to weaken it enough to apply the aforementioned tag lock. As we damaged the limb it did produce several abominations, creatures made of flesh with many mouths, but they were manageable with the giants and rabbits off the table. Eventually the arm seemed to weaken enough to apply the taglock, which allowed our artificer C to fly in and apply it. The mist hand made an attempt to pull him away and stop the taglock from being applied but we managed to pull through and emerged victorious.

I intend to put together a more comprehensive report at a later date, when we have information from the other layers whom I know also had to deal with pieces of the the giants arm. Though this does feel like a shallow victory... where is the rest of the giant? And what was it even after?.

-Orion Malanis

The group solved a series of riddles.

For those participating in the world event a boon will be given at the start to all groups.

Giant Finger Research Report

In attendance: Orion Malanis, Aima, Lyx, Scum, Willow.

Summary

Scout patrols on the surface recovered the frayed finger of an undead giant. The finger itself seems to have severed just below the knuckle and is remarkably well preserved, with the bone being exposed. A closer inspection revealed several ancient Sylvan inscriptions carved into the bone and fingernail.

Investigation

Maeve was able to decipher the ancient sylvan inscriptions as follows. We assumed that these inscriptions were riddles of some kind and began to search for answers to them.

Inscription 1:

"Not every door is made of stone. Not every wall wishes to be seen. Offer the world an eye not born of flesh, And hidden paths shall welcome thee."

After much discussion and several different attempts Willow observed the carving through the neck of a bottle, which revealed the hidden text AZSRVS. When the text was revealed another riddle was presented to us, spoken into our minds by a female voice.

"Not dead, not living, not absent, only abandoned, speak of me and I begin to return."

We came to the conclusion that the text AZSRVS was encoded in some form and that the second riddle would provide us with the key to decipher it. While there was a great amount of guessing involved, we eventually figured out the answer to the riddle was YOE.

By using AZSRVS and YOE together we decoded the name CLOTHO, marking the end of the first riddle.

Inscription 2:

"I wear no cloak, yet none can see me. I cast no shadow, yet I stand before thee. Dust, rain, or smoke become my name. Reveal my shape without a flame."

Compared to the previous riddle this one was solved much quicker. By blowing dust and sand across the inscription we revealed several markings. These markings were translated to reveal the name LACHESIS, marking the end of the second riddle

Inscription 3:

"The blind may find me. The seeing pass me by. Close the one thing you trust most, And open what cannot lie."

This riddle was the beginning of many. When we closed our eyes a voice filled our minds, a female voice that asked if we would like to begin something known as “The Gauntlet”, where we would only get 2 incorrect answers before being punished. We came together as a group and agreed to participate in order to find more information.

The Gauntlet

When we agreed to participate we were brought into the gauntlet. While we remained physically in Underhaven, next to the finger, we did notice that time began to flow differently. The world moved much faster around us, with Maeve and the others observing us to move very slowly. There was definitely fey magic in play.

Trial 1:

"Four carried her, one remains. Choose not the greatest gift but the one that survives oblivion."

This riddle was accompanied by the appearance of four stone pillars labelled Strength, Wisdom, Faith, and Memory.

Three of our research group stood by the pillar of memory, believing it to be the right answer, and were then given the next trial. Those that stood by other pillars were marked with one failure but still allowed to proceed.

Trial 2:

"The one most lost does not show her face."

After being given the riddle we saw six slots appear across the back of the giant's finger, each containing different symbols: Feather, Sun, Moon, Mushroom, a blank slot, and Star.

Each of these symbols could be linked in some way to the True Gods, two sisters of the living trinity, the goddesses of day and night, and lux mara. The only missing representation was of the lost goddess Yoenna.

Therefore we were able to solve this riddle by putting a branch into the blank slot.

Trial 3:

The third trial came with no riddle, but instead a scale appeared before us. One side of the scale was labelled “Power” and the other side was labelled “Remembrance”. At the beginning of this trial the Power side of the scale was heavier and weighed down.

Around the scale sat four crystals; Glory, Gold, Blood and Family.

We placed the family crystal onto the Remembrance side of the scale, which tipped the scale out of balance. This caused us to fail this trial and counted as one failure before we began the next. Those of us who had already failed the earlier trial were ejected from the gauntlet and time began to affect them normally again.

Trial 4:

“The dead may keep me, the living may lose me, books may hold me, time may steal me”

Unlike the previous trials there was no physical component of this trial. We answered simply by speaking the answer aloud, which in this case was “Names”. However there was a wrong answer from one of the three remaining researches, bringing the group in the gauntlet down to two.

The female voice answered that this was not the answer the expected or wanted, but it was still acceptable and gave us the letters A,T, R,O

Trial 5:

"The fair folk covet me, hags twist me, mortals squander me."

This riddle was presented in the same way as the previous one, with the answer being spoken aloud. The correct answer was “Words”. We were only able to succeed here thanks to the aid of Willow, as I gave an incorrect answer and was ejected from the gauntlet myself.

The last letters we were given were P,O,S, which when combined with the previous trial gave us the final name ATROPOS

Conclusion

Once we identified the three names; CLOTHO, LACHESIS and ATROPOS, the magic that was preserving the giant's finger seemed to end. The finger completely disintegrated, leaving nothing behind.

We saved a lot of innocent little creatures that would have suffered horrible fates, AND we discovered the beast tamer has a name! It is Chris. His careful planning will protect a bunch more in the future and keep the caverns healthier.

"I guess I'm a mama now? I will hurt anyone who touches my mushpup.. this is a promise not a threat..."

Log 6-24

A warped sketch of a strange mushroom with a tongue lolling out, alongside a smear of ink. A tag of 'Mushdog' in rigid scrawl, and a serial number on the side.

'We went past the city perimeter and explored a mushroom forest, set up some traps to keep the specimens safe, but at our arrival we came across something grim. We decided to rescue what was left of the dogs,'

There's a drawing depicting something curled over in a small enclosed cove, and a few somethings wriggling over it.

'We left none of them behind. It will be much safer in the city than these wilds,'

There's an addition of a tail-less mushroom, wide mouthed and screaming, climbing and licking another figure. Multiple other sketches of figures that were present in the encounter run along the page, as with an update of the map beyond city limits.

Nearing the bottom, a careful drawing of some mushpuppies, much too small when compared to the arm that craddled them.

In what seems to be a fresher coat of ink, 'Ah right, I named this one Truffle.' Is written in a tired hand paired with an arrow pointed to one of them. It seems this Truffle is slightly thinner than the other ones. There's notes on trying to figure out its diet, from wax candles to other mushroom species, then settling on what might be a design for a compost bin. Chances are it will be much healthier in the near future.

At the bottom are the initials 'A.A', nearby multiple pawprints going into and fading out of the page.

"Oh yeah, I've been to an 'Island'. Once upon an old voyage my crew and I were shipwrecked on an Isle of Mushrooms. There, beasts were. Living Mushrooms. My crew and I took cover! We watched the beasts and learned of their hunger. I alone was brave enough to push forward and try to tame the creature. I sliced off a portion of mushroom growing on the island floor and offered it to the Mushroom Monster. As it ate from my hand, I sensed it's raw power. The beast could take out a thousand ships if it waned to. It brought me to its lair, and offered to let me keep one of their own."

"Okay Finn, Levi is cute but let's work on our honesty."

"My Leviathan will shake the world! I'm gonna let em ride around on my hat today for enrichment."

After a days trek through the caved we finally reached the tower, Puca spotted a portal and there was an army of devils swarming and attacking the tower. we make it in.. not so stealthfully.. Puca got stabbed, burned, and poisoned.. But after we made our way up and in we found what we were tasked to fine but one item.. then the attack happened, The devils began sieging the tower trying to bring it down.. we came to the realization as well that they were trying summon some demonic lord through the portal.. Solaris teleported me and himself closer to the portal, While the other distracted the army I with some small help from Solaris obliterated the portal, stopping the summoning of the demonic lord to the caves! once tensions calmed down, we found the shadow of the old lighthouse keeper being kept safe by my own shadow, after all that we went back to the haven!

Log Date: 6-17

'Escorted flour on a cart at the request of a kind baker, learned more of settlements beyond the city limits. Defended the shipment while hunting strange tusked creatures with dark hides.'

There is a hastily scribbled drawing of what one may describe as a Moorbounder if they squinted past the chicken-scratch notes on weakpoints, questionmarks and notes to selves, is pinned to the side. There's also an addition of a scene of a Moorbounder slumped on a cart, which has one figure poking at it, one other annoyed.

'There was a settlement, they seemed to be doing well, save for the lack of food which we'd delivered. Safe places past the hole, they must have some reason, outcasts maybe?'

The are more drawings of tents hugging a cavern wall, alongside an awful attempt at drawing a woman holding some sort of scraplock, it seems the author is not very suited to drawing people.

'We were held a 'lock-point at one point by an elvish woman. She didn't shoot us so I assume she's not a deviant sort.'

A line with an approximation of the location of the tents are drawn alongside a roadmap and edges of Underhaven.

'There is life beyond city limits. Surely there are other cities beyond this one. Perhaps we are not alone.'

Signed at the bottom are the initials "A.A."

Orion Malanis - Delivery Report

Hazel reached out for assistance in delivering some goods to a group stationed out in the tunnels. She provided a cart and two Rothes to pull it. Aside from myself and my two undead servants there were five others who were contracted for this work, including a drow and some kind of sailor with bad wrists. The others in the group struggled to lift up the largest of the boxes into the cart, with the aforementioned sailor hurting himself in the process. In the end I had to step forward and lift the boxes, despite being the smallest in the group.

Once the cart was loaded we quickly made our way through the tunnels. Nothing of note happened until we reached the darker parts of the caves nearer our destination, though the sailor seemed to blabber incessantly about ships and tall tales. Things did quieten down however when we came across a trail of lanterns, signalling we were drawing closer to our destination, and the Rothe halted in their tracks, seemingly spooked by something. I will admit that the drow woman did a good job managing and comforting the beasts, which helped keep the cart under our control.

After the Rothe got spooked three of the group disappeared into the darkness ahead to scout out the route; the sailor, the rogue and the sorcerer. They weren’t gone for long before they came back reporting there was some kind of activity or danger in the route ahead, giving us an opportunity to prepare ourselves and form a defensive formation around the cart before pushing forward.

The threat in this case was a group of beasts dwelling in the darkness. Three large feline like beasts with sleek black fur, large eyes and what I can only describe as tusks coming from their jaws. Unlike my previous encounter with foes out in the caves, these beasts were easy enough to dispatch. They were thick skinned and had a nasty set of claws but with my undead servants and the frontlines of the group drawing most of the danger to themselves, the other casters and myself were able to stand back and assist with various spells. I was able to get through the encounter with not even a scratch, though I did end up expending all my third level spells.

With the threat gone we pushed on to the destination of our journey, a small camp home to many interesting and unusual races. As we approached one of their scouts, a woman named "Mags", sneaked up behind us and confronted us at gunpoint. Fortunately we were able to talk in a civil and control manner, clearing up any misconceptions. She had a larger fellow come by and unload the cart as the sailor injured himself again trying to pick up any boxes. Goods were exchanged, the cart was loaded with some materials to be brought back to Hazel and we headed home. The trip back was quick and less eventful.

Overall a relatively smooth and easy job, the other members of the group seemed capable enough in a pinch.

The play was very good, very well written and the actors did an amazing job. Thinking of joining the group that run the play, could be a very creative and fun way to spent time.

Absolutely lovely play, thought provoking, and left me wanting more...

A traveling group of actors called the Crossroad Players set up a stage in the northeast part of the city, by the chapel and the library. The group's led by Dell Bows, also called Sweatly. I also heard they plan to take over a theater. I don't know which one, or how close they are to making that happen.

The play was called "The Crown That Would Not Sleep." It was written many years ago by Sweatly's great-great-great-aunt, who's since passed away, and kept safe afterward by his great-grandmother. It clearly means a great deal to him, more than just a show.

The story goes like this. The villain's forgotten her lines. The hero's begun asking questions. The damsel no longer waits where she should. The hunter no longer remembers who she's hunting. The ending's unfinished, and the true ending was lost long ago. Sweatly refuses to write a new one out of respect for the original work.

Here's what I noticed about the cast. Sweatly plays the hero, with light yellow/blond hair, light skin, and dark green eyes. The villain has dark violet hair, light skin, and dark brown eyes. I didn't catch her name. The damsel has half-black, half-white hair, light blue skin, dark red eyes, and might be part fiend, maybe a tiefling. I didn't catch her name. The hunter's Sweatly's half-sister, with light brown/brunette, light skin, and dark green eyes. I heard she doesn't plan to stay with the group long-term. I didn't catch her name either. Clank, a small kenku, works as the stagehand. Sweatly's wife, who I believe is named Julie Bows, built the stage itself, but she wasn't part of the performance and wasn't introduced to us. I don't know why.

Afterward, everyone in the audience received a banner. I assumed it was just merchandise, something to remember the group by, but I'm not certain that's all it is.

Peak Event. I loved it would recover corpse again.

Finn is found spinning a weave to some strangers, all of whom doubt his words.

"It was quite the tale I tell you. A group of adventurers and myself were sent into the dark pit where bodies are decomposed and eaten away by death dealing worm-y bugs. The goal? To find the missing body of a goblin fellah who had fallen tragically below. We split into two groups and went down the shaft. There, thousands of thousands of disgusting creatures skittered around, waiting for a moment to take our lives. We split into two search parties and I took one of the torches to keep the creatures at bay. The other group went left, and we went right. Sneaking about the darkness to find the skeleton. From bone pile to bone pile, we searched, slowly losing hope until.. it happened. Our groups met up, and above us was a disgusting sac of some kind of flesh and pus, within- the goblin man was resting. As much as a skeleton could. Addy flew up, and cut the partially digested friend free. We all mourned the loss of a local from Underhaven. We made our way back to the surface, and the body was taken away. Hopefully to be revived."

As the group clears, Finn seems disappointed at not having been believed. Having actually told the truth. For once.

Fought some of the same creatures that came to the town earlier.. killed them.. touched a cursed masked.. and now my arm is cursed..

Had a fight with some weird looking things, did mostly well noone died, although had to lose my flail to save an arm I hope

Orion Malanis - Report

This was one of my first ventures into the caverns which surround the city. When I saw the original notice I was unsure if my own abilities would be up to the task, however after meeting the rest of the group it became clear they were all well equipped and capable of making up for where I lacked.

Our journey through the sand layer was uneventful. We ran into no major issues and we're able to get a rest in for a few hours before we pushed into the deeper areas. I was able to find some time to summon a bat familiar and cast mage armour, in preparation for whatever we might run into.

As we pushed onwards we picked up a trail of blood. I myself was unable to gleam much from it but from what I heard it seemed to be a few days old and from a humanoid creature. Tracking it led us almost straight to a camp where we found gore, bones and several dangerous masked creatures.

Never before have I seen such unnatural and strange beings. Their limbs were long and narrow, like they had been stretched. They often moved on all fours, like some kind of beast, but in a way that just looked wrong. Each beast wore a mask, all with differences, though I didn't get close enough to examine any of these masks in detail.

The fight with the beasts was intense. Several of our group took the front lines while myself, another mage and some kind of ratfolk in a armoured vehicle attacked from behind. It was a long and tedious fight but we did eventually succeed, thought a bulette did intrude during the conflict and caused some serious harm to both our frontline and the strange creatures.

Worth noting is that these creatures seemed to be unaffected by many of my necrotic and poisonous spells. Also, they had a tendency to scream and wail, which seemed to have some kind of negative affect on those with weaker mental defenses. Nothing a simple warding wind could not deal with but it did cause some problems in our front line.

After dealing with the creatures and escaping the bulette we found a straggler, similar to the other masked beasts, that was showing some interest in a small cavern. We swiftly dealt with this beast and then found one survivor of the attack, hidden in the back of the space.

This final beast left its mask behind, which one of our group attempted to cast remove curse on. Unfortunately the spell seemed to fail and the mask seemed to fuse itself with her hand and caused her flesh to turn to what appears to be porcelain, starting from the point of contact. The spread was stopped by wrapping her upper arm with chain, which lasted until we made it back to town with the survivor.

For the most part we handled the work well, dealt with the creatures and retrieved the survivors. However I believe this could be a cautionary tale about using remove curse without being aware of the strength and properties of the curse itself.

We tracked down the white thing and subdued them. They shouldn't be bothering Underhaven in the short term.

(Petra Group @ The Intersection)

Fought some goop with many faces, the fucker hit hard.. and that woman had good shot but, hey we killed the monster but sadly the lady still got away...

I drove a tank. I shot my cannon ,rockets. and exploded the big enemy. I am the top rat. I also shot that women in the leg.

Huyao?'s Thoughts - Aftermath
(Dsthesecond Group)

This was the moment we were tested, where we had to prove we deserved the right to live, to endure, to survive. We dare say the proof of our resilience has been made apparent to all who might challenge us.
Fate does not wait until one is ready, yet we did well in what little time we had to prepare. Evacuation zones were established, the mightier sorts of our city were unified, and each individual fulfilled their potential well.

That said, the people cannot rely on the mightier among them to preserve them forever. Let these events show the necessity of power to preserve our haven as this battle acts as the catalyst for change and the foundation for greater order among our people.

More challenges shall come, so bare your heart and let your passions burn through them all.

(Shrimp Group Intersection)

Puca Merrystone went invisible a few times and attacked a creature with his glaive and stood his ground unlike SOME PEOPLE, I carried 2 people to a running HUGE creature and grappled it while it spit at me how fun.

We headed to the Easter Side of Underhaven to face a dangerous multi-faced creature with smaller single-faced creatures as backup. However, we encountered the Understudy who was sniping us from afar.

Luckily we managed to take down the hideous beast and the underlines. Nobody died in battle and everyone got off safely with some minor damage to the town by Scum's Tank. However the Understudy escaped​​...

Primary Target: A frayed(?) amalgam created from the bodies of many different individuals. It made use of different masks, with its abilities changing whenever the active mask shifted. Ultimately defeated by Scum and his... whatever that machine is.

Secondary Target: Unknown woman. She used a firearm, and seemed to be proficient with powerful magic. Was seemingly the one who lured the frayed horde to our town. She managed to escape, and remains at large. Likelihood of further antagonistic actions towards Underhaven seems likely. Capturing or eliminating her should be a high priority moving forwards.

Successfully protected the Underhaven thanks to the bravery and prowess of the town's forces, albeit scattered and almost fragile from what I hear of the other districts' battles.

(Shrimp's Group -Bugpit)
[Lilinoe's thoughts- or ramblings, trying to find her state of mind through a splitting headache.]

I-It was... it was...

They were going towards the bug pit. /I hate the bug pit/- and if the corpse beetles were to get infected.... We were maybe going to try to call their attention... Harrus shouted. The ground shook.

The first monster looked- it was a dog? Covered in holes- we watched a flesh eating worm crawl into it's body. Turning, it ran through Púca, ripping into Kal. They defended, Harrus, Púca Kal... I ran towards the bug pit. Miss Morrigan followed, Miss Alice followed- another ran away. /I'm glad she is safe./

I don't think I missed. The creature I approached had many arms, tilted and reaching towards the bug pit. Worms were crawling out to meet it... We attacked them. We attacked it...

It responded when I called to it. It noticed. I didn't have time to call it further. /Why would it respond? Was it not fully lost yet?/

Between the mist above and the creatures between us- I couldn't focus. My head was pounding and pulling me away. /It hurts./ I couldn't hear anymore, I became lost as the battle progressed. /I killed the dog, didn't I? I remember seeing it fall. It fell to my arrows? I didn't leave them aloneIdidn'tIcouldn'tthinkI'msorry./

Further in the Vein, I could think. It took so long... I tried to steer people away. I hate this- when I can see every moment but not make sense of anything.

Why towards the bug pit? Why were they being called? How could it still hear me?

Is everyone okay?

(Petra group, intersection)

"The combat began with us facing down an opaque cube of black jelly with many porcelain masks, along with its similarly-materialled-and-masked minions of humanoid shape and medium size. It was a true slugging match that I rose above right at the start.

Unfortunately for us, The Understudy, who was behind the whole thing, was present at our battle. On my way towards the roof of the cave, in an effort to dispel the magical effect drawing the mist monsters to Underhaven, she shot me and forced me to fall. Thankfully, it was straight into Ellimor's arms, which softened the impact considerably.

After further events, we heard a scream from the scout stationed by the gate to the fungal caves. I hurried over faster than I ever have before, and lent her my magical aid, disposing of enough of The Understudy's magical ability to give the scout the upper hand before I was rendered unconscious.

Unfortunately, in the confusion after those moments, and with my awareness lost from me, The Understudy escaped once more."

-Excerpt from an after-action interview of Wobgrob Calyptor, a magical shop owner that took part in yet another battle for Underhaven.

That man almost killed himself, after we had just saved him from a monster!

Crumb Cult!

Crumb Cult!

Pay your tabs or get suplexed

Crumb is the messiah...blessed by Theire herself...

"I made so many new friends! I even got to talk about my gods! We had good for, Miss Elli brought wine, Miss Hilda is now acting strange around me, in a neat way" -Crumb

Amazing event. Tied in well with one of the event lines max is running.

• Broke my armor.. sapped my strength.. tested my patients.. and.. fuck sake..

Nobody stole from the fae this time...

Lovely shop, lovely owner.
I bought lots of toys for the orphanage!

I purchased a toy from Esmerelda, the shop owner, for the orphanage, and a couple for myself. If they happen to pop up again, I'd recommend checking out their wares!

Experienced sparring partners and informational hosts. I look forward to the next training.

Very informative
The mist is racist now

An encounter with Puppets in the desert turns into a battle with The Beast & The Muse, who turn out to be far more than they appear. Exciting stuff.

I made a new friend and people called me 'artistic'!

-Fought some grungs, saved some.. and another one of the dumb big ass frogs... ((Very good event enjoyed it!!))

[Event Report in Progress]

((Very fun!))

Almost DIED but in the end gained a lot of knowledge and got to help out the population. But will definitely be training more for the future...

My crystal now!

Yummy honey! Bees hurt though...

It was a very scary trip...prepared to go out and talk with biest and was met with ehm an hungry chimera with to much fire...thankfuly the others slayed it.

Turns out, it was three kobolds in a t̶r̶e̶n̶c̶h̶c̶o̶a̶t̶ minor illusion.