Session3.6

Hardholme S3E6: Garoon Dies At The End
 Chris (as Chris), Aurelae (Lauren), Nihilus (Caspar), Gramarsh (Thayer), Ulrich (Eric), Aurianya (Cathy), Brady (Chen).

 

DAY 1
The anti-“other” tension is palpably building in Hardholme recently. Arrivals and “orphans” alike are becoming more and more blatant in their disdain of both the Voidborn children (#THANKSSilas) and the newly arrived Canar.

 

Ulrich visits the Canar Camp and offers some of them to come and visit/study at the Academy if they would like. It’s a doubly jarring experience for the Canar, being out of their home AND being individual beings separated from the hive mind.

 

Aurelae talks with Richard and sets the Canar up with keeping guard of the city in shifts around Hardholme. The Canar are very good at this and very excited to have a purpose.

 

Aurianya finds Valofax (not Valofax, but Valofax) and brings him to meet the Canar. Valofax LOVES the Canar, and the Canar love his Bag of Feasting. PROBLEM SOLVED. BEST FRIENDS FOREVER! :D


 * The adventurers prep for the journey and head West on their Stryders, crossing the Tastyfish River on the North Bridge. They see some new creatures… they seem to be some sort of half-frog/half-monkey type beings… hhhmmm… fancy THAT.
 * The group travels to the Viven Portal closest to The Hole. They camp on the coast and are very safe in the Leomund’s Tiny Hut that Nihilus casts for them. There are Wngas! But no one catches any. They convince Chen to sleep in the Hut rather than in a tree by himself. Which turned out to be a very good idea, since during Aurelae’s watch she senses that they are being watched… with her elf eyes she sees dozens of glowing Soova eyes in the dark night, watching, waiting, and stalking Stryders.

DAY 2
 

The sunrise is a beautiful, bright orange. It streaks across the horizon, breaking apart the night sky like some giant is crafting a masterpiece with an invisible paintbrush. It is a beautiful sight to behold, and is mirrored in the ocean waves that gently lap the shore where they stand.

 

Ulrich pops open the old, trusty, inflatable pocket ship. It unfolds into a medium-sized blue and white ship. There are 5 sets of oars, so one person can always be resting as they travel. They aren’t quite sure how long the journey across the sea to the Mushroom Forest will take, since when they came across it last time they were all… uh, how do the locals say… tripping balls. Nihilus casts Unseen Servant, and a spirit creature appears and he asks it to row for him. This way two people can rest at a time.

 

Ulrich has a compass, and this in combination with Aurelae’s expert navigation skills should be enough to keep them on track.

As they sail on they can see the floating island above them, and the dark shadow it casts beneath it on the water, and the reality of just how massive the floating island is begins to sink in. They also have a great view of the other side of the rip in space-time that is The Void from whence they all came. They continue rowing into the night.

 

DAYS 3 & 4
   They sail and sail and sail some more.

 

Aurianya cannot stop talking about how cool a hammock would be on the boat, but alas! There is no hammock! So she takes off all her clothes and fashions a hammock from those, and lounges contentedly, soaking up the sun with her very naked body. Many jokes ensue. Aurelae ogles the nude Tabaxi, and when Aurianya notices, she gives a little wink, not trying to hide it in the slightest.

 

Halfway into the third day at sea they are directly under the shadow of the island.

Chen is at the top of the boat mass, staring up at the sky, and maybe it’s just the Sea Madness… maybe it’s just dust in his eyes… but maybe… maybe he sees something flying from the island… but that would be crazy… wouldn’t it?

 

DAY 5
 

They are almost ALMOST out from under the shadow of the island. They see something in the water, not too far away… it… looks like a body. They get closer to it and Nihilus levitates it up out of the water. It is a tabaxi, and comes up limp out of the water. They pull it out of the water and into the boat. Nihilus checks for magic traces, none detected. It’s a female, calico Tabaxi. She’s missing an eye. Chen says that she is still alive, but barely. Ulrich performs some magic healing. A vast amount of her bones are clearly broken. They all work together to stabilize her. They work on it for a good 12-13 hours, using all their magic and strength. It would seem that there is no longer much question as to if there are sentient beings on that island.

 

Aurianya offers to share her magical crystal goblet of wine and wisdom with everyone. Gramarsh puts sea water into his magic flask, it turns to regular water. Aurianya puts that water into her goblet, turns it into wine. This becomes a ritual that they perform every morning.

Nihilus decides, that despite what happened to Gramarsh, he wants to eat his egg he found on his last adventure. He cooks it with finesse, and has great success! The egg is delicious. (He gains a permanent +1 to his lowest ability score. AND he gets a permanent mutation.) Suddenly he feels filled with vitality… He ALSO realizes something new...something sensual has awakened within him… Nihilus now has a very strong sexual fetish… for music.

 

DAY 6
 

 Eventually the Tabaxi regains consciousness. Chen’s face slowly comes into focus. She opens her eye. “Where am I?”

 

Chen: “You are on our boat, in the middle of the ocean, amongst friends.”

 

Ulrich: “Do you need anything?”

 

Tabaxi: “Some space.”

 

They give her some space as they ask her many questions. She did, indeed, fall from the island — which she calls “Hardholme.”

 

She tells them of her Arrival Story:

 

A man named Echo greeted her group when they came through The Void, and told them “Welcome to Hardholme.” Echo quickly ushered them all into a building that was not much larger than the ship they came in on.

 

Her name is Trixy. She tells them more about her journey. They weren’t allowed to enter actual “Hardholme”. She was kept in a holding area along with hundreds of others. Every voyage between years 73-92 appear to have been redirected to this Hardholme in the Sky.

 

A dwarf named Bommel Dankil (from her Arrival Ship) tried to rally to get his arrival group into “Hardholme” and they were told they were accepted, but still made to wait. About 6 months ago she saw a large explosion, it was unlike anything she had every seen before. It was at that moment she knew that the next time Echo came to get another group she was going to make a run for it. She saw a slight opening between Echo and the other guards, and she ran through, and ran and ran, and kept running, the Masters (tentacle faced guys) were chasing her, she was faster, but eventually she had nowhere left to go. Rather than be trapped and caught and… gods know what else by those terrifying tentacled creatures — she jumped. She thought there must be land underneath the mountains she leap from, and it was a sickening shock to realize she was falling towards water… but she did not regret her choice, even if it meant death.

 

Aurelae pulls out her map of Kazzaran’s Valley and shows Trixy everything they have mapped. They catch her up to speed on A Brief History of Hardholme, and accept her as one of their own. She is very curious and thankful to hear that there is “another” Hardholme.

She is lucky, and thankful to be alive. Unfortunately, she is paralyzed from the neck down.

 

DAYS 7-9
 

They talk and share and sail.

Trixy the Tabaxi was a prostitute back on Davros and came here for a fresh start. She and Ulrich bond over some Menga.

 

DAY 10
 

They finally get to the other shore at the end of Day 10 of sailing. They make plans on how to best transport Trixy in her delicate state, and Nihilus used Tenser’s Floating Disk to make something big enough for her to safely float on alongside the group.

 

DAY 11
 

In the light of the morning they can see the mushroom forest. (The green mushrooms = good, they remember.) They discuss a plan of action, which is twofold: 1) to explore the unknown, to go where no half-elf has gone before, and 2) to see how the mushrooms on the cliff of The Hole grow and are rooted, so that they can possibly replicate it where the erosion is happening on the Hardholme side of The Hole.

 

Meanwhile, Nihilus is taking samples and is also sketching the forest. He determines that there are about 12 large species of mushrooms, and 6 small ones.

 

They all decide to wait to eat the “special mushrooms” until later, when they hear, “I’ll fuckin eat some.” Trixy 100% can, in fact, trip balls to her heart's content. Chen makes her some mushroom tea.

 

They travel North on the Striders towards the edge of The Hole. The mushrooms that are on the side of the wall are tall, with skinny stalks, and wide mushroom caps, and grow in clusters. They appear to be very well rooted.

 

Nihilus casts Levitate on himself, ties a rope around his waist, and hands the end to Aurelae. Aurelae walks down the side of the hole, with her Nihilus “balloon” trailing behind her. They observe, make notes on, and collect samples of these mushrooms.

 

After a few minutes they can feel really big footsteps vibrating through the ground towards them. A very large, 50 foot tall, grey Giant Dreamer with glasses on comes out through the mushrooms. He is talking to us, changing his language every now and then, and seems to be friendly. Oh wait! It’s Garoom! And he remembers us! Nihilus eventually comprehends the language he is speaking. Garoom asks about Carric (“the music one”). Garoom remembers some of us, and points out that the others “changed quickly. I just saw you this morning.” Ulrich plays his bone flute for Garoom. Garoom appreciates the effort, but likes Carric’s music better.

 

Garoom declares that he’s going to take a bath. He says, “I’ll only be about an hour.” (In Garoom time…) He says there is “water at the bottom of the hole.”

 

Aurelae: “Garoom. How many of you in height are there to the bottom of the hole?”

 

Garoom: “There’s just the one of me.” He doesn’t get what she’s asking.

 

The group talks about climbing down to the bottom of The Hole, but they are wary, as they have no idea just how deep a journey it is, or how long it would take, or even worse, if one of them fell…

 

Garoon: “Just ride in my bag, like you did this morning.” Oh, yes, that’s a MUCH better idea. However, riding in Garoom’s bag last time was absolutely exhausting and very tumultuous. Even if the rest of them were up for it, that is not an option for Trixy, and they can’t leave her here alone.

 

Nihilus is a genius. He casts Leomund’s Tiny Hut INSIDE the bag, and that way no one gets exhaustion from being jostled around in the bag, like last time. (Which Trixie definitely appreciates.) It takes a couple days to make the journey. They 100% all take mushrooms to kill the time (Aurelae abstains to make sure no one kills or maims themselves).

 

Over the next 12 hours, in the bag:

 

Nihilus becomes incapacitated and can’t talk, and all he hears is music...and with his newfound music fetish...well, *ahem*.

 

Chen is VERY suggestive, and does whatever anyone suggests.

 

Ulrich is babbling, making no sense whatsoever.

 

Gramarsh regards the mushrooms with intense revulsion. In his mind it is incredibly, completely gross, and he wants nothing to do with that ever again.

 

Poor Aurianya just passes out. She is alive, but completely out cold. She dreams that she tries to become more like someone else she knows, and in her dream state she takes on their mannerisms and likeness. It’s Chen. It’s a very spiritual experience that stays with her long after the effect of the mushrooms wears off.

 

Chen at some point wants to go outside, and Aurelae follows. They climb to the top of the hut and peak out of the bag. It’s nighttime. They can start to see the deep pink and purple sky of Hardholme reflected in the water at the bottom of The Hole. It is breathtakingly beautiful.

Chen: “I’m just sayin, that if we’re going up, this Giant is upside down.”

 

DAY 14 or 15
   

The whole trip down took 2-3 days.

 

Garoom: “Wakey wakey, we’re here.”

 

The Hole is slowly filling in with the ocean, it’s curved on a gradient, not a straight drop down.

 

“Welcome to Garoom Beach.” The beach is about a half mile wide from the edge of the mushroom cliff wall to where the ocean begins.

Ulrich suggests that Nihilus puts on his Helmet of Telepathy to detect thoughts of mushrooms, but there’s no intelligence that can be found in the mushrooms down here.

 

DAYS 15-17
''' BEACH PARTY!

 

Garoon tears off a few mushroom caps for them to float on. Compared to Garoom in size, they are like tiny little puppies, frolicking and swimming, and everyone is incredibly happy. They hang out like this on the beach for a couple of days. The water doesn’t seem to be deeper than Garoon. Aurelae takes time to map out the beach coastline and The Hole from this viewpoint.

 

Nihilus and Aurelae find a scale from one of the Wolfdragons in the sand. Wow. THAT is definitely going in Aurelae’s Hunting Lodge.

 

Garoom warns them to NOT eat the brown and red mushrooms. They are poisonous.

After a couple of days on the beach they slowly convince Garoom to head back up to the Top of The Hole with them.

'''

DAYS 18-20
 

The trip back up is similar to the trip downwards, and after maybe 2 or 3 days of riding in Leomund’s Tiny Hut inside Garoom’s bag, they hear some VERY loud, booming voices yelling. A couple members of the group poke their heads out of the bag and see that Garoom is just climbing up to the ground, but there are four other Giants (smaller though, and not quite as grey, more flesh-toned) yelling at him, teasing and taunting poor, sweet, sensitive Garoom.

 

They are clearly picking a very real fight with the Giant Dreamer.

 

Nihilus climbs out of the bag, sees the other giants, and dashes to the left.

 

Chen follows and climbs to Garoom’s right shoulder.

 

Aurelae ain’t havin none of this shit. She sees that one of them is reeeallly giving Garoom the stank eye, and she shoots him in the face (33 damage).

 

Giant #4 (G4) SMASHES poor Garoom’s left hand with his petrified mushroom club.

 

Ulrich climbs out and valiantly charges G1 with his Warhammer. (37 damage AND -4 AC to the enemy)

 

G1 swings his club at Ulrich and Gramarsh and hits them *SMACK!* (30 damage each).

 

G2 starts kicking Garoom in the face yelling “Get outta here ya stupid Dreamer!”

 

Chen expertly leaps over Garoom and onto G2’s leg and holds on tight.

 

Aurianya, in a frenzy, grabs a whole bunch of mushrooms and then climbs out of the bag to see which of her friends are most in need. She climbs up Garoom’s shoulder, puts one of the mushrooms that looks rather poisonous on the tip of an arrow, and shoots it at G1’s face. The arrow smashes right INTO his mouth! (16 damage)

 

Garoom knows that Trixy is still in his bag, so rather than immediately fighting back, he takes his satchel off of his belt, and places it off to the side in a safe place.

 

G3 smashes Garoom right in the face. Garoom isn’t looking too good.

 

Nihilus casts Blind at G4. That MFer is blind as shit now.

 

Chen readies himself and climbs up onto G2’s beard, lying in wait for him to open his mouth.

 

Aurelae wields her Staff of Thunder and Lightning and shocks G1 and G2 (25 and 13 damage respectively). She didn’t realize that Chen was on G2 when she struck, but he was not affected by the lightning, thankfully.

 

Ulrich hits G1 with his valiant sword (16 damage).

 

Gramarsh smashes G1 right after Ulrich hits.

 

G2 opens his mouth to say something and CHEN. IS. THERE. He shoves the green mushrooms right in the giant’s mouth and then climbs up and PUNCHES HIM RIGHT IN THE EYE. TWICE. From the Giant’s perspective, Chen is like a wild, rabid squirrel clawing him in the eye.

 

G1 calls over to G2 to help him “get these things off his toes.”

 

G2 swings for Gramarsh and (critically) misses. He loses his footing, twists his ankle, and falls prone. Unfortunately, he falls TOWARDS Gramarsh. Chen does a backflip off of G2 and gracefully lands on the ground. Gramarsh sees the giant falling in time and jumps out of the way.

 

G3 picks Garoom’s hand off of the cliff and takes his foot and is trying to push him off the cliff with his foot.

 

Aurianya jumps over to G3, climbs up to his face, and SMASHES the poisonous mushrooms into his eye!!! She then yells to Garoom in Abyssal, “Save yourself! Climb down and continue to dream and paint!”

 

G1 smashes Ulrich and he is not looking good (3 HP).

 

Nihilus BANISHES G3 and HE IS GONE! Aurianya was on G3, but she tucks and rolls safely to the ground when he disappears.

 

Chen throws a flurry of kicks at G1 and he goes DOWN. HE KICKED HIM… TO DEATH. Buuuuuut dead G1 falls...riiiiight towards Ulrich… he dodges though, thankfully. Aaaaaand he falls on Chen instead (16 damage).

 

Aurelae shoots G2 (who is not looking too good) in the face (44 damage).

 

G4 starts to call out for his friends… realizes they are down and starts running… right towards the cliff, trips over Garoom, and falls over the edge.

 

G2 is on the ground high AF from the green mushrooms that Chen shoved in his mouth earlier.

 

They have less than a minute before G3 pops back into this realm of existence. For the moment though, it appears as if the danger has passed.

 

Garoom: “I’m going back to the beach man.”

 

The group says their goodbyes and well wishes to Garoom, and he makes his way down The Hole again.

 

Ulrich heals himself and goes to help Chen get out from under the fallen giant. Gramarsh follows suit. Chen is able to get out from under G2.

 

Nihilus casts Grease on the spot where G3 will reappear.

 

Aurelae and Chen head to help Trixie out of the bag. They get as far as they can and watch in wait to see what will happen when G3 reappears.

 

G3 reappears and is slapstick style running in the grease until he is falling over the edge.

 

 

They head back to The Ocean, and sail over the sea again towards Hardholme.

THE END.