S67: Ballooning for Sweets

Flying high above Grimshackle the group sees the path of destruction Yeenoghu has left with his minions as they follow the direction of the pink glow on the soul compass. Yeenoghu is heading straight toward the highest mountain peak in the Unfathomable Mountains. Why? The reason is uncertain. Safe, for now, the group rests. 

Drifting off to slumber they are awoken by a small gnomish child brushing the dorsal crest of a small gray dragon. She doesn’t appear to notice the group at first. Alora speaks. Sweets turns to respond “Hi Alora, Oh hi everybody! I like your balloon.” Her bright blue eyes wander around the interior of the swamp gas balloon. Alora begins to question Sweets who seems confused, then concerned, then scared. Her response leaves Alora with more questions than answers. Sweets does not stay long, her last words being “Help me!” before her visage disappears. 

The group, especially Alora, feel the urgency to get to Sweets as quickly as possible. Alora tries to send Sweets a magical message to find out where she is or who has her captive. The response is cryptic and confused. Something is terribly wrong. Dorus produces a gust of wind to push the balloon ahead more quickly.

Nom’s impish nose begins to twitch. She smells gold. A lot of gold. Turning into a fleshy, partially feathered raven she jumps from the balloon. Dorus, seeing Nom leave, follows suit in shape and flight. Nom and Dorus follow the scent of gold to an area past visited, but long forgotten, Huther’s once great gold mine, now seemingly abandoned. Nom’s stomach growls. As she cautiously approached. A growl and roar pursed from the cave's entrance as a medium sized red dragon emerges. Her eyes dart back and forth. She does not seem to notice the small birds watching from a distance. Nom transforms into a small spider with the intent on finding her meal of gold. The dragon roars again. Nom feels small clawed talons imprison her to the ground. Raven-Dorus has pinned her to the ground as if saying, it is not safe. With another roar Dorus lifts off with an eight legged Nom pinched snugly in his talons. Nom, not interested in being told what to do turns into a grotesque mangy rat. It does not deter Dorus as he makes his way back toward the balloon. Understanding Dorus' concerns, Nom turns back into her impish form and flies with Dorus back to their swamp gas balloon.

They drift on the winds for hours berating Nom and her so-called bad decision making. Looking downward the group can see Therack still smoldering. Small specks hurry along the ground working to repair their once great city. Nom grows curious and once again transforms into a raven. This time Dorus does not follow as he has a limited amount of times he can take animal form. Nom disappears from sight. Turning invisible she takes rat form and begins to search the debris for golden treats. She does find some, but not enough to satiate her hunger. However, she does know where to find plenty of gold -- Jarnigol Holdings. A place that caused Nom much pain and suffering. But Nom is not one to learn from her past mistakes. She heads toward the bank overhearing the complaints and woes of Theracians as she meanders through the raised town. She crosses through an abandoned smoldering hut sniffing through its remains as a pitched fork pierces the ground beside her. A dirty thin woman licks her lips and brushes dirty hair from her eyes. “I found one hunny, I found dinner!” An equally grimy male human stumbles through the door. His wide, almost feral, eyes meet Nom’s. A battered table leg comes crashing down beside Nom. She skitters out of the way then jumps toward the man sinking her teeth deep into his calf. “Awwww hunny it got me. It got me real good. My leeeeeeeg!”. The woman looks at the man with disgust, “Get yer ass up and get it. Pathetic.” She lashes out with her pitchfork once more. Nom fades from sight disappearing into the rubble. Rethinking her trek to the bank she once again takes flight back to the balloon with the ramblings and defamation of a battered husband fading into the night.

During Nom’s short visit to Therack Dorus schemes. The team cannot risk Nom’s bad decision making. Cannot risk the mission to save Grimshackle. Dorus places a magical snare precisely where Nom had perched. He had a surprise for Nom upon her return. And Nom does return -- invisible and in her imp form. She lands precisely where Dorus had laid the trap. With a strum of a tight string the trap cinches tightly around Nom’s leg. She tries to change shape again, but the trap holds tight and binds her to her current imp likeness. Mokon, also tired of Nom’s shenanigans, decides to take her entrapment to the next level. He magically puts Nom to sleep at which point her invisibility fades, he then casts hold keeping her nice and still. Mokon proceeds to cut deep gash through her fleshy wing, securing her wing with a thick rope. Nom is not happy.

Dorus snare trap holds Nom for a complete eight hours allowing the group to all get a long rest. Krom wakes first. She sees Nom struggling to break free as the magical snare’s power fades. She wakes Dorus. They watch as her body begins to change taking features of her winged imp body transform into that of a spider. Unfortunately for Nom, the wing segment of an imp morphs into two legs of a spider. As she changes the large rope currently through her wing is larger than a spider’s leg tearing it from her body. Nom howls (as much as a spider can howl) as her small spider leg falls to the ground twitching sporadically. A multi-eyed spider death stare is aimed directly at Mokon.

The morning sun begins to rise magnificently over the distant mountains. For a moment (and only a moment) the group forgets their worries. 

The pendant glows brighter pink now. It points toward the town of Pilliwinks. A place none of the party has yet seen. Pilliwinks is a farming town. Much of the produce Therack relies upon comes from this small village. The balloon drifts closer. Where is everyone? The town seems abandoned. Dorus recalls the meeting with the practical joke magician, Robin. Didn’t he say something about the townsfolk for Pilliwinks behaving strangely?

Alora begins to lower the balloon as the rest of the group fights with Nom. A bell begins to ring in the distance, still, no movement. They land with a dull thud in the center of town. The party climbs from the basket with many of them feeling solid ground for the first time in days.

The town is small, small buildings surround a town center. A long dead fire pit lays dormant. The surrounding fields are full of dead crops. There is no movement. The air seems stale. A large hut is at the northern part of the town. The direction of the bell perhaps. Krom makes his way forward. The door to the large hut bursts open. An older, white hair man exists, slamming the door behind himself. “Greetings, I am Syrus, town elder of this small village. We have nothing to offer outsiders, please be on your way.” Clearly this man is not one to care about first impressions. Krom approaches still. “Is there something you need? Please be on your way.” Dorus notices the pendant is pointing toward the woods past the town's edge. Alora begins to ask questions about the lack of people in the town, what is going on in this place, and most importantly Sweets. “The town has come down with a sort of sickness, most of them are at home resting. I was fortunate enough to avoid the illness. I do not know of this Sweets. Please leave.” His crooked mouth spits slightly as he speeds through his words. 

Clearly this man is going to be of little help. And with the pendant pointing elsewhere, the group decides to leave… for now. Krom’s curiosity gets the best of him, as the rest of the crew board the balloon, Krom peeks in the window of a closeby shack. Inside she sees more than human shapes standing haphazardly in a large room. Their eyes wide and unblinking. Their skin is gray and lifeless. They sway gently back and forth. They do not seem to notice Krom in the window. He backs slowly away and climbs into the balloon. He relays the unsettling event he just witnessed to the rest of the group as the gas balloon lifts into the air and floats in the direction of Sweets.

Stopping in a small clearing the pendant points downward. Upon inspection the group finds nothing of interest in the area, except for a non-trap door that Alora eagerly points out to the group. Dorus surmises there must be a tunnel running underground from the town. They will head back under the blanket of darkness.

As night begins to fall the group quietly walks back to Pilliwinks. It is still uncomfortably quiet. The group is concerned about the horde of pale figures Krom had seen earlier, but will first try their luck at the large hut. Krom pulls on the door, it is locked. Dorus has the idea to draw out Syrus, to hopefully sneak in once the door has been opened. Dorus transforms into a large bear and begins to do his loudest impression. Dorus scratches on walls, knocks over barrels, and overall tries to be as annoying as possible. Instead of Syrus opening the door, they hear a bell once more, this time with five quick-in-succession rings. The door to one of the huts opens slowly as twenty slow moving townsfolk walk toward Dorus. Their eyes held wide -- unblinking. They speak in absolute unison. “Shoo bear shoo. Shoo bear shoo. Shoo bear shoo.” They walk toward Dorus. Dorus runs around the other side. The bell rings again as ten more villagers appear from another home. They also speak in complete unison trying to scare the bear from the town. Dorus wanders into the woods. The townsfolk turn and enter their homes once more. 

All is quiet.

Well, that was weird. The party decides (after MUCH contemplation) to lock the doors of all surrounding homes with wedges of wood. One by one Alora invisibly sneaks to each home, looks in the window, and quietly wedges the door shut. Each home a similar story. Groups of almost comatose individuals swaying in the dark. Wide non-blinking eyes staring forward. All homes except for one. As Alora peeks through the window of the 7th home. She notices a young thin woman glance quickly out the window. This woman does not seem as pale as the others. She is indeed standing and rocking gently with the others in the room, but does not appear to be in the same state as the rest. Alora messages her silently asking many questions. At first the woman looks concerned not knowing why she has words penetrating her mind. She glances out the window, but sees nothing as Alora is still invisible. Alora questions her more letting her know she can answer in her mind. “Who are you? You are going to get me killed. Go away.” Alora tries to connect with the young woman saying she is here to help. “I don’t want your help. Go away. You can’t beat them. They are too strong.” Alora continues, asking why there are no children present. “They take all the unborn children. Pregnant woman go in, and they come out different and without child. I’ve already lost two. I can’t.” At this point Alora has no patience for someone who does not want to be helped. Her attitude flips (in true Alora fashion) explaining to her that she can just die there for all she cares. Alora softly stomps off in a huff. 

While the rest of the group strategized, Nom had her own plans. The door to the large hut is clearly locked, there are no windows in the building. Spider time. Nom, scurries under the door to see a room filled with hay. Lots and lots of hay. She morphs back into an invisible imp and unbars the door. It swings open with a squeak. The party turns to see the door open as if on its own. Nom turns into a rat and begins to dig her way through the hay to find any secrets that may be hidden within.

The rest of the party cautiously enters the building. They all begin to sift through loose hay until they find a neatly hidden trap door. It opens easily revealing a deep hole complete with wooden ladder. Mokon heads down first followed closely by an invisible flying imp named Nom. It is dark. Very dark. The rest of the group follow down the thirty foot shaft. Upon reaching the bottom. Dorus grabs the ladder and pulls. A fifteen foot section of wooden ladder breaks from the wall. He rests it on the floor. Hopefully this will stop any who try to follow them. They begin down the dark tunnel. Most of the group have the ability to see in the dark, except Dorus. Nom offers to help him. He accepts, but only after he gives all his valuables to Krom for safekeeping.

They walk down a long twisting rock and dirt corridor. Its width and height differ with each turn. Dorus was not made for spelunking down thin tunnels. After about a half hour the group begins to smell something slightly sweet along with the smell of deep woods. A different smell than dirt and stone. A faint blue light glows at the end of the tunnel. They move forward with Mokon taking the lead. As they move forward they begin to notice a low hum. Krom suggests earplugs may be a good idea, the group agrees. Cautiously they continue. The tunnel opens to a larger chamber. Blue crystals shine and pulsate from their locations randomly on walls, floors, and ceilings. Large pink mushrooms stand out through the white haze that hangs heavy on the air. A long rickety bridge spans a deem chasm that is filled with small white sacks that look similar to spider sacks the group has seen in the past. An opening to another room can be seen to the west and to the north. The hum is louder here but muffled by the ear plugs worn by all.

Dorus's amulet points across the bridge. One by one the group crosses. The bridge holds if not barely for a loxodon. As they cross the bridge they are greeted by a large winged insectoid. Its glossy eyes look forward as its large head twitches sporadically. “Leave now. You are not welcome here. Leave or you will be attacked.” Nom and Krom although at odds quite often do have the same mindset when it comes to threats. They attack. 

Nom attempts to de-wing the large bug while Krom goes toe to toe with her axe. Alora lights up the creature with magic missiles as Dorus unleashes a ring of beautiful scantily dressed blue spirits for protection. Mokon pushes his way to the front protecting his friends from harm while swiping deep gashes into the insect with Kruss’ sword. Another bug like creature enters the fray and is quickly dispatched. Nom, farthest into the northern chamber notices her head feeling woozy for a moment before she snaps back. Alora casts a spell causing the flying insect to begin to click and clack while it rolls on the floor in laugher. Nom looks to her left, she sees a larger more formidable creature standing in the back of the room. This creature looks insectoid except it wears a purple robe and hold a large ornate staff.  Nom looks downard. Directly to her left sleeps partially cocooned Sweets. Two orbs are release hitting Nom and Krom. Nom is reduced to a puddle of sludge while Krom is rendered blind. The creature darts forward ripping a still sleeping Sweets out of her cocoon. “Turn back now or the child dies.” The creatures mouth does not move with these words it speaks. “Leave now, this does not concern you.” The creature hisses in their mind as it holds a razor sharp bladed appendage to Sweets neck. Alora has moved forward at this point. She discreetly animates a flat stone sneaking it toward Sweets and her captor, gently placing it across Sweets throat and in front of the insects blade. Dorus quietly heals the group from the back including a the reduced to mush Nom whose appearance is altered from what it once was. Krom, who is now able to see once more does not take kindly to another threat. She reaches down and grabs the laughing insect ripping the best in two, maintaining eye contact with the foe in the back of the room. Its mandibles begin to chatter as it pulls the blade across Sweets throat then tosses her to the ground.