Campaign Stormwreck Isle: Spores of Seagrow Cave (1-2)

​

THE STORY SO FAR:

Journey to Stormwreck Isle (1-P)
Welcome to Dragon's Rest (1-1)​

THE QUEST:

• At the behest of Tarak, travel to Seagrow Caves to get past the guardian at the entrance, see what's wrong with the Myconid, and recover a harvest of heart cap mushrooms for him.

THE LOCATION:

​

THE MAP:

Local Party Map​

THE PARTY:

Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd	Moonsprout Beandirt	Short Order	Nac McWeeble	Zesty Zapcrackle

---

ITEM GLOSSARY:

​

	Wind Spore Mushrooms 30 gp each​	A rare fungus with a unique magical property. When a creature squeezes a wind spore mushroom's cap, it releases a small cloud of spores. For 1 hour, the creature doesn't need to breathe, as the spores provide it with oxygen.
	Obsidian Chunk 10 gp each​	An uncut opaque black gemstone.
	Heart Cap Mushrooms 30 gp each​	These mushrooms bear an unsettling resemblance to human hearts.
	Potion of Healing 50 gp each​	This potion's red liquid glimmers when agitated. You regain 2d4+2 hit points when you drink this potion.

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Im... Im seeing things... this is very cool. Many pictures. Like a picture book. Aims likes pictures in his mind hehehe...

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

A series of esoteric and nebulous visions flit in and out of Moonsprout's mind, seemlessly melding from one shape and scene to another. The myconids seem to be communicating with Moonsprout directly through his mind.

Uhhh, guys? I think we fucked up. Bad. Like, real bad. I think we shouldn't have killed that octomush... This isn't good...

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Nac is distressed and confused by the images flittering through his mind.

I think.. maybe it wants us to help... it seems to like Tarak? And... and... this one's name is Hipsiz? Nac adresses the myconid. Are you Hipsiz?

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

I get the same feeling as Nac. This creature is named Hipsiz. He seems to be telling us it knows Tarak and wants our help.

Hipsiz, please, show us how we can help.

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

Suddenly Zesty has a realization.

This appears to be some sort of hive mind. I hear all of your thoughts, your questions. And Nac getting the creatures name appears to show you're hearing mine as well. We do not even need to verbally communicate. It is my belief that this spore cloud Hipsiz is showering us in is allowing us to communicate with him and each other, telepathically.

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

Do we go get Tarak? Do we try to seal off the cave entrance? Do we leave Aims to single-handedly fight off everything that comes out of this cave while we go to get help?

 

[Dungeon Master]

---

Hipsiz​

| As the last set of images hit your mind, Hipsiz points down the tunnel behind them, leading further back into the cave. |

---

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Since we were the ones who killed the octomush, maybe it is our duty to take care of this problem.. I get the feeling, and if you have the same pictures in your head maybe you too, that the octomush was there to keep something in..

 

[Nac McWeeble]

((Man, I'm glad I'm starting work later today, because this is fucking amazing.))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((It’s two am here and I need to go to sleep but this is keeping my attention lol))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Man, I'm glad I'm starting work later today, because this is fucking amazing.))

((Glad to hear it. I put way too much time into trying to generate enough images so I could try to steer a conversation without words...

It's 2am here too and I'm also going to have to quit soon. You got the majority of what I was trying to convey, though.

And just to nudge things, maybe mushrooms can be persuaded. ))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

((My persuasion is shit so I'm leaving it to one of you charismatic fuckers! ))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Short Order waking up.

))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

((My persuasion is shit so I'm leaving it to one of you charismatic fuckers! ))

((I'll try to persuade it... But to do what? I have no idea. Suggestions?))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

Much of these images are too abstract to form a concrete and accurate understanding. I think if -- bear with me on this one -- my mind were in, like, an altered state of consciousness, I might be able to get a better understanding.

Hipsiz, let me lick you.



Moonsprout tries to persuade the myconid... to let Moonsprout lick it.

 

[Short Order]

Well this is weird.

Short order does a nature check to see wtf is happening

 

[Dungeon Master]

Much of these images are too abstract to form a concrete and accurate understanding. I think if -- bear with me on this one -- my mind were in, like, an altered state of consciousness, I might be able to get a better understanding.

Hipsiz, let me lick you.



Moonsprout tries to persuade the myconid... to let Moonsprout lick it.

---

Myconid Adult​

| The myconid backs away from you a few steps, disinclined to acquiesce to your request. |

---

((Actually @Smacktard, go ahead and try that roll again. You've got advantage because you thought about Tarak.))

---

Well this is weird.

Short order does a nature check to see wtf is happening

---

Short Order
@A Pen Pineapple Apple Pen​

|

You attempt to discern what's going on.
You don't know what the fuck. |

---

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

Hmm, that didn't work. Maybe it doesn't understand. Let me try this...

Moonsprout thinks. He thinks and thinks and thinks. And he *thinks* he thinks an image well enough for the myconid to maybe understand what he's trying to say... Hopefully. But the creative inhibition of his (somewhat) rational mind leaves the image he conjures a bit lacking.


Moonsprout again attempts to convince the myconid to let him lick it.

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

((forgot my roll))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((This hive mind thing is trippy AF. The LAST thing I saw before going to bed was "Hipsiz, let me lick you." Lol, what the hell, I'll give a persuasion check that doesn't involve licking ))

Moonsprout, I think you need to buy him dinner before you lick him.

Zesty attempts to persuade the myconid to lead us to the source of the trippy nightmare screams and disembodied voices so the party knows how to help.

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((forgot my roll))

((LOL! The D&D gods really don't want you licking the thing... ))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

Moonsprout, I think you need to buy him dinner before you lick him.

Man, did he conjure that image into YOUR head, too? Methinks the myconid is a bit of a jezebel

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

Man, did he conjure that image into YOUR head, too? Methinks the myconid is a bit of a jezebel

He did. This is why I believe we're dealing with a hive mind of sorts. I'd be willing to bet this isn't the only myconid here as well.

 

[Short Order]

((I'm just sitting over here like wtf because I was too far away to get in on the hive mind. Have fun finishing the quest everyone!))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((I'm just sitting over here like wtf because I was too far away to get in on the hive mind. Have fun finishing the quest everyone!))

((You could like... Move? Shove some asses out of the way so you can get closer.))

 

[Short Order]

Short Order approaches the rest of the crew with plugged ears

Please don't make me lose my mind I can't deal with acting like Moonsprout

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

((Hey! I resemble that comment!))

 

[Dungeon Master]

Hmm, that didn't work. Maybe it doesn't understand. Let me try this...

Moonsprout thinks. He thinks and thinks and thinks. And he *thinks* he thinks an image well enough for the myconid to maybe understand what he's trying to say... Hopefully. But the creative inhibition of his (somewhat) rational mind leaves the image he conjures a bit lacking.

View attachment 9033
Moonsprout again attempts to convince the myconid to let him lick it.

---

Hipsiz​

| ...

Hipsiz won't let you lick it. |

---

---

Short Order
@A Pen Pineapple Apple Pen​

| You push your way between your friends until you reach the front of the group, both fingers wedged in your ears with your staff tucked up into your armpit.



As you step out from between Zesty and Aims, you immediately see the creature before you. You also see the second Myconid Adult stretch itself and step out from around the fungal outcropping. It's very similar to Hipsiz, though with unique variations to it's fungal blooms.

|

---

---

Myconid Adult B​

| ...

This one takes a cautious step closer to Zesty, seeming curious about something. |

---

((Fuck it takes a lot to spit out these abstract images and then send 4/5 DMs. ))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aims gets control of his faculties back. Or at least somewhat. He's able to move and construct proper sentences again. There's barely enough space in his head for one tenant let alone the whole party and a telepathic fungi. His head hurts a lot.

Ow, my head. The pictures are pretty, but too much thought it going on in my head.

Uh, tiefling. You should open up your backpack and give them...

The Sack.

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

Hmm, you may be onto something, but I'm not sure it's a rotting sack of food they want...

Zesty rummages through his backpack looking to see what he could possess that would be of interest to the myconid. He removes the sack of rotting food and sees the wind spores.

Hmm, I wonder...

Zesty uses his mind to present the myconid with a wind spore mushroom and the sack of rotting food, seeing if either is of interest to the myconid.

 

[Dungeon Master]

((I have to take a short-rest before I can regain any AI spell-slots, so I'll sit on this until after 12pm.

Conversation is heading in the right direction though, despite one side of said conversation not having spoken any words!))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

((Incredible work! Well worth a rest!))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

A horrible realization dawns on Moonsprout:

Th... the sack was definitely for the octomush... wasn't it?

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aims is back to spacing out and drooling now that another myconid is visiting his mindshack.

 

[Dungeon Master]

---

Hipsiz​

| The myconid shuffles forward towards Zesty, and takes the sack. You feel gratitude. |

---

((I'm going to give Zesty advantage on charisma rolls in this conversation.

I'm going to give Moonsprout 1d6 inspiration dice to apply to a roll, because he made a mushroom fella' horny.))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

I'm going to give Moonsprout 1d6 inspiration dice to apply to a roll, because he made a mushroom fella' horny.))

((What does this mean? What can I use it for? Only myconid-based interactions?))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((What does this mean? What can I use it for? Only myconid-based interactions?))

((So basically it'll work the same way your Bardic Inspiration does.

While talking to Hipsiz, you can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

And it's only applicable to this one fellow, not all myconids.))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

((So basically it'll work the same way your Bardic Inspiration does.

While talking to Hipsiz, you can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

And it's only applicable to this one fellow, not all myconids.))

((can I use it on an arcana check to try to decipher the meaning of his thought-communications? It seems like there will be evil coming OUT FROM the cave, not IN THROUGH the cave, but I'd like to figure out what that evil is, basically))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((can I use it on an arcana check to try to decipher the meaning of his thought-communications? It seems like there will be evil coming OUT FROM the cave, not IN THROUGH the cave, but I'd like to figure out what that evil is, basically))

((You can add it to a roll now, yes. What roll you're going to need depends on your goal.

If you're trying to discern purely what's going on with the shared-thoughts, then I'd say that's Arcana.
If you're trying to learn more about Myconids in general, that'd be Nature. I'd say this would also give you info on the hive-mind effect, though.
If you're trying to work out what's going on without the creatures actually telling you, you'd want Insight.
If you're trying to convince them of something, that'd be persuasion, intimidation, performance, deception, etc.

You could all also just try to not suck at perceiving the world around you. Rolling like a duffel bag full of bricks. ))

 

[Short Order]

((Can I do an insight roll to understand what it is they're trying to convey to us? One of this will hopefully work))

Insight this up?

Perceive the world please

Remember history on the myconids?

 

[Short Order]

((Or two of them?))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Can I do an insight roll to understand what it is they're trying to convey to us? One of this will hopefully work))

((It should really be one skill check at a time, but given this format I'm just going to assume they were done consecutively and not simultaneously. I'm going to switch up the order though to make this make more sense.

Thank you for rolling well, so I finally get to explain some of this with words and not just images.))

---

Perceive the world please

Short Order
@A Pen Pineapple Apple Pen​

| You, being the shortest of the Super Friends and also the furthest forward, begin to notice the faint smell of sulfur. You sniff around but can tell fairly easily that it's coming from behind the Myconids, probably out of the tunnel over there.


If you focus hard, you can see a faint red mist amongst the mushrooms. |

---

---

Myconid Adult B​

| It turns towards you, interested in your thoughts. It nods it's mushroom head in acknowledgement, sending another shower of spores. |

---

---

Short Order
@A Pen Pineapple Apple Pen​

| You notice that the fungus plot on the other side of the stream, where the myconids stepped out from look sickly. They're shriveled and blackened in spots.

|

---

Insight this up?

---

Short Order
@A Pen Pineapple Apple Pen​

| As another wave of spores washes over your group, the second Myconid takes a few steps closer. It seems anxious about the mist and what damage it's doing, even without it having a face. |

---

Remember history on the myconids?

---

Short Order
@A Pen Pineapple Apple Pen​

| You recall that Myconids exist. |

---

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

Zesty feels the concern from the myconids.

Zesty attempts to persuade the myconid to show the team the source of the red mist.

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Gotta go grab my kids, but I'll get on the next move when I'm back. I assume if you're gonna leave this area you're going to exit up top here?))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((That makes the most sense to me. I can see another path, but it seems to be the lower path. I'm fine with exiting from up here.))

 

[Short Order]

((oh man we did a thing to make progress and it didn't involve Moonsprout moonspurting))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((oh man we did a thing to make progress and it didn't involve Moonsprout moonspurting))

((I'm more shocked we didn't immediately kill it then get swarmed by 100 more of these things.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

Zesty feels the concern from the myconids.

Zesty attempts to persuade the myconid to show the team the source of the red mist.

---

Hipsiz​

| The Myconid already knows your thoughts, it already knows your intentions are to lend aid. It's mushroom bulb illuminates faintly with the anticipation that help may have arrived.

Hipsiz turns and starts to lumber out of the cave area while the second myconid, who you did not learn the name of, remains in the entry cave trying tending to the plants. You follow Hipsiz through the tunnel, noting that the smell of sulfur grows stronger with each step you take.

((You're just going to have to assume these fungi look more sickly than they are, 'cause that's proving tricky to get to work.))



As Hipsiz slowly moves out of the tunnel and you can see around his large mushroom dome-head, you enter an area even more densely packed with mushrooms of countless species, though they do not appear as bright in the caves behind you, and some in the lower parts of the room are rotting.

In the center of the room is a stand of large mushrooms that reach up towards the ceiling, forming a canopy. In the center of the circle stand four Myconid that look similar to Hipsiz, but their illumination is dim and they stand motionless. Two other adult Myconid bustle as quickly as they can around this area, tending to the other four.


((Bloody hell that took a while to make.))

You can see three tunnels leading out of this area, discounting the one you just came through. One to your immediate left seems to lead downward via some rough steps. One to your right seems relatively innocuous. One final tunnel exits the area on the opposite side from you, and the red haze on the floor seems thicker on this side of the room.

As you approach, one of the conscious Myconid bristles and moves towards you, but Hipsiz raises his mushroom-hands and waves at your party, attesting for your chillness. The new Myconid lingers momentarily then turns back towards it's unconscious kin.

|

---

((@Smacktard If you still want to make that roll on whatever, that's cool. If you don't think you need more information now, that's also cool.))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Would we be correct in assuming that the source o' the red mist is in the tunnel opposite us? Nac asks in his mind. Is there some creature causin' it?

 

[Dungeon Master]

Would we be correct in assuming that the source o' the red mist is in the tunnel opposite us? Nac asks in his mind. Is there some creature causin' it?

---

Hipsiz​

| Hipsiz looks towards the opening on the opposite side.







The Myconid turns and points to the tunnel to your right.




|

---