Session 32 - Hunger of the Earth

13/06/5-10

After the fight, Cassini picked up the 2 dislodged gemstones and noted the small collapse near the pillar. Valeyo inspected the reams of the stone people and found them stone all the way through. The hum from the statues was now gone, but still present in the cave itself. Otto asked how everyone was doing and healed Shiek, while Cassini helped Milivoj. Valeyo told the party that his spell couldn't damage the creatures' minds. Sapphira recast her Pass Without Trace and the group continued onwards.

Deeper into the tunnel, Shiek noticed bloodstains on the walls periodically, together with ones which would indicate a body having been dragged deeper. The gems along the walls, also became more frequent. Eventually, a soft intermittent rumbling could be heard in the distance. A few minutes later, they were at a larger room, with a hole at the far end, where a green glow emanated and reflected off multiple crystals, likely indicating the Jeweled Chamber. Shiek approached the entrance and could hear the soft rumblings going back and forth, almost like a conversation. The entrance was about 12 ft across and the actual room was very large. The scent of blood mixed with plants could be felt from chamber. He returned to the party and relayed the information. They prepared to enter the chamber, stealthily. Inside they saw a number of weird lizard-like creatures with 3 legs, clawing at the stone. At the back of the room, there the green glow, was an elemental, but made up of green gemstones. It noticed the group and let out a rumbling noise, none understood.

As combat ensued, an Earth Elemental burrowed its way out of the floor, grabbing Cassini. With each hit, the creatures unleashed that green energy. Valeyo could tell that the hole from which the energy emanates. Cassini sent a Sky's Below, which damaged whatever was in the hole, causing a deeper rumble. In the middle of the combat, the Elemental dragged Cassini over the hole, revealing a tunnel covered in sharp green crystals like teeth in a maw, covered in blood. As Milivoj finished it off, Cassini fell into the pit, cutting himself onto the jagged gemstones. As they drank his blood, they began spinning and rotating. Cassini was rescued after some effort on Valeyo and Milivoj's part.

The hole appeared to be 15ft deep and no crystals were damaged by Cassini's spell. Milivoj began smashing at the crystals, but he couldn't even leave a mark. Examining the hole showed that it was ancient, having been there for ages past. About 15ft around it however, there was a seam, where the centre it didn't quite match the stones around. Valeyo and Cassini talked about getting the gemstones out of the walls using Cassini's magic, while Milivoj and Otto considered that a ritual could have taken place here with the stone in the middle being the focus. Two holes were near the big one about 2ft deep and unnaturally dark. Milivoj put one of the glowing gems inside and found it's light diminished while there. The party then decided to take some time to rest and recover as many of the gemstones as they could.