Trip to Gravenhollow(Recap from 6-2-23)

Trip to Gravenhollow(Recap from 6-2-23) 

After the battle, the group went into Rystia’s Yurt. The Yurt was 6 foot tall 6 foot wide outside decorated with brightly colored fabric and ribbons, but as the group went inside they were shocked to see the inside was 30 foot in diameter and 30 foot in height with a glowing brazier in the center on which grilled meat sizzled. There were low tables with breads, dried fruit and cheeses. Around the perimeter were soft pallets with many cushions. Lassryn, and Rystia started playing soft soothing music while unseen servants offered Wine and Ale to the party. After enjoying the food and drink, they were all soon fast asleep. The next day (Yulisen the 18th of Duscar),  after a breakfast porridge of milk and cereal grains boiled on the brazier, the group went shopping for provisions for the long journey deeper into the underdark. 

At a meeting with the Captain and First Officer, the Captain went over the possible routes and timelines of the journey, also they told the group they would be going into uncharted territory for the Theurgeme and crew. The crew would have to rely on older Duergar charts which were sometimes pretty out-dated. The crew stocked up on rations, enchanted vials, a harvesting manual, and a harvesting kit, allowing them to harvest resources from the monsters they encounter to be sold later. 

The next day(Miresen the 19th of Duscar), the group boarded the Theurgeme and set sail for the Grimrun River on the far side of Darklake heading to the Gravenhollow Library. Which is approximately twelve days and nights to get there,  and 10 days and nights getting back (River travels downstream on the shortened return trip). That night the faerzress was heavy leaving Mantol-Derith, madness checks would have been mandatory but the party had their protection necklaces, and the crew their special mind numbing grog. So the night was peaceful.

The next day(Grissen the 20th of Duscar), the ship came to Zurkhwood Point. A promontory that juts out into darklake featuring Gigantic Zurkhwood mushrooms 80 to 100 feet tall and Caps up to 80 feet wide. There were  several small islands rising from the water around the point. Usually islands, with no hostile creatures, make a good place for the party to take a long rest. There are all types of fungi growing atop the islands. As the party was admiring the Huge Mushrooms a group of six Shadow Demons drift above the lake surface toward the ship. After a battle with a Sea Troll and Demons, the group harvested the “Demonic Mist” from the six demons using the enchanted bottles worth 160 gp ea. They also found a small island the Demons seemed to originate from containing some loot:

• Coins: 2725 cp, 1545 sp, 40 gp 

• Art: 8 art objects worth 250 gp each in the underdark (500gp each on the surface)

• [2 Embroidered spider silk scarves, 1 Gold locket with a painted portrait inside, 2 Gold chalice with Mithril filigree, 1 Small mirror set in a painted Zurkhwood frame, 2 Cloth-of-spider silk and silver vestments],

• 3, bottles of Drow wine 250 gp (500gp each on the surface), in a fine Zurkhwood chest with Mithril filigree 500gp.(1000gp on the surface).

• From the sea troll they harvested:

• One Troll Skin Strips (pouch) A troll's skin is often green and covered in warts, pustules and mold. Despite its appearance, the skin has amazing healing properties. Samples of the vile flesh can be harvested and sold to healers. 1 gp, 4lb, 

• 5 vials of Troll Blood. Trolls have amazing regenerative properties. A troll's blood clots, scabs and heals the surrounding tissue extremely quickly. The blood is a common ingredient in many healing potions. 25 gp 1lb. Potion of Healing (DMG)

• One Troll Heart. A troll's heart is a large mass of red flesh that pumps the creature's regenerative blood throughout its body. The heart is used in arcane healing rituals and enchantments. 80 gp 8lb. Troll Amulet (HHH).

The journey continues across the dark waters, that night the watch spotted a group of six Sea Trolls munching on the dead bodies of several Vrocks and about a dozen Drow. Hoping they would ignore the ship the group tried to stealth by, however the trolls noticed the ship and  gave chase. The Trolls were no match for the powerful engines of the Theurgeme. Soon the trolls gave up chasing the ship.

(Whelson the 21th of Duscar) On the third day the Ship arrived at the mouth of the Grimrun River, and started battling the current upstream. The day's travel was uneventful. The powerful engine carrying the ship further up the darkened river. The night was peaceful and the crew had no encounters.

The pattern of watches seemed to get routine and the crew settled into the familiar travel pattern for the next two days Day and night watches blended into each other with no surprise encounters.

(Yulisen the 24th of Duscar) The sixth day of travel started out routine, but later in the day, the party encountered the Stone Teeth(Stalagmites jutting up from the bottom of the river, hidden just below the waterline). Spotters succeeded in seeing the "stone teeth," allowing the vessel's crew time  to attempt to navigate through them and the vessel passed through unscathed. The night watch encountered a swarm of quippers keeping pace with the ship, Nesdeth and Grok used roped harpoons to spear a dozen of the 2 foot long fish. The cook started cleaning the large fish.

On the seventh day of travel(Yulisen the 24th of Duscar) the cook served up bread baked from ground up Zurkhwood spores and baked fish for breakfast. There were no encounters the rest of the day and into the night's travels. The cook served up fish chowder to the crew for dinner.

(Da’Leysen the 25th of Duscar)The next morning the ship ran aground on a shallow sandbar. The party and crew pushed the vessel back into the water with the help of the engines. While characters were pushing their boat free, there was a chance that underdark creatures could have attacked them; but they were lucky and the Theurgeme was back on its way with no encounters. That night the routine watches had no encounters.

(Miresen the 26th of Duscar) Another routine day with no encounters until the nights 2nd watch. The ship encountered a narrowing of the river passage accompanied by a rough current, where the waters were especially turbulent. The party on watch had to react quickly to maintain control, and to avoid falling overboard. The attempts to maintain control were successful. And soon the river widened and the current slowed leading to smooth travels.

(Grissen the 27th of Duscar) On the tenth day of travel the Theurgeme found a secluded place to anchor the ship in amongst some immature Zurkhwoods growing alongside the river, and the adventuring party set out on foot. At around the fourth watch  the party found a lone Palid elf huddling by a small fire. The Palid elf was apparently  an escaped slave (NPC Shiril S'aro who goes by the name Summer) who has been wandering the Underdark since their escape from a slave caravan accidentally dropped her out the back of the cart as it was being hauled up a small cliff. Thinking her dead and not wanting to bother to check the caravan moved on. When she came to her senses she struggled to get her gag and ropes removed but couldn't get the manacles off, with great care she made her way up the cliff and found an abandoned campsite where she started scrounging for food and shelter near a freshwater pool. She is scared and hungry.  She really mistrusts the party, who being paranoid in the underdark, also mistrust her.  She agreed to join the party as they search for the library in hope of getting her spells into a spell book again. The party decided to camp in a tiny hut that night and had no encounters. Summer, being VERY untrusting of Drow (and the fact the party had a Drow with them) stayed as far away from Chardilyn as she could.

(Whelson the 28th of Duscar) The party followed the tracks of the slave caravan drawn by giant lizards that were very fresh within the past day, but branched off in the opposite direction that the party needed to go, so they took the path toward the Library.  Finding a safe place to spend the night in the tiny hut, and had no encounters.

(Whelson the 29th of Duscar)  Around the middle of the next day's travel the group heard someone singing in like four different languages all mixed together. Following the song they soon find a many-legged reptile stretched out as if it had been sitting for a long while. Avoiding the eyes of the party, the reptile looks to the rocky floor at the parties feet while it addresses them. It says "Well! About time you lot arrived! Come! The library bid me to guide you to the gates, and I've waited too long for you already." The reptile continued “My name is Veldyskar. Come along now.” Veldyskar was committed to the protection of the library and its librarians. If trouble arose, his philosophy was to petrify first and ask questions later. Initially, this would presented a problem for the stone giant librarians, as the basilisk had some difficulty reconciling his temper and bestial nature with the recognition of what “trouble” might actually look like. The stone giants taught Veldyskar how to cast greater restoration, which the basilisk can do once per day to restore anyone who had crossed him. The group enters The Library of Gravenhollow sacred to Ioun around the start of the evening. The library of Gravenhollow is a bastion of peace and order in an Underdark gone mad. Carved out long ago from the bones of the world and protected by ancient godlike magic, the library possesses a kind of awareness. It blocked and misdirected those unworthy of reaching its gates, even as it facilitated finding the way for those who need it.

A pair of massive basalt doors mark the entrance to Gravenhollow, flanked by two stone giant statues that are actually stone golems. The doors were opened simply by pushing, after which the party entered. The golems turned their heads to watch new arrivals but otherwise remained still. The basilisk Veldyskar guided the party through the gates, and instructed them to continue straight ahead, then quickly disappeared down a side passage.

Walking across the threshold of Gravenhollow was like stepping into another realm. The oppressive gloom of the Underdark was replaced by light and a sense of openness that brought back memories of the surface world. The corridor beyond the gates was wide enough for ten people to walk side by side, and the ceiling's height reminded them of the great halls of Grimgolir.

The corridor opened into a central well, with walkways crossing its span to the opposite side. The party could barely see the ends of the level to their right and left, with doors opening into so many rooms that the party doubted they could explore them all in a single day.

The ceiling was bright, with rainbows trapped in hundreds of crystal formations combining to create a warm and inviting illumination. Looking down was a dizzying experience. Staircases connect to different levels below, and they soon lose count of how far down they went.

A stout, rocky creature detached from the perfectly smooth wall to the parties left,  that left an imprint of its body in the wall which quickly smoothed out and faded from sight. "Trravelerrrrsss. I am Hourm. The masterrrsss arre occupied. Therre arre rroomsss forr all of you. Choose yourr own. The rresourrcesss of Grravenhollow arre at yourr disssposssal. You need only asssk."

Hourm, a friendly galeb duhr, answered any questions the party had about Gravenhollow to the best of its ability, including how to navigate its levels, and how to access the library's knowledge. After it led the party to living quarters one level below the library's main level, it merged into another wall and disappeared.

The library was quiet and peaceful, and visitors were free to move within it as they wished. If anyone had a need to find any other character within Gravenhollow (including one of the librarians), the library subtly directed the character toward its target within minutes. The party settled into their rooms for a peaceful night.

Kobold Mining Profits: For the previous week during which the Kobolds mining efforts yielded 10,000 gp Cut Aquamarine Gems.  (Subtracting the mine expenses for the week, 536 gp, so each party member gets 1577 gp once they get back to the Hucksters Lair in Hupperdook. (also 8 new pups hatched in the lair)