Session 23 – Would You Say It Looks… Ochre?

Campaign II, session 23. Previous: Session 22. Next: Session 24.

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Huugul’s latest sense is that the entrance to the Nethercity is somewhere beneath the Old District. Vierath and Tessine came back from their downtime with some information from the Regent, Oureous Ambador: Dreyfuss the Sakkalin watch-hound and some adventurers rooted out a den of wererats in the northern parts of the Old District; the notebooks recovered indicated that they had also been searching for this Nethercity. Oureous wants the crew to plant his “scrying spikes” (sigiled with specific runes he has carefully studied, to make the act of scrying them easier) in any strategically important locales (both beneath the city and outside). The party begins their search in the western area, attempting to avoid the Caernathi Family’s turf if possible. After an hour, as they’re exploring an abandoned cellar complex, swarms of rats engage; they are dispatched and scared off with relative ease.

Continuing their search, they stumble into an intact wine cellar, partially occupied by a pair of giant crab spiders. The rest of the party holds back as Tessine approaches them, haughty and regal. They “bow” before her and begin to follow the group through their further explorations. As they explore, Tessine notes: “We should be on the lookout for any change in the flow direction – if there’s an opening to a deeper ruin, the sewage may flow there rather than towards the river…”

Keeping this in mind, the party presses further north, until they notice a yellow-red glint ahead of their torchlight. As they cautiously approach, Tessine’s player asks “Does it seem kinda… ochre?” And, indeed, her henchman Vaelor is able to recognize the approaching blob as an ochre ooze, weak to fire and cold. The party manages to wipe it out with flaming oil, but not before it dissolves Vierath’s masterwork leather armor. At this point relatively low on spells and oil, they retreat up the nearest sewer grate and trek back to their inn.