Session 31: Emberil- Untitled

Into the Kruthik Hive
"“Hope had only revealed herself to him when he was immersed in darkness.'" I have fallen beyond any depths I imagined possible. Sharp has my fortune turned, plowing deeper and deeper to the point of where I no longer recognize the path. No mortal coil was meant to penetrate this confounded plane.

Shadowfell. How awful to meet you.

All that keeps the seams of my brain snapping from madness is my quest. My cousin. She is down here. My survival means hers and that is enough to keep me going.

Survival is crucial. Critical, even. Also, a constant, relentless, uphill battle.

Good thing we are walking straight into a hive of Kruthiks—so on theme at this point, I could scream if I was capable of feeling anything. The numbness where the top of my fingers once were when I attempted to first reach into another plane has grown. I should feel fear right now, but I am incapable of it.

I am also incapable of giving a flying fuck about the vast number of Kruthiks that are scattered before us in this cold, dead cavern. The lava floor itself does nothing to bring warmth into this pit of hell.

The jagged rocks and corrupted brown pathway we were following leads us into a den that only deserves to be utterly lit on fire and cast into nothingness.

As we make our way down, quietly, with me leading the way, I see on a higher cliff platform a gaggle of dwarves—not just any dwarves but Duergars. Same as the ones who seem to be mining and under the tutelage of these Kruthiks. A rather organized and entrepreneurial bunch of monsters, aren’t they?

The Duergar riding a giant spider above me in the shadows makes eye contact. I nod. He nods. He disappears back behind the ledge.

We make our way down when suddenly a rockslide to our right strikes, looks like it was started by the Duergar I just made eye contact with. A distraction? A trap? Too late to think about it.

With Gimurt by my side, I use my special cloak and a dimension door takes us across the lava river, as chaos and battle ensues. Kuthriks flank us, but Viter and Ivasar magically jump over to our side of the cavern, over the river of lava.

The group of Duergars on spiders are battling the Kuthriks, we decide to press on and follow the pathway on top of the cavern walls.

Nothing works. All gets worse. Despite our best spells, teamwork and invocations we are overcome.

Shackles and chains. We are led deep into the hive. Captives.

Survival may not be an option.

May Sigrun save us.