Out of the Abyss

We negotiated the agreement for oils to protect weaponry from acid in the coming gnomish dessert war. In the meantime, Soggy got stoned, Elania (?) ate some of Creeper's green dragon jerky and felt sick, and Creeper himself got briefly arrested for trying to smoke Larry the mushroom. The rest of us asked for something we could do to pass the time while the three stooges sobered up, and were invited to go after a shambling mound that had been bothering prime mushroom-land. We agreed, and were provided three potions of greater healing, one each, as compensation. After a brief discussion of strategy and securing a small mushroom scout, we set off.

We cleaned up the last of the elements attacking us with the help of a Shatter spell. The familiar feeling of hallowed ground told me the mission was complete, and we headed back to the Foaming Mug for some well deserved rest. We woke to an elf removing Creg's eyes, waving a wanted poster at us when we went to interfere. Not one from the drow, but from the surface. Honestly we were all too shocked to object, even when she said she wanted to go back to the surface with us because she was lost down here too.

The next morning, we explored further, finding a large room with a central pedestal. The pedestal was surrounded by stone pillars, and had a stone structure in the center, covered with sockets as if gems had once been held there. One large gem remained, remarkably similar to the one the earth elemental had dropped. The rest claimed this was a something-something we were supposed to cleanse to stop the dessert wizard. I was confused. We eat desserts, we don't cleanse them. But before I could protest, someone laid their hand upon the altar and more earthy elementals appeared. We handled the trio with relative ease despite there being three of them, mostly because killing the first one to appear made the other two disappear.

We met with the wererats, and despite my best efforts to provoke a fight, ended up with an agreement in principle to mutually defend the city with the deep gnomes. However, the agreement hinged on our group tracking down the source of the ooze and slime invasion nearby. Information from the wererats indicated the pudding invasion had a leader; Speaker for Puddings, or Oozemaster, or God of Slime, or something. Our task was to conclude the invasion by finding and slaying this dessert wizard. That's right up my alley.

We made arrangements for the repair of my armor and went off to see the wizard -- err, the chief gnomes. On the way we met a musician playing a vast crystalline bowl like a musical instrument; Creeper and I joined in. He had some kind of flute, and I had the god of storms and war, by which I mean thunder.

Turns out there were at least three puddings and dessert was planning to eat us. And, oh yes, the water levels were visibly rising and someone had peaked inside the watery room and noticed large cracks in the walls from which water was pouring in to the whole complex.

A cave-in blocked off the passageway behind us, and we were forced to look for alternate routes. We found a strange passage into the depths after a brief search, though the passages showed evidence of water leakage. I thought about warning this group of misfits that the caves were likely unstable. But then, it was the only path forward we could find, and we had just had a cave-in. If they didn't know that much already, they are even bigger idiots than they look.

We wandered in the caverns for days, trying to find out way to the Dark Lake. Our fishy guide didn't seem to know the way very well. And there was no food, no water. I was very hungry! Not something I am used to, normally it is the best of food and drink for the great Alamar. Fine wines and fine dining lead to fine ladies smiling!