Unndilar 17, 835
When the Clockwork Companions woke, and Tymlor cast Water Breathing and dismissed his Tiny Hut, they found that Theo was no longer there. Tymlor also cast Darkvision on Sarielle.
During their rest, Tymlor has cast Identify on the Hunter’s spear, confirming that it was a Spear of Warning, and they gave it to Sarielle, who attuned to it.
They planned to encounter the ruidium golem Theo referred to as Alyxian the Hunter. Tymlor cast Longstrider on himself and Tik. Tik summoned his Shadowspawn.
As Tik led the way into the next chamber, he spotted The Hunter approaching, and immediately tried to engage him in dialogue, “Alyxian, this path of destruction is not you. Remember who you are. You are the brave warrior. You fight for Avandra the Changebringer, and she does not suffer cowards, and you are not one. You are a hero.”
With no acknowledgement, the ruidium golem kept approaching, fists balled. Tymlor cast Haste on Sarielle. She summoned her Echo, cutting the golem three times. Tik hit it with an Eldritch Blast.
“He seems like he’s pretty angry!” Tik yelled, falling back to Tymlor.
As the Shadowspawn tore into the Hunter, ACHU cast Spiritual Weapon and hit it with a Sacred Flame. The Hunter slammed the Shadowspawn with its stone fist. Dropping their sword, Sarielle struck the ruidium golem with the spear three times, and it crumbled into a red mist that dissipated into the surrounding water.
Passing through the secret door, the companions quickly circled the large ruidium moon to the vast cavern where they found the spear. At the far end was a narrow tunnel. Sarielle’s Echo scouted the tunnel.
Once the Echo had finished exploring, Sarielle described a massive, sunken, spherical chamber with a huge ruidium-laced organ dominating its centre. Around the chamber’s perimeter were three other exits.
As they were about to enter through the narrow tunnel, Alyxian the Hunter appeared behind them, approaching aggressively. Tymlor yanked on Sarielle’s arm and summoned a Bigby’s Hand that grappled the ruidium golem. Appearing next to it, Sarielle’s Echo slashed it three times, hacking off chunks of ruidium. Tik hit it with an Eldritch Blast. ACHU caught it with Toll the Dead.
The Hunter was dragged closer to the tunnel as the hand squeezed it. Sarielle’s Echo stabbed it twice with the spear before Sarielle was struck by its ruidium dart. Tik hit it with three Eldritch Blasts before escaping down the narrow tunnel while his Shadowspawn slammed it.
Once again, the ruidium golem crumbled into a red mist after being caught by Tymlor’s Toll the Dead.
The companions followed Tik through the narrow corridor, which opened into an immense cavern containing a spherical black mass resembling a giant organ or cyst that nearly filled the space. Measuring over one hundred feet in diameter, it had veins of ruidium crisscrossing its surface, which was covered with spiky protuberances that retracted and elongated as the sphere pulsated.
Staying close to the wall with Tymlor, Sarielle urged everyone to avoid the ruidium as much as possible. Tik swam straight up, away from the cyst and out of sight.
Examining the cyst, ACHU said the black mass felt organic, like mud, although it was not. “I think I can push through this,” ACHU shared as he began to do just that. Then he stopped and withdrew, saying, “It feels like the mote I absorbed is allowing me to enter this mass, but Tymlor has not absorbed one.”
Suddenly, Ayo’s party appeared, swimming up from beneath the black mass. Their ruidium infection seemed even worse than the last time. Leery telepathically communicated to the companions that the band emerged from within the cyst.
“Maggie, my friend,” Tymlor called out.
“I told you all to stay out of here and leave us alone,” Ayo admonished the companions. “This is our quest. This is our victory. This is our glory!”
Tik blasted Ayo with three Eldritch Blasts before swimming farther up. His Shadowspawn slammed Ayo. Dermot cast a Bless on himself, Ayo, and Maggie.
Swimming toward Tymlor, Maggie shouted, “All this time you’ve just been humouring me, but I know that you don’t see me as any different than any other ogre.” She threw her hammer toward him, but it bounced off Tymlor’s shield.
Swimming up toward Tik, Galsariad hit the Kenku with a Necrotic blast. Turning around, he accused Tymlor of not being forthright with him and withholding secrets. Sarielle stabbed Irvan with the spear.
“You are both wrong, and it pains me that your affliction has forced things to come to this,” Tymlor bemoaned. “Frankly, I am shocked!” Tymlor blasted Maggie, Dermot, and Galsariad with a Lightning Bolt, adding, “and so are you.”
As Tymlor circled the cavern, his Bigby’s Hand grabbed Maggie and began to squeeze.
Ayo commanded Irvan to move and cast Freedmon of Movement on herself. ACHU cast Spiritual Weapon and Word of Radiance on the enemies around him. Swimming down, Tik hit Galsariad with three Eldritch Blasts. The Shadowspawn slammed Galsariad. Dermot cast Cure Wounds on himself. Maggie smashed the Bigby’s Hand while shouting words of encouragement to Dermot. Galsariad hit Sarielle and the Shadowspawn with a rippling wave of magical gravity. Irvan stabbed ACHU. Sarielle’s Echo appeared next to Galsariad, who cast Distort Gravity on himself and stabbed him. Tymlor blasted Maggie, Dermot, ACHU, Ayo, and Irvan with Synaptic Static.
ACHU’s Spiritual Weapon hit Dermot as he hit Dermot, Ayo, and Irvan with Word of Radiance. Tik hit Galsariad with an Eldritch Blast. Dermot blasted and blinded Sarielle with Searing Wrath. Maggie smashed at the Hand. Galsariad cast Distort Gravity, floating up and hitting Tik with a Gravity Wave. Irvan stabbed at the Hand that was grappling Maggie. Reaching Galsariad, Sarielle’s Echo stabbed the life from him. Circling the cavern, Tymlor blasted Irvan and Maggie with a Lightning Bolt.
Commanding Irvan to attack Tymlor, Ayo stabbed ACHU twice with her trident. ACHU cast Heal on himself as his Spiritual Weapon struck Ayo. From high above, Tik hit Ayo with three Eldritch Blasts, and she lost consciousness. Dermot destroyed the Shadowspawn with Searing Wrath and swam up toward Tik. Irvan stabbed Tymlor twice. Sarielle stabbed Dermot. Tymlor caught Irvan with a Mind Whip. The Bigby’s Hand that had been squeezing Maggie disappeared. ACHU cast Mass Cure Wounds on himself, Tymlor, and Sarielle.
Ayo stabbed ACHU and commanded Dermot to catch Tik. Engaging Dermot, Tik cast Spirit Shroud and knocked the goblin unconscious with an Eldritch Blast.
As Maggie chased Tymlor, he implored her, “It’s not too late to surrender.”
“Never!” the angry ogre shouted back. “I’ll never forgive you!”
Coming to Tymlor’s rescue, Sarielle’s Echo appeared next to Maggie and stabbed the ogre twice. Tymlor caught Maggie and Irvan in a Mind Whip, but they were unfazed. ACHU’s Spiritual Weapon struck Maggie. Tik hit Irvan with an Eldritch Blast. As Maggie swung at Tymlor, Sarielle’s Echo threw itself in front of an attack and disappeared. Tymlor smiled, recalling the time they had spent training that Chronurgy technique. But his smile disappeared as he was struck by the ogre’s greataxe. Then Maggie’s smile disappeared as Sarielle’s blade plunged through her torso, and the ogre fell. Irvan grabbed his head in agony at Tymlor’s Toll the Dead and fell unconscious.
One by one, as Ayo and her party floated through the cavern, they began to crumble into ruidium dust, dissolving in the water.
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