When last we left the Derailers, they were contemplating a message from Arunak’s sister. As the party settles in for an evening’s rest, who should come stumbling through the door but Zezu, the blind fighter. He had held back to take care of some things before following the group into the swamp. After killing a giant alligator, he fell down the entry to the Owlbear cave we previously cleared, eventually finding the team.
Rest is had and it is decided that a second attempt at the weird fey mushroom room is needed. Peaking in the door, but unwilling to enter, the team hangs back as Yiven shoots a firebolt at patch of ground, to test flammability. Just then, a Unicorn steps out across the way. Nahtan, unable to resist, declares “I’m gonna pet it” and starts across the room, which opens up into a massive cavern. He brushes by one of the large mushrooms, which starts screaming. Defeated with a punch, the noise alerted the mushroom-beholder. As Nahtan reaches the Unicorn, with Wander trailing behind, two arguing figures burst out of the bushes.
Enter Havayla and Ryker, along with the unicorn Aurora. It is quickly established that high-elf Havayla is a cleric eager for adventure and discovery, while the air genasi rogue Ryker has been her dutiful secret shadow for… 20 years! He has remained hidden from her until now, when she stumbled into a fairy ring and was teleported into this cavern.
As introductions are made, unicorns are pet, missions explained, and Nahtan’s Donkey companion unsuccessfully attempts flirting with Aurora the Unicorn, the Beholderoom looms ever closer. It seems to be attracted to motion. Arunak, in the midst of a distraction attempt, gets within touching distance and the creature bursts, covering him with spores and sending him into a sickly coughing fit. As the two clerics discuss who is best equipped to cure him, Arunak recalls his monk training and is able to expel the sickness. Nahtan’s Donkey companion unsuccessfully attempts flirting with Aurora the Unicorn
The second beholderoom peaks out from behind a tree and is immediately met with an arrow from Ryker and guiding bolt from Wander. It explodes harmlessly and the party continues to explore, carefully avoiding screaming mushrooms.
Wander, Zezu, Havayla, and Ryker explore the campsite, quickly fitting together that it belonged to the deceased adventures the Derailers discovered previously.
Arunak investigates a door on one side of the cavern, opening it to reveal a lush red carpet down a hallway leading to a torch-lit throne. Suspicious and off put by a strange clicking noise, Arunak closes the door and returns to the group.
Meanwhile, Yevin traveled to the opposite side of the cavern to explore a set of stairs, one up, one down, leading to stacked rooms separated by a grate. The rooms are empty aside from sets of braisers, a grate in the floor/ceiling, and, in the top room, where should be walls is only darkness. Hearing a shout from Nahtan, Yevin also returns.
Nahtan wandered into the middle of the cavern where stood a set of 13 statues. A large demonic creature in the middle, surrounded by 12 warriors in various poses. Noticing that the statue of a Tabaxi monk poised to attack was on a rail, Nahtan pushed it back. With a click, the statue shot forward, colliding with the large statue in the middle. With a grind of stone, the statues began to stop-motion play act a fight, with each step leading to another statue needing something to finish it’s motion. At this point, the rest of the Derailers joined in the solving. An arrow in a ranger’s bow, a song played to complete bardic inspiration, a piece of a puzzle to complete the druid’s wildshape, each step continued the battle and released a hint at the next action. When completed, the center statue crumbled in defeat, revealing a blue, teardrop shaped gem, 3/5 to solve the door lock.
Next, the team follows Arunak to the ominous throne room. Entering the room reveals a table with the elvish inscription “You who wish to be rewarded, choose the three that keep things sorted, sordid, and sworded” (this was fun to sort out when being told the rhyme vs actually reading it). On top of the table were figurines; a man with an abacus, ink bottle, warrior with spear, warrior with bow, thief, bear, hammer and anvil, and a rooster. While Wander, Yevin, and Havayla discuss the puzzle, everyone else continues to explore the room. Convinced that there is something in the room with them, attempts are made at sussing out origin of the strange clicking. Havayla sees something behind a curtain, a spindly black creature with a flat, spinning vortex of a face. It disappears as she makes eye contact and while everyone discusses what to do, Wander places the figurines of abacus man, thief, and hammer/anvil on the throne. In a magic melding, the figures melt and turn into a spherical pearl. 4/5 for the door lock.
Everyone leaves the room, slightly disturbed, and continues on to the stairs that Yevin explored. As the crew enters the upper room and steps on the grate in the middle, a pillar and box appear in the lower room. Yevin and Wander rush down to the lower room and examine the box, seeing symbols for fire, weapons, lighting, water, and thunder. Wander scrapes the side showing weapons with her spear and suddenly the doors slam shut, locking everyone but Arunak in, as the sound of chains echos out of the darkness in the upper room.
Meanwhile, in the upper room, Nahtan had called Donkey in to stand on the grate as he started stepping backwards curiously into the darkness. As the doors slam shut, Ryker springs into action to protect Havayla, asking her unicorn to teleport her out. The chain sound get louder as hooked chains lash out, wrapping up Nahtan and Donkey, with Ryker and Zezu initially dodging out of the way.
With their friends attacked and restrained by sentient chains, Yevin and Wander take turns hitting the sides of the box with the elements shown. Yevin quickens his spells to cast shocking grasp and shatter on the box, while Wander uses her decanter of endless water. Unable to cast anything with flame for the final step, Wander lights a torch from the brazier and whacks the top of the box with the lit torch. The chains go slack, the doors open, and the box opens to reveal the final gem, a red oval.
The gems collected, the next stop will be the ominous wooden door. What will they find beyond the door? What debt does Ryker owe to Havayla’s family that would lead him to follow her for 20 years? Will they make it out in time to help Dorza and save Wander’s clan?
We’ll find out next time, with the Derailers