Timothy (DM)

Welcome to Shadows of Prophecy, a D&D real play podcast where we will find out what it takes to become a hero, face our darkest fears, and pull ourselves out of a pit of despair. Shadows of Prophecy is a Dungeons and Dragons podcast with violent themes and adult language. Listener discretion is advised.

Timothy (DM)

With us today to traverse through adventures of loss and tragedy. We have Dan as our ambivalent DM; myself, Timothy, as our astute historian bard, Alice Prerok; Helen as an eclectically mossy druid, Panret; and Russell as our rambunctiously protective hermit, Uprielyn Upri.

Timothy (DM)

Join us as we enter the Shadows of Prophecy.

Timothy (DM)

Prologue: A World Unravels.

Timothy (DM)

Chapter Three - A Reckoning of Truth.

Dan (DM)

Alice, you notice that one of the nearby rooms... one of the walls has collapsed. Most of the rooms like I said are kind of walled in, but Alice, you notice that one of the walls in these rooms has collapsed, and you can get inside one of the rooms.

Timothy (Alice)

Just...Just-just a moment. Just-just wait here. I–I– cannot pass up this opportunity.

Russell (Upri)

Opportunity for what, Al?

Timothy (Alice)

And as Upri is asking that question, Alice is going to crawl in through the hole in the wall.

Dan (DM)

On the other side of the hole is a very sparsely decorated room, but in the center of the room is a pedestal, and there seems to be an old tome on it.

Russell (Upri)

Upri's gonna call through the other side of the wall, "Al, you don't go too far. Now, you hear?"

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, don't worry about me. This isn't my first... rodeo? Is that-- Rodeo. This isn't my first rodeo.

Dan (DM)

It's canonical: there are now rodeos in this world. [laughter]

Helen (Panret)

It's canon.

Dan (DM)

I like to imagine that the rodeos aren't, like, horse riding though... like, or bull riding, it's, like, something else--

Helen (Panret)

[resolutely] It's goats.

Dan (DM)

Goats--

Russell (Upri)

A dire goat?

Dan (DM)

--like, the gnomes, like... the gnomes ride rodeo on goats and, like, humans rodeo on some other mythical creature that I can't think of--

Helen (Panret)

It's actually called the goat-eo. [Russell laughs]

Dan (DM)

A goat-eo. Depending on where you are, yeah [Dan laughs]

Helen (Panret)

Do you like how I leaned into the microphone to tell the joke?

Dan (DM)

So, you see this tome on a pedestal.

Timothy (Alice)

Yeah, I would like to approach the pedestal a little gingerly. What does the tome look like?

Dan (DM)

It's a leather tome. It's got a clasp, and it seems like it's been preserved pretty well, so there hasn't... must have not been a lot of airflow through this room as you can imagine with it being sealed off, and based on, like, how old this building is... and how old you imagine the tone would be, you imagine that the hole you crawled through must have been fairly recent, so maybe with the disturbance of the statue crashing through kind of knocked some stones loose. So, it's very well preserved for how old it is.

Timothy (Alice)

Can I look around the room, and, like, is there any indication of, like, a pressure plate at the base of this pedestal?

Dan (DM)

Give me an Investigation check.

Timothy (Alice)

17.

Dan (DM)

No, you don't see any traps or anything. It doesn't seem like they were trying to, like, keep people away from it. I mean, the structure itself is built to keep people out.

Helen (Panret)

Meanwhile, Panret is holding their backpack up to the hole "Is this helping?" To try to illuminate the...

Timothy (Alice)

No need to trouble yourself, my dear. I-I-I can see all right.

Helen (Panret)

Oh, okay. Nevermind. Upri, do we want to have a snack while they're...? [pointing to Alice adventuring]

Russell (Upri)

Oh, absolutely.

Dan (DM)

]in stage directions] Pull out mushrooms. [Dan and Helen laugh]

Helen (Panret)

We're eating mushrooms, while you're...

Dan (DM)

Oh, yeah! And so they're also mushrooms starting to grow on the inside of this building, too.

Russell (Upri)

Are they still purple?

Dan (DM)

Purple and white, yeah.

Timothy (Alice)

So, I am going to pick up this tome.

Dan (DM)

Give me a Constitution check.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh?! Okay. 13

Dan (DM)

Okay, so as you pick up this tome, some dust kicks up because it's been a long time. It's been sitting there for a while. Now, you kind of breathe in a little bit. You cough a little bit, but you're fine. [Tim coughs] You feel fine. It's just a little bit, you know, a little bit of coughing. It's good.

Timothy (Alice)

I'd like to turn it over in my hands and inspect it a little bit. Anything I notice in particular?

Dan (DM)

As you turn it over, you don't find anything particularly... nothing stands out to you. It's just, like, a standard... kinda like your standard leather tome that you might find in any bookstore or library. Nothing too descript on the outside other than, like, the clasp that holds it shut.

Timothy (Alice)

Alright, so with dark vision, I can't read in the dark. So, I will take it with me, put it in my pack, and rejoin the group.

Dan (DM)

Okay.

Helen (Panret)

Did you find anything in there?

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, just-just a little book I'm hoping that I'll have a nice story to tell after all of this.

Russell (Upri)

Well, shall we continue?

Timothy (Alice)

Don't worry, I didn't disturb anything if that's what you're asking.

Russell (Upri)

Just remember: curses are real. You said so yourself. [Dan chuckles]

Timothy (Alice)

That's-that's right. I probably should have cast Detect Magic on it... um, well, what's done is done!

Russell (Upri)

Hey, a curse received is a lesson learned. [Dan laughs]

Timothy (Alice)

Alright, shall we?

Dan (DM)

Proverbs 18:2. [fun fact, here is Proverbs 18:2 --Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.]

Russell (Upri)

Upri will continue climbing down as normal, just carrying all the ropes.

Dan (DM)

Yeah, so the first floor is very much like all the rest of the floors: a lot of sealed off rooms, not much you can do there, but then once you get down to the first floor, you do see that the statue seems to have crashed, like I said, all the way down through the first floor in what seems to be an open cavern underneath the ground, and that the weight and the force of it crashing down multiple floors has kind of collapsed that cavern, but you do see that there is one way that if you were to climb down into the sinkhole or to the cavern, you can kind of make your way deeper into the earth.

Helen (Panret)

This is a natural cavern, or...?

Dan (DM)

It seems to be... like, yeah, so at the bottom of the cavern, you see obviously rubble, a lot of dirt where the floor and the ground has collapsed, but inside the cavern seems to be the natural stone walls, and there are more of those mushrooms, growing very abundantly in the cavern itself.

Russell (Upri)

So it's safe to say the air is really like humid and moist?

Dan (DM)

Yeah, yeah. Humid and moist.

Timothy (Alice)

What a fascinating ecosystem we have down here!

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, watch your foot now! I don't know how stable this cavern is.

Timothy (Alice)

I guess: "better safe than sorry." Thank you, Upri.

Russell (Upri)

It's why I'm here. [finger guns.]

Timothy (Alice)

Right back at you.

Russell (Upri)

So, the cavern: does it keep going? Can we see where the statue is or...?

Dan (DM)

Have you... have you climbed all the way down?

Russell (Upri)

[hesitantly] Yes?

Timothy (Alice)

Yeah, I guess we should all descend down.

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, Upri will go first.

Timothy (Alice)

Alice will follow next.

Dan (DM)

And then Panret, lastly... I'm assuming if Panret decides to join everybody.... [staring at Helen, distracted by Tim and Dan's cat]

Helen (Panret)

[distracted] What?

Dan (DM)

There's a cat. [pointing to the cat]

Helen (Panret)

Sorry. [Dan laughs]

Dan (DM)

Panret, I'm assuming joins everybody else.

Helen (Panret)

Yes.

Dan (DM)

So, yeah, once you reach the bottom, you can see deeper into the cave, and it does continue on into a larger cavern, but because dark vision only goes so far, there's not too much you can see, but the mushrooms definitely, like, become more and more prevalent. Like, there's just a bunch more, they start to get bigger, like, the ones you were seeing above ground were just, like, your standard size, maybe like three or four inches tall, depending on you know, those are the big ones. These are starting to get, like, six to 10 inches tall, and so they're becoming much, much more prevalent, and you also notice that in the air, there are a little white particles that just seems to float around and as you, like, pass through, like--

Helen (Panret)

Like spores?

Dan (DM)

Like spores, exactly, which seems fairly natural for--

Helen (Panret)

A thing full of mushrooms.

Dan (DM)

A thing full of mushrooms, exactly.

Russell (Upri)

Would we know to, like, not breath those in?

Dan (DM)

Because they're the white spores and not purple spores (get my drift?)... they're probably fine to breathe in. They're...they can't really harm you.

Helen (Panret)

"Okay, this is probably fine." Panret says,

Russell (Upri)

Oh, yeah, I'm sure.

Timothy (Alice)

I do hope so.

Helen (Panret)

You might have said this already, but do we see the statue yet? Is it here?

Dan (DM)

No. The statue is not in the immediate area, but everybody give me an Investigation check as you descended into the the earth

Russell (Upri)

Helen (Panret)

Timothy (Alice)

Also 15.

Dan (DM)

Okay, Alice and Upri ,as you kind of climb down from the pile of rubble that you initially descend onto, you do notice that this, like, large drag mark in the earth going deeper into the tunnels that is maybe statue-sized?

Russell (Upri)

l think...I think this was a heist. I think something or someone took the statue.

Helen (Panret)

Someone?

Timothy (Alice)

Oh.

Helen (Panret)

Down here?

Timothy (Alice)

Weird, Yes, it would have thought they would've--

Russell (Upri)

Look at these markings over here.

Timothy (Alice)

fallen right--

Helen (Panret)

Oh.

Timothy (Alice)

--where we stand, but yes, it does look like someone took it. I wonder who lives down here or-or how they would have gotten down here, I... This is all very strange.

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, just be on alert. Do we see any sort of, like, footprints beside the drag marks, or the drag marks basically covered everything up behind it?

Dan (DM)

Yeah, so it's just a big drag mark, so if somebody was, like, pulling from the front, it would have, like, covered up or destroyed any feet...footprints. [conspiratorily] Or maybe it's a flying creature dragging it; I don't know. You're in a tunnel, it makes sense. Just go with it. Just kidding, it's probably not a flying creature--

Russell (Upri)

[looking up] Are their spider footprints on the ceiling?! [Dan laughs]

Timothy (Alice)

Do spiders leave footprints?

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, like little-little, like, pinholes?

Timothy (Alice)

I've never noticed.

Russell (Upri)

They're really confusing to track, honestly. [Dan and Tim laugh]

Helen (Panret)

So, should we just follow the drag mark?

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, cautiously.

Helen (Panret)

Okay.

Timothy (Alice)

That is our only lead at the moment, so yes. Into the tunnel we go!

Russell (Upri)

[singing] Into the thick of it. [Dan sings in echo]

Dan (DM)

So, as you proceed down this tunnel, you find yourself in a large chamber. I-- before that, how are you proceeding? Are you stomping your way through?

Helen (Panret)

[matter of factly] On foot. [Tim laughs]

Dan (DM)

Great! Perfect.

Russell (Upri)

We're-we're gonna proceed stealthily. I'll be in the front.

Helen (Panret)

Stealthily? Does that mean we need to make a Stealth check?

Dan (DM)

Uh, yeah, everybody give me a Stealth check, just so I have it on hand.

Helen (Panret)

I should probably stop asking these questions.

Russell (Upri)

Also, should we put out that light, Al?

Helen (Panret)

12.

Timothy (Alice)

I don't think we do because I got a 3.

Russell (Upri)

I got a natural 1.

Dan (DM)

Just writing down "FAILED" next to Upri.

Timothy (Alice)

We have failed.

Helen (Panret)

Good to know.

Timothy (Alice)

We left our light on, and we are stomping around, tripping over everything--

Russell (Upri)

I trip over a mushroom!

Helen (Panret)

I rolled the 12, but I have a luminescent backpack so... [Russell and Tim laugh]

Dan (DM)

So, as you proceed into the next room, you see this cavern open up and in the cavern, the mushrooms are just enormous. They're huge, and you also start to see some ones that don't necessarily fit into what you've been seeing regularly.

Helen (Panret)

These mushrooms are amazing. [pointing] Look at that; I could live in that one.

Russell (Upri)

Aw, that would make a cute little house, wouldn't it?

Timothy (Alice)

Fascintating.

Dan (DM)

But you see a couple of them in particular stick out to as odd. On the other side of the chamber, you s-- that leads... that, like, so you'd have to pass by them to... with the drag marks; if you're following the drag marks, you're gonna have to pass by these odd mushrooms. Does everybody know what a morel looks like?

Russell (Upri)

Yes, delicious. Yes,

Helen (Panret)

Just moved here from Michigan.

Dan (DM)

So, these tall four to five feet tall purple mushrooms, instead of having, like, caps like you would normally see on a mushroom, they are, like, these almos,t like, columns with, like, big pores in them, and you're not quite sure, but it almost looks like they might be swaying or shifting?

Helen (Panret)

That's weird. There's no breeze; we're underground.

Timothy (Alice)

That is very astute, Panret.

Dan (DM)

It is strange, yes [laughs]

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, I don't like I don't like that.

Timothy (Alice)

I never fancied myself as a mycologist, but after seeing these, maybe I might get into it.

Dan (DM)

Everybody give me a Nature check.

Helen (Panret)

Timothy (Alice)

I didn't realize I was good at Nature, um, 24.

Dan (DM)

Oh, Jesus! [laughs]

Russell (Upri)

Dan (Wren)

Well, the 24 on the table... you're not a mycologist, so you don't know a whole lot about mushrooms to begin with, but you do know that there are species of mushrooms that are more than just-- well, there are species of plants in general that are more than just inanimate plants, like, so that there are... there are some types of creatures that are plant-based that can move and are potentially aggressive. You don't know if that's necessarily the case, but you've heard of these things before--

Helen (Panret)

Alice tells us this, right?

Timothy (Alice)

Yeah, we might want to be a little careful down here, uh. They're motions are giving me, uh, "reservations"

Helen (Panret)

Panret says "hello" to one of the mushrooms just to see if it responds.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, good idea.

Helen (Panret)

Is there a response?

Dan (DM)

One of the big ones? One of the big purple ones? How close do you got to say "hello"? The chamber is about maybe, like 20, 25 feet long, so they're at the other end of the chamber.

Helen (Panret)

Like 10 feet. A respectful distance? What's that, like, two squares?

Dan (DM)

That's two squares, yeah. You...[laughs] So, you walk up on this mushroom and go "Hello!" from what 10 feet? Is that what I understand?

Helen (Panret)

Correct.

Dan (DM)

So, out of one of the pores of this mushroom, a tentacle shoots out and lashes out at you. Everybody roll for initiative.

Russell (Upri)

Pan Pan, what you doin'?

Dan (DM)

Silly Pan Pan.

Russell (Upri)

Tim, so even though I don't have magic, can I still flavor, like--

Timothy (Alice)

Yeah,

Russell (Upri)

--even though it won't have effects?

Helen (Panret)

Timothy (Alice)

Russell (Upri)

Helen (Panret)

Well, I guess I kind of already took the initiative, so it makes sense. [Tim laughs] Well, I was just thinking, you know, we talked it out with the bullywugs earlier, maybe this would be a similar situation. [Dan laughs]

Timothy (Alice)

[comfortingly] It was very good thinking.

Russell (Upri)

As soon as the pseudopod goes out for Pan, Upri's gonna try to pull her hammer out. She's gonna get it stuck on, like, roots. [Dan laughs] "God dammit!"

Dan (DM)

Yeah, that makes-- that's fair. And, so you're just a little bit delayed, it's ok.

Helen (Panret)

So, it just... it just like hits me or...?

Dan (DM)

It's gonna try and hit you, so it's lashing out to try and hit you. What's your AC? I should write all this down.

Helen (Panret)

Timothy (Alice)

[disbelief] Whaaat?

Dan (Wren)

Alice, what's your AC?

Helen (Panret)

I forgot to put armor on this character.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh [laughs]

Russell (Upri)

So, you're literally just wearing a bush. [Dan laughs] Oh my god. [laughs]

Helen (Panret)

I'm just gonna roll with it. [Russell says "oh no"]

Timothy (Alice)

I love that, um...

Russell (Upri)

[optimistically] Our first character death

Timothy (Alice)

12.

Russell (Upri)

Dan (DM)

So, it does lash out at you, and rolls a nat 1, so it misses. You have the wherewithal just at 10 feet, so you're like "hello" a little cautiously, so you're just out of its reach. So, it lashes out, and like swings closely, but does not hit you.

Helen (Panret)

I think these mushrooms are aggressive.

Russell (Upri)

[shocked] You think?

Helen (Panret)

Panret, it's your turn. I'm going to attack the mushroom using Ice Knife.

Dan (DM)

Sounds good.

Russell (Upri)

Whoo.

Dan (DM)

Spicy.

Helen (Panret)

It's a Dex 13 save.

Dan (DM)

Oh, yeah. So, go ahead and roll your attack first to see if you hit it.

Helen (Panret)

The damage changes if it fails the Dexterity check.

Dan (DM)

Yeah, it failed.

Helen (Panret)

Okay, so then it's 2d6.

Russell (Upri)

[to himself] Oh, I've been using Ice Knife wrong?

Helen (Panret)

Dan (DM)

5 damage, okay. Is there an area effect after that?

Helen (Panret)

on a hit, the target takes piercing damage, so five piercing damage, then the shard explodes then another dexterity saving throw For cold damage.

Dan (DM)

What's the save for that?

Helen (Panret)

Dan (Wren)

it also fails that one as well

Helen (Panret)

fails again? Okay, so then 2d Six called damage

Dan (Wren)

Wow

Helen (Panret)

Dan (Wren)

11. Jesus, okay, well,

Helen (Panret)

you got the same kind of ice that hits the mushroom and then explodes

Dan (DM)

Yeah, so it tears to this mushroom. It is not a sturdy. I mean, it's a mushroom. So it's mostly spongy. So it just like you tear holes throughout this thing and it's like leaning over inside but it's still flailing about a little bit.

Russell (Robyn)

What noise does it make when it it's injured?

Dan (Wren)

I mean, it doesn't make a noise but the ice knives going through it go like *squelching noise* something

Helen (Panret)

sure that is what ice sounds like.

Dan (DM)

Well that's what like tearing sounds like cuz you're like going through it and then as your ice knife explodes

Helen (Panret)

should we get a mushroom and tear it into the microphone to Oh God

Russell (Robyn)

no, it would sound like flesh that makes me uncomfortable.

Dan (DM)

Alice it is your turn.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh yes I'm very good at battle.

Helen (Panret)

Yes, I some some even say I'm a skilled fighter as well.

Timothy (Alice)

I agree. I'm gonna go give inspiration to Upri

Russell (Robyn)

You're a Bard?

Timothy (DM_dup)

Yes, I'm a bard. So Alice is going to cower a little behind Upri's large form. And just Pat her on the back. All right, my dear. You go You go take care of this now.

Russell (Robyn)

Aye, ma'am.

Timothy (DM_dup)

And now you get a d6 as your inspiration on your next roll,

Russell (Robyn)

do you roll or I just roll it?

Timothy (DM_dup)

You roll it with your next attack or action or

Russell (Robyn)

I've never had a bard that inspired me

Dan (Wren)

because nobody plays Bards anymore.

Dan (Wren)

Except for Geoff who doesn't inspire

Dan (Wren)

who doesn't inspire people. Selfish Bard. It's just a bard thing, I think. Okay, so is that everything Alice? Is that your turn?

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, that's only a bonus action. So I guess I can throw a dagger at it.

Dan (Wren)

Okay, same one that Panret attacked?

Timothy (Alice)

Oh that one's not dead.?e

Dan (Wren)

No, remember, it's still like flailing away. It's like slumped over really collapsed.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh no! All right, I'll throw at the same one. Does a nine hit?

Dan (Wren)

a nine does hit

Timothy (DM_dup)

Ooh.

Dan (Wren)

Okay.

Timothy (Alice)

Two piercing damage.

Dan (Wren)

Perfect. That's all you needed. As you toss your knife at it you sever the majority of the top column apart so there's a very little bit left holding it together and it just collapses over and stops moving

Dan (Wren)

well Damn

Dan (Wren)

you've killed the creature

Russell (Robyn)

mighty fine work there, Al I didn't think you had in you

Timothy (DM_dup)

neither did I frankly

Dan (Wren)

the other mushroom is going to move. move? it looks like it's rooted to the ground haha but it's cilia are gonna like uproot itself like you didn't quite see it because it's buried beneath the ground but it's gonna slightly uproot itself and like kind of pull itself towards you. You can tell that it's laborious for this thing to move

Helen (Panret)

so it's like a starfish

Dan (Wren)

tiny tiny tiny tiny tendrils and you see it's like it like with all of its effort pulls itself towards you only five feet so it just like kind of creeps at you and lashes out at Panret Because you're just close enough oh that hits I'm assuming 20 hits and it does five necrotic damage. It doesn't necessarily bludgeon you in a way but it's touch alone like feels like burns and almost feels like your skin is starting to rot.

Helen (Panret)

five?

Dan (Wren)

five damage which What are you wizard? What is your

Helen (Panret)

I'm a druid

Dan (Wren)

oh, you're druid Okay?

Helen (Panret)

I have 10 max HP so I have five now.

Dan (Wren)

So it hurts it hurts a lot all right, that is Upri's turn.

Russell (Robyn)

Upri yanks are hammer out of the roots. Hold on Pan Pan I'm coming and then she slams it on the ground behind her while she runs forward and it creates like this trail of multicolored spirals where like where the hammer drags along the ground behind her. And then she swings upward and slams into the mushroom or attempts to

Timothy (Alice)

alright, you have inspiration.

Russell (Robyn)

Yes, 7

Dan (Wren)

oh, 7 hits.

Russell (Robyn)

Oh,

Helen (Panret)

remember it's a mushroom.

Dan (Wren)

But it's a giant almost stationary mushroom

Helen (Panret)

I was thinking about that when I realized I made you roll a dexterity save.

Dan (DM)

It's literally one.

Russell (Robyn)

Oh, that six points of bludgeoning damage.

Dan (Wren)

Okay, yeah.

Russell (Robyn)

And then I'm going to use my bonus action to rage which I should have done first

Dan (Wren)

Alright. And that is up to Panret. Your turn again.

Helen (Panret)

Can I like step back and then heal myself?

Dan (DM)

You can because you're right next to it. At this point, you'd have to use an action to disengage. Or else it's gonna get an opportunity attack, which is probably not a great thing for you.

Helen (Panret)

Okay, I'm just gonna go for it. I'm gonna hit it with my Quarterstaff

Dan (Wren)

brilliant. Yep.

Helen (Panret)

So I need to roll to hit it.

Dan (Wren)

Yes.

Helen (Panret)

Dan (Wren)

That hits.

Helen (Panret)

Now the Quarterstaff is 1dsix plus two. Four damage.

Dan (Wren)

Nice.

Russell (Robyn)

Level one, level one!

Dan (DM)

You wallop this thing. Yeah, I just love the idea of you just taking a stick and beating a mushroom to death. Alice, that's your turn.

Timothy (Alice)

So Alice is going to run up behind Panret and touch them on the shoulder blade and use Cure Wounds.

Dan (DM)

Perfect. Go ahead and roll your healing.

Timothy (Alice)

Nine points of healing so you are back up to full health

Dan (Wren)

you feel great! better than you did before

Helen (Panret)

I do.

Dan (DM)

Alice anything else on your turn?

Timothy (Alice)

Then I run--

Helen (Panret)

Panret is fully healed and the scar their eyebrow is gone

Timothy (Alice)

back behind the fray yet again.

Dan (Wren)

Perfect. Alright, it's the Shroomies and it's gonna attack the bigger threat at this point. So Upri You're getting

Russell (Robyn)

Bring It

Dan (Wren)

Okay,

Russell (Robyn)

fungie

Dan (Wren)

That's a 19 to hit.

Helen (Panret)

Good one.

Russell (Robyn)

That hits.

Dan (Wren)

It does. Seven points of necrotic damage.

Russell (Robyn)

Oh. this hurts. Oh, that burns. Oh, tits.

Dan (Wren)

Upri. That's your turn.

Russell (Robyn)

You son of a bitch. And you're just gonna wail on it. And now she's willing on it. Her normally dark red eyes kind of start to low a little bit. Now like glow in the dark, but like it almost looks like there's light swirling behind them.

Russell (Robyn)

Dan (Wren)

17 hits Yep.

Russell (Robyn)

And that's gonna be for math. 12 plus three is 15. That's 17

Dan (Wren)

That's enough.

Russell (Robyn)

So I just wanna *ahhhhh!!!*

Dan (DM)

So you just wall up on this thing multiple times and it's,

Timothy (DM_dup)

Upri, I think it's dead.

Dan (Wren)

It's a pile of mush on the ground. Um, everybody give me

Helen (Panret)

Mush to moosh

Dan (Wren)

so we're out of combat. They're both very much dead. Everybody give me a perception check as you're kind of settling down from the fight.

Russell (Robyn)

Timothy (DM_dup)

Helen (Panret)

Nine,

Dan (Wren)

okay. It makes sense because Panret and Upri were like in the fray and Alice was kind of standing back. But Alice, you noticed that as Upri was dragging her hammer, we'll call it sure it's a mall,

Russell (Robyn)

a great hammer,

Dan (DM)

great hammer tree along the ground, that obviously you picked up some white spores, but also some purple spores kicked up into the air too, as you were dragging your hammer through. And yeah, that's what you notice that these are kind of settled on the ground. And as she dragged her hammer through, they kind of kicked up into the air. You guys were breathing.

Russell (Robyn)

This is what I get for being extra.

Timothy (Alice)

Well, well, how are you feeling after that battle? I'm

Russell (Robyn)

I feel great. And she hits it again.

Timothy (Alice)

It's okay. Upri. Perhaps we should continue moving on.

Helen (Panret)

Upri is still somewhat injured, right?

Russell (Robyn)

I mean, it's just it's just a little flesh wound and there's just like a big melted gash across her chest. Yeah.

Russell (Robyn)

Yeah, It'll go away in a few days fopr sure.

Timothy (Alice)

Let me help you with that. And Alice is going to place her hand on Upri Again, cast Cure Wounds.

Timothy (DM_dup)

That tingles

Timothy (DM_dup)

this time only for four points of healing damage

Russell (Robyn)

is mostly gone, but there's definitely still some a bit of like, the shape of a tentacle. Your stomach just like dented in a little.

Timothy (Alice)

I'm afraid but thats all I can give today.

Russell (Robyn)

Oh, that's more than enough.

Timothy (DM_dup)

I feeling rather drained.

Dan (Wren)

Great.

Russell (Robyn)

Oh, no, we use both your spell slots on our first fight.

Timothy (Alice)

You don't want to know what my cantrips are

Russell (Robyn)

All non-combative, I'm sure.

Dan (DM)

So you did cast to light spells,

Timothy (DM_dup)

That's a cantrip

Dan (Wren)

Oh, light's a cantrips

Timothy (DM_dup)

Yeah, it's a catrip

Dan (Wren)

Oh, okay, nevermind. Just kidding. I don't know. I thought it was the first level spell. Okay, so

Helen (Panret)

I get stressed out and I feel like I'm running out of spells.

Timothy (Alice)

I have a walking stick, and a dagger.

Dan (DM)

So Alice, as you cast your last spell of the day, pretty much, you start to feel a little bit dizzy, which is a bit weird because normally you've used up your Arcane capacity before but it's like odd because you'd normally don't feel weird about it. It's just like you feel drained but like but you like start to feel a little dizzy and as you like close your eyes steady yourself. You see a vision of dirt and rocks falling in on top of you and you feel this weight almost like-- it's not actually crushing you and like pushing you to the ground but in your mind you feel like your muscles being like trapped and underneath dirt and heavy heavy rubble and as you open your eyes that that feeling passes

Timothy (DM_dup)

Whoa whoa whoa. I don't know what came over me. Did you see that?

Helen (Panret)

Alice you look like you need to sit down

Timothy (Alice)

i i would think that I should

Russell (Robyn)

This mushroom over here looks nice. Slap it

Timothy (Alice)

well, hopefully they don't attack-- I don't, I don't know what we would do

Dan (DM)

It does not respond to you slapping

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, thank goodness. I will take a moment just just a moment to pause and think. Um, neither of you saw that?

Russell (Robyn)

Saw what?

Timothy (DM_dup)

I received a vision which is always horrible. There were rocks in the they all fell on me and crushed me and I could I could feel it. It was so oppressive and devastating. But then it was over in a flash and here I am

Helen (Panret)

Has this ever happened to you before?

Timothy (Alice)

I Don't believe so. I mean, only in dreams but never in the waking day.

Helen (Panret)

Maybe you're just hungry. Do you need a snack?

Russell (Robyn)

Yeah, maybe a mushroom.

Timothy (Alice)

Maybe a little nibble would do. I do feel a little lightheaded. And so out of her pack, she's just gonna pull out a little bit of rations and just like nibble off a little bit and take a swig of water.

Dan (DM)

Anything else you want to do in this room before following the the drag marks?

Russell (Robyn)

Yeah, let's follow the drag marks is gonna spit on one of the dead mushrooms before we go. Is

Helen (Panret)

there anything shiny nearby?

Dan (Wren)

No, nothing terribly shiny. No. So the drag marks had that way? Yeah.

Russell (Robyn)

Well, Al, do you think we should check out these other two rooms or

Helen (Panret)

so there's open passageways to our right and left, and the drag marks are heading straight ahead into another passageway?

Dan (DM)

Yeah. They continue forward. But as you pass through, you do see the chamber branches off into like other passageways and other chambers? And whether or not you want to explore that's up to you guys.

Helen (Panret)

I think we should continue pursuing this statue.

Timothy (Alice)

Yes, I think our best course of action is a efficient and effective route forward.

Russell (Robyn)

Sounds good.

Timothy (Alice)

Don't want to run into any more of those morrel looking fellas

Russell (Robyn)

well put, Al, well put.

Dan (Wren)

So as you all proceed into the next room, I imagine you're doing it quietly as possible.

Timothy (DM_dup)

Yeah, yes, please

Dan (Wren)

give me another stealth check everybody, since we're moving forward, I'll let you reset that one

Timothy (DM_dup)

19. I'm being very cautious, because I cannot help anymore.

Dan (Wren)

Same as before.

Helen (Panret)

12.

Russell (Robyn)

Seven,

Dan (Wren)

okay, not as bad as a one. So as you proceed into the next room, similarly to the room before, you see a lot of these like white and purple mushrooms. And as you proceed toward a down the path that the the drag marks go, these mushrooms just constantly are getting bigger and bigger and bigger and more. And they're more of them too. So they're like covering the walls at this point. But in the middle of the room, you notice five mushrooms that look very odd. These don't seem to be swaying as much but they're big capped mushrooms and on the caps. There are these big holes that just cover the caps themselves. Give me survival check or nature check either one.

Russell (Robyn)

Dice is going in jail. Eight on survival check.

Timothy (DM_dup)

Helen (Panret)

Dan (Wren)

Okay, Panret. And Alice, you recognize these, they're not too uncommon, but you typically don't see them too often. But you've either read about them or seen them in your travels. These are known as Shriekers as what you would call them in common. And they're typically fairly harmless.

Helen (Panret)

shrieker?

Dan (Wren)

shriekers. Yeah. But what you know about them is that if you get too close, they push air through these holes that they have in their cap and let out this like terrible high pitched shrieking noise, hence the name. They're typically harmless, but they would definitely call things in if I thought other things could hear them. It's just like an extremely loud, high pitched noise that they let off. But you do know that it's only if they notice you and only if you get too close.

Helen (Panret)

How do they see?

Dan (Wren)

They sense

Helen (Panret)

Oh, okay,

Dan (Wren)

they have a like a blind sense

Helen (Panret)

Do we know how close is too close?

Dan (Wren)

Probably like, threatening distance. So like within like maybe like 20 feet ish. They might go off, but typically it's only when they feel particularly threatened.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, we would do best to stay away from those. I can't imagine the sound they would let out hold five of them there. Is there any way for us to creep around them?

Dan (Wren)

Yeah, I'd say

Timothy (DM_dup)

like around the perimeter of the room.

Dan (Wren)

Yeah.

Timothy (DM_dup)

And does there seem to be anything else along the perimeter of the room that we should be concerned with?

Dan (DM)

Nothing else on the perimeter room that seems out of place, obviously those huge purple and white mushrooms but they're the same type of mushrooms that you've been seeing throughout the forest, or at least on your way into the temple.

Helen (Panret)

So if they only respond when they feel threatened, just keep your body language very relaxed. And don't make eye contact

Dan (Wren)

Panret As you are kind of giving these instructions on how to not disturb a Shrieker, you notice that when you blin, instead of seeing darkness, you see a bright light. Does that make sense? Then when you close your eyes,

Helen (Panret)

I think my eyes might have gone backwards.

Timothy (Alice)

What do you mean Panret?

Helen (Panret)

Well, I'm blinking and getting flashes instead of darkness.

Dan (DM)

So as you continue to blink because you're naturally going to continue to blank, the span of time in which this light permeates your mind increases, until all you see is this bright light. And you start to feel this oppressive heat and blistering and drying of your skin. Almost as if you're being like put under like, got to way too close to the sun. You like feel this like, almost like your entire body is drying out and dying. And then all of a sudden, it's gone.

Helen (Panret)

Panret falls over.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh my god, what was going on?

Helen (Panret)

I just had a really unusual experience. Panret is still blinking. But the flashes are gone.

Dan (Wren)

The flashes are gone. Your skin is normal. Like ever--You now feel normal. But you felt during that moment you felt this like intense pain and intense fear as well. As if like you knew that this was the end.

Helen (Panret)

I could have sworn that I was just on fire.

Timothy (DM_dup)

But that's

Helen (Panret)

Do all my leaves look ok?

Timothy (Alice)

And you look fine to me, Pan.

Russell (Robyn)

They look quite full?

Helen (Panret)

Well, Alice, you had something similar happen earlier? Upri. Do you?

Timothy (DM_dup)

Yeah,

Helen (Panret)

feel normal?

Timothy (DM_dup)

Do you feel okay. Yeah, I

Russell (Robyn)

mean, other than the, you know, scar across my tummy? I'm fine. Right?

Helen (Panret)

Yeah.

Timothy (DM_dup)

Okay.

Helen (Panret)

Should we do anything with this information? Or should we just keep going?

Russell (Robyn)

I maybe

Timothy (Alice)

I don't know what we would do

Russell (Robyn)

you think the spoors might be hallucinogenic?

Timothy (Alice)

You know Upri, that is a very good idea. I don't know what we do with that, though.

Helen (Panret)

Could we know that

Russell (Robyn)

you know, I'll do a test real quick. And I take a deep breath.

Dan (DM)

As you do this, you not necessarily blackout but your vision blacks out. And all of a sudden, as you kind of look around, you feel this intense fear. But as you look up you notice three giant figures standing above you, towering over you with these menacing faces. They are almost humanoid, but also monstrous at the same time. One of them is giant and green. One of them is covered in brambles and is reaching down at you. And the other one stands aside and watches almost looms over the chaos that is happening around you. And as they reach down at you, you almost feel like you're going like they're going to crush you. They're definitely going to kill you. You have this intense like end feeling about it. Like there's nothing that you can do about them. They're stronger than you they will end you. There's nothing you can do. And after a moment that feeling passes and your vision returns to you.

Russell (Robyn)

Yeah, maybe don't do that. Yep, we we should. She just ripps off a piece of like a fabric or fur and ties it around her face. We shouldn't really be breathing this in. I mean, at least not while we're here. You know doing stuff.

Helen (Panret)

So do we all cover our nose and mouth?

Timothy (DM_dup)

Yes, I suppose so

Helen (Panret)

with some kind of facial covering.

Timothy (Alice)

Yeah, Alice fashions some sort of facial covering with the cloth in her duster.

Russell (Robyn)

Cool. All right. After the marks we go.

Dan (Wren)

Alright, you proceed down the Shriekers don't seem to pay you any mind. So they just stay as is, no yelling, which is always great. You pass through this chamber into another chamber. Shocker. Chamber upon chambers. And you notice a couple more strikers in the middle of the room but easily passable as we found out. But you also notice one other creature that seems to be floating around. It's this bulbous, almost five to six foot tall creature that seems to be almost like ballooning across the room. As it turns. It looks at you with one giant eye in the middle of its bulbous shape. On top of it grow green mushrooms that seemed to be kind of bump along the ceiling as it traverses the area, and it kind of stares at you. I'm ready to give me a again either survival or nature check.

Helen (Panret)

Timothy (Alice)

Seven,

Russell (Robyn)

six on survival

Dan (Wren)

with a 17 you recognize this thing. You've seen this before you maybe even fought one before. This is a gas spore and you know it to typically be pretty passive. They're not terribly aggressive unless they're looking to procreate, in which case they will lay their spores inside of a warm creature. And then baby gasp boars will pop out of this warm creature. It's an unpleasant experience. So you've heard never experienced it yourself. But for the most part, they're pretty tepid, unless they're looking to breed. Which is gross.

Helen (Panret)

Does it look horny?

Timothy (DM_dup)

roll for horniness

Helen (Panret)

Dan (Wren)

it does not look horny. But it is looking at you the party and it starts to like, float over to you. So it's movement is like a kind of like uses. It's like mushrooms on the top to like push itself along the ceiling, as it floats over. You also know it can pop. It's like a balloon. It's full of gas, which is not a pleasant experience to be standing in what it does. It is slowly bumping its way over

Timothy (Alice)

What is that? It looks rather unnerving.

Helen (Panret)

You probably don't want this to touch you.

Timothy (Alice)

Well, Upri do something about that.

Dan (Wren)

It continues to slowly bump its way over to you. It's maybe like 20 feet away.

Russell (Robyn)

Um uh, Umh, uh.

Timothy (Alice)

Alice is gonna throw a dagger.

Dan (Wren)

Okay, give me an attack roll.

Timothy (Alice)

Does a 15 hit?

Dan (Wren)

A 15 does hit

Timothy (DM_dup)

ooh Yay.

Dan (Wren)

So you hook a dagger over at this thing. And it immediately pops and green gas comes out of it and spore just kind of puff out in the area and then slowly settle onto the ground.

Russell (Robyn)

Well, they could have been bad I almost hit that with my hammer.

Timothy (Alice)

Okay, yes, um, if we see any more of those do keep your distance.

Dan (Wren)

Without anything else want to do in this room. They don't seem any any, any other things. So again, those shreikers, but they're in the middle of the room so you can walk around them. So should you choose

Russell (Robyn)

yes, lets best avoid those?

Timothy (Alice)

Yeah, we'll walk around the perimeter of the room, waiting for the spores to settle, maybe pressing the cloth firmer into our faces.

Dan (DM)

So as you proceed into the next room, you start to notice that every time you blink, you're starting to see a collection of the visions that you've seen before the end of the party so so you might blink and see towering figures looming over you looking to crush you, or blinding oppressive light that shrivels and melts your skin, or rocks and dirt crashing down on you and you being entombed, can't even move can't breathe. So every time you close your eyes, you get these like flashes of these feelings that almost start to permeate your normal reality.

Russell (Robyn)

Can I try to your medicine role to see if I would like would pee in on our masks neutralize the effect?

Dan (Wren)

Okay, yeah, give me a medicine role and see how that goes.

Russell (Robyn)

Because that's what they did in World War One with mustard gas 13

Dan (DM)

You would imagine that whatever is giving you whose hallucinations is already in already inside of you. Because you've probably already breathed in whatever it is that's doing this to you. You can't really get rid of it. But it may pass. It doesn't seem to be harming you in any way. Just giving you these like, the really like terrible visions. Oh, y'all

Russell (Robyn)

this gonna be a bitch

Dan (DM)

everybody give me a perception check as you proceed into the next room. Normally, or yeah, just normal perception check. It's not these visions aren't necessarily hindering your ability to do things. But the it's mostly like this feeling that you're getting

Helen (Panret)

distressing.

Dan (Wren)

It's distressing.

Helen (Panret)

Yeah, I got a six on perception.

Russell (Robyn)

Timothy (Alice)

mine was a seven.

Dan (Wren)

So as you kind of round the band and following these drag marks up or you look down another like passageway where the drag marks aren't going. And right as you are kind of looking that way. You see a line of mushrooms, small ones, like maybe like five to six inches tall, kind of skittering away from you into the next room and

Helen (Panret)

skittering entering as in the verb? As in they're moving?

Dan (Wren)

Yes. Is that? Is that not the word I was looking for?

Helen (Panret)

No, that just wouldn't expect mushrooms to skitter.

Dan (DM)

These ones look like they had like little legs and arms little okay. And they're like running in a group question away.

Helen (Panret)

Question. Yeah. Are they cute?

Dan (Wren)

Very, very cute. They're like all different colors, all different shapes like there Pretty small like five to six inches but there are probably a couple that are like eight to 10 inches. And they're all different kinds of mushrooms too. So some of them have like big flat caps other ones are more like morrel shaped in their heads, but they were running away from you and they're like skittering away. Give me a nature check. Also, would you like to share what you saw?

Russell (Robyn)

Oh, was I the only one that saw?

Dan (DM)

yeah, you're the only one that

Helen (Panret)

natural one

Russell (Robyn)

y'all I think I saw some baby mushrooms running away from us. They were they was Low-key kind of cute though. So like..

Timothy (Alice)

Did you say running?

Russell (Robyn)

yeah, like with feetsies

Timothy (Alice)

with feet?

Russell (Robyn)

Yeah,

Timothy (DM_dup)

mushrooms?

Russell (Robyn)

Not like human feet?

Dan (Wren)

No, not human feet. But like, like legs and like,

Russell (Robyn)

little psuedopods.

Dan (Wren)

pattering pattering around, give me nature checks. Now that you've all heard this.

Russell (Robyn)

Not gonna lie kind of want to pet one

Timothy (Alice)

uh 15?

Dan (Wren)

Alice, you have heard tales of mushroom creatures like this, but you've never confirmed like, there aren't necessarily confirmed evidence of it, in least what you've read. But you've you've heard of myconids before. There are tales that you've heard even as kids like you've heard like, stories about like mushroom people living under the earth, when you call them magnets because they're mushroom people.

Timothy (Alice)

You're sure you saw mushrooms with feet right? Upri?

Russell (Robyn)

Not like feet feet. But like Yeah, but the had legs.

Timothy (Alice)

Interesting. I thought those were just I told tale. I heard stories of these them. \

Timothy (DM_dup)

are they dangerous?

Timothy (DM_dup)

In my stories, they're, well the usually afraid of people.

Russell (Robyn)

I mean, they were running from us

Dan (Wren)

So as you contemplate myconids, and what you've heard about them in the tales that you've heard, you would know that my kids because they're plant people in a sense that they will not really plant people, they don't have like vocal cords or ways of communication in the way that humanoids do. And so you you have heard stories that they talk through almost like a telepathic system they use a telepathic spore to communicate with each other they don't necessarily have a language but they talk through like images and feelings and sounds that they communicate with each other through their mind

Timothy (Alice)

I suppose maybe the visions we've been receiving no action your form of communication

Helen (Panret)

but they're so apocalyptic and violent

Timothy (Alice)

they they are do you think this with the want to do to us?

Dan (Wren)

Everybody give me an insight check?

Russell (Robyn)

Uh, no, I think that's just their perspective of what's happening to them-- just kidding I think they want to murder the shit out of us

Timothy (Alice)

I also three

Russell (Robyn)

Yeah, they're definitely dangerous we should kill every single one of them

Helen (Panret)

eight

Dan (Wren)

Oh my god y'all

Russell (Robyn)

yes let's go murder though.

Helen (Panret)

Maybe they can get some little mushroom therapists to help them figure this out.

Russell (Robyn)

Yes, not on us. Yeah,

Dan (DM)

it's pretty clear that they're running away from you so they're afraid of you

Timothy (Alice)

maybe preparing defenses should should be turned back like

Russell (Robyn)

nah we got to get that gold statue or those other guys are gonna stick us... with spears not..get your mind out of the gutter

Timothy (Alice)

oh now I guess we're in a bind then.

Russell (Robyn)

It'll be fine now that we know it just them being scared

Helen (Panret)

remember just keep your body language relaxed

Timothy (Alice)

yes relaxed I I'm very I work on it.

Helen (Panret)

Act like you're not a threat. Well, Alice you don't really need to act

Timothy (Alice)

that's fairly true. Maybe Upri, You, well they don't want you standing in the back in case I need your protection but maybe you just hold back just just a bit don't want to fight in them.

Russell (Robyn)

Sure. I mean, that's not the way we have to go anyway a brat

Dan (Wren)

Yeah, they were running away from your so they're not down the path or the they weren't running down the path let

Russell (Robyn)

them why don't you stay in the middle, Al, a nice little safe sandwich between me and Pan Pan

Timothy (Alice)

I suppose this alright

Helen (Panret)

Panret tries to think positive thoughts hoping that they will pick them up

Dan (Wren)

can you give me an example? What are Panret's positive thoughts? Just bushes?

Helen (Panret)

Panret is thinking very hard about a small lizard.

Dan (Wren)

So as you as you think this these visions that you're getting start to meld with your thoughts about this lizard. So now in your thoughts about being like, crushed by rocks, or attacked by giants

Helen (Panret)

or illuminated by burning light, right by right,

Dan (Wren)

by burning light, there's just a lizard and all these visions now

Helen (Panret)

you see Panret start to tear up

Russell (Robyn)

Pan you okay?

Helen (Panret)

It's, the lizard, I just don't want it to get hurt

Russell (Robyn)

Yeah, sure that we can hurt no lizard. It'll be fine.

Dan (DM)

So do you guys continue down the path? Yeah. So you make your way into another chamber shocker. And you see another one of these gas bubbles? Or these gas spores kind of floating around? It doesn't seem to notice you though.

Russell (Robyn)

This is the one we popped earlier. Right? Like same kind,

Dan (Wren)

same kind. Yeah.

Russell (Robyn)

I'm just gonna pull out a handaxe and *throwing noises*

Dan (Wren)

Okay. Also, everybody give me a perception check while you're throwing some hand dice.

Helen (Panret)

Six, perception.

Timothy (Alice)

Nine.

Russell (Robyn)

All right, it was a 22 to hit. I did five damage.

Dan (Wren)

It has one hit point it pops perfect.

Russell (Robyn)

And then I got to 18 on perception.

Dan (Wren)

See, it pops as you hook your hand axe into it. Like before the gas spreads the spores kind of poof out. But you're not close enough to like be in the midst of the cloud. So they kind of settle what was your perception again, sorry,

Russell (Robyn)

Dan (Wren)

18. both Alice and Upri. Notice that as this thing pops off to your right hand side kind of tucked behind all the mushrooms in the wall in this crevice. It looks like wood. And like this wood, almost humanoid shape kind of pulls itself slowly out of this crevice and the wall looking directly at you guys and starts to approach you.

Timothy (DM)

And that is where we will put a pause on today's story. Thank you all for joining us for a plunge into the abyss. I hope you all enjoyed this episode of Shadows of Prophecy. Join us next time to find out what becomes of our unfortunate players in this most dreadful act.

Timothy (DM_dup)

Shout out to my brother known as the chill electronic vapor soul artist LUSQ for writing our chillingly epic theme song, editing by Scrubcast, and a big shout out to Syrinscape for some amazing atmosphere and music. Make sure you check them out at Syrinsape.com. I always use them at my game table, and it adds that little something special to bring your players into the story. Also, please follow us on Twitter @shadowsprophecy and Instagram @shadows_of_prophecy. And hey, show us some support by becoming one of our fabulous patrons at patreon.com/shadowsofprophecy where you can get access to bonus content like handouts, encounter maps, and even adventure guides to run your own horrific campaigns or one-shots. And at the very least, give us a five star review on your podcast platform of choice. This is how we get the word out about our podcast and we love sharing it with you all. Thank you and tune in next time for more tales of dread and despair at Shadows of Prophecy