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)

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 woo? And, like, this wood, almost humanoid shape kind of pulls itself slowly out of this crevice in the wall, looking directly at you guys and starts to approach you.

Helen (Panret)

You notice that while Panret continues to go [laughs] "loser"

Russell (Upri)

Does anyone else see that or is that another hallucination?

Timothy (Alice)

[nervously] Oh no, Upri! I-I see it, too.

Dan (DM)

As this thing pulls itself, like, out of the crevice, it charges. Everybody roll for initiative. [Helen groans] That includes me.

Helen (Panret)

Russell (Upri)

Timothy (Alice)

[dismayed] 3. [Russell gasps]

Helen (Panret)

[laughing] Wow. Everybody's just kind of like "Do we have to..."

Russell (Upri)

We're Girlbossing the shit out of this.

Dan (DM)

Well, the thing goes first. So, this woodland creature, this woody creature is going to charge up and take a swing with its big woody hands at Upri.

Russell (Upri)

I'm the closest.

Dan (DM)

--and the easiest to see. Does a 14 hit?

Russell (Upri)

It just hits.

Dan (DM)

It does, great, and it slashes out at you for 5 piercing damage, and that's its turn! Upri, your next.

Russell (Upri)

"You piece of wood!" and Upri hits her hammer on the ground again, making pretty sparks, goes into a rage, and then starts swinging away at it. Does a 10 hit?

Dan (DM)

A 10 does not hit.

Russell (Upri)

[dejectedly] I hit the ground.

Dan (DM)

Panret, it is your turn. [Helen laughs]

Helen (Panret)

I'll use ice knife again.

Dan (DM)

Okay.

Helen (Panret)

So, a Dexterity 13 save.

Dan (DM)

It passes.

Helen (Panret)

It passes, okay, so then this is a... 3 damage.

Dan (DM)

Okay.

Helen (Panret)

Then it explodes, and another Dexterity save.

Dan (DM)

It fails that one.

Russell (Upri)

I also failed my Dex save 'cause I'm next to it--

Helen (Panret)

Cold damage! For 4, so that's a total of 7.

Dan (DM)

Perfect, is that within a range? Ice knife? For the secondary damage?

Helen (Panret)

Within five feet.

Dan (DM)

Okay, so how much was the ice... the cold damage?

Russell (Upri)

Helen (Panret)

Dan (DM)

[ack from Dan] Upri gets some ice shards--

Russell (Upri)

Oh shit, that hurt!

Helen (Panret)

Shoot.

Dan (DM)

--and the wooded creature explodes. You tear through it with your knife, and then as the knife explodes, it just like shatters into a bunch of different pieces.

Helen (Panret)

Oh-oh, Upri, I'm so sorry.

Russell (Upri)

It's fine. It was probably just the wood splintering, y'know,

Dan (DM)

Also, a little bit of that. Wood and ice, just y'know, in your skin; it's fine.

Russell (Upri)

Al, do you do you have any, uh, uh, anything to tide me over? [strained] Feel a little bit woozy.

Timothy (Alice)

So, you look at Alice, and she is just, like, clenching her quarterstaff, just, like, cowering. "I-I'm sorry, my dear. I'm, I'm all spent up.

Russell (Upri)

[strained] Right, right...

Timothy (Alice)

Yeah.

Russell (Upri)

It's fine. I have a passive where if I would go down, I can just be really angry and stay up with one hit point, so we're good.

Helen (Panret)

Okay.

Dan (DM)

So, yeah, there's... you're out of combat. Really quick. A total of 4 hit points, so it wasn't gonna do a whole lot.

Russell (Upri)

Wow. Twinsies! Oh, just kidding. I have three. Which way do the scratch marks go, Al? My visions get a little blurry.

Timothy (Alice)

[flustered] Oh, Upri, I... uh, I do apologize. Oh, hopefully we don't have much further to go and I mean, fingers crossed that they're amenable... to conversation?

Dan (DM)

[sing-songy] Let's hope so! Do you guys proceed down the path of the drag marks?

Russell (Upri)

I mean, we can't short rest, right? That'd be a terrible idea.

Dan (DM)

You could try! [laughter]

Russell (Upri)

Because that's an hour sitting in the dark, hallucinating [Dan and Helen laugh]

Dan (DM)

Yes, exactly.

Russell (Upri)

No, let's just... yeah, uh, "We got this", and Upri will just, like, stumble forward until lead the group, like dragging her hammer on the ground.

Dan (DM)

So, as you proceed into the next room, you noticed that at this point, the natural white and purple mushrooms are like, person-size at this point, they're upwards of like five to six feet tall, but you don't notice anything out of the ordinary in this next room. Minus again, the giant mushrooms, but everybody give me a Perception check.

Helen (Panret)

18.

Russell (Upri)

15.

Timothy (Alice)

Dan (DM)

Okay, so everybody but Alice notices that the most direct path into the next chamber is not the way that the drag marks go. So, in this chamber, just off to the right hand side is the way that the... the drag marks go, but instead of going directly from entryway to entryway of this chamber, it like dodges around this area of the chamber in the middle of the chamber and then proceeds on through into the next tunnel, but you also notice that there's no, like, foot traffic. You've started to notice, like, little... little, like, footprints I guess, in the dirt of what you might imagine what are the little myconids running around? But, this patch of dirt is particularly empty of any foot traffic.

Russell (Upri)

Would it be possible to platform mushroom to mushroom over the ground? [laughs]

Dan (DM)

Well, you can... you can walk along where the drag marks are.

Helen (Panret)

We can follow the--

Dan (DM)

You can follow the drag marks...

Russell (Upri)

I mean, that still feels unsafe, but let's do it.

Dan (DM)

Well, would you like to do anything else besides just walk around it?

Russell (Upri)

I mean, I want to throw something in the center of the room, but I'm not going to. "Al, stick to the the outside. It looks like whatever dragged the statue avoided the middle. Maybe it's trapped?"

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, oh, yes. Yeah, it looks like you right?.

Russell (Upri)

Ain't I always?

Timothy (Alice)

I suppose so.

Dan (DM)

Let's go with that.

Helen (Panret)

[sassily] A lot of attitude for someone very wounded.

Russell (Upri)

[in a faint voice] Ain't I always?

Helen (Panret)

Okay, so we follow the drag marks.

Dan (DM)

Okay, so you follow the drag marks, and you're fine. Nothing happens.

Russell (Upri)

Cool.

Dan (DM)

You just walk along to the next room. So, as you exit this tunnel, you emerge in this massive underground chamber. The purple and white mushrooms that you've been seeing that were previously you know, five to six feet tall. Now, tower throughout this chamber, upwards of like 30 to 40 feet tall.

Russell (Upri)

How tall is the chamber?

Dan (DM)

Massive. [Russell ulps] So, like hundreds of feet. So, like, the... the walls of this chamber are covered in these enormous mushrooms. Both the purple and white mushrooms are giving off spores, and all have a ta- like, are glowing as well. So, they release this natural glowing, so... it makes the spores swirling around the ceiling almost look like this Aurora effect across the entire ceiling of the chamber.

Helen (Panret)

[awestruck] Pretty.

Dan (DM)

It's very pretty. It shimmers and glows, and the minute that you kind of step foot into this giant chamber, the visions, these like terrifying and awful visions of being crushed or burned, suddenly cease, and instead, you feel this immense calm and your visions shift from fear to almost this, like, welcoming homeliness about where you're at. So, you're not sure why but the visions that you're seeing are of decay, and like patches of, like, soft dirt and moss, but those things feel comforting all of a sudden, they feel like... they feel nourishing, and they feel restful.

Russell (Upri)

Do we see the statue?

Dan (DM)

Give me a Perception check.

Russell (Upri)

18.

Helen (Panret)

12.

Timothy (Alice)

Dan (DM)

So, the first thing that you all immediately notice is that there are myconids. Everywhere. Climbing amongst the giant mushrooms [simultaneous vomit from Russell and aww from Helen], climbing INTO the giant mushrooms as if they're homes, like carved out windows and doors--

Helen (Panret)

[whisper excitedly] That's a great idea. [Tim laughs]

Dan (DM)

They start to, like, walk amongst your feet as well, but they don't seem to be afraid of you, and you get this feeling of welcome from them as if to, like, offer you their hospitality into their home.

Russell (Upri)

But no statue?

Dan (DM)

And as you continue to kind of traverse into the chamber, you see at the far end of the chamber is this giant golden statue of a woman, round with child.

Russell (Upri)

Hey, Al. I just had a thought.

Timothy (Alice)

Did you now?

Russell (Upri)

How in the heck are we supposed to get that statue out of here?

Helen (Panret)

Panret puts their hand down to see if one of the mushrooms will climb onto it.

Dan (DM)

It does.

Helen (Panret)

[fangirling] Oh my god.

Dan (DM)

This one's particularly small, like only a couple inches tall.

Helen (Panret)

It's so cute. [Tim awws]

Dan (DM)

It almost seems like a child, and it looks up at you with, like, almost curiousness, kind of climbs up onto your arm and, like, pokes at your face.

Helen (Panret)

[in a mousy voice] Hi, little fella. Hi!

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, Panret, it looks like you've made a friend. Hello, little fella.

Dan (DM)

And these myconids start to, like, gather around your feet and just kind of look up at you in curiosity. Like, you don't sense any maliciousness to them, or any sort of aggression. They're just very curious about these--

Helen (Panret)

[looking directly at DM Dan] Curious and adorable.

Dan (DM)

Yeah, curious and adorable, about these newfound creatures that have suddenly entered their home.

Timothy (Alice)

I think we're going to be okay, everyone.

Russell (Upri)

I have an idea. "Greetings, mushrooms of new. We are gods from the surface, come to get an offering from you." and I point to the statue. [laughs]

Dan (DM)

As you say that, from behind a giant purple mushroom that seems to be somebody's home, steps out this myconid that is around seven feet tall that towers above the other myconids. It walks over to you and bows deeply, and you notice on the top of its cap are these almost runic carvings into its flesh in a sense, and you get these visions and feelings of leadership from it. You see visions of it, like, gesturing to the smaller myconids on, like, where to build their homes or where to carve out to create their homes, and you get the sense that this is the leader of this group of myconids.

Helen (Panret)

Panret also bows to the big mushroom.

Timothy (Alice)

And so would Alice.

Russell (Upri)

Upri's not gonna. "Why, thank you for such a gracious welcome, my subject."

Dan (DM)

Give me Deception check.

Russell (Upri)

"May-may the rotten earth be with you?" 15

Dan (DM)

It looks at you because you can see where its eyes are--

Russell (Upri)

Oh, it has eyes?

Dan (DM)

Yeah, they have... oh, all of them have eyes that... they have like subtle facial features that like resemble humanoids... like, kind of like passageways for airs to pass through like noses would and sockets for eyes, so it can actually see. It looks at you, nods at you, but also, like, waves a hand as if to, like, pass off that it knows that you're not a god. Like, you... you get the sense that it tells that you're bluffing, and you feel this sense of like laughter and almost like humor passed through you. It talks to you via images and like, like, Rapport Spores that talks to you via images and feelings, and so it finds what you're saying funny, and so you hear the sound of laughter kind of echoing through your head.

Russell (Upri)

Upri will also laugh. [hacks a laugh] You got me! I'm just... I'm just a y'know, scrappy, tall trickster. I'm out!

Timothy (Alice)

Alice is the name, and-and you are?

Dan (DM)

It doesn't respond with a name, but as you present your name to it, it presents back images of things that glow like mushrooms or--

Helen (Panret)

[excitedly] My backpack! [Tim laughs]

Dan (DM)

Yeah, your backpack is also an image that as it looks at you, it's an image that passes through your mind. Bugs that glow, so other sort of, like, lichen that underneath the earth, that kind of shimmer.

Timothy (Alice)

Glowing? Is your... is your name Glowing?

Dan (DM)

It kind of tilt its head at you, but nods. [Helen laughs]

Helen (Panret)

Sounds like that's close enough.

Timothy (Alice)

Yes, a mistranslation on my part.

Dan (DM)

It stands and waits for you.

Helen (Panret)

Well, we've... we've come far from the surface in search of, well, that very shiny statue that you have right there, and I was just wondering if maybe we could have it.

Timothy (Alice)

Yes. It appears that the previous owners, um... well, they have tasked us with finding it and returning it to them.

Dan (DM)

It nods and then turns and walks away from you, but you get a vision of myconids walking in a line as if to follow.

Timothy (Alice)

So, yeah?

Russell (Upri)

All right--

Helen (Panret)

[resolutely] We follow.

Russell (Upri)

[falteringly] Y-yeah.

Dan (DM)

So, it lumbers across the grounds of this... of this cavern of their home and eventually leads you to this patch of dirt that seem... that is surrounded by identical white and purple mushrooms. So, unlike the mushrooms along the walls, these are a combination of white and purple, but each one in its, like, swirling pattern is exactly identical to the other. The circle's probably like seven to eight feet across. It walks over and sits down on one side of the circle and gestures to the other side.

Helen (Panret)

It's sitting on a chair made of its own flesh?

Dan (DM)

It doesn't sit on it...it sits on the ground; it doesn't sit on a mushroom.

Russell (Upri)

[whispers] It's a table.

Timothy (Alice)

Well, they're also living in mushrooms, so...

Helen (Panret)

So, they live in houses made of their own flesh?

Dan (DM)

Exactly, yes. [directly to Helen] This is a horror podcast, do you not know? [all laugh]

Timothy (Alice)

Yes, that's the horror element.

Dan (DM)

Just wait until you meet the humans that live underground!

Helen (Panret)

Panret looks troubled for a moment.

Dan (DM)

But it sits down and gestures for you to take a seat on the other side of the circle.

Helen (Panret)

Not on the mushrooms, on the ground?

Dan (DM)

On the ground. Yes, the mushrooms are small. They're like maybe 3 or 4 feet tall.

Helen (Panret)

Oh, okay. Okay.

Dan (DM)

And you also notice that as you sit with the head of the myconids, other myconids, scurry around and start to, like, pile on to, like, rocks and, like, ledges and, like, other mushrooms in the area to, like, sit and watch.

Helen (Panret)

Panret pats their lap to see if any will come sit with them.

Dan (DM)

The small one that you'd picked up earlier runs over but doesn't enter the circle; it sits at the edge of the circle. It's... It's very cute. Like, it sits cross-legged and, like, leans forward on-on their haunches to, like, pay attention. Like, this is a thing. This is a big deal. Like, everyone's going to watch.

Helen (Panret)

Something is happening.

Timothy (Alice)

Something is happening, indeed. I feel like we are encroaching new territory. Well, I guess we shall partake in this um... ceremony?

Russell (Upri)

"I could sure use a rest" as Upri all but collapses onto the ground, using her hammer to steady herself.

Dan (DM)

So, we'll call him Glowing. Glowing projects images into your mind, these are much stronger, these are very intentional, of the statue, and of this, like, extreme calming feeling that the statue gives off. He also projects an image into your mind of the colony before the statue, and you sense a lot more, like, anxiety. Like, you sense the same images that you had seen before in the tunnels, so, like, collapsing giants, the sun and heat: things that would kill myconids. At the end of the day, they're mushrooms, and if you leave a mushroom in the hot sun, it's gonna shrivel up and die. The collapsing of their home and of intruders, the creatures much larger than them coming in and killing them. So these things that cause, like, extreme anxiety for the myconid people without the statue there, this is what permeates their lives. This is what kind of controls what they do, but the statute for whatever reason, provides this, like, calming nature to them, and that's what you get for these visions is that without the statue, they're stressed. Very much so, but with the statue, they feel very, like, calm and welcoming.

Russell (Upri)

All right. Do we think maybe the bullywugs would share?

Timothy (Alice)

I see. Oh, they didn't strike me as the most um... agreeable sort, perhaps a little sit-down and conversation, perhaps?

Helen (Panret)

Is the statue, by any chance, attached to a trolley with a lever that we have to choose? [Tim laughs]

Dan (DM)

No, but as... as you get closer, it doesn't seem as large as it appeared before. So, in the... just because it's, like, golden and everything else is not golden, it like stuck out to you from afar, but as you get closer, it's probably like maybe like six to seven feet tall? So, very tall... solike a taller statue, but nothing that you couldn't--

Russell (Upri)

Solid gold?

Dan (DM)

It's hard to tell because it looks solid gold on the outside, but it could be hollow or filled with something else. So, it's not necessarily solid gold, but potentially, um...

Helen (Panret)

Well, heavy enough to break through all of those floors.

Russell (Upri)

That's true.

Dan (DM)

But also light enough for a group of myconids to drag.

Helen (Panret)

It seems like maybe the statute came here of its own volition...

Dan (DM)

Glowing looks at you, and you get this vision of just, like, hundreds of myconids pulling this thing with, like, ropes and whatnot.

Helen (Panret)

Sorry, I didn't mean to not give you credit. This was very difficult.

Dan (DM)

He knods in agreement; it was very difficult. [Helen laughs]

Timothy (Alice)

Well, you see, um... Glowing, um. This is a very difficult predicament that we are in, um... It seems that two peoples, uh, have claimed ownership on this item, and uh, they're... well, frankly, unfortunately, only one seems to be able to do so... um... So, do you understand the predicament that we are currently standing in the middle of?

Dan (DM)

Glowing nods and takes a moment to consider. Give me a Persuasion check.

Timothy (Alice)

A 19.

Dan (DM)

Very high

Helen (Panret)

Well, she is a high elf. [Dan and Tim laugh]

Dan (DM)

Glowing again tilts his head in consideration, but then shakes his head at you, and gestures to the rest of his colony.

Timothy (Alice)

I see. You are the leader, and, um, it is important for you to keep them safe. Um, and unfortunately, this is a harsh world that they live in, um... that gives them quite a bit of anxiety. Am I right in saying so?

Dan (DM)

He nods.

Timothy (Alice)

And it's understandable. The world above is quite terrifying. You know what everyone? I-I have an idea.

Helen (Panret)

What's the idea?

Russell (Upri)

Go on.

Timothy (Alice)

Well, the bullywugs above don't know the myconids are here, and they were also very afraid. Do you not remember?

Russell (Upri)

Do you think the statue calmed them down too?

Timothy (Alice)

So, I believe there may be a way that we can get both parties to agree to a sort of symbiotic relationship.

Helen (Panret)

Do bullywugs have the dark vision?

Timothy (Alice)

I don't know if they necessarily need to be directly in contact with each other, but it appears that the myconids, um... are in need of some sort of assurance that they will remain safe from the above world, granted that no other intruders stumbled down here and upset their city.

Russell (Upri)

But, like, what-what if they just have like a generalized anxiety disorder, and this here statue is like an SSRI?

Helen (Panret)

Have they tried CBD? You can get 10% off your first order with our code.

Timothy (Alice)

I wish. I wish we had affiliate marketing for that.

Helen (Panret)

So, what would it look like if they came to a symbiotic relationship? Are you saying, like, the bullywugs would, like, live in the caverns with them? Or what?

Timothy (Alice)

I don't suppose they'd be very agreeable to that. Their habitation environments are quite different, but the myconids seem quite fearful of creatures, such as ourselves, coming from above, and well, frankly, killing them.

Russell (Upri)

Which we sorta did...

Timothy (Alice)

Yes, my point exactly. The bullywugs could potentially prevent that from happening.

Russell (Upri)

Ah, like act as their guardians, I see.

Helen (Panret)

Move into the ziggarat?

Timothy (Alice)

They could potentially.

Helen (Panret)

The giant grave? That's sealed off?

Timothy (Alice)

Well, maybe not in the ziaggarat, but maybe protect the surrounding area?

Helen (Panret)

Is there, like, a radius of the calming effect? [laughter]

Dan (DM)

So, when you first entered the cavern, you were probably maybe... maybe around a thousand feet away from the the statue itself when you first initially felt a wave of calm. So, the radius is pretty big. It encompasses the entire chamber.

Russell (Upri)

But it won't reach to the surface.

Dan (DM)

Not from the depths that you're at right now. No.

Russell (Upri)

I mean, we could always just lie and say that there's a big nasty monster down here and we tried our best.

Timothy (Alice)

We could do that and just--

Helen (Panret)

What if we just took like a finger or a hand from the statue?

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, they might settled for that. Yeah.

Helen (Panret)

Do you think it... would still work?

Russell (Upri)

Uh, Glow? May I call you Glow?

Dan (DM)

No.

Russell (Upri)

Could we, uh, mutilate a part of your statue... just for, uh... for my friends upstairs to not poke us.

Timothy (Alice)

Maybe not use the word mutilate, Upri?

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, I mean, I don't have tools. I'd be just wailing on it with a hammer.

Timothy (Alice)

Separate a piece of the statue from the greater whole?

Dan (DM)

Glow tilts his head again in consideration. Give me a Persuasion check.

Russell (Upri)

Oh, maybe we just like pull the baby off and take that.

Dan (DM)

Help the statue give birth.

Timothy (Alice)

Only a 13 that time.

Dan (DM)

Glow considers and projects an image into your mind of the statue, split into and that calming nature removed.

Russell (Upri)

I mean, like not that drastic. Just like, You know,

Helen (Panret)

So if the statue needs to be whole for the effect to occur...

Dan (DM)

You see Glow almost look at you and shrug, in a way... in a weird way because he's not a human or a humanoid--

Helen (Panret)

Because it's a mushroom, right?

Dan (DM)

--it's a mushroom, but you see this mushroom almost look at you and shrug with uncertainty but concern.

Helen (Panret)

I see.

Timothy (Alice)

So, there is a potential that both are lost.

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, I mean, I think we could take the bullywugs if they, uh, you know, turned on us.

Timothy (Alice)

Well, that doesn't seem like a great idea, but, um, I don't know how many options we have.

Russell (Upri)

What if we just, like, scraped a little the gold shavings off and see if they had properties? Ne-nevermind. I'll see myself out.

Timothy (Alice)

So, Glowing.

Russell (Upri)

He's over our shit. [Dan and Russell laughs]

Helen (Panret)

Glowing, do you? Do you have any ideas?

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, can you fix her problems, Glow? Please.

Helen (Panret)

This is too hard. It's hurting my brain.

Dan (DM)

Glow has never seen a bullywug before, as you can imagine. So, they project almost images of creatures that look somewhat like y'all like standing guard in front of the... in front of the cavern.

Timothy (Alice)

Let's go with Al's original plan.

Helen (Panret)

This is what Alice was leading us toward.

Timothy (Alice)

Yes, leading.

Dan (DM)

But, then also, but then also showing images of the statue being placed closer to the entrance of their realm.

Russell (Upri)

Oh, perfect. I mean, that seems like a good compromise to me. Shared custody.

Helen (Panret)

Well, it sounds like we need to have a discussion with the bullywugs.

Timothy (Alice)

Yes, if there is another party in this agreement, that would have to, well, agree.

Helen (Panret)

Does that mean we have to climb back up to talk to them?

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, I think so.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh dear, what a, um, eventful day this has become.

Russell (Upri)

Uh, per-perhaps... can I take a nap? Just a quick one?

Helen (Panret)

Panret asks Glowing, "Is there another way in and out of here?"

Dan (DM)

Glowing projects images into your mind of you all leaving through the same passage that you came but with an escort, and that the creatures that initially attacked you on the way in, would part for you.

Russell (Upri)

I just immediately imagine crowd surfing on all those little mushrooms that brough us back. [laughter]

Timothy (Alice)

Oh no! Yeah.

Russell (Upri)

All right, let's get to.

Helen (Panret)

Let's go talk to the bullywugs.

Dan (DM)

Before you all get up and leave the circle, Glowing does give you images of, like, nice spots of moss and sleeping myconids as if to offer rest.

Russell (Upri)

I collapse on a moss thing.

Helen (Panret)

Let's take a rest.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you, Glowing.

Dan (DM)

They nod.

Helen (Panret)

Is there a bush or mushroom, I guess... Is there a mushroom large enough for me to sleep in?

Dan (DM)

Oh, absolutely.

Helen (Panret)

Oh my god.

Dan (DM)

They... they lead... one of the... the small myconid that was in... is now your friend leads you over to a grouping of enormous enoki mushrooms. So, they all, like, cluster together, but you can definitely climb inside--

Helen (Panret)

Amazing

Dan (DM)

-- andtake a little nap. It's like a bush of mushrooms.

Helen (Panret)

Panret is just glowing with happiness.

Dan (DM)

Does anybody want to do anything in the chamber while you're short resting because you don't necesarily have to sleep. You can just relax.

Timothy (Alice)

Alice will be communicating with as many of these little mushrooms as possible, and writing down the descriptions of the images they present to me accounting their stories.

Helen (Panret)

Don't work too hard. I mean, you should also take a nap, right?

Dan (DM)

The images you get, especially from the smaller ones, the ones that might be younger, or children, are definitely a lot more energetic and chaotic, but still because they are within the realm of the statue's influence, it's definitely still, like, happy. So like it's them playing or them consuming, you know, dead flesh because that's what mushrooms do: they eat dead things. [Russell laughs] But, it's those sort of images that you that you get from kind of the smaller myconids, and all the other myconids seem to, like, go about their day. Uh, they're carving new homes out of the larger mushrooms.

Helen (Panret)

Which are made of flesh

Dan (DM)

Which are made of mushroom flesh, that's true.

Russell (Upri)

What are they... what do they do with the mushroom flesh that they carve out?

Dan (DM)

Well, they eat it. [Russell laughs]

Russell (Upri)

Do they... is that how they carve it? They just just slowly munch away--

Dan (DM)

No, they have, like... they have, like, very, like, uh...

Russell (Upri)

They have tools? Out of the Stone Age?

Dan (DM)

Pretty much Stone Age tools, so like, like, sharpened rocks that they, like, used to, like, carve out sections of the mushrooms, and as you, like, peer into, like, maybe a window or so, you can definitely see, like, little couches carved out of mushroom, stairs. You can, like, go on multiple levels, like, full-on homes.

Russell (Upri)

What a weird coincidence. I thought they never went to the surface but their homes look just like ours. What's that called? Co-creation?

Helen (Panret)

Couches must be universal! [Tim and Dan laugh]

Russell (Upri)

Yeah. Must be.

Timothy (Alice)

Just lovely. Alice has no reason take a short rest right now because it has no impact on her.

Russell (Upri)

I'm just gonna nap somewhere, and I recovered all my health.

Dan (DM)

Anything else you want 'cause it's gonna be about an hour. Is there anything else you wanted to investigate? [giving a major hint] Like maybe the statue.

Russell (Upri)

I mean, that's why y'all came down here.

Dan (DM)

That's why you're all in the forest to begin with. If not, that's fine, but I figured it might be something you want to.

Timothy (Alice)

Yeah, I mean, at some point, Alice just takes a walk through the city.

Dan (DM)

So, as you're on your [very British] walk, you, you--

Timothy (Alice)

Humphry, go fetch me my robe. I must walk the mushroom city.

Dan (DM)

Um, as you approach the statue, so you're on your walk, and you came close the statue, and you see... you feel that the closer you get to the statue, the more this feeling of calm washes over you, almost to the point where you just want to, like, lie down and just, like, stare at the ceiling. Like, getting that close is such an intense feeling of calm that you're almost, like...

Helen (Panret)

[suspiciously] Too calm

Dan (DM)

--almost too calm, yeah.

Timothy (Alice)

[sigh] Wow, I really am beginning to understand why they don't want to let this go.

Dan (DM)

As you... as you get... as you get close enough, you notice that there are, like, a handful of myconids that are just, like, relaxing on the statue. They're just, like, sitting in the hands of the statue, like, just kind of, like, lazing about, not asleep, but it just kind of, like, REALLY chill.

Helen (Panret)

It's like an opium den. [Tim laughs, Dan agrees]

Dan (DM)

Way healthier, probably.

Timothy (Alice)

Hello, there. My name is Alice. And, who are you?

Dan (DM)

You just get images of sleeping mushrooms. That's all you get out of these.

Timothy (Alice)

What a wonderful experience this is to meet you, and... Oh, wow!

Dan (DM)

Give me a Charisma save. [Russell gasps]

Timothy (Alice)

13.

Dan (DM)

You feel this pull to just lie down and do nothing, but you fight it off; you've got things to do, but you came very close to just, like, sitting down at the base of the statue and never leaving.

Russell (Upri)

Way to lay down in the poppy field, Dorothy.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, this just sounds wonderful. [sighs] But I must go. This has been lovely. Thank you all so much.

Dan (DM)

As you're leaving you notice that Glowing and a couple of the larger myconids. After your talk with Glowing, you've since noticed that there are some other myconids that are also very tall, not quite as tall, but, like, maybe just like... like, three to four feet tall, so definitely larger when it comes to myconids, but these seem to be like the leaders of the group. And you notice that they come over to the statue and start plucking the smaller ones off and carrying them away, as to not leave them there forever. [laughter] They allow... they definitely allow them to go there and take, y'know, take a chill time, but they're like "You shouldn't be; you should eat."

Helen (Panret)

[as mushroom] "Come! Eat some flesh."

Dan (DM)

[as mushroom] "Eat of my flesh."

Russell (Upri)

This is a nightmare. Nightmare place.

Dan (DM)

So, you get your... you get your short rest in, and Glowing meets you all at the entrance to the cave system and gestures over one of the smaller myconids to... to lead you out. I'm assuming you follow?

Helen (Panret)

Short rest meaning... our spell slots?

Dan (DM)

No.

Russell (Upri)

Just health.

Helen (Panret)

Health, okay, so Upri is fine now.

Russell (Upri)

Yes.

Helen (Panret)

Okay, good.

Dan (DM)

And whatever abilities you might have too...

Helen (Panret)

Okay.

Russell (Upri)

Ooh, does rage come back?

Dan (DM)

It might, I'm not sure.

Russell (Upri)

I don't remember.

Dan (DM)

But, do you follow this myconid out?

Helen (Panret)

Yes.

Timothy (Alice)

Lead the way, my dear.

Dan (DM)

So, they kind of skip along and lead you out the same path that you came in following the drag marks until they reach the collapsed entrance that... that you guys came in through and you notice that it hangs back when it gets closer to, like, the rubble and everything. At this point, it's later in the day, so the sun is directly above where you are, so the light... the light of the sun is shining directly down through the hole, and you notice that it won't pass into the sunlight. It stands kind of a few feet away as to not, you know, dry up.

Helen (Panret)

This makes sense because it's a mushroom. [Tim laughs]

Russell (Upri)

Well put, Pan Pan. Well, up we go, I guess?

Timothy (Alice)

Yes, I suppose so. [sighs] This is going to be quite a climb.

Dan (DM)

Everybody give me Strength checks,

Russell (Upri)

Oh, no.

Helen (Panret)

14.

Timothy (Alice)

13 .

Russell (Upri)

10.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh dear...

Dan (DM)

Given your recent injuries, and the fact that some of your flesh is probably still rotting a little bit, but it's recovering, you know, it's making its way--

Russell (Upri)

It's still goopy.

Dan (DM)

--just because, like, you know it kind of rotted some of your abs. Your abs aren't as strong as they were, so you just struggle a little bit, but you make it up to the top, and the rest of you climb up just fine, and you emerge, and at the base as you look down the ziggurat, you notice at the base are Merl, Kerkle and Barrack, waiting for you.

Russell (Upri)

At the bottom?

Dan (DM)

At the bottom, yeah.

Helen (Panret)

Hi, we have good news, which is that we found the golden lady.

Dan (Merl)

Oh, great. Oh, where is she?

Timothy (Alice)

Well, that's the other news. [Russell laughs]

Dan (Merl)

All right.

Helen (Panret)

Well, as it turns out, we don't have the emotional strength to take the golden lady from her new home.

Dan (Merl)

What do you mean? She's ours.

Helen (Panret)

Well, it seems like she's really doing a lot of good for an entire society of tiny mushrooms. [laughter] Well, they're not all tiny. Some of them are, like, seven feet tall, but there's a lot of tiny ones.

Dan (Merl)

Oh, well, well, we need the golden lady! Like, we're-we're a mess without her.

Helen (Panret)

We were hope being you would share

Timothy (Alice)

I hear what you're saying. [Dan laughs] Oh no. Oh my gosh, is Alice really this toxic? [laughter]

Dan (DM)

However...

Timothy (Alice)

We hear what you're saying, but we hope that we can come to some sort of arrangement that might, um... be agreeable to all parties included.

Helen (Panret)

Also, they are really cute.

Dan (Merl)

Well, I mean, I appreciate a cute mushroom. Don't get me wrong. We've been living with them for so long. All these little mushrooms and they're not... but they're... they don't... I'm still confused about how a mushroom can own a statue?

Timothy (Alice)

But they talk.

Dan (Merl)

[intrigued] Oh, oh, I'm a talking mushroom.

Timothy (Alice)

We have spoken with them already. Um, and we-we have a proposal for you if you are ameniable to listen.

Dan (Merl)

Oh, well, uh... if, I guess if it gets us our statue, our lady statue back then-then I guess I'll hear...I'll hear it out.

Dan (Merl)

Well, the proposal is that, um [clears throat]. Well, you see the... the, um, the mushroom folk below have taken a liking to the statue because, um, they are quite a vulnerable people. Maybe, I shouldn't have said that. Um, well, it's said. Anyways, they are pretty vulnerable people, and they-they are quite terrified of the--

Helen (Panret)

They could really use some big strong bullywugs to protect them.

Dan (Merl)

Oh, wow, we-we're a big strong bullywugs?

Timothy (Alice)

Well, yes you are. Yes. Well, well...

Helen (Panret)

Panret winks at Alice, theatrically.

Dan (DM)

Someone give me a Persuasion check.

Timothy (Alice)

Well, we're doing this together? Is that, we just both do it?

Dan (DM)

It's like advantage. [laughter]

Russell (Upri)

Oh nooo!

Helen (Panret)

Timothy (Alice)

Russell (Upri)

[distressed sounds from Russell]

Dan (Merl)

Well, well, I don't know. How are we going to... if, if they're keeping the statue, and we're just protecting them, how are we gonna... hwuh, the statue is still gonna be down there? Right?

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, we forgot to talk about that part. Wait, where did we agree we would put it?

Russell (Upri)

Oh, I'll take it from here. So they're, they're gonna bring the statue to the hole, put it at the bottom so, like, you can see it and go down the hole, maybe there'll be like an elevator? Do you know what elevator is?

Dan (Merl)

I don't... no, no. Is this something that elevates you?

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, up and down.

Dan (Merl)

Oh?

Russell (Upri)

Almost like magic, but like not.

Dan (Merl)

Oh.

Russell (Upri)

Yeah

Dan (Merl)

I never heard of such a thing. That's incredible.

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, we're gonna we're gonna study some, uh, engineering together.

Dan (Merl)

I mean, oh, what our plan was this just just break a hole in the wall and then walk in through the first floor.

Russell (Upri)

Oh, yeah.

Timothy (Alice)

Yes, we could. We could do that, I suppose. Um--

Russell (Upri)

Wow, brilliant.

Timothy (Alice)

--I mean, I did want to excavate some of the ruins.. [laughs].

Dan (DM)

"Well..." Give me another Persuasion check. Upri, you've added to the discussion.

Russell (Upri)

Dirty 20.

Dan (Merl)

Oh! Oh, ah. Oh, well, you know, that's not a bad idea. Well, if we put it at the entrance, I mean, like, I could walk back to camp and still be calm, and if you put it at the bottom, they could do, and we could do it right. And we both have it?

Russell (Upri)

It could even be a tourist destination.

Dan (Merl)

And you know what?! [whispering] So I ate a mushroom or earlier [normally] It was a purple one, bad choice. Don't do that. But then I ate... I ate one of the... one of the white ones, and it was actually really delicious. So, if they could provide us mushrooms, and then we could provide them protection. That's like, what's the word? A symbuscusus?

Russell (Upri)

Yeah, Simba kisses. It's when a bunch of people--

Timothy (Alice)

Sym-bi-otic relationship, my dear.

Dan (Merl)

Yes, a simbyisis relationship... that's, I've heard of that before.

Timothy (Alice)

Yes, symbiotic.

Russell (Upri)

On the down-low, they eat their own mushrooms too. So, like, that's totally cool.

Dan (Merl)

Oh, well!

Russell (Upri)

It's not like cannibalism or, like, y'know, an affront to their people if you eat mushrooms. [laughs]

Timothy (Alice)

I mean, if I had a non-conscious flesh-meat just sitting around... Okay, a discussion for another day perhaps.

Helen (Panret)

I think this is a great idea.

Dan (Merl)

Let... I will go back to my people and see what they think, but, like, we are going to stay here anyway, so we always protect our land anyways. So, what's the difference?

Helen (Panret)

That's very responsible of you.

Dan (Merl)

Oh, thank you. Y'see, I'm trying to be a good leader. Y'know, we've had some, uh, we've had some not so great leaders before, who wanted to expand our territory, but that's like, it doesn't really matter. Like, what are we gonna, like? They're still only, like, 12 of us like, what are we gonna do with more territory? Oh, anyways, but I will go talk to uh... Talk uh... talk to our people and see what they say, but it seems like, uh... [whispers] I like this idea. I like it. I like it.

Russell (Upri)

Upri give us a big thumbs up.

Dan (DM)

That's deeply offens... deeply offensive--

Russell (Upri)

Finger guns...

Helen (Panret)

We're making thumbs up into the microphone.

Timothy (Alice)

Yes, thumbs up.

Dan (DM)

Kerkle and... Barrack

Helen (Panret)

Beautiful names, is that a family name?

Dan (DM)

When you give... when you give thumbs up, Kerkle and Barrack look deeply offended. They're like [gasps]

Russell (Upri)

Oh, sorry. Is this better? [Russell raises his middle finger]

Dan (Kerkle)

"Oh, thank you. Yes." [laughs] As the middle finger goes up. "Oh, yes. I guess that is the proper greeting in our, um, people

Russell (Upri)

Peace be upon your people.

Dan (Merl)

Yeah, it's especially... it's easy with uh, with three fingers, which we have now. The middle one is a sign of a welcome, and the the first finger as a sign of aggression.

Russell (Upri)

What's the third one?

Dan (Merl)

Uh, I'm hungry.

Russell (Upri)

Uh, Upri raises her third finger.

Dan (Merl)

Well, there are mushrooms everywhere?

Russell (Upri)

I'm kind of mushroomed out

Helen (Panret)

Isn't the third finger flirting?

Russell (Upri)

In Bullywug?

Helen (Panret)

The first finger is like aggressive. The middle finger is welcome. The only thing left, flirting.

Dan (Merl)

Well, in in Bullywug culture, flirting and... and food are adjacent. [laughter]

Timothy (Alice)

In my culture as well.

Helen (Panret)

We did it?

Timothy (Alice)

So, as you all are talking with Kerkle and Barrack, and has Merl left?

Dan (DM)

Oh, yes, Merl has left.

Timothy (Alice)

And as Merl has gone off to tell the rest of their family about the plan, Alice is going to find a nearby stump and pull out the book that she found and begin to read it. [gasp from Dan] And--

Dan (DM)

I have no idea what's in the books, so you'll have to tell me...

Helen (Panret)

Tell us about this tome of yours.

Timothy (Alice)

So, at first, you see she's calmly flipping one page, and then the next, and then she begins to flip more sporadically, quickly, parsing through the pages, and her entire composure looks quite frazzled, and after several minutes of that, she slams the book shut and sticks it into her... the bottom of her sack, just shoves it down to the bottom of the stack, closes it up, puts it on her back, and stands up, staring at the group.

Helen (Panret)

What was that about?

Dan (Kerkle)

You seem distressed? What's going on?

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, nothing just a light read.

Helen (Panret)

You seem unhappy?

Timothy (Alice)

Do I?

Helen (Panret)

Was it full of like profanity or something?

Russell (Upri)

Was it a dirty tome?

Helen (Panret)

Were there dirty pictures in there?

Russell (Upri)

Oh my god, what the heck is mushroom porn lookin' at?

Dan (DM)

The goddess of fertility? Lovin' fertility.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, uh, yes, there were all sorts of strange images. It [stammers] I will have to take it back and study this very intently.

Helen (Panret)

Are you sure that you don't want me to look at the...

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, no, no, no, you shouldn't bother yourself with it? [mumbles] Right. Anyways, um, well, let's go back and do the things. What were we doing again?

Helen (Panret)

Well, we were gonna parlay an agreement between the bullywugs and the tiny mushroom folk.

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, that's right? We did just finish that um...

Helen (Panret)

Should we ask them about the book. This is their ziggarat, isn't it?

Timothy (Alice)

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, we don't need to ask them about anything, um. You know, what? I just am feeling so tired right now, um. I'm gonna go... I'm just gonna go sit down, over there, just quiet. Get a... get a little quiet peace of mind. We had a long day, remember?

Dan (DM)

So, Merl eventually returns with good news. The clan has agreed to help protect the myconids in exchange for food and putting the statue closer.

Helen (Panret)

So, the myconids get protection, the bullywugs get food, and everybody gets... a drug area of effect? A happy ending!

Timothy (DM)

And that is where this chapter of Shadows of Prophecy comes to a close. Thank you for joining us through the darkness and continue the story next time for a thrilling new adventure.

Timothy (DM)

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 Syrinscape.com. I always use them at my game table, and it readlly does 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.