session 37

Into The Void¶

Our journey into the void began in utter darkness, our only connection to one another the rope that bound us together. As we emerged from the magical darkness, we found ourselves in a realm of weightlessness, surrounded by an eerie emptiness punctuated by floating debris.

Moving in this alien environment proved a challenge, our attempts at navigation more akin to the flailing of fish out of water than the grace we were accustomed to on solid ground. Amidst the floating detritus, we encountered a grim reminder of the void’s dangers - a humanoid skeleton drifting silently through the darkness. Stigs, unnerved by the macabre sight, used his mage hand to push it away, denying us any potential clues it might have offered.

Our exploration led us to a surreal sight: a fragment of what appeared to be a sailing ship’s deck, complete with a large, long-dead tree growing from its planks. This became our impromptu vessel, which we christened the SS Deadwood. With Gwenzahlya’s firebolts serving as our unconventional propulsion, we set off deeper into the void.

As we traveled, the looming threat of suffocation weighed heavily on our minds. However, Stigs’s timely use of an air bubble spell granted us a 24-hour reprieve from this concern, allowing us to press on with renewed determination.

After hours of drifting through the emptiness, we noticed a gradual brightening ahead. As we drew closer, an enormous cliff face emerged from the illuminated mist, its sheer vastness defying comprehension. Along its side, we discovered a cave entrance, bidding farewell to our faithful SS Deadwood as we ventured inside.

The cave soon gave way to a tunnel that branched into three paths. Despite some of our party’s inexplicable urge to take the right path “just because,” we chose the well-traveled central passage. This decision led us to a long, disorienting staircase where our perception of up and down seemed to constantly shift, challenging our very understanding of spatial orientation.

At the top of the stairs, we found ourselves facing a bizarre stone building that seemed wildly out of place in these subterranean depths. Inside, we encountered an ancient man hunched over papers in what appeared to be a laboratory. Our attempts at communication quickly revealed two startling facts: the man was not only incredibly rude and irritable but also undead - a lich of obvious power.

To our great fortune, the lich (mis)took? us for envoys of a wizard he considered an ally. This misconception may have saved our lives, as the lich’s power radiated an aura of death that chilled us to our very souls.

As we settled in to hear the lich’s explanation of our situation, we were served by perhaps the strangest entity we had yet encountered - a brain floating in a jar, supported by mechanical crab legs. This grotesque servant brought us food so old and desiccated that it seemed to predate our very civilization.

With a mixture of fear, curiosity, and anticipation, we prepared ourselves for the lich’s revelations. What secrets would this ancient, undead being share with us? And how would this knowledge change our understanding of the world - or worlds - we inhabit? As we sat in this otherworldly laboratory, served by an impossible creature, we knew that whatever came next would forever alter the course of our journey.