> [!infobox|wikipedia] > # Recording > [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2cfv5SXBlc) > # Basic Information > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Session # | 24 | > Play Date | 2024-10-27 | > Players | Deathmouse<br>JC<br>Kiwi<br>Lacer<br>Vael | > Party Level | 6 | > # Session Details > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Date | [[Campaigns/The Bloody Nails/Calendar/Year - 2507/02 - Water, 2nd.png\|7th Water, 2nd - 2507]] | > Location | [[The Ruby Falls Goldmine]] > Characters | [[King Marius Noren]]<br>[[Ayana Wynne]] | ## Summary The session began with high-octane tension deep within [[The Ruby Falls Goldmine]], as the party found themselves pursued by a swarm of arachnids. Utilising a combination of [[Dondar]]'s explosive *Fireball* and [[Kai]]'s strategic *Moonbeam*, the group decimated the initial wave of spiders, forcing the survivors to retreat into the shadows. Upon investigating the aftermath, the party discovered cocoons containing dead miners and soldiers, notably stripped of all weapons and gold, deepening the mystery of the mine’s abandonment. A brief investigation yielded a magical keepsake amulet from a fallen miner, identified by [[Dondar]] as a moving portrait of a loved one. Venturing deeper, the party traversed a surreal, bio-luminescent fungal cavern inhabited by small, shy mushroom folk. Navigating environmental hazards - exploding red fungi and hallucinogenic spores that turned allies into demons in Kai's eyes - they eventually communicated with the locals using mime and spider fangs, learning that the "eight-legged ones" resided further in. A detour led them to a mysterious [[Pool of Reflection]]. Here, [[Vaeleran]] offered his own blood to the water, receiving a cryptic revelation regarding his amnesia: a magical block exists in his mind that only powerful restoration magic can break. The climax occurred in a glimmering chamber filled with the missing gold and treasures. Here they encountered [[Nelfandris the Banished]], an immense and ancient Drider-like being. Rather than engaging in a deadly battle, the party chose diplomacy. Nelfandris revealed she was merely defending her home from the Empire’s intrusion. Vaeleran and Kai successfully negotiated a treaty: the party would report the mine as inaccessible to the Empire, while Nelfandris would allow the party's specific allies to mine quietly in exchange for privacy. As a token of this alliance, she gifted them the *[[Amulet of the Arachnid Queen]]* and shared disturbing lore about [[Empress Morganna Eventide|Empress Morganna]] - revealing the ruler to be a century-old teenager sustained by a dark pact. ## Details ### The Escape and Investigation * **The Chase:** The party was ambushed by a swarm of large and small spiders. [[Kai]] utilised a *Decanter of Endless Water* and *Shape Water* to create a funnel, while [[Dondar]] unleashed a *Fireball* that incinerated the vanguard. * **Tactical Retreat:** Kai cast *Moonbeam* to cover their withdrawal, effectively vaporising the remaining pursuing spiders and breaking the chase. * **The Cocoons:** Returning to investigate the silence, the group found approximately 20 corpses (15 miners, 5 soldiers) encased in webs. [[Eryndor]] used *Mage Hand* and a knife to extract a magical amulet from a victim. * **Missing Loot:** The party noted a suspicious absence of weapons and gold among the bodies, suggesting intelligent scavenging rather than simple predation. ### The Fungal Forest * **Environmental Hazards:** The party entered a massive cavern filled with towering glowing mushrooms. * **Green:** Emitted poisonous spores. * **Red:** Highly volatile; [[Kai]] accidentally detonated one with a candle, taking fire damage. * **Purple:** Caused vivid hallucinations (making the party look like demons) and tasted bitter. * **Blue:** Safe and delicious. * **The Mushroom Folk:** The party encountered small, fungal humanoids. Kai successfully communicated by mimicking a spider using harvested fangs. The creatures pointed them toward the spider lair and shared food after Kai watered their garden. ### The Chasm and The Pool * **The Bridge:** The group encountered a deep chasm spanned by a bridge of spider silk. [[Ryo]] utilised a magical rope to zip-line across, allowing the party to bypass the sticky web bridge. * **Pool of Reflection:** They discovered a still, cold pool radiating ancient divination magic. * **The Sacrifice:** [[Vaeleran]] dropped a die and then cut his hand to offer blood to the pool. * **The Revelation:** A reflection spoke to him, revealing that his memories are suppressed by a magical block requiring powerful restoration magic to remove. * **The Brain Freeze:** [[Kai]] attempted to drink the water, resulting in a psychic overload of flashing images that nearly broke his mind. ### The Court of the Banished * **The Treasure Room:** The party found the missing wealth—gold, gems, and weapons—decorating a central chamber. * **Nelfandris:** They met [[Nelfandris the Banished]], a hybrid entity with a human torso and a massive spider body. She commanded a legion of spiders but was willing to talk. * **The Negotiation:** * The party explained they were third-party contractors for [[The Green Gryphons]], not [[The Valtorran Empire|The Empire]]. * They struck a deal to keep the Empire away from the mine while allowing Nelfandris to remain undisturbed. * A formal contract was "signed" to solidify the agreement. * **Lore Drop:** Nelfandris revealed she knew of [[Empress Morganna Eventide|Empress Morganna]], describing her as a young girl from a far-off land who brokered a dark deal 100 years ago to entrap her soul and prolong her life. * **Rewards:** The party avoided combat entirely and received the *[[Amulet of the Arachnid Queen]]*, which grants *Spider Climb* or the ability to command arachnids. ## Art ### The Pool of Reflection - Chasm ![[Pool of Relfections Chasm.jpg]] ### Spiderling Nursery ![[Spiderling Nursery.jpg]]