Told to take a break after their exertions in
The Waste some of the party do useful things like pouring over old documents
looking for clues about
Count Draku. Others of course enter illegal no holds barred fighting
tournaments. Horatio who used to box and wrestle for his company when he was in the army fancies his chances and
uses other members of the party to (illegally) bet heavily on himself. Most of the party also risk some gold on
his progress in the tournqment as does the mysterious Crow who offers to be Horatio's second. In the end the fights are all tighter
than Horatio would have liked but he triumphs in the end in a final that goes right to the wire..
Crow then hires the party for a dangerous expedition involving 'mountaineering' and Elwin insists they
all write wills before they leave. As they travel north from
Pell's Hold they find a child crying beside the road because the
Geogoths have confiscated a religious symbol that his deceased cleric father
left him. Crow pretends to be a representative of the (probably non-existent) Cambrian Inquisition and reclaims
the item for the child.
When the party cross the Cambrian border into The Waste Crow reveals that their destination is actually the
Rift. She points out that the assertion that no one who descends into its depths
comes back aive is technically untrue as there were survivors from the last expedition although
they all mysteriously died shortly after they reported their findings to
King Burdred. Also Horatio managed to climb up out of the Rift fairly
recently and she has the theory that its become less dangerous over time.
As the party descend into the Rift, however, they begin to see ominous signs. A pair of Spined Devils are
flying down the canyon and approach the party. Crow informs them that these creatures often act as scouts
for more dangerous devils so the party quickly destroy them. The party then has to move through a patch of
fungi and although most of it seems harmless enough every now and then one gives off necrotic damage if brushed
against. Suddenly the party hears a rustling sound and Arlan announces that a swarm of beetles are climbing
the cliff. To protect the party he leads the swarm away to the side but while separated from the party
is mistaken for a tasty morsel by a large carniverous plant who swallows him. At this point the party find out that Crow has the power of temporary flight in gloom and dark and with help from the rest of the party she frees
Arlan.
At the bottom of the Rift in the deep gloom the party find a swamp and resort to using Water Walk to make
progress. In the miles they travel along the Rift they find many portals, some stable and some obviously not.
Horatio peers through some, in the hope no doubt of finding his home world, but none of the terrain on the other
side of the portals looks especially appealing. Two of the larger and more stable portals appear to be joined
by a wooden walkway. One end appears to be a large cavern guarded by orcs and the other end is a similar cavern
which is deserted although someone appears to have built fortifications around the portal (possibly to cover a
retreat through the portal). On average there are 4-6 portals per mile.
While the party are exploring, however, they have to fight of many hostile creatures. The first is a large
monster with thrashing tentacles which gives off a blast of necrotic damage as it approaches.
The second batch are what appears to be giant flies (which Crow identifies as demonic Chasme) which attack with
a sharp proboscis causing painful necrotic damage. The third group of monsters are similar to the first
but unsightly creatures who appear to wear their organs on the outside. After the last attack with the party
taking much damage Crow gives up further exploration and signals for the party to begin the long climb out of the
Rift. Progress in, out and along the Rift has been slow and the party had to spend a night near the bottom
using the Leomund's Tiny Hut spell.
Back in
Pell's Hold Crow makes a report to her sponsors and comes back with several thousand
gold pieces which probably indicates that the mission has been considered a success.