Chapter 3: The Darklake

With Bildaweer's flames coating the creature's flesh, you watch as it blackens and crackles into a mound of ash.

Combat is now over. On to routine behaviors. :) Time Passage: 13 days remaining to Neverlight (12 on the Darklake and then you switch to land-based travel, per the charts and group knowledge)
Current Shift: 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift


The rest of your day passes without incident and everyone is able to enjoy the benefits of a long rest. Additionally, as you go about the remainder of the day, you find yourselves stronger, faster, and more potent. You have reached level 5! Additionally, as the next day begins, you awaken to find little stool has somehow grown in size, now towering over your dwarven friends at an impressive 6 feet tall. His old armor no longer fits and he dons one of the spare sets of studded leather you've been toting around.

Head to the Leveling Up thread to roll anything you need to roll. I'll adjust Stool's and Eldreth's stats when I'm back from lunch, as well as adjusting the party loot to reflect Stool's draw from the stores. Post whatever change summaries you need in that thread so we're all on the same page with new fun toys! And congrats. Once that is done and your spell prep is finished, check in here and we'll proceed.

Time Passage: 13 days remaining to Neverlight (12 on the Darklake and then you switch to land-based travel, per the charts and group knowledge)
Current Shift: 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift


The first shift passes by relatively uneventfully. One thing those of you not resting notice is a distinct lack of faerzress in this area. There's very little in the way of glowing, well, anything. Thanks to Francis' mace, you have some minor illumination and any spells you choose to cast to provide additional beacons in the dark. Shuushar does warn you, however, that too much light will attract unwelcome visitors to your quest.

As the second shift takes over Dustin, Stool, and Shuushar bunk down to get some rest. About three hours in, Fang and Cemos hear a strange rushing sound in the darkness ahead. A few minutes later, as you round a bend in the passage, the water falls away from view down a waterfall!

You reef away on the oars and the tiller, trying to stop your motion to avoid the falls but to no avail. In a mad rush, you plummet over the edge of the falls. Thankfully, it's a short drop and your craft is easily able to manage the span without taking any significant damage. However, the three of you resting are jarred from whatever activity you were doing (sleeping or trancing). You find yourself now in a calm lake, with no real current beyond that created in the immediate vicinity of the waterfall. After checking to make sure your cargo and personage is all secure, you consult the charts and determine your continued course from here. This waterfall wasn't marked on your maps! Though after plotting a new course, it appears this has helped you! You've managed to cut two days off your total time in the Darklake at a normal pace (3 at the fast pace you've been using).

You settle into your new route, and the scenery trips on by, a never ending field of darkness. After five more hours travelling, shifts change again. Bildaweer, Fang, and Georges retire to quarters, replaced by Dustin, Stool, and Shuushar. Some two hours into their shift, you all enter a chamber, grander than many you've seen on the water thus far. You cannot see the ceiling above. Along one edge of the space, some 40 feet away, is a small hut, with a lady out front waving a torch at you.

What do you do?

Time Passage: 10 days remaining to Neverlight (9 on the Darklake and then you switch to land-based travel, per the charts and group knowledge)
Current Shift: 1st Shift | 2nd Shift | 3rd Shift