Chapter 4: Neverlight Grove

With Dustin and Cemos combining together in their fury, the beast falls with a heavy thud, poison dripping from the hooks on its tentacles.

Combat Over

Less than a minute later, Stool sits up, rubbing his cap.

Stool nods his head in the affirmative to Dustin's question.

As you continue your slow march through the fungi, you make camp for a time, undisturbed by further creatures. When you awaken, post rest, you set out once more, heading toward Neverlight Grove per Stool's instruction. You do see several strange creatures, but for they ignore you or run in fear.

You see many tiny fissures with trickles of water flowing in the direction you walk. After several hours, you find yourselves in a tunnel, where a stream likely ran once. It's narrow, sure, but plenty large enough for you to walk single file, towing the sled of goods behind you. A strange glowing lichen dimly lights your surroundings, but you feel none of the tell-tale magical contamination of the faerzress. Instead, this is merely bio-luminescent. About thirty minutes into the tunnel, you enter a hidden enchanted place, odd but serenely beautiful. You get a sweeping panoramic view of a vast mushroom forest covering every surface, ceiling included. These mushrooms cast a dazzling light show across the darkness, brilliantly colored, in some cases with shades you've never seen naturally before. On the far side of this exotic forest, you see the cavern narrow into a small ravine. Just through the ravine you catch glimpses of a majestic mushroom tower, but you cannot discern any details at this distance or in this lighting.

Pale cream and beige stalks grow thick and tall, resembling a surface world forest. Fungi grow in profusion everywhere, and it's hard to find anything resembling a path between them. The giant caps of the zurkhwood mushrooms obscure your view of the cavern's ceiling, but luminescent fungi there give off a shimmering aura. With each step you take on the soggy ground, a rank scent of decay rises around you.

This is not right! Something is wrong in the Grove, come, we must find the Sovereign! Stool thinks at you as he charges off hugging the right side vertical cliff, near to the body of water.

Bigger than sneaking can help. Must find the sovereign! he says, continuing on.

As you pass by, you see many myconids in patches of fungus, tending to the crops diligently.

As you continue moving quickly through the forest of mushrooms, following Stool as best you can, none of you can rightly tell if something is wrong or not. This entire area is mystical and strange to you. A subtle pulse of light shifts from pink to yellow to green to purple and back again as the moss that seems to coat nearly all non-living surfaces glows and shimmers. After about 10 minutes of active walking and searching, you notice something peculiar: there is nearly no sound aside from rustling and a faint singing sound coming from the cavern with the massive fungal tower.

We are in the Fungal Wilds now, friends. I can't put my hand on what is wrong, but this isn't the Neverlight Grove that I left. I was hoping we can find our Sovereign, Phylo. He's the leader of our Circles and our community. But I can't seem to find him as yet. I'm hesitant to interrupt their work with a melding, so we may have to wait until their working time is done. In the mean time, I want to seek out Loobamub, the leader of our Circle of Hunters. Hopefully he will have information for us. Stool thinks at you as he makes his way toward a massive circular rock with several myconids arrayed around it tending to the fungus and moss on it.

Stool makes his way to the ring, and finds the largest of the myconids in the circle. They touch caps briefly and spend several long moments in silence together. After a moment, the tall myconid turns and poofs a dusting of spores over all of you.

Ahhh, welcome to Neverlight Grove softers. I am Loobamub, the leader of the Circle of Hunters. Stool has given me much insight into your recent troubles. You have our thanks for rescuing him during your escape. I have thoughts about his uneasiness with the Grove, but there are more immediate threats. A few unwelcome creatures have found their way into the Wilds. Namely a large grick has been spotted in the zurkhwoods and a large living plant mass is sucking the very life out of the soil. Both creatures need to be eradicated for the good of the Grove. Help us and we will help you in turn. he thinks at you in a grandiose voice.