{
  "Id": "1fdb52b7-6feb-4d7e-956f-f06cce4c9de1",
  "Title": "Within the Haevan of Death",
  "SessionDate": "2025-09-21T00:00:00",
  "GameDate": {
    "Day": 21,
    "Month": "Istenarum",
    "Year": 3322
  },
  "Author": "Logan",
  "Text": "As the party (Consisting of Dheir, Xedran, Cassian, and Saxon\u002BKit and Crew (Sneak Sneak, Pebble, and a group of baby birds carefully cradled in cloth tied to Kit\u0027s neck) awoke from a night\u0027s rest that felt like months had flown by, the Deathling Exiles they agreed to assist were already shaping the stone to the next section of caves into an opening. The party followed them into the deepening darkness, Dheir and Xedran\u0027s Darkvision aided in their traversal, while Saxon used their connection to Kit to share their sight and Cassian just held onto Kit for dear life. \r\n\r\nThe Exiles lead the party through the caverns for many hours before they all finally came to a cavern so large, the\r\ndarkness swallowed it before anyone could see the other edge and clouds drifted high above them, with no sign of the sky above. Before them a large city, Haeven the city of Deathlings, seemingly carved from the rock. Faint patches of light could be seen from the small patches bioluminescent flora in well-tended gardens. They all looked and listened, wondering if they were discovered or still safe, but all they received was silence. \r\n\r\nThe Exiles were emboldened, keeping quiet but leading the party down the many stairs and into the city streets, navigating the maze of buildings seemingly with ease. They were eager to find their friends, get them out safe while they still could. Some time of travel later, they came to a junction in the streets where they saw a Deathling for the first time, moving slowly towards the group before hearing something to the north and sprinting off towards it. The group paused for a minute to judge the situation at hand, but then another Deathling walked past, one an Exile recognized and thus called out to.\r\n\r\nThe Deathling\u0027s head snapped to face the Exile, and rushed at them, taking a bite of them before the rest of the party could react as three other Undead Deathlings appeared and charged at them all. The party moved swiftly to defeat the four, though Saxon did get hurt by the creatures. As the dust settled, the Exiles were tending to their wounded companion preparing to end them if necessary. Saxon cast a healing spell on them to help them stand. The Exiles decided the mission was a lost cause and led the party to the crack in the wall marked on the map they received.  \r\n\r\nThe Exiles then shaped a new path back to their settlement with the wounded one, while Cassian used his own magics to seal the crack to Haeven itself just as they heard a creature scream and a response from another deep in the city. As they traversed the cave, Cassian took the time to examine Saxon\u0027s wound, determining it\u0027s the same disease they contracted over a month ago. He confirms he likely could cast the spell to purge the disease, but would require some preparation and a component they are lacking. He remained hopeful as they had some days before then, but in the back of his mind starts preparing for the worst\u2026.\r\n\r\nEventually Dheir stumbles upon the dead Balhannoth and finds a thin crack in the wall that leads to a new chamber, the party follows her into the chamber where they see an abandoned campsite, a large tree with silvery glowing leaves, and what appeared to be an entrance to the temple. They examined the campsite, finding only a few items left by a previous visitor. Cassian decided he would ask the Tree for some information, casting Speak with Plants and almost immediately being assaulted with the being\u0027s epic:\r\n\r\n\u0022\u2026Orren. Orren was my name. A man, not bark, not bound, not root.\r\nSheesha\u2019s hand in mine, her laugh like rain, her eyes like night.\r\nWe walked the gardens before the fire fell, before the sky broke, before the ash.\r\nShe whispered forever, forever, forever.\r\nI said no. No. No. No. No. NO!\r\n\r\nHave you seen my shoes? I think they are by the river.\r\n\r\n\u2026three thousand rings, three thousand things, each one the same and each one is strange.\r\nRoots curl, roots bind, roots drink stone and hollow time.\r\nDid she tell you she loved me? She did. She did. She did\u2014\r\nShe fed me words like water, but they never sank in, never began.\r\n\r\n\u2026speak, little leaf, speak your questions in turn,\r\nthe bark will listen, the sap will burn.\r\nDo the birds still sing? What song is it?\r\nBut answers? None, none, none.\r\nThe roots speak one way, not two. Not two.\r\nNot two, not you.\r\n\r\nStay in the cavern, stay in the gloom,\r\nstay in the silence that hums like a tomb.\r\nBetter to sleep, better to weep,\r\nbetter than waking in wood so deep.\r\n\r\n\u2026cut me, cut me, cut me down,\r\nbury the stump, salt the ground.\r\nBut if you won\u2019t\u2014if you won\u2019t\u2014\r\nthen listen, little leaf, to the lies I have grown.\u0022\r\n\r\nCassian was at a loss for words as he tried to communicate with the mad tree, attempting to ask questions between stanzas, trying to get more information from this Orren. How many rings since they last saw Seesha? Where is the river the shoes are by? Any moment of clarity clouded by rhyme, as Cass repeated Orren\u0027s words \u0022cut me, cut me, cut me down\u0022 they party felt they had to honor their wish, taking the time to cut down the tree. With a deep breath, Cassian released a spell causing the earth the roots grew through to erupt and churn, further breaking up the root system. \r\n\r\nBy the time this was finished, six nightmarish creatures stood at the entrance of the temple. The party made their way over to prepare to fight them, Dheir released an arrow and the largest of the creatures walked up and cast a spell on her. The rest of the party moved in response, Cassian, feeling disturbed, unnerved, anxious, and a mixture of further emotions from the day\u0027s events so far stepped forward and released it all in a Cone of Cold energy at all of the creatures, freezing five of them and heavily damaging the largest, allowing the rest of the party to easily defeat the creature. \r\n\r\nSearching them, they found what appeared to be everyday items likely cherished by them, but no one could tell what the creatures actually were from examining them. They proceeded into what appeared to be a temple\u0027s entrance courtyard, noticing tracks of a barefoot humanoid heading into the temple itself. They followed the tracks until they disappeared at a fork in the path, deciding on a path to take, they prepared to continue searching the temple for Seesha or the object Humans past\u2026.\r\n",
  "Active": true
}