Into the Maw

A falling descent, a bridge with enemies on both sides, and three rounds at the heart of a sleeping god.

Golden divine light restoring the six companions at the rim of the Moonstone abyss — Fazzir’s prayer is restoring the exhausted expedition while the bodies below begin to move again.

Scene 01 · No time to rest

The God Answers

The party stood where Session Eleven had ended and looked down. Bodies lay across the broken platforms below. Some were already moving as Moonstone pulled them back together. From the bottom of the chasm, a heartbeat shook dust from the chains.

There was no time for a conventional rest while the Awakening Clock advanced. Fazzir prayed. His god answered with warm golden light, restoring the entire expedition as completely as a long rest. Without that intervention, the Maw would have ended them before they reached its heart.

Fit, Harvey, Naomi, Bartho, Fazzir and Kobe descending through the Moonstone chasm under Feather Fall — All six companions are drifting through broken platforms and twisted cables under Feather Fall.

Scene 02 · The descent disappears

Falling Like Leaves

Naomi cast Feather Fall and all six stepped from the edge. They drifted through the ruined mine like leaves, threading between cables and shattered timber that could have ended the spell on contact.

The magic bypassed the entire descent without spending a dungeon turn. At the bottom, two Newly Risen lurched from the rubble and knocked Harvey and Fazzir prone before the party put them down—a first demonstration of what the Moonstone was doing to yesterday’s dead.

The expedition fighting four Hollow Kobolds in single file as Kobe’s narrow side shaft collapses behind them — The party is fighting through Kobe’s cramped route while the mine seals itself behind them.

Scene 03 · One fighter at a time

Kobe’s Side Shaft

Kobe led the expedition around the blocked main tunnel through a five-foot side shaft. Every larger companion had to crouch; only the person at the front could fight effectively.

Four Hollow Kobolds held the passage while the mine groaned around them. The party advanced one body at a time as the collapse countdown shortened behind. They broke through just before stone and timber sealed the route they had used to enter.

There would be no retreat by the same road.

Moonstone crates exploding on the chain bridge as Vekt’s abomination rises behind the six adventurers — Moonstone is detonating across the bridge as Vekt’s transformed body climbs up behind the party.

Scene 04 · The campaign’s best fight

The Bridge of Chains

Four Risen Soldiers and four Hollow Kobolds held the far ledge beyond a chain bridge whose planks were already failing. Naomi connected a loose chain to the stockpiled Moonstone and sent Shocking Grasp through the metal. Half the crates detonated, taking defenders with them.

On the third round, Vekt hauled himself over the near lip behind the party. Crystalline growths split his body and one eye blazed blue-white. With the abomination behind them and Risen crossing ahead, Naomi escaped a killing blow with Misty Step, companions fell, Fazzir’s radiant damage denied Undead Fortitude and the bridge kept trying to throw everyone sixty feet down.

“The bridge was a combatant too.”

Scene 05 · The Resonance Chamber

Three Rounds of Light

The Resonance Chamber breathed. Its grey calcified floor was flesh, and the Heartstone rose eight feet from the centre of it.

Fazzir put both hands on the crystal. Tendrils erupted and Hollow Kobolds tore free while the party formed a ring around him. For three rounds he took the chamber’s necrotic punishment and held concentration. At the edge of death, he completed the sanctification. Gold split the blue crystal. Every piece of Moonstone crumbled to ash. The breathing stopped.

“The light endures. Even here.”

The battered expedition returning to Elder Nakk and the kobolds at dawn as Kobe looks into the now-dark chasm — The survivors are returning to the freed village while Kobe looks down into a chasm that is finally only dark.

Scene 06 · The original arc closes

Ordinary Darkness

Fazzir fell to one hit point. The party hauled him up and ran while Naomi used Shatter to collapse the stairway behind them. The Moonstone glow failed. Hollow Ones became dust. The heartbeat never returned.

At the surface, Nakk and the evacuated kobolds were waiting. Tassa wept. Fit and Bartho held Fazzir upright while Harvey and Naomi watched Kobe step to the rim and look into ordinary darkness.