Chapter 33: Damage Control (part 2)

LINK: Bloomridge, Lower City, Interactive Map, World Anvil.

Nyx PoV

“What do we have?” Tav headed the discussion for the round table; her ‘filing’ spectacles regarding her gathered companions. Nyx and several others were debriefing their findings and getting themselves organized before a meeting with the rest of their shadow network. Surveying the determined faces, it struck Nyx as poignant that their group had amassed a following to rival the Chosen and their plans. Despite the clamminess of her palms and the pronounced beating of her heart, she had every confidence in each of them and what they were building towards.

Shadowheart pointed to parchment in front of her; ‘confiscated’ on the way out of the Counting House, and said, “Gortash has been funding multiple businesses, including the Counting House, Baldur’s Mouth, and the Steel Watch Foundry expansion at the House of Wonders. But nothing untoward.”

Several books lay closed on the table, and Wyll placed a blueprint over them. “This is the Temple in Seatower, both the folktales and temple text hint at a sealed basement of magical and religious significance related to the Legend of Ansur. We may find clues to Ansur’s lair there.”

Tav pursed her lips. “So we believe the stories of a Bronze dragon under the Gate?”

He shrugged. “At the very least we may find an artefact that sparked the legend. My summation of it.” He gestured to the books under the chart.

Lae’zel said, “Every weapon is an advantage we lacked before.” The others nodded, agreeing that it was worth investigating.

Astarion cleared his throat and tapped at the annotations he had made on the maps; the same ones Nyx had copied from the Harbourlight’s collection. “Nyx and I have... workshopped a plan for our eventual visit to the Szarr estate.”

Nyx inclined her head and elaborated, tracing possible routes on the maps with her finger. “The River Veins are connected to an underground network. Used historically by the Szarrs as a way to access the Chionthar during their mercantile years.”

Astarion added, “Flooded or forgotten, no one has been down there in all my time.”

“On that note, and with somewhat short notice.” Tav said chewing her lip, and passed a missive to Astarion. “The Harpers report that a ‘big evening gala’ is planned for tomorrow evening, at the estate. We can scout during the day, and strike the day after. Would that be enough for you to determine a confirmed way in?”

Astarion cast an expectant glance and Nyx. She gave a curt nod and affirmed, “We’ll get it done.”, giving him a quick, reassuring smile. The tension in his shoulders settled, but it still meant that they’ll be assaulting the estate without having completed his Thay summoning ritual.

We’ll have to do without the Agents of the Apocalypse. We’ve done so up until now.

Next in line was Gale, and he sighed miserably. “Mystra has requested to speak to me.” That sent a round of murmurs through the group, and it did not help Nyx’s growing unease. Gesturing, he continued, “I suppose it was bound to happen. We can’t secure the Annals of Karsus without shouting the magical equivalent of ‘Look at us Mystra’.” He paused to stare out the window and said, “If we happen to pass a temple, I’ll need to make a stop.”

Tav rubbed the side of her head and scribbled on the report. “Noted. Alright.” She held the report up to her nose, her spectacles reflecting light blue. “After our meeting with Aedric and Mohan; we’ll be preparing for scouting the Szarr estate, and figuring out a way in to the Seatower district. Aedric mentioned working on a High City pass through there as well, since Manor gate is the least patrolled due to the high presence of Fists in Seatower.” She leaned on the table, removing her spectacles and said in all seriousness, “If we can’t find evidence to out Gortash from High Hall; we might need to throw him off the walls after all.” Karlach rolled her shoulders and popped her knuckles; the rest made noises of agreement.

Halsin asked from his seat at the fire, Scratch and Bean snoozing at his feet, “And the Bhaalists?”

“The Guild is working on it. Keene doesn’t like them encroaching on her turf, and she’ll let us know if they stumble upon anything useful in the mean time.”

They concluded the discussion and got ready for their meeting. After gearing up, Scratch and Bean were quickly dropped off at Garynmor stables by Halsin via polymorph and wild shape, respectively. Upon his return, they set out.

---

Aedric was waiting at the bar when they entered the Blushing Mermaid, his drink untouched. Nyx wrinkled her nose at the overwhelming smell of cheap ale and unwashed bodies. Combined with the terrible paintings and carved wooden figurines of topless mermaids with unnaturally large breasts scattered on the walls, she was reminded of why she didn’t frequent this place. It was the shady partner to the Elf Song, much like the Silken Dreams was to Sharess’ Caress. Not that Sharess’ Caress could hold a candle to the Elf Song.

By the look on Aedric’s face, he held the same opinion. “Thank Helm you’re here. Now, where did he go?”

Aedric turned in his seat, searching, and Mohan appeared from thin air behind their group. Some of them jumped at his greeting, and he chuckled. “Here,” he handed out pieces of cloth to everyone.

Nyx frowned, A blindfold?, and set her mouth in a line, I don’t like where this is going.

Suspicious expressions glared at Mohan, and he held up his hands, reciting, “No tricks, shanking or shiving with knives - or otherwise. Unless.” A sly smile crept onto his face and he said, “You’d like to, which could be arranged for a fee of course.” He waggled his eyebrows. No one took him up on his offer. He rolled his eyes and waved them over. “Follow me, keep the blindfolds out of sight and put them on when I say so.” He made his way into the Blushing Mermaid, and they followed him to one of the booths at the back of the dimly lit establishment. Nyx steered clear of the other patrons; fortunately, they minded their own business as well.

Mohan ushered them into the booth, which was barely large enough to house all of them, and then drew the curtains closed. He gestured for them to put the blindfolds on. Begrudgingly, they did so, and Nyx sucked in a breath when its darkness spell activated.

Astarion huffed next to her, “Are the theatrics really necessary?”

Mohan replied, “Oh, yes. Wait and see.”

Jerk.

Mohan guided them down a series of stairs, corridors with several turns, more stairs, and by the time they had apparently reached their destination; Nyx had lost track of their route.

A familiar voice quipped, “I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who got special treatment.”

They removed their blindfolds to find Jaheira waiting at the large table. Many of them, especially Karlach, expressed their relief at seeing her well.

She grinned. “I’ll take more than Gortash’s schemes to stitch up the Harpers, or me for that matter.” The High Harper made a swooping motion with her hands and said dryly, “Here we are, in the notorious Undercellar.”

“Ah,” Nyx muttered under her breath, taking in the room. “Explains the secrecy.”

It wasn’t much to look at, similar to any tavern room apart from having no windows. Nyx expected the network of cellars between the seedier, yet not quite criminal, parts of the Gate to be more - erm, impressive? Like an extended underground fest hall if the rumours were to be believed. This room had the bare minimum when it came to furnishings.

Aedric scanned the closed doors before taking his seat. “I would like to make this quick.” He retrieved a note from his pocket and handed it to Wyll, who was closest to him. “I’ve made contact with Holly a few days ago, however she refuses to meet in person.”

Tav took the note from Wyll and asked before reading, “Where is she now?”

“In hiding. Where? I do not know.”

She read the note and coughed. “Hmm, seems we’ll need to schedule in a visit to the Baldur’s Mouth.” Tav cleared her throat and read it out loud, “From a Friend in Need. The identities of your backers have been compromised and are to be flaunted during a two-page exposé in the Baldur’s Mouth Gazette. Which will include various scandals that they’d rather not be associated with. I was the lead investigator, so I know it to be fabricated. I hid the evidence at the office, but I was unable to retrieve it before being forced out. You’ll need to secure it yourselves before it goes to print. You’ll find other information there that I’m sure you’d put to good use.

P.S. I’d use the chimney.“

Aedric folded his hands together. “Unfortunately, there is nothing more forthcoming on who exactly would be implicated.”

Wyll said, “Leave it to us.”

He nodded and retrieved another note; he spread it out on the table for all to see. It was an address: Seskergates in Bloomridge. “Devella’s investigation is being actively stonewalled. However, she has asked for some, unconventional, assistance into the disappearances of people associated with the Bhaalist assassination list you found.”

Shadowheart asked, “I thought you secured everyone?”

He nodded. “People around them have gone missing. We’re stretched thin enough as it is and the discontent in the Fists has been growing at an alarming rate. I fear for the honour and stability of the guard.”

Nyx fretted at her gear, Gortash is ever tightening the noose.

Jaheira shifted in her chair. “It is no secret that the guard have their corrupt members.”

Aedric gave her a long look. “There are rumours of Black Fists taking root among us, and they’re turning some of the most faithful to Helm and Ravengard’s teachings.” Her eyebrows rose into her hairline and she made a small ‘Oh’. He said, “Only speculation at this point. I myself, have not been approached and neither has anyone in my command.”

“Not that I think you would.”, Halsin remarked, and the rest made sounds of agreement.

They received a brief smile from the Manip before concern crowded his features. “Our 'esteemed Archduke’s' coronation in going ahead. Many of the most prominent and influential of Baldur’s Gate would be attending.”

He shared a knowing glance with Jaheira, and she said, “That would be my cue. Seeing as I’ve one hand tied behind my back I’m reaching out to the old Harper network. They might help you get in.”

Karlach fisted her hands. “Aw, yes we’re crashing his party for sure.”

Jaheira shot her a grin. “Try not to be too obvious about it.”

Karlach nodded sagely, and a rap from one of the doors echoed through the space. Mohan rose and opened the door opposite the one they had entered.

Jaheira said after laying eyes on the late joiners, “Ah, well, if it isn’t my new landlady.”

Keene snorted and strolled toward them, two orc guards and two gnomes hot on her heels. “My hospitality isn’t charity, the Harpers will earn their keep one way or another.” She made herself comfortable, her guards looming on either side. Nyx’s eyes went wide in a flash of recognition at the other two guests.

The Underduke drummed her fingers on the table, making pointed eye contact with every person at the table. “Tav speaks highly of each of you. Our history and the incident at the Counting House means her word holds value for me. I trust that each of yours will too.”

Hmm, as if I trust you.

“Do right by me, and The Guild will remain partners against Gortash.”

Tav squared herself with Keene and asked, “I take the Ironhand gnomes are a part of this?” Barcus squirmed in his seat, but Wulbren remained unaffected and said, “As it happens, The Guild is in need of some additional firepower.”

Tav arched an eyebrow.

Keene said with a scowl, counting down on her fingers, “The Oasis Theater, our explosives expert, the majority of our weapons black market and now some of our Upper City patrons have been stolen by that rat Gortash. Forcing the Stone Lord underground has brought us some relief, but Gortash thinks he can take the docks by force with his Steel Watch. Well, he has another thing coming.”

Shadowheart gasped and blurted, “You’re going to war with the Steel Watch?”

Keene threw her head back and laughed. “I like your spunk. No, we’re going to target the heart of the Watch.”

Nyx said in an even tone, “The Foundry itself.”

Keene snapped her fingers. “Right on the money.”

“Ah,” Tav put it together for them, “And you need us to take it out.”

Lae’zel harrumphed. “How?”

Wulbren’s smug expression made Nyx’s stomach tense. “A bomb, of course.”

Several protests broke out at the same time, and Keene waved them down. “It is time I return the favour to Gortash. He takes from me, I’m taking from him. This is the price of our ongoing partnership.” She gave them another pointed look as the protests fizzled out.

Shit. Nyx rubbed her forehead. What have we gotten ourselves into?

Tav took a more measured approach. “I’ll agree to this, but not unconditionally and not without your signature.”

A flash of satisfaction touched Keene’s features, and she nodded. “I wouldn’t expect any less.”

“Good.” Tav inclined her head. “I’ll hash out the specifics with you later.”

The Underduke turned to Aedric and said in a low voice, “And you lawman; leak any of this and I’ll throw the Harpers out and in front of the first Black Fist I can find.”

A muscle worked in his jaw as he appraised her with a steely look, but he nodded in solemn understanding.

Mighty pleased with herself, Keene finally turned to Jaheira, “You can start earning your keep by investigating a few dockside warehouses for me.”

The High Harper’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and she growled, “I’m not doing your dirty work. Throw me out if you must.”

Keene tutted. “Oh, you’ll find this to your liking, I’m sure. No backstabbing required, I promise. You’ll be able to operate more freely than ever before.”

---

Nyx took a deep breath once they were back on the streets of Heapside, and she suppressed choking on the pervasive stench of fish. Fortunately, they had survived the meeting with Keene and with a new set of directives added to their schedule; they were to talk to a Skoond at Seskergates. Their boots struck a familiar rhythm on the cobblestones and, mercifully, the wind always blows downwind toward the harbour once passing into The Steeps. With it came a freshness that lifted Nyx’s dark thoughts. It was as Tav said, Keene was a businesswoman whose trade was thieving; they should not expect her to help them without compensation.

The bright, carefree flowers and lush greenery of Bloomridge’s park settled Nyx’s mood as well as her companions’, who partook in their usual jesting and joking while they walked. She marveled at the mansions, doubling both in size and glamour the farther they went. From multistory abodes dripping with decorative architecture to sprawling gardens, sporting lifelike, and nearly life-sized, manicured topiaries of various magical creatures. A game of guess-the-creature ensued, which included beasts such as unicorns, drakes, and manticores. It became increasing apparent where the wealth of Baldur’s Gate lay, and the Upper City was even more ostentatious - although presently protected and inaccessible behind a locked Manor Gate.

Seskergates was no exception; the gaudy mansion towered over them. A wide signpost, spanning the length of the building, read ‘Skoond’s Arcane Workshop’ in overzealous cursive. Inside was an alchemical store. Shelves lined the walls. More were stacked into rows on the floor, and brimmed with bottles of every size and shape imaginable. Liquids, powders, glowing lights, whole plants, and pieces of creatures cluttered every available flat surface.

Nyx kept her hands to herself, lest she knock something over, and she’d certainly would not want to experience the result of the mess. The rest’s curiosity got the better of them, and they browsed the wares until a loud bang sounded beyond the unoccupied cashier counter. Everyone relaxed after a series of coughing and someone called out that they’re alright. A man with a sharp goatee approached the counter, waving wafts of smoke from his face. Skoond was younger than Nyx expected, seeing as he was the retired court wizard of Baldur’s Gate.

“Customers.”, he said, and his hands disappeared into his robe while he seemed to float to the middle of the store, his feet also swallowed by the copious amounts of black fabric. “Looking for anything in particular?”

The situation struck Nyx as odd; shouldn’t he be in Ramazith’s tower? Why setup shop here? Tav greeted Skoond and explained that they were sent to help, rather than the other way around. While he relayed his reasons for requesting assistance from the city guard, he said, “I’ve suffered delays enough due to the constant interruptions. Someone is trying to sabotage my work and I cannot let it stand!”

Tav pressed him for more details, and he revealed that he’d been ‘excavating tunnels’ under Seskergates, “A legacy from the Sesker family. I intend to find that book. Everyone knows this and no one is going to meddle in my affairs.”

Tav asked, “What seems to be the problem, exactly? I don’t see the guard helping you to find a book.”

He glared at those who were snickering and said, “My assistant has gone missing. Unlike many others, Klaus is rare in that he is reliable. I’m concerned he might have gotten trapped or abducted.”

Their group sobered at the news, and he relayed his detailed suspicions of Bhaalist operating in the passageways of Seskergates.

“And you didn’t think to help when he went missing?”, Tav asked.

He sighed and spoke as though she were daft. “Which is why I informed the guard. I have no interest in playing hero, which is where you come in, is it not?” One hand surfaced from his robe, and he waved it dismissively. The air crackled, smelling of acrid chemicals and ozone. “You can each pick one item from my store to help in your endeavour. I would suggest you start at Mandorcai’s mansion. Last I seen him; Klaus was working in the passageways closest to that forsaken place.” With that, he turned and waltzed from the room.

They stared after him for a while, then agreed that more preparation was necessary to take on the Bhaalist of Mandorcai. Fortunately, Bloomridge had stores aplenty for the impromptu mission; however, facing off with Bhaalists wasn’t something Nyx would like to do so spontaneously.

---

Mandorcai’s mansion wasn’t simply forsaken; it was a condemned building, leaning precariously to one side. Nyx was sure it could fall over at any moment. It looked like a stain on an otherwise well kept neighbourhood.

Rubbing the goosebumps raising on her arms, she asked, “Why hasn’t it been demolished?”

“Haunted, apparently.”, Astarion drawled at her side.

“Hm, won’t put it past it.”

Karlach put in behind them, “Gives me the creepers. Smells like Avernus.” Wyll confirmed from his side.

Nyx puffed out her cheeks. “That is good to know and concerning at the same time.”

Tav took a deep breath and said over her shoulder, “I don’t think any of us really want to be here, but Skoond has a point. No one else will do anything about it.”

Nyx said, “And if they’re becoming this brazen, it’s better to strike first.”

“No more talk. Time to act.” The ring of Lae’zel’s great sword punctuated her grunting agreement, and she unceremoniously kicked the door down, stepping over its threshold.

Upon entering, Nyx wasn’t able to suppress the bout of coughing; neither could anyone else until they secured various masks over their faces, from physical to magical.

“By the Abyss,” Nyx croaked, “How hasn’t the neighbours noticed the stench?” The wet, bloated rot clung to the air and drenched everything, including her gear, skin, and hair.

Inside, the building mirrored the rot: holes in the boards, broken stairs dangling from the floors above. The place was dark and creaking. Nyx’s magic stirred at the ambient power. Karlach and Wyll were right; it felt like Raphael’s den - only twisted?

Nyx wondered whether they themselves were a being brazen by coming here. Weapons drawn and magic primed, they inched into the bowels of the mansion.

Soon the source of the stench became apparent: blood, both old and new, coated more of each successive room until every wooden surface was stained in ruddy red. Their collective sense of disturbance increased tenfold when body parts joined the blood as grotesque decorations, not unlike the sacrificial displays they had found in Rivington and Twin Songs. The Bhaalists had been allowed free rein in this forsaken place.

Why hasn’t the guard done anything about this? Seatower is literally the guard district, and this place is right under their noses! Fucking Gortash...

Squelch. Pop! Her stomach churned at the sensation travelling through her foot. She braced herself and looked down. A bloody, bulbous mass was underfoot, and she stooped to inspect it despite the creeping revulsion over her skull.

Astarion’s face pinched. “Ugh, disgusting. What in the Hells is going on here?”

Druidic magic swelled and Halsin extended a hand to hover over the strange flesh coating the walls. He gasped. “It’s alive!”

Nyx summarized her findings, “Skin, tissue and bone, but it doesn’t seem... sentient.”

“A growth, like the mindflayer colony?” Gale squinted at the walls and, too, probed at it magically. “A flesh construct?”

“Watch your step either way.” Nyx sidestepped a large, fleshy bulb, and they continued.

The growths morphed from misshapen bulbs into recognizable parts; fingers, arms, legs, and feet growing from the walls, ceiling, and floor. All of it alive, but none of it conscious. Nyx decided that the lack of sentience was at least a mercy - she couldn’t imagine growing inside a building and being aware of it.

The passageway split, and a multitude of corridors sprawled before them. A terrible, drawn-out wail echoed from every direction. The limbs thrashed violently, grabbing at their group. A hand seized Nyx by the leg and another fisted Shadowheart’s ponytail.

Lae’zel lopped off the limbs that grabbed at her on reflex, but the wailing stopped and the limbs went limp.

Astarion yanked himself free and moved to the middle of the passageway. He said with a snarl, “I hate this place.”

Nyx glared at the walls. “It should burn.”

After a round of debate between their group, which was more heated than usual, they were to split up into teams to search for the assistant, get them out, and then get out of the mansion entirely.

Gale handed out smooth gemstones, no bigger than a coin, and said smiling, “A prototype of mine, I call it ‘Signal stone’.” He held it up to his mouth. “When you say, ‘Alert’. It’ll light up.” And so each of theirs did; a brief purple glow emanated from the stones and faded away in unison. “If we find Skoond’s assistant: we send the signal.”

Tav was rubbing her midsection, surveying each branching corridor. She said in parting, “We’ll report what we find to the officials. Hopefully, that’ll urge them to exorcise this place properly.”

---

They kept a brisk pace, searching rooms they came across. Nyx stuck her head into the doorless room and asked, “Anyone here?” One or two limbs twitched, but it was empty like the rest.

A whisper made her freeze before doubling back.

“I am loyal.. I AM... I”

“Shit!“, she blurted at the intrusion. Whatever, or whoever, was speaking telepathically. The black pit stirred in her mind, and her mental defenses snapped into place.

Astarion was at her side in an instant. Looking the room over, he asked, “Everything alright, my sweet?”

He searched her face when she answered wide-eyed, “You didn’t hear that?”

Astarion, Shadowheart, and Karlach replied in the negative.

With his hands resting on his daggers, Astarion said without jest, “I’ll keep an ear out. If you hear it again, let us know.”

Nyx gave a curt nod. She prodded at her mind and a breath of relief blew past her lips. It wasn't the pit, neither a reawakened tadpole - Something in here. She glared at the walls and continued after the others.

Everything looked the same, down to the placement and type of limbs in the rooms. Nyx announced after passing the arm with the same deformed finger for a third time. “We’re going in circles.”

Shadowheart asked, looking up at the ceiling where Nyx’s focus was. “Not an illusion?”

Nyx pointed at the arm in question, “Growing slightly off centre; missing a knuckle on the fourth digit; in a clustered growth surrounded by two fully formed feet and a hand.”

Shadowheart extended her clerical magic to the arm and said, “But the growth signature is new... Is it, growing, the same rooms over and over?”

“That’s neither here nor there.” Astarion huffed, “We’re stuck. How do we get out? The assistant be damned for all I care.”

Karlach shrugged her hammer over her shoulders. “Beats me, I don’t like puzzles.” She scratched her good horn and said, “Devils don’t really do puzzles. Not like this, anyway.”

Nyx considered that for a moment. But wizards do...

A piercing wail cut the air, and the limbs thrashed. Fully prepared to wait them out, neither Nyx nor the others expected the walls to distend inward, allowing the limbs to latch on with more determination. Each of them was being dragged toward an opposing wall. One arm had Nyx in a chokehold; she freed her knives, cutting furiously at the limbs, but they grew back quicker than she could free herself. A hand grabbed her face, and she could barely see the others. All of them fighting for their lives. Her curses joining theirs while the wall swallowed her legs. Thrashing against it with her magic made no difference; the soft, pliable flesh merely moved with her. By the time her shoulders were submerged, she sucked in a breath, and the world went black.

Her thrashing increased tenfold, as did the rising panic in her chest, but nothing gave. The black pit stirred, and she doubled the pull on her magic, landing a dull thudding blow to everything around her. A muffled screeched gave her a moment’s satisfaction. She wasn't planning on making it easy for whatever was trying to eat her. Her lungs began to ache at the extended exertion and the next magical kick-in-teeth contained some of her own bite. She yanked on the portal’s power, and something tore.

Nyx tumbled to the ground, heaving where she fell. The fleshy wall grew shut above her, and she desperately blinked the world into focus. She called out to her companions, but they didn’t answer. Only a disconcerting, moaning gurgle.

Wrapping her own limbs in magic for another wrestling match with the walls, she sprang to her feet and faced the source of the noise. The area was covered in fleshy growth, not a limb in sight except for large bulbous protrusions from the floor, wall and ceiling. One closest to her had something squirming inside. Fingers raked at the membrane from inside, stretching it out to the point where Nyx could make out several arms, legs, elongated claws, and a maw with circular teeth.

She gathered her staff, lined her laced throwing knives along its length as the creature ripped itself free from its confinement. It reminded her of a Chwidencha; though a more crowded and fleshy version.

The mass of limbs charged at her, and she sent her knives to bury themselves between the churning of arms and legs. It made a screech somewhere between the cry of a person and the wail of a monster, but it didn’t stop running. Nyx intercepted with her staff, forcing it to grapple with her, but its maw extended beyond its body, drooping over the top of her staff as she hoisted it away from her. A single-clawed limb flashed, and it dug into her leg. Her magic responded, flooding her staff, and she knocked the creature back in a flying arc, tearing its claw from her flesh.

Nyx was on one knee, gasping at the pain. A dull, throbbing burn so deep that it reached into her bones. She gathered her other throwing knives and twirled her staff in her hands, creating a cutting whirlwind of blades. The creature threw itself at her, where she severed limbs, dodged the hacking single-clawed appendage, and kept enough distance between them so that she wouldn’t find herself in another grappling match.

Sweat drenched her forehead, and her leg throbbed. She slipped, and the creature pounced. Magic flooded her staff again; she slammed it into the creature's maw, breaking several teeth in the process. It flailed backward, whining and retreated for a precious moment. Nyx downed a healing potion, quickly followed by a remedial tonic. With the burn subsiding, she regained both clarity and maneuverability in the tight space. It, however, was feeling the effects of her poison; its movements slow and sluggish.

She pinned it against a corner, using her staff’s reach, then severed the hacking claw in a downward swoop of her knives. She recalled laced knives, tearing from its body only to be driven into its maw. Acid and poison oozed in a bubbling broth between broken teeth while it screeched. Nyx relented, letting the creature drop to the floor, where it was overwhelmed by its death throes.

Nyx backed away from the monster’s corpse, keeping a close eye on the other bulbs in the vicinity. She slid to the floor and rested against the wall. After taking stock of the items in her pack, she called to the others. Their names didn’t travel, muted by the flesh growth, and there was no response once again.

By the Abyss.

Her leg had mended, and the fever broke. She wrestled herself up, gathered her bow and knocked a barbed arrow laced with paralytic. After a steeling breath, she inched down the corridor in search of her companions and, hopefully, a way out.

Hmm... I think I may have been overzealous with the number of plot threads/side quests in this part 2 of Act 3... And I may have gotten myself into a pretzel. But, it's ok - I've spotted it and now I need to manage it. This has taught me where to draw the line for future projects. I am, however, keeping track of the important threads so it's a matter of figuring out how to stagger them nicely without getting buried (๑>◡<๑) and then start tying them off in a satisfactory way. Which is going to be a lot of good practice too, given how many there are. I'm quite confident that it'll all work out, since I have already catered for the majority of them. (✿◠ᴗ◠) So, please bear with me as I attempt to unpretzel myself in the following 1-2 chapters...