Parallels - Chapter 1 – The Incursion, Part 1

Parallels - Chapter 1 – The Incursion, Part 1

Michael S. Webster 

Chapter 2 / Episode 50 - St. Cuthbert Speaks
(https://blog.hommlet-dark.com/2025/02/chapter-2-episode-50-st-cuthbert-speaks.html)

Coldeven 14

The party descended deeper beneath the Temple of Elemental Evil. The air grew humid yet cold,  thick with the scent of decay. The corridor the party followed opened onto a grotesque fungal garden.

The fungal garden was illuminated by the bioluminescence of massive Mycena and Panellus. The eerie, pulsing-green glow revealed numerous species of fungus. Spores drifted in the air around giant examples of common fungi—brown, rubbery wood ear; bird’s nest fungus and honeycombed morels.

But it was the other fungi that had drawn the party’s attention. Humanoid fungi stalked between large, purplish, bulbous fungi that suddenly emitted a scream. A floating orb—an eye with stalks sprouting from its top—stared balefully at the party.

Then they saw her.

A beautiful woman, naked from the waist up and clad in what appeared to be a gown crafted from living fungi, stalked forward out of the shadows. She silenced the shrieking mushroom with a caress from her delicate, white hand.

The bioluminescent pulse sped up and brightened.  The spores in the air swirled around her as she glided to the center of the chamber. A coy smile crept across her face as she gracefully reached out a hand, pointing at Crush, the Half-Orc fighter.

Crush’s eyes glazed over briefly, then he lifted a massive arm barring the other party members from entering. The party came to the same conclusion.

This was not a fight they could win.

With that assessment settled, the party turned and fled. A chilling, tittering laughter followed them as they retreated from the chamber.

ù

“This is a good place to stop for tonight,” declared DM Angelo. “Great game, everyone!”

The other faces showing on the screen nodded or expressed their agreement.

“I’ll post the XP later, and I’ll see you next time!” With that, DM Angelo concluded the video conference.

Michael removed his headphones and began shutting down his computer. Once finished, he stood, stretched, and went to his bedroom to read a couple chapters before sleeping.

ù

Two floors below, in the basement laundry room, a faint, eerie, pulsing green glow grew slowly stronger. Around—and on—the leaking hot-water heater, mushrooms had been growing. Mostly rubbery, brownish wood ear fungus… until small, glowing, purplish fungi began to sprout rapidly.

It was from these fungi a malicious, feminine voice emanated.

“Sssoooooonnnnn!”

To be continued…

Parallels - Chapter 2 – The Incursion Part 2