The party journeyed through the twisted vines and murky waters of the Muckmire Swamp, escorted by Jasper Huckleberry, a scion of a lineage so ancient it was said he could be the 792nd to bear his name. The swamp was treacherous, home to the husks of creatures claimed by a yellow fungus, still hungering for conflict, and luminous entities that reached into the minds of the unwary.

They stumbled upon an abandoned camp, the scene of a struggle, and wisely chose to venture forth rather than linger where large clawed tracks spoke of unseen predators. As night cloaked the swamp, they huddled in a makeshift encampment, defenses raised, vigilant through the dark hours that were pierced by distant, ominous sounds.

With the dawn came a renewed voyage downriver, the party ever reminded of the wisdom of their tribe to shun these cursed wetlands. The swamp bore witness to their passage, its vegetation burgeoning into malignant forms, vibrant with unnatural hues, predominantly yellow, a chromatic omen of the swamp’s malice.

A fluttering cacophony drew their wary gaze ahead, the sound too persistent for a mere flock. The group pressed on, hacking when necessary, though the current path allowed them to advance with minimal resistance. Jeffries, his colossal orangutan frame towering above, scanned the treeline, while Dust, distracted by thoughts of the giant, failed to glean insight from the surroundings.

Smokey, blessed with the gift of flight, ascended to a branch, his form a careful silhouette against the risk of a winged misadventure. From his lofty perch, he beheld a grotesque marvel: overgrown tomato plants, their fruits boasting flippers, tails, and gills. The mermatoes, they were dubbed, their flapping the source of the mysterious sound.

The party marveled at the bizarre flora, some doubting their edibility, others pondering what aquatic faculties they might bestow. Smokey, shield and stun baton in hand, descended to prod a specimen. With an axe, he cleaved it from the vine, the mermato ceasing its flapping upon contact with the sodden earth.

They examined the felled mermato, its insides revealing the truth of its nature: a creature of the plant kingdom, despite its animal facade. In the world of Terra AD, the mermato was but another oddity among the likes of flying cantaloupes and piranhalopes.

Jeffries, undeterred, sampled one and found it palatable, though not without its challenges. An attempt to cast one into the river resulted in an agility check, a task fraught with hindrances that saw the specimen succumb to the embrace of a tree. Having pondered the mermato’s fate, the group continued their journey, collecting a few specimens for further study.

Their journey brought them to an open expanse, its ground a flat expanse of smooth gray stone, inscribed with enigmatic lines and patterns. At its center stood a pyramid of metal beams, ensnared by thick roots that did not dare to touch the stone. A mermato, cast upon this stone by Smokey, withered to nothingness, suggesting that continuous hydration might be the key to safe passage.

A bridge of vines provided a tempting path over the stone, yet it was unclear whether it was born of the swamp or the structure. The party debated their approach, contemplating the distance and the risk of crossing the gray stone. Tests with branches and barriers suggested protection from their footwear, offering a glimmer of hope.

Bucks and Smokey, clad in the protection of space armor, chose to brave the stone, while Jefferies, with his gargantuan monkey feet, took to the vine bridge. Prodigy stepped onto the stone with trepidation, feeling its warmth but not its decay.

Their crossing was met with challenge; the bridge, under Jefferies’ immense weight, gave way with a resounding crack. Dust, acting with swift reflex, reached out to save Jefferies from a dire fall, sparing him grievous harm, yet the bridge lay in ruin.

With the bridge gone, the group watched as the vines in the clearing’s heart stirred of their own accord. They traversed the stone under the remnant shadow of the bridge, Flattus kindling a makeshift torch to pierce the darkness of a hole they discovered.

The shaft beckoned, a metal maw yawning wide. Prodigy climbed out over the vines, confirming a path to the bottom. One by one, they descended, strength tested against the vine’s hold, until they all stood in overgrown corridors, the sound of rustling and chittering enveloping them in the darkness.

Elsewhere, his infravision a beacon in the gloom, stood ready as the session’s curtain drew to a close, the adventurers’ hearts thrumming with the anticipation of the unknown that lay ahead in the depths of Terra AD.

Key Events
  • The group discussed the rules and mechanics of stunning damage in the game, noting that there are various effects described as stunning in different artifacts and critical hits, but no clear “stun state” defined in the rules.
  • A decision was made to handle stunning effects by requiring a hit roll followed by a saving throw from the target. If the target fails, they would be stunned for 1d3 rounds.
  • The Zapper Glove artifact was discussed, and it was decided that it would count as a melee weapon, allowing the user to add their strength bonus to hit, plus an additional built-in bonus of +1.
  • Prodigy, one of the player characters, possesses the Zapper Glove and a box containing blue goo, which is also an artifact that can be studied further to potentially reveal additional effects.
  • The group agreed to reserve the right to alter the effects of the Zapper Glove at any point in the future.
  • The party is traversing the Muckmire Swamp, guided by Jasper Huckleberry, a character from a long line of Huckleberrys, possibly the 792nd of his name.
  • The party encountered deceased creatures covered in yellow fungus that were still moving and aggressive, as well as glowing creatures that tried to psychically influence some party members.
  • The group found an old camp with signs of struggle and decided not to stay there long due to the presence of large clawed tracks.
  • The party set up camp in the swamp, taking precautions by setting up defenses and keeping watch throughout the night. They heard distant sounds but were not directly threatened.
  • The next morning, the party continued their journey, following the river deeper into the swamp, noting the wisdom of their tribe in avoiding the area due to its dangers and discomfort.
  • The vegetation in the swamp grew denser and more malignant, with many plants displaying unusual sizes and bright colors, particularly yellow.
  • A strange fluttering sound was heard ahead, lasting too long to be a flock of birds, prompting caution from the party.
  • The party had to navigate through dense vegetation, with some areas requiring them to hack their way through, but the current area allowed them to push through without cutting.
  • Jeffries is not above the tree canopy but has a view of the dense vegetation along the riverbank.
  • Dust attempts an intelligence check to survey the area but is distracted by thoughts of Jeffries.
  • Smokey, with actual wings, flies up to perch on a branch for a better view.
  • Smokey must navigate the dense tree cover carefully to avoid clipping a tree with his wingspan.
  • From his vantage point, Smokey spots a cluster of overgrown tomato plants with fruits the size of human heads, which have flippers, tails, and gills, and are making flapping sounds.
  • The group discusses the strange tomato fish plants, with some characters expressing skepticism about their edibility.
  • Smokey lands near the plants, armed with a shield and stun baton, and pokes one of the mermatoes with a stick, causing it to flop around.
  • Smokey uses a stone axe to chop one of the mermatoes from the vine, and it stops moving once it hits the ground.
  • Smokey brings the mermato back to the group, who are curious but cautious about the creature.
  • The group debates whether the mermato is edible, with some suggesting it might grant the ability to breathe underwater.
  • Smokey dissects the mermato, finding that despite its animal-like features, it is entirely plant-based.
  • The group reflects on the weirdness of the mermato in the context of their world, acknowledging that while it is unusual, it is not beyond the realm of possibility in Terra AD.
  • The group decides not to eat the mermato and continues on their journey, aware of other bizarre plant-animal hybrids in the world, such as flying cantaloupes and piranhalopes.
  • The group encounters a strange phenomenon where they find creatures that resemble a mix of cantaloupe and piranhas, referred to as “piranha lope.”
  • The piranha lope creatures have no mouth but explode upon impact, which the group finds remarkable as they have not died out despite this trait.
  • Jeffries decides to eat one of the piranha lope creatures, describing it as flavorful but with tough planty bits that need to be spat out.
  • The group is near a river, and they attempt to throw a piranha lope into the water to see if it can swim.
  • An agility check is made to avoid obstacles while flying to the river with the piranha lope, but the creature gets caught on a tree and tears in half.
  • The group discusses the Codex Seraphinianus, a book by an Italian architect that resembles an almanac from an alternate dimension, with base 21 page numbers.
  • The group continues experimenting with the piranha lope, successfully getting one to swim off in the river after another agility check.
  • They speculate on the reproduction of the piranha lope and decide to collect a few, considering whether they can keep them fresh in a watertight bag.
  • The group takes a break, during which they discuss the delays in the publication of the Sidereals book for Exalted and the complexities of the publishing company’s situation.
  • Upon resuming, the group finds themselves at the edge of a wide-open area with no vegetation, just a flat expanse of smooth gray stone marked with strange colored lines and patterns.
  • They see a rudimentary structure made of metal beams in the shape of a pyramid with a large hole underneath, from which thick roots or vines are growing.
  • The group observes that the roots around the beams do not extend beyond them and abruptly end where the gray stone begins.
  • The roots do not grow on the gray stone and instead climb up the beams.
  • Bucks requests a tomato from Smokey, who instead tosses a mermaid onto the gray stone.
  • The mermaid desiccates rapidly upon contact with the gray stone, turning into a dried pile of flaky brown material.
  • The group speculates that continuously drinking water might be a way to safely cross the gray stone.
  • They notice a bridge of vines and vegetation arcing over the gray stone, connecting with the beams, but not touching the stone.
  • The origin of the vegetation bridge is unclear, whether it grew from the swamp into the hole or vice versa.
  • Smokey is asked to fly over and inspect the bridge, which appears large enough to walk on.
  • The group discusses the possibility of walking around the gray stone clearing, estimating it to be about 100 feet across and rectangular in shape.
  • The group debates who should volunteer to walk across the gray stone while others walk around.
  • They notice angular patterns on the stone and decide to test if their footwear would protect them by placing a barrier between plant material and rocks.
  • A branch placed on the stone with a barrier underneath remains unaffected, suggesting footwear might offer protection.
  • Bucks and Smokey, wearing space armor, decide to walk across the gray stone.
  • Jefferies, with giant monkey feet, opts to use the vegetation bridge.
  • Prodigy, a shaman, hesitantly steps onto the gray stone, feeling the warmth but not desiccating.
  • The group reaches the center of the clearing, where they find a large hole with vines growing out of it, creating a natural bridge.
  • The hole is dark and descends out of sight, with ample handholds for climbing down.
  • Prodigy climbs onto the branches to get off the hot stone and waits for the others.
  • The rest of the group approaches the natural bridge, which is broad and seems easy to traverse, except for Jefferies due to his monkey feet.
  • The group encounters a bridge that requires a balancing act to cross. Jefferies attempts to cross first but causes the bridge to collapse with a loud cracking sound.
  • Dust tries to save Jefferies from falling by making a reflex saving throw, using his agility to catch Jefferies.
  • Jefferies takes one point of damage from the fall, and the bridge is destroyed, preventing others from crossing it.
  • Part of the bridge falls and touches a stone, causing the plant matter to wither and disintegrate where it contacts the stone.
  • Dust and Jefferies have a brief exchange, with Dust comparing Jefferies to a giraffe due to his habit of writing backwards “R’s.”
  • The group observes the bridge torn to pieces and discusses how to proceed. Jefferies is instructed to walk over the stone since he is still intact.
  • The bridge is revealed to have been 350 feet long, and Jefferies is able to cross the stone without harm, unlike the plants.
  • The group notices that the vines in the center of the area moved on their own when the bridge was damaged.
  • The adventurers decide to cross the stone, using shadows cast by the bridge for cover.
  • Flattus attempts to create a makeshift torch using withered vegetation and a fire starter to illuminate a dark hole they need to explore.
  • The torch reveals a metal shaft about 20 feet across as it falls into the hole.
  • Prodigy climbs out over the vines to get a better view of the shaft and confirms that there is a bottom and that the vine goes all the way down.
  • The group begins to climb down the vine into the shaft, with each character making strength checks. Jefferies, being larger, has a bit of a squeeze but manages.
  • Jasper, an NPC, falls while climbing down but catches himself and is okay, though he falls deeper than anyone else.
  • The group reaches the bottom, finding themselves in an overgrown set of corridors.
  • They hear rustling and chittering sounds in the darkness, and the session ends with the group in anticipation of what they might encounter.
  • Elsewhere has InfraVision, which could be useful in the dark environment they’ve descended into.