In Fen-on-the-Fen
Dungeon Master:
Back in Fen-on-the-Fen
Lantamori and Haazheel take the long trip back to the village, blessedly uneventful. Their feet are still firm in the mire from the blessing of the Stone Tree, and before the noon sun has risen (barely visible as it is in the constant mist and low clouds of the swamp) the palisades are visible. A hand waves from the top as you draw near, and you vaguely recognize one of the other villagers. The gate is swung open for you and you're ushered into the center building from before, where Eldest Kine is waiting for you.
"There is a sense of relief today from the Stone Tree, a profound sense of peace. Tell me, please, what passed with the Spirit of the Air?" she asks, her gnarled hands closed around a knobby wooden staff.
Haazheel will launch into an explanation with enthusiasm, pausing to look at Lantamori often, as she often had a better perspective and certainly had gotten a first-hand look at the remnants of the crow while it had still been alive.
---
In the Kobold Tunnels
Dellas Nump:
"AAAGH my hand," he quickly lets his sister in front of him and stretches another hand to unleash one of the 999 layers of hell upon whatever bit him only to open his eyes even wider in surprise when the invisible thing turns out to be a... mushroom? Disregarding his sister he approaches it carefully, sticking his dagger in that thing "Fascinating, that's why it didn't hunt... maybe those Kobolds trained it or they just avoided it..." He pays little to no attention to the rather nasty bite, at least until he notices blood dripping on the floor "Oh... I ... what." He takes some clean cloth from his backpack and wounds it around his wound. With his healthy hand he points towards the chest "In the chest seems to be something that goes boom... someone check it out... I'll sit over there for a moment."
Sir Aberlayne shakes her head and helps Dellas bind up the wound more effectively, Averdante's too. "
Dellas, I swear you would run into a Hellmouth if it looks interesting enough. There, that should hold it for now. Farian's at the entrance, and he'll be able to heal your wounds. You too, Averdante. I doubt this place has many more foes; the phantom fungus must have been feeding on the dead."
Narthian Goldleaf:
"Good work my warrior friends!" Narthian cheers. "And thank Corellon Larethian for the spell that revealed the thing! I never thought that I would ever see one!" He pokes at the remains with his dagger. "Such a magnificent creature. It is a shame that no kobolds remain to teach me how to capture and train one."
The phantom fungus is a very solid creature, quite heavy despite its size.
Averdante:
Averdante regards the other elf with dry disbelief. Only a druid -- and kobolds -- would want some ambulatory, fungoid beast for a pet. As far as he's concerned, killing the thing is not a loss.
"I think I'd prefer an alligator to one of those."
His attention is already slipping back to the chest, though. What had Dellas seen in it? Dante checks his arm, noting the bleeding's mostly stopped, so despite knowing it's probably a foolish thing to do, he moves warily back over to take a second look.
With Bruenor and Volsh watching carefully for any further dangers, Averdante takes a more careful look at the chest. Examining it with care, he realizes there's a tiny fragment of fireweed in the lock, and the chest is oriented so that it faces the south, so that a beam of sunlight falls on it. Taken all together, he suspects it's rigged to put something flammable in the face of anyone opening it. With caution, he eases the chest very slightly out of its southerly orientation, delicately removes the fireweed spring, and can breathe easier. It's the work of a few more minutes to tease the lock open, but finally you have a view of the inside.
The bulk of it is filled with silver coins of many eras, with a few of other colors (copper, gold, even the darker gleam of electrum) studded throughout.
There is an oak wand carved with a vine twining around itself, studded with mossy-green clear stones.
There is a bracelet made of molded leather and and crystal to look like a dragon coiled about one's wrist or upper arm, its toothy jaws open, a flame-red tongue within.
There are two identical bands of what looks like spider silk, woven in a pattern of geckos.
Finally there is a stone figurine of a cat, nearly life size, carved of lapis lazuli with exquisite detail.
Dellas Nump:
Dellas rests for a few minutes, collecting his thoughts and occasionally looking at his hand. Not long after that he slowly stands up and looks around for some kind of pot with lid or vial or something.
Dellas can find a little bottle amidst his spell components, and can carefully scrape some bits of the phantom fungus into it for further study and use.