Group One: Looming Danger
The tapestry. An object of myth and legend. A magical item older than recorded history, and a focal point of many wars through the ages. Within its threads is an entire world of twisting passages and environments, villages and ecosystems. Great beasts and miraculous magics grace its halls. Many heroes have been forged in the tapestry, and many more would-be heroes have perished.
You and your companions were being led to this legendary tapestry now, by several authorities of the kobold army, envoys of the dragons. In the crumbling brown stone ruins of a lost civilization, the five of you were led down a spiraling stone staircase, deep underground. The ancient steps were well worn from countless centuries of use. The footing was precarious, especially since the only sources of illumination were the torches held aloft by your escorts. After what felt like an excessive amount of time descending, the group finally came to a landing where double wooden doors barred the way. The wood seemed to be crumbling, and the hinges rusty, but they swung open without making so much as a creek.
And the sight beyond them was breathtaking.
The tapestry itself was at least four stories tall, and twice as wide, suspended in the center of a room the size of a gladiatorial arena. Unlike the stone ruins outside, this place was not composed of crumbling stone and weather-worn wood. The floor and walls were composed of a dark grey metal, smooth as polished stone. It had thin strands of tight-knit light that permeated its surface, traversing the floor parallel to each other, constantly taking sharp corners in unison. Occasionally these strands of light would pulse ever so slightly, giving the room an eerie breathing feeling.
Additionally, while there were countless tales of the tapestry and what awaited within, there were scant few about its loom. Everyone knew it was surrounded by a magical loom that constantly altered the tapestry's threads, but it was rare that anyone tried to describe it. But how could they?
The loom itself took up most of the room. It easily extended out from the tapestry a good 100 paces or more. It consisted of countless thin wooden tendrils, hinged in dozens of places, all extending up out of the floor to heights taller than the tapestry itself. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of them, all working in unison. They poked and prodded the tapestry with needles, weaving and unveaving its threads. For each tendril, there was an associated spool of thread hovering somewhere within the mass of the loom. There were typical threads of all colors, made of wool, or cotton, or silk. But then there were also threads made of stranger materials. Threads of pure gold, or sticky honey. Threads made of shadow, and threads of bone. The varieties were endless. And when all combined together, they created the artwork that was your destination.
"Come this way," a gruff voice called out. The sudden noise was almost jarring. It wasn't obvious until now, but nobody had said a peep since entering the room. The voice originated from a dwarven man standing across the room. He was dressed in regal garb bearing the crests of the Galdrik nation. He wasn't royalty, but he certainly possessed authority.
"As you know, according to the... agreement, of the three warring nations, we have each decided to allow the others to assemble a neutral party to send into the tapestry for research purposes. My own nation has bravely gone in first. Now it is your turn. Follow along this path through the loom, hold hands, then touch the tapestry. You will be transported inside. Take note of the symbol that appears at your feet, as you will need to find an identical symbol within the tapestry in order to exit again. The exits are not common, but do exist." Before questions could be asked, or in spite of them, the dwarven man ushered the group forward without another word.
While it was true the loom surrounded the entire tapestry, it turned out there was a sort of tunnel through the mass of wooden tendrils. It was made of these tendrils, in fact. As the group crouched and walked through, they could feel the floor undulate slightly as they walked atop the moving pieces of the loom. Looking down into the gaps between pieces, it was obvious that the magical apparatus extended for quite some distance beneath the floor as well.
Then the tapestry came into view, no longer obscured by objects in the way, save for one small segment that was being autonomously worked on by the loom. The colors, the intricacies! It was like nothing anyone had ever seen. The patterns on the tapestry told a story. A complex, incomprehensible story that needed to be read in dozens of directions simultaneously. It was almost too much to even look at, much less understand. But the way every thread interacted with each other thread produced an undeniably beautiful result.
Then, following the dwarf's instructions, the group joined together and touched the tapestry.
And the world went dark.
The first thing the party noticed was their feet sinking into a few inches of thick mud, followed closely by the soggy smell of decaying plant matter. As their eyes adjusted to the gloom of their new environment, they could see they were in a swampy area with tar-like mud and stagnant pools of shallow water, and the occasional toadstool poking through the muck. To the sides were tall rocky outcroppings and scraggly trees that seemed to be struggling to remain upright. Above and around them was a thick and humid fog that glowed with a pale blue haze, making any sky or ceiling impossible to see. Below them was a glowing arcane rune, quickly dissipating.
From behind the party, a low chittering sound pierced the silence. Turning toward the sound, the group of adventurers could see a figure emerging from the mists. A large figure. At least as tall as two humans. And ferocious. It walked on four thin legs as it scuttled closer, and it clacked four crab-like pincers around its abdomen. But while the lower half seemed to be crab, the upper half was that of a praying mantis. Its antennae wiggled in the air as it searched for whatever had suddenly appeared in its hunting territory. Then, its head snapped sharply toward the party and it charged.
As it surged forward, its crab claws clacked hungrily, and its mantis arms reached forward toward the people it thought were prey. It even beat its wings rapidly, apparently trying to use them to give it a bit of extra speed. All it really did though was create an unnerving hum. If the party didn't act fast, they would surely end up as this abomination's next meal.
What do you do?
An enormous crab-mantis has mistaken your group for food and is rushing toward you.
Twessa
Your gnome eyes adjusted to the darkness more quickly than the other's. When you first appeared within the tapestry, you were able to spot a figure out in the mists. It quickly slipped out of view, but what type of person or creature did it appear to be?
Gania
In your search to find a way to sever your connection to your inner flames, you have encountered many different types of magics. Including magic that had combined two animals like this crab-mantis. Although the animal you saw was nowhere near as large or ferocious. What was it, and what type of magic is the cause of its creation? (natural, ritualistic, spellcaster, potion, etc.)
Istvan
This beast is covered in a tough exoskeleton, but every armor has its weak spot. Where is this creature's weak spot?
Atalanta
The mushrooms sprouting from the muck are familiar to you, and they have a use. Are they helpful or harmful, and what can they be used for?
Harlin
Your keen elvish nose, and the nose of your cat, can pick out a scent that definitely seems out of place in this murky environment. What do you smell?
