The cavernous city of Gracklstug still smoldered in the wake of chaos. Smoke curled from the docks where fire had licked timber and stone, a grim reminder of the Demogorgon’s fury. The adventurers moved among the gray-bearded duergar, their passage watched with awe and unease. The crowd gave no cheers, no triumphal procession, only silence broken by murmurs and sidelong glances. Victors though they were, they remained outsiders—surface folk in a city that had barely survived.

Yet their path was clear. The dragon Thumberchaud had promised words once the demon was slain. So, guided past the wreckage and the ash, the party descended through the grand dwarven halls beneath the city, runes glowing faintly upon walls carved with impossible skill. Priests in robes of flame-hue bowed uncertainly, confused by the dragon’s uncharacteristic flight, but their questions fell silent when a thunderous bellow shook the chamber: Send them in.

The wyrm awaited, vast and terrible, his scales gleaming like burnished brass upon his hoard. The earth itself trembled beneath his return. His voice was both menace and promise. He acknowledged their strength, and when Elora asked for the way to Waterdeep, he granted it. Tunnels reached the surface, and a guide would lead them there. Yet he did more than that. With a toothy grin, he reached into his treasures and bestowed gifts to each of them: to Maledurk, a belt that carried the strength of giants; to Thorn, a staff crowned with living flame; to Elora, a ring that bore the night sky itself within its band; and to Tempest, a wand of wild, unpredictable transformation, perfect for her chaotic soul.

The air was taut with the gravity of this exchange—power offered freely by a being who could as easily have devoured them. His jest about tasting surfacers lingered like smoke. But friendship with such a creature was worth more than gold. With that, he summoned a caravan master to serve as their escort: Bramdur Ironvein, a dwarf of wiry strength and shrewd eyes, who drove a cart pulled not by horses but massive lizards bred for the Underdark’s stone ways.

They departed beneath vaulted stone and followed winding caverns westward. Darkness pressed upon them, broken only by their own light and the faint gleam of lichen on rock. Days passed in strange rhythm—sleep measured not by the sun but by fatigue and habit. They grew restless, unsure if their ascent would ever truly pierce the world above. Yet there was relief in progress, in the sense of distance carried behind them.

One night, Bramdur warned of the greatest danger these tunnels knew: purple worms. He spoke of their immense size, of how they swallowed stone and cavern alike, leaving only smooth, round tunnels in their wake. The adventurers had heard whispers of such beasts—legends of serpents larger than houses, whose passing could collapse the very earth. Even Thorn, ever calm, felt unease at the thought of being trapped in such a monster’s path. But the dwarf reassured them. If worms came, the earth itself would quake long before they struck.

And then, as if called by fate, they found the sign of one. Where the natural stone corridors gave way to jagged walls and uneven footing, suddenly there yawned a perfect sphere of darkness—a tunnel bored smooth and seamless, wide enough for three men abreast. Fresh, Bramdur declared, his brow furrowed. A juvenile, not yet fully grown. And yet his eyes gleamed with greed. Purple worm eggs, he explained, were treasures worth a king’s ransom to wizards. If they dared, they could steal from the nest, sell to a sorcerer named Vizarin who dwelled nearby, and reap a fortune.

The companions exchanged glances. Temptation gnawed. To seek eggs was folly, yet was it not also opportunity? Maledurk, always eager for risk, grinned and declared it worth the venture. Elora’s thoughts lingered on the worm itself, the sense of something vast lurking unseen. Thorn measured the risk and the gain, and Tempest—though absent in voice—was known to embrace chaos with delight. And so, they agreed.

They turned into the worm’s tunnel, smooth walls whispering of the creature’s passage. The air was cold and unsettling, as if swallowed from the world. They followed the path until it broke into a cavern, high and wide. From above, another worm-tunnel gaped thirty feet higher, its mouth opening into darkness beyond. With rope, spell, and wing, they climbed, leaving the cart and lizards behind. Soon they stood in a chamber lit faintly by lichen, the walls alive with a ghostly green glow.

And there, across the cavern, they beheld it: an egg chamber. The ceiling rose eighty feet into shadow, and from it hung strands of web-like silk, strong as rope, glistening with dampness. Suspended within were clusters that pulsed faintly with violet light—purple worm eggs, cradled in their silken nets.

Bramdur’s voice dropped to a hushed whisper, reverent and trembling with greed. “There they are. All we must do is climb the silk, cut them free, and carry them away.”

The chamber fell silent. The faint glow of the eggs lit the cavern with eerie promise. The adventurers knew danger waited close, whether in the silk, in the cavern’s unseen depths, or in the wrath of a mother worm. Yet the lure of fortune—and of the tale itself—pulled them forward.

And so, with hands on rope and eyes on the glowing prize, they readied themselves to trespass in the nursery of giants.

Session Notes
  • Party context and goal recap:
    • The group is in the Underdark near Gracklstugh, having just defeated the Demogorgon with the aid of the red dragon Themberchaud during a battle in the harbor.
    • The party discusses purpose: beyond simply reaching the surface, they reflect on earlier events (riding through fog/clouds after prior adventures, including fighting Strahd in a castle) and wonder what happened to them and how they ended up underground. Despite the uncertainty, they agree the immediate goal is to return to the surface—ideally to Waterdeep.
    • They note the city’s reaction: citizens are shocked rather than celebratory; archers’ arrows had bounced off the Demogorgon during the battle.
    • A previously present dwarf companion has melted away into the crowd.

  • Decision to seek aid from Themberchaud:

    • The party returns toward the dragon’s lair; the battlefield area shows smoke and dock damage from repeated fire effects used on the Demogorgon.
    • Guards relax previous restrictions and escort the party, making them look “official,” and allow passage through the walled section.

  • At the lair of Themberchaud:

    • External sign: a large hole in the ground (from the dragon’s earlier dramatic exit).
    • Guards offer to take the party to the front entrance of a grand dwarven-carved, temple-like complex adorned with runes.
    • Inside, Keepers of the Flame (robed priests) are confused and concerned—this kind of abrupt departure from Themberchaud is unprecedented in their experience.
    • After a short interval, the sound of beating wings, a heavy landing, and a ground tremor announce Themberchaud’s return; he bellows “Send them in,” and the party is ushered into the hoard chamber.

  • Audience with the dragon:

    • Themberchaud confirms a grave danger had threatened his city; after reconnaissance, he senses no additional threats in the area.

    • The party requests help to reach Waterdeep. Themberchaud knows the city, remarks it is not friendly to his kind, and says he will not go there, but offers to provide a guide to the surface via the trade guild.

    • Themberchaud offers tangible rewards for their aid:

      • To Maledurk: a Belt of Fire Giant Strength (“someone as tiny as you who wears it will have the strength of a giant”).
      • To Grestkrendreghk Elassayl Thorn (“Thorn”): a Staff of Fire—a wizard’s staff topped with an orange-red gemstone in which flames seem to move; it bears charges for spells such as Fireball and Wall of Fire without expending Thorn’s own slots.
      • To Elora the Majestic: a Ring of Shooting Stars—a dark band speckled like a night sky with occasional tiny “shooting stars”; it can produce light, cast faerie fire, and create a ball of lightning (all via charges).
      • To Tempest: a wand that produces random transformative effects on targets; Themberchaud notes it will make things “even wilder.”

    • A Keeper is instructed to fetch someone from the trade guild to guide the party.

  • Introduction of the guide:

    • A dwarf arrives and introduces himself as Bramdur Ironvein, a caravan leader who runs goods to and from the surface.
    • Bramdur expresses honor at helping the defenders of Gracklstugh and proposes to take them out with a light setup (no large caravan), bringing a cart for some business along the way.

  • Departure and outfitting:

    • Bramdur leads the party through the city to his warehouse and stable; he brings out a cart pulled by two giant lizards and shows that it already has provisions (food and water). There is room to ride or walk alongside.
    • The group exits via a gate on the northwest side; guards open the gate and allow them through into Underdark tunnels.

  • Overland travel through the Underdark:

    • The route alternates between natural caverns and passages that appear to have been widened or shaped by dwarves; it is navigable for the cart but not a true road.
    • Travel takes multiple days (measured by rest cycles rather than sunlight). Camps are established and the party takes long rests (hit points and resources restored).

  • Level advancement:

    • The DM awards level 12 for defeating the Demogorgon, saving Gracklstugh, and beginning the real push toward the surface.

      • Casters (Elora, Thorn, Tempest) are told they will gain access to additional 6th-level spell capacity.
      • Maledurk will gain Beast Barbarian improvements (e.g., to natural weapon features like claws or tail) at 12th level; exact details to be finalized later.
      • Character sheets and inventory entries for new magic items are (or will be) updated accordingly.

  • Bramdur’s briefing on dangers and approach:

    • The Underdark is always dangerous, but Bramdur emphasizes route knowledge and choosing alternates when trouble signs appear.
    • Main concern on this leg: purple worms. The chosen route passes somewhat close to a purple worm nursery, though Bramdur hasn’t seen worms in years on these specific tunnels.
    • Warning sign: approaching worms cause noticeable ground tremors well before arrival.

  • Party knowledge checks (Nature):

    • Elora and Thorn recall specific lore: purple worms are enormous subterranean creatures capable of tunneling through solid stone, with bodies as large as ~20 feet in diameter; extremely dangerous.
    • Maledurk knows the creatures by legend; the party reasons that, in confined caverns, one might have to choose between fighting or outrunning (and possibly sacrificing position).

  • The worm-bored passage:

    • The party reaches a junction where their natural tunnel intersects a near-perfectly spherical, extremely smooth tunnel 10–12 feet in diameter; Bramdur says “this wasn’t here last time.”

    • He judges from the diameter that the worm is not fully grown (a juvenile) and proposes an opportunity: harvest purple worm eggs, which are highly prized for magical properties, to make the trip worthwhile.

      • Egg details and logistics from Bramdur:

        • Eggs are purple and large, but liftable in a person’s arms.
        • The cart could carry 3–4 eggs if the party walks.
        • Purple worms can sense when eggs are displaced; he would not want to carry them for long.
        • A potential buyer, the wizard Vizeran (in Bramdur’s words “Vizarin”), maintains an Underdark tower along a route about two days away—slightly off the most direct path to the surface—so the eggs need not be hauled topside.
        • Bramdur claims experience via acquaintances; he implies some risk (not all who try succeed), but is emboldened with the party’s presence.

  • Party decision and route choice:

    • The group agrees to attempt egg harvesting.
    • At a fork within the worm tunnel, Bramdur guesses direction by intuition; Elora and Maledurk notice he effectively flipped a mental coin, but the party proceeds upward.

  • Through the worm tunnel:

    • The bored passage is very straight, with a shallow incline, and extremely smooth stone; minimal debris remains, suggesting the worm consumes or carries debris along.
    • The tunnel eventually opens into a large natural cavern.

  • First cavern layout and access:

    • The worm’s passage continues across the chamber, ~30 feet up on the opposite wall, as if the worm burst into the cavern, crossed the space, and resumed tunneling.

    • Bramdur identifies a ramp access elsewhere and departs to fetch the cart; shortly he re-enters from another approach, confirming a navigable path.

    • Environmental details:

      • The chamber is dimly lit by glowing lichen on walls and floor.
      • A southern opening leads into another natural cavern.
      • A northern cavern is full of fungus—potential forage if needed.
      • The eastern continuation is clearly worm-bored and becomes the chosen path.

  • The egg chamber:

    • Following the eastern tunnel, the party reaches a cavern that is ~80 feet high in places, with limited natural light (some lichen glow).
    • About 20 feet up, web-like strands reminiscent of spider silk crisscross the chamber, anchored to the walls.
    • Several clusters suspended in the strands emit a faint purple glow—purple worm eggs.
    • Bramdur identifies the site as a purple worm egg chamber and outlines the task: climb onto the silk and cut the eggs free.

  • Harvest plan and roles:

    • The party discusses ascent and extraction:

      • Elora can wild shape into a hawk to reach the webbing.
      • Thorn can fly.
      • Maledurk can climb with a rope; Bramdur can climb the rope as well.
      • Options include levitation or flight to bring eggs down, or carefully rolling them if terrain allows.
      • The cart and giant lizards are to be left below in a safe position; the lizards are briefly fed a snack.

    • Emphasis on being quick and quiet due to the potential for the parent worm to sense displaced eggs.

  • Session end:

    • With the chamber surveyed and a plan formed, the group is poised to begin egg harvesting at the start of the next session.