On the trail of the heroes...

"Doomspores... These are from the Shadowfell... They're not so dangerous unless you're wounded... yet... this many...". Fylikiel informed his companions. Yet, these mushrooms were growing thick and large around large phlegmy cocoons. Unnatural eggs, that vaguely resembled Kruthik eggs, but much larger, and with a decayed, sick look. Yet, they could not simply avoid them, although they could have. Whatever was growing inside these would have to die. And they did. Liw and Fylikiel told Aishar to step aside, as they unleashed their magic to destroy one of these eggs at a distance. But that awakened a couple of Boneshards skeletons, scattered at the back of the room. They rose and stumbled right through the doomspores, spreading the vile spore in the air. They then freed the kruthik abominations from their eggs and attacked. The zombified Kruthiks proved to be much tougher than their living kin, yet were no match for the heroes. Wisely avoiding the spore clouds, they unleashed their devastating magic at them, while Aishar and Auburn held tight at the front. The boneshards proved a dangerous threat, but with Auburn's lead and commands, they came out of it almost unbloodied. Once the spores were fallen back to the cave's floor, they pushed on, readying themselves for the confrontation... The Hive's broodmother.

What they faced repulsed them by its horror. The wounded and dying humans the kruthiks were dragging underground were fed to their broodmother continuously. Heavily guarded by huge kurthiks, the approach was not easy. The battle raged a long time. Even if the heroes had grown experts at killing these creatures, the Hive Lord proved a ferocious opponent full of tricks; its acid spits was almost the end of them, but mimicking Acane's movement, they scattered around it, reducing the deadly effect of its breath attack. Slowly, they mowed through the varmint until only youngling and the queen remained. Although huge and slow, the queen proved as deadly as the Hive Lord, if not more, as she swallowed Auburn. Focusing on damaging the queen, they were able to free him, as the broodmother spit him back out in pain and fury. Alive but in pieces, the heroes ended the vile existence of the monstrosity. The rest scattered in mindless fear... leaving the hive strangely silent.

In the Broodmother's nest they found a strange necrotic ritual device still functioning, yet degrading fast. As if it had recently been left unused. Fylikiel recognized a black gemstone used in the device. Very much alike to one they had found in a sentient undead they had faced on their way. The device, they learned, was designed to corrupt the kruthik cocoons. Although improbable because of their resistance, the kruthik could be transformed into stronger and easily controlled undead abominations. They destroyed it and reduced the ritual symbols to crumbled rocks.

And that was the end of the Kruthik hive.

Before them, at the back of the Broodmother's chamber, opened a narrow passage, digging further in the depths of Faerun. Fluorescent worms crawling along the moss covered walls of the tunnel lit their way, dimly. Unknowing, they were about to past a dangerous threshold; the doorstep to the Underdark is an easy one to cross. Never to be seen again in many cases.