What the hell, why not?

You decide to let the strange mushrooms drag you off to who knows where. They did help you, so the chance of them attacking you is pretty slim. The small one holding your hand leads you deeper into the fungal forest. You seem to travel for hours, the cavern never ceasing to end. The mushrooms are much grander here, some growing larger than the keep itself. The whole area is bathed in a pale blue light from the glowing lichens.

Your eyes widen in shock as your party arrives at a large clearing on the side of the cavern. Hidden here within all these mushrooms is a village. A makeshift wall surrounds it in about a hundred foot semicircle. Looking closer, you realize that the village is a mixture of fungus and bone.

The small one leads you into the village, causing many of it's inhabitants to stop and stare. Like your new found friends, it seems everyone here is a mushroom person. Big, small, lean, or stocky, every fungus being is different, but with one singularity. Blue caps.

The small one drags you across a makeshift bridge, traversing a small stream, before stopping at the back of the village. Before you is a tunnel. It motions with it's hand to continue, but makes no effort to move forward themselves. Both you and the badger go to move forward when a message appears before you.

Caution! Entering Strong Monster Lair.

"Well, that might be a problem. Badger, you ready for trouble?" You ask looking down at your oldest companion. It gives you a nod, and you notice a strange glint in it's eyes that wasnt previously there. You can't quite put your finger on what it is, but you decide to worry about it later, wanting to deal with the current situation.

The two of you enter the tunnel, which seems to be lined with strange markings and symbols. After about 50 feet you arrive at another cavern, but this one hold something much more interesting. Sitting before you, lodged in the earth is a massive skull, probably of a dragons. It's nearly 50 ft tall, and roughly 30 ft wide. It's teeth are jammed into the ground, save for one which is covered with some sort of cloth. Yellow light streams out of the nostrils and eye sockets, casting eery shadows.

The two of you step closer, and you can make out more markings carved in the teeth. Eventually, you make it to the door and knock, wanting to be polite with this dungeon boss. It takes a moment, but a short, stocky mushroom moves the curtain. It seems older, or perhaps wiser than the others. It's holding a long walking staff, and it's single eye stares at you before it motions for you to enter.

Inside you see a medium circle made of rocks with several larger ones dotted around. A strange kind of chandelier hangs in the middle, giving off the yellow light. The room is roughly 20 feet is size, following the shape of the mouth before hitting the back wall. Speaking of which, there seems to be some kind of art in the back, depicting a large mushroom and more mushroom men. Small pouches hang from cracks in the skull and towards the back is a ladder to a 2nd floor.

The mushroom motions you over to the strange circle and waves for you to sit on one of the larger stones. As you sit, the Shroom pulls a stone jar from a shelve and brings it over to you. With a quick throw, a powderie substance is lobbed at you, causing you to sneeze as it covers your head. The mushroom sits down next to you and reaches for it's forehead. A pale green light exists where he touches before he moves his hand over to your forehead. When he touches you, the powder lights up for a moment before returning to normal. The boss shroom repeats this movement several times before he finishes.

"There, now you shall understand me stranger." You hear from the shroom.

"What sort of magic is this?" You question.

"Magic of the Shroom-kin Sage stranger." It's voice is rough and gravelly, but also worn and ethereal. "You may call me DingDrio." The Shroom-kin explains.

"DingDrio? No offense but that is a bit odd?" You say.

"Well to us Fungus ones you Stofties are a bit odd." DingDrio explains with a chuckle.

"I imagine so. I am Yazas Vrammagon." You introduce.

"A pleasure to meet you Yazas. Now what might you be doing all the way out here?" It asks.

"Mushroom collecting believe it or not. My badger here apparently found the forest and i came to investigate. After collecting a good amount we were-"

"Ambushed by a cave fisher yes. I know that part of the story. Why were you collecting mushrooms?" It interjects.

"I'm trying to find a more permanent source of food for my people." You explain. It's singular eye widens.

"Oh? You are the leader of your own colony then? What happy melds, the Old-growth will be delighted to hear this." It says happily.

"Old... Growth?" You question.

"Ah, you are not Shroom-kin, so you would not know our history." DingDrio stands up and walks over to the mural on the wall. "We fungus folk came about through the means of the old-growth, an ancient, powerful mushroom that wished for others to talk to. Using it's power it melded us into being." It explains.

"I see. That is quite interesting, i have not heard of such a god before." You explain.

"God? Is that what the Old-Growth is? I have not heard of such a phrase before." It explains.

"By your explanation i would say yes, the Old-Growth is a god. Gods are beings with immense power, usually ruling over a domain of the world. Some gods share domains, while others are singular in what they rule over." You explain.

"And what is your god Yazas?"

"Lady Silver. A Drow deity that represents a great light. She saved me in a moment of need and in return, i became her champion." DingDrio nods along to my story.

"So tell me Yazas, are you of any danger to my people?" It's look it stern, with a hint of danger to it.

"I don't foresee us being enemies. The most interaction we will most likely have is an ocasional foraging party. We have no animals or crops growing right now, so we usually make trips to the surface for supplies." You explain.

DingDrio nods before rubbing where it's chin should be. "I see. You may take the carcass of the cave fisher then. It should do you well with food." It says before assuming a type of meditative stance. It stays there for a few minutes before it looks back at you. "The carcass will be ready for you when you leave."

"Why are you giving it to me?"

"You are young, and so is your colony. If it is only recently established you will need all the help you can get in the early days." He explains.

You nod and go to leave before an idea comes to you. "DingDrio, have you heard the story of the first underpire?" You ask.

It looks at you, confused. "I have not. What is this underpire?"

"It is a story i learned a long time ago." You pull out your spear and draw in the dirt beneath you. "Long ago, when Arkus was whole, none of the people who are found in the Hollow Path lived in the deep. The closest they had were the regular dwarves. However something changed."

"What happened?" It askes, enraptured with your story.

"No one is really sure, as each race has their own story for what happened, but some how there was a great war between the race's. Some say this is what shattered Arkus, but everyone agrees that this is what resulted in the hollow path, and the people who live there."

"9 peoples, dwarves, elves, slimes, giants, orcs, lizardmen, gnomes, Fey, and Yak folk. All of them ended up in the newly formed Hollow Path and later evolved into subspecies of those original people." You draw a 9 pointed star in the dirt.

"Fascinating." Dingdrio says.

"Yes. These people banded together to and formed a massive city state. It's true name has been lost to time but we Drow's now it as The city of light. It was the corner stone of science, culture, magic, and life."

"What happened to it?" It asks.

"It is unknown, the exact reason for it's destruction is unclear. Some say they awakened a primordial evil, other say a civil war." You explain. "Those who remained after its fall went off and formed their own groups."

"Why are you telling me this?" DingDrio gives you a wary look.

"Because I wish to ally ourselves. In case of need we may darken each others doorways, and the other will welcome them." You explain. "And if our people should come across each other down here we need away to communicate our alliances." You continue. "The 9 point star, a sign of ancient unity between the races. We shall revive it as a way of communicating peace between our people."

DingDrio looks at you for a long minute before agreeing. "Very well, may our people be long lasting friends, and the need to darken the other's door step out of need of refuge never pass." It holds out it's hand allowing you to shake it. Having nothing more to talk about DingDrio ushers you out of it's home. When you arrive back at the village the small shroom-kin is waiting for. With a slight bow, it escorts you back to the entrance, where you see the Massive mushroom is standing, the cabe fisher next to it. "Thank you, the both of you for your help earlier."

They give you a nod before returning to the village. You quickly pocket the massive beast into your inventory, and another new message appears.

(!) Encumbered! Speed is reduced by half!

"Well isn't that great? Badger, seems like it's going to be a long walk home."