The companions were on their way to Mantol-Derith when they received a psychic message from Basidia. The myconid sovereign begged them to come help Araumacos, “the largest and greatest being of our world,” who was about to be wed to Zuggtmoy, the demon queen of fungi.

Even though this would take them in the opposite direction of Mantol-Derith, the companions all agreed to go help Araumacos. (Well, except for Themberchaud, who had to be bribed with goodberries to come along, and Jimjar, whom Reschi convinced owed the party money.)

After reaching the opposite shore of Darklake, the party pulled their boat up on land. Vanin and Vizeran agreed to stay with the dragon while the rest of the companions made their way into the fungal tunnels toward this fetid wedding.

Along the way, the party encountered a parade of myconids and spore servants heading to the wedding as well, all of them capering, dancing, and skipping—very uncharacteristic of their kind. And they were releasing infected spores around them, too. Urza and Pike succumbed to the effects of these spores and started dancing along with them.

Suddenly the group was attacked by a couple of fungal creatures resembling otyughs!

Goder sensed they were getting close to Araumacos’s heart. And indeed they were. The companions entered an enormous cavern packed with wedding attendees. There were so many spores in the air, the noise in their minds was deafening.

As they neared the heart of Araumacos, the companions fell into a dreamlike state, their spirits traveling through the Astral Plane where Araumycos’s vast, dreaming mind resided. It was here they confronted Zuggtmoy herself, and they fought against her corrupting influence.

But Zuggtmoy was distracted. Back in the Material Plane, Graz’zt and an army of his demons arrived to crash the wedding. Zuggtmoy battled him while sometimes turning her attention on the adventurers in the Astral.

The party managed to destroy the infected area of Araumycos’s mind, and when they returned to their physical bodies again, they witnessed Graz’zt deal Zuggtmoy a fatal blow that sent her reeling back to the Abyss. Then the demon lord of pleasure and indulgence turned his attention to the meddling adventurers.

The fight didn’t last very long. After Urza incapacitated Graz’zt with a psychic lance, Goder summoned a pack of wolves to attack him, Pike blasted him with fire and cold spells, and Reschi threw fireballs of his own. When Graz’zt finally shook off Urza’s spell, Reschi held him, and Pike banished him, and the demon lord was no more.

The companions achieved a great victory with two demon lords returned to the Abyss. Graz’zt’s forces retreated, and Basidia assumed leadership of the grove, healing the minds
of those myconids afflicted by demonic corruption.

Araumacos accepted Pike’s offer of marriage.

And so the party bid farewell and headed back to Darklake and their boat to meet back up with Themberchaud, Vanin, and Vizeran. Their next stop: Menzoberranzan Mantol-Derith (eventually someone should inform Vizeran of the change of plans).