Festival - Roc feather offering to the dragon
Goblin attack! - set the town on fire - get the townsfolk to put it out
Goblins run off (follow?) - trapped 2 - leader is Bighead
Offering is missing (track?)
Magic book is missing (investigate?)
Gained Potion of Healing
Following wagon tracks into forest
Small old woman with a lantern investigating tracks - Old Patty
Tells us about protected caves where the wagon has been taken - tells us to go in the morning
Tells us Mort and Viktor don’t look well
*disappears*
Mort falls over, Viktor is sweating, says it was something he ate
Take them to the inn for Magda
Sleep in town overnight
Ask Magda about Old Patty
Old crone from Fallowshire
Set out to cave, following cart tracks
Goblin + Bugbear
Goblin + Warg guarding cave (on patrol)
Rats at cave entrance - killed and stuffed into hole in the wall to block it
4 goblins in a room including Bighead
Defeated 3 goblins, tied up Bighead
Bighead gave the box to Histyr (sweet but big tricky spider)
Bighead told us about hobgoblin Kelcher (with a cape) - came in with the box
Histyr is in the hole (that we stuffed with rats)
Histyr is in a room with the offering box and a lot of spiderwebs
Singing in a woman’s voice
Hit once with magic missile and she escaped through another hole
Load up the wagon and drive it back to the village
Spot a bloody boot on the path - with a bloody mangled body
Load him on wagon to take to village
Take the wagon to Priss and Brogan to take offering to dragon
Dergo and Luke interrogated the captured goblins in town and the goblins are now dead
Rigsy getting drunk and asking about her missing book
Investigate magic store - upstairs room where books are kept
Luke Mark and Lucien buried dead body
Marks on body look like ritual runes
+25 silver
+20 copper
+3 bottled fire
+1 short bow
+10 arrows
5 weeks later
Offering was successful
Villagers have given us a bigger house
Hear a knock on the window at the back of the house. We see nothing.
Baxter opens the window and water pours on him
Tiny person with dragonfly wings on Mort’s shoulder is laughing - name is Soupladle (pixie)
Mean woman hunter (Velma) and pixies (Horseshoe, Stormdrain, Cowplops) were taken by the spiders
Soupladle will take us to them
We follow Soupladle to the southwest of town
We see a bear wearing pants - Soupladle told us this is Marty the Were-bear
Marty is avoiding an area with a lot of spiders - has not heard any singing spiders
Marty tells us there was a merchant around but has not seen him in a few days
Mort gives us Goodberries (2 each)
Woods are eerily silent
Soupladle takes us off the trail to a spot between 2 trees where hunter/pixies were captured, then flies away
Mort sees a shimmer of light across the path - trees are covered in spider silk with a line across the path
Bianca throws a stick to snap the thread - we encounter a trapdoor spider in the path and other spiders in the trees
We see mounds wrapped in spider silk, more trapdoor spiders on the path as we approach
We defeat all the spiders and free Velma from the spiderwebs and find 3 pixie bodies, drained of fluids, along with the bodies of 2 merchants.
Velma had found 2 male hunters dead, cuts and missing tongues and hearts. Tells us about poachers, spiders, Old Mossy Bess (part of the witch coven) and a “damn ettercap”
Soupladle returns, whispers to Mort that it can’t find its friends.
15 silver
10 copper
Ruby ring (3 gp)
Silver bracelet (15 silver)
Soupladle tells us Mossy Bess has been going after hunters - we should leave part of our catch as an offering.
Soupladle gives us a ring of braided silver and gold - Baxter picks it up
We return to town at nightfall and hear shouting from the north of town
Felix and Chou Chou are running away from the stables saying it’s cursed
Take them to the inn and ask for information
Felix and Chou Chou on patrol, heard screaming, hit by a rock, bushes were moving but no one was there
Brogan enters and sends F&C on patrol
At edge of wood we hear wailing, pounding on trees, footsteps, bushes moving
Undead chaotic evil is floating 15 feet in the air
Trees start bleeding and it spells SEAMUS
Bianca speaks to Seamus, branches and rocks start flying around
Blood drips on the ground spells NO REST
Baxter and Mort fetch Magda and Lucien and Rigsy from the Inn
Rigsy thinks its a poltergeist and needs to be put to rest but Lucien says the body was buried in the cemetery outside of town with the help of Luc and Mark
Lucien and George perform a ritual with a silver dagger in the river - we all hold hands
Blood disappears, everything calms down
Baxter goes to Inn to identify the ring - ring of spellstoring (1 spell - flying familiar)
Viktor, George, Mort go to investigate cemetery. Body was dug up and removed, possibly days/weeks ago (poltergeist activity started 2 weeks ago)
Viktor wants to check in with Lucien re: graveyard so he is not with us
Raven familiar (Matthew)
Speech (INT 10)
5 hp
Fly speed 50
mimicry
Off to Melina and Agar’s farm to check on them.
Walking along the path we hear singing and start to feel strange - harpies in the trees!
Lawful Good does not equal Lawful Nice
Dead Harpy has a golden earring (1 gp)
Mort makes goodberries and eats two
Bianca makes a circle of feathers around the dead harpy as an offering to Mossy Bess
We travel until nightfall. We make camp and keep watch
Mort is on 1st watch - hears something huge in the forest too far away to see. The rest of the night is uneventful.
In the morning Mort makes more goodberries
We follow the cart path to the Agar farm and smell a noxious smell. There is no movement outside.
We send Matthew the Raven ahead to scout
The area in front of the house and barn is covered in blood and pieces of cattle
Inside the barn is crying and bleating
As we approach we hear a woman screech, a sheep bleating, and a man cry out
A wild ankheg appears! We defeat it!
Then another ankheg, and after that another!
The last ankheg captures Mort and takes him underground. We give chase.
The ankheg goes into a cavern and puts Mort down in the goop next to Agar
The Mama Ankheg appears and starts spitting acid at us!
We defeat the Anhkegs
We find a saddlebag, 2 cows, and free Agar
7 silver
18 copper
Healing potion
Shield
Shortword
Crossbow with 8 bolts (Baxter)
Baxter stays behind and lights the Ankheg eggs on fire with Alchemist’s Fire
Agar and Melina are reunited above ground
The wind picks up from the east
A foul air chokes us and a noise comes from the trees
A large black form appears - Nevgalitor! He radiates evil. He wants to know who stole his offering.
We tell him about the goblins. His tail levels the farmhouse and he takes 2 cows as he leaves.
We start back to Broken Wagon, Agar and Melina stay behind to rebuild
We sleep on the cart path, we awaken to find our gear polished and mended, our clothing clean, and flowers braided into our hair. We hear giggles in the forest.
1 mile from town we hear wildlife, thorns are scratching at us. Broken Wagon is gone, in its place is an apple orchard. Animals are fighting over the rotten apples on the group. In the middle is a white cottage. The door knocker is the face of Priss (the Mayor)
Level 3!
Raven familiar (Matthew)
Speech (INT 10)
5 hp
Fly speed 50
Mimicry
Baxter removes the knocker from Priss’ mouth and ask what happened
Lucien and Viktor left after us, Rigsy performed a ritual to find her missing book and summoned Mossy Bess!
Mossy Bess turned Rigsy into a ferret, Dergo tried to attack Mossy Bess and the town was cursed and people were turned into animals
Mossy Bess led the townspeople into the mysterious cottage
“Remember: one of the main things about witches is you don’t know where you are”
We return the knocker and the door opens slowly
Mort creates goodberries
Bianca enters the house, and we are all transported to a forest lit as if it was late afternoon. (difficult terrain)
There are floating wooden doors. A bell rings.
Bianca investigates the stump - looks like an endtable and chairs
Baxter smells a forest, with hints of wild game, and something we don’t recognize
Mort looks for tracks and markings - small animals, wolves, bears, humanoid, others we don’t recognize - 4 toes, claws, 6 legs
Baxter smells a door, it smells like weathered wood and rotting leaves
A tea set and muffins appear on the stump/table - George determines they are not poisonous
Bianca pours tea and places muffins on plates, and says Mossy Bess has put them there and we should partake.
We all have tea. Bianca has a blueberry and lemon zest muffin. George has lemon poppyseed. Baxter has chocolate chip but it’s delicious. Mort does not eat any. Everyone but Mort gets +4 HP.
Mort looks closer at a tree and it looks diseased. One looks like a coat rack. One looks like it has cushions in its roots. A fallen tree looks like a couch.
Baxter notices that as he looks at the doors there is a shimmer effect. Like they would be shrouded, but we can see them anyway.
Baxter opens a door, and as soon as he does we are all in the middle of the same clearing.
A horn sounds.
George casts Detect good and evil and detects nothing
We hear enraged squealing! Wild boars appear!
We kill them.
Baxter opens another door, suddenly we are in front of a large table in another area of the forest. The light appears to be the end of the day. The trunks of the trees are termite-ridden and oozing. 8 warped and crooked chairs surround the slimy table. A banquet of half-eaten and insect-covered food is on the table. The throne is a tree with random strange lush fruit hanging from seemingly dead limbs.
We hear the same bell from before. There are birds in the distance, and large bear-looking tracks.
Baxter smells the rotting food and smells something like a weird mix of animals that isn’t natural.
Mort shoots an arrow and knocks down a watermelon from the tree, Bianca tries to catch it with a mage hand but it is heavy, and smashed on the table.
A wild owlbear appears! (this is what Baxter smelled)
We fight it, and it turns and runs, and just disappears into the forest.
Baxter and George give chase. When we reach the point where it disappeared, we are suddenly on the other side of the clearing.
George sits on the throne. He feels a strange unpleasant tingling but nothing happens. He gets up.
We all sit at the table. Nothing happens.
Bianca prestidigitates and cleans some of the table. Nothing happens.
Biance magehands a pear to Baxter and he takes a bite. He loses his temp HP and everything seems very fast. He begins moving in slow motion. Bianca starts singing a song she knows Baxter knows and he can’t keep up, he hears Bianca like a sped up tape.
George feeds Baxter the remaining muffin and the slow motion effect stops.
We open the door and suddenly appear back in the clearing. A horn sounds.
Baxter approaches another door and throws it open!
Suddenly we are in a circle of stones with a murky pool. A treasure forms an island in the middle where the water is deep. The water splashes from something beneath the surface. It is night.
Biance magehands some coins from the treasure and brings them to us at the waters edge. (5gp)
George grows wings of light and flys to the treasure and picks up some gold, but he sticks to it. It’s a mimic!
There are leeches in the water!
Viktor enters the room through the magic door and joins the fray
We kill the leeches and the mimic
There are several large gp, several gems, a bag tied shut
Bunches of treasure.
Baxter uses Knock and opens the bag. He puts coins in it, but when he retrieves them he grows large.
We go through the door and return to the tea clearing. Baxter opens another door and we return to the same spot. Wild boars attack!
The last door transports us onto a staircase going into a cave lit by torches. We hear shouting, crying, clanging and banging. Scents of cinnamon and pastries.
***
We are on a stairway in a cave that looks like a long hall. There is clanging, it sounds like a kitchen, with muffled crying and shouting.
One door is closed, one is ajar. Baxter hears crying and muffled shouts from the closed door. Mort stealthily looks in the kitchen. Small forms dart back and forth. A large ettin is holding a crystal rod and shouting orders. The children from the village are there and being threatened. Two deep voices can be heard. A ferret is poking its head out of a pie.
We attack Hempta-mykah (the ettin). During the fight they flick the crystal rod and we hear a door open.
The ettin can heal from wounds, and two dogs appear and join the fray. When the ettin is almost dead Mort starts talking to it in Giant. The ettin begs and tells us it can help us. Mort helps it into the center of the kitchen.
The children tell us the ferret is Rigsy, and Rigsy tells us we need to break the curse. The ettin tells us he doesn’t know how to break the curse. Baxter picks up the crystal staff and the ettin tells us how to use it to use any door to get to any room.
Rigsy tells us we need to make Mossy Bess eat the apple in the dining room to break the curse.
Ceda tells us that when they set the table they ring a gong to summon Mossy Bess.
We use the door to go to the dining room. Bianca magehands the only apple hanging from the tree and we return to the kitchen. Baxter creates an illusion that the apple is still on the tree. We put the apple in the pie that was previously for the ferret and bake it.
We pretend to be caught and sit at the dining room table as the children set it for dinner. They ring the gong. A beautiful woman descends onto the throne, smelling of cinnamon and sugar. She tells us all to eat.
George eats cinnamon spice cake
Mort eats the pear tarts
Viktor eats the brandy custard
Bianca eats a pear tart
Baxter eats the cinnamon spice cake.
Mossy Bess tells us there’s a third party who might attack the dragon, but she will wait it out.
Bianca creates an aroma of a delicious apple pie and Mossy Bess eats the bait. The spasms and black liquid comes out of her. Her skin becomes scabby and green and she becomes an elderly woman.
The doors all open and we hear the captured townspeople fleeing. We grab our weapons and the crystal staff and run out the door. Mossy Bess begins to fade along with the things in the room. We go through the door and we are outside in the town, there is no door behind us, the orchard is gone.
Only Rigsy and the band remember what happened in the witch’s house. Rigsy tells us Mossy Bess told her the tome is hidden in town but is useless, the ritual of summoning has been translated and will occur at the new moon (in two days). Rigsy says Lucien is the only other person who can help with demonology.
Blights upon the town - the river is full of dead fish, milk is turning sour, wooden boards are rotting.
Utelias George uses Detect Evil and Good and we find the Demon Lore book under the floorboards in the mill along with some disembodied hands that attack us.
“The tome of the lord of ruination defilement and undeath” (Demon Prince Orcus)
Luc’s house has the poison that Rigsy, Viktor, and the dead bodies we found earlier. No one has seen Luc in over a day.
We take the book to the Shrine of the Light, Rigsy reads the book and tells us it was about summoning a demon, Rigsy stays at the shrine and researches the ritual
The new moon is tomorrow night.
The seance did not go as planned. Lucien spoke through Morthalemon, confirmed Luc had stolen the tome and the summoning had already taken place. The ritual to be performed at the upcoming new moon is a demonic empowerment ritual. Lucien gives a ritual of purification to Bianca.
A militia guard tells us Rigsy will meet us at the Mutt & Chops Inn. Rigsy says a lot of the book was beyond her, but she can find where the ritual is happening. She needs something of Luc’s. We find some hair at his house and give it to her, she will need to work overnight.
We do the cleansing ritual overnight which takes 12 hours, and is done by 8:00am. Rigsy arrives and gives us a pointy rock floating in green liquid in a bowl that is pointing into the woods (Northeast). We purchase some potions and bolts, and head into the woods, following the compass rock. We smell smoke
We send Matthew the Raven ahead. There are 4 cultists around a large fire with weapons. Two people are bound and on the ground (the farmer and his wife) but they are still moving.
We free the farmers and send them back to town, killing 2 and restraining 2 of the cultists
(2) daggers, (1) longsword, 40 silver
Bejeweled necklace with a skull with 2 rubies in its eyes (in the bag of holding)
We sacrifice the cultists to Mossy Bess. We continue on
*cutscene*
We see an old structure on a rock outcropping, dim torchlight from within can be seen through fissures in the rock. Luc is on the ground inside with other bodies (which are missing hands), and a cloaked figure in the middle.
We try to approach stealthily but fail (Utelias). Luc is standing now
We defeat Luc and the zombies, and Luc calls for Hemtet to help as he dies.
The demon tells us we can ask 1 question, we ask if anyone else in the village is working to bring the demon lord to our world (the answer is no). The demon leaves.
We see that Luc was not actually undead, just full of demonic energy. Utelias performs Gentle Repose on Luc’s body. We bury him and it appears to get brighter out.
Just before we get back to town we hear laughter (pixies). Baxter gets water dumped on his head again. Soupladle has returned. She tells us there is an army of ogres and goblins headed to our town because we pissed off ‘the blue one’.
6 days have passed, the band of ogres and goblins is almost here. The militia is planning strategy and collecting resources. The scouts determined:
2 ogres with siege weaponry, warg riders and wolves
Most of the town fell ill, the food was poisoned!
The watchtower and militia barracks were destroyed, sabatoge! There is a traitor in the town.
We have at our command
2 troops of 10 men each
…
All of the fighting townspeople are dead. The Inn is on fire. We help free the people who were trapped inside.
Glittering +1 shortsword
Staff of healing
8 recovery days later
Shadsame was defeated and horde crushed
Magda has turned the basement of the inn into a hospital
The townsfolk are burying the dead and salvaging the ruined buildings
Loktesh has joined us in town
Priss (mayor) has called a meeting of the elders and the adventurers
We gather in the Bits and Bobs shop
Some townsfolk want to form a caravan and travel to Del Noma city
Baxter sings a rousing song to make the people want to stay and rebuild
Some people are hearing whispers in the night
Magda wants to wait a week for people to recover and help rebuild the mill, Utelias preaches to the sick, Bianca chats with the townsfolk
…
We hear a scream, we run to the Inn. Pep is being dragged into the basement by two people we know to be dead. Zombies.
…
We follow a tunnel in the wall, there are fissures that can catch us in hard terrain
We enter a large underground room and kill some zombies. Baxter is covered in zombie goo. Completely covered in zombie goo.
75 sp worth of jewelry
…
Zombies surround an idol similar to the cultist idol we saw earlier.
…
A large stone chamber with a sarcophagus and the zombie residents of Broken Wagon. Luc is here in armor. He tears the flesh from his face and reveals he is a zombie. Baxter is brought back from the dead but he senses a taint.
Cursed corrupted platemail
Cursed corrupted sword
25 gp
50 sp
200 gp worth of jewelry (50gp each)
Non-corrupted boots of striding and sprinting
Months later, Broken Wagon has become a trade hub, and a merchant (Menelaus) has offered us a job as protection on the way to Del Noma where he will introduce us to someone who can break the curse on the Armor, Sword, and Bag of Holding.
Menelaus is 1 of 8 merchants, each with their own posse. Menaleus has a giant turtle for transport (Benny). The caravan stops to have a festival. Benny also makes a good stage for Baxter and Bianca to perform (for one night only as The Jets). Morthalemon has homemade Goodberry Mead to share for the festival. We hear a strange musical accompaniment that sounds like a pipe organ.
Later, Mort hears strange noises from Benny, and Bianca hears whispering voices on the wind but can’t make out any words. As camp is breaking down Benny gets spooked and spills a lot of cargo that we have to clean up, as the rest of the caravan goes ahead.
After a surprise attack from leucrotta and gnolls, we send Matthew and Mort ahead to scout. We find the hand of Una with a ring.
We come upon a large collection of gnolls in an encampment. There are two gnolls guarding cages holding dead bodies and one remaining survivor from the caravan (Quinn, a gnome). Ahead there is a large stone entrance with runes carved into it. The runes are of fine craftsmanship from ages gone by, but we cannot read it.
Morthalemon casts Pass Without Trace on the party. We slay the two guards and free Quinn. Quinn tells us the structure is a Giant Elevator and we need to go into the pit to save the others. Quinn is able to trigger the magic elevator and we descend into the pit into the mists.
We defeat the gnolls and free (some) of the caravan NPCs. We investigate the obelisks at the center of the pit, they are carved from stone, 4 outer obelisks with runes and one center one with no runes on it.
Bianca finds a tablet and Quinn is able to decipher it. The runes need to be activated in order to open the entrance to the Vault of Ages, a Giant repository. We activate the obelisks, Quinn says the magic words, and the center green obelisk transforms into a hole in the air. We all enter.
We are in a stone room covered with ruined tapestries with the remaining caravan folk. One of the tapestries has a picture of a moon and an arcane rite being performed. There is one door. We open it.
There is a large room that has ruined walls and a lake of lava. We see horrible undead skeletons wandering around aimlessly. After fireballing the skeletons and burning up everything in the room, we find some shiny blue doors that were undamaged. They are sealed while the ‘cursed king sits in his crypt.’ Holy magic holds the doors closed and Utelias hears a disembodied voice that tells him we need to find a staff and release him. Baxter and Morthalemon find a spiral staircase descending down into darkness.
We descend the stairs and find a group of undead wights surrounding a regal wight with a crown and staff. We kill the wights and find a heavy chest full of silver and gold. We each take 20 gp so as not to burden ourselves with additional weight in the heat.
Bianca investigates the dead wight lord and his magic staff and finds it is cursed. His ring has a symbol of Del Nethel, the ruined city. Utelias determines the curse on the staff only affects the House of Del Nethel and will not affect us. Utelias picks up the staff and runs back to the blue doors. The blue shimmers and transfers to the staff. The staff crumbles and the doors open.
We see a crystal dome with a shrine to Hecate ahead of us, with stained glass depicting phases of the moon. There are 3 pedestals surrounding it, 2 of which have statues of aspects of the goddess. Ahead of us is a spectral form of a prince. He thanks us for releasing his father from the curse. He tells us his name is Prince Mon Amir Dupree, his family perished and only his sister Audra escaped Del Nethel with her daughter, Magda. His father joined forces with a lich and Hecate cursed them all and destroyed this place. He tells Bianca that she holds the key and then disappears. The ring is now shining.
We trek around the border of the lava and enter a grassy field with fruit trees. There is an old vine covered building, and we hear the sound of water. Baxter and Morthalemon investigate, and a cyclops attacks us and summons two golden lions! We defeat the lions and knock out the cyclops.
To Be Continued…
Baxter heals the party with the Staff of Healing and Mort uses some rope and vines to tie up the knocked out cyclops. We pour water on his head to attempt to wake him up. He wakes up and asks why we are here. Mort questions him about his master and ‘the vault.’ The cyclops says he is here to guard his master and his secrets. Utelias tries to fill his water skin and in the process enters the ruined structure. The cyclops gets angry. He reaches into the ruins and tries to grab Utelias. Utelias hears a note of concern in his voice and lets the cyclops take him out of the hole, as rats spew acid all over the floor where Utelias was.
The cyclops tells us the water is magic, so we drink it and it heals us and cures us of exhaustion. He tells us his master is Verblu, warden of the Vault of Ages. The gnomes join us and we convince the cyclops to let them stay and eat and drink.
We enter the ruins of the grand structure where Verblu is said to be. The doors are smashed but overgrown with vines, blocking our vision to the inside. Mort peeks inside and sees a long chamber covered with gems and portraits, lit by the glow of lava.
Biance and Baxter part the vines and enter the ruins, with glowing lights and music playing. We tell Verblu that we came here through the giant elevator and giant portal and we don’t know how to get out. He tells us there is no way out. We tell him about the tablet that led us there, and he wants us to give it to him. Bianca gives it to him.
He tells us he can no longer open the vault, and he doesn’t care if we look around. He also says he saw a boat in the lava but didn’t pay it much heed as it wasn’t interesting to him (it was made of wood). He gives Bianca a Decanter of Endless Water.
We don’t find anything of use or any more information in this structure, so we leave and enter the next building which appears to be an old boathouse covered in thick spiderwebs which have not been damaged by the heat. We open the doors and clear the room of spiders and webs and enter the room and at the far end we find a boat that has not been destroyed by the lava flanked by suits of armor. The suits attack and ask us a riddle. Bianca has the ring of Del Nethel which is the answer. We board the boat along with the caravan folk. Bianca uses the ring and turns the dial to the symbol for Del Noma, and suddenly we are transported to the Del Noma harbor.
Also Utelias was given a cloak (Cloak of the Manta Ray)
We are at the palace in Del Noma, brought before the Queen Regent. There is also a elderly woman (Lady Singorn) and a blue dragonkin (Sir Pohvik) in the room, and a large, odd looking statue with glowing blue light next to the dragonkin.
Lady Singorn and Sir Pohvik question Quinn and Utelias about how we arrived. They don’t seem interested in talking to anyone else, until Bianca shows them the ring of Del Nethel (on her middle finger). The Queen speaks up and tells us Meneleus is at least a day away, and asks Bianca to hand over the ring so they can travel to Del Nethel, but it cannot be removed from Bianca’s finger by anyone but the line of Del Nethel. We are told not to leave the city or go to the boat. Lady Singorn whispers something to Quinn. (“Get them to the middle tier as soon as possible but it’s not going to be safe in the upper tier”)
We are to meet the merchant caravan at the Key and Thistle Inn. We are not supposed to talk to anyone about the gnolls or the cursed people we met from Del Nethel. Rachel the touched stable hand takes us to meet Johan, the owner of the Inn. He tells us it’s very busy and to come back later.
We buy some healing potions in the market, and as we are haggling there is an explosion in the market! The axebeaks break free and fires break out. There are miscreants causing chaos in the market!
Baxter talks to the axebeaks as Bianca and Utelias put out fires. Utelias is able to Calm Emotions to keep the marketfolk from panicking. Morthalemon attacks the miscreants. A smokebomb goes off! Someone appears and tries to take the ring from Bianca, but he can’t and then he vanishes!
We save the market, and perform for the people to calm them down. They give us 3 silver pieces.
Morthalemon investigates a dead miscreant and finds an assassin’s dagger and a vial of goblin fire.
Johan (half-orc) meets us at the stage entrance to the Inn with a woman (Jenn, full orc). He is impressed with us. We tell him of Meneleus and the remaining brother who we are expecting to meet. We ask Johan about the Wooden Scepter, and he takes us to the back room to tell us more. They are organizing to stop the oppression by the nobles. One of the nobles (Splinter) has been helping but they don’t know who it is.
Defoix = Del Noma, Dupree = Del Nethel
We work out a deal to stay at the Inn in exchange for performing. Johan tells us to talk to Bombasto, the owner of the Drama Palace to perform for the town. He also tells us the Wooden Scepter can assist us with information and transport around the city.
Morthalemon sees a robot and the robed plague-doctor figure, who had attempted to take the ring from Bianca, walking around the docks. The living armor is still guarding the boat, and when the figure can’t answer the riddle the robot is destroyed and the robed figure flees.
Bianca, Baxter, and Utelias head to the Drama Palace, but it is completely surrounded by people and carts. There are two goliaths as bouncers, and Rigsy is the ticket taker. Rigsy is very happy to see Bianca and calls us inside into the upper tiers of the Drama Palace. We see the Shakespearean play being performed. Bombasto closes the show and announces the stage is closing for a week until the next play is due to start, and he is looking for talent.
Rigsy tells us she gave the book of demon summoning to a wizard at the college of Del Noma. Bianca offers to meet her for lunch and a tour of the college.
We awake at the Key and Thistle, we each have different tasks about the city today, and we also are waiting for Menelaus to arrive. We have a simple breakfast without scones.
Morthalemon wants to find out more about the robed plague doctor and meet with the Wooden Scepter/Jenn.
Bianca is going to go to the library with Rigsy and learn about the book.
Baxter wants to go to the Drama Palace to meet with Bombasto and get a part in the next play.
Utelias is approached by a little person who requests his presence in the Temple of Light.
—
Baxter heads to the Drama Palace. The goliaths blocking the door make it clear Bombasto is not to be disturbed. Baxter attempts to charm them but fails. They chase him but he escapes in the crowd. He goes back to the Key and Thistle to find anyone who knows Bombasto. Johan tells him that Giblin the Goblin, the stage manager, is eating at the tavern. Baxter wants to persuade him to let him join him for lunch. Giblin is talking to two other people. He tells Baxter if I want to help I can shoe his boar in the stable.
Using Speak With Animals, the boar Asmosmus tells Baxter how to get the shoes on his feet and Baxter relays all of this to Rachel who is having trouble. Giblin attempts to leave but the boar holds him and helps Baxter perform for him, and Baxter is invited to join him in a future production.
—
Utelias goes to the Temple of Light to meet with Sister Sybill. She tells him of a darkness that has penetrated the city. Those with ill intentions are getting bolder and the darkness is growing. Some people have investigated but they have disappeared. Sybill calls on Utelias with his battle experience to seek out the darkness.
The thieves guild seems to be no more, they have evidence of the continued existence of the assassin’s guild, who were the ones who attacked us in the market. They are harvesting and collecting souls. Sybill asks Utelias to help and then goes back to her prayers as Utelias leaves with the little person.
—
Jenn seems very short with Morthalemon and keeps him waiting at the bar. But she seems interested in the description of the plague doctor, and says he sounds like the head of the assassin’s guild, and it’s strange that he would be out and about.
Mort tells Jenn about our travels, and she rushes off to meet with Splinter. A washerwoman approaches Mort and covertly tells him that Meneleus is at the gate and needs help immediately. Mort gathers Baxter and Utelias as he returns and they leave with the washerwoman.
—
They see Meneleus and Benny at the gate being led away by guards. As we approach in order to stop the guards, we are attacked by assassins! We make short work of them, with the help of the guards. Meneleus and the sergeant thank us for saving them. Baxter picks up an assassin’s dagger. The guards tell us they were told to detain Meneleus in the dungeons for treasonous activities, they show us the orders and we see they were signed by Sir Pohvik. Utelias (!?) convinces the guards to leave Meneleus alone. The sergeant tells the guards to go into the office and we escort Meneleus and Benny away, Meneleus tells us we need to go to the Painted Lady, but people will recognize him. Luckily Baxter has a disguise kit! Meneleus knocks on Benny’s shell and he disappears with a whir. Morthalemon finds a concealed door where the assassins appeared from, but we need to leave the area before the guards come back.
We make it to the high city and the Painted Lady and Meneleus says “Oh, shit”. Lord Pohvik and three other nobles are in front of the entrance. Mort hides the party as Utelias tries to talk to Pohvik. The doors open and a throng leaves the building, as Meneleus and the party all sneak in. A tiefling and a dwarf greet us and take us to Melinda (a drow), who is expecting us.
Bianca’s story:
Bianca only remembers snippets of the day. She had lunch with Rigsy. The book was given to the library and Cremstaad the lorekeeper. Bianca went to the library but there was an explosion and assassins attacked. The plague doctor was there and removed his mask and the next thing Bianca remembers is being in Del Nethel in the Vault of Ages with Verbloo and the plague doctor. Suddenly they were in the harbor of Del Noma after midnight. The harbor guards swarmed, Verbloo holds them off and tells Bianca to get out of there. Bianca makes it to the middle city with Rigsy who is very injured and unconscious. She is being chased by wererats and a wraith.
—
Baxter and Utelias were awakened by Melinda the Oracle at midnight and told to go and meet Bianca. They all fight the wraith and wererats and summoned spectors together and defeat them. They collect 2 assassin’s daggers from the wererats. They return to the Painted Lady in the Upper Tier. (Long Rest and Summon Matthew!)
—
Several days pass as the party lays low. Melinda was able to break the curses on the bag of holding and the items within. Payment will be “services provided in the future.”
Bag of holding (Baxter)
Arrow of dragonslaying (Morthalemon)
Frost brand (Baxter)
Dimensional shackles (Baxter)
Cap of water breathing (Morthalemon)
Glamored studded leather armor (Baxter)
Robe of stars (Bianca)
Arrow catching shield (Utelias)
Potions!
Potion of animal friendship (Baxter - used on the crocodiles)
Potion of maximum power (Bianca)
Potion of speed (Utelias)
Potion of mindreading (Baxter)
5th potion with a symbol of a stick figure, a triangle, and an arrow pointing up (Bianca)
—
The informant from the Wooden Scepter has some news. Over the past 3 days the city guard has been put on high alert, patrolling the streets and locking down the gates. News has spread of a break in at the library and the loremaster is missing. Bianca and Rigsy are believed to be involved. The secret door does not seem to have been discovered and the alleyway is not watched. There is no news of new assassin attacks but the Key and Thistle is under watch. The Assassins consider the city to be owned by them, so rogues are not allowed to operate. All the entrances to the tunnels are boobytrapped. There are rumors of dark magic pacts and demons roaming the tunnels. They use poison in their blades, we have now doses of the antidote (5)
—
Our Wooden Scepter guide takes us to the hidden door and leaves us. Bianca casts Knock and opens the door. Baxter and Bianca find no traps, so they enter the tunnel and climb down the exposed ladder. They make their way down the sewer tunnel and suddenly a wild gelatenous cube appears! We defeat it and find another hidden door. The assassin’s daggers act as keys to the hidden doors.
On the next door we see 3 knobs with pictures carved into them (a crown split by an axe, a wagon burning, a heart with a dagger). There is a skeleton with pitted bones and holes in the skull. There are holes in the ceiling of the tunnel as well. We turn the bottom knob and make our way into the next room and see murky water and giant 20 foot tall iron doors with figures carved into them. There are crocodiles in the water but Baxter is able to talk to them and get them to agree not to attack us.
We open the iron doors and find a group of assassins training. Bianca destroys them with a fireball. We collect more assassin’s daggers and find two more doors. We open one into a room of bunks, chests, and weapons (daggers and shortswords), and vials of poison. The chests contain nothing of value. We find a contract for the death of Bianca Luna signed by Lord Leycheq.
We narrowly avoid some traps and find our way into a room with black marble floors, out of place in the sewers. We find a room with gold and gems, ornate statues, a marble table, and stone walls with dessicated head trophies mounted on the walls. The marble table has a worn letter that says there’s a need to capture Lord Cremstaad unharmed, to open the vault. The letter is signed “P”. The chair has the mantle and hood of the plague doctor (Baxter takes these). The veins in the marble table look like blood flowing through it. The statues are of humanoid warriors and made of stone. We start collecting gold and jewels from around the statues and put it in the bag of holding. Then we touch the gems on the table… the heads on the wall begin to wail. The statues move off the pedestals and attack us! During the battle, Utelias uses radiance of the dawn and the heads stop wailing and the statues stop moving. Bianca destroys the marble table.
We find 3 secret doors that can be opened by assassins daggers. We open one and find a room filled with creepy creatures in cages. In the main large cage is Verbloo, next to him is the missing lorekeeper, and in another cage is the dissected body of Shatsame, with a head that is shouting at us and telling us to kill it. Verbloo tells us that he was captured by a vampire, who entered the vault of ages and freed a demi-lich that was trapped inside. Cremstaad also says he was captured by a vampire after he was kidnapped. We free Verbloo and Cremstaad and kill Shatsame. We left the creatures in the cages.
We enter another hidden door and find a large room with strange equipment. The assassin guild lord and a hulking scarred muscular man are speaking to each other. They are talking about how Shatsame bungled the theft of the dragon offering. They call each other by name (Pohvik and Leycheq). We close the door and retreat. We try the last secret door and find a room full of gold, which we collect into the bag of holding. We try to retreat but the black marble hall is filled with zombies.
Utelias returns to the room with Pohvik (Leycheq has left) and Pohvik attacks us. A curtain opens and reveals a mechanical dragon which flies away, breaking through the walls. Verbloo hits Pohvik and he falls apart. It appears to be a bunch of body parts sewn together. We all escape to the surface.
The party returns to the surface and meets Morthalemon, but Verbloo remains in the tunnels. The lower city is in chaos from the escaped dragon’s attack. “Over here, is that a dragon?” The guards and people are trying to help each other and put out fires. They see us emerge from the same place the dragon came from.
Baxter uses the frost brand to put out a bunch of fires at once. Utelias, Morthalemon, and Bianca search the rubble and help free trapped townspeople. The fires are out. “Give succor to the citizens of Low City”. The party returns to the Painted Lady amid cheers from the people. Meneleus and Melinda greet us at the Painted Lady.
—
Mort’s story:
Mort was on a covert ops mission for the Wooden Scepter to gather intelligence. Jen introduces Mort to Elias to take him to the high city to meet an informant. Instead of an informant they find a dead body and Mort has to go into hiding overnight to evade the guards. Mort and Elias sneak into Pohvik’s mansion and it seems like only part of the house is used, the rest is completely empty. They find a secret chamber that exits to a subterranean lair but Pohvik (the dragonkin) seems to be standing in the secret chamber. In fact, 3 Lord Pohviks are in the chamber but don’t seem to notice him. Mort escapes but Elias is not with him.
—
A day later at the Painted Lady, Quinn the gnome arrives. We have been summoned before the Queen and the Council of Nobles (including Lord Pohvik). On our side we have Meneleus and Benny, Melinda, Quinn, Cremstaad, Rigsy, Verbloo (if he’s still alive). Sister Sybill has asked Utelias to keep the temple of the light out of the matter for now (the head of the Cathedral of light is on the Council - Veke). We have evidence in the form of assassin’s daggers, letters, knowledge of the secret lair in Pohvik’s house and the training area under the lower city, and the plague doctor’s mantle and hood.
Quinn offers to go with Cremstaad and convince the guard to raid Pohvik’s mansion during the royal inquisition.
Bianca listens for gossip about the Queen (Bonnie), and finds out she is very intelligent and doesn’t trust anyone. Lady Singorn seems to be her only confidant.
—
We enter the court, a vast glass-domed chamber, and have to give up all of our weapons before meeting the Queen. On the dais there are 6 chairs flanking a higher throne where the Queen sits. Leycheq, Pohvik, Veek, Korav (dwarf), Farsrev, Singorn are in attendance. Povik argues that we are responsible for all the death and destruction lately. We argue that Leycheq and Pohvik are behind it all.
The glass behind the queen bursts and knocks most of the people down! Enter the Mechanical Dragon! He claims to be Nev-Galitor and grabs the Queen! A fight ensues! Utelias banishes Pohvik to another plane of existence. Baxter turns full wolf, Utelias commands the dragon to drop the queen. Everyone attacks the mechanical dragon and its mechanical shield construct. Mort fires the final shot. We revive the queen and heal the remaining councilmembers while preparing for Pohvik to return from banishment. Pohvik appears and tells us his plans are already in motion, then melts.
The guards cut through the rubble and the Queen explains that we are not the enemy, that we saved her and she is grateful. When they raided Pohvik’s mansion they found nothing. They also could not find Elias or Verbloo. The party returns to the Painted Lady and finds Meneleus outside. He tells us to rest up for our big concert at the Drama Palace the next day.
*level 8*
2024-01-02: Session 17
The show at Bombasto’s Drama Palace is this evening. A messenger arrives at the Painted Lady with a message for Utelias. It’s from Sister Sybil and requests his immediate presence at the Temple of Light. Utelias leaves. Morthalemon wants to ask around with the Wooden Scepter about the dragon incident and Elias. An unknown noble that we saved has set up a line of credit for the performers to get new clothing. Baxter wants to spend the day around town shopping and getting new outfits made.
—
Utelias arrives at the Temple of Light. Sybill wants to know about the Assassin’s Guild, now led by either Pohvik or Leycheq. Sybill tells us Pohvik is the lord of artificers, the dragon sounds like his work. Utelias tells her that Leycheq is a vampire from what Verbloo and Bianca have told us. She asks if the darkness is still in the city, Utelias says that it is. She gives Utelias a Mace of Disruption and blesses him. Utelias is escorted out and returns to the Painted Lady.
—
Baxter plans to talk to Giblin the Goblin, the stage manager, before the show to find out the details. In the meantime they walk throught the merchants area and find the Plume and Tassel clothing shop. We tell them we are Bianca and the Puppydogs and need new clothing for tonight, and we are served by a half-elf named Armand and his unnamed assistant. He calls in a blue four-armed woman named Andromeda to help Mort with his color. Mort is mortified and looks like the contestant on Queer Eye for the Straight Dwarf. He calls in Tifa to help Utelias with his holy garments. He tells Bianca she is exquisite and just to go pick something out. He tells Baxter he needs grooming. We all get our new outfits on credit courtesy of Lord Leycheq. We plan to have Melinda give the clothing a once-over and break any curses she might find.
—
Morthalemon wants to meet with Jen at the Key & Thistle (Wooden Scepter). As they enter the Middle City someone runs up and hands Bianca a letter and runs off. The letter is from Giblin! We are to arrive 3 hours early (at 3pm) for a tour and make preparations for the performance. Bombasto will dine with us before the show.
—
At the Key and Thistle Jen takes Mort into a back room. She is impressed that we killed a “black dragon” and melted Lord Pohvik, but is disappointed that Leycheq got away. We all return to the Painted Lady and speak to Melinda who has been sequestered for about a week. She seems to be in pain and a bit bedraggled and worried. She tells us something is going to happen but her visions are blind to it. As a group we discuss the possibility of Leycheq attacking us at the performance and take stock of our defensive capabilities. As 3:00 approaches we leave for the Drama Palace.
—
We are escorted onto the large stage. Giblin is giving orders to stagehands, next to him is Asmosmus (the boar) chewing on some food. Giblin tells us Bombasto will not be dining with us as he was called away to prepare for the Queen’s attendance.
After dinner, Mort and Utelias take a secure position at the back of the stage. The rest of the band takes positions on the Main Stage. Matthew the Raven perches on the edge of the open ceiling. The queen is going to speak before we play about how we saved her and the kingdom from the dragon and have proven our loyalty to the crown.
Setlist:
1 - Puppydog Dance (misc)
2 - The Mort Stomp (pub song)
3 - Flower Moon Bianca (ballad)
4 - Death of Nevgalitor (fight song)
5 - Anthem of Del Noma (anthem)
At the end of the performance and the setting of the sun, Spectral Hounds appear and bound toward the Queen’s booth. The Huntsman of the Drowned Haul appears and calls out the queen, along with skeleton warriors. After the undead attack, Leycheq appears and summons a Bullete and turns into mist and vanishes.
We narrowly avoid death (Utelias) and defeat the enemies. The Queen tells us we have no time to rest, the city is under attack!
(end)
**level9**
—
2024-01-18: Session 18
Lady Singorn has alerted us to an attack on the main gate. We heal ourselves before any other actions.
Bianca is still knocked out and seeing a vision of Melinda, who takes her to Del Nethel where she received the ring. She sees the magical armor that protected the boat. Melinda screams and is torn away from Bianca but she sees 2 visions: of the armor and a decrepit hut in a swamp with a moldering pumpkin patch. Bianca wakes up.
Lady Singorn gives us superior potions of healing. Rigsy runs up and asks if we need her help. She casts fly on Bianca and we take the queen’s carriage to the main gate. A giant iron golem bursts through the gates with an automaton on each side. A gnoll army follows closely behind as people panic and run. We hear Lord Pohvik demanding the citizens surrender to him. The golem and automatons charge forward, destroying buildings as they pass.
Bianca flies up to the roof and uses the Ring of Del Noma to command the automatons to attack the gnolls coming through the gates. Baxter polymorphs into a T-Rex and takes on the giant golem and soaks up damage. Morthalemon climbs onto the roof and attacks the flesh golem that chases him up there (which Bianca then kills). Utelias gets knocked unconscious but narrowly avoids death. He turns the undead pilots of the automatons and they fall prone.
The attacks on the golem rip open its chest cavity and we can see a brain suspended in a jar of fluid inside. It’s the real Lord Pohvik. The T-Rex tears the brain jar out of the golem and it collapses to the ground. He polymorphs back into Baxter and puts the dimensional shackles on the jar.
The gates to the middle city open and Jen rushes toward us and hugs Mort. One of the Wooden Sceptor tells us the Painted Lady is on fire. We arrive to see many of the employees outside, minus Meneleus, Benny, or Melinda. There is an explosion and the building collapses. Baxter unsheathes his rapier and the fires are extinguished leaving a smoldering wreckage behind. Mort searches for survivors and sees Benny’s shell, the people free Benny and find Meneleus underneath. Utelias attempts to heal him but sees puncture marks on his neck and he glows green. Meneleus tells us Melinda was kidnapped by Leycheq and he was bit by the vampire and cursed. He tells us to go to the Drowned Hall, the only being that can help us is the Witch of the Greymist Moors, Annie Grizzle. Meneleus turns to dust.
level 10!
2024-02-05: Session 19
It’s been a month since the defeat of Lord Pohvik and we have all been rewarded handsomely by the Queen. Bianca opens a beauty shop and sells rare ingredients. Baxter buys the Drama Palace with Giblin the Goblin. Mort and Pretty Jen were able to seek out the remains of the assassins guild and were able to reignite the Wooden Sceptor, where Mort is now spymaster. Utelias is named High Inquisitor by Sister Sybill and invests most of his reward in the Temple of Light, and seeks to remove the corruption from Del Noma.
A messenger approaches us at the Key and Thistle and tells us the Queen wants to meet with us. We go before the (now smaller) council- Lord Farshrev, Brother Veke, and now Johann Copperkey (owner of the Key and Thistle). They give us information - at the edge of Festernettle Swamp is the town of Ramchurn Manor where locals talk about a cursed pumpkin patch. We get a letter of introduction with the Queen’s seal to bring to Ramchurn to find a guide. They give us a locked box as an offering to Annie Grizzle who can tell us the location of the Drowned Hall. They also tell us of Lord Dawin who was a knight who allied with a lich and was cast into the bottom of a lake.
We set out along the road with Benny and Matthew. The first few days are uneventful but warm in the late summer weather. Morthalemon allows us to travel fast due to his history as a ranger. Then as we set up camp one night armed mercenaries emerge from the bushes. They tell Mort that they are the Marauders and Atoma has sent them to collect what they are due. We fight. We kill two (including one with a magic sentient willow bow that speaks) and the rest run away and disappear into magical darkness. We find a note and a small box with an ear on it on the body of the leader (a silence charm). We also find 25 silver, a +2 dagger, a scroll of darkness, a silvered sword, 3x +2 magic arrows and 3x ice knife arrows, and another silence charm. The note is from Atoma to Parvin telling him to take a group to the lair of the dead dragon- the last squad to raid the lair has not returned. Mort knows that Atoma is the leader of the Skullsplitters, a branch of the mercenary guild. We collect our belongings and go to bed.
2024-02-19: Session 20
We journey along the road to the Greymist Moors. It is hot and humid in the late summer weather.
After days of travel through Festernettle Swamp, we approach Ramchurn Manor as dusk falls. Bianca speaks to the night watchman to open the gates. He sends us to the Sodden Sow Inn. We park Benny at the stables and enter the Inn. A local singer is entertaining the crowd with a song about Annie (who protects the village), a woman greets us (Sadie Warmbrew) with ale. We order food. She tells us that Marlee (the entertainer) would be able to help us as a local guide. Mort starts talking to local workers at the bar and buys them drinks. They tell him that the Watch Patrol has not been seen in 2 weeks and people that have gone down the road further into the Moors have not come back.
After Marlee’s performance we invite her to eat with us. We ask her about the stories she was recounting about Annie. Annie is the protector of the town, but no one who meets her has a memory of what she looks like or where she is. She tells us there are charms around the village that look like small bundles of bones and hair hanging from the trees. The town gives her an offering every new moon (which is tomorrow) and Marlee is in charge of it this month. The ceremony takes place at the standing stones.
Marlee tells us that Raskin Bushbeater (the head groundskeeper of the manor & night watchman) would be able to show us around the area. Marlee tells us to meet her at the Eastern gate at 5:00pm to go with her to the offering ceremony. We ask Sadie if we can perform for the townsfolk and she says sure. The people seem very entertained and the Inn becomes crowded. We see two men in the back who look better dressed than the other townspeople. Mort introduces himself to them. One is Samuel Ramchurn (the local noble) and the other is his brother Edgar Ramchurn, foreman of the workforce. He tells us not to try to look for Annie, but if we want to try we should bring her a gift. We also see a druid wearing clothing made of swamp grasses in the crowd. After our set ends Bianca approaches the druid, who says her name is Selena Oakenstaff. She says she is a healer who stays near the mill, but she says things are out of balance. The discussion turns to aberrant magic and how dangerous it is outside the charms. She tells us an adventuring party was previously there but has not been seen, but they were there with a noble named Leycheq. Selena tells us she refuses to participate in the offering ceremony. She tells us that the apothecary (Waylon Sweetgrass) can provide us with nettles if we want to purchase them.
We settle our bill and retire to our room, which we find very comfortable due to some druidic magic.
—
The next day, Mort wants to investigate the grounds near the Manor. Baxter wants to visit Fieldman’s Findings. Bianca wants to visit the apothecary. Utelias wants to seek out the druid healer.
Mort can detect that the charms are dark fey magic, and they drown out a lot of other magic, although Mort can sense a lot of dark powerful magic outside of the town and it seems to have an otherworldly intelligence to it. We find Raskin coming out of the apothecary and he seems to be a bit hungover. Utelias heals him of his hangover but he does not seem interested in taking us to Annie. We enter the apothecary and meet Waylon, who tells us all about how the nettles can be used for anti-aging uses, and wart removal. But in larger quantities they are a potent poison. The unrefined nettles can only be sold through the nobles due to some local law, but Bianca convinces him to give her a small sample. The party enters Fieldman’s Findings and it has a wide array of items: weapons (nonmagical), food, clothing, etc. Baxter asks if he has anything interesting and he says no, but Utelias can tell he is lying. Baxter tries to bribe him to no avail. Bianca convinces him as a fellow shopkeeper to show us some scrolls that he has, one given to him by a warlock and one by a wizard. Baxter can tell one is a scroll of divination, one is a scroll of lightning bolt.
As we wander through the town, Mort notices posted on the nettle barn and the manor house is a note from the Queen stating that the nettles are exclusively items of the realm and the nobles have claim to them. At the Manor house we meet the butler Tenfeathers (kenku) and the maid Soiled Paws (tabaxi). They tell us about a third (elder) Ramchurn brother that has gone missing, and also a maid has disappeared.
We return to the Inn for an early supper. Sadie has made a special dish for us: buttered fish with a side of frog legs in a special sauce and gelatinized roots. Marlee stops in while we are eating and joins us. She has to pick up the offering at the mill. We pack up Benny and pick up Matthew and meet Sadie to go to the standing stones. We start to travel and sing a song of our homeland (Broken Wagon) for Sadie, to her enjoyment. We leave the safety of the hag’s charms and the trees get very densely packed. Mort talks to the plants and finds the ones after the charms are actively hostile. A large tree branch falls in the road just in front of us. The leaves and vines take on a shape and seek to grab and entangle us. We are attacked by Shambling Mounds!
We defeat them and heal Utelias and Marlee and continue on to the standing stones. Marlee leaves her offering and makes a weird yell, then leaves. We stay at the standing stones, and soon we hear a giggling sound. Two children appear in the circle of stones. We follow them down a cobblestone path through a pumpkin patch to a shack. We hear the ancient voice of Annie inviting us in. We enter the long filthy smelly room. There is a long table covered with rotting food, insects, and sharp tools. There is a hearth with a large fire with a bubbling cauldron. A hunched figure in rags is rocking in a worm-infested rocking chair. She tells us to place her gift on the table.
She tells us Melinda is in the Drowned Hall, and we need a powerful item to get past a powerful curse. First, we must find the forgotten town, go deep into the swamp east of the standing stones, find Y’ugth and retrieve the Black Thorn for her. She draws a ladle of fluid from the cauldron and tells us each to sip from it. It tastes awful. She tells us to go. The children are outside and tell us to hurry. We travel back to the standing stones and look back to see there is no path behind us.
2024-03-04: Session 21
We make camp in the circle of standing stones. A stranger approaches and introduces himself as Solomon. He tells us he is looking for the hag that he thinks is the cause of the missing people in Ramchurn Manor. Bianca tries to convince him to help us find the Black Thorn and find our way into the Drowned Hall, and then he can do what he wants with Annie. He seems hesitant to ally himself with a hag but Bianca and Baxter convince him to help the party.
There is the sound of children, and Bianca notices a vial with a bow on it that says Drink Me. Since the party has already drank from Annie’s cauldron, they ask Solomon to drink it. He detects no poison and drinks the potion.
We take a long rest.
—
The swamp is difficult terrain and the trees are thick. We send Matthew ahead to scout the area to the east as we start to make our way. The fog gets thick and we walk for 8 hours. We set up camp and build a fire. We hear splashing in the mist. A wild Spawn of Y’ugth appears! We defeat the frog with the help of Solomon’s sword. Afterward Utelias casts Guardian of Faith and we all sleep well.
—
The next day we continue traveling, and we hear a splash in the distance. Another Spawn of Y’ugth appears! It swallows Solomon but we defeat it and free him from its stomach. We march on until evening. We set up camp and start a fire and set another spirit guardian. Baxter is exhausted and sleeps fitfully.
—
The next day we arrive on more solid footing. Baxter detects a crocodile and tries to talk to it, but he is hostile and suddenly two crocodile men appear and attack us! After a few hits Bianca fireballs them and barbecues them all. We hear a woman calling out in the mist telling someone to capture us! Suddenly three cultists appear. Crocodile men join them in the fight, but we make short work of them. Large spiked tentacles appear from the well in front of us! We fight and eventually it disappears from existence, as if it was unraveling. We find a chest half-buried in the ground. Baxter investigates and finds… 4 healing potions, a golden idol (100gp) that looks like a froghemoth, 5 empty vials, and 3 potions of lesser restoration, candles, 5 sets of common clothing, 2 silver rings (25 sp ea), a platinum broach (1 pp).
Among the bodies we find Crude axes, animal bones, meat and scales for designer purses. There is also a magic rope of entangling (Bianca) that was not effective against Solomon. A silver chalice (25gp), a +1 dagger
2024-03-25: Session 22
We divide up the loot from the battle. Bianca feels a strange magic from the Rope of Entanglement. Bianca looks into the well. It is slick and slimy and smells terrible, and she can’t see the bottom. The rope of entanglement moves and hangs down into the well. Utelias drops a severed head down the well and eventually we hear a splash. We set up a Spirit Guardian and make camp, using the staff of healing and long rest to remove some of our exhaustion.
We climb down the rope, Bianca goes first. She reaches a ladder which goes down another 30 feet into a muddy watery floor. Utelias and Solomon follow, and Baxter brings up the rear. The head is bobbing in the waist-high water. There is a muddy slope leading to an opening. Utelias casts Light on his shield.
To the north we hear a faint whooshing sound, to the south we see a gap that looks like the entrance to a larger chamber. We walk south toward the chamber. Baxter casts Dancing Lights to create colored floating lights. The chamber is filled with stalagmites and we see two tunnels off the chamber continuing to the west. We enter the chamber. Tentacles come at us from the ceiling. A roper! He grabs Utelias and Solomon, and another roper grabs Utelias! After a brief fight we kill them but there is nothing of value to be found. Bianca takes some of the goop in case it’s useful in her shop.
In the next chamber we are surprised by Bug Monsters! One immediately kills Baxter and then disappears into a hole in the ground with his body. Utelias looks into the hole and sees Baxter being dragged down. Bianca and Solomon try to attack it but it kills Baxter. Utelias scorches the remaining Bug Monster and it turns to mush. Solomon drags Baxter back up out of the monster’s hole. Utelias and Solomon destroy the remaining bug monster.
“That’s what bards are: cheerleaders”
Utelias asks his deity to intervene but hears no response. Then he notices a glint from within the monster hole.
Utelias finds a cache containing gloves of swimming and climbing, 5gp, 8sp, 10cp, several broken bottles and two scrolls: scroll of shatter (lv4), scroll of resurrection (used on Baxter)
Utelias resurrects Baxter, and his fur now has a green tinge. He has lost some of his armor and items from the bug monster’s acid, but the bag of holding survived. We retreat to the well and take a short rest.
The party returns to the tunnel that smells of fresh air and we hear faint sad singing. We can tell the cool breeze smells of saltwater along with a calming sound. Baxter sees an ornate elven brooch suspended in webs. Bianca casts comprehend languages and understands the Sylvan song about loss of a home. Bianca casts mage hand to retrieve the brooch, it is an ancient platinum brooch that is a holy symbol of the Light, at least 100 years old. Bianca gives the brooch to Utelias. Bianca sings a song of redemption and hope in response to the song we hear. The singing stops and the voice calls for help.
Baxter casts Eagle’s Splendor on Utelias. Baxter and Utelias continue into the tunnel and see a lady dressed in white, a priestess of the light, whose robe is tattered and is restrained by webs. Utelias talks to her and she says there is a giant spider that has crawled away, and there is a temple of the Light beneath us. The rest of the party joins us in the room. The lady of the light casts web on the room and a battle starts. She poisons Utelias and attacks Solomon. She transforms into a drider but is still wearing the robe of a cleric of the light. Spiders of various sizes appear around the room and attack. We destroy the spiders and Utelias hits her with radiant damage and she falls into a hole in the ground. Radiant light shines up from the hole.
2024-04-10: Session 23
Baxter sings a song as the party takes a short rest. Utelias peers into the hole and feels radiance and warmth. Solomon tosses a coin into the hole and it takes a few seconds to hit the bottom. Utelias jumps into the hole, and he floats down to the ground and lands softly. Solomon climbs down the rocks and the rest of us float down. The party is in a pristine room that looks like a chapel with a gold statue of the Light that looks like the one in Broken Wagon. Solomon touches the statue and is refreshed, so he tells Utelias to do the same and he is healed. At one end of the room is a set of double doors with inlaid platinum, similar to the platinum brooch. Utelias asks the statue if we should go through the doors and she responds that he should “clear the taint in the temple.”
Utelias opens the doors and we feel a rush of cold air, and smell the sea salt. He walks into a cavern and sees mushroom people, who stop and stare. They seem confused as to why anyone was in the chapel. Solomon approaches the mushroom people and introduces himself. They tell us to introduce ourselves to Edresyen, the Old One. Bianca implores them to lead us, and we follow them down the hallway, over an underground lake, and into the next room. It is full of mushroom people, in the center is a larger one. She tells us to enter. Utelias asks if she is of the light but she says no, she grew tired of the corruption of the light centuries ago. She says soon the Old Ones will come again and will cleanse the world. Bianca asks her about the Black Thorn but she doesn’t seem to know what it is, but she offers to let us search her garden, and others can go to the lake. Utelias can tell that she is lying and he calls her out on it. Baxter drinks a potion of detect thoughts and determines she is getting impatient because we won’t do what she says. He probes deeper. She knows we want the Black Thorn and we will be consumed by Y’ugth when we find it. She yells “Silence” and all the mushrooms stop. She tells us if we wish to find Y’ugth we should go through the doors. Solomon draws his sword and strikes one of the mushrooms down. Combat begins! Utelias casts a fireball into the room and some of the mushrooms explode in a cloud of spores. Baxter gets covered! After destroying some more of the mushrooms, the old one flies over us and lands in the middle of the party. She spins around and emanates a feeling of sickness, and deals necrotic damage. After Solomon has a near death experience and is healed by Baxter, the mushrooms are defeated. Bianca collects some mushroom goo.
The party returns to the gold statue and touches it for healing. They investigate the next hallway and Baxter sees large blocky footprints. They party retreats and 3 large stone golems come around the corner. As the party is fighting the golems a giant tentacle appears from the underground lake. Solomon takes a beating but the party defeats the golems and the tentacle, and retreats to the chapel to set up camp for a long rest. The party investigates the mushroom garden and finds a waterfall. A variety of mushrooms and mold grow as far as we can see on the underground lake, and we can see black slimes on the lake. We do not find anything that resembles the Black Thorn. We return to the mushroom chamber and open the door on the other side. We see a platform that juts out over the underground lake. There is a pile of objects and a chest. There is a brazier and a vat of oil with a ladle. There is a stalagmite with a chain attached and a bloody trail leading to the lake. There is a boat moored to the platform and ahead we can see broken parts of boats in the distance. There is gold and treasure on the ground. Solomon puts the oil on the brazier and it ignites. The smoke has a green tinge and we hear a rumbling in the water. A giant froghemoth appears and telepathically asks where it’s offering is.
2024-04-22: Session 24
There is a loud rumbling and we hear stone collapsing from the chapel of the light. Mort appears in a flash of blinding light! Solomon announces to “bring forth the virgin” as he retreats back out of the room with Y’ugth, but there is no virgin to be found. Baxter investigates the room and it appears the offering is the belongings of people, and also the people that the mushroom people capture. Mort notices that there are black thorns protruding from Y’ugth’s back. Baxter and Utelias arrive at the same conclusion that this is not of this world but is a minor aspect of something much more powerful, there may be a seal somewhere holding him to this world. Y’ugth again telepathically asks where is the offering. After our indecision he jumps up on the platform. Utelias attempts to intimidate Y’ugth and tell it there is to be no offering. Y’ugth totally pauses for a second, and then combat begins! Solomon is swallowed by the aspect of Y’ugth! Tentacles appear from the underground lake and also attack us. There is a buildup of energy around Y’ugth’s eyes and members of the party take psychic damage and feel a sudden lack of hope. Baxter who usually inspires the party is unable to do so. Utelias summons a Spiritual Axe directly above the aspect and commands it to attack one of the black thorns directly, but it does not break off. Morthalemon shoots at the black thorn and it breaks, but appears to unravel and disappears. Y’ugth releases a spore cloud and Mort is blinded. Baxter blinks into the ethereal plane and sees the brazier is glowing. Mort climbs onto the froghemoth and tries to pull a black thorn free but is unsuccessful. Bianca transforms Morthalemon into a Giant Ape. Baxter uses a scroll of lightning bolt on the aspect of the god. Ape Mort is able to pull one of the black thorns free and climbs down from the froghemoth. Bianca blasts the god with an eldritch blast and blows it up, and Solomon’s naked body tumbles out. Baxter heals him and brings him back from the brink of death. Bianca casts dispel magic on the fire in the brazier. There is a rumbling sound and everyone shoves items into the bag of holding (3 magic arrows, one looks like a dragonslaying arrow but is red, ioun stone of protection, a rod of absorption, a potion of healing, eyes of charming, a magic belt of cloud giant strength) and climbs into the boat. The current takes us to the southeast toward a tunnel into the darkness. We smell salty air and hear waves lapping in the distance. Baxter heals Solomon with the staff of healing and provides him costume clothing from the bag of holding. We sail on and see the Grey Mist Tower in the distance.
2024-05-29: Session 25
We know that the road from Ramchurn Manor to the coast ended at the Grey Mist Tower. The dilapidated boat is falling apart and filling with water, and we row toward the nearest shore. The beach is large and ringed by trees, and we can see the Grey Mist Tower on the cliffs some distance away. The party divides up the loot (rod of absorption - Bianca, belt of cloud giant strength - Baxter, magic arrows - Morthalemon, ioun stone of protection - Utelias, eyes of charming - Solomon)
After a short rest, we see armored figures in the trees in the distance fighting some hulking brutes. Mort recognizes them as the Grey Mist Watch, fighting some trolls. We move closer to the fight. Combat! Baxter rushes in and attacks with dual swords, Utelias unleashes scorching rays to prevent the trolls from regenerating. Mort melts into a nearby tree and teleports behind the trolls to take a shot. Bianca throws eldritch blasts and knocks the trolls around. After we defeat the trolls and heal the injured Watch we tell them that we defeated the Aspect of Y’ugth. They are surprised as they have lost many soldiers to it. They invite us to accompany them to Grey Mist Keep.
We arrive at the keep in the evening. They can provide food and shelter for the night and a day’s rations to take with us. They repair our armor during the evening. After dinner we put on a small performance which is well received. The local chaplain talks to Utelias, and he casts Word of Recall so he can teleport back to the chapel in the keep in the future. Captain Basil approaches and recognizes Bianca and the Puppydogs from Del Noma, he’s a fan. He says he has something to discuss in his quarters. Baxter asks him about Annie Grizzle, but he thinks she is just a myth. Bianca works the room and tries to discern any gossip and learn more about the Watch. We follow the captain to his quarters. He says there is a bounty out on us, the Skullsplitter marauders arrived recently and told the Watch we are wanted on charges of murder and theft. Morthalemon explains our situation to him. Basil was asked to send a hawk if we were seen in the area but he will not, as we helped his men against the trolls. We rest for the evening.
We set out in the morning, sending Matthew to scout ahead. Morthalemon speaks with the plants and discovers there were 2 travelers that joined 2 others that went the same way we are going. We journey to the standing stones on the road to Ramchurn Manor. The swamp is hot and humid. As we near the stones we hear the laughing of children. We enter the standing stones and children appear and tell us to follow them to Granny. Baxter casts See Invisibility. We find ourselves in the festering pumpkin patch leading to Annie’s hut. The door opens. We enter. Annie is rocking in a rocking chair next to her cauldron smoking a pipe. She points to a table full of dirty implements. Baxter dumps the bag of holding and the Black Thorn tumbles out. Annie takes the thorn and adds it to her cauldron. Bianca looks into the cauldron and sees a Mysterious Scroll in a mildewed case floating at the top. Bianca uses Mage Hand to take the scroll. Annie says to open it at the lake. Baxter can see shadows moving around the hut in the ethereal plane, and Annie is in both the material and ethereal plane at the same time. Utelias sees a face in the smoke coming out of the cauldron. It winks and disappears.
We walk back to the standing stones, and one of the children comes up to Bianca and tugs at her sleeve. She says that Grandmother says there is one who seeks to claim our lives as payment, but through whom we may receive what we wish. (Dragon? Vampire? Skullsplitters?) As we enter the standing stones we hear a crashing in the trees. A woman is pleading for her life and we hear her pursuers laughing. We see Marli Suretail, the bard from Ramchurn Manor, being chased by a goblin, wererat, and a human. We move to defend her. Combat! We make short work of the attackers. Marli says the Skullsplitters have taken over Ramchurn Manor and set an ambush, and she escaped to find us or the Watch to help. We ask as many questions as we can about the number and arrangement of the ambush which Marli is able to provide in detail. After the initial 2 arrived and asked about us, a larger force came and occupied the town for 3 days at this point. The leader, Atoma, is also in town. The townspeople are being kept in the basement of the Inn. Some of the marauders are in the Manor house, but most of them are in the town pretending to be townspeople. There are also 2 marauders at each gate (north and southeast). There are no more than a dozen that she has seen. Morthalemon thanks her and tells her to go on to Grey Watch Tower and tell them what she has told us.
We loot the dead marauders and find 15 gp, 3 healing potions, a buckle with the Skullsplitters symbol
2024-06-05: Session 26
Marli Suretail and Solomon approach on the road, and Marli returns to Grey Mist Keep. Solomon has a new shield from Captain Basil of the Grey Mist Watch. We silently scout the southeast gate of Ramchurn Manor. There are two guards at the gate. We send Matthew to scout ahead and he can see 4 more guards on the roof of the apothecary. There are another two people pretending to be townsfolk on the road.
Baxter approaches the guards and tries to charm them, only 1 is affected. Combat Begins! Solomon drinks a potion of Hill Giant Strength. Bianca casts hold monster on the remaining guard. Baxter yells to the charmed guard “Tell them to open the gate!” and he does, the guards on the inside begin to open the door to the village. The party enters and defeats the uncharmed guard and another in the guardshack. A pair of marauders is approaching on the road and Baxter casts an illusion of an injured guard in the road to try to get them to investigate. Utelias casts Insect Plague on the roof of the apothecary where there are 4 Skullsplitters, and three of them die by terrible mosquito death. One of the guards on the road throws a box in front of us and everything goes silent. 3 more marauders appear as they investigate the giant cloud of insects that suddenly appeared and join the fray. The party kills the marauders, and the doors of the manor fling open.
Atoma comes out with 2 guards give us an ultimatum, surrender or die horribly! We choose to die horribly. Combat begins! Utelias takes out Atoma with a Guiding Bolt and she falls to the ground, in her place appears an Ifrit! Baxter and Utelias join forces and cast a radiant thunderbolt at her but she barely notices it. Atoma tries to cast a summon spell but Baxter counters it, and she turns her attention to him and sets him on fire. After a drawn out battle Bianca shoots Atoma with a spell and she disappears in a puff.
A voice from a nearby building shouts “You killed her! We don’t have to follow her anymore!” The mercenaries tell us they just want to go back to Del Noma. The party frees the villagers from the Inn with the help of the mercenaries. One of the mercenaries asks which of us got the wish, to which we all look questioningly. They tell us the Ifrit would have bargained with a wish.
We search the dead bodies and find a Ring of Fire Resistance (Bianca), a Necklace of Adaptation (Morthalemon), 3 greater healing potions. The people thank us for saving them and tell us there is a messenger from Del Noma. He gives us some letters.
Bianca gets a letter from her bestie Rigsy. The store has sold out of everything so Rigsy closed it and let the staff go, but there is plenty of money for Bianca. Baxter gets a letter from Giblin asking for him to return or send some new acts to perform. The town is grateful and asks us if we need anything. We ask for some supplies for our journey and some nettles to take with us. Bianca negotiates for 1% of the town’s profits and an agreement to send shipments of nettles. We also get 4 bottles of water-breathing potion from the apothecary. We also commandeer the messenger’s carriage and his coachman to take us to Icefloe Lake and leave Ramchurn Manor in the care of the Grey Mist Watch. The coachman, Jacksy, tells us the carriage is enchanted and can get us to the lake in 8 hours, enough time for us to rest on the way. The carriage is also bigger on the inside and is decorated like a noble’s quarters. We wake up and the coachman tells us we have arrived. He gives us a card with a sigil on it that can summon him back.
Level 13!
2024-06-17: Session 27
Pretty Jen from Del Noma has been sending communiqués to Morthalemon. She has been tracking a mysterious figure in Del Noma who has been trying to find more information about us, specifically about the story of us killing the black dragon and seeking more information about the Skullsplitters.
Jacksy drives off and we look around and see the buildings of Miner’s Crossing around us and people moving in the mist. There is a sign hanging from a large building: “The Pick and Pike Inn”. Morthalemon puts on his new Necklace of Adaptation, and gives Baxter his Cap of Water Breathing as he no longer needs it. The party enters the Inn and are greeted by a halfling who tells us to be seated at a table and his brother Nettie will be with us soon. There is one other table with a man seated at it who raises his mug to us as we pass.
Morthalemon asks the man (Ylom) what he can tell us about Icefloe Lake. He offers to tell us the history of Icefloe Basin if we buy him a drink (but he insists it’s not a sexual thing!). The area was once a thriving city and Dawing Hall was in the center, prior to the Sundering. There was a battle between the Dawing family and lots of stuff happened and all the Dawing lands were submerged in a flood. One of the Dawing lords betrayed his family and joined with a lich named Stothos but they were defeated by a collection of wizards from the region (including Del Noma) and in the process a mountain was destroyed and Icefloe Lake was created. There is also a maelstrom that only one fisherman has been able to get near (Bob “the Fisherman” Quicknet). We finish our meal and follow Ylom and there is an eerie silence, which is broken by a scream and a howl coming from the docks. An unearthly voice whispers to us that it is here to collect our heads. We recognize him as the Huntsman, and we see Spectral Hounds attacking people. Combat begins! The spectral hounds kill the villagers as they pass through them to get to us. We kill some of the spectral hounds and the Huntsman summons nine skeletal warriors to join the fray. Baxter blinks into the ethereal plane but the Hunstman follows him there and attacks him. The Huntsman returns to the material plane and Morthalemon makes a spectacular shot and takes him out.
The villagers slowly come out from hiding. Ylom has been watching the battle the whole time and seems unscathed. A druid approaches and asks where the beasts came from- the druid is the wharfmaster and is in charge of the docks. A man approaches Ylom and Ylom recognizes him as Bob (he’s a burly half-dwarf). Ylom tells him that we saved the town. Utelias performs last rights for the dead to prevent them from coming back. The people provide us with food and a place at the Inn to rest. During the battle Bianca heard Leycheq’s voice in her head, and during the night she has nightmares.
In the morning we awake to the smell of eggs and potatoes cooking, with a side of cod. Ylom and Bob come and sit with us while we are eating. Baxter asks if Bob can take them to the maelstrom and he says since we saved the town he will take us there but he needs our help on the boat. We get on the boat. As we get closer to the storm it takes up the entire sky. The boat is getting battered by the elements. We make it to the edge of the maelstrom and Bob says he can’t get any further. We don our equipment and drink our potions and dive into the water. We all take lightning damage. Bianca opens the scroll we got from the hag, and as the water hits it, it begins to melt into the water. A hand-shaped wave washes over us and sweeps us into the maelstrom.
2024-06-24: Session 28
We awaken on the mud of the lakebed underwater. We can see 40 feet in front of us, and there is a glow in the distance. Morthalemon can sense there are elementals and undead nearby. Utelias has a Manta Ray cloak and can swim quickly. He goes first and sees a large ugly construct ahead. He calls to it and it asks who he is and why he is here. Utelias tries to persuade the creature that we are on the same side and succeeds. The creature (Captain Joist) shows us the way to the Drowned Hall and also tells us someone escaped recently and dropped something after some kind of disruption. We set off toward the Hall. Utelias goes ahead and sees a parchment on the ground. He also sees an undead giant shark coming at him! He swims back to the group, and Baxter polymorphs into a Giant Shark as well! Utelias hits the undead shark with a guiding bolt and Morthalemon takes it out with a well-placed shot.
Utelias shares the note which details an escape path. The party hitches a ride with Baxter-the-Shark the rest of the way to the Hall. They approach the main gate and look for the opening behind a rock detailed in the note. Morthalemon sees something peek out from behind the rock and he investigates. He sees a mechanism but he can’t open it. Solomon hears a voice that says “that thing is still out there” and asks Baxter to drop the polymorph transformation. Once he does a hatch opens and a half-elf (Johann) invites us in and we are out of the water. Solomon asks how many are captive and the half-elf says there are lots. He says Lord Leycheq spends a lot of time with one particular prisoner in the lab (possibly the Oracle). We convince him to help us and tell us where there may be traps. We proceed to reverse along the escape path that is detailed in the note. We see a lot of blood and body parts and the half-elf tells us that Leycheq has been experimenting on the captured creatures. He also tell us Lord Dawing is death itself and anything that comes near it dies. Baxter persuades the Johann to lead us to the lab. We trigger the hidden door and enter the cell that the previous prisoner escaped from.
—
There is a ladder in the cell that climbs upward through a mist that we cannot see through. Solomon climbs up the ladder to floor level and he can see a large room with 5 other cells, and the entire area is surrounded by a wall of water being held back magically. There are shelves of alchemical compounds and several figures in purple robes are mixing things. There is a cage suspended from the ceiling and Leycheq sits in a carved chair watching us. Solomon recognized magic runes on the cage. The pit starts to fill with acid and the party and Johann climb the ladder to join Solomon, with Baxter bringing up the rear. Combat begins! Utelias glows with radiant energy. Solomon fireballs the cultists and they melt but we hear no noise. Leycheq summons an abomination that attacks us. Bianca traps the abomination in an illusion. Baxter fires a psychic lance at Leycheq. Leycheq raises a bloody chalice and Solomon and Morthalemon are injured, and the blood flows through the air to Leycheq and heals him. Leycheq attacks Utelias and Bianca, and Bianca hears a faint buzzing in her head. Leycheq opens one of the cells and a slime monster climbs out that attacks Morthalemon. Bianca hits Leycheq with eldritch blasts, and he raises his chalice and again takes blood from Mort and Solomon. Bianca destroys the runes on the suspended cage with a spell, Baxter casts Knock and the door to the cage swings open, but the Oracle is unconscious. Leycheq opens another cell and a ghast ogre climbs out and attacks Utelias. Utelias glows brightly and destroys the monsters, and the demon Hemtet (from Broken Wagon!) suddenly appears and grabs Leycheq and disappears.
We wake the Oracle and help her out of the cage. She tells us we need to return to Del Noma and the city is engulfed in flames because the black dragon attacked, and then faints.
We search the ruins and find a magic mirror that is a portal to Del Noma.
2024-09-09: Session 29
We find ourselves in a darkened chamber with finely-crafted plank floors. Through cracks in the walls we can see fire and smoke. We are surprised by animated objects - combat begins! A sword flies at Utelias. The rug attacks Morthalemon and restrains him. Bianca shoots an Eldritch Blast and the ceiling comes down on us! The rug is pinned but we are all able to dodge the rubble and experience no injuries. She blasts the flying sword and it shatters, and she then blasts an opening for us to escape. The Oracle and Matthew are sheltered by the mirror which seems unmoveable.
Before we leave, we see a hidden compartment pop open from the mantle. Morthalemon finds a Wand of Wonder in the compartment, which he gives to Bianca. Baxter sees a portrait of Leycheq above the desk, and it is covered with letters addressed to or signed by Leycheq. Utelias opens a desk drawer and finds a Scroll of Disintegrate (which he gives to Baxter) and a Potion of Invulnerability. Morthalemon opens the other drawer and finds 50 pp.
The party leaves the room and steps out into the remains of a courtyard filled with debris surrounded by a crumbling wall, steaming green liquid is coming in through the breaches. There are mobs of undead fighting with townsfolk, Baxter notices there seems to be two different kinds of undead. The party jumps across the green liquid and joins in the fray. Utelias runs in the middle of zombie groups and casts Turn Undead. Some of the Undead turn to smoke, and skeletons that were hidden become visible, including 2 skeletal centaurs and a skeletal minotaur. A levitating zombie floats down toward us from the sky. Morthalemon fires a volley of arrows and destroys some of the undead. Baxter fires a barrage of spectral swords and destroys 3 skeletons and damages the minotaur. Bianca destroys the floating zombie with a well-placed blast, and then turns and takes out a centaur. Some of the undead that were destroyed rise again and Baxter realizes they need to be burned or turned to stay down. Baxter and Utelias join forces and fire psychic flames at a bunch of undead and destroy some of them, but again some of the destroyed rise up. Morthalemon ignites his arrows from the nearby fire and shoots at the newly risen floating zombie. Bianca shoots a firebolt and reignites the arrows to explode the zombie corpse.
After the undead are gone we try to free the trapped townsfolk. The royal guards say the Queen has ordered everyone inside. Now instead of 1 dragon there are 2! Morthalemon and Utelias find pendants that look like the Skullcrusher logo on some of the undead bodies. One of the townsfolk (Deanna) says she needs to speak with the spymaster (Morthalemon). She says the Wooden Scepter has tried to help Johan and other middle city citizens escape but are trapped in the sewers. She needs to get to the Queen to tell her as much.
The party enters the chamber of the Queen’s Council (formerly the Council of Nobles before our previous intervention). Present are Veek, Farsrev, and Korav. The missing people from the council are Johann (from the Key and Thistle) and Lady Sangorn. The Queen asks about the Oracle but she seems to be under some kind of curse. Farsrev says the royal library and vaults were looted by Nev-Galitor, who took the most powerful and ancient artifacts and laid waste to the rest. Lord Korav says the undead have been contained in the high city but the middle and lower city are still under control of a dragon. Brother Veek says the Mother Superior was killed and Sister Cybil is providing refuge at the temple of the light. We relay our trials with Leycheq and the demon Hemtet who is helping him. Veek tells us that all who die are rising as undead, they can only be purged of their existence by the Light or cleansing flame. Most of the undead are in the lower and middle cities. The Drama Palace seems to be under some magical protection that seems to have a strange effect on the living. Farsrev says the dark force may be caused by the Phylactory of the Lich Stothos which may be the focus of Nev-Galitor’s attack, but they don’t know how she could harness it’s power. The Queen says Nev-Galitor attacked because she was enraged after being attacked by wandering minstrels who thought she was dead.
We decide to go first to the Drama Palace and then make our way to the Temple of Light. On the way we check the shops in the upper city to see what we can salvage. Bianca’s shop has an “Out of Business” sign and the shelves look empty and dusty (Damnit, Rigsy!). We find a magic store next door that has been destroyed but we find some magical items (a Rare, or Very Rare with DM approval, magic item).
Level 15!
2024-09-23: Session 30
Solomon finds his way to the magic shop where the rest of the party is currently located. He says the area is secure and we take a long rest in safety. We slip past the undead and into the Middle City. Hundreds of undead are in the street but none approach the Drama Palace, as if there is a force field. Another sound is in the air - Baxter can make out cheers and happy sounds coming from the Drama Palace. We walk up to the front door with no issue from the undead, and enter. Baxter throws open the doors and the party can see groups of people inside, who are all excited to see someone.
Baxter hums a countercharm tune, but despite that he and Solomon become charmed and are suddenly very excited to have the chance to see Rigsy. Bianca tries to dispel the charm but with no effect- Baxter and Solomon just want to go forward into the Drama Palace to see Rigsy, who is suspended above the stage. On the side of the stage is a cage with Giblin the Goblin. He tells Baxter to stop the witch, but Baxter has no idea what witch he is talking about as he only sees the goddess Rigsy. Utelias casts Bless on Baxter and Solomon to help them with future save attempts. Utelias attempts to Banish Rigsy but fails. Roll Initiative!
Bianca alters herself to look exactly like Rigsy. She tells Baxter and Solomon that the one on stage isn’t Rigsy, but they just get confused. Rigsy shoots an electric blast at Utelias and catches Baxter in the blast, and he breaks free of the charm. Utelias casts Calm Emotions and grants immunity to charm to Bianca and Baxter. Rigsy is caught in the spell and she falls to the ground as she was charmed. Bianca investigates and finds puncture wounds on her neck.
Hemtit materializes on the stage. He is surprised we defeated Rigsy’s contract/wish, and offers each of us our greatest wishes and tries to convince us to put Rigsy out of her misery. Solomon runs up to Hemtit and swings at him and does damage. Utelias drops his concentration on Rigsy and Banishes Hemtit to his native plane.
Rigsy seems to not remember anything since Broken Wagon, including anything that was in the Magic Book. Bianca frees Giblin the Goblin from the cage. Solomon senses that the wish spell is still partially in existence which is why the protection is still enforced at the Drama Palace. We decide to proceed to the Temple of Light and send any surviving townsfolk we find to the Drama Palace. Baxter promises Giblin a bonus for taking care of the place and the people.
—
As we approach we see Priests and Paladins fighting the undead around the Temple of Light and losing. The hordes seem limitless. Baxter hums a countercharm tune to prevent the party from being completely and utterly frightened at the sheer number of undead. Sister Sybil is radiating light as she tries to fight off the hordes. Utelias casts Turn Undead and destroys a large number of them. Sybil tells us she needs some time to get the peasants into the cathedral. She also tells us one of her Paladin’s weapons is lost in the fray and can be reclaimed.
Bianca throws a fireball at a large group of undead and burns them. Utelias shoots scorching rays at multiple undead but one of them hits Bianca! He isn’t sorry. Solomon destroys multiple undead fiends with his flaming sword. Baxter destroys a zombie and runs into the courtyard to pick up the glowing sword that the paladin lost. Bianca casts Hallucinatory Terrain and the undead think they are in an open field. The peasants all make it inside the cathedral and Sybil yells to come inside.
Sister Sybil says there is no way to stop the undead unless the source is defeated. She senses the dark energy is coming from the low city and is connected to the dragon, but that isn’t the source of it. She tells Bianca she can clear her taint. She touches Bianca and the buzzing in her head is gone. She tells Utelias to take the sword, the Holy Avenger, and lead the righteous fight. She shows us a secret way through the city to the Lower City.
—
There seems to be an absence of undead, or any activity, in the lower city. Buildings are collapsed all around and Fires and pools of Acid are prevalent in the street. The Black Dragon is in front of the main gate. Baxter gulps a potion of necrotic resistance and then blinks into the ethereal plane. Utelias transforms into a being of complete darkness and suddenly feels a strange urge to hurt his friends, but shrugs it off. Solomon wades into the lower city and an Abomination appears! We hear a whooshing sound from above us! Solomon is knocked down and we see the dragon above us. The dragon tells us he is Myrex the Fierce - it’s not Nev-Galitor at all! Solomon attacks the Abominiation and it disintegrates into a pile of goo with hands coming out of it and it’s very gross looking. Utelias and Solomon make attacks on the dragon and manage to damage it. The Abomination reconstitutes itself and swipes at Baxter. Baxter blinks into the Ethereal Plane. The Dragon flaps its wings and knocks down Solomon. He flies away and tells us we haven’t seen the last of him! Bianca notices a dark object around his neck as he flies away (the Phylactory). As the dragon leaves, the undead in the city fall.
2024-10-07: Session 31
A few days have passed. We have been staying in the Drama Palace while patrolling and helping the citizens of the city. Each member of the party has found time to attend to personal matters in the city. Each member of the party arrives at the Drama Palace and Giblin gives them 2 letters that have been addressed to Bianca and the Puppydogs. The first is a summons from the Queen to attend a council meeting the next day. The second is from Lord Farsrev, the librarian who we saved from Leycheq’s palace. He wants us to meet him at the royal library immediately.
We make our way to the library in the high city which did not seem to be as affected by the undead as the rest of the city. Lord Farsrev and 3 worried librarians greet us. Farsrev tells us they were able to excavate a path to the vaults and determine what is missing. Two teams have been sent but as of this afternoon only one of them has returned, the team that went to the West Wing is missing. The Phylactory was stored in the East Wing. The Tome that Rigsy gave them is also missing. Many other items are destroyed and in fragments.
Mort goes stealthily down the stairs into the library vault. He sees rubble and signs of acid damage. He hears scraping sounds from the West Wing, and he sees two figures erecting a makeshift wall. Baxter and Utelias follow him down stealthily. There is a statue that Morthalemon recognizes as a petrified librarian. Baxter attempts to charm the two librarians building the wall and fails. Morthalemon entangles the librarians in a vine growth and once they are held we can tell they are zombies. Mort destroys both of the zombie librarians quickly and the party proceeds down the hall. There are partially open doors and the floors are littered with debris. There are pools of acid. Several figures down the hallway are removing debris and piling it up or throwing it in the acid pools. Baxter peers into one room and it is completely full of acid. Morthalemon peers into another room and it is filled with stone debris. He steps into the room and the zombies turn and face us. Baxter runs up to one and stabs him twice. Utelias disintegrates one with Guiding Bolt. Morthalemon approaches the zombies and sees another room with floating red motes. The ceiling behind us crashes down and blocks the path back to the entrance. An undead beholder (Death Tyrant) appears from nowhere (the floating motes were his eyestalks!) and says “More servants!”
The beholder shoots rays from its eyes at the party but they are able to dodge a lot of them. Until Baxter is incapacitated, Utelias is turned to stone and Morthalemon is turned to ash. Baxter is finally able to blow up the beholder’s skull with a psychic lance. Baxter sweeps up Mort’s ashes with a small broom and clears a path out of the tunnel.
Baxter and Mort go upstairs and tell Farsrev what happens. He fetches Sister Sybill who is able to cure Utelias and revivify Mort after a long night of ritual magic.
—
The next morning we get dressed to go to the Palace. We are seated in between the Council and the Gallery, which is filled with members of all levels of the city. A paige announces that the Queen’s Court is now in session, with Queen Bonnie Dupree presiding.
The Queen tells us she is awarding us with an estate in the upper city and we are given the title of Lords, and we have 1000 gp to split between us. (200 each to Bianca, Baxter, and Utelias, and 400 to Morthalemon as he lost many items when he was disintegrated and needs to resupply).
Morthalemon asks the Queen to reconsider the views the city has with the Wooden Scepter and take the opportunity to work together. Baxter asks the Queen to make the Drama Palace the center of culture in the city, and let the local bakers and artisans sell goods at the performances, and also to allow the Wooden Scepter to work as security and staff. The Queen is convinced that this course of action is best for the city of Del Noma.
The Queen defers to Lord Korav. Korav stands up and opens a door and brings a bound Rigsy before the Queen. He says she is charged with treason and slavery. Rigsy doesn’t remember anything. The party mulls it over and asks the Queen for leniency as Rigsy was just a puppet of Leycheq. The Queen is persuaded to let Rigsy go free.
The Queen says the investigation of the library is still ongoing but the dragon took the Phylactory and the Tome of the Lord of Ruination Defilement and Undeath. Lady Singorn says the recovery of these is the top priority, as well as dealing with the dragon Nev-Galitor. The Council asks the heroes to undertake this quest. Utelias promises to bring back the dragon’s heart.
The Queen offers her enchanted carriage, and the party decides to retrace their steps through the Handmaiden hills to Broken Wagon, and from there set out to where the offering is left for Nev-Galitor.
*Before leaving Del Noma, the party should put on a Bianca and the Puppydogs concert at the Drama Palace
2024-10-21: Session 32
Bianca and the Puppydogs perform a concert at the Drama Palace. The Queen pays for the performance so everyone can attend for free. The Wooden Scepter works the venue. Afterward the Oracle approaches Bianca and offers a business proposition running her beauty business out of the Painted Lady. Bianca agrees, and has the Blessing of the Oracle. Pretty Jen gives Morthalemon a new Wooden Scepter signet ring.
The next morning Jacksy and the Royal Coach are outside the Drama Palace waiting for us. We (and Rigsy) quickly arrive at the new and improved Broken Wagon, now a major trade hub and vastly changed from what we remember. Morthalemon and Baxter notice the people seem to recognize us but keep away and shoot looks at the Town Hall. Baxter notices the earth near the Town Hall is churned up as if a large creature was standing there (maybe a dragon!).
Notable Locations:
Morthalemon goes to the Apothecary which is looking pretty bare and run down. Magda tries to convince Mort to leave town and go west to the Capital. Mort discerns that she is terrified of something. She gives Mort (2) Greater Healing Potions and (3) Healing Potions.
Bianca goes to the Smithy to find Seda. It is silent and the forge is cold. The racks are empty except a few dull knives. The tacking for the horses is hanging by the stable but the horses are missing. Mark (Magda’s husband) is there and greets Bianca. He tries to convince her to go west to the Capital if she wants supplies. He says he can’t be seen talking to Bianca. She grabs Mark and teleports them back to Del Noma and convinces him to talk. He says Myrex the Dragon appeared and demanded an offering that the townsfolk are gathering. Bianca says the party can take the offering to the dragon (for a portion of the offering). Bianca teleports them back to Broken Wagon.
Baxter and Utelias go to the Inn to procure a suite of rooms for the party. The Inn is empty and dark. The floor has been replaced since the damage that was caused. The casks and barrels are missing. There is a bland odor coming from the back, Pep is in the kitchen. She says there are no rooms available, Baxter can tell that she is lying and scared. She tells us to go west, to the Capital. Utelias casts Calm Emotions on her, and she seems less scared. She says she can’t talk, people are watching. The dragon’s brood has claimed all of the supplies and everyone is afraid of them. Utelias goes on a search for alcohol and finds the Shrine to the Light is now just slag and acid.
Everyone convenes in the center of town. Bianca tells the party about her plan to take the offering to the dragons. Baxter casts Foresight on himself. We approach the Town Hall which is guarded by 2 guards. Baxter says to let them pass and they do, and as the party passes one of them whispers “There’s a small dragon in there!” and opens the door.
The dragon’s brood are inside including a small black wyrmling and a dragonborn, and some townsfolk. They are preparing the offering for transports. Morthalemon speaks in Draconic and says we are here to assist in transporting the offering. The dragon brood attacks. The wyrm spits acid at Baxter and two of the townsfolk, reducing one to a puddle. Utelias and Bianca blast the broodlings. Mort takes out the dragonborn, and there is a loud explosion as shards of wood blast into the room. Zombies enter. Utelias takes them out. The wyrm casts Darkness and we hear a window crash. Baxter stabs at the wyrmling in the dark and hits it, and the darkness dissipates. Bianca takes a shot at the retreating wyrmling and hits and kills it, and it falls to the ground. Instead of cheers, the townsfolk begin screaming.
Baxter asks for the mayor, who is now a puddle on the floor. Baxter says he is now the mayor, and demands to know what is required for the offering. There needs to be a living offering, so the party recruits Rigsy. One of the townspeople puts a green crystal on Rigsy and she is encased. Baxter carries crystallized Rigsy to the wagon outside and adds her to the pile of crates that are already there. Mort scavenges a +1 Bow and Armor of Acid Resistance.
We disguise ourselves as zombies and set out. Baxter summons Matthew the Raven. Mort scouts ahead and finds nothing on the way to the offering site near the swamp. We wait at the offering site and eventually two shrubs walk toward us and grab onto the cart and start pulling it into the swamp. We follow into the mist. Mort can sense Aberrations everywhere in the swamp, and a lot of Fey as well although they feel off. Matthew will not follow us into the mist. We walk into an eerie green light where the foliage is extremely dense. A shambling mound appears! The party makes short work of it (minus some electrical healing from Baxter). We follow the shrubs further into the swamp.
We see a woody creature with a cape of leaves floating in the swamp. The being says it is the Spirit of the Swamp. Baxter says they seek an audience with Nev-Galitor, the spirit replies that it will bring the corpses to the dragon. Baxter blinks into the Ethereal Plane. Combat begins! The Spirit summons living trees and dire crocodiles to aid in the fight. After a lengthy battle the spirit is destroyed by a fireball. As she is dying she thanks us for freeing her, and tells us we need to go through the water to a submerged temple to get to Nev-Galitor, where Rigsy and the offering already are.
2024-11-04: Session 33
The Spirit of the Swamp thanks us for freeing her and her subjects. She warns us of Nev-Galitor’s designs to become a living draco-lich and the ritual will begin at midnight. Then she fades away. We have a little over four hours to stop the ritual.
Mort and Bianca take a potion of water breathing, Baxter and Utelias can breathe underwater.
We enter the water and find ourselves in a downward sloping hallway. Phosphorescent algae grows on the walls. A large entrance is ahead of us. Utelias swims ahead to scout. There is large chamber ahead with multiple exits that rises out of the water. There are 3 large aquatic trolls in the room. Combat begins! The Trolls ring an underwater gong! Utelias atomizes one of the trolls with a Guiding Bolt. The party attacks and the trolls swim away down one of the exits to the room. Utelias follows and iron bars slam down, trapping him. Morthalemon swims in a different direction and emerges from the water to find more rooms in different directions. A hidden zombie beholder appears from the rocky backdrop and attacks! It traps Mort but he escapes back into the water. Utelias turns Ethereal and escapes the trap, and the 4 trolls stream back into the underwater room. Utelias unleashes an underwater insect plague and Bianca blasts two trolls to pieces. The rest of the trolls are quick work.
Baxter investigates the gong and can tell it is magical. The party investigates the troll living quarters and finds the Skullcrushers insignia on some items. They also find a journal from the Skullcrusher commander Jolem. The party resurfaces and takes on the zombie beholder and Utelias blows it up. Bianca dissolves the slime that is left.
Morthalemon discovers a secret door, the party readies actions upon seeing enemies and Mort opens the door. The party sees a rocky passage that appears to be covered in snow, with an ice cave in a far wall. Mort investigates and is hit with severe cold damage, and a white dragon can be seen. Utelias and Morthalemon destroy it with radiant damage and dragonslaying arrows. The ice cave becomes a stone hallway with treasure along the far wall. It looks like diamonds and jewelry (worth 300 gp) and 1000 cp all mixed up together as if it was the dragon’s lair. The effort to dig through to find the items of value seems to be a waste of time with the ritual happening very soon. Mort continues on and the cavern opens into a sandy desert scene. A tropical oasis can be seen. Bianca investigates a different passage and finds a stone passageway that seems to end in a wall, with an alcove containing an enormous diamond on a pedestal. Acid sprays on Bianca but she inspirationally jumps out of the way just in time. A giant slime monster appears! Bianca teleports away. Utelias melts the slime monster with a Holy Word. Morthalemon grabs the diamond (1000 gp value). Morthalemon finds another secret door. It opens to a large chamber with bubbling pools of green. In one direction the tunnel is lit by red brightly flickering light, and the other direction are torches on the walls.
Baster turns invisible and investigates the red flickering light. Volcanic ash fills the air, lava flows in rivers to the edge of the tunnel. There is treasure around a large outcropping of boulders. Baxter takes damage from the heat and a red dragon is looking right at him.
—
2024-11-12: Session 34
The red dragon is oozing and giving off immense heat. It attacks Baxter and he takes some necrotic damage but survives. Baxter casts Otto’s Irresistable Dance on the dragon which begins dancing, and he runs away back through the secret door. He drinks a potion of necrotic resistance as Mort sneaks through the secret door and fires an arrow at the dancing dragon. Utelias runs behind the dragon and immolates himself, and completely destroys the dragon but dies in the process. Baxter is caught in the blast and takes radiant damage.
As the group waits for Utelias to resurrect, Baxter discovers another secret door further down the tunnel and after a brief discussion he opens it revealing another room. Huge piles of treasure line the room and block our view, which is also full of murky water. A sense of unease emanates from the treasure. Morthalemon enters the room to investigate, but he sees piles upon piles of treasure. An enormous stone dais is at the far end of the room. Myrex, the black dragon, is on the platform. Mort backs away and reports to the group.
The party discusses a complex plan to surprise the dragon but when they enter the room the dragon just mocks them as he knew they were there. He taunts them and tosses gems at them. Bianca and Morthalemon combine a ranged attack at a pile of gold and send it crashing into the dragon. Baxter mocks it and does psychic damage. The dragon kerplunks forward off of the dais and summons floating weapons. Utelias attempts to summon an insect plague, but Myrex laughs and the magical energy is absorbed into the treasure nearby. The door slams shut with Baxter and Utelias still outside the room. 30 foot high walls of treasure form around Bianca and Morthalemon. Bianca transforms herself and Mort into bugs and she crawls out of the room through a gap around the secret door. Bug-Morthalemon gets caught in a water blast and is stuck in the room.
We hear a loud CRACK! from the western side of the room and a splashing sound but we can’t see past the piles of treasure. Mort transforms back into a human and makes it through the door, which closes behind him. Utelias enters the room and hits the dragon with a Holy Word, and he becomes magnetized and covered with treasure, weighing him down. Bianca tosses a fireball through the doorway and melts the floating weaponry, which breaks, falls to the ground, then reforms and becomes part of the treasure. Baxter uses his magic harp to bestow flying on Morthalemon who floats into the room and shoots arrows at the dragon. Mort becomes magnetized and is attracted to a pile of treasure, making it difficult for him to move. Baxter holds the dragon momentarily and Morthaelmon, Utelias and Bianca unleash everything they have on it and destroy Myrex. After he dies, rust eats away at the doors behind the dais until they crumble. A huge chamber can be seen so large that the walls are out of sight. Baxter starts shoveling gold into the bag of holding but it just falls to the ground.
The large chamber has many platforms occupied by winged kobolds. The floor contains pools of acid. The party enters the large room. Morthalemon announces their presence and asks for the whereabouts of Nev-Galitor. The kobolds say that she will not be disturbed and attack. The party makes short work of the kobolds.
The party makes their way across rope bridges to the far large platform, while Bianca teleports to a position where she can shoot off a fireball. A giant black dragon is on the platform - the real Nev-Galitor!. There is a large alter over which Rigsy is hanging, with the phylactery around her neck. The Tome is floating nearby.
Nev-Galitor grabs Baxter and flies up into the air. Bianca grabs the Tome and attempts to go to the astral plane but instead finds herself teleported to a nearby space. She determines that everything that is in the chamber is bound to the summoning circle and cannot leave the plane. The party unleashes all of their magic on the dragon, and Baxter provides the killing blow with a psychic lance. The cultists immediately fall dead, and Rigsy falls to the ground. Baxter runs up and stabs at the phylactery with a small blade and destroys it.
—
2024-11-25: Epilogue
The black dragon died and its body is being pulled into the Shadows, leaving just its heart which Utelias collects. Bianca has the tome, the Phylcatory is destroyed, Rigsy is on the ground and the other cultists are turning to dust. Morthalemon perceived the cavern is not stable. Bianca can tell the binding stones allow teleporting out but not back in. The party decides to return to the treasure room to see what they can collect now that the dragons are dead. The room and the treasure do not have the foreboding feeling anymore. Baxter shovels gold coins into the Bag of Holding and this time they don’t fall out. Utelias finds another bag of holding among the treasure and starts filling it. They collect as much treasure as they can, and Bianca teleports them back to Del Noma, to the Drama Palace. It is late so the party decides to see the Queen in the morning. Morthalemon goes to the Inn. Utelias dreams of the light and knights, and the rest of the party has bad dreams of the destruction of Kehros and a huge gate with five red eyes. They wake up In the morning and there is a commotion outside. Crowds of people are surrounding the Drama Palace. The Wooden Scepter and the Royal Guard as waiting near a coach. Bianca exits first, and the crowd starts screaming in joy. The party gets in the coach which takes them to the palace where the Queen and her Council are on the stairs waiting for them. The party approaches.
The council rewards the party with titles and they become nobles of Del Noma. They are all granted honorary seats on the Council. Everyone is dismissed for a day of celebration. Lady Singorn approaches and asks that the following day be a day of reflection and they will discuss what comes next.
The party decides to hold a concert at the Drama Palace preceded by a keg party at the Inn. The Queen buys out the expensive seats. Morthalemon breaks out the Dwarven Whisky. Sister Sybil sends word to Utelias that she needs to see him and he heads to the Temple of Light. She had the same dream as him and also saw him leading the White Knights. She needs Utelias to prevail over the darkness in Kehros and puts him in charge of a new fortress that is to be built against the evil.
Night falls and the concert is about to begin. Rigsy opens the show with a magical dancing act. The party all takes the stage and the crowd goes crazy with screams and cheers.
Setlist:
1 - Puppydog Dance (misc)
2 - The Mort Stomp (pub song)
3 - Flower Moon Bianca (ballad)
4 - Anthem of Del Noma (anthem)
5 - Death of Nevgalitor (fight song)
Bianca gets flowers delivered from Queen Bonnie. Baxter offers everyone to stay at the Drama Palace until their new manor is remodeled. Mort makes his way to the Inn. Bianca is escorted to the Palace by a guard and meets privately with the Queen. The Queen asks Bianca to be her lady-in-waiting, however Bianca does not want the associated responsibilities and politely declines. She tells the Queen to send for her whenever she needs her.
Day breaks on the Drama Palace. Lord Cremstad has asked to meet with Baxter and Pretty Jen has asked to meet with Morthalemon after the Council meeting. The party joins the Council and takes their places. Lord Korav wants the dragon heart for the vaults. Lord Farsrev wants to know if the dragon menace is over. Brother Veek brings up the issue of the hoard. Mort tells them that the cavern is most likely collapsed at this point.
Brother Veek says that the party is now landed nobility, they can divide up their domains into the following territories:
The Council is adjourned. Queen Bonnie gives Bianca a broach that they can use to communicate. Johan takes Morthalemon to meet with Pretty Jen and Commander Basil of the Grey Mist Watch. They want Morthalemon to create an elite secret force that can take on the corruption of the nobility and he agrees to do it. Baxter goes to the royal library to meet with Cremstad and he is appointed the Master Lorekeeper. He is tasked with making the Royal Library a destination that will draw people from far and wide.
—
The far future: