The Proving Grounds, Session One: Would You Like A Candle?
Turned away from the gates of the Adventuring Guild of Avazarum, four hopeful adventurers were given a task to prove their worthiness: to assist the frontier town of Phandalin, who had requested aid for their increasing monster problem. Given a wagon sped by magically-enhanced oxen and a tired, minimum-wage driver across the pothole-filled High Road, the adventure began- slowly.
Here, the tabaxi rogue Delsto, centaur druid Chayenne Pepper, tabaxi cleric Vincent Sunline, and hobgoblin barbarian Hobriuthus Yobling IV of Candlefruit Court introduced themselves. Heated debates about candles (and consuming of candles), questions of centaur realism, and the frustration of their driver not paid enough for their antics ensued, before their journey was interrupted by an attack of wolves!
Our adventures hopped off the cart to come to the valiant defense of their oxen, as well as a fellow trader on the road. Delsto loosed arrows enhanced by Vincent's magical aid through the heart of one wolf, while Chayenne pulled another close by her whip, and Hobriuthus (Yobling IV of Candlefruit Court) felled another in a rage. It was a close encounter, Chayenne having been knocked unconscious by the attack of one wolf (we love level one combat)- but with their companion stabilized, they now stood outside Phandalin.
They are greeted by Elmar Barthen, the orc shopkeep who had come to the aid of the trader- and his goods. With the trader's injuries and the death of his horse in the attack, Barthen asks for the party's help in delivery of the goods to his shop, Barthen's Provisions, in return for a free item each. The cart now attached to the centaur druid's mildly offended and still wounded self, the party arrives in town.
After debating their items, finally settling on healers' kits and a game of cards, as well as horrifying the shopkeep with Hobriuthus (Yobling the etc...)'s interest in his candles (and the realization that HY4CC could and will purchase thousands of them. to eat.), Barthen directs the party to the Townmaster's Hall, and the cowardly Townmaster Harbin Wester's requests for help. They look to see the outside of the hall covered in signs poorly warding off dragons, and decide they should immediately mess with the man by pretending to be dragons. Delsto helpfully conjures a flat PNG of a dragon with Minor Illusion at his door.
HY4CC, noticing the man's distress, forces open the slit in the door he speaks through to offer him a candle. The townmaster is exasperated by the party's foolery, but deeply needs the help, and directs them to the job board, where the party selects their first quest- Umbrage Hill.
"The local midwife—an acolyte of Chauntea named Adabra Gwynn—lives by herself in a stone windmill on the side of a hill a few miles south from Phandalin. With dragon sightings becoming common, it's not safe for her to be alone. Urge Adabra to return to Phandalin. Once she's safe, visit Townmaster Wester Harbin to claim a reward of 25gp."
Their quest selected and their plans made, there ended the first session of The Proving Grounds!
One more session had happened of the previous campaign, but then life events and the implosion of the campaign meant I couldn't bring myself to write the final recap. So close to the end, too. But, a year and a half later, we are back in Phandalin again with a new module and new players!
Keeping it simple this time, with a casual adventure through Dragon of Icespire Peak with some new D&D players, finding my love for running the game again with a setting I know well and want to repair my relationship with.
The party for the game I DM for, wrapping up Lost Mine of Phandelver and heading into Out of the Abyss! As a college game the party is getting Ship-of-Theseus’d every semester, but finally got something out for all the current members.
-Seeing the party's weakened state and the still-unconscious dwarf, the druid suggests they take a small detour to Phandalin to rest and gather supplies before the Cave.
-On the cart ride, Dakwert carefully inspects the orc's gem, it glowing in his hand and seeming to faintly call to him. He hands it to the cleric to examine, its energy immediately stopping at his touch. Weird. He hands it back off to the gnome.
-The gnome warlock meditates as the cart ride calms, sand swirling around him as the necklace reappears in his hands- as Dakwert then vanishes from sight, reappearing inside the necklace to his patron. The dao is very disappointed to have his necklace given away- but says he can't stay mad at all this treasure brought here for him! Dakwert convinces him that this all belongs to his friends, only stored temporarily. The patron asks him to put in a good word for him so that the gold -can- be his, and peaces out.
-Dakwert reawakens, tired and surrounded by sand. The furious roar of the bugbear king sounds in the distance. Dakwert quickly takes everyone's gear OUT of the necklace, except for Sen's banshee hoard. Sand is mixed in with everything, and Vierna's magical sword no longer glows.
-The Wood opens up to Phandalin, the druid dropping them off and taking his temporary leave back to Thundertree to continue his ritual. Sid suggests they take Gundren to the Shrine of Luck, and that he needs to head to the blacksmith's forge after.
-They are excitedly greeted by Sheara at the shrine asking them how their days have been, projecting in from Waterdeep after her promotion to the temple there. Gundren is laid on a stone slab for Sister Garaele to heal, the dwarf awaking relieved to finally be free.
-Gundren pleads for them to go to the nearest inn, claiming that's what will heal him, that he will tell them the plan over drinks. They enter the Stonehill Inn to Sid and Dakwert being welcomed as heroes- and one woman waving them over to sit with her.
-The woman tells them they've heard so much about them, asking them about their skills as she brings drinks for them. She introduces herself as Halia Thornton, pushing a coin with the winged snake symbol of the Zhentarim towards them, and asks them if they would be interested in working for her. Sid goes quiet in recognition, and wakes their employer from his drink, saying they have a job- who promptly passes out again. Halia continues to pressure them on what they are doing, then asks all their names- seeming to recognize Sid. She thanks them, and leaves them to their drinks.
-Sid, knowing of the Zhentarim from his father who was in it, pressures them all to wrap up and get out of here, leading them to the blacksmith's shop. The dragonborn asks him if they could use his forge, to which he happily welcomes in the heroes of Phandalin.
-The smith asks Vierna about her mechanical arm, admiring the craftsmanship. She tells him it was forged by duergar and perfected by a Waterdeep blacksmith, the smith telling her he'd always looked up to the smith there. Vierna tells him that he's great but he... doesn't work in Waterdeep anymore (wonder why that could be). He is disappointed, but dreams of moving in and taking that spot himself.
-The party walks over to the side to talk, Gundren unfurling the blank map by the light of the forge. He tells them he and his two brothers enchanted this map together, so three need to all touch the map. He tells two other dwarvish-speakers to touch the map with them, and for them all to repeat the dwarvish phrase "Let Dumathoin guide us to glory." As they speak it, ink flows across the map as the location of the cave and it's layout are revealed- and disappears again as he takes his hand off. He promises them again that they will receive riches after leading him to it. Sid warns Gundren that the Zhentarim may be following them there, that they should go quickly.
-"So, we have the drow after us, goblins after us, now the ZHENTARIM after us, what else have we got chasing us?" *everyone slowly looks to Sen*.
-Gundren tells them the cave ahead is dangerous, that they will want to gather any supplies they need now. Dakwert and Creak are sent out shopping to the now-upgraded Barthen's Provisions, returning with three Potions of Healing. Vierna and Sen attempt to purchase weapons, but find nothing special. Sid starts to work at the forge, crafting daggers out of grick talons, adding jewels to Sen's bow, and finally finishing his new dragonscale-studded plate armor.
-Sen questions Creak on her motivations, as the goblin seems increasingly suspicious. She says that all she needs to do is get the Black Spider- and then she'll have everything she wants. Sen asks who she's working for, the goblin answering that she works for her family. She tells them they don't have to worry- she's not here for their treasure, just for the Black Spider.
-The party takes their long rest and carefully leaves the blacksmith, warning him on their way out that he may want to leave town, telling him about Halia. He says he just might follow that dream of setting up shop in Waterdeep. The party carefully makes their way to the edge of town, rejoining Reidoth on the cart as he begins to speed them away towards the Sword Mountains.
-Talking to Creak, the party begins to notice things that don't add up. She claims an age impossible for goblins, then seems to not know much about goblins or herself- and in suspicion, Sid casts Zone of Truth upon the cart as the party questions her more. Sen asks her what she is, her answering that she's just Creak, that they just see a little goblin girl. She tells them she can't reveal her mission, but that she is not a danger to them.
-Sen asks her what it was that he felt in the castle. She says it was simply her being herself. Frustrated, she drops the high pitched voice and tells the party she doesn't need to keep this up much longer anyway- and suddenly the form of the goblin disappears- and in her place instead is a dark elf woman, introducing herself as Virith Mizzrym. Dakwert laments the loss of a fellow kickable creature. She tells him she has gained a new perspective with her time, and will think twice about kicking gnomes in the future. She tells them they have all been an entertaining experience, but she has business to get to- in Wave Echo Cave. Additionally, "Valark is my brother, he is a twink ass bitch" so while he is gone she suggests they take care of business.
-Sen asks her how she handled being small for that long, the drow responding that it was horrendous, to the gnome's sadness.
-With this revelation as the cart continues forward (to the confusion but ultimately uncaring of the druid), the session concludes!
-The party follows the bugbear king to his throne room, Valark vanishing along the way. The king sits in his throne, motioning the party to sit at a nearby table- where their employer, Gundren Rockseeker, sits weakly, arms chained to the table.
-The king explains that he is being paid 300 gold for the delivery of the party for the Black Spider- but that he likes the Black Spider even less than the party, and so will let them go if they can beat his price.
-The party begins to pour out their combined treasures, coming up with 350 gold. The king approves, but says that he is receiving services from the Spider as well, and asks what else they can offer to him.
-Sen protests that he was not part of the original group. The King counters that anyone who has meddled in the Spider's plans must be captured, by his orders- they must all negotiate. They protest that they were only sent as protection, and know nothing of his goal- while the King says that the dwarf has said they are very important to unlocking it, and that under threat of torture said he could not do it without them.
-King Grol allows the group to speak among themselves. Gundren begs for the party to free him. Sen notes that he has no money on him. The dwarf pleads that they will all become rich if they can just get him to the mine, that they will all receive their payment, a bonus, and a share of the mine's profits. He tells them that he's the only one that knows the forge's location- the Black Spider can't find it without him, and they must speak a phrase only he knows to activate it. He desperately tells the party that if he is a liar, they are free to kill him.
-The king interrupts them, asking if they have come to a conclusion. Vierna first, asks for some information on the Black Spider, asking which House he is from. The King does not care for the ways of drow, but says he has spoke of Mizzrym- that he is watching out for two of that house. Vierna asks if Valark is one of those names. The King confirms, and asks if he is traveling with them. Vierna says he is on his own path. The King says this knowledge of Valark raises the base price to 400- his employer is very insistent on finding him, and is the one thing he fears.
-Dakwert speaks up, taking off his magical necklace and offering it out. He tells the King of its powers, of how it gives him his magic- and that it comes with a built in tutorial! He protests that he has a very good axe and no need for spells. The warlock tells him it could give him a bigger axe, an axe on fire- Green Flame Blade used to demonstrate. Showing more of its storage power, he begins shoveling all of the offered treasures into the extradimensional necklace, asking that they let all of them go in exchange. (😭)
-The King thinks on this deeply, then takes the necklace and wraps it around his neck, the gnome's necklace a tight choker on him. The warlock tells him that its magic will take an hour to work, but to trust him that this will be all he needs and that he can let them go. The King proceeds to roll a nat one and trusts this statement completely (😭). He walks over to unlock Gundren's chains, sits back down on his throne to admire his new necklace, and tells the party they may leave.
-He gives the party the additional information that the Black Spider is in Wave Echo Cave, working to find his way through it, but cannot make much progress without the dwarf's map. He shares as well that two twin drow of House Mizzrym are the Black Spider's greatest fears- their names Valark and Virith. Where one is, the other is never far- and that they are very good at hiding themselves. The Black Spider is also nothing without his staff, he says. He gives a request to the party that they kill him.
-As the party takes their leave from the throne room, the King picks up a Sending Stone, speaking into it "Your wizardness, we have your adventurers." Reclining on his throne, he tells the party he's given them a head start- and that he suggests they start running. Sid launches the angrily restrained Creak towards the throne, missing him as she hangs from the wall. A response comes from the stone- "Understood. I'll be on my way." He ignores the goblin, telling them they have about a minute until he teleports in, and recommends again that they run.
-The King apologizes, saying that if they can manage to kill the Black Spider, he will be fully on their side- continuing to sit still on his throne, watching. Dakwert, deprived of his magic, starts running from the building, Sen with him to warn the druid, who starts preparing his spell of speed for their getaway cart. Sid prepares his Spirit Guardians. Vierna asks for the Sending Stone, the King tossing it to her.
-A loud crackle of magic sounds from the next room as a teleportation circle activates. The door to the next room opens to a coin flashing through the air from the hand of a drow wizard and activating an aura of magical Darkness, blinding the party. He then casts Rime's Binding Ice, freezing Gundren and Vierna in place.
-Sid, unable to see but in front of the wizard, takes out his Scroll of Thunderbolt and casts it upon his enemy, setting his robes on fire. The orc sends a mighty Magic Missile his way- blocked by the drow's shield spell as magic flows around his robe. Dodging through the Spirit Guardians, the drow wizard launches another blast of ice towards the orc, freezing Sid in the process.
-Appearing from the next room, Creak launches at the Black Spider with her daggers, missing and hitting his cloak instead, a maniacal laugh sounding through the Darkness. Sen charges back through the other side of the castle to shoot the wizard from behind, Dakwert hanging on to him. Creak gets another attack in making the wizard turn in fear, whispering "Glory to House Mizzrym" to him, heard only by the orc.
-Dakwert calls his familiar to him from the necklace, the psuedodragon leaping from the bugbear king to Vierna to break her out of the ice. The orc breaks out Sid next to him as well. The Black Spider reevaluates his situation, casting Invisibility and disappearing from the battlefield. Creak hisses and runs for the teleportation circle room, swinging her daggers in a blind rage. From the caged other tower, the angry screech of an owlbear is heard.
-The pseudodragon flies to Gundren, thawing out the dwarf to reveal his life rapidly fading. It sends a telepathic image to Dakwert of the dwarf's situation- and of the Coin of Darkness's location. Sid charges in to help, stabilizing him with Spare the Dying and carrying the dwarf on his back, picking up and deactivating the coin on the way.
-Unfrozen, Vierna starts yelling obscenities into the Sending Stone, its duplicate alerting the party to the Black Spider's general area- climbing up the open-ceiling owlbear tower. The party continues launching attacks towards the drow in his attempts to leave, as he continues to cast Misty Step to keep distance into the Wood. The Pseudodragon's bites and Sen's arrows continue to find him, Vierna continuing to yell after him. Badly beaten, he shouts into another Sending Stone calling for the wizard Iarno's help- and is eventually teleported away.
-Opening the door to check on Creak, Sid is flooded by a powerful energy as he finds the teleportation circle destroyed, dagger marks all around, and a goblin staring very intensely towards him. The dragonborn picks her up along with Gundren, and starts carrying them back to the cart. Defeated, Creak gives no resistance.
-Frustrated, tired, and badly weakened, the party makes their way back to their cart and the waiting druid. Seeing that they got what they came for, the cart takes off down the path, magically sped along. The orc runs up last, jumping on the back for Vierna to drag him up- while the drow smiles and instead drops him under the cart's wheels as they are removed from the party, the orc's strange stone bouncing onto the cart. There, our session ends!
-As Zoream looks over the strange new gem (and argues with Sen over rights to the hoard), Vierna continues upstairs to inspect the old wizard study, Dakwert's gem in hand. The place is in ruin, one decoration remaining- a framed child's drawing of two orcs, Zoream and his master.
-Zoream continues up the stairs to his rival looking at his childhood drawing- and the remains of the spellbooks pages pressed into the floor. He takes the drawing from her into his pocket, and inspects the ruined pages. He tells Vierna to investigate them, to see the spell. She recognizes it as a minor summoning spell- nothing more. But the drow still considers an accomplice to a mistake guilty. She uses Dakwert's necklace as a stress ball with her mechanical arm, Dakwert's world creaking and shaking.
-The druid tells the party to give him some space while he attempts to work a spell upon the land. The group takes a short rest in the ruins upstairs, Zoream speaking with the gem of the trapped angel some more as it asks for his help, Sid working on his armor and incorporating the scattered scales of Venomfang (to the side eye of Sen), Vierna continuing to squeeze the necklace as she processes, Sen admiring his new hoard, and Dakwert eventually emerging from the necklace to fix the scratches caused by Vierna's arm. Valark and Vierna conspire together for their return to Menzoberranzan- learning they have a common enemy back home.
-Checking back in on the druid, they find him struggling with the spell, having made seemingly little progress. He says a great evil has resided here, and it will take some time to purify- but he should have made enough progress to step away temporarily.
-The party returns to the Neverwinter Wood, Reidoth magically speeding their travel along. Sid watches the forest nervously with the axe's enchantments intruding on his mind, while Sen watches the sky, relieved for the forest's cover from searching eyes. Sid passes around the axe to give a hit of tree anxiety to everyone. How bad could it possibly be?
The druid agrees to lead them to the castle, but not come with them. As the ruined stone structure finally comes into sight, Reidoth stays to watch over the cart while the party steps off. He tells them when they return, he will lead them to Wave Echo Cave.
-Creak begs them them to charge saying she could take them, while Zoream discusses a plan of disguise, as others continue to discuss sending the original party in as prisoners. Looking around the castle, they discover a crumbling wall to enter through. Zoream and Sen cast spells to disguise themselves as a bugbear and hobgoblin. Vierna puts on the purple Tiamat cultist cloak, Dakwert hiding under it. Sid passes as Bearbug, Zoream's deformed brother. A plan half formed, they enter the castle.
-They pass through the goblin barracks, Sen swiping some of their few belongings for his collection. They find a concerning bag of bones and scales, labeled as belonging to "Ek." Sen takes all of these. Continuing on, they pass through the side tower to enter the main entrance.
-Zoream notices a wire shimmering through the light before the door ahead, warning the party back. Backing up to check the door before it, Sid opens the door to a pitch black room with a goblin's reflective eyes staring out at them from a shrine, holding a knife and warning them back from his pet as something slithers above. Sid quickly closes the door.
-Sen throws a rock towards the trapped floor, the stone quickly crumbling beneath it. The slithering from the shrine room rapidly approaches from below, the party hearing a hiss of frustration as it finds nothing. The party makes their way carefully around it to the other side. Valark glances at it while passing, backing away and commenting that its something from his home.
-Zoream: "must be comforting, then" Valark: "not particularly." Zoream: "is there anything that comforts you guys?" Vierna: "Justice."
-Opening the next door, the party walks in on seven hobgoblins feasting in a dining hall, wielding swords and armor. "Bugbear the Wise" speaks up, saying he's new and here about the bounty. When asked who let him in, he gives Ek's name- prompting an immediate negative reaction. Vierna steps forward showing the bounty and the dragonborn- while the hobgoblins decide to simply take the credit instead. Roll initiative!
-Sid's Spirit Guardians leap forward at the attacking hobgoblins, Vierna slashes at the ones in front of her ending one on her halberd, Valark throws an excited Creak towards a hobgoblin as it meets its demise via delighted goblin, and Zoream and Dakwert wear them down with spells.
-The hobgoblins defeated, Sen starts dragging their bodies over to the hole. "Glory to Ek," Bugbear the Wise shouts, as a voice from the shrine room thanks him. They shout through the walls as the creature hisses in delight from beneath, the goblin eventually inviting them in for tea. Everyone becomes much less enthusiastic.
-Sen and Zoream enter the shrine room, still disgusied as a bugbear and hobgoblin, Ek inviting them to take a seat and introduce themselves. They get along, then speak of their plan to overthrow the king- irritating Ek as the King has been accepting of him, and he doesn't really want the place improved. He likes it dark and crumbling, and works for him willingly for free. He suggests they drink some tea and relax.
-Ek continues to pressure the two to drink his tea as they talk, tapping his fingers in an unheard signal to the distracted grick. Sen takes a cautious drink, resisting its affects through his heritage, while Zoream downs it as a power move and is immediately knocked unconscious. Oops.
-The grick finally finishes feasting and slithers overhead, going for a strike at the still-standing Sen from the ceiling as Ek apologizes and speaks of his loyalty to his king. The worm creature circles Sen but finds no hold on him. As it hisses at him, the half-dragon turns and spits a Poison Spray down its beak.
-Hearing the sounds of combat, Sid opens the door to the shrine room with the rest of the party behind him, Spirit Guardians at the ready. The spectral dwarves charge forward and swiftly annihilate the combatants, the grick's body falling on top of Sen.
-Inspecting the grick, Sid removes the clawed ends of its tentacles to forge into daggers, while Sen and the now-awakened Zoream split open the creature and attempt to eat it. Its bad.
The door to the next room opens to a towering bugbear flanked by two hobgoblin guards looking down at the party in disappointment. He tells the party that if they are done tearing apart his castle, that he would like to have a talk with them- in the throne room. Met with the King of Cragmaw Castle, this session comes to a close!
Lost Mine & Abyss Session 11 - A Dragon And A Dungeon
-The party awakens from their rest on the road and returns to their cart, their destination rapidly approaching as Zoream notes familiar trees. Arriving at the ruins of the town at last, passing a sign warning of demons ahead, he tells the party they should head to the town's tower, where it all happened.
-Making their way up the hill, they are attacked by bats swooping at them in the daylight. Their weapon swipes knock them away, revealing their true form as quasits- the one survivor turning away and flying at high speed for the tower. The party ducks into one of the ruined houses for shelter from the sky as more quasits circle in the distance.
-Zoream talks more of the failed summoning, that a quasit is what they were trying to summon- and what they got was much more. Vierna smugly turns to Valark and says that drow summoners would never make such a mistake. Valark pulls Vierna aside and explains in Undercommon some of the recent events in Menzoberranzan- the drow city is crawling with demons foolishly summoned by the First House.
-Taking in the area from the windows and finding it to be safe enough, the party discusses their plan of entry. Sen helpfully suggests they throw the gnome and goblin through the window. Dakwert and Creak protest this aggression to short people. The plan looking more and more like "throw the short people," the small warlock retreats into his extradimensional necklace. Creak is completely distracted by the shine of its gem, trying on the necklace.
-Sid takes the opportunity to pick up the goblin, stepping out of the building and launching her and the necklace towards the 50 foot high window. The goblin lands short of the goal, frozen in place clinging to the stones and refusing to move. Oops.
-Sen crouches through the bushes alongside the trail as they all exit- and is restrained as a large Shambling Mound comes alive around him. The tiefling forces himself free, spitting a Poison Spray upon its entangling vines as the party faces it in combat, to their confusion. Vierna and Valark slash it with their blades, Zoream bonks it with staff and spells, Sid unleashes a cone of draconic fire, and Creak (with Dakwert) continues clinging to the side of the tower.
-Moving towards them from the shadows between houses, a strange druid cloaked in dark leaves joins the fray, beating it back with a spell of Blight as he admonishes the party for their disturbance of this place. He tells them to come with him to his shelter, to not stay in the open here.
-The party points out Creak (and Dakwert) still stuck on the walls of the tower, the druid sighing in disappointment and taking the form of a giant vulture to bring them back down to safety, returning to his human form upon landing. Dakwert exits the shelter of the necklace, on solid ground once more.
-The druid rushes everyone through the ruined town to the building he has taken as his shelter at the edge of town. He tells them he came to this place a year ago, finding that the earth has not rested since the town's invasion- something is wrong, and he must keep travelers away while he works to heal it. The druid Ylsirri was sent for the demons- yet did not stay to heal the land, and was not heard from again, blaming her for leaving this place to its state. Sen protests that it wasn't her job, the druid challenging that it was, and she abandoned her duty- commenting that she was "fond of the form of lizards."
-As the party asks what is keeping him from the tower, a rumbling is heard through the air, the druid motioning them to look carefully out the window as a young green dragon passes overhead- settling into the tower through the opening in the top.
-The druid tells them that the two of them are at a stalemate, neither daring to approach the other. He has done his best to control the plant creatures, but fears the dragon is involved. He tells them that if they want to prove themselves capable enough for this place, if Zoream wants to defend his home, then they should help him drive it off. Zoream asks for his assistance in locating Cragmaw Castle and Wave Echo Cave for their help, remembering Barthen's words of the druid Reidoth's skills as a navigator. The druid agrees.
-Reidoth tells them to take a short rest at his shelter before facing the beast, passing around some tea to the party. Creak bounces excitedly, ready to fight a dragon, conquest in her eyes. Dakwert, next to her, shakes with anxiety. Valark similarly stands still in shock, fearful of the beasts of the surface. Zoream works on the paintings of his spellbook. Sid passes around some special dwarven herb for the nerves.
-Sen and Vierna whisper off to the side, the drow offering a gem from within the compartment on her prosthetic arm, in exchange for the truth. Sen tells the drow that Ylsirri was his mother- and his father, a dragon. And the beast residing in Thundertree- his cousin.
-Setting out towards the tower, multiple plant creatures watch the party- but slink away at the sight of the druid. Another Shambling Mound resides at the bottom of the crater made by Ylsirri's brontosaurus stomps, made of the skeletons of Thundertree- but wisely stays in place. Get shambled, idiot.
-The party enters the cottage attached to the tower of the old wizard's home- finding three dead bodies of Dragon Cult members inside, slashed by claws. Dakwert takes one of their purple cloaks as a blanket, while Zoream takes one to add to his wolf cloak.
-Zoream opens the door to the lower tower, announcing loudly that "IT SMELLS LIKE BITCH IN HERE." Sid echoes it in Draconic to make sure the dragon hears. A growl rumbles through the tower as the large head of a green dragon pokes through the top of the stairs to glare at the party, releasing a cloud of poison gas- almost killing some of the party on the spot, the wizard left to one hp. Creak's battle spirit is immediately extinguished, the goblin hiding in the back.
-Zoream casts Dissonant Whispers upon the beast, shouting for it to get out of his home. The dragon retracts its head scrambles to the top of the tower- then shakes off the fear, leaping from the stairs to face the party on the ground beside his hoard. Its first attacks at Sid miss- but then it goes for a swipe at Vierna- which knocks off the gnome riding on her shoulders, Dakwert flung into the wall- and landing into the dragon's hoard.
-Sid summons his Spirit Guardians, forming the front line with Vierna with the horde of glowing dwarves, radiant axes digging into the beast's scales. The dragonborn then downs a healing potion with the dwarves to block him.
-Reidoth forms a ball of radiant sunlight in his hands, casting a Sunbeam towards the beast, the bright laser hitting it in the face and temporarily blinding it of physical sight- though Valark, unused to the surface, struggles for sight as well, throwing a Poison Knife to no effect.
-The dragon taunts the party, roaring that they are not worthy of his hoard. Locking onto Sen with his blindsight in recognition, the dragon speaks in Draconic that "Your adventure will come to an end, Siendessain."
-Vierna, for the first time this campaign, makes a hit with her battlemaster abilities- doing 24 damage and pulling the beast's attention to her. The beast seems to be weakened, shuffling back from the party and its confidence dropping, looking towards the stairs. Zoream moves to the stairs to block its escape, taking a potion and unleashing Arms of Hadar to smack the beast- its range striking the drow fighter as well.
-The dragon roars, scooping up some of the gems from his hoard- Dakwert, crit failing, swept up in his claws as well. He turns to the stairs, but looks back to Sen and grows in Draconic that "Your time here is at an end. Cal will hear of this." Sen is distressed by this, bringing up family memories. The two argue like squabbling toddlers, Dakwert escaping the beast's grasp as he waves his talons- then starts falling back in as he crit fails again. The gnome grabs onto his necklace, entering its extradimensional space as the necklace falls through the air- and safely into Zoream's hands.
-The dragon and Sen continue roaring at each other, the dragon insulting Sen for the flesh creature taking all of his uncle's attention, while Sen makes fun of his chosen name Venomfang and calls him a "cringe fucking nerd," the dragon protesting that its a cool, strong name. Zoream and Vierna attack Venomfang in his distraction, greatly wounding him. Sen shouts out in Elven to please not kill his shitty cousin.
-The dragon panics and leaps to the top of the tower. "I'M TELLING CAL" "FUCK YOU" "FUCK YOU" "SNITCH" "YEAH." The dragon flies off on his way to snitch to Sen's father. Watch the skies, indeed.
-Left with the hoard, Sen and Sid start digging through the shinies. "Family issues?" Sid says, having understood the whole draconic conversation. "You heard nothing," Sen replies. Sen scoops up the treasure of 800 silver and 150 gold, and four silver goblets into his bags, while Sid locates the practical items of spell scrolls of Misty Step and Lightning Bolt, as well as picking up hilt of the dwarven silver greataxe Hew. Identification reveals it to be enchanted to cut down plants with ease, giving its holder a dislike of forests. The Lor-axe.
-Zoream tells Vierna to come to the study with him, to see the scene that caused all this, the drow making her way up the stairs. Dakwert, too traumatized to leave the necklace, sits this treasure hoard out in Zoream's grasp. Before Zoream walks up, he catches a glint of jade seeming to call to him from the hoard as it tumbles to the floor. Handing Dakwert's necklace to Vierna, the orc steps over to investigate.
-The small jade calls out telepathically to Zoream as he touches it, in a voice he remembers from that day. "Finally, you've come back to me," says the voice of Dema, the guardian angel of Thundertree. "It's been so long, Zoream."
With the defeat of a dragon, the party levels up to level 4!
Lost Mine & Abyss Session 10 - Conspiracies & Character Development
-Zoream urges the party to visit Thundertree and put these rumors of his past to rest. They set out on the road again upon their oxen-drawn wagon, tensions still high.
-On the road, Zoream speaks some of what he saw that day in Thundertree- describing the huge lizard, a singing dwarf, and an elephant man. The others ask Zoream if it was a bad dream, while Sid sighs in recognition and says that his adopted father played the same song.
-Sen asks Valark how he feels about his short time on the surface. He responds that it has been entertaining so far, and that this trip will be a fun diversion from his mission to find Nezznar.
-He asks the party what their mission was, as they realize they have left their employer kidnapped for four days. Sen says to remind him to never hire them. Zoream responds that they don't know where he was taken to- only the name, Cragmaw Castle.
-Wanting to get this over quick and back to shinies before the boss dies, Sen offers to combine his knowledge of the Neverwinter Wood with Zoream's recollection of home to speed the journey along. The two plan a new path forward.
-Zoream asks Sen if he has any tales of his time in the forest. He shares that he's hunted a number of owlbears. One time he got caught in a river and ended up in a town, but shares no more than that.
-Zoream then turns to Sid, asking if he has anything interesting to share to pass the time, asking him to tell more of the dwarf and its strange music-playing mechanical ram. Sid says that they spend days trying to figure out why it did that, despite the dwarf being the one who made it. He concludes it was probably possessed. Zoream asks how he met him, Sid responding that the dwarf found his egg alone in a cave and hatched him. The party debates if this is kidnapping.
-The orc then asks Dakwert how he came by his magical necklace. The gnome tells a story of how a strange man came to him in his shop, handing him the gem-shaped necklace to work on, and then vanishing before he looked up from his tools. He tried on the necklace, which transported him to a strange room with a man made of sand. He was tasked with retrieving an artifact for this strange being, and awoke unable to take the necklace off, threatened with being turned into sand if he refused.
-"so... Mr. Sandman... Told you to bring him... His dream?" "Yes."
-Before they can question this further, Zoream overhears Vierna and Sen's conversation of the dangers of the Wood, and of a warning to watch the sky. "Don't worry about it :)" the tiefling says. At Zoream's mistrust, the tiefling again challenges him on the subject of Thundertree, accusing him of summoning demons. As Zoream recalls more of that day to the party, Valark comments that it sounds like a typical day in his homeland.
-Hours into the journey, breaking the awkward silence of the cart is the sound of an arrow shooting through the air and into the shoulder of one of the oxen. Dakwert yells out in anguish for this crime to their beloved Betsy.
-Sen charges towards the source of the arrow, moving the branches to reveal a hobgoblin archer upon a snarling worg. Sen hisses back, spitting poison upon the creature. Sid follows close behind, slamming his morningstar upon its head.
-Vierna asks Valark if she should help them. Valark responds that he wants to see this through, and asks if Vierna is with them. "Reluctantly," the fighter responds, joining the fight as the party is weakened by hobgoblin blades.
-Dakwert stands from atop the ox, casting a Hex upon the largest hobgoblin as sand swirls around the enemy, and then firing a lethal Eldritch Blast upon it, the hobgoblin falling in a pile of sand.
-Sid summons his Spirit Guardians in the form of the golden dwarves, much to Dakwert's dismay. A "heigh-ho!" Rings out through the path and then silence, as three hobgoblins are slaughtered on the spot.
-Zoream casts Green Flame upon is quarterstaff, felling the final hobgoblin with a mighty bonk.
-Before they have a chance to rest, the sound of a small creature rustling through the bushes approaches the party. Zoream casts Grease upon the ground in front, while Sid readies fire, Sen cheering them on- as emerging from the bush is the familiar friendly goblin Creak Cragmaw, who fails her dex save and falls face-first into the Grease.
-Zoream asks the goblin where she's been. She responds that she's been getting her other orc friend out, and asks them what happened. A lot, Zoream responds. The goblin then expresses disappointment looking over the hobgoblins that none of them were left alive, saying that she's been tracking them.
-Sen fires a warning shot near the goblin, who glares at him in recognition. Creak tells the party that she wouldn't trust that one. Sen twirls his jeweled dagger while staring her down.
-Zoream, suspicious of Creak's whereabouts, questions her more. She explains that the Redbrands captured her and Ataxia at the inn while the party was away, and that they fought their way out of their hideout. Zoream challenges this, saying that they were in there, that they dismantled them, and didn't see them.
-Vierna attempts to pick up the goblin, who dodges out of her grasp to hide behind Zoream. She asks her if she was really with the Redbrands, why she didn't help her, as Vierna was there for days. Zoream asks her how she got past the Nothic. Creak responds simply that they fought their way out. Sen calls Creak a thief and a liar.
-Sen and Creak then start squabbling over their rights to the jeweled dagger, them both claiming they found it first. Sen suggests Creak continue on her way. Creak protests that she helped the party, that she tracked the hunting party here- though the party took care of them first. She says it is wonderful that they've taken care of the Redbrands, but that it was after she got out.
-She expresses disappointment that she cannot question the hobgoblins about the location of the castle. She suggests they search the bodies of the hunting party instead of questioning the tiny goblin girl. Valark comments that this is a wonderful idea to get them back on track.
-On one of the hobgoblins, Vierna discovers a note containing a sketch of the original party- Sid, Dakwert, Zoream, Camilla, Sheara, and Ataxia. Above them is written "25 gold for the delivery of these meddlers to the castle with the other. Alive, preferably," signed with the symbol of a black spider. Valark leans over with interest, saying this is exactly what they need to get in- though they still don't know its location. He announces to the party that they're wanted by the Black Spider.
-Vierna and Sen in Elvish discuss turning the party in to get in to the castle. Zoream, also knowing Elvish, follows this conversation before chiming in in their language that he does not want their friends to be used as bait, though he knows that word is loose to them. The two respond that they're actually fond of Sid and Dakwert. On asking if they just hate him, Sen again brings up Thundertree. Valark suggests they go ahead and get there so they can get back on track together.
-The party gets back in their wagon, Creak following along. She hops on the ox with Dakwert, questioning the gnome of the events since her leaving and where the other two of the original party went. She then questions their new additions- saying she's sure they'll lose a few more along the way, looking at Sen as he sharpens the jeweled dagger. Dakwert tells her that the tiefling has been helpful, despite his hostility.
-Creak expresses that she really wants to find that castle. She tells the party that the dream of a union for the goblin cave didn't work out- the castle simply sent two bugbears in replacement for KIark, and Roblin had been locked in a cage. The new leaders still wouldnt share the castle's location, so she found a hunting party and started following them- which led her to the party. With their deaths, now she is still looking, but hopes she'll find it along the way.
-Zoream asks if it is in a cave. Creak responds that its said to be a grand structure from a distant age in the woods- but nothing about where it might be, and the Wood is large. Zoream recalls no grand castle from his explorations into the woods, but does remember a falling-apart structure he used to dare his friends into going in, south of Thundertree. Creak excitedly asks if he knows where this is, asking what Thundertree is, sparking another argument.
-As it turns to night, the party discusses at length whether to go first to Thundertree or the Castle. Creak begs to see the castle. Valark knows his target may be there, but is so interested in seeing what the hell is in Thundertree that he can wait. It is decided that they will visit Thundertree first, and then finish their business at the Castle.
-Sen warns that Thundertree will be dangerous- that it spreads a demonic plague, one that's killed people. Zoream questions why the tiefling knows so much about Thundertree, saying it must be more than just legends. Sen says only that he has heard much- and questions if Zoream really knows much, questioning if he can even read his spellbook. Zoream reveals that he cannot, but that he has found a more creative way. He shows that he can learn spells through watching others cast, flipping through the spellbook that has been converted to paintings.
-As they start to come to a stop, Zoream, looking at Sen and the spell he recalled from the druid that day, comments that something in Sen reminds him of her. "Weird," Sen says, getting off the cart to start a fire and eat some of his leftover raw owlbear meat. Zoream, also eating raw owlbear meat, questions how Sen can eat it like he can. Sen responds that he's also just always been able to. "Tiefling thing." Maybe Sheara was just really stuck up. Sid joins them in also eating raw meat. The other half of the party stares at them. Out of the Abyss survival gang.
-Zoream pulls out some of his collection of bread. Creak approaches him, holding out her small hands for some, reminding the orc of their first meeting. Sen calls BS on her act, saying that the goblin was clawing and biting at him for the dagger days ago. Creak explains that she was tired, wanted the dagger she found, and a strange creature started fighting her for it. "Creature?" they ask, as Creak backpedals her statement but continues poking at Sen's appearance. Zoream starts pulling the bread away.
-Creak apologizes to Sen, and tells the tiefling that he does not consider him an enemy, and that she will not challenge him for the dagger. They shake on "not enemies." Zoream hands the goblin some bread, which she happily takes.
-Zoream questions why she needs to find the castle. She says that she just needs to see her boss's boss- and "fire" him, as they did in the cave. Even find whose all the way at the top- this "Black Spider," and take him out.
-The party turns to sleep at last, Vierna taking watch as she awakens from her own trance- witnessing as Dakwert falls asleep, sand start to lift off the ground and enter the gnome's necklace.
-Dakwert awakens inside the realm of his necklace, greeted by his dao warlock patron reclining on the pile of gems from the banshee's hoard and putting some of the gems in his own pockets. Dakwert protests, saying he told someone he'd split the treasure with them. The genie reminds him of their deal, that 50% of the gems he finds belong to him in return for his spells- congratulating him on the nice collection gathered here so nicely for him.
-He asks Dakwert how he came across it, the gnome responding that he simply found it. The genie says he knew he was great for this job. He asks Dakwert how his travels have been, as the hoard starts disintegrating into sand swirling around the genie. The gnome says its been great, he's met people, he's been knocked out repeatedly.
-The genie asks if his spells have been helping, to which the gnome responds not really, for how much he's giving up. The genie turns around and excitedly says that he's been thinking for how great he's been, that he's got a new totally "free" spell- Maximillian's Earthen Grasp. He says that with this, Dakwert should be able to get many more gems.
-He tells the gnome he's doing great and he'll check back in later, as Dakwert wakes up. "Not again," he says, before falling back asleep normally.
-In the past of the orc village of Thundertree, many years before the days of our current party, a wizard and his young apprentice perform a summoning ritual- one that goes horribly wrong. The young boy is sent to run to the nearby city of Neverwinter to get help, as an abyssal portal tears open in Thundertree's tower.
-Five 15th-level adventurers answer the emergency call: Valrus the Tiefling Sorcerer, Vremjol the Luxodon Cleric, Ylsirri the Wood Elf Druid, Duncan the Dwarf Cleric, and Alkoth the Crystal Dragonborn Paladin.
-The party makes their way up the hill, beholding the smoke-covered scene of Thundertree's destruction. The orc apprentice, a young Zoream, trails behind them, begging them for help. The party convinces him to hide behind a tree until its all over, the druid handing him a Goodberry.
-As they step into the burning village ready for an awful day of work, the party is greeted by a swarm of useless but very determined Quasits scrabbling at their armor. The party takes them out easily.
-One of the remaining Quasits gives a pitiful roar in defiance- followed by three much louder shrieks. Seeing the combat taking place, three of the vulture-like Vrock demons swoop in close behind. Each sets off a Stunning Screech, a powerful energy passing through the party- failing to take hold on all but the druid, as she falls to her knees paralyzed.
-Valrus calls out to the creatures in abyssal, demanding to know which lord they serve. They respond only that their lord is stronger than any of them- that once they finish with this place, they will move on to the many souls of the nearby city. They laugh as they circle over the party.
-Valrus pelts one of them down to the ground with rocks, the creature landing on a roof next to Ylsirri- happily turning to its new defenseless target. The two remaining quasits also pick on the druid, along with the third Vrock.
-One of the Vrocks lands in front of the rest of the party, viciously attacking with its beak and claws- and getting destroyed by the surrounding party in return.
-Ylsirri frees herself from the Vrock's paralysis, rising to face her attackers as the party rushes to her aid. Duncan summons his Spirit Guardians, golden hawks diving at the surrounding demons. Ylsirri critically smacks the attacking Vrock with a thorn whip. Vremjol summons a Spiritual Weapon. Alkoth finishes crushing the Quasits. Valrus insults the Vrocks from the back.
-Damaged and angry, scales cover Ylsirri as the druid Wild Shapes into a Brontosaurus, its gargantuan form crushing the nearby building and pushing everyone out onto the path. The surviving vrock freezes and stares upwards in shock, releasing poisonous spores- again failing to take hold on anyone. It's death quickly comes for it by Duncan's blade.
-At their defeat, young Zoream bounds after the party, congratulating them on their skill through coughs of smoke and admiring the dinosaur. The dinosaur pushes Zoream with her tail into one of the nearby ruined buildings as the party tells him he needs to stay and hide until they are done. Zoream turns around in the building beholding the corpse of his uncle as the party continues on through the village.
-The smoke thickens the deeper into the village they walk, as they pass through a path of statues. Eyes begin to appear in the smoke, as the haze starts to coalesce into shape- as something very large stalks behind them. Roll initiative!
-Seven Shadow Demons manifest from the smoke to attack the party- and proceed to have a very bad time at the hands of the Paladin's Holy Avenger, the crystal dragonborn sweeping through the shadows with his radiant sword. The Brontosaurus continues its rampage, stomping some of the shadowy creatures out of existence. Duncan, continuing to not get hit by anything, dances his way through the Shadow Demons' attacks.
-Leaping through the smoke from the top of one of the buildings, the apelike Barlgura lands at the base of the Brontosaurus's neck, punching at it with its massive fists and biting it in the throat with its tusks.
-Valrus gathers a spell and summons the strength of the wind to tear the Barlgura from the Brontosaurus, the demon taking a long fall to the ground, growling at the party now in its sight.
-Vremjol casts spells of radiant fire at the creature, burning it in light. Duncan continues dancing through the remaining Shadow Demons while the guardian hawks begin to finish them off. Alkoth, seeing a worthy challenge, charges at the Barlgura, bisecting it with his Holy Avenger. Ylsirri swipes the rest of the Shadow Demons out of existence with her massive tail.
-The Shadow Demons gone, the smoke somewhat thins, revealing the tower ahead above the haze. A winged gargoyle-like demon roars from its perch on the top of the tower, its wingbeats clearing the smoke in a path towards the party, destruction and corpses visible as the cover pulls away. The creature crawls lizard-like down its side to set its life-stealing gaze upon the intruders. The party resists the creature's pull, except for Alkoth- and the young Zoream, peeking out from his shelter at the scene of Thundertree's destruction revealed.
-The Nabassu breathes in their life force, Alkoth standing stoically against it, while the young Zoream is drained of nearly everything within him. The creature flexes its wings in renewed strength, pushing another energy through Thundertree- as the dead rise to meet it.
-The dead of Zoream's shelter raise behind him with arms outstretched towards him- but the young orc is focused on a separate ghoul, running across the battlefield towards what remains of his mother before being yanked back by Valrus.
-Valrus casts Animate Object upon one of the village's orc warrior statues, sending it forth to attack the undead with its enormous stone sword alongside the Brontosaurus's cratering stomps.
-Duncan, lit by the glow of his Spirit Guardians, holds up his holy talisman to the tower, attempting a Banishment upon the Nabassu. The demon shakes off its affects, turning its fury towards the dwarf.
-Vremjol runs up the tail of the Brontosaurus, holding out his symbol as well for another holy Banishment. The Nabassu raises from the tower and howls against him- and then goes silent, dust sweeping through the path as the demon vanishes from this realm. The party takes out the last of the ghouls, while Vremjol carefully maintains concentration on the Banishment spell safe upon the back of the Brontosaurus.
-The village is still and silent once more. The fires still burn and the smoke hangs over the air, but aside from the party, the village appears to be empty of life- but then the ground begins to tremble, and an energy begins to radiate from the tower, the air humming with abyssal power as pebbles start to break off from the tower. The party steps back from the tower cautiously as the portal is still very much alive.
-"Fuck it, we ball, lets go," says the paladin, charging into the tower and up the stairs to crush some demons in the name of holy Bahamut. The strongest abyssal energy he has ever felt washes over the scales of the crystal dragonborn as he climbs the crumbling stairs. Valrus leaves the young Zoream on Duncan's ram steed and follows in after, Duncan trailing from a distance behind. Vremjol on the back of the Brontosaurus remains behind, still holding their concentration.
-At the top of the tower in the wizard's study, pages of the fateful spellbook swirl around the portal still spasming with energy as something tries to come through. Alkoth unleashes his radiant breath upon it, its energy overtaking and weakening the portal as it slowly begins to close.
-Before they can claim their victory, the portal is suddenly ripped open as an even stronger opposite energy flows through it, pushing Alkoth and Valrus to the wall. Stepping out from the now-huge portal is the monstrous Balor, lashing its fiery whip through the study and tearing the portal wide with its sword of lightning. It spreads its wings and roars, its fiery aura catching the spellbook's pages ablaze in the air.
-Valrus, faced with the strongest creature he has ever seen, grabs Alkoth and launches the two of them out the window, hovering in the air as he yells a warning to the others to stay away. Duncan climbs back down the stairs.
-Alkoth, prepared for the duel of his life, commands Valrus to send him back. The sorcerer launches the dragonborn back through the window, landing in front of the fiend with the Holy Avenger drawn.
-The Balor roars, unleashing its weapons upon the paladin, his fiery whip and lightning sword lashing through his armor while its fiery aura begins to melt at the edges of the dragonborn's scales.
-Vremjol's concentration complete, Ylsirri drops back out of Wild Shape and into her Wood Elf form, dropping the Luxodon Cleric safely on the ground. The druid downs her healing potion and launches a spell of Sunburst into the tower's window, yelling an apology to Alkoth as its radiant fire washes over the two combatants.
-Alkoth, casting a determined glare upon the Balor through the aura of fire, pulls out his platinum scale pendant to Bahamut and calls the words to a spell of Banishment. The Balor strains against the spell- and then is no more, the fiery aura washing away. Alkoth stands still and silent, holding out his holy symbol as he maintains the spell.
-Silence continues. A few seconds pass. Then a minute. The portal grows smaller and smaller in front of the paladin, until finally, it seals shut. The swirling pages fall to the ground in a pile of ash, as the air is finally still. The paladin takes a breath, as it is finally over.
-The party reconvenes in the silent village. The fires still burn, but they have begun to subside, the smoke beginning to clear. Alkoth approaches the child Zoream, taking off his helmet, and pressing his platinum scale amulet into the young orc's hands, sending a prayer to Bahamut for his protection. Valrus gifts the young apprentice a spellbook. And from above, as the sun's light finally returns to the ruined land, a voice sounds through the party's mind.
-A being of light manifests before the party. Dema, the protector spirit of Thundertree, thanks the party for defending its last survivor and blesses their journeys. To Zoream, she offers a set of paints to the young orc, who begins to paint over the spellbook's first pages a child's rendition of the days events.
-The presence retreats, as the tree of the town's namesake, wrapped and withered around the tower, starts to heal with a soft glow.
-Duncan suggests the party go for drinks, and there, this demon-slaying oneshot ends!
-The party, led by Valark, approach the fog-covered clearing of the village ruins once more.
-Sen and Dakwert fight over who gets to go for the treasure first. The two sneak over to the tree root hut in the ruins’ center, Sen convincing Dakwert to go for it first and that everything will be fine. Sid and Zoream follow in an attempt to talk reason, while the two drow carefully hang back.
-The two continue fighting over who will get to grab a shiny comb. Sen spitefully takes hold of the comb- and is struck with an intense bone-chilling cold.
-The banshee materializes directly over the tiefling, her claws sunk into his shoulders and blackening the surrounding skin as she tells him not to take what's not his. The banshee begins a low hiss, to which the tiefling responds by hissing back.
-Zoream casts a spell of Grease upon the area, distressing Sen, Dakwert, and the Banshee as them and the precious gems are covered. At this even greater insult to her hoard, the banshee’s attention turns instead to the orc, her hisses increasing in volume. Sen takes this moment to get as far from the banshee as he can, comb still in hand.
-The banshee’s hisses turn to a shriek piercing into the very hearts of the three surrounding her- but passing harmlessly through. Annoyed, she extends her presence through the entire clearing, flooding momentary fear through everyone- and finally taking hold on Vierna, as the drow warrior is paralyzed by terror.
-Sid, not having this, charges the banshee and summons his Spirit Guardians, this time in the form of glowing golden kobolds. The kobolds tear into the banshee, tearing some of her substance away and providing some cover to the small Dakwert. The gnome ducks into the treasure pile, yelling for Sid to light it up, as he vanishes into his extradimensional necklace.
-Valark finally strolls forward next to Zoream as the orc taunts him for his inaction. He twirls out a small crossbow with a fancy movement, and shoots the banshee for a whole unimpressive four damage. “I’m just getting warmed up,” he says.
-Zoream further taunts Valark, saying he can show him how a fancy shot is really done, pulling out his full size crossbow and casting Green Flame upon the bolt. He aims at the Grease under the banshee, green flames shooting up from the hut- which still melt off her ghostly form. Valark says he can still do better.
-Sen hits her with another shot for a wild, riveting, three damage. Ghosts, man.
-Her target of Dakwert nowhere to be seen, the banshee lunges for Sid, nat one-ing and tripping on one of the spectral kobolds. L Grandma.
-Now surrounded by Sprit Guardians and facing Sid’s righteous fury, the banshee meets her end to Sid’s morningstar and a pack of shining kobolds. As she dissipates, the fog surrounding the village drops as well.
-A small, thin mist reforms at the center of the hut, as a much weaker and very unimpressed banshee returns. She tells the party that they have defeated her, and so have earned their question.
-Dakwert emerges from his necklace and Sen rushes for the hut, the two again squabbling for the treasure and shoveling it in to their pockets (and in Dakwert’s case, his extradimensional necklace). In reaction, the banshee again lunges for Dakwert with another, much weaker necrotic attack, telling them to talk this out first and dropping the gnome away from the pile. Sen continues guarding the smaller treasure hoard like a cornered cat.
-The combat completed, Valark strolls into the hut with the rest of them, congratulating them on a fight well done. Zoream apologizes to the banshee, and tells her some of their situation, that they are looking for the same person.
-Sen tries to earn a second question out of them, claiming to be separate groups. The banshee tells them they fought as one, so they get one question. Zoream backs up Sen, noting Valark’s one pathetic bolt. Valark reminds them of the terms of their deal. Zoream says that they have earned the question, not him.
-Vierna stands beside the other drow, unsheathing her sword and reminding Zoream that they had a deal. Valark’s hand goes to his dagger. Zoream tells them not to threaten him, and mentions that both drow didn’t contibute much to the fight. Sen backs away and yells that he’s not part of this.
-All attention now on the brewing fight, Dakwert sneaks back to the treasure pile and continues scooping gems into his necklace. Sen joins him.
-Vierna tells Zoream to step into the field. Zoream asks if Vierna plans to fight him, to which Vierna responds she’ll do more than just that, pointing Talon at him, the sword glowing brightly at its presence to the orc.
-Sen asks Dakwert if he’d like to put aside their differences and share some popcorn. The gnome agrees. Valark joins them on the pile, watching with fascination. Sid and his spiritual kobolds join as well.
-Vierna tells him that her sword will taste orcish blood. Zoream says that he may be feeling hungry for drow. “Ayo?” Valark says.
-”Hey gnome, you wanna make bets?” Sen asks, taking out a shiny gem. Two bets on the Vierna, two bets on Zoream. Sen asks for the banshee’s opinion, as the ghost hovers agitated near her shrinking hoard. She answers that she stays out of this.
-Vierna tells Zoream she knows what really happened at Thundertree- she blames him for the deaths of the village. Zoream takes out his mace, casting Green Flame upon it. Vierna raises her shield, telling him he better not miss.
-Zoream goes for a punch with his ram guantlets as Vierna parries. “Pathetic,” the drow says. Vierna goes for a strike with Talon, missing the orc. Zoream seizes the opportunity to grab the drow, casting Shocking Grasp. Vierna strikes again with Talon, this time finding her target, and then tries and misses in an attempt to trip him.
-Dakwert’s psuedodragon familiar emerges from his necklace to share in the popcorn, then hovers over Sen to share some healing magic with the tiefling.
-Zoream, commenting on her sportsmanship, casts Dissonant Whispers upon the drow as the warrior is overcome with fear once again, backing away from the orc wizard. The orc then goes for a Magic Missile, three bolts finding their way through the drow’s armor. Vierna still backing away, Zoream then launches another psychic spell.
-No longer entertained by the fight, Valark stands up and strolls over to the clearing as he says its time to calm down, pulling out his hand crossbow with a special bolt and taking a shot at the orc- which only angers him further as the effects fail to take hold. Valark reminds him that they have a job to do, and killing his useful adventurers isn’t part of it. He then takes another shot at Zoream as he fails to back down- the strong orc still shrugging off its effects. Valark backs down and looks to the party for backup.
-Zoream says he will back down when Vierna takes back her accusation. Valark tells him to drop his spell and give her the choice. Vierna catches her breath and approaches. Zoream begrudgingly sends a Healing Word her way, and asks if she will concede.
-Vierna says she can end this, but that she won’t apologize to a murderer. Zoream prepares to fight again, when Valark steps in to ask what this is all about. Zoream says that he was a child, while Vierna brings up witnessing his demonic magic. Sen readies an arrow at this. Vierna tells Zoream he’s hurt people, that Sen lost someone at Thundertree.
-Zoream ignores this, instead turning to the very confused banshee to apologize. Valark suggests they get on with their deal. He approaches the banshee, asking his question- “Where is Nezznar Mizzrym?”
-A chill covers the air at the question’s end, the ghost’s eyes glowing blue. The banshee gives her answer of “Wave Echo Cave, in the Sword Mountains.” The fog surrounding the area then disappears, along with the ghost. Dakwert and Sen immediately begin shoveling the rest of the hoard into their pockets.
-Zoream rejoins the group, asking where they’re off to next. Valark remarks that he has no idea where this location is, with his little experience on the surface. The party recognizes the Sword Mountains as the mountain range south of Phandalin, but no more specific than that, the cave’s name unfamiliar to them.
-Zoream requests that before heading back to town, they make a detour- to see the ruins of Thundertree for themselves, to put the rumors at rest. Additionally, the druid familiar with the secrets of this land was seen investigating the ruins.
-The party, tension still between them, gather back together to set out on the road back the way they came, Valark following behind. Here, this action-filled session ends!
Lost Mine & Abyss Session 8 - Your Wizard Is In Another Castle
-The party continues along the Triboar Trail with their new member, the Neverwinter Wood growing taller around them.
-Looking at their map, Zoream notes with relief that their trail takes them away from Thundertree. Vierna, suspicions forming, again questions Zoream about what exactly happened there. Zoream answers that he was young and doesn't remember much, but that one day demons appeared in his village. He had ran for help, but by the time he came back it was mostly gone. Sen listens intently.
-Night falls after a long day of travel, and the party decides to stop and make camp for the night before heading deeper into the looming Neverwinter Wood. Sen and Zoream step away deeper into the Wood to collect firewood, Vierna noting that her new sword strangely stops glowing until they return.
-Sen takes out the owlbear meat for the party to eat, with Zoream supplying bread. The party shares in cooked owlbear sandwiches, except for Sen who eats it raw like an animal. "It's a tiefling thing," he says.
-Zoream and Dakwert share stories about the people they're connected to, while Vierna questions Sen.
-The rest of the party rests while Sid and Vierna take watch, the dragonborn scaring away a wolf from their camp. Dakwert takes the next watch, anxiously watching as vultures big enough to carry the small gnome away circle over the forest ahead.
-Day arrives, and the party returns to the cart and sets off down the trail once more. Their surroundings darken as the canopy covers the sky, and a fog thickens around them as they continue. The trail opens up to the remains of a broken down village reclaimed by nature.
-The party continues forth carefully. One building catches their eye, a hut in the middle with a large tree growing through it. A faint glow is seen between the roots and wall remains, concealing a pile of treasures.
-Sen strongly warns them away, as a sharp cold comes over the investigating Zoream and Dakwert. Looking back after pulling the others down the trail, Sen feels a painful chill as a ghostly figure watches them leave.
-Investigating their surroundings, the party finds the trail Sildar mentioned. The ominous fog recedes as they leave the town remains behind, the creepy energy instead provided by the looming Netherese ruins.
-As they approach the entrance to the structure, they can see three forms cocooned in webs- one of which starts struggling and calling for help as they approach. Vierna backs away from the sight, calling to burn the webs. Sen removes the webs around his face to reveal one of the Redbrands.
-The Redbrand looks to his saviors, recognizing Sid and Dakwert as the "new recruits." He begs them to free him, saying that he doesn't know what happened, but that the boss disappeared, and then he was captured by spiders and questioned. He begs that he doesn't known anything, that he just wants to get back to the hideout, man.
-He says he was interrogated by a hooded figure, that he kept being asked where a "Nezznar" was, that he's never heard the name before. He looks at Vierna in fear, asking if she is working with him, that the one who took the boss was another drow. He once again asks them to let him leave, that the spiders and his captor are still here.
-The party sets him free and pays him for his information. He tells them that someone came into their hideout pretending to be the boss, and sent them against the real one. They met up with the true Glassstaff, but then he was teleported away by a dark elf. He guesses that might have been Glassstaff's boss who they don't know much of, but the poor fool is too shaken to remember much.
-Dakwert, on high alert as the smallest of the group, notices a movement from above as three giant spiders descend on the party. Roll initiative!
-The spiders attempt to restrain the party with webs, then dropping onto them when that fails.
-Zoream struggles to hold the giant spider back, casting Shocking Grasp upon it. The spider crackles with lightning, then falls dead on top of the frightened orc.
-One of the other spiders goes to restrain Vierna, this time succeeding, the fighter trapped in webs on the ground.
-A shrouded figure steps out of the ruins and calls for combat to stop. The figure laments the loss of his favorite spider, lifting it off the orc and cradling it in his arms. The remaining spiders move to guard the entrance of the trail.
-He questions the party on what they are doing here, messing with his plans and freeing his prisoners. The Redbrand cowers in place.
-He approaches the restrained Vierna, asking why she is here. She asks the same of him, to which he responds that he is tracking down a runaway- his cousin, playing with surfacers. She introduces herself as a noble warrior of House Duskryn, the figure responding that he is of House Mizzrym. He helps her out of the webs and to her feet, saying that they can help each other.
-He again questions the party on their presence. Zoream answers, telling him that they are searching for a wizard. The figure responds that is his goal as well. Zoream asks him if his wizard's name is Iarno- He answers that no, it is Nezznar Mizzrym. He says that Nezznar keeps the company of a human wizard, however.
-Zoream shows him the note from the Black Spider. The figure responds that it does sound like him to use an uncreative name like that for a dark elf.
-The figure tells Vierna that she travels with entertaining surfacers. The two bond in ominous conversation of the party's weaknesses. At the party's rebuttal, he responds that he could defeat them all singlehandedly, but that he has a better use for them in their shared goal.
-He introduces himself as Valark Mizzrym, offering his help. He says it is his first time on the surface, and that with their help his mission can be completed quickly.
-Zoream tells him of how they ended up in Phandalin and the capture of their dwarven employer, how the Black Spider sent out the order. He is intrigued at this, and though he doesn't know where Cragmaw Castle is, he says "one of the others" might. Valark is impressed at their tale of their infiltration of the Redbrands, growing some respect for the surfacers.
-He offers something to help them both- the banshee guarding the ruined village, while having wealth for the party, is also known to answer any question of one who defeats her. He hopes to find the location of his wizard quarry- and in the process, theirs.
-Sen, having had clashes with the banshee before, jumps at an opportunity to finally get his hands on that treasure. Dakwert shows a strong interest in it as well. He says she is very protective of her treasure, and any approach made to it will draw her out- one of them can be used as bait.
-Valark, commanding his spiders to move away from the trail, begins to lead the party back towards the ruined village, and there our session ends!
-The party makes their way back down the trail from the Redbrand hideout, Sildar offering rooms for another night in the Stonehill Inn for their trouble.
-The rest of the party goes immediately to sleep after the day they had, while Dakwert stays up to work on a firestarter to combo with Zoream's Grease spell.
-In the night, Zoream awakens to the sound of someone climbing his window. He gets up to see the Game Manager from Brendas & Bakesales pointing a sword at him before shattering his window. Roll initiative!
-Putting a wall between himself and his now two attackers, Zoream calls upon his magic and a spectral demon and goblin come to his aid. The demon happily jumps to its favorite hobby of mauling.
-Sid is also awoken from sleep by two Redbrands. He casts Spirit Guardians, summoning glowing golden dwarves in a ring around him to take care of it for him.
-Dakwert awakens to a sword stabbed into the pillow next to him, and the annoyance of a Redbrand as the attacker's second sword is dropped under the bed.
-Vierna had woken up early to work on her prosthetic arm, and is completely unbothered by the sounds of combat around her as she continues.
-Dakwert, not prepared for this situation, summons his familiar, a small topaz pseudodragon, from his extradimensional necklace and sends it to Sid's room. The pseudodragon telepathically sends an image of Dakwert and the Redbrand attacker to the Dragonborn.
-Sid grabs the tiny dragon as it gives a shriek of surprise, heading to Dakwert's room for assistance, his spiritual dwarves following behind. Seeing the Redbrand by the window, he launches the pseudodragon to attack it-
-...missing his shot, and instead launching the terrified creature out the window with all the strength of the large dragonborn into the building behind.
-The window of Barthen's house shatters, the orc shopkeeper awoken to a very confused cat sized dragon on his bed. Dakwert projects an image to him of his perilous situation, framed by "sorry, bottom text."
-Sid, too tired to deal with his situation, walks just close enough for the Redbrand to be in range of his Spirit Guardians, as the dwarves happily dance forward and send this man to his doom.
-Zoream's summoned friends continue mauling the Redbrands while the orc wizard watches in safety. Vierna eventually comes to see what all the noise is about, sees this horrible scene, and leaves.
-Sildar emerges from his room, sword at the ready- to find that everything already taken care of. He is, as always, just deeply tired of this whole situation, and returns to sleep hoping this was all a dream.
-The topaz pseudodragon eventually makes it's way back through Dakwert's window, having seen enough in its 30 second life to be done with it. Dakwert sends the tired creature to Sid's room to project an image of Dakwert flipping him off, framed by "fuck you, bottom text." The pseudodragon returns and drops to sleep in the corner.
-In response, Sid sends his spiritual dwarves through the connecting wall to stare him down until the end of the spells duration. The party drops immediately back into sleep except for a very paranoid Dakwert.
-The party awakens to find it was unfortunately not a dream, as shattered glass and scratch marks surround the rooms. Sildar can pay for that, right?
-Sildar greets the party (minus Vierna) outside their rooms, telling them that this is beyond what they were hired for and that they are free to leave if they wish, with their employer missing and the map nowhere to be found. He tells them that if they can take down the Black Spider, the common thread behind both their missions, then he will pay them 100 gold each. Zoream convinces him to pay 25 gold to them now for their troubles.
-The party discusses their next move over breakfast. They know a druid at Thundertree could help them with locations- but Zoream tells them of the towns demonic history, and decides to not unpack all of that right now. They decide the most immediate concern is tracking down Glassstaff before he can return to terrorizing the town.
-The party visits Barthen's Provisions before setting out, telling him of the night before and purchasing supplies for the road ahead, including some much needed Potions of Healing.
-They return to the Triboar Trail that they came to Phandalin from, this time continuing forward for another long day on the trail towards the Neverwinter Wood.
-A few hours into their journey, the party hears a loud crashing sound from the woods to the side of the road, before seeing a large creature, half-owl and half-bear, stop at the top of the hill. It looks at them in surprise, before preparing to launch at their horses.
-Not having this, Zoream rises from the cart and casts Dissonant Whispers upon the creature. It halts it's attack and shrieks, crashing back the way it came- heading full speed directly for an unseen hunter. "OH, WHAT THE FUCK," the party hears shouted distantly.
-Hearing someone in distress, Vierna steps off the cart and heads towards the owlbear, before being greeted with the creature's claws as the hunter turns it back.
-The owlbear receives a large morningstar ripping into its side and an eldritch blast scorching its chest. The green tiefling hunter catches up to the party, finishing it off with an arrow and mourning the loss of it's rare pelt.
-The tiefling berates them for their damaging combat, telling them of how long and carefully he was tracking the creature. Zoream offers to buy what remains in apology. The tiefling takes the gold, but for far less than it would have been worth.
-The tiefling introduces himself as Sen as he works on collecting the rest of the owlbear's materials. The party asks him along, as he knows these woods better than they do. At the mention of 100 gold in it for him at the end of the job (and another 100 if Gundren is found), Sen eagerly accepts.
-Continuing along the Triboar Trail with a new party member gained, the session comes to an end!
Lost Mine & Abyss Session 6 - Of Brendas & Bakesales
-The party, plus Sildar, continues on the path to the mysterious tunnel they found in the woods, Zoream disguised in the form of the orc Redbrand Cronk and the others wearing their jackets, while Camila and Sheara stay behind to watch over the town.
-To fill the creepy silence of the long walk through the tunnel, Zoream loudly asks if anyone has thought about where they go when they die. The sound echoes through the tunnel, the skittering in the cave ahead abruptly stopping.
-The tunnel expands into a deep crevasse cut into a larger cavern. Through the darkness, they can see a dark form on all fours watching them from behind a boulder with one large green eye. Sid points his lantern shield at the creature, forcing it to run into the open.
-The creature telepathically questions them on their purpose here, before probing into Zoream’s mind and determining them to not be a threat, questioning Zoream’s knowledge of his own magic. Zoream tells the creature that they plan to “evict” the Redbrands. The creature, introducing itself as a Nothic, shows them where to climb out, asking for the bodies of the slain Redbrands in return. Zoream hands it some bread in thanks. The nothic returns to the dark.
-The party scales the crevasse wall, hearing the sounds of crying from a nearby part of the cavern. Making their way through another small tunnel, they discover a hidden stone door, the sounds of crying more audible. Within they find chests containing engraved plate armor that Sid changes into, a halberd that Zoream takes, and a shield. Finished looting, the party continues on.
-In the next room, they find a human woman and two children in a locked cell, with a drow woman huddled sadly in the other corner. The human woman begs the party to let her out, fearing the unthreatening dark elf. The party questions what she did, to which the drow shifts to sit up, revealing that she only has one arm. The woman becomes a little embarrassed. She tells them that the Redbrands have captured other villagers when they did not obey, and have sold the past prisoners into slavery, begging again to be let out.
-Sildar offers to escort the family back to Phandalin. Sildar laments not being able to confront the wizard himself, and tells the party not to kill him if possible, as he wants him to face justice in Neverwinter. Before they can get to the door, they hear a voice call through the hallway of a Redbrand telling someone named Gary that his lunch break is taking too long. As he turns the corner, Sid punches him into the wall, killing the man on the spot. On his body they find the keys to the cell, releasing the prisoners.
-The drow exits the cell, and quietly asks if she can have her equipment back. Sid awkwardly changes back into his chainmail, and Zoream hands over the halberd. She introduces herself as Vierna Duskryn, and says that as a knight she is in their debt for the rescue. Introducing our new party member!
-She asks to go with them to fight the Redbrands, telling them that her prosthetic arm was taken by them. Sildar introduces himself as a fellow knight, glad for another fighter to take his place, and takes his leave with the prisoners, along with the Redbrand body for passage from the nothic.
-Continuing through another passage, they hear snoring behind a door, which comes to a stop as they search the room- and hear a voice startled that they overslept on their lunch break. Gary the Redbrand opens the door, to immediate death by Sid and Vierna.
-The two other redbrands in the room wake up shocked. Zoream, still impersonating the orc Redbrand, tells them to get back to work. The others, very frightened, give Zoream all of their drugs in return for them not being reported. Zoream introduces the others as new recruits, heading to torture Vierna on their first day. He learns from them that a goblin killed four of the Redbrands that had come to capture the party the previous night, most likely Creak, with only one survivor returning. They also learn that Vierna’s arm is in the boss’s study room, and that two bugbears are watching over the Redbrands. Zoream tells them to just stay there until he comes back for them, handing them some bread.
-They continue on to where the Redbrands had pointed out their meeting room, dropping the body of Gary to the nothic as they cross the bridge across the crevasse.
-Zoream enters the meeting room, introducing their new recruits, to a table of startled redbrands attempting to cover up dice and minis, not wanting to be caught playing the hot new game Brendas & Bakesales on the job. He tells them he’s cool and they don’t have to worry about it. He suggests giving the drugs he got disguised within bread to the two bugbears causing issues for their game as the Game Manager enters, helping their campaign to begin. “Cronk” takes his leave, building up the poor orcs reputation as the coolest Redbrand. None of them roll high enough to question any of this.
-Every other adversary now subdued with bread (how does this keep working), the party continues to the wizard’s study. The party prepares for combat, readying spells and an illusory duplicate of Vierna, as they open the door to a quiet study, inhabited only by a rat. Books, trinkets, potions, and notes decorate the room, including Vierna’s arm, which she quickly retrieves. They hear papers rustling from the next room as they loot the room, along with quick footsteps and the sound of glass shattering.
-From the way they came, the door opens as the real Cronk enters the room, announcing that he got the books the boss wanted- and then is shocked to see the disguised Zoream. Zoream fools him into believing that he is the boss practicing a new potion, and tells Cronk that he is the best of them- and that an imposter has broken into his room using the same potion. Cronk rolls so bad on insight, rushing into the next room to take down this imposter.
-The door slams open to reveal the wizard Glasstaff, who slams his staff into the ground, launching a sheet of ice through the room. Saying that he never did like Cronk, he launches a Magic Missile at the both of them. Zoream encourages Cronk to fight with all his strength, as the poor orc charges Glasstaff.
-While distracted fighting off the orc, Sid slams the wizard with Klark’s morningstar, knocking out half the wizard’s hit points in one strike.
-Vierna and her echo roll multiple nat ones, stabbing the door, Glasstaff’s notes, and herself, but never hitting the boss. Getting used to that arm again!
-”You think you’re the only one that can do that?” Glasstaff says, using his second lair action to split into three copies of himself- which is immediately undone by a combination Grease spell and fire breath from Zoream & Sid- catching Kronk in the process in his rush to defend Zoream. In retaliation, Glasstaff fires another Magic Missile at the opposing wizard, knocking Zoream unconscious- dropping his Disguise Self spell.
-Glasstaff puts his hands up in surrender, asking what they want from him. Cronk asks him why he attacked the boss, to which Glasstaff finally brings him to the realization that he is the real boss. Cronk, barely standing, then turns against the party.
-Dakwert, sliding into the room, fires the killing blow on Cronk with an Eldritch Blast. Goodnight sweet prince.
-In the distraction, Iarno smiles, raising his staff and firing a shockwave out around him. The others hold their ground through the pain- but the gnome is thrown unconscious against the wall. Iarno then vanishes into a hidden stairwell.
-The dragonborn cleric heals their two fallen companions. Zoream awakens to the sight of the body of Cronk.
-Zoream re-casts Disguise Self as Iarno, as the party searches the room. They find some notes and letters Glasstaff didn’t manage to take with him or burn in the fight, addressing him as Lord Iarno Albrek, and signed with the symbol of a Black Spider. The notes speak of orders for Glasstaff to capture certain people, keep the townsfolk away from some areas, and places to watch, along with a note to capture strangers soon arriving to Phandalin- the party. Looking through his study, they find books and notes on the subject of the Forge of Spells, a magical mine who’s location has been lost.
-The party, with the disguised Zoream leading them, goes to inform the Redbrands that an intruder has taken his form and escaped through the hidden exit, and that he has killed Cronk. Enraged, the Brendas & Bakesales party storms off to avenge Cronk.
-As the party continues to explore the manor, Vierna goes to leave, bringing the body of Cronk for the Nothic. Speaking with the creature and searching the crevasse, Vierna discovers the magical longsword Talon between the rocks- whose blue light grows dimmer as Zoream walks farther away. Vierna, tired of this place, goes to leave down the tunnel.
-The party, finding the manor empty, makes their way back out of the hideout through the tunnel, Zoream dispelling his Disguise Self spell. They are met by Sildar waiting outside with three armored figures. He is discouraged to hear that the boss was indeed Iarno, and that he had escaped.
-The party shows him the notes recovered from the wizard’s room. Sildar recognizes the name The Black Spider as a dangerous criminal who had come up in his guild’s reports, but knows no further. He requests the party come with him to investigate the place of his disappearance- a ruin of the Netherese Empire deeper within the Neverwinter Wood, in hopes that it could find some clue of what happened to him- or even the wizard himself. But first, he says, the party deserves a rest, as he offers to pay for another night of rooms at the inn.
Lost Mine & Abyss Session 5 - Good Deeds Get Bitches
-Zoream returns to consciousness surrounded by Redbrands. One of the Redbrands leaves to alert the boss at the command of the one who brought Zoream in.
-Sheara catches up with the party, three Redbrands chasing after her. She jumps inside the window of the Sleeping Giant, her and Sid pulling the attention from the heavily injured Zoream.
-As the Redbrand guarding over Zoream turns to fight the newcomers, the orc attacks him from behind with his staff, and he falls to the ground dead. Zoream casts a spell of Grease upon the floor of the taphouse, causing the other Redbrand guarding over him to slip and fall unconscious
-The previously injured Redbrand by the window, still covered in Camila's arrows, decides to take his chances jumping out the window, dodging the attacks of Sid and Sheara- and is slammed into the building dead by Dakwert's Eldritch Blast before he can get away.
-Sheara gives some more healing to Zoream. Sid and Zoream grab two of the unconscious Redbrands to question, as the three leave the Sleeping Giant and step out to the combat outside
-Camila, “muscle mommy,” confidently solos the Redbrands attacking her, until one gets a lucky hit, bringing the goliath down in one strike.
-Dakwert, too caught up in celebrating his Eldritch Blast finally hitting, doesn't see the Redbrand coming up behind him until the gnome has a sword through him. Another party member down, the fight suddenly turning dire. Zoream casts a Ray of Sickness in revenge, throwing the Redbrand’s body against a nearby tree.
-Sheara and Sid run to Camila’s defense, killing her attacker. Sid brings their companions back to consciousness with his Healing Word, and the party decides to get the hell out of here before reinforcements arrive. Not feeling safe in the Inn, they run to Barthen’s Provisions for shelter.
-The orc shopkeeper quickly brings them inside, asking them what happened. He brings them to a trapdoor leading to the basement, telling them the Redbrands have been searching the town for them, including his shop.
-The party interrogates one of the now tied up Redbrands, Stone. They ask him of the gang’s plans. He responds that they’re doing it because they can party all day and it’s cool, and he wants to be cool like Jordan- Zoream interrupts by telling him that Jordan is dead, as Dakwert dances in the background singing “I’ve got his socks, i’ve got his socks.” Stone is horrified.
-They question him about their boss. Stone says they call him Glasstaff, because of his cool glass staff. He is a human wizard with dark hair and a beard wearing a red robe, who showed up two months ago and helped them to be stronger. The party makes the connection of Glasstaff's identity with another wizard who came to Phandalin two months ago- Iarno Albrek, Sildar's partner- though Stone doesn’t recognize the name.
-Stone tells them that their hideout, other than the Sleeping Giant, is in the broken-down Tresendar Manor atop the hill on the edge of town by the woods. Their boss stays there. In total, Stone believes there’s about forty or fifty of them- but not all of them being reliable, and the party killed a lot of their best. He laments Jordan, as Dakwert mocks him with the dead Redbrand’s pink beholder socks again.
-They ask him any other secrets they may have, anything creepy, to which Stone describes the “creepy fucker” that lives at the bottom of their cave- one eyed, smells bad, eats dead things. He doesn’t know much of him, as he tries to stay away from him. Sheara makes a comparison to Stone’s mother.
-Stone tells them that his bros are real cool and that the boss can kill all of them. Zoream asks him for more information on what his boss can do. He describes spells of Mage Hand, light to scare the Creepy Fucker away, a spell to restrain people, and some magic beams.
-Seeing the end of his usefulness and not enough of Bro to die for his homies, Stone begs for his life and offers to take them to the boss. Not trusting him, they ask him how to get there instead. He tells them of a tunnel in the woods leading to their cave below the manor. Zoream then knocks Stone out.
-They wake up the second Redbrand, Clayton. He recognizes Zoream and is sad that the orc didn’t really want to party with them. They ask him for more information about their boss. He doesn’t know the wizard’s name either, only that they call him Glasstaff. He says they don’t see him much, that he mostly stays in his room, gives them their orders, and then they get paid and go drinking. They ask what they would do if the wizard wasn’t around anymore- Clayton says that their boss is probably too cool to die, but that the Redbrands would still all be bros and have the knowledge Glasstaff gave them- but without his direction. He says Jordan would probably lead them. Dakwert practices restraint.
-Zoream suggests that they do good things and help people to get their money and drink instead. The Redbrand doesn’t understand this idea, saying that takes work and they could just steal what they want instead and keep their life of partying. Clayton receives death stares, a stab in the leg, and a retelling of how Zoream got his grisly fur and hair cape. Clayton is mortified at this, begging that he can’t go bald because he needs his hair to get bitches. The party informs him that he will never get bitches.
-Zoream tells him that the way to get bitches is to be good and righteous, true to yourself, and not an asshole. He tells him he will be invited to parties, respected. He tells him he could be an adventurer. Clayton is inspired by this, and says Glasstaff was never that great anyway, and doesn’t get bitches.
-The party turns away for a discussion, Zoream confident now that Sildar’s lost partner and Glasstaff are the same. They decide they need to get Sildar. Dakwert suggests a possible plan, revealing that the necklace he wears contains an extradimensional space that he can retreat into. He suggests they could gift it to the wizard, where Dakwert could later surprise attack him.
- Zoream climbs back up the ladder to ask Barthen to bring their knight friend to them, along with their other two companions left in the Stonehill Inn. Barthen returns with Sildar, but says that the barkeep told him their goblin and other orc friend were already taken by the Redbrands earlier.
-”So, once again, what the fuck,” Sildar says, permanently exhausted. He asks them what they did, as Zoream tells him of how his wizard friend may be the leader of the Redbrands. Sheara asks for his description. Short dark hair and a beard, red robes, human, Sildar replies. He had a different staff, but the similarities are close.
-Sildar doesn’t want to accept this, saying Iarno isn’t like this, that he must have been captured. The party tells him that Glasstaff is the one that taught them. Clayton confirms this. He tells them that Iarno had come to the Phandalin area to study some nearby ruins left behind by the Netherese empire in the farther Neverwinter Wood. He says he’s heard concerning stories of the area, of ghosts and magic. In denial, he says something must have caused this change, if it is true. Sildar says they’ll need to give this Glasstaff a visit.
-The party asks if Iarno liked jewelry, and if he might want to give him a necklace like Dakwert’s for their time apart. He is confused at this, and says maybe he doesn’t know who he is anymore, to go from his companion for years to a gang leader, children kidnapper, and someone to ghost him for months. “Dude, that’s sooo not cool,” Clayton adds.
-The party settles down in their hiding spot, the two Redbrands left tied up on the opposite side, for a long rest. Dakwert examines Jordan’s lucky socks, and finds them to be magical, indeed helping with his difficulty to be hit. The gnome puts them on. Pink beholder thigh highs equipped.
-Barthen checks in on them in the morning, as the party describes what they’ve learned and their plan. The party asks Clayton for a map of their hideout, which the Redbrand draws with excellent skill. Sheara asks him why he became a Redbrand when he was so good at drawing. He says his art skill was never appreciated. The party suggests to him a new future. He and Barthen have a conversation, and Barthen suggests he work for him in the store. Clayton agrees. Barthen says he’ll deal with Stone later.
-Clayton gives up his Redbrand jacket to the party, saying it could help them. They take the still-sleeping Stone’s jacket as well. Zoream gives him a motivational speech, and Clayton promises to be better, and be like his new bro “Big Z” some day.
-The party makes their leave, Barthen giving them some free lanterns for their journey and wishing them luck. They make a stop at the blacksmith’s to pick up Zoream’s newly decorated mace, and the ram gauntlets for Zoream and Sid.
-The party, plus Sildar, make their way out of town and along the path to the woods once more. The hill and it's ruined manor looms in the distance before the rising sun, and here, the fifth session ends!
-The party returns to the Stonehill Inn to see Ataxia still passed out on the table with Creak and many other patrons of the inn. Well, at least they know the drinks work.
-Having some more time left before The Plan, the party heads to Barthen’s Provisions and pick up some portable rams. They return to the blacksmith, still working on the frog emblem, and have him start work on turning them into gauntlets for Sid and Zoream to punch real good.
-Sheara splits off to talk more with the Tymora cleric and loses track of time. Two healers out in a combat session!
-Night falls, and Zoream retrieves the barrel and makes his delivery to the Sleeping Giant taphouse. The Redbrands attempt to pressure him into staying and drinking with them, but release him with the promise of more alcohol to come.
-As Zoream acquires more alcohol, Camila sneaks out to observe the effects of The Plan. The once-crowded taphouse is mostly cleared out, with five asleep, three in process of falling asleep, and three nervously alert. This leaves many unaccounted for, though- and Camila then hears the noises of a large crowd of frat boy voices yelling to find them. She sneaks back to the inn to inform the party, who sneak out towards the Sleeping Giant behind the buildings
-Dakwert is spotted by one of the Redbrands, who breaks away to question him on the location of the Gilded Frogs, Dakwert having not introduced himself to the gang yet. Sid comes out of hiding to attack him. Roll initiative!
-Zoream takes out the Redbrand (Kyle) with a Ray of Sickness. He, Dakwert, and Sid go running through the trees for the Sleeping Giant while Camila stays behind to move the body and lead the others away.
-The three other Redbrands searching with Kyle run up to see Camila and no sign of their dear friend. They demand Camila tell them what happened, while the rogue goes running into the woods in the opposite direction of the party. The three Redbrands (Jordan, Gunter, and Kevin) go running after Camila. Kevin trips over the dead body of his best bro Kyle and is traumatized
-Sid and Dakwert hang back to attack the Redbrands at range, while Zoream continues running ahead to the Sleeping Giant. The Redbrands continue to gang up on Camila, until Sid runs over and smacks Gunter into the ground. Kevin, being a teenager and a little bitchboy, runs away, tripping over Kyle again in the process.
-Now very badly beat, Camila disengages and starts running to catch up with Zoream. Jordan, similarly low and rage in his eyes, runs after the goliath, dodging Sid’s attempts to stop him.
-Zoream arrives at the back of the Sleeping Giant, casting Dissonant Whispers through the cracked window at the nearest Redbrand, causing him to go running out of the building. Another alert Redbrand (Frank) witnesses this and kicks open the window to attack Zoream
-Meanwhile, Sid and Dakwert spend the next couple rounds trying and failing to hit 3 HP Frat Boy Jordan, who Fortnite dances at their efforts, bragging about his lucky socks. They are pink with beholders on them.
-The drowsy Redbrands within the Sleeping Giant crowd around the window to see what’s happening. The last alert one (Josh) pushes one out of the window to get to Zoream
-Jordan continues stabbing Dakwert while dodging every hit in style. He’s simply too much of a chad to die.
-Zoream gets ganged up on by the Redbrands stumbling out of the window, and is knocked unconscious. Frank drags his body into the Sleeping Giant, and Camila arrives to see him tell someone to keep him alive and bring him to the boss. She takes some shots at the Redbrands left outside with her bow.
-Sid restrains Jordan to make an easy target for Dakwert’s dagger- which the Redbrand still manages to dance around. Sid finally has enough and just snaps his neck. Dakwert steals the lucky socks from his body, and the two run to help Zoream and Camila.
-Inside the Sleeping Giant, Zoream makes death saves as Frank continues dragging the unconscious orc in and dumps him onto a table. Josh, left outside, is almost downed by Camila’s arrows before finally leaping inside and hiding against the cover of the wall. His predicament is ignored by the other Redbrands completely.
-Sid and Dakwert arrive at the Sleeping Giant at last. The gnome gives Camila a potion of healing, and the dragonborn cleric casts a Healing Word through the open window. Zoream returns to life surrounded by Redbrands, pretending to still be unconscious. In this dangerous situation, the fourth session ends!
Lost Mine & Abyss Session 3 - Gathering Information
-The next morning, the party gathers in the first floor of the Stonehill Inn to discuss their next plans. They plan to make their move against the Redbrands by posing as alcohol merchants and poisoning the drinks. They come up with the company name The Gilded Frogs & Co.
-Sildar comes down the stairs, still bruised and exhausted. He tells the party he does not believe Gundren is dead, as the higher-ups of the goblins seem to want him for something. He says he may know someone who could help them though- a wizard he came to this town to find, Iarno Albrek. He came to the Phandalin area two months ago and then disappeared without any word. Sildar had been his bodyguard and his partner in many missions (and maybe something more) for three years prior and is sad about being ghosted. The party interrogates him on his relationship troubles. He leaves to get a drink.
-Sheara buys a barrel of whiskey to begin The Plan. They talk with the innkeeper and learn that the Redbrands had been minor trouble for awhile, but over the last couple months have become a lot bolder and more competent, and are now a real threat.
-The party goes to the other end of town to the small forest, as the druid Ataxia describes plants that would be useful for their plan, that could knock the Redbrands asleep. Everyone finds some of these plants EXCEPT for Ataxia, including the goblin. She is very bitter about this.
-Further investigation of the woods reveals a trail worn in to the forest floor, with the tracks of many people having passed through. Farther ahead is a tunnel cutting in to the hill. Camila sneaks ahead to check it out, finding it to be long. As the rogue starts to turn back, before Sheara can stop her, Ataxia yells into the tunnel for her to speed up. A hissing sound rises up from farther within the tunnel, along with the sound of multiple things moving and a yell of “Whose there?” Camila runs full speed out of the tunnel, and doesn’t stop to explain. The sound of following footsteps echo from the cave, and the party follows Camila in getting the hell out of there.
-Ataxia, Camila, and Creak go back to the inn room to start work on the spiked whiskey, while Sid, Zoream, Sheara, and Dakwert go into town to introduce themselves. They run into some Redbrands, who they attempt to sell their idea to. The Redbrands suggest they give it to them for free. Sheara agrees to give them a whole free barrel. The Redbrands excitedly agree and tell them to meet them in the Sleeping Giant taphouse, where he will bring all his friends.
-They visit the small shrine to Tymora, the goddess of luck, next. Sheara asks the cleric there about the druid Reidoth, and she informs them that he is investigating the ruins of Thundertree. Zoream questions her about this, as that was his home. She says she received a vision that something is wrong with the land there. She has an overwhelming feeling of bad luck. The party asks her to send a message to him asking for help, and she casts a spell of Sending. She gets a reply back and says that he is busy with a dragon in Thundertree, and that he could use their help instead. The party requests another Sending spell to ask where Cragmaw Castle is. He replies that there is some kind of castle on the southern edge of Neverwinter Wood, but he is cut off by sounds of fighting. On their way out, the party offers coins to the well in the shrine. The cleric wishes them good luck on their travels.
-Next the party visits the blacksmith & weapons shop, the Lionshield Coster, introducing their business. The blacksmith warns them that there has been trouble on the road lately and to not count on their shipments too much, and the party replies that they have taken care of that problem. He is impressed at this, and Sheara tells him they have connections with Yeffros Bezosos. The blacksmith is so amazed that good fortune may be coming to the town soon, and offers some metalwork for them. Zoream leaves his mace with him to have an emblem of the Gilded Frogs put on it.
-Back in the Stonehill Inn, Ataxia, Camila, and Creak are getting drunk and having a karaoke night. Someone casts Dancing Lights for rave lights. They are having a PARTY in there with the other people in the inn. They consider bringing a nightclub to Phandalin to help their economy. Camila leaves to join the shopping trip when it gets too wild.
-The party returns to Stonehill inn with shopping bags (and Zoream with new fancy robes) to see Ataxia and Creak passed out on the tables. The whiskey is done, the plan is ready, and here this session ends!
