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Tales of Veterra: Beneath the Mountain (Pt. 1)

Happy holidays everyone, these are the recap notes from the last 2 sessions of my Veterra dnd campaign, and i’ll write in some context blurbs here and there to help explain the story better for this format. This installment covers the party’s entry into the city of Drach and their investigation into the aberrational horrors that plague the people of the mountain. This is a 2 part post for 2 sessions of the campaign. The players are level 6 during this time.

INTRODUCTION: BEFORE THIS SESSION & HOW WE GOT HERE-

So the party begins this story traveling to the city of Drach, looking for a fast way to get back to the city of the Servek. where is Servek? and why don’t they just go the way they came from? well. to explain we’ll have to go back a bit, way to the beginning of this campaign, maybe i’ll post the notes for those earlier sessions later.

But the gist is this: Ram is a traveling adventurer from a little town far west of the Trifarion kingdom called Wheaton. In this world a big source of an adventurer’s income is doing odd jobs for nobles and merchants who’d rather not get the kingdom or the guards involved, typical mercenary work. anyways Ram met our other heroes; Aggamenmon- another traveling adventurer looking for somewhere to go- and Arue- a wolf with a humanoid form from the neighboring Veknylian Wilds. the 3 of them took on a job for the town of Servek’s chief industrialist (and brother of the Baron) Corastello Briggs, to sail to a nearby island chain and find and rescue his son.

one epic underwater adventure with merfolk and universe eating space monster’s later, the Squad met Rook and they sailed back to the mainland to bring the Jr Briggs home. and so the squad were declared heroes of Servek and given a key to the city. while in Servek the group tried to appeal to the baron to go greener with the cities industry, as it’s expansion was destroying Arue’s home and Poisoning the reef that the neighboring merfolk relied on for survival. this swayed the baron but angered the aristocracy around them. and so while clearing a haunted mineshaft of ghosts (another good story for another time) someone detonated a ton of dynamite above them, trying to bury them underground with a cave in.

The Party only had one option to surive: to go deeper. and the thing about Veterra is, if you go to far beyond where the light can reach you’ll eventually immerge in the shadowfell- a parallel plane where everything sucks and is bad forever. It is basically the worst timeline of things that could be. So they traveled through the shadowfell, made friends with their living shadows, their shadows showed them a way out of the plane, and then betrayal. a fight for the right to leave the bad timeline and go live in the material plane. again, another story for another post. so anyways after all that the party finds themselves back in the material plane but way way farther away from Servek. They immerged in the middle of the mountains, and Servek is on the coast. this isn’t so bad though, as they suspect whoever tried to trap them underground thinks they are dead, so they have the element of surprise when they return.

the group chilled out in the waterfall village of Cascade for a day before joining up with a group of smugglers lead by an angry anarchist satyr named Alfredo to head to Drach- an isolationist city inside a mountain under martial lockdown- where Rook has heard there's a prominent mage college lead by a master of conjuration magic, if the means to fast travel exists, it’s probably there.

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PART 1: Session 12/16/21 - Lagoon Side Terror.

-The Squad, accompanying a caravan of smugglers, followed the Satyr Alfredo up the treacherous mountain pathway to the Iron Gate of Drach. On the way some of the stone steps caved in, and the group had to use Ram's Lasso to proceed, except for Agamemnon who piggybacked off of Arue's supernatural climbing power. The group were given documents giving them clearance for sector 5 (out of 7) and we're told to take some of the supplies and bring them to the 34th lift- the only lift in the city under rebel control.

-The squad entered the city with the rest of the caravan, and while unloading the supplies in the cargo bay, one of the smugglers created a diversion for the group to sneak away with what they could carry. Arue used Pass without a trace and covered the group in a dark veil so they could slip through the streets undetected. the squad spoke with 2 rebels named Chet and Betch who we're happy to take the squad to their leader Kiara. The group took the lift all the way down to sector 7- a sinking slum slowly being swallowed by a lagoon (actually a lake) in the center.

-As the group traveled through the streets of sector 7 they saw just how severe the plague has hit this city. Many people afflicted with a strange disease that has turned their skin translucent and taken away their ability to breathe air.

-The squad meet with the leader of the rebellion Kiara, she gives Ram a large gold nugget in exchange for the smuggled goods, and asks them to help further with the rebellion as they are fighting a war of attrition on 2 fronts: the war against top side which uses powerful and deadly magic to oppress her people, and the war against the lagoon itself which is making people in the city sick, also, the lake is populated with strange giant lobster monsters.

-The group find a medical tent full of people who have been badly wounded by the Trifarion guard, and spend some time healing the wounded fighters. While healing people Rook asks Kiara about the mage college hoping to find a means for fast travel, Kiara tells them that if it exists it's most likely at the mage college, although recently the oligarchy's use for magic has been much more aggressive. She offers to get Rook forged clearance for sector 1 and asks for their help with a classic robin hood heist on sector 2.

-Screams coming from the lagoon's shore interrupt the squad's healing spree and the group rush into action. When they get to the shore they see 2 large crustacean monsters with people trapped in their claws. Agamemnon immediately recognizes these lobster freaks: they've squared up with one before back at Tulabae.(merfolk city) Initiative was rolled.

-The fight was long and arduous. Arue and Agamemnon were both grabbed in the chuul's pincers but a clever use of wildshape let Arue slip free. Ram's slowing spell allowed for the group to outmaneuver and defeat the crustaceans.

-as the 1st chuul fell from Rook's spirit guardians, Agamemnon saw a large slug like creature escape through the chuul's eye socket. With a nat 20, Aggy grabbed the creature out of the water with their bare hands.

-As Arue was fighting these aberrations, a psychic ping awakened the parasite inside of Arue (oh yeah, way back in the underwater adventure, Arue ate some aberration eggs and now they have a dhampiric worm inside them) and a hunger for Aberrational flesh filled them. They dove into the water and began taking vampiric bites out of the lone, wounded chuul.

-A few more crossbow bolts and a big smite from Aggamenmon later and the chuul was defeated, and there was much rejoicing from the locals that had gathered to watch.

-Ram used speak with animals and detect thoughts to try and communicate with the slug that Agamemnon wrangled, and was met with a consciousness that was so ancient that it spoke not with words but with primordial feelings. It shared it’s glorious vision of a massive black worm that rules over an underwater domain. The slug shared the consciousness of a sleeping god who desires to flood the world. The slug revealed that the people afflicted with the strange plague are their chosen worshippers, who will inherit the drowned world. The sleeping god didn't mind sharing details of it's goals with Ram because it believed Ram could be worthy of being chosen. The sleeping god is pro abolishing capitalism, but more because it wants to flood the world and remake it in their image. The group decided to name the sleeping god; Sloth. (the DM however will be referring to the aberration as Slolth.)

-Kiara thanked the group for everything they've done in the short time they've been in the city, and offers them a tent to sleep for the night. The group turn in for the night, where strange dreams plague their mind.

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PART 2: Session 12/23/21 - Dreams, & The Arcmage of Drach.

-That night, everyone had strange dreams, forces from the outer realms are reaching out to them:

-Aggamenmon had a dream of meditating on a clear pond that stretched as far as the horizon. Across from them, a white salamander with orange and black spots sat in meditation. The salamander’s eyes opened and they spoke, asking Aggy to protect the material plane and “The Wheel” from the outer forces that look to consume it. The spirit gave Aggy a boon: they decalcified Aggy’s pineal gland completely and now Aggy can use their divine sense to detect things beyond the divine- aberrations, fey, and elementals specifically.

-Rook had a dream where they were on a small island floating through the vast infinite of space. They could see how all of the planes of the multiverse connected through this space. On the island with them was a marvelous tree with prismatic branches and glimmering leaves. The leaves of the tree began to whither as a massive obelisk of black stone appeared. Hovering before Rook, the black stone had the symbol of the Black Mage- The Triocc, an upside down triangle, with 3 eyes dividing each line- engraved in it’s center. Rook turned their back to the obelisks overwhelming presence and used their necromantic energy to try and transfer their life force back to the withering tree. The tree revitalized and the obelisk spoke, saying that Rook was worthy of the knowledge that they seeked, and a small boon was granted for interacting with the aether tree: in addition to Rook’s regular spell list, they can choose to learn spells from any 1 school of magic of their choice.

-Ram had a dream with 2 parts, an out of body perspective of the future, and one of their past. in the future they inhabited the body of a demon devouring a humanoid creature in the middle of a big apocalyptic war, only to see through this demon’s eyes the shape that Ram could become; a pink devil with a flaming lasso, riding a skull faced flaming horse. The demon’s terror jerked Ram out of the body and into the past where they woke up in their childhood bedroom, listening to their parents have a troubling conversation. When they tried to sneak out of the room to get a better listen, they were met with a tunnel of roaring flames, with a mysterious figure standing at the end of the burning hallway. The figure handed them a piece of paper that followed Ram into the waking world. On the paper, was a map leading to a place they had never heard of called “Shady Ridge” as well as a hit-list: 3 bounties- Slolth, a hag named Gyoyca, and the sheriff that had banished Ram from their home at the beginning. Also on the paper was a signature line and infernal writing, this was a contract for power. Ram left the tent to try and negotiate the terms of the deal with the patron that had issued the contract in the waking world. They did make contact and the patron identified themselves as the devil lord Asmodeus. The Lord of Lies explained that Ram’s soul does indeed belong to him and it was never bartered for. (it’s an indentured servitude analogy!) The devil offered 2 options, complete the contract and win back their soul, or maybe if they happen to like hunting demons and the like, stay on contract and be rewarded greater power. Before this Ram always dreamed of a simple life, being a rancher like their parents, but Asmodeus believes that they are destined to have so much more. Asmodeus was so sure of it that they invested a little power into ram as a show of good faith. With a small boon: Ram was granted 1 eldritch invocation as a sort of warlock internship.

-And Lastly Arue’s dream. Arue’s dreams are mostly the dreams of a wolf, memories of their time with their pack,. but this dream was different. It was a memory of the 1st time they ever drank the life out of a mortal. They were huddled over their victim drinking from their neck without abandon when a voice spoke out from behind them. A figure’s silhouette with the light to their back, spoke to them: “Olvira my dear please, there’s dignity in restraint, you have all of eternity to drink, and the well will never run dry.” Arue looked to this figure but could not see their face. the figure offered their clawed hand and asked “Olvira” to come with them so that they could reclaim their throne as the Night Queen. Arue woke up before they remembered the answer they gave, but when they woke up they became aware of a new Dhampiric power: they could hear the thoughts of those around them.

(PULL BACK: Forgot to mention this important detail. You see, when the group returned from the shadowfell, they found themselves on top of a mountain, and while traveling down the mountain to the city of Cascade, they were attacked by a wyvern made out of metal and reanimated monster parts. Rook took extensive notes of the abominations form and the mark branded into it’s neck: the inverted triangle with 3 eyes.)

-The group all woke up, having received boons from the strange forces reaching out to them through their dreams, but elected to keep the details of their dreams secret. For now.

-After everyone was well rested the group went to the lagoon to explore the waters and find what is at the bottom. Also Arue ate the Aberration slug from last night. Arue cast water breathing on the party and they descended into the depths. Ram and Rook both failed The Con Save. More on that later.

-The squad found at the bottom of the lagoon an ancient stone city completely covered in hundreds chuul. The chuul were formationed around the center of town, in docile hibernation. Maybe they were just asleep, it's unclear.

-The squad snuck past the chuul with the help of Arue's pass without a trace and within the heart of the city, found a glowing rune on a panel sitting on top of a strange spiral structure in a stone room. The group pondered shooting it before noticing some ancient dwarven script on the walls that they could not read, they elected to go to the surface and find a translator before going further.

-On the way out of the sunken stone city, one of Rook's daggers fell from their bag and disturbed the chuul, but thanks to a bane/slow combo, the squad was able to escape the chuul cluster.

-Back on the surface, the group met with Kiara who introduced them to the Fromage family's forgery maestro Roguefort, who created fake documentation to let the party move through the city legally, pretending to be students of the mage college, so they can find a translator for the runes in the sunken stone ruins.

-In the mage college library, the party met and had A lengthy conversation with the Arcmage of Drach- Garenna Garnett, a 210 year old earth genasi wizard. Garenna helped the group find books on dwarvish script and arcanatecture- magic infused architecture- as well as offered some insight into the plague, the ruins at the bottom of the lagoon and what secrets they hide- potentially a massive underground arcane transit system- and her stance on the rebellion (sad for the rebels but more upset about her work being inconvenienced with the blockade.) Garenna herself has spent her lifes work uncovering ancient dorvarmir secrets, although she herself was not part of the excavation team that unleashed the chuul into the lagoon.

-Rook decided to show the arcmage their notes from the franken-wyvern as well as the seal of Triocc.

..Anyways!

-This greatly disturbed the wizard and she asked the "young wizards" to put this taboo work behind them and out of their mind, "to let the professionals handle this." She offered to have her colleague- the arcmage of Servek, Daedalus, who specializes in counter-necromancy- look into the matter for them. Rook said that they don't have faith in the Trifarion actually handling the matter and just ignoring it to uphold their secure image. Garenna was sympathetic to this concern and offered the party a compromise: that they would take Garenna's teleportation circle to servek and deliver the evidence to Daedalus on her behalf. Garenna suggested to do it right in the moment but the group settled on doing it noon the next day, so as to not abandon the rebellion. The Arcmage was not to be the one to help them with the runes as they were located deep within rebel territory.

-The group split up for a bit to search the rest of the college. Rook stayed in the library helping the headmaster reorganize books while Ram and Arue went to the courtyard to meet with the bard maestro- a goliath named Bol-Grag-Bang-Ah-Bon-Goh. Bol-Grag was a real chill hippie dude who explained that being a bard was just about being true to yourself and that you don't need a formal education to be a good bard. After Ram impressed him with their expert fiddle playing skills in a jam session, Bol-Grag insisted that they pick up a new instrument from their inventory to expand their horizons. I've already forgotten what instruments people picked up. I’ll ask them to remind me next week.

- I do remember Arue picking up a lute, and when Arue found an instrument that seemed right for them, a well of memories unlocked for them; visions of playing the instrument before an audience behind a window of painted glass, in a beautiful court yard. Arue remembered playing this instrument before. They were quite good.

-Meanwhile back at the library a masked figure got Rook's attention and confronted them quietly on their way to meet back up with the others. The masked figure asked if Rook and their friends were part of the rebellion and offered to help them. (sketchy, but welcomed.)

-The group all met up in the hall of instruments and spoke with the masked figure. The mask identified themself as Doran Nolas, an arcane archaeologist and the lone survivor of the last excavation team before the chuul outbreak. Doran was part of the team that unleashed the chuul and wants the parties help getting back into the sunken ruins so they can undo the damage they've done. The group agreed to work with Doran and they left the college together.

Next session with a translator accompanying them, the squad will dive back into the lake and explore the sunken ruins, and confront the god level aberration that’s threatening to drown all of Drach, and the world.

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