Session Experience Points
J’s Characters: Eni 20 xp Turmus 40xp
B’s Characters: Thaddius 20xp
D’s Characters: Abboud 20xp Verdio 40xp
T’s Characters: Wiblo 40xp Ned 20xp
A’s Characters: Wuzra 40xp Eyeblo 20xp
Total Experience Points (and current level)
J’s Characters: Eni 185xp (3rd) Turmus 260xp (4th)
B’s Characters: Thaddius 20xp (1st)
D’s Characters: Abboud 107xp (2nd) Verdio 20xp (1st)
T’s Characters: Wiblo 150xp (3rd) Ned 131xp (3rd)
A’s Characters: Wuzra 124 (3rd) Eyeblo 20xp (1st)
Tomb of the Undying Hero Previously: The Gang has followed the trail of clues leading to the Tomb of the Undying Hero in hopes of more loot. They’ve passed the initial pit trap at the entrance. Next, they explored a large room with doors to the southeast and southwest. They found some minor loot and a staff of gold detection in here. Last, they opened the southeast door and fought some ghouls.
The Gang rested while they waited for the lingering effects of Father Morta Dello’s Darkness Spell to wear off. His corpse was somewhere in the middle of that Darkness. This is when Wiblo the Halfling stumbled upon the Gang. Apparently, he’d been following the Gang because he was bored in Hammerfast. He brought his buddy Verdio the Thief with him. He seemed trustworthy. The Darkness dissipated and Wiblo, Verdio, Turmus, Bob, and Wuzra decided to open the door to the southwest. The corpse of Father Morta Dello was soon forgotten. Easy come, easy go, I guess.
Knowing the door to be trapped, Turmus opened it and waited for the spears to spring harmlessly downward from the door head. He then hacked the spears into splinters. The door opened into a hallway that mirrored the one to the east and, just like that other hallway, there were four ghouls waiting for them. The Gang dispatched the four ghouls without much worry. Wiblo actually reached the fight for once and did aplenty of stabby stabby with his twin short swords.
The Gang assumed that the hallway was trapped, so Bob the Elf summoned a pig. They sent Wilbur scurrying down the southwestern hall, as it turned a corner eastward, he went out of sight. Turmus spotted a flash of lightning where the pig went around the corner and Wilbur squealed with its dying breath. It soon smelled like breakfast to the Warrior. As the Gang crept forward to discover what happened to Wilbur, Bob the Elf spotted a hand sized false stone embedded in the western wall of the hallway.
Bob pressed the false stone and a section of the wall slid open. Inside was a small room with stacks of shields littered across the floor. A single shield that reflected like a mirror was hung on the wall. Turmus claimed the magical +1 shield. Some of the others may have grabbed a shield.
The Gang continued down the hall to discover what exactly happened to Wilbur the Pig. The hallway did a ninety degree turn eastward and then continued out of the torchlight. Wilbur’s corpse was soon found, still slightly smoking. Two metal knobs (aka nubbins) were spotted near the western corner of the hallway. Verdio spotted where the pressure plate triggered the Electricity Trap but couldn’t figure out a way to disable it. The Gang then backtracked to the Large Room and proceeded down the Eastern Hallway, where they spotted a similar pair of nubbins in the eastern corner of the hallway (See Pic Above). Verdio was able to disable this pressure plate.
Meanwhile, Bob the Elf spotted a secret door in the east wall and later in the south wall.
The Gang opened the sliding secret door in the west wall. This time there were simple wooden racks that held various armor and helms. Wiblo searched for some Halfling platemail but found none. Propped up on the wall were finely crafted chainmail (magical, +2) and a nifty helm (Infravision aka Darkvision 60 feet). Turmus claimed both.
The Gang pressed the false stone that triggered the secret door in the south wall. This room was bare, except for a black hole in the center of the floor, which light could not penetrate. The Gang paused and huddled up and discussed what to do next. Bob the Elf volunteered to jump down the hole, and nobody objected, so it was decided.
Bob jumped down the hole and braced himself for impact. His feet slipped a little bit when they hit the coins, but he managed to stay upright. The stood up straight and reached upward. His hands could touch the ceiling if he jumped a little. Wait a second. Shouldn’t that be a hole? Yep, old Bob was caught up in a screwed-up situation. Unbeknownst to everyone, that hole remains open until something passes through. When that happens, the hole becomes solid for 30 days. Likely trapping anyone who passes through. Which just happened to Bob. Bye Bob.
“What’s his name? Thom Wilson? Yeah, {😊} you, Thom Wilson! And {😊} your {😊}ty trap design! {😊}ing {😊}hole.” Turmus cursed. The futile attempt to break through the fourth wall and directly address the adventure’s author* echoed throughout the Tomb of the Undying Hero. The Gang moved on, leaving Bob behind.
There was a door to the north, on the other side of the hallway. The remaining four members readied themselves. Judging from their crude map, they could tell this door opened to the center of the tomb, a prime location for something particularly nasty.
Turmus opened the door onto a ghoul in some tattered finery with a rusty sword in hand.
Although this ghoul was a little tougher than the others, it was an easy battle. The Gang found a magical Flame Sword in the next room, which Turmus claimed… again. It is midafternoon on March 24th at this point.
*Adventure: Off the Beaten Path. Available at drivethrurpg com
Four Ghouls 2xp
3 Secret doors 3xp
Electricity Trap 2xp
Hole Trap: 4xp
Final Ghoul: 1xp
Mini quest completed: 4xp
Subtotal: 16xp
We’re doubling XP now
Total: 32 for Wiblo, Turmus, Verdio, Wuzra
The Other Guys
Now, we return to the other half of the Gang. It’s March 19th again and we’re back in Hammerfast. Ned, Eni, Abboud, Eyeblo the Halfling (new guy), Thaddius the Thief (Neutral, new guy), Verdio the Thief (Lawful, new guy), and Wiblo waved bye-bye to the first half of the Gang earlier that morning. Around noon, Wiblo and his new buddy Verdio decided to chase down the party that was hunting Stirges. They both figured that nothing else interesting was going to happen in Hammerfast.
The remainder of the Gang gathered in the Market Area to listen to offers from the Guilds. They heard that an Otyugh had emigrated down from the Bone Hills and taken up residence near the Trade Road just west of the Five League Inn. The offer was 300gp and 2 cure disease potions (potions up front). They took the offer, packed up their things, and left within 30 minutes.
Ned the Warrior, Eni the Cleric, Abboud the Thief, Thaddius the Thief, and Eyeblo the Halfling reached FiveLeague Inn at midmorning of the next day. The inn is a large, three-story building and stables that’s surrounded by a wooden palisade. Barton, the proprietor, greeted the Gang with the look of relief.
Around a week ago, the first merchants of spring journeyed eastward to Hammerfast. Unfortunately, half of their company was lost when huge Otyugh ambushed them. The huge, lumbering aberration had surprising speed. These merchants retreated back to Fallcrest. Foresters in the area tracked the beast from a distance and reported this back to Hammerfast.
The Gang had a brief meeting with Barton, who explained the situation. He warned that the disease-ridden beast attacked with flailing tentacles and could easily outrun the PCs. With that in mine, the Gang headed westward towards where the beast was last located.
The Gang met the Otyugh about 3 miles west of Fiveleague Inn. Ned, with his (third) two-handed flail and platemail armor, went toe-to-toe with the thing while the others plinked away with missile fire. It worked out well for the Gang, although both Potions were consumed to prevent a rotting disease caught from the Otyugh.
Thaddius cut open thing and went shoulders-deep digging through Otyugh innards. His efforts were rewarded. He shared some slime-covered coins that he found with the rest of the group, although he quietly pocketed the small leather pouch filled with gems for himself. Thaddius also had the forethought to mock up some documents claiming that the Gang was to be given free lodging by order of the Guilds of Hammerfast. They Gang enjoyed a nice bath and restful sleep at the Fiveleague Inn.
Otyugh: 4xp
Found treasure: 1 xp
Innkeeper swindled: 1 xp
Subtotal: 6xp
Total: 12xp for Thaddius, Abboud, Eni, Eyeblo, Ned
Back in Hammerfast
The Party that fought the Otyugh returned to Hammerfast on March 21st. Eni met up with Durnel the Librarian. The young man had been busy while the Gang was away, and he was anxious to continue his conversation with Eni about the missing stars (see “notes from previous session” below). A third star was missing from the Night Sky. The Librarian told him that the Guild and Clergy Leaders in Hammerfast were now involved and much has been revealed to Durnel, most importantly how to gain access to the Night Sky and perhaps resolve this.
Here's what Durnel had to say:
In the Feywild's Gardens of Ynn, there exists the Celestial Tree, a massive gateway to the Astral Sea's pocket dimension known in the world as the Night Sky. Crafted by Corellon and Moradin, this sealed dimension holds celestial bodies shaping mortal luck. We mortals in the material world are merely viewing a distant reflection of this Astral creation of the gods.
The Eladrin, tasked with guarding the Night Sky, were gifted the Gardens of Ynn. In some unknown point in time, the Eladrin fell to the Idea of Thorns virus, turning the Gardens mad. To know more about this episode would require knowledge of the Idea of Thorns, which would drive a person insane and further spread the virus.
Surprisingly, the Night Sky functioned with clockwork perfection even the without Eladrin Starherders. Although the corruption in the Gardens lured in many creepy things; including an Azure Dwarf named Bellwart, who was an agent of Ursta the Star Drinker. Carrying Meargmelu, a reddish grain mixed with blood and a controlling fungus, Bellwart twisted the Celestial Tree's already infected Eladrin into the addicted Mormung. These lithe monstrosities stood 10 feet tall, and they served Bellwart who fed them Meargmelu.
Now in control, Bellwart summoned Ursta to the Night Sky's pocket dimension. The once-benign Eladrin Starherders, now addicted to Mormung, gather stars for the Far Realms horror.
Listening to DM’s info dump: 4xp
8xp for all PCs
End Session
Notes from Previous Session
Durnel the Librarian
Eni locates librarian Durnel at the tavern during his evening drink.
Durnel confirms a rumor about missing stars.
Conversation transitions to celestial bodies and their origins.
Eladrin and Stars:
Durnel shares that Eladrin, ancient precursors to Elves, were tasked with safeguarding celestial bodies.
Existence of Eladrin remains uncertain, but their ancestral abode is the Celestial Tree in the Feywild.
No insights on traversing into the Feywild.
Stella and McCann the Innkeepers:
Eni talks with Stella and McCann in a library.
They can't provide specifics on Stars or Eladrin but offer an overview of the universe's structure.
Eni reflects on parallel cosmic theory from Iruk.
Unexpected Turn in Conversation:
Klazath is revered as a Lawful God in Iruk and a Chaotic God (Gruumsh) in Nentir Vale.
Eni speculates on Royal Guard secrets and gains new insights into their beliefs.
Cosmic Framework:
Everything unfolds across three planes:
Chaotic Plane (Elemental Plane of Chaos) for Demons and Elementals.
Lawful Plane (Astral Plane) where gods originate.
Neutral Plane (Material Plane) encompasses our world, Feywild, and Shadowfell.
Narrative Unfolding:
World creation by Elemental Lords of Chaos.
Gods from Astral Planes infuse the world with life.
Conflict like Greek gods and titans.
Primal Spirits of Material Plane emerge, giving rise to Feywild and Shadowfell.
Archfey and nature spirits vie for power.
Material Plane is a convergence point for the interplay of these forces.
Conclusion:
Reference to Cthulhu consuming everything in the end.
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