DND Blog

A place to keep DND session recaps, from various campaigns.

The Ninety-Sixth Session

January 20, 2024, Campaign: As the ground quakes, evil wakes

We save Salris.

Table of Contents

  1. More retconning
  2. Jerry's Dream
  3. Today
  4. Salris
  5. Aboveground
  6. Next Session

WOG: We're 2/3 of the way through the campaign, approaching the fifth year.

More retconning

We're still in Ren's house, sleeping.

Jerry's Dream

Jerry sees a seaside village. Waves lap at the beach, and a fog rolls in. There's a dark blue tiefling running up to her: it's Bugfood. In a huff, he says, "Finally found you. Where were you?" "I'm at Ren's house." Bugfood is puzzled. "An at Quadroads before that." Still puzzled. "And in the Magnificent Mansion." "What's that?" "An extra-dimensional space?" "Oh. Anyways. I need your help down here. I've been helping relocate people who have been missing. Will be missing." "Where is here?" "Maymoor. My family came here? Found family. One of them got tooken. Took? Right. That's why I need help. I can't find them." "How are we supposed to find them?" "I was hoping you could do that." "So we just show up and — are they Tieflings?" Eventually it gets to that Bugfood thinks they're humans. "Everyone seems to be wanting gold, when even I don't want it." They're selling the fish for gold. "I've been helping those who haven't been taken, keep them, take them." "How will we find you?" "I am sure that you would recognize me. Something nefarious is coming."

"Oh, speaking of nefarious: Salris has been kidnapped by pirates, and he's going to Viper Cove? Something like that?"

As the sun sets, a shadow envelops the city, from the ocean side. "Help."

Bugfood is swallowed by darkness.

Jerry wakes up.

Today

Jerry tells everyone the dream.

Ryltar tries to mend the broken symbol of Kord. There's resistance, but it cleans up a little.

We determine to go save Salris. But we don't know where it is, so we look at Ren's books, and find a map that has Viper Cove marked (among other marks).

There's discussion of what to do; we determine that we're not going to go back to Quadroads to grab stuff. We debate and determine that the Woven Council will probably get informed by the Ascendants or SDA or someone, so we're going to not tell them about anything (and not because we're embarrassed about last night's carousing).

Teleport: 54 gives us offtarget; we're offtarget by one mile. The ice bubble forms and shatters, and we're standing on rock and sand. We can hear the surf, so Jerry pops Pass without Trace and we head off to the coast.

The surf is at the bottom of a sheer cliff. Like 50 feet.

To our left, along the coast, we see a black-stained pirate ship. Its crows' nest is just below the top of the cliff. We sneak off in that direction. We peep over the edge of the cliff and see that this is the Nightmare.

On top of the cliff, there's a little rock feature with birds and buzzards circling it. Ryltar and Jerry don't know what that's about, but Percival knows that it's something dead.

Ryltar sees some figures on the ship. It's daylight, though, so he can't see.

Jerry looks at the ground under the circling birds.

Salris

Salris sits manacled in the bowels of the ship. In front of him is Seamus. Salris carefully picks up Seamus' talisman.

Then Salris insults Seamus, and says that the Knights of the Summer Court are a better family than Seamus is.

As is usual, the undead grab Salris.

Boots come down the stairs and let Salris out. "Oh, we're finally there?" asks Salris. "It's good of you to tell me."

"Yes. Now let's end this," says the pirate, and puts a black bag over Salris' head.

"Can't I see where I'm going?"

"You will."

"But can I see how I get there?"

"No." They bundle him over the edge of the ship and into a small boat. Takes 3 Bludgeoning from an elbow. The boat rocks and scrapes.

Orders to take up positions, search out and see what people can find.

"I thought you'd been here before."

"There's always new things."

Salris continues being very obnoxious and cocky, saying stuff like "Even in death I'll be better tan you; you don't have the gall to face me one-on-one. I thought the great Captain of the Nightmare would be brave enough. It's no a good luck on your crew; seeing their captain back off from a fight."

There's a whimpering of a middle-aged man besides Salris: "Please stop. Please stop."

The boat docks and they're led up some stairs, stopped, led on, stopped, led on, stopped, led on, stopped, and it levels out.

The bags are removed, to reveal a circular room with platforms in the middle.

Aboveground

The birds circle a small little rock feature. Jerry creeps close. It's a 5' opening cylinder going down into the rock. She hears rushing water. She goes back to the party and reports back.

How do we get into the cave? Many strategies are discussed.

On the ship, there's a blue-skinned humanoid directing people, and there's another person putting things away. Percival sees that only two people are keeping watch: one in the crow's nest looking out to sea, and the blueskinned person giving orders.

The weather is clear.

They'll know the jig is up if they see us, if anyone notices they've been Silenced. We could Hold Monster, but that'll only last a minute, setting a timer.

The ship has no more longboats, so we can't be chased in.

We decide to Dimension Door into the cave instead. There's waves and voices, so we use Vurguron's shiny platinum shield to look down into the cave through the five-inch hole. Percival looks first.

He sees four people standing on a pillar in the center of the room: Salris, someone who looks like Salris, a humanoid male in a burgundy red captain's cloak, and humanoid with a black bag on their head. There's some stairs next to it.

Salris looks around the room and sees a thin streak of light coming down from the ceiling. He's on a 30-foot pillar, 20' below the ceiling, surrounded by water.

"Buzzards," growls the captain. "They can never get in, but they still hang out." He pulls out a long cutless.

Salris Misty Steps off the pillar onto a rock outcropping, and summons his sword. "I'm gonna get that fight after all."

And then a little snowflake falls through the ceiling. Oh no, the situation got worse! Ottiluk's Freezing Sphere. Ryltar tries to cast it carefully, saving Salris and the black-bagged guy, for half damage of 18. Black Bag Head dies.

  1. Round 1
    1. Vurguron draws his sword, says, "Hole's haunted," and holds his action to attack a hostile.
    2. Ryltar Dimension Doors himself and Vurguron in, landing on a corpse and an empty spot. They land next to the captain, who's near 6'6". "You're not who I expected," says Ryltar.
    3. Vurguron makes his actions. He attacks the Pirate Lord for two swings and a miss: 22.
    4. The Pirate Lord makes a legendary action to attack Vurguron, with his Death Cutlass, doing 33 damage, and dealing disadvantage on his next saving throw.
    5. The pillars in the room move.
    6. Jerry casts Hunter's Mark on the captain, and holds her action to attack him until she gets ported in.
    7. The captain commands the assassin on the pillar which just move near to Ryltar to attack Ryltar. Ryltar fails the save, taking half-health's worth of poison.
    8. The captain then attacks Ryltar himself, hitting with the sword twice for 14 slashing and 7 necrotic, then 16, and Ryltar is still up with 11 remaining. Then the captain uses Dark Blessing, healing with necrotic damage.
    9. The assassin, in back of Ryltar, misses twice. Ryltar's staggers unconsciously imitate the Drunken Master's techniques.
    10. Percival finally Shadow Steps in,
    11. Jerry attacks the captain twice, hitting once for 12, then steps off the edge of the pillar and Hide from the captain as a bonus action.
    12. "You'll make a good sacrifice," says the captain, and attacks Ryltar, for 11 slashing and 10 necrotic. He tries to do something.
  2. Round 2.
    1. Salris casts Hexblade's Curse and Mental Prison on the captain; his gem grows warm.
    2. The zombies move.
    3. The Kraken Priest howls, frightening Salris and Percival. Jerry, on the side of the pillar, doesn't get hit with the effect.
    4. Vurguron attacks the captain, and receives a Death Cutlass in reply.
    5. The floating stairs move.
    6. The skeletons move onto the ice sheet.
    7. Jerry climbs back up the pillar and makes two slashes. Both miss; she walks off the pillar and Hides
    8. The captain makes a Death Cutlass attack on Vurguron for a few slashing.
    9. The captain pulls Ryltar's body onto the altar, and blood flows from it into the altar.
    10. The assassin tries to attack Vurguron, and fails.
    11. Percival frisks Ryltar and applies a healing potion to him, for 4 health.
  3. Round
    1. The captain takes some damage from Salris' Mental Prison, and the illusion on him cracks. He's undead.
    2. The captain makes another legendary action, Grave Bolt at Salris. It pulls him 10 feet closer to the captain.
    3. The zombies shamble.
    4. The skeletons move.
    5. The Kraken Priest tries to weave a spell, and is Counterspelled by Ryltar.
    6. Vurguron attacks a bunch, but the captain's coat seems to be shielding against damage. He then taes a Second Wind.
    7. Vurguron takes 14 slashing 5 necrotic, undoing all the healing he got from Second Wind.
    8. Ryltar decides to be a problem. He Polymorphs as a Giant Ape. The captain is pushed off the platform. Ryltar jumps to the next platform.
    9. The captain legendarily Grave Bolts Ryltar, dragging the ape back towards him. 13 force and he falls down some.
    10. The captain is now down on the ice, and Jerry moves to attack him, with advantage of the ape's flanking. She attacks twice and hits once, for 19.
    11. Billowing black flame-like shadows flank the captain: Shadow of Moil.
    12. The assassin attacks Jerry, with a Con save she takes half poison halved from her race, for 22 piercing and 6 poison.
    13. The swashbuckler moves to surround Jerry and Salris, for 3 attacks each. Jerry takes 8, 7, 11.
    14. Percival falls down out of the smoke cloud, taking 5 damage, and
    15. The captain legendarily actions. Dark energy pulls towards him, and he points at Jerry. Finger of Death, but she saves and takes only 33 damage.
  4. Round 4
    1. Salris doubles up on his sword, bringing it to a d10, and then attacks the captain, doing all the radiant damage that he can. At least 70 damage. Because of Shadow of Moil, Salris takes some damage, and then the captain heals a little.
    2. The zombies attack Salris, and mostly miss.
    3. The skeletons move too. Jerry takes 5.
    4. Vurguron casts Blur
    5. Ryltar gestures with Salris, asking if it's time to smash. It is. Ryltar tries to pull the captains' arms off, and he takes 8 necrotic while dealing 25 damage. Then he tries again, and there's no give.
    6. The platforms move again.
    7. Jerry Whirlwind Attacks, dealing 36 to the captain, and a bit more to the Swashbucklers.
    8. The captain tries to Dimension Door away. Ryltar drops his apeness, and casts Counterspell at 5th level, and the captain remains in place.
    9. Assassin misses his first attack, but hits on the second, downing Ryltar.
    10. The swashbucklers attack. Two hits on Percival for 10, eight attacks on Jerry where three miss for 5 plus 6 plus 8, she's still up. Four attacks against Salris for 6, 10, another hit, two death saves. His stone is hot.
    11. Percival leaves one swashbuckler, taking 13 damage, reaches through the press of bodies to Cure Wounds on Salris at 5th level for 5d8 = 31, and adds Bardic Inspiration. But.
      As Salris was unconscious, he woke up in a red, mist-filled expanse. A swirling of red, him existing without standing or laying or sitting. A flaming red-haired angelic presence floats before him, eyes glowing white, regal golden armor. "You have fallen." "Yes?" "To defend those you care about, who care of you." "Yes." "Do you know where you are?" "Am I inside the stone?" "Yes." "Fascinating." "We have met before." "Thalia?" Now it takes the form of a wizened elven woman. "I knew you'd do it. You already had that decision. Not everyone takes it up." "I suppose I had a moment of compassion at the time." The voice chants: "Compassion and passion. You have a warrior's spirit within you, your friends want you, and I am to send you back. You are the bearer of this burden, and I shall move on. Someone is waiting for me."
      When Percival reaches Salris, he's already awake, and his eyes are red.
      Salris gains another 14 HP and his HP max increases by 14 permanently. He gains Diehard: When you would drop to 0, drop to 1 instead. And Hardy Body doubles.
    12. Salris makes two attacks, dealing a total of 48 damage, taking 16 necrotic back. He's 45 points beyond dead.

The dark energy coils and pools.

Salris says, "I have slain your champion."

The captain says, "She will return. You are the key," and then shatters to ectoplasm and bones.

The zombies and skeletons crumble.

The swashbucklers are still up, and the Kraken priest.

Salris shouts, "I have slain your captain! Surely you should stand down to avoid his fate, for your boat is yours!" He's intimidating. They all look towards him, with a gleam in their eyes, looking at him, then down at his feet. Someone is the captain. They must protect him.

Ryltar revives himself. He looks at the assassin. "We cool?" With disadvantage, and a 17, it appears that the assassin is conflicted, but not aggressive. "We're gonna be cool, or someone's gonna get smashed by a giant ape." 23 intimidation.

The fog cloud lifts; the platforms keep moving.

Salris' consciousness expands. He connects to all the zombies in the room, that are aboard the Nightmare. He is the captain now.

The captain left behind the coat, and a horn. Seamus is missing a horn. It's Seamus's.

Salris badmouth Bugfood for interfering; we say that Salris would not have survived.

We're in a lot of pain; it's time to go back to the boat.

Fun facts:

Salris opens two pockets of his goat, in celebration, and we get a vial of acid and a bandage.

As we leave the cave, we see that the ceiling is covered in ribbing, and there are people up there, among the ribs. Ryltar points to Salris. "He is your leader now." They assent, and follow us back to the ship.

We catch Salris back up on everything:

Next Session