DND Blog

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

The Hundred and Seventeenth Session

February 15, 2025, Campaign: As the ground quakes, evil wakes

We continue to explore the Arcadia Infinatum. Jerry delves too greedily and too deep, and gets chased by even more corrupted knowledge-seekers. Rajahtesh tempts Ryltar with all of Ioun's knowledge. Percival is challenged by Jarasoom, the huge Brass Dragon, and doesn't impress him. Embersia searches for knowledge of the Library itself.

Table of Contents

  1. Last session
  2. Before-bed research
    1. Jerry
    2. Ryltar
    3. Embersia
    4. Percival
    5. Jerry
    6. Ryltar
  3. Morning?
    1. Ryltar
    2. Jerry
    3. Percival
    4. Ryltar and tongues
    5. Embersia and the Library's residents
    6. Jerry and the Taboo
    7. Percival, the Inn, and Ryltar's journal
    8. The Kitchen and Embersia
    9. Ryltar and Rajahtesh
    10. Percival and Jarasoom
    11. Ryltar and Rajahtesh
  4. Next session

Last session

We explored the Arcadia Infinatum library.

Time flows differently in the library, and we were already tired from travel, and it's been a very long day.

Before-bed research

Jerry

Goes looking in Arcana for means of incapacitating powerful creatures, not necessarily without killing them. She skips earlier books, and pulls six books total. The books she pulls are arcane studies: beyond her understanding of Arcana (0)

Ryltar

Goes looking for Jarasoom. Jarasoom lounges in an oversized lounge chair, flipping through a book. Ryltar asks what Gallidan was looking for. Jarasoom doesn't really recall anything specific.

Jarasoom is eager to meet more visitors to the library, if they come. Ryltar is worried that there will be battle in the library. Jarasoom says that battle should be directed to the Battle Room, to maintain decorum. But he will talk about it with Rajahtesh.

Then Ryltar goes to bed.

Embersia

She goes to the bedroom door, and opens it to find a hallway full of doors. Door number 5 is a very practical bedroom. It's like a very practical student dorm room on move-in day. She sits on the bed; it's comfortable and warm.

Percival

He goes looking for Ryltar's mother's love letters, and finds them. He opens a door, finds a nice bedroom, and leaves the door open. The moment his head hits the pillow, he falls asleep immediately.

Jerry

She comes to the bedroom area. Presented with all 7 doors, she opens each, and sees identical bedrooms. She looks at them, and decides to sleep on a lounge chair in the library. She leaves her stack of Arcana books on a side table nearby, intending to discuss them with Ryltar.

Ryltar

He comes downstairs, and sees Jerry asleep. He skims the books that were found, and sees that they're dense books. He goes into the bedroom hallway and picks room number 1.

In the brief time he's been in the library, talking with people, He comes to understand that everything in the Library has a purpose. The bedroom's purpose is to rest, leaving distractions outside.

We all gain a long rest.

Morning?

Ryltar

He wakes up in the morning, and starts to read the arcana books. His understanding of magic is from an understanding of natural forces. His magic is one of a force of will. These books are written for wizards. He struggles with them, and eventually decides to step outside. He opens the door, and there's the tea tray, rattling there. He asks it if it has coffee, and it rattles at him. He finds the cup of beans, drinks a cup of coffee, and goes looking for Jerry.

Jerry is nowhere to be seen, so he puts Jerry's books down. They start to float up; he smacks it back down and tells them to wait.

Jerry

Wakes up in a room. One of the bedrooms. Very comfortable. She exits the bedroom directly, and sees Ryltar chastising the books. She complains that she didn't go to bed in the bedroom. She pulls a cup from the tea tray and gets a heavy tea with oat milk.

Percival

He looks at Jerry's books, and understands that they're magical theory. Not really something he can work with.

He goes looking for books about Lily the Lady of the Forest.

He finds one book in history, and then goes looking in religion. None in Religion.

The history book is a series of letters, in two different handwritings, between Lily and Wint. Lily is the sunspot-warmth that Wint had felt. She is growth; he is stagnation. The letters talk of an entity named "Crim" who stopped by; Lily exuberantly explains of how Aurora and Nero and Crim visited. It ends with another letter.

Ryltar and tongues

Goes looking for more books of Wint. He goes as far back as he can and then turns around, seeing about 20 books.

Ryltar had been looking at the second group of books from Wint's Lair. He's discovered that even books from thousands of years ago, he can read as easily as Common or Elvish.

Embersia and the Library's residents

She goes looking for information on the Allips. They are people who have ventured into the library and lost themselves to their obsession; they found something they should not have.

Just a few feet into the archives, there's a book marked with a skull. It contains a complete set of details on the Temple of Ioun, including the denizens of the Library:

Jerry and the Taboo

Goes looking for histories of how conflicts between gods were resolved before the Divergence.

She goes deeeeeeep into the books, where the light is dim. There's an off smell back there. Instead of the warm, comforting old book small of paper and parchment, there's a rancidity to the air. Scrabbling and pages being ripped. Muttering in a language she doesn't know. Probably another Nothic, or more than two. She Passes without Trace and advances along the ceiling, stealthily. 33. She sees a small gathering of Nothics scouring the section of books. She goes deeper, and finds many missing books, and then one that matches.

She continues and finds another, and then finds a series of ghostly shapes floating near the ceiling, conversing with each other in languages that change over time. They're talking about gods and dissonance and relevant stuff.

She pulls out her book, quill, and ink, and tries to get close enough to leave them the information.

She takes 11 Psychic damage, and she pulls out her book and starts writing. She needs to understand this. They have the knowledge. These are untapped knowlege. These are things which have understood dark truths, and —

They look at Jerry, and at her writing.

She realizes that these are not good things. She breaks out of the trance. The knowledge is cursed, tabooed, and these entities are cursed with knwoedge that they should not have. They are spreading that curse. She understands that she does not want this.

She drops the book, casts Ashardalon's Stride to set stuff on fire, and Dashes off at 120 feet per turn. It doesn't feel like she moved that far.

The three ghosts howl; she takes 21 psychic damage and is Stunned as they force information into her head. They attack and hit twice, taking 41 psychic damage.

She shouts "Guardian!", swings her Moon Scythe, and runs 40 feet away: but doesn't move as far as she wanted. Like she's slowed.

She takes another two hits from the screams, taking 22 Psychic damage, compelled to lash out. She throws a shelf of books to the ground. She casts Ashardalon's Stride again, shouts "Guardian!" and dashes another 120 feet.

22, 12, 9: another hit. She drops the two books she has, and they catch fire from Ashardalon's Stride. She focuses on a marching song, and gains distance from the Alips. They move to get closer, and she keeps dashing, singing impolitely loud for the library.

She comes up to the Nothics, and they look at her. She runs past them, setting fire to them with Ashardalon's Stride, and the Nothics and Allips follow behind her.

She slides between Rajahtesh's feet as he lands, and drops a huge paw at the threshold, filling the floor with a beam of radiant fire. He asks what she had done; she tells the androsphinx what she was looking for. He grabs her head with a giant paw, dealing 7 Bludgeoning, and emits a warm wave that queits a brimming disquiet that was slowly filling her.

Rajahtesh turns to Ryltar and says, "Follow me." He then flies up to his roost.

Jerry decides to go for a nap. She goes into Door Number 7, and there's her stuff. She flops onto her bed and tries to forget the last few minutes. The bed is comfy and warm, and reminds her of Cato Fenross' inn, The Forest Floor.

Percival, the Inn, and Ryltar's journal

He goes looking for the journals of the Regular Inn, and finds a very old book that has dates going back to the years after the Divergence. But it has recent entries, too! The last one was 200 years ago.

He then goes looking for Ryltar's journal, and finds it. The section of Ryltar's breakdown is just as illegible.

The Kitchen and Embersia

It's just like a kitchen show's well-stocked pantry. Huge quantities of food, of every type, artfully arranged, with floating utensils serving as sous chefs. It'll magically make whatever you want, and it'll let you make food, too. And a floating pad of paper with disembodied gloves floats in front.

Embersia asks for eggs. There's a chime, and we hear a fresh sizzle.

Ryltar and Rajahtesh

Ryltar floats up to the top of the library, and looks around. He doesn't see the androsphinx, but he does see the roost that Rajahtesh created for himself. He calls for Rajahtesh, and hears nothing. He checks the halls, and sees and nothing.

Percival and Jarasoom

Jarasoom has a theory that he wanted to test. He brings Percival to the battle room. Jarasoom says that there are 714 steps total in the length and breadth of the library, with the ones that he knows for certain exist.

Percival asks if anyone has ever jumped in the pit. Jarasoom says yes, and he doesn't know what happened to them. But also, people probably come out. How far does it go down? "They call it the Endless Halls." How do the pens work? "I've been trying to figure out all of the intricacies." It's divine magic, for sure.

Jarasoom asks the Battle Room to convert to an arena, and it becomes a sand-floored Roman coliseum. "THis will be a sight to behold," he says, and walks away from Jarasoom.

Percival is nervous, and looks for the door: there is no door. No gaps between the columns.

Jarasoom turns into a huge brass dragon. "You rely on others," Jarasoom says. "They should rely on you."

  1. Round 1.
    1. Percival works Hold Person on Jarasoom. It takes hold.
    2. Jarasoom grumbles "Good," and uses a Legendary Resistance to escape from the spell. "Now what will you do?" Frightful Presence: Percival is not scared! He is immune for the next 24 hours.
  2. Round 2
    1. "Well, I suppose the Percival I know would wait for his teammates to attack, and then offer support and assistance." Jarasoom's tail thwacks down beside him. Percival casts Fireball; nothing happens. Percival activates his armor.
    2. Jarasoom bites Percival, for 15. "Sing for me your final words."
  3. Round 3
    1. "Alrighty, then!" Tasha's Hideous Laughter! Jarasoom is incapacitated with laughter.
    2. In between laughs, Jarasoom burns a Legendary Resistance, and says, "Play your death rattle."
  4. Round 4
    1. Percival does another Hold Monster,
    2. Jarasoom makes another tail attack, and hits for max damage: 22.
    3. "Perform your last lament." The brass dragon walks around. 19 damage, 17 but Cutting Words. Percival's sword hums. Third attack hits for more damage.
  5. Round 5
    1. "I'm not afraid of you," says Percival, and stabs with Mythcarver. He hits, and Jarasoom makes a small noise of surprise. He blows the Horn of Silent Alarm to rouse Ryltar.
    2. Jarasoom uses his Breath Weapon and bathes Percival in flame, which is reduced by Percival's Cutting Words.
    3. Jarasoom is enjoying the battle, and there is some sort of spectral force around the dragon. It's a glittering hum.
  6. Round 6.
    1. Percival slashes with his sword, for 6 damage. A small burst of energy.
    2. "Have them rely on you," says Jarasoom. "I stand here. I am disappointed. You don't know what lies within you. Let it out."
  7. Round 7
    1. Percival yells: "I'm Percival—" "WHO?" shouts the dragon. "Percival Byron!" he shouts as he stabs, but the dragon's tail knocks the sword away. Percival aggressively strums his lyre and at the top of his lungs casts Glibness, taking on a majestic mantle.
    2. Jarasoom goes from entranced to almost pity. "Fine. Maybe I was wrong." He turns away.
  8. Round 8
    1. Percival picks up Mythcarver and thinks about stabbing Jarasoom, but he gets the feeling that that's not what Jarasoom wants. Percival boldly opens his Vest of Many Pockets: 62. A handful of sesame seeds. He eats some, and offers the rest to Jarasoom. "We're not enemies."
    2. Jarasoom continues to walk away, shrinking from, from dragon to human. "You are not…"
  9. Round 9
    1. Not sword, not voice or music. "Do you know what it's like to be inspired by the best? You might think you've been inspired by the little tomes, but you need to know what it's like to have done stuff." He boasts of killing Kerjes, selling the flail snails. But while he has been Inspired, Jarasoom is not inspired.
    2. Jarasoom continues to walk away. "Hit them."
  10. Round 10
    1. He goes to throw the boomerang, but that's not it. He instead tries to grapple Jarasoom with Bigsby's Hand. It works, but doesn't grapple him. He heals himself.
    2. Jarasoom, now fully human, is tossed around by the hand, but is unimpressed. He grabs out into the ether and opens the door into the library. "I'm sorry for wasting our time."
  11. Round 11.
    1. Percival smashes him with the boomerang, which has the chance to stun: it collides with the shimmer around Jarasoom and folds inwards, hitting him with the bludgeoning and thunder damage, for a few damage.
    2. Jarasoom pulls the boomerang from where it was embedded in his back, and says, "Potential." He Levitates up and looks at Percival. He shifts back towards a dragon, and closes the door.
  12. Rounds 12-14
    1. Another smash: miss. Smash: hit.
    2. Jarasoom continues to pay attention. No breath weapon regained.
  13. Round 15
    1. Bigby's Hand grapples Jarasoom, crushing him for some damage.
    2. Jarasoom collapses the hand.
  14. Round 16
    1. Percival turns into a Giant Ape, and tackles Jarasoom.
    2. Jarasoom bites and claws.
  15. Round 17
    1. Percival punches and fails to make any impact.
    2. Jarasoom reverts to humanoid form. "Not yet. Close! But not yet. We're done here, unless you have any other aggressions you wish to enforce."
  16. Round 18.
    1. Percival grabs Jarasoom and makes like Hulk with Loki: smash. 30 bludgeoning.
    2. "Very well," says Jarasoom.
  17. Round 19.
    1. Percival drops the Polymorph, and bows, and offers a hand to shake.
    2. Jarasoom doesn't know how to shake hands. "Close, but still need to work some."

Percival says, "Well, we might be here for a while. I can take some time to learn. "

Ryltar and Rajahtesh

Ryltar hears the horn. He casts Detect Invisibility, but doesn't seem Rajahtesh. He casts Psychic Lance distantly, targeting the Androsphinx: it flies off to the head of Ioun. He Levitates up and looks at the head.

He decides to Dimension Door into the statue's head. It's a dark, cavernous space, with rough rock walls. There's a shallow dome that reaches down to the left and right, much larger than he would anticipate for this space. There are two head-high candlesticks, 15' apart, framing Ryltar as he stands 50' from the edge of the dome. He walks forward, and another set of candles light. He walks forward. More candles light. Beyond the light of the candles: darkness. He walks forward until he finds the center of the dome: a jutting rock that is malformed in some way, with no clean geometry. At its foot is a basin, and the rock drips into the basin. The basin is clear for a few inches, and then is dark. He doesn't feel much of anything in this space.

A voice comes behind him: "Breaking devotion to Denier, are we?"

"I would not," says Ryltar, and turns. Rajahtesh stands there, filling the space. "I would not break faith with Denier."

Rajahtesh sits down with crossed paws.

"Ioun is fascinating and good, but not the one who brought me back from the brink."

Rajahtesh stares at Ryltar.

Ryltar watches the basin.

"That is the font of memories. Water from the River Styx." says Rajahtesh. "Initiate, pledge, seeker, master. These devout drink of the water to forget everyhting they have learned in life, to learn everything from Ioun's teaching."

"To learn from Ioun's perspective?"

"To learn everything."

"So why bring me here?"

No response.

"I don't want to forge the things that I have learned. I think the perspective of how we've gotten here is important. It's the same reason that the Cirle of the Burning Tree scares the shit out of me: they want to burn the world down and build something new, without mistakes or imperfections, but wiithout imperfection there is no perfection."

Ryltar looks at the water. He looks back at Rajahtesh: Rajahtesh is gone. "I will not forsake Denier, who has set me on this path." He steps away from the basin, back towards the path. The candles blink out behind him, and light in front of him, and he's back in the library.

He hears Percival smash.

Next session

Jerry is probably going to have problems with Rajahtesh.

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