Chapter 9 – Floors and Falling

Party Present: Galliard, Rahn, Kilgore, Kulu, Seraphina, Elgard, Kanye, Zyldi, Nor

Party Missing: None

Level 2 – Firefinger Spire

The party all enters the second level of Firefinger Spire.  The room is empty save for a corpse in the corner. Kulu searches the corpse and gains some goodies.  She sees a glimpse of something on the ceiling, but is too distracted by the shiny objects on the corpse to pay much attention.  Nor calls across the room for Kanye, and the party quickly learns what was lying in wait from above.


Sturge

ENCOUNTER – 9 Sturges

  • The sturges sink their disgusting proboscus into some of the party members: 2 on Kulu, 2 on Galliard, 2 on Kanye, 3 floating in the air
  • Galliard goes unconscious from the sturge attack
  • Rahn quickly cleaves the two struges on Galliard
  • Kilgore kills one of the sturges on Kanye
  • Kulu murders one of the ones on her chest – piercing it with her dagger
  • Seraphina rids Kulu of her final sturge
  • Elgard casts Minor Illusion to look like the wall of the cave to prevent being blood sucked
  • Kanye runs into the wall chest first, smashing the sturge still on him
  • Zyldi goes to Galliard and casts healing word, she back away
  • Nor readies an action in case a sturge tries to attack Kanye; he doesn’t wait long as as sturge immediately lunges for Kanye.  Nor murders the bug beast
  • Galliard rallies and attacks the sturge that has sunk into Seraphina.  
  • Dragle kills the final sturge

The party decides to send Kanye and his tied troupe out first to navigate the precarious edge of the spire.  Galliard assists by casting a crosswind to counter the wind whistling around the tower. As they go, Zyldi decides to turn into a spider with wild shape.  She climbs swiftly to the 3rd floor to scout. She sees 4 pterafolk sitting hunched around a fire and 2 figures bound as prisoners.

Zyldi quickly scurries back to the party and spins a web that spells out: “Kanye” as she wants to speak with him without changing out of her spider shape.  After much debate, we realize that Rahn can also speak with animals, and she tells him what she saw on the 3rd floor.

Level 3 – Firefinger Spire

2hrs later….the party has made a plan on how to infiltrate the 3rd floor.  First, Kulu will go in and assassinate as many of the pterafolk that she can.  There is no need to tell any further of the plan as Kulu ASSASSINATES ALL FOUR PTERAFOLKS in about 30seconds.  

Now the rest of the party ascends to the 3rd floor.  This is largely uneventful save for Elgard. The wizard manages to get halfway up the ladder, loses his footing, and falls.  Nor quickly reaches out an arm and swings the wizard back onto the ladder below himself. Elgard is probably appreciative, but you wouldn’t know it as he promptly loses his footing yet again.  Rahn half-heartedly puts out an arm to see if Elgard will land it in. He doesn’t. Rahn shrugs. Seraphina, still on the ledge, sees what is happening and swiftly snatches Elgard from what would be guaranteed death.  They decide instead to tie a rope to Elgard, and they haul him up.

While everyone was climbing the ladder, Kanye and Kulu release the prisoners. They are a Halfing Monk and a Birdman.  Kanye: “We found a baby halfing, and it is really smart!” The Birdman is named Nephyr who was captured while out on patrol.  The Halfling is Eridor Redknuckles. He and several of his friends had been captured by the pterafolk while out one day and were forced to work the mines as slaves.  Recently, they managed to escape but were once more captured and brought to this tower.

Eridor is worried about the fate of his other friends.  He wants to quickly get to the 4th floor to see whether they are still alive and need help.  Zyldi heads up to the 4th floor to scout. There are 3 pterafolk out on patrol, and 6-8 others milling about. There is not much room at the top.  She also sees a chest in the room where the flame shoots out from the top of the spire. She brings this news to the party. They make a plan to distract the pterafolk, steal the contents of the chest that hopefully contain the mask, and then flee.

Level 4 – Firefinger Spire

Elgard, Eridor, and Galliard are the main players of this plan.  Elgard casts Minor Illusion to look like one of the Pterafolk. He takes Eridor and starts to make a show of throwing the prisoner off the top of the spire. While he is drawing attention, Galliard sneaks to the top and steals the contents of the chest.  He victoriously returns to the rest of the party.

Elgard sees Galliard’s success and starts to backpeddle with the crowd.  He had managed to stave off the opposition from “the boss”, but is now trying to say maybe the bossman was right, and it is best to wait to eat the Halfing.  “The Boss” suggests they eat the birdman instead. Elgard disagrees: “I don’t know about y’all but I don’t like eatin’ dem featers.” He is slowly backing away through all this to get himself and Eridor back to the chute that they came up.  Boss: “Why don’t you fly him back?” Elgard jumps down the chute with Eridor.

While that is going on, Galliard hands to mask to Azaka.  She is grateful.

The pterafolk are suspicious of the Elgard character and three of them decide to come check it out.  They are swiftly and quietly disposed of by Kanye, Eridor, and Seraphina. The parties escape plan is still undecided

Bard and Aspiring Necromancer

Galliard Mazurka the Magnificent

Taken in as an orphan by Zelda the matriarch witch of a troupe of performing Gypsies, Galliard Mazurka the Magnificent (also named by gypsies) is the front performer of the Dazzling Traveling Thespians of Thestia. The troupe treats him like a precious gem, ignoring his Tiefling heritage and teaching him all the expertise of the gypsy life, including disguising his horns. Performing in every town they come across the colourful group of misfits have seen every country and kingdom imaginable. Galliard specializes in wowing the audience with music and magical comedy. Juggling Dazzling lights and using invisible servants to perform amazing and comedic tricks. His whole job is to keep the audience distracted while the troupe’s thieves comb the onlookers for anything they can slip out of an unwary pocket.

Galliard has trained and honed his skills as a thief and comic musician for his entire life. Always wanting to keep the troupe happy and fed. Looking for ways to use his abilities to make a quick silver here or there. Although he relishes the roar and laughter of the crowd, Galliard longs for something else, something beyond the grinning masses that hear his playful tunes and cheerful ditties. Dancing, joking, performing, and smiling as wide as the crowd that watches him. Behind his broad grin and gleaming eyes Galliard longs for Darkness. He secretly studies the dark arts and Necromancy in his own time, musing about the day he can finally attain his dreams. Creating a Hardcore Deathmetal Band, complete with skeletal musicians and a truly unique musical quality that will sweep the lands with its dark awesomeness.

Madame Zelda Seeing that Galliard was unhappy, decided it was time for him to travel the world on his own for a while. Hoping he would sow his wild oats and come back to the stable business of fraud, smuggling, and thievery she gave him her blessing to leave but scolded him for making her have to hire five people to replace his act. Galliard was half eager and half anxious to be away from the troupe of crazy characters that raised him and poured their worldly knowledge into him. But he decided that was indeed his time to see the world alone and create his dream.

Smiling like he did in front of the throngs Galliard set out on his own. Traveling the roads in search of ancient dark knowledge and plying his gypsy art to make a living. Hoping to mix ancient necromantic arcana with new age flair and flourish. Someday he will attain his dreams and throw off the world of rainbow coloured cloaks with pink bows and ribbons. He will don the guise of a Supreme Musical Necromancer and usher in a new Genre and a new age of true musical art through Death Metal.

Always in touch with his less than law abiding family. Someday he will have to advertise and sell his musical brand, and for that Madame Zelda says they will need to start a business empire or even take over a city. Balancing everything while keeping his sights set on Black Necromantic dreams and remembering the happy thieves and crazy carnies that raised him is a difficult path to tread but Galliard Mazurka the Magnificent is up for the challenge!

Chapter 8 – Stealth and Storms

Players Present:  Seraphina, Kilgore, Elgard, Nor, Kanye, and Galliard

Players Missing:  Zyldi, Rahn, amd Kulu

Day 5 Traveling through the Jungles of Chult

Wet and bedraggled, the party listen to the shrieking of the two pterafolk that escaped in the battle. They know that will not bode well for them in the future. Taking a short rest, they being to make their way through the jungle once more, but taking no more than a few steps, they hear a gnashing and snarling coming their way.

Encounter Highlights – 4 Ghouls who are then joined by 4 pterafolks

  • Galliard blinds ghouls with fireworks
  • Elgard does not want to be distracted from his reading and misses badly with a fireball
  • At a later time, Elgard blows away 3 ghouls out of annoyance.  He then steps into the fray, still reading.
  • Kilgore is grabbed by a pterafolk and brought 20ft into the air.
  • Nor throws a grappling hook at the pterafolk and it grabs onto to the creature just below the wing
  • Kanye jumps up and grabs the foot of Kilgore so that they are all now floating in the air.  Kilgore is not torn in half.
  • Galliard throws holy water killing the last ghoul.  “Bad undead are bad. But there are good undead.” – Galliard
  • 3 pterafolk run away
  • Kilgore does not let the pterafolk that grabbed him flee.  He has Kanye launch him onto the creature and stabs it in the eye, killing it.  Vengeance was had.

The crew debates how they will travel through this jungle with the pterafolk continuing to decend.  This is when Q’washa decides to reveal that he is able to stealth them for 3 hrs a day with the spell Without a Trace.

They travel safely until evening.  While they are at camp, they are visited by a Chwinga.  This little creature takes interest in Elgard’s book, climbs in his lap, and reads with him.  Galliard and Nor are jealous. Seraphina tries to get a Chwinga’s attention with her pendant.  None are successful. The Chwinga blesses Elgard with 3 Dark Vision spells.

Chwinga

Day 6

The next morning, the group is able to see a tall stone spire with fire shooting from the top – Firefinger Spire. They also awake to learn they have a new companion in the group.

During the night, Galliard completed his new clockwork skeleton.  After extensive questioning, the group votes on the companion staying.  The skeleton is voted into the group – 3 votes yes, Kilgore votes no, Seraphina abstains.  Dragle is the new companion of the team.

The day of traveling is safe.

That night, the party plans an attack on Firefinger.  They will approach the tower at night as a group, and make their way up the ladder in pairs.  Azaka will come with, but Q’washa will stay behind with the dinos.

Firefinger Spire

Before the party goes to sleep, they question Azaka more about her mask.  She reveals that it is important to her as it belonged to her mother.  The mask was stolen from Azaka by the pterafolk when she let her guard down one evening.  The mask allows the one who wears it to befriend animals.

Day 7

They approach the tower at night.  Kanye carries Kilgore up the ladder with him to allow Kilgore to attack with spells if needed.  They make it safely up, but they break several rungs of the ladder along the way. Ropes are needed for the subsequent climbs.  All of the party make their way up to the first level of the spire safely.


In the middle of this cavernous first level is a pit.  Within the pit, they encounter 4 spiders. They dispatch the spiders quickly…but with quite a literal boom.  In trying to be helpful, Galliard cast Thunderwave into the pit with the spiders.  However, this sends a 300ft boom out into the night, and shakes the whole tower. The party can only hope this does not alert the pterafolk.  It is slightly drizzling outside, and Galliard also casts Prestidigitation to create thunder like noise away from the spire in hopes to make it seem like it is simply a storm.  Success of this endeavor is still unknown.

They climb to the second level of the spire.


Chapter 7 – Crossing a River

The below is written from the notes of the esteemed DM.

Day 3

As the day begins, the sound of a T-Rex roar can be heard far in the distance to the south (foreshadowing?).  They travel through the jungle without too much difficulty that day, but that evening brings yet another undead encounter.

ENCOUNTER – 3 zombies and an Ogre zombie

  • Zyldi entangles 2 zombies
  • Seraphina does some good smiting
  • Kulu hits the ogre in the brain with her rapier
  • Kanye is able to finally kill the Ogre Zombie by breaking it in half with his warhammer

Day 4

The party encounters a blue mist. They identify it as Mad Monkey Mist, which will give you Mad Monkey Fever if you enter it. They wait for the mist to roll by, and use some magic wind to ensure it stay away.  A horde of curious baboons surrounds the party from the treetops. Kanye takes a full 10 minutes to cast his “Speak with animals” spell while the rest of the party pacifies the baboons with food.

Kanye speaks to them and learns that they want food. Like a ton of food.  He convinces the baboons that there is a whole lot of food back further down the trail. They run toward Kanye’s lies.

Day 5

The party comes to the river crossing that Azaka had mentioned.  The river is 75ft across and the water is 4ft deep and very swift.  However, there is another crossing that is 40ft across, narrower, more shallow, and not as fast.  They choose this crossing. After all, no one wants throat leeches.

Elgard Alters Self and gives himself gills and fins. He swims easily across the river, bringing some rope with him to tie onto a tree on the opposite bank. Party now has a rope to hold onto as they cross.

Zyldi and Kulu cross without incident.  As Galliard, Kanye, and Qawasha are crossing, 5 Pterafolk come over the treetops and begin an assault from the air.

ENCOUNTER – 5 Pterafolk

  • Galliard creates a smokescreen over their group to make them harder to hit
  • Azaka is a badass and starts shooting with her longbow. Unfortunately, DM rolls much better for enemies than he does for friendly NPCs
  • Group is able to kill one of them before they do much damage
  • Azaka gets hit squarely with a Pterafolk Javelin but doesn’t seem to be hurt by it
  • Seraphina glows brightly, sprouts wings, and leaps into the air to do aerial battle with them. It is majestic
  • Galliard creates a Leopluridon with Phantasmal Force and grabs one of them
  • Seraphina fells another pterafolk
  • The remaining Pterafolk escape the magical leopluridon and flee over the treetops

The remainder of the party make it to the other side of the river.  There they rest to recover from the battle.

Chapter 6 – Choices and Votes

The party has successfully defeated the undead who made their way into the Chult city proper.  Upon examination, they see that there are upside-down blue triangles on their foreheads – this is the mark of Ras Nsi’s evil undead army.  Ras Nsi was a paladin who betrayed his oath and used a skeleton army to destroy the land. Super great guy.

The next day, they prepare to head into the jungle.  Azaka is able to lead them to Firefinger with perfect precision.  She offers the party a choice.

1) week to Firefinger via the river OR 2) 16 days around the river through Grung territory (pesky, poisonous, evil frog men)

After expressing an extreme amount of dissatifaction at Azaka for even assuming that they would choose option 2, they decide on the 1 week route.

Day 1 through the jungles of Chult — Uneventful

Day 2

The party gathers fruit as they travel.  Maracuya is a fruit native to the jungles of Chult (Fun fact: Maracuya is an alternate name for Passion Fruit).  If it is wrinkly, it is safe to eat. If it is not wrinkly, it is deadly.  The juice can be used as poison.

They happen upon a herd of brontosaurus.  Kanye is able to have a very pleasant conversation with one of the grazing dinos.  They helpfully tell him that there are monsters in the jungle. Speaking of monsters…

ENCOUNTER – 20 zombies approach

  • Honestly, took very few notes on this battle.  Suffice to say, everything was killed.

After dispatching the zombies, the journey through the jungle is uneventful for the rest of the day.  They find a cave and rest for a night. In this cave, they find the body of a dead Tabaxi and rhino. Out of respect for the dead the party bury the body.

Around the campfire, there are some rather heated discussions surrounding whether or not Bill and Clarice should be allowed to sleep in the cave.  Is Clarice really tame? Bill farts a lot…etc.

During this discussions, Galliard has dug up the Tabaxi corpse, reanimated it, and disguised it to look like Elgard.  He proudly shows it to the group.

It is disgusting.  And everyone hates it.  No one hates it more than Elgard, who, without much delay, casts a Level 2 Chromatic Orb spell and blasts that Tabaxi body into ash.  So much for respect for the dead.

This causes a much needed discussion about voting companions in the group.  A vote is held immediately.

  • Bill the Triceratops AYE
  • Clarice the Raptor AYE
  • Zombie Companion NAY

Also, Kilgore’s name is Allison…but no one cares because she figures out that GALLIARD WAS DISGUISED AS ELGARD FOR THEIR ENTIRE BOAT JOURNEY. WHAT. THE. HECK.

Chapter 5 – Orbs and Undead

The following morning the team decides to go to the dinosaur pit to watch justice be served to the 7 pirate captains that they “returned”.  In Chult, those who do wrong, get eaten by dinosaurs. If you can survive the encounter, you are free to go. No pirates survive.

Before the *coughtruecough* pirate captain is killed, he points in the direction of the travelers, and more specifically at Galliard.  No one is sure what this means, but it doesn’t take long before they find out.

As they exit they dino pits, they hear Galliard’s strange red orb say: “Go to the ship with the green sail.”  Before anyone has time to figure out what the heck Galliard has had on him this whole time, the orb is stolen from him.  The party chases and captures the dude and reclaims the orb. Kilore casts ‘Friend’ on the man, and a new friend is made in the group.  They bring their new friend straight to the Harbormaster for processing (dino pit for you dude).

Per the DM’s Notes: Party decides not to buy a Charter of Exploration from the Flaming Fist at Fort Beluarian, cause permits are for losers. Galliard forges one

As they head back to their quarters a cry rings throughout Chult: “Undead!”

ENCOUNTER – Several undead are in the city

  • Elgard marches into the fray with shallot breath
  • Kilgore hangs back and shoots at them from a distance
  • Galliard uses his unseen servant to snag an undead on the defense hooks in the city
  • Kanye rages and heads into the middle of the fray.  He knocks one prone.
  • Seraphine charges in and hits the prone undead.  Kills him.
  • Elgard casts burning hands on 3 of the undead while still chomping on shallots. “Death of the Undead by Elgard the Shrewd.”
  • Zyldi heads forward as a bear for a stomp and chew.  Bones scatter as death claims the zombie once more.
  • Nor steps in front of a civilian to protect him.  
  • Galliard’s Unseen Servant spins the dangling skeleton.
  • Seraphine Divine Smites one undead
  • Elgard throws the least many fireball ever

Chult is once more undead free.

Chapter 4 – Dinos and Dinner

The party sails into the Bay of Chult.  From a peninsula a turtle beak rises out of the water.  This is Arameg, a giant Dragon Turtle, who demands tribute.  With Kilgore using some very persuasive words, they are allowed to pass paying less money than is traditional.

MEANWHILE

Zyldi and Elgard were transported to Chult by Syndra.  They hung out in Chult, staying with a merchant prince Wakanga O’Tamu, while waiting for the rest of the party to arrive.  Zyldi practices her druid powers; Elgard gets a fancy hat and books.

The rest of the party arrives, and it is damn hot.  They are all reunited, and there is some confusion around how Elgard got to the docs before them…but Elgard just glosses over the issue with the excuse of, “Magic”.  They head to the Harbormaster where they all lie through their teeth about the amount of Captains they have captured.  It was a Captain Conference…naturally.

Fictional Names of Pirate Ships: Bloody Sash, Hungry Turtle, Sea Cow, Decepticon

True Pirate Ship Names: Sturge, Emerald Eye, Dragon Eye

The party learns a few things from Wakanga.  Syndra died in the jungles of Chult via a trap in the Mist Cliffs.  The prince wants an amulet; he has asked Elgard to get it via a journal that he has provided to the wizard.  The prince does not know where the Soul Monger is.

Thus, the party proceeds out into the marketplace to buy and listen.

Some party members did some dino shopping:

  • Rahn buys a hadrosauraus
  • Kanye buys a triceratops – Bill
  • Kilgore buys a raptor – Clarise

Rumors Overheard: [Courtesy of the DM himself]

  • The jungle is full of nature spirits – weird little elemental creatures with masks. They don’t speak, and I’ve never known one to be harmful, but their magical powers should not be taken lightly.
  • Perched atop a plateau overlooking the Aldani Basin is a ghost village. All the people there disappeared. No one knows why. You can reach the Aldani Basin by following the River Soshenstar
  • Bird folk inhabit a monastery that hangs on the side of a plateau many miles up the Olung River, past the Laughing Gorge. The bird folk are holding the last royal heir of Chult as their prisoner.
  • If you head up the Tiryki River about five days by canoe, you’ll see a stone spire to the east. Natives call it Firefinger. Terror Folk nest there, and if they spot you, you’re in for a fight.
  • If you head up the Tiryki River about five days by canoe, you’ll see a stone spire to the east. Natives call it Firefinger. Terror Folk nest there, and if they spot you, you’re in for a fight.
  • One must purchase a Charter of Exploration at Fort Beluarian before undertaking any jungle expedition. The Flaming Fist punishes explorers who don’t have the required paperwork.
  • Deep in the heart of the jungle is a city built by Minotaurs. It’s now overrun by snake people, but even worse things dwell below. In visions, I have seen strange devils screaming in the dark.
  • A Dragon Turtle named Aremag lives in the Bay of Chult. If you wish to set sail from Port Nyanzaru, you’ll need treasure to appease the greedy monster. How much treasure, I can’t say. Aremag will tell you what it wants, and you’d best give it what it demands.
  • Long ago, a peaceful tribe of fisherfolk called the Aldani angered Ubtao by catching and eating all the lobsters in a river. As punishment for their greed, they were all transformed in to monsters that dwell in the Aldani Basin.

That evening they all assemble at Wakanga’s home for a dinner party.  He has invited several jungle guides to dine so that they can share their skills with the party members.  After interviews, the crew decides to hires Qawasha, a druid, and his vegepygmy, Kupalue.  His price will be reduced depending on how many undead they are able to kill on their journey.

In addition, they will be joined by another guide Azaka.  She will pay the party to retrieve a mask that she has lost to the pterafolk.

Chapter 3 – Sea, Sick, and Combat

Party Present:  Kilgore, Seraphina, Rahn, Elgard, Bardo, Kanye, Nor, and Kulu

Party Missing:  Zyldi, Galliard

The team makes their way back to Baldur’s Gate where they reconvene with Syndra at the Inn Too Deep.  They learn that Syndra has been to Chult. Chult is a peninsula island with giant reptiles, jungle, and undead.  Only the outskirts of Chult have been charted. The rest has yet to be explored as the danger is immense. In fact, Syndra died at Chult.

The party heads off with Captain Swift, and her crew, on the boat The Brazen Pregasus.  They are told that during their trip, should they encounter pirates, they can make some extra cash by incapacitating the looting ship and bringing in the pirate captain for a bounty.  The journey should take them 10 days.

The first 8 days of the trip are uneventful except that it appears that Galliard, who had been with them at the tavern, is now missing. No pirates are yet spotted.  However, a storm is on the horizon.

The storm hits hard and fast.  The crew and the adventurers take measures to keep the ship from sinking.

  • Kanye – Uses his strength to counteract the boat’s rocking by quickly moving back and forth on the side that needs it.  Success.
  • Kilgore – Uses persuasion to inspire the crew to keep hope.  Fail.
  • Kulu – Secures the crates below deck to prevent shifting.  Success.
  • Bardo – Climbs the masts and secures the rigging.  Success.
  • Nor – Bails the water that comes crashing into the boat.  Success
  • Rahn – Uses insight to determine the best direction to steer the ship with the wind.  Success.
  • Elgard – Casts 3 winds to shield it from the prevailing winds.  Success.
  • Nor – Yells at the storm to intimidate it.  Success.

All the efforts of the adventurers proves fruitful, and they weather the storm without incident.  However, as soon as they are out of the storm, they see a pirate ship on the horizon. Kanye: “Ramming speed!”

The adventurers board the pirate ship and successfully take down most of the 16 crew.  The captain lays down his sword in defeat. Kilgore: “Let’s discuss your terms of surrender.”

Encounter Highlights

  • Kanye throws Elgard up onto the pirate ship.  Elgard casts Thunderwave right before he lands, which throws two pirates overboard.
  • 3 pirates are killed by Kulu, Rahn, and Kanye.
  • The pirate captain keeps Kanye raging by hitting him with a crossbow bolt.  Kanye then throws a pirate off the ship.
  • Elgard steps in the front of the fray in an attempt to lead the charge.  He is rendered unconscious.
  • Seraphina heals Elgard.  Elgard then goes down again almost immediately…because he is a wizard…in the front of the line.
  • Bardo kills another pirate
  • Kulu is below deck stealing for the majority of this battle.  However, she looks up through the deck grate and sees a pirate.  She shoots up at him, and hits the pirate in his femoral artery.
  • Elgard rolls a 1 for his death save.  Seraphina heals him…again.
  • Kanye knocks more men off the boat.
  • Nor grabs Elgard by the scruff of his neck and pulls in to the back lines. Nor:  “Get back you ass-hat.” Nor accepts the attack of opportunity from the pirate who was once again closing on Elgard.  
  • Elgard creates ominous whispers around 4 of the pirates causing two of them to jump overboard.

The battle is over, and they loot the pirate ship and captain.  Captain Swift’s assigns a skeleton crew to bring the pirate ship the rest of the way.

In an unexpected twist, the adventurers only now learn of an Arameg, a dragon turtle, who apparently demands tribute for all ships that pass on their way to Chult. Thus do the adventurers resume their journey aboard The Brazen Pegasus curious to meet this newly mentioned Arameg.

Chapter 2 – Try All The Doors

Our adventurers head further into the cavern beneath the Lich’s lair.  They encounter 3 ghouls in a noxious room (causing Bardo to barf). During the fight, Nor, Galliard, and Zyldi were all rendered unconscious (Zyldi went down while charitably saving Nor). Meanwhile, Bardo murders two ghouls with his acrobatic techniques, and Kulu destroys the final baddie.

There are five doors that the group uncovers.  The first door has a demon statue surrounded in a pool a blood.  Kanye charges at the statue and falls into this pool of blood. In this pool, he finds a shiny gem that sheds light.  When Kilgore steps into the pool of blood, she is overcome by a wave of exhaustion.

The second door contains another ghoul, that Bardo also murders.  Much gold is found.

Kulu picks the lock of the third door, which was the other side of the Kraken trap door.

The fourth door has a large stone staircase that would lead them to the battle raging above.   Nor and Kanye rush up the stairs and encounter a large monster who looks as though he has been pasted together with body parts from multiple creatures.  Kanye: “I won’t tell if you don’t.” Nor: “Deal.” They descend the stairs, and declare that the best thing they can do for the Harpers is simply find the the phylactery.  They do not mention the igor.

The fifth door holds an iron chest with two giant pillars that they quickly discover shoot lightning on whomever tries to lay a hand on the chest.  A protective spector appears, and the crew mass piles into the room and defeat it. After switching off the pillars of lightning, Bardo successfully opens the iron chest and the adventurers now have their hands on the skin-bound phylactery.  Zyldi takes the book safely into her possession.

They exit the cavern quickly.  Calbrax is waiting for them and transports them to the battlefront. After calling out Zyldara, Zyldi threatens that they will destroy the phylactery.  Zyldara asks what it is that the group would want in return. Zyldi: “Who is making this curse? Where is it coming from?”

From their questions, the team learns that the Soul Monger is sucking up the souls of those who are dying.  This is preventing the resurrection magic from working, and reclaiming the souls of those already resurrected.  The Soul Monger is on the island of Chult, and that is where the crew is headed next.

Honorable Mentions

  • Elgard makes an illusion of rotten smelless limbs to distract ghouls
  • Kanye has an amazing constitution.  “Dang, Barbarians are cool.” – DM

Chapter 1 – Funerals Bring People Together

Our adventure begins at the funeral of our dear friend Filbretta.  After extremely touching speeches from those present about the dearly departed (by some…well…maybe one?), a Harper, Ramalia, hijacks the funeral to recruit adventurers to help with a mission.  This mission is to obtain the phylactery of the lich Zuldara, Duchess of Rot.

After hearing of the prize of 500gp, a motley few volunteer and head out on a boat to participate in the Harper’s plan.  This plan involves a sneak attack by the volunteers while the Harpers are creating a distraction from the front of this Lich’s lair.  The adventuring folks will enter from a grotto to sneak in and steal the aforementioned phylactery – a spellbook bound in human flesh.  

Thus did our fellows venture in a dark cavern in search of the book.  In this cavern they encounter a mouth in the side of the cavern wall, skeleton gangs, a door with murderous tentacles, a cove of crystals that wants to transport those who touch them to other planes, a room full of handsy skeletons, a murder room with a murderous trap, and finally two swords intent on swiping them dead.

We left our adventurers in the room where the swords attacked waiting to explore further.

Adventure Stats

Kills Traps Triggered Traps Disarmed Doors Opened
Seraphina Ouranos II
Kanye the Giant II xxxx
Kilgore Lohman I
Nor Tactern II I xxxx
Rhan Swansong II
Galliard Mazurka the Magnificent II I I
Zyldi I I
Elgard the Shrewd I x
Kulu I I IIII