# Out Of The Abyss # Session 00: Before the Descent ## Session Summary Session 0 was the group’s first gathering for the **Out of the Abyss** campaign. No in-game adventuring began during this session; instead, the group focused on campaign expectations, Foundry VTT setup, character creation, party composition, scheduling, and the opening premise of the campaign. The confirmed attendees for the first get-together were **Kennith**, **Robb**, **Moose**, **Rework / Rewrock** as Dungeon Master, **James**, and **Justin**. After Session 0, **Michael** also confirmed that he was keen to join the campaign, though his character details were not yet established. Rework introduced the campaign as a dark Underdark survival story. The world beneath the surface was described as vast, alien, dangerous, and hostile: a realm of endless caverns, fungal forests, underground seas, ancient civilizations, scarce food, precious light, and strange powers. The group was warned that the campaign would not always assume fair fights or easy solutions. Survival, caution, judgement, and knowing when to run would matter. The party will begin at **level 3** as captives in the Underdark. The characters have been taken prisoner by drow, and each player was asked to explain why their character was in the Underdark and how they ended up captured. This became the main character backstory prompt after the session. ## Campaign Setup Decisions
Topic Decision / Current Status
Campaign Out of the Abyss
Dungeon Master Rework / Rewrock
Starting Level Level 3
Opening Situation The party begins as captives in the Underdark, held by drow.
Ruleset Use 2024 / 5.5e options where available. Older 5e material may be used where appropriate, but players were told to avoid accidentally using legacy versions when a 2024 option exists.
Stats Rolled stats using the Discord dice bot. Players may roll twice and choose one full set. No mixing between sets.
Starting Gear Starting equipment is not a priority because the party begins in captivity. Spellcasting focuses and material components may become an early problem for casters.
Session Cadence Biweekly / every three weeks was the winning preference in the Discord poll.
Likely Session Time Sunday nights were discussed as the preferred option for several players.
Safety Tool An X-card is available in Foundry if a subject or scene becomes uncomfortable and needs to be skipped or moved past.
## Players and Known Characters
Player Character Known Build Known Backstory / Role
Justin Aeris Naïlo Male Wood Elf Druid, Circle of the Land, Guide background, Magician Primal Order Aeris was once a surface woodland guide and grove-warden. He followed signs of corruption beneath his home forest, including strange fungal growths, sickened animals, and unnatural tremors. He entered the Underdark to investigate, was ambushed, and was taken captive.
James Iragon Midsommar Paladin / Warlock concept, melee tank Iragon is tied to Titania and the Spring Court. He followed signs of shadow and danger into Faerûn and eventually into the Underdark, where he was overwhelmed and captured by drow. He believes his presence below may still serve Titania’s purpose.
Moose Varang, the Ash-Mender Cleric-style healer; Divine Order: Protector was mentioned during setup Varang is a healer from the Cinderborn, a hidden enclave of Chthonic Tieflings living in volcanic tunnels and Underdark border-caves. Their healing is harsh, ritualistic, and tied to ash, fire, pain, fungus, and the cycle of life and death. Varang was captured by drow slavers while returning from the Ash Vigil.
Robb Unknown Wizard, likely Abjurer Robb settled on playing a Wizard after the group discussed party balance. Backstory was still pending at the end of the available notes.
Kennith Unknown Unknown Character details were not yet clearly confirmed in the transcript or follow-up notes.
Michael Unknown Unknown Michael confirmed after Session 0 that he was keen to join the campaign. Character details are still pending.
Rewrock N/A Dungeon Master Rework ran the setup session, introduced the campaign, explained Foundry, handled technical issues, and asked players to prepare their character reasons for being captive in the Underdark.
## Character Backstory Prompt Every player was asked to answer the central campaign question: > **Why is your character in the Underdark, and how did they become a captive?** Rework gave several possible examples. A character might have been exploring, might have been part of a party that was killed, might have been dragged below from the surface, or might have been captured directly by drow. The important point is that each character begins the campaign already imprisoned in the Underdark. ## Confirmed Character Backstories So Far ### Aeris Naïlo Aeris Naïlo is a male Wood Elf Druid, formerly a guide and grove-warden from the surface. He was used to reading tracks, weather, animal signs, and old forest paths. Before his descent, he noticed signs that something beneath the world was poisoning the land above: strange fungal growths, sickened animals, and unnatural tremors. He followed those signs into forgotten caverns, intending to scout the source of the corruption and return with a warning. He never made it back. Somewhere below, Aeris was ambushed, overwhelmed, and taken captive. He is now trapped far from the open sky, cut off from the forest he once protected, and forced to adapt his instincts to a stranger, darker ecosystem. ### Iragon Midsommar Iragon Midsommar was born beneath the ever-blooming boughs of the Spring Court, where Titania rules with radiant grace. Drawn to his compassion and resolve, Titania accepted his oath and bound him as one of her knights. Through her blessing, Iragon became a paladin of renewal, sent wherever hope struggled to survive. When Titania whispered of shadows festering in Faerûn, Iragon followed the call. His path eventually led him into the Underdark while tracking raiders. There he was overwhelmed and captured by drow. Shackled in darkness, he does not believe he has been abandoned. He believes the Archfey do nothing without purpose, and that spring cannot truly be caged. ### Varang, the Ash-Mender Varang, also called the Ash-Mender, was born among the Cinderborn: a hidden enclave of Chthonic Tieflings living in volcanic tunnels and old Underdark border-caves, far from surface kingdoms. The Cinderborn survive through ritual, discipline, secrecy, and an unflinching respect for the cycle of life and death. To the Cinderborn, death and life are part of the same furnace. A body dies. Bone becomes ash. Ash feeds earth. Earth births life again. To heal someone is not to bless them with soft light; it is to drag them back through the fire before death can claim them. Varang trained as a healer, learning to mend flesh through ash rites, pressure, pain, fire, fungus, and whispered prayers to the Ember Below. Their magic is not gentle or golden. It burns, seals, cauterises, and drags the dying back from the dark. As part of the Hermit’s Ash Vigil, Varang left their people to survive alone in the deep places. There they gathered grave ash, rare fungal medicines, and omens from forgotten death-shrines. During the vigil, Varang found signs that something was deeply wrong below: corrupted growths, broken death-marks, fleeing creatures, and tunnels that felt sick with madness. On the return journey, weakened and half-starved, Varang was ambushed by drow slavers. They fought with mace, spell, tooth, and curse, but were eventually overwhelmed and taken captive. Now trapped in the Underdark, Varang intends to survive, escape, and discover what is poisoning the deep cycle beneath the world. ## Foundry VTT Setup A major part of Session 0 was spent learning the Foundry VTT setup. Rework demonstrated how character sheets work, how to drag in classes, species, backgrounds, spells, weapons, and features from the compendiums, and how to use rolls directly from the sheet. The group was shown how to roll checks, attacks, and damage; how to use advantage and disadvantage; how to use the hotbar; how to right-click tokens for quick actions; how to use initiative; how to perform group checks; and how to adjust music and dice settings. Rework also showed several quality-of-life features, including turn order display, token notes, detachable character sheets for multi-screen setups, custom dice, quick-access actions, and calendar/time tracking. Foundry was presented as the main campaign hub, while Discord would be used for between-session discussion, character updates, and planning. ## Foundry Issues and Fixes
Issue Status
Orc darkvision was not appearing correctly. Rework manually added darkvision under senses.
Divine Order: Protector was not correctly applying heavy armour and martial weapon proficiency. Rework fixed the issue for Moose.
Some 2024 spells were missing or showing only legacy versions, including Blade Ward and Armor of Agathys. Rework re-imported spells and added the missing entries.
Some older backgrounds may not automatically grant an origin feat. Players were warned to check this manually and add an origin feat if needed.
Dice tray add-on was temporarily broken due to Foundry update compatibility. Players were shown alternate dice rolling options.
## Party Composition Discussion The group spent time discussing possible roles and class choices. Early ideas included Druid, Cleric, Paladin, Warlock, Barbarian, Wizard, Ranger, Monk, Bard, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Fighter. Rework noted that the party was initially leaning heavily toward melee and warned that the group may want some ranged damage, arcane utility, scouting, and broader magical support. By the end of the available notes, the party appeared to have the beginnings of a broad spread: Aeris as a Druid focused on survival, scouting, and nature magic; Iragon as a Paladin / Warlock melee tank; Varang as a harsh Underdark healer; and Robb leaning into Wizard. Kennith and Michael’s final character choices were still unknown. ## Table Tone and Expectations Rework made it clear that this campaign will not always be balanced around the party winning every direct confrontation. The Underdark is dangerous, and the players may need to judge whether a situation is worth fighting, avoiding, fleeing, or returning to later. The group was warned that even starting at level 3 does not mean they are prepared for everything below. The tone is expected to include survival, darkness, danger, strange environments, alien creatures, scarce resources, and difficult choices. At the same time, the group’s table humour was already alive and well, with jokes about fear of spiders, fear of the dark, dangerous levels of melee enthusiasm, and the timeless D&D strategy of touching the cursed-looking thing just to see what happens. ## Current Open Tasks Before Session 1 - Confirm Kennith’s character concept, class, species, and reason for being captured. - Confirm Michael’s character concept now that he is joining the campaign. - Confirm Robb’s Wizard backstory and final subclass choice. - Confirm Moose’s final mechanical build for Varang. - Finish spell selections for all casters. - Check that all characters have correct 2024 / 5.5e versions of their class, species, background, spells, traits, and origin feat. - Confirm any Wild Shape forms Aeris expects to use so Rework can prepare Foundry actors and tokens. - Rework to review completed characters for missing proficiencies, traits, senses, spells, and automation issues. - Confirm the date for Session 1. ## Closing State Session 0 ended with the campaign technically and narratively ready to begin. The players had learned the basics of Foundry, settled the broad campaign expectations, agreed on a level 3 start, and began forming the party. The campaign’s first true scene will begin not with a tavern, a quest board, or a heroic march into danger, but with the characters already trapped in the dark as prisoners of the drow. The next step is simple, ugly, and very Underdark: survive captivity, find a way out, and work out what is wrong beneath the world before the dark decides to keep them. # Session 01: The Beginning Chapter
🎵 Music
[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/Cy6image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/Cy6image.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/YgLimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/YgLimage.png)
*The Cage Forgot to Close* *The Dark Was Listening*
**
``` Verse 1 Deep below the waking world, where no sun dares remain, iron kissed the wrist and throat, and silence learned our names. The drow had taken steel and spell, our packs, our pride, our light, but they forgot that desperate souls grow teeth inside the night. Chorus So raise no glass, just lift your chains, let stone remember sound. The cage forgot to close its jaws, the lost are breaking out. Through spider’s web and priestess’ glare, through poison, blood, and doubt, the dark may think it owns us all— but we are breaking out. Verse 2 Stool whispered without speaking, a thought in every skull, and Jimjar lost a golden bet to Varang’s iron pull. Aeris begged a prince for fur, Edric cursed the dark, Vorgrath smiled with bloody teeth and picked the lock by bark. Chorus So raise no glass, just lift your chains, let stone remember sound. The cage forgot to close its jaws, the lost are breaking out. Through spider’s web and priestess’ glare, through poison, blood, and doubt, the dark may think it owns us all— but we are breaking out. Verse 3 The horn blew wild beyond the bars, the guards began to fear, the lock stayed dumb, the door breathed wide, and freedom tasted near. Dose spat death in venom clouds, Iragon forged a blade, Vorgrath took it like a promise that the drow would be repaid. Bridge A spider fell upon the stones, but death had not yet won. Varang called him back with light, before the fight was done. Keys rang bright in bloody hands, crossbows struck the floor, and somewhere past the prison walls a demon shook the door. Final Chorus So raise no glass, just lift your chains, let stone remember sound. The cage forgot to close its jaws, the lost are breaking out. Through Ilvara’s web and stolen gear, through fang and spell and shout, the dark may think it owns us all— but we are breaking out. Outro By Lolth’s own shrine, the chest still waits, with all they stole inside. The priestess smiles. The party bleeds. And still, they choose the fight. ``` ``` [Verse 1] Down where the stone has no memory, where the rivers forget the sky, we woke with iron on our wrists, and old fear in our eyes. No sun to mark the morning, no bell to mourn the dead, only breath in broken silence, and the dark above our heads. [Pre-Chorus] But something soft was speaking, through the rot and root and spore, a whisper passed between us: we are prisoners no more. [Chorus] The dark was listening, but so were we. Chains may bite the bone, but they do not own the free. When the horn cried out, we answered with our teeth. In the halls beneath the world, we taught the stone to breathe. [Verse 2] One hand found a hidden ember, one mouth worried at the lock, one fool laughed like a gambler while death paced round the block. There were names we did not trust yet, there were eyes we could not read, but every cage has a hunger, and every wound can bleed. [Pre-Chorus] So we traded fear for fury, and we swallowed down the pain. If the spider wants a sermon, let her hear it in the chain. [Chorus] The dark was listening, but so were we. Chains may bite the bone, but they do not own the free. When the horn cried out, we answered with our teeth. In the halls beneath the world, we taught the stone to breathe. [Verse 3] Keys rang bright as mercy on a guard’s last failing breath, and the bridge became a chapel where the desperate bargained death. Blood on stolen leather, ash beneath the tongue, we wore our bruises proudly like songs not yet sung. [Bridge] Do not pray for dawn here, dawn does not know this place. Pray for hands that do not tremble, pray for fire behind the face. Pray the lost remember anger, pray the weak remember bone. Pray the deep road opens hungry, and carries us back home. [Final Chorus] The dark was listening, but so were we. Chains may bite the bone, but they do not own the free. When the horn cried out, we answered with our teeth. In the halls beneath the world, we taught the stone to breathe. [Outro] At the door of silk and shadow, where the spider keeps her throne, we stood half-dead and shaking— but we did not stand alone. No sun, no sky, no mercy, no promise we would live. Only iron, blood, and breathing, and nothing left to give. Only iron, blood, and breathing… and nothing left to give. ```
🖼️ Images [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/Dymimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/Dymimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/STHimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/STHimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/FeTimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/FeTimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/fYTimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/fYTimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/U7Ximage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/U7Ximage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/AYAimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/AYAimage.png)
## 🪐 Campaign Arc - **Campaign:** Out of the Abyss - **Dungeon Master:** Reuben / Rewrock - **Session Number:** 1 - **Session Title:** The Beginning Chapter - **Date:** 2026-05-06 - **Setting:** Underdark, drow prison outpost Out of the Abyss began with the party already captured, stripped of their gear, shackled in iron, and held in a drow prison somewhere deep beneath the surface. Their captors, led by the cruel priestess Ilvara Mizzrym, intended to break them into obedience before selling or using them as slave labour. Before play began, the group reviewed campaign tone, safety tools, and table boundaries. The campaign was framed as dark fantasy survival, with madness, pressure, captivity, and danger forming the foundation of the opening chapter. ## 🧭 Overview The session opened in the prisoners’ cell, where the party found themselves surrounded by other captives from across the Underdark and the surface world. Some were frightened, some strange, some hostile, and some potentially useful. With no weapons, little light, and shackles around their wrists and necks, the group began quietly testing the limits of their prison. Stool, a myconid sprout among the prisoners, released telepathic spores that allowed the captives to speak silently with one another. That gift changed everything. The party began planning, watching the guards, identifying who carried keys, and gathering whatever scraps could be turned into tools. Varang manipulated Jimjar into losing a gold coin. Edric produced a flint shard, though it broke during an attempt to pick the shackles. Aeris secured a tuft of fur from Prince Derendil for later spellcasting, while Vorgrath managed the brutal feat of freeing his own wrists with his teeth. The escape began when a horn sounded elsewhere in the outpost, throwing the drow into confusion. The prisoners realised their cell door had not been properly locked. The party surged out, clashing with drow guards on the bridge. Aeris grappled Sorn, Dose unleashed poison breath, Iragon summoned a pact greatsword and handed it to Vorgrath, and the party fought desperately while still partly restrained. Aeris was badly wounded after wild shaping into a giant wolf spider, and Iragon was also nearly dropped during the fight. As the combat turned in the party’s favour, Dose retrieved the keyring from Sorn, the prisoners began pouring from the cell, and the group looted what weapons and supplies they could. Outside, the prison seemed to be under attack by something far larger than the party’s riot. Drow and quaggoths moved in response to a demonic threat, while the newly freed party pressed toward Ilvara Mizzrym’s quarters, where a large chest was suspected to contain their confiscated gear. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/ZAvimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/ZAvimage.png) ## 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Party Members
Character Player Class / Role Status Notable Actions
Aeris Naïlo Justin Druid Alive Inspected the prison door, secured a tuft of fur from Prince Derendil, escaped shackles by wild shaping into a giant wolf spider, grappled Sorn, was badly wounded and dropped during combat, was later healed by Varang, and claimed a drow hand crossbow.
Edric Faustin Valemont BaconBuff Wizard / spellcaster Alive Blind in the dark and frequently needed guidance from others; attempted spellcasting while shackled and discovered the manacles interfered with magic; provided a dagger-shaped flint shard that broke during lockpicking; claimed phosphorus as a spell component.
Varang Moose Cleric Alive Won a gold coin from Jimjar, rallied the prisoners with several grim speeches, scouted Ilvara’s quarters while emptying chamber pots, saw the large chest, later spotted the demonic attack outside, unlocked shackles, and healed Aeris with Cure Wounds.
Sarix "Dose" Jorasco Artemis Dragonborn / Ranger Alive Started with a hidden ball of tar, identified that one guard carried keys, helped plan the distraction, used poison breath during the bridge fight, retrieved Sorn’s keyring, helped unlock shackles, and picked up a drow hand crossbow.
Iragon Midsommar Sicareus Warlock Alive Summoned a pact greatsword despite the shackles and handed it to Vorgrath, stayed close enough to maintain it, joined the bridge fight, was heavily wounded, recovered with False Life, and later held the looted chain shirt.
Vorgrath Kael Mike Barbarian Alive Picked his wrist shackles with his teeth, kept the cuffs looking closed, rushed the bridge with Iragon’s pact greatsword, attacked the drow, shrugged off a hand crossbow shot, and received the session MVP inspiration.
## 🎭 NPC Tracker
NPC Role Location Status Notes
Ilvara Mizzrym Drow priestess of Lolth and commander of the prison outpost Drow prison / Ilvara’s quarters Alive The party’s cruel captor, seen wielding a scourge and later encountered in her quarters near a large chest suspected to contain confiscated gear.
Buppido Derro prisoner Prison cell Alive Talkative and strange; mutters about his god and appears delusional.
Eldeth Feldrun Shield dwarf prisoner Prison cell Alive From Gauntlgrym; asked Aeris to return her shield and warhammer if she does not survive.
Shuushar the Awakened Kuo-toa prisoner Prison cell / labour route Alive Peaceful and observant; was taken with Aeris and Varang to empty chamber pots during the escape setup.
Stool Myconid sprout prisoner Prison cell Alive Released rapport spores that allowed the prisoners to communicate telepathically, enabling the escape planning.
Jimjar Deep gnome prisoner Prison cell Alive A compulsive gambler who bet against Varang and lost a gold coin.
Topsy & Turvy Deep gnome twins Prison cell Alive Quiet twins who mostly kept to themselves.
Ront Orc prisoner Prison cell Alive From the Ice Shield tribe; openly hates the drow and distrusts Eldeth, claiming the dwarf is up to something.
Prince Derendil Cursed elf prince Prison cell Alive Appears in a bestial, quaggoth-like form. Claimed his curse is tied to someone named Fras or Freyze, though the name needs confirmation. Gave Aeris a tuft of fur for spellcasting.
Sarith Kzekarit Drow prisoner Prison cell Alive Disgraced and muttering to himself; seemed to believe he had been wrongly accused of murder.
Sorn Drow guard keyholder Bridge / prison gate Dead Grappled by Aeris during the escape, killed during the bridge fight, and looted for the keyring by Dose.
Bimeral Drow guard Bridge / tower area Escaped Dropped a hand crossbow, fought with a blade, then cast Levitate and fled out a window despite attacks from the party.
Kizbin Drow guard Labour route / waterfall Alive Guarded Aeris, Varang, and Shuushar while they emptied chamber pots. Confirmed not to be carrying the keyring.
Helena Drow guard Prison gate / tower area Alive / Needs confirmation Present when the horn sounded and the prisoners were pushed back into the cell. Full role and status need confirmation.
Quaggoths Drow enforcers / slave guards Prison outpost and outer field Alive Worked alongside the drow. Several were seen moving outside during the larger attack.
Large Demon Unknown demonic threat Field outside prison Alive Observed by Varang outside the prison while drow and quaggoths reacted to the attack.
## 📍 Key Locations - **Drow Prison Cell:** The party began here, shackled with other prisoners and watched by drow guards. The cell door was barred and locked, though later left unsecured during the chaos. - **Guard Tower:** A watched area near the cell and bridge. One of the guards with keys was stationed here. - **Lift and Pulley System:** Used for labour tasks, including hauling water barrels from below. - **Main Hall:** A guarded area where the party saw drow and at least one quaggoth during labour. - **Chamber Pot Room:** A room with bunk beds and chamber pots. Aeris, Varang, and Shuushar were sent here under guard. - **Bridge:** The main route from the cell toward other areas of the outpost. This became the site of the escape fight against Sorn and Bimeral. - **Waterfall / Waste Drop:** The place where the chamber pots were emptied. The party used the labour route to scout the prison layout. - **Ilvara’s Quarters:** A more luxurious room with drapes, woven covers, chairs, a small shrine, a large cupboard, and a large chest suspected to contain the party’s confiscated gear. - **Outer Field:** An area visible from the prison route where Varang saw drow, quaggoths, and a large demon during the attack. ## 📑 Session Highlights - The campaign opened with safety tools, tone discussion, and boundaries for dark themes. - The party began as prisoners of the drow, unarmed, restrained, and stripped of their possessions. - Stool’s spores allowed the party and other prisoners to communicate telepathically. - Dose noticed that one guard carried a keyring while escorting prisoners for labour. - Varang won a gold coin from Jimjar by baiting him into a bet. - Aeris secured a tuft of fur from Prince Derendil for spellcasting. - Vorgrath freed his wrist shackles with his teeth and kept them looking closed. - Edric attempted to cast Guidance, causing the shackles to heat up and proving they interfered with magic. - A horn sounded elsewhere in the outpost, causing panic among the drow and creating an opening for escape. - The cell door was discovered to be unsecured after the guards pushed prisoners back inside. - The party rushed the bridge, fought Sorn and Bimeral, and began a prison riot. - Iragon summoned a pact greatsword and handed it to Vorgrath. - Aeris wild shaped into a giant wolf spider to escape the shackles, but was badly wounded and dropped in the fight. - Dose used poison breath against the drow and later retrieved the keyring from Sorn. - Varang healed Aeris and helped coordinate the escape route. - Bimeral fled by levitating out a window. - The party looted weapons, armour, spell components, and keys while the prison descended into chaos. - The session ended at the threshold of Ilvara Mizzrym’s quarters, with the party facing the priestess and the suspected location of their gear. ## 🎞️ Key Scenes
**In the drow prison cell, Aeris carefully won a small but vital favour from Prince Derendil, receiving a tuft of fur that might later serve as the key to spellcraft and survival.** --- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/5ehimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/5ehimage.png) **Even in chains, Varang found a way to gain an edge, baiting Jimjar into a wager and walking away with a gold coin while the prison simmered with tension.** --- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/t3jimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/t3jimage.png) **While Edric searched for a way to help in the darkness, Vorgrath used nothing but grit and sharp teeth to work open his wrist shackles without alerting the guards.** ---
**As the escape erupted into violence on the bridge, Iragon summoned a pact-forged greatsword and placed it in Vorgrath’s hands, turning desperation into momentum.** --- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/oxOimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/oxOimage.png)
**Inside the cramped guard tower, Dose turned the prison riot into a fight for survival while Aeris, transformed into a pale giant wolf spider, struggled against the drow at his side.** --- - **Safety Before Darkness:** Before the campaign began in earnest, the group reviewed the X card, table comfort zones, and the tone of the adventure. The players agreed the campaign could explore grim survival and horror themes while keeping hard limits clear. - **The Prisoners’ Cell:** The party awoke into captivity, surrounded by strange fellow prisoners and watched by drow guards. Mushroom soup, iron shackles, and the constant pressure of the Underdark defined the opening moments. - **Stool’s Spores:** Stool released spores that linked the prisoners’ minds. What began as confusion quickly became the party’s first real advantage, allowing them to plan without alerting the guards. - **Teeth Against Iron:** Vorgrath quietly worked his teeth into the lock of his wrist shackles and managed to free his hands, then kept the cuffs looking closed so the guards would not realise what had happened. - **The Chamber Pot Scout:** Aeris, Varang, and Shuushar were taken from the cell to empty chamber pots. Along the way, Varang slowed his pace and looked into Ilvara’s quarters, spotting the priestess, a shrine, and later a large chest. - **The Horn and the Open Door:** A horn sounded through the outpost. The guards shoved prisoners back into the cell in their haste, but the lock never clicked. The party realised the cage had failed. - **Bridge Riot:** The party rushed out onto the bridge. Aeris grappled Sorn, Dose unleashed poison breath, Iragon armed Vorgrath with a pact greatsword, and the prisoners began forcing their way toward freedom. - **The Spider Falls:** Aeris transformed into a giant wolf spider and slipped his shackles, but the drow punished the move with brutal violence. He was dropped in the fighting before Varang brought him back with healing magic. - **The Demon Outside:** As the party fought through the prison, Varang saw drow and quaggoths outside responding to a large demon. The prison riot was only one piece of a much larger disaster. - **Ilvara’s Door:** Newly armed, injured, and still far from safe, the party reached Ilvara Mizzrym’s quarters. The suspected chest of confiscated gear was within reach, but so was the priestess herself. ## 🧵 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks - **Escape the Drow Prison:** The party has broken out of the cell but has not yet escaped the outpost. - **Recover Confiscated Gear:** The large chest in Ilvara’s quarters is suspected to contain the party’s gear, but it has not yet been opened. - **Confront Ilvara Mizzrym:** The party ended the session at Ilvara’s door, with the priestess still alive and dangerous. - **Free or Use the Other Prisoners:** Several prisoners appear willing to flee with the party, though their reliability varies wildly. - **Eldeth’s Request:** Eldeth asked Aeris to return her shield and warhammer to Gauntlgrym if she dies. - **Prince Derendil’s Curse:** Prince Derendil claims his condition is tied to someone named Fras or Freyze. The exact name and truth of the curse remain uncertain. - **Sarith’s Accusation:** Sarith muttered about being accused of murder and appeared unsure how he ended up imprisoned. - **Varang’s Vial:** Varang’s vial or necklace was confirmed to have been taken by the drow, meaning it may be among the party’s confiscated belongings. - **Demon Attack Outside:** A large demon and wider chaos outside the prison may either help the party escape or trap them in something worse. - **Survival in the Underdark:** Even if the party escapes the outpost, food, water, light, exhaustion, madness, and navigation remain major threats. ## 🗺️ Quest Status
Quest / Thread Status Relevant NPCs Notes
Escape drow captivity In progress Ilvara Mizzrym, Sorn, Bimeral, drow guards, quaggoths The party escaped the cell and survived the first bridge fight, but has not yet escaped the prison outpost.
Retrieve party gear In progress Ilvara Mizzrym A large chest in Ilvara’s quarters is suspected to contain confiscated equipment.
Return Eldeth’s shield and warhammer Ongoing Eldeth Feldrun Eldeth asked Aeris to return her shield and warhammer to Gauntlgrym if she does not survive.
Investigate Prince Derendil’s curse Ongoing Prince Derendil Derendil claims someone named Fras or Freyze is responsible. Details remain unclear.
Understand Sarith’s accusation Ongoing Sarith Kzekarit Sarith muttered that he had been accused of murder and seemed uncertain or distressed about what happened.
Survive the demonic attack Ongoing Large demon, drow, quaggoths The prison appears to be under outside attack. The party may be able to use the chaos, but the threat is still active.
Manage escaped prisoners In progress Stool, Jimjar, Buppido, Ront, Shuushar, Eldeth, others The prisoners began following the party out of the cell. Their usefulness, loyalty, and danger levels remain uncertain.
Technical issues Ongoing All players Recurring Foundry warning: “attribute at item level, not present.” Map movement and inventory setup may need cleanup.
## 💰 Loot & Discoveries
Item / Discovery Found By Location Notes
Small ball of tar Dose Prison cell Hidden from the guards before the escape.
Gold coin Varang Prison cell Won from Jimjar after baiting him into a bet.
Flint shard Edric Prison cell Dagger-shaped shard used in an attempt to pick shackles. It broke during the attempt.
Five-foot lengths of silken rope Aeris, Iragon, Vorgrath Prison cell Several party members began with short lengths of rope scavenged or hidden from the guards.
Tuft of fur Aeris From Prince Derendil Given to Aeris after he convinced Derendil it could help make him stronger later.
Pact greatsword Iragon, given to Vorgrath During escape Summoned by Iragon and handed to Vorgrath for the bridge fight. Magical pact weapon, not standard loot.
Keys / keyring Dose Sorn’s body Retrieved from the dead drow guard and used to unlock shackles.
Drow hand crossbows Dose and Aeris Bridge combat / dead drow Dose picked up Bimeral’s dropped hand crossbow during combat. Aeris later claimed a hand crossbow from a dead drow. Confirm final inventory count.
Drow blade Party Dead drow / bridge fight A blade was scavenged from the drow. Exact item entry and final holder need confirmation.
Chain shirt Iragon Dead drow / loot chat Held by Iragon after the fight. Not yet confirmed as equipped.
Phosphorus Edric Looted from drow Claimed as a spell component.
Large chest Party, not yet opened Ilvara’s quarters Suspected to contain the party’s confiscated equipment.
Varang’s vial / necklace Taken by drow Likely among confiscated gear Varang confirmed the item was missing, implying it may be stored with the party’s other belongings.
Heroic Inspiration Vorgrath Session MVP Vorgrath received MVP inspiration after the session.
### Noteworthy Items **The Keyring:** The most important item recovered during the escape. Without it, the prisoners would remain half-free at best. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/ml1image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/ml1image.png) **The Large Chest:** Seen in Ilvara’s quarters and suspected to contain confiscated equipment. It is the party’s most immediate target. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/szHimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/szHimage.png) **Varang’s Vial:** A personal item taken by the drow. Its recovery may matter beyond simple inventory management. ## ⚙️ Rules & Mechanics Notes - **Safety Tools:** The X card is in use, and the group mapped campaign topics across comfort zones before play began. - **Have Fun / Explore:** Betrayal, cannibalism, ritual sacrifice, parasitic monsters, murder, deadly cold, and paranoia were treated as acceptable dark-fantasy themes. - **Be Careful:** Child endangerment was marked as a topic to handle carefully. NPC suicide was allowed only with less descriptive treatment. - **Blocked:** Incest was blocked. - **Cautious / Avoid Where Possible:** Violence towards animals was placed low on the risk grid and should be handled carefully. - **Table Style Preferences:** Talking out of character, pop-culture references, and stat-building metagaming were treated as less desirable or boring rather than hard limits. - **Campaign Tone:** The campaign was framed as dark, with madness, survival, captivity, and pressure as major themes. - **Heroic Inspiration:** All players began with inspiration. It may be used after seeing a result, but the new roll must be accepted. - **MVP Inspiration:** The session MVP receives inspiration after the game. Vorgrath received this award for Session 1. - **Anti-Magic Shackles:** Attempting magic while shackled caused the manacles to heat up and prevented the spell from taking effect. - **Spell Components:** Verbal and somatic components were discussed, but material components require possession. The party’s equipment had been confiscated. - **Wild Shape:** Aeris used wild shape to escape his shackles, transforming into a giant wolf spider. - **Pact Weapon:** Iragon was able to summon his pact weapon despite the circumstances, then handed it to Vorgrath. - **Stool’s Spores:** Stool’s rapport spores allowed telepathic communication among the prisoners, enabling silent coordination. - **Grapple Rules:** Grappling used the 2024 rules: an unarmed strike can initiate a grapple, with the target resisting against the attacker’s DC. - **Opportunity Attacks:** A ranged weapon opportunity attack was discussed and allowed during the fight. - **Temporary Hit Points:** False Life and temporary hit points came up during Iragon’s recovery. Confirm exact table handling if a character is fully downed. - **Foundry HUD:** Players can use the combat HUD, token right-click options, and character sheet shortcuts for attacks, spells, features, and actions. - **Global Item Search:** Ctrl + Spacebar opens global item search for quickly adding inventory items in Foundry. - **Technical Issue:** A recurring warning appeared: “attribute at item level, not present.” It was noted as non-blocking but needs troubleshooting. ## 💬 Memorable Quotes - "The darkness is listening." – Varang - "You are in the Underdark. You have been captured, you are unarmed, you are restrained." – Dungeon Master - "I love eating people." – Sarix "Dose" Jorasco, joking during the safety discussion - "We're not going down some Stephen King path." – Aeris Naïlo - "Last time anyone put themselves this close to my mouth it did not end well." – Vorgrath Kael - "How about we just take the key from them when they come in, as they won't expect me to have my hands around the fucking throat." – Vorgrath Kael - "Can someone get the fucking keys?" – Edric Faustin Valemont - "The trial taught us pain. Let's teach them consequence." – Varang - "Your Spider Queen has no dominion here." – Varang - "No, bounces off my rock hard pecs." – Vorgrath Kael - "I saw our captor in the next room along with a big chest that I have a feeling could hold our gear or equipment." – Varang - "This is the prison riot. Prison rioters don't knock." – Sarix "Dose" Jorasco - "Mine was getting out of my fucking cuffs with my teeth." – Mike / Vorgrath ## 🧰 Next Session Prep - Resolve the immediate confrontation with Ilvara Mizzrym. - Confirm the contents of the large chest in Ilvara’s quarters. - Confirm whether the party’s confiscated gear, including Varang’s vial, is in the chest. - Track party health after the bridge fight, especially Aeris and Iragon. - Confirm final loot ownership: hand crossbows, drow blade, chain shirt, phosphorus, and keys. - Clarify which prisoners are following the party and where they are positioned. - Track whether Bimeral’s escape alerts more guards or creates pursuit later. - Watch the outside demon attack and determine whether it opens an escape route or creates a worse threat. - Fix or investigate the Foundry warning: “attribute at item level, not present.” - Confirm any uncertain names from the transcript, especially Fras / Freyze. ## ⏳ Cliffhanger The battered, newly armed party reached the threshold of Ilvara Mizzrym’s quarters. Behind them, the prison cell had been breached, prisoners were spilling into the outpost, and the bridge fight had left drow blood on the stone. Outside, something demonic was tearing the prison’s attention away from its slaves. Ahead stood Ilvara herself, the priestess who had claimed their lives belonged to her. Somewhere nearby, possibly inside the large chest in her quarters, lay the gear and personal items stolen from the party. ![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/8L0image.png) **Ilvara Mizzrym waited in her chamber beside the locked chest of stolen gear, calm and cruel as the escaped prisoners reached the doorway and the prison riot closed in around them.** --- # Session 02: The Escape from Velkynvelve
🎵 Music [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/ua8image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/ua8image.png) **The Escape has Begun** ``` [Verse 1] Three years before the black stone cage, before the chains were worn, a healer knelt in ash and mud where broken lives were torn. A dragon child beneath the smoke, blood dark upon his skin, held one small egg against his heart and would not let death in. They said no mark, no house, no name, no bloodline worth the cost, but Yulara reached into the dark and would not leave him lost. [Pre-Chorus] If he still fights to live, then we will fight as one. A name is not a chain we wear— it is a thing we become. [Chorus] Run, run, below the stone, where the spider’s shadow clings. Run, run, with borrowed breath, with broken bones and stolen things. The cage is cracked, the dark has drums, the priestess calls, the hunters come. No dawn below, no mercy won— but the escape has begun. [Verse 2] Back beneath Velkynvelve, where the stolen chest lay still, Ilvara stood with poison eyes and murder dressed as will. “Return,” she hissed, “you belong to me,” but steel had found its hand. Vorgrath laughed through blood and rage, too proud to kneel or stand. Varang called the ash below, Dose marked death with aim, Edric split the mind with thought, Iragon answered flame. [Pre-Chorus] A scourge can tear the body, poison can stain the skin, but chains are only iron until the teeth sink in. [Chorus] Run, run, below the stone, where the spider’s shadow clings. Run, run, with borrowed breath, with broken bones and stolen things. The cage is cracked, the dark has drums, the priestess calls, the hunters come. No dawn below, no mercy won— but the escape has begun. [Verse 3] Then came the swarm of phantom legs, a vortex made of pain, web and venom, claw and dark, a priestess’ cruel refrain. The wounded fell, the room went black, the silver mist withdrew, and somewhere underneath the floor a chained drake howled the truth. Nettle cried from iron rings, Dose heard him through the stone. A healer’s hands, a dragon’s heart— no one survives alone. [Bridge] Knock rang loud against the lock, and stolen lives returned: axe and shield, book and blade, the things the drow had earned. But freedom is a hungry road, and mercy travels slow; fifteen souls upon the edge, with nowhere safe to go. So fall, but fall like feathers. Bleed, but keep your feet. Pray the lift holds one more breath. Pray the dark has teeth. [Final Chorus] Run, run, below the stone, where the spider’s shadow clings. Run, run, with borrowed breath, with broken bones and stolen things. The cage is cracked, the dark has drums, the priestess calls, the hunters come. No dawn below, no mercy won— but the escape has begun. [Verse 4] Below the bridge, below the screams, below the drow and flame, a broken demon spread its wings and shrieked without a name. The tunnel shook, the fleeing froze, the dark itself drew breath, then Iragon raised spring-bright wrath and tore its head from death. [Outro] Behind them cracked the hunting whips, ahead, the light was none. Ilvara’s voice rang through the deep: “Bring them back alive.” But the chest was theirs, the drake was free, the prison bled behind. No sky above. No road to trust. No promise of the sun. Only breath, and blood, and running feet— The escape has begun. ```
🖼️ Images [![01.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/01.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/01.jpg) [![02.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/02.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/02.jpg) [![03.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/03.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/03.png) [![04.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/04.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/04.jpg) [![05.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/05.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/05.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/ICZimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/ICZimage.png) [![06.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/06.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/06.jpg) [![07.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/07.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/07.jpg) [![08.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/08.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/08.jpg) [![09.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/09.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/09.jpg) [![10.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/10.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/10.png)
## 🪐 Campaign Arc - **Campaign:** Out of the Abyss - **Dungeon Master:** Reuben / Rewrock - **Session Number:** 2 - **Session Title:** The Escape from Velkynvelve - **Date:** 2026-05-20 - **Setting:** Velkynvelve, Ilvara’s quarters, the lift shaft, and the Underdark tunnels below; flashback to Vedykar, Southern Karrnath, Eberron Session 2 began where the prison break had left the party: injured, half-armed, and standing at the threshold of Ilvara Mizzrym’s quarters in Velkynvelve. The suspected chest of confiscated gear was within reach, but so was the priestess who still believed the prisoners belonged to her. Before returning to the chaos of the escape, the session stepped three years into the past, revealing the story of Sarix “Dose” Jorasco and the moment House Jorasco first chose to save him. ## 🧭 Overview The session opened in Vedykar, Southern Karrnath, Eberron, three years before the escape. A young dragonborn was found wounded after a skirmish, collapsed beside a shattered wagon and clutching a small egg. Many healers hesitated at the sight of him, but Yulara d’Jorasco stepped forward. She saw not a monster or outsider, but a patient who was still fighting to live. Yulara treated the dragonborn who would become Sarix “Dose” Jorasco, and over time she learned his story in fragments. Dose had no clan to claim him, but he watched the healers of House Jorasco with sharp interest. He learned by helping, carrying supplies, lifting patients, observing treatment, and asking too many questions. Against resistance from parts of the house, Yulara argued that healing was not only a matter of bloodline or dragonmark, but of service and choice. Dose was given a place, a name, and a future within House Jorasco. Back in Velkynvelve, the party confronted Ilvara Mizzrym in her chamber. Vorgrath demanded his axe, the party refused to return to captivity, and Ilvara answered with poison and violence. The fight became a brutal close-quarters clash around the doorway, with spells, axe blows, crossbow shots, healing magic, and Ilvara’s scourge turning the room into a desperate struggle over survival and stolen gear. Ilvara unleashed Spider Vortex, badly injuring and restraining several members of the group. Varang and Iragon worked to keep allies alive, while Edric opened the locked gear chest with Knock. Ilvara eventually escaped under magical darkness and silvery mist, leaving the party battered but in possession of their equipment. Dose found Nettle chained below the chamber and freed him, reuniting with the drake companion whose egg had anchored the opening flashback. The escape then became a race through Velkynvelve. Edric investigated upstairs and found a giant spider the hard way, the party gathered supplies, the fleeing prisoners pushed toward the lift, and the group scrambled to get roughly fifteen fugitives down into the tunnels below. Feather Fall, climbing, lift loads, shouting, and panic all became part of the escape plan. Below Velkynvelve, the fugitives encountered a battered winged demon in the Underdark tunnels. The creature’s screech nearly turned freedom into disaster, but Edric weakened it and Iragon finished it with a decisive blast that severed its head. The party finally slipped into the darkness beneath the outpost, hearing whips, screams, horns, and Ilvara’s command for the drow to bring them back alive. ## 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Party Members
Character Player Class / Role Status Notable Actions
Aeris Naïlo Justin Druid / Circle of the Land Alive, wounded Used Acid Splash and attempted to use Entangle, though the chamber layout and line of sight made the spell impractical. Later used Goodberry, which produced only one berry under the session’s roll handling, and ate it. Wild shaped into a spider during the escape and remained badly wounded but mobile.
Sarix “Dose” Jorasco Artemis Dragonborn Ranger / Drakewarden Alive, wounded Was the focus of the opening flashback. Used Hunter’s Mark and a hand crossbow against Ilvara, was badly affected during the Spider Vortex chaos, then went below Ilvara’s chamber and freed Nettle from chains.
Edric Faustin Valemont BaconBuff / Rob Wizard / Abjurer Alive, wounded Used Mind Sliver and Magic Missile during the fight, opened the locked gear chest with Knock, searched for supplies, and investigated upstairs. He triggered a giant spider encounter but survived the bite thanks to Shield and Arcane Ward.
Iragon Midsommar Sicareus Warlock / Paladin Alive Used Eldritch Blast and Hellish Rebuke, helped restore Eldeth with Lay on Hands, and later killed the battered winged demon by blasting its head clean off. Received inspiration at the end of the session.
Varang the Ash-Mender Moose Cleric / Life Domain Alive, wounded Struck Ilvara with Inflict Wounds, endured severe poison damage from the scourge, suffered a lingering poison injury, healed himself and others with Cure Wounds, Spare the Dying, Prayer of Healing, and Preserve Life, and kept the wounded from becoming corpses.
Vorgrath Kael Mike Orc Barbarian / Path of the World Tree Alive, wounded Raged against Ilvara, pressed her with axe attacks, taunted her directly, granted temporary hit points through Vitality of the Tree, endured heavy poison and piercing damage, and suffered blurred vision from a lingering injury.
## 🎭 NPC Tracker
NPC Role Location Status Notes
Ilvara Mizzrym Drow priestess / commander of Velkynvelve Velkynvelve Alive; escaped Confronted the party in her chamber, used poison, scourge attacks, Spider Vortex, and magical darkness, then vanished in silvery mist. Later ordered the fugitives brought back alive to suffer.
Yulara d’Jorasco House Jorasco matriarch / healer Vedykar flashback Alive in flashback Saved Dose when others hesitated, argued for his place within House Jorasco, and taught that a healer is forged by choice rather than lineage.
Dres, Jode, Andres, Korthe House Jorasco members Vedykar flashback Alive in flashback Involved in the debate over Dose’s acceptance into House Jorasco. Exact roles need confirmation.
Nettle Dose’s drake companion Below Ilvara’s chamber Freed; with Dose Heard howling below the chamber. Dose recognised the sound, found Nettle chained, and freed him during the escape.
Eldeth Feldrun Shield dwarf prisoner ally With the fugitives Alive; badly wounded but restored Fought alongside the party, was badly hurt during the chaos, asked that her gear be returned to Gauntlgrym if she died, and was restored by Iragon’s Lay on Hands.
Sarith Kzekarit Drow prisoner ally With the fugitives Alive Urged the party to keep moving as alarms, horns, and pursuit closed in.
Buppido Derro prisoner ally With the fugitives Alive Escaped with the larger group. Full actions this session were not clearly separated in the transcript.
Topsy Deep gnome prisoner ally Velkynvelve Alive Attacked the drow Kelanar during the escape, smashing him hard enough to draw blood and teeth.
Turvy Deep gnome prisoner ally With the fugitives Alive Escaped with the prisoner group. Full actions this session need confirmation.
Ront Orc prisoner ally With the fugitives Alive Escaped with the group and was among those involved in the lift / Feather Fall escape sequence.
Stool Myconid sprout prisoner ally With the fugitives Alive Escaped with the prisoners. His rapport spores remain important to group communication and coordination.
Shuushar the Awakened Kuo-toa prisoner ally With the fugitives Alive Escaped with the group. Full actions this session need confirmation.
Prince Derendil Prisoner ally With the fugitives Alive Escaped with the larger prisoner group. His curse and true history remain unresolved.
Kelanar Drow opponent Velkynvelve Injured; final status unclear Was attacked by Topsy during the escape fighting.
Giant Spider Hazard / creature Upper chamber / study area Alive Bit Edric when he investigated upstairs, pursued briefly, then retreated toward its lair. The area it guarded remains unresolved.
Battered Winged Demon Demonic threat Underdark tunnels below Velkynvelve Dead Unleashed a stunning screech during the escape. Edric weakened it and Iragon killed it with Eldritch Blast, severing its head.
## 📍 Key Locations - **Vedykar, Southern Karrnath, Eberron:** Flashback location where Dose was found wounded after a skirmish, clutching the egg that would later connect to Nettle. - **House Jorasco Enclave:** The place where Yulara d’Jorasco saved Dose, trained him, and argued for his acceptance into House Jorasco. - **Velkynvelve:** The drow prison outpost where the party’s escape escalated from a cell break into full flight. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/bIiimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/bIiimage.png) - **Ilvara’s Chamber:** The room where the party confronted Ilvara Mizzrym, fought her, and recovered their confiscated gear from the locked chest. - **Lower Chamber:** The area below Ilvara’s room where Nettle was heard howling and later found chained. - **Upper Study / Spider Lair:** An upper area investigated by Edric, guarded by a giant spider and left unresolved when the party fled. - **Supply Rooms:** Searched during the escape. The party gathered enough provisions to add roughly two days of rations per character. - **Lift Shaft:** The dangerous escape route down from Velkynvelve, requiring coordination and multiple loads. - **Underdark Tunnels:** The dark tunnels below Velkynvelve where the fugitives encountered the battered winged demon and began fleeing the drow pursuit. ## 📑 Session Highlights - The session opened with a flashback to Dose’s rescue and adoption into House Jorasco. - Yulara d’Jorasco saved Dose after a skirmish near Vedykar, despite others hesitating because he was dragonborn and had no house bloodline or dragonmark. - Dose was shown still clutching the egg connected to Nettle, establishing the emotional link between the flashback and the present. - The party confronted Ilvara Mizzrym in her chamber and refused to return to captivity. - Vorgrath demanded his axe and taunted Ilvara directly. - Varang struck Ilvara with Inflict Wounds and later endured severe poison damage from her scourge. - Vorgrath raged, pressed Ilvara with axe attacks, and used Vitality of the Tree to grant temporary hit points. - Dose used Hunter’s Mark and his hand crossbow during the fight. - Edric used Mind Sliver and Magic Missile, then later opened the gear chest with Knock. - Aeris used Acid Splash and attempted battlefield control, but the room layout prevented Entangle from being useful. - Ilvara’s scourge caused major piercing and poison damage, leaving lingering injuries on Varang and Vorgrath. - Ilvara unleashed Spider Vortex, restraining and badly injuring several characters and allies. - Ilvara escaped by using magical darkness and vanishing in silvery mist. - The party recovered their gear from the chest, including weapons, armour, spellbook, foci, and other personal equipment. - Dose went below Ilvara’s chamber and freed Nettle from chains. - Varang and Iragon stabilised and healed badly wounded allies, including Eldeth, Aeris, and Dose. - Edric investigated upstairs and found the giant spider by tripping into its territory like a wizard-shaped dinner bell. - The party gathered supplies, including roughly two days of rations per character. - The escaping group numbered around fifteen fugitives, making the lift escape slow, dangerous, and chaotic. - Edric insisted that the large chest be brought along because it remained important. - Feather Fall was used during the descent to help part of the group survive the drop. - In the tunnels below Velkynvelve, the party encountered a battered winged demon. - Iragon killed the demon with Eldritch Blast, blowing its head from its body. - The session ended with the party out of the prison but not free from pursuit, as Ilvara ordered the drow to bring them back alive. ## 🎞️ Key Scenes [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/W5yimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/W5yimage.png) **Three years earlier, Yulara d’Jorasco knelt beside a wounded young dragonborn found after a skirmish, his arms wrapped protectively around a small egg. Where others hesitated, she chose to save him.** --- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/Wnlimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/Wnlimage.png) **Vorgrath stepped toward Ilvara Mizzrym and demanded his axe while the party crowded the doorway behind him. The stolen-gear chest waited inside the room, but between the prisoners and freedom stood the priestess who still believed they belonged to her.** --- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/Emzimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/Emzimage.png) **Ilvara’s magic erupted into a storm of venomous legs, piercing pain, and restraining force. The escape nearly collapsed as allies were battered, trapped, and dropped before Varang and Iragon could drag life back into the wounded.** --- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/sCyimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/sCyimage.png) **Edric climbed into the upper chamber while the others gathered gear and recovered below. A giant spider emerged from the shadows and bit him, only for Shield and Arcane Ward to absorb the worst of it before he fled back down with urgent news and excellent survival instincts.** --- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/t4Oimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/t4Oimage.png) **The fugitives gathered at the lift while horns echoed through Velkynvelve. Too many people, too little time, and enemies closing in turned the descent into a desperate mix of lift loads, Feather Fall, climbing, and panic.** ---
*Injured winged demon*
--- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/r2Eimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/r2Eimage.png) **Below the outpost, a battered winged demon shrieked hard enough to stagger the fleeing group. Edric weakened it, and Iragon answered with eldritch force that tore the creature’s head free, buying the fugitives another breath of survival.** --- ## 🧵 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks - **Drow Pursuit:** Ilvara Mizzrym survived and ordered the fugitives brought back alive. The party escaped Velkynvelve, but not the consequences. - **Underdark Survival:** The group now faces the tunnels below with limited supplies, uncertain routes, and the constant threat of exhaustion, hunger, darkness, madness, and hostile creatures. - **The Chest as Vessel:** The large chest from Ilvara’s chamber is confirmed to matter beyond simple gear recovery. Its exact purpose remains unknown. - **Nettle Restored:** Dose recovered Nettle, but the drake’s condition after captivity and the full implications of that bond remain important. - **The Giant Spider Upstairs:** The upper chamber was not fully explored, and the spider remains alive. Whatever it guarded or nested near was left behind. - **Eldeth’s Request:** Eldeth Feldrun still wants her shield and warhammer returned to Gauntlgrym if she does not survive. - **Prisoner Dynamics:** Roughly fifteen fugitives escaped together. Their loyalty, fear, usefulness, and future choices may shape the party’s survival. - **Demonic Corruption:** Velkynvelve was already under demonic pressure, and the party has now encountered another demonic threat in the tunnels below. - **Character Flashbacks:** The DM confirmed the aim of using future flashbacks to tie character backstories into the present campaign. ## 🗺️ Quest Status
Quest / Thread Status Relevant NPCs Notes
Escape Velkynvelve Completed for the immediate outpost; pursuit ongoing Ilvara Mizzrym, drow, quaggoths, escaped prisoners The party and a large group of prisoners fled into the Underdark tunnels below Velkynvelve.
Retrieve confiscated gear Completed Party Edric opened the chest with Knock. The party recovered gear, weapons, armour, spell components, foci, and personal items.
Free Nettle Completed Dose, Nettle Dose found Nettle chained below Ilvara’s chamber and freed him.
Gather supplies Partially completed Party The party found enough provisions to add roughly two days of rations per character. This helps, but does not solve long-term survival.
Survive Ilvara Ongoing Ilvara Mizzrym Ilvara escaped and is now part of the wider pursuit threat.
Protect escaped prisoners Ongoing Eldeth, Sarith, Stool, Ront, Buppido, Shuushar, Topsy, Turvy, Prince Derendil, others The group is large, vulnerable, and difficult to move quietly through the Underdark.
Investigate upstairs study Unresolved Edric, Giant Spider The upstairs area was dangerous and not fully explored before the party fled.
Understand the chest Ongoing Party The chest was confirmed to be important as a vessel, but its purpose remains unknown.
## 💰 Loot & Discoveries
Item / Discovery Found By Location Notes
Confiscated gear Party Ilvara’s chamber Recovered from the locked chest after Edric cast Knock. Included longbows, shortswords, greataxes, a handaxe, quarterstaff, trinket, spellbook, javelins, longsword, chain armour, chain shirts, shields, foci, and other returned personal gear.
Large chest Party Ilvara’s chamber / escape route Brought along during the escape after Edric insisted it mattered. Confirmed by the DM to be relevant as a vessel. Exact purpose unknown.
Rations Party Supply rooms Enough provisions were found to add roughly two days of rations per character.
Goodberry Aeris During escape Aeris cast Goodberry, but only one berry was created due to the session’s roll / table handling. Aeris ate it.
Nettle Dose Lower chamber Dose’s drake companion was found chained and freed.
Ilvara’s papers, ornaments, and robes Party Ilvara’s chamber / nearby rooms Looked through during the escape. No major value or confirmed plot detail was established from them this session.
Heroic Inspiration Iragon Session MVP / end of session Iragon received inspiration after the session for helping Vorgrath earlier and for killing the winged demon during the escape.
### Noteworthy Items **The Chest:** What began as the suspected container for the party’s stolen gear became something more. The party chose to take it with them during the escape, and the DM later confirmed it had importance as a vessel. What that means remains unresolved. **Nettle:** Dose’s drake companion was no longer just a memory from the flashback. By the end of the session, Nettle had been found, freed, and brought back into the present danger of the Underdark. ## ⚙️ Rules & Mechanics Notes - **Spider Vortex:** Ilvara’s Spider Vortex forced Constitution saves in a 20-foot emanation, dealing heavy piercing damage and restraining creatures that failed. - **Magical Darkness:** Ilvara’s darkness blocked ordinary sight and darkvision, allowing her to escape while the party struggled to respond. - **Scourge Poison:** Ilvara’s scourge dealt dangerous piercing and poison damage, causing lingering injury results. - **Varang’s Lingering Injury:** Varang suffered residual pigmentation on the chest from poison, with the colour result leaning purple. - **Vorgrath’s Lingering Injury:** Vorgrath suffered blurred vision for one day, affecting vision-based Perception and ranged attacks. - **Spare the Dying:** Stabilised dying characters but did not restore consciousness. - **Prayer of Healing:** Resolved at the table as healing up to five creatures for 5 HP each. - **Preserve Life:** Used as a pool of 15 HP divided among badly wounded allies. - **Arcane Ward:** Edric’s ward absorbed damage during the spider encounter and needs ongoing Foundry tracking cleanup. - **Spider Bite:** The giant spider’s bite caused nausea and disadvantage on ability checks. - **Lift Operation:** The lift required operation from above and could not move the whole escape group at once. - **Feather Fall:** Used during the escape descent to prevent part of the group from taking fatal fall damage. - **Goodberry:** Only one berry was created due to the session’s roll / handling, despite the spell normally producing more. - **Foundry Setup:** Several spell and damage automation issues came up, including Eldritch Blast / Agonizing Blast calculation and Arcane Ward tracking. ## 💬 Memorable Quotes - “If he fights to live, then we fight with him.” – Yulara d’Jorasco - “Just give me my fucking axe.” – Vorgrath Kael - “I’d rather die than go back.” – Vorgrath Kael - “Call your goddess. I will show her what remains after fire.” – Varang - “Is that it? Fuck you.” – Vorgrath Kael - “Bippity boppity boo.” – Edric Faustin Valemont - “Find them. Bring them back alive. I want them to suffer what they have done.” – Ilvara Mizzrym - “Your escape has begun.” – Dungeon Master ## 🏷️ Session Tags - Underdark - Velkynvelve - Escape - Drow Pursuit - Ilvara Mizzrym - House Jorasco - Dose Flashback - Nettle - Gear Recovery - Spider Vortex - Magical Darkness - Giant Spider - Lift Escape - Feather Fall - Demon Encounter - Survival - Rations - Healing - Session 2 ## 🧰 Next Session Prep - Clarify the full list of escaped NPC prisoners, their current health, and whether any were separated during the escape. - Track party health, lingering injuries, spell slots, rations, and exhaustion after the escape. - Confirm ownership of recovered gear and whether all personal items were successfully reclaimed. - Clarify the exact condition and mechanics of Nettle after being freed. - Determine how the large chest is being carried and what role it plays as a vessel. - Prepare Underdark travel tracking: route, food, water, light, pace, watches, stealth, and navigation. - Track Ilvara’s pursuit and any drow or quaggoth forces following the party. - Keep the giant spider and unexplored upper room as unresolved Velkynvelve threads. - Prepare the next character flashback and confirm which player will be featured. ## ⏳ Cliffhanger The party escaped Velkynvelve with a large group of prisoners, recovered gear, limited supplies, Nettle, and the mysterious chest. Their chains were gone, their weapons were back, and for the first time since their capture, the shape of freedom was real. Behind them, Ilvara Mizzrym’s voice cut through the cavern, ordering the drow to find them and bring them back alive. Whips cracked, horns sounded, quaggoths snarled, and boots thundered across the outpost above. The last light of Velkynvelve vanished behind them as the Underdark swallowed the fugitives. The prison break was over. The escape had only just begun. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/KYWimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/KYWimage.png)**Free from the cage but hunted in the dark, the party and their fellow escapees vanished into the tunnels while Ilvara’s command echoed behind them.** --- # Session 03: The Road to Sloobludop
🎵 Music [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/DVCimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/DVCimage.png) *"Sloobludop" – Varrick Songweave* ``` [Intro] Drip, drip, dark lake drop, hear that water never stop. Lanterns swing and shadows hop— welcome down to Sloobludop. [Verse 1] We ran from chains and spider eyes, from whips that cracked behind, with stolen breath and borrowed blades and madness in the mind. The tunnels bent, the fungi glowed, the stone forgot the sun, and every step through blackened earth said, “You are not yet done.” Shuushar walked ahead of us, calm as a corpse at prayer, while Jimjar counted phantom coins and Stool breathed hope in air. [Pre-Chorus] Then the cavern opened wide, black water without end, and every little light ahead looked almost like a friend. Almost. [Chorus] Sloobludop, Sloobludop, lights on the water and the world won’t stop. Sloobludop, Sloobludop, pray to the deep that the bridge don’t drop. We came with scars, we came with rot, we came with a chest and a half-made plot. No sky, no sun, no way back up— just one more night in Sloobludop. [Verse 2] Eight fire beetles lit the road, then tried to eat our faces, Varang brought the ash and bone, Edric made poor choices. Aeris bent the earth to war, and drow fell screaming down, Vorgrath laughed at death again, because of course he did, the clown. Iragon heard whispers crawl, Dose kept his samples near, and somewhere in the baggage train the chest drank up our fear. [Pre-Chorus] Then the Darklake breathed below, still as a waiting god, and every ripple seemed to say: “You fools have come so far.” Too far. [Chorus] Sloobludop, Sloobludop, lights on the water and the world won’t stop. Sloobludop, Sloobludop, pray to the deep that the bridge don’t drop. We came with scars, we came with rot, we came with a chest and a half-made plot. No sky, no sun, no way back up— just one more night in Sloobludop. [Bridge] Clack of rope and creak of wood, lanterns swinging red, fish-eyed shadows turn to watch the newly hunted dead. Is it refuge? Is it trap? Is it madness with a dock? Nobody knows, but nobody stops— because the dark behind us walks. [Breakdown] Sloo-bloo-dop! Don’t look down. Sloo-bloo-dop! Don’t turn around. Sloo-bloo-dop! The lake is black. Sloo-bloo-dop! There’s no going back. [Final Chorus] Sloobludop, Sloobludop, lights on the water and the world won’t stop. Sloobludop, Sloobludop, pray to the deep that the bridge don’t drop. We came with scars, we came with rot, we came with a chest and a half-made plot. No sky, no sun, no way back up— just one more night in Sloobludop. [Outro] Drip, drip, dark lake drop, hear that water never stop. Lanterns swing and shadows hop— welcome down to Sloobludop. ```
🖼️ Images [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/49Fimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/49Fimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/dnEimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/dnEimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/Zj1image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/Zj1image.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/U73image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/U73image.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/MUximage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/MUximage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/3xjimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/3xjimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/c1Limage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/c1Limage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/nrBimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/nrBimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/9a9image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/9a9image.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/fc0image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/fc0image.png)
## 🪐 Campaign Arc - **Campaign:** Out of the Abyss - **Dungeon Master:** Reuben / Rewrock - **Session Number:** 3 - **Session Title:** The Road to Sloobludop - **Date:** 2026-06-03 - **Setting:** Underdark tunnels, the Darklake approach, and the outskirts of Sloobludop - **Player Attendance:** Kenneth absent; Sarix “Dose” Jorasco present but DM-controlled Session 3 followed the fugitives after their escape from Velkynvelve, with the party pushing deeper into the Underdark while drow horns still echoed somewhere behind them. The group had to manage pace, food, water, light, exhaustion, and the fragile loyalty of their growing band of former prisoners. The recovered chest continued to matter. It was not merely loot storage; this session it became the vessel for magically created drinking water, giving the party a practical way to survive while still keeping the chest as an unresolved object of interest. ## 🧭 Overview The session began with the party reviewing the harsh rhythm of Underdark travel. Moving fast could increase the distance from the drow pursuit, but it made foraging impossible and dulled the group’s awareness. Moving more carefully meant a better chance of finding food, spotting danger, and not wandering into the sort of subterranean nonsense that gets people killed. Before the march truly resumed, Aeris was pulled into a vision of the Circle of Root and Star. Back in the sacred grove of his people, he spoke with the Star Reader about the blackening disease and the unnatural signs spreading through root, stone, and fungus. She gave him a pouch of surface seeds and warned him that something rising from below might threaten the forest above. --- ![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/hPVimage.png)Aeris stands beneath the star-cut canopy of the Circle of Root and Star while the Star Reader presses a pouch of surface seeds into his hand. Blackened roots coil nearby, and pale fungus blooms where it should not grow --- On the road, the fugitives pushed through fungal tunnels, narrow passages, and hostile terrain. Stool identified Tongues of Madness fungi, which Aeris collected, though Iragon inhaled enough spores to begin muttering paranoid nonsense. Derendil confided in Aeris about dreams of his court, his claws, and whether a curse could cling to the soul after death. Stool also quietly gravitated toward Iragon, telling him through rapport spores that he felt safe nearby. The first camp was interrupted by giant fire beetles. The party and their allies fought them off, recovered glow sacks for temporary light, and confirmed the beetles themselves were not worth eating. Edric then used Create or Destroy Water to fill the recovered chest with clean drinking water, turning the object into a survival asset as well as an unresolved mystery. The following days brought bluecap mushrooms, Jimjar’s usual betting nonsense, a wild magic / faerzress zone that caused short-term madness in Vorgrath and Dose, and a patch of floating glowing motes that Stool warned were beautiful but dangerous if eaten. The party also navigated claustrophobic tunnels, where Prince Derendil struggled with the tight passages and the group had to keep moving despite exhaustion and uncertainty. The drow pursuit eventually caught up near a dangerous crevasse and rope bridge. Edric and Shuushar fell, but Feather Fall saved them. Aeris then used Mold Earth to sabotage the terrain behind the group, causing several drow pursuers to fall to their deaths and turning the chase itself into a weapon. Brom and Dagnar, two shield dwarves encountered near the bridge, helped during the fight, warned the party about dangers ahead, pointed them toward Sloobludop, and then departed south. Beyond the bridge, the party found ancient ruins carved in smooth spirals that did not seem obviously drow or dwarven. They discovered a vest with tiny vial-sized pockets, an Elvish diary, fungus wine, and an ornate key. The diary contained information about Menzoberranzan, Lolth worship, drow society, and the wider region around the drow city, but it did not provide useful shortcuts through the Darklake. The session ended with a brutal fight against an umber hulk in its lair near the Darklake approach. The party avoided surprise thanks to Iragon’s alertness, then survived through a combination of Bless, Mold Earth, Moonbeam, Magic Missile, smites, rage, and stubborn refusal to become monster paste. After killing the creature, they harvested meat, eyes, mandible, and carapace, cooked the flesh, spared their rations for the night, and finally approached the lights and boats of Sloobludop. ## 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Party Members
Character Player Class / Role Status Notable Actions
Aeris Naïlo Justin Druid / Circle of the Land Alive Received a vision from the Circle of Root and Star, collected Tongues of Madness fungi, reassured Prince Derendil, used Mold Earth to sabotage the drow pursuit route, wild shaped into a giant wolf spider near the bridge, looted Zeleth’s rapier and chain shirt, used Mold Earth again against the umber hulk, helped harvest meat, cooked the carcass with Produce Flame, and received the session MVP / inspiration.
Sarix “Dose” Jorasco Kenneth; absent, DM-controlled Dragonborn Ranger / Drakewarden Alive Travelled with the fugitives while Kenneth was absent, became frightened during the wild magic / faerzress zone, hid near Stool and Shuushar during that effect, and remained with the party as they approached Sloobludop.
Edric Faustin Valemont BaconBuff / Rob Wizard / Abjurer Alive Used Feather Fall to save himself Aeris, and Shuushar after a fall into the crevasse, created clean drinking water in the recovered chest, investigated ruins and claimed the ornate key, used Magic Missile during the umber hulk fight, and harvested the umber hulk’s eyes.
Iragon Midsommar Sicareus / James Warlock / Paladin Alive Kept Stool close and reassured him, suffered paranoid muttering after inhaling Tongues of Madness spores, detected the umber hulk before it could surprise the party, fought in the umber hulk battle, and landed a major smite during the fight.
Varang the Ash-Mender Moose Cleric / Life Domain Alive Protected allies with Resistance and Bless, paid Jimjar one gold to stay silent for an hour, helped keep the party alive through multiple encounters, checked the Elvish diary for useful Darklake routes, and claimed part of the umber hulk’s mandible as a trophy.
Vorgrath Kael Mike Orc Barbarian / Path of the World Tree Alive Held the rear of the marching order, suffered short-term madness in the wild magic zone, fought through the bridge pursuit, helped defend Ront, cut down a pursuer near the bridge, tanked heavy hits while raging in the umber hulk fight, and remained one of the party’s main front-line anchors.
## 🎭 NPC Tracker
NPC Role Status Notes
Stool Myconid sprout; telepathic rapport spores Alive; with party Identified Tongues of Madness and the glowing motes. Stayed close to Iragon and communicated that he felt safe near him.
Ront Orc former prisoner Alive; with party Warned the party when the drow caught up near the bridge. Later thanked Vorgrath for helping him survive the pursuit.
Jimjar Deep gnome gambler Alive; with party Continued making absurd bets. Accepted Varang’s one-gold bet that he could stay silent for an hour, succeeded, and was paid.
Prince Derendil Quaggoth who claims to be an elven prince Alive; with party Spoke with Aeris about dreams of his lost court, his claws, and whether a curse can cling to the soul after death. Continued to struggle with narrow tunnels.
Sarith Kzekarit Drow former prisoner and guide Alive; with party Helped navigate the Underdark, continued suffering headaches, and warned the group around strange magic and dangerous terrain.
Shuushar the Awakened Kuo-toa former prisoner Alive; with party Fell with Edric at the crevasse but was saved by Feather Fall. Spoke about Sloobludop, his people, and the possibility of welcome there.
Topsy & Turvy Deep gnome twins Alive; with party Were injured during the fire beetle attack and continued whispering between themselves during the journey.
Eldeth Feldrun Shield dwarf former prisoner Alive; with party Remained with the fugitives during the march, camps, and travel encounters.
Buppido Derro former prisoner Alive; with party Continued travelling with the group and participated in combat when needed.
Nettle Dose’s drake companion Alive; with Dose Remained with the party after being freed during the escape from Velkynvelve.
Brom & Dagnar Shield dwarves encountered near the bridge Alive; departed Helped during the pursuit fight, warned the party about danger in the area, identified themselves as having come from Sloobludop, pointed the party north, and then headed south.
Zeleth Drow pursuer Dead Killed during the bridge pursuit after the shield dwarves joined the fight. Aeris later looted her rapier and chain shirt.
## 📍 Key Locations - **Underdark Tunnels:** The party’s route away from Velkynvelve, filled with narrow passages, difficult marching conditions, fungi, hunger, and the constant pressure of pursuit. - **Circle of Root and Star Grove:** Aeris’s vision returned him to his sacred wood elf enclave, where the Star Reader warned him about the blackening disease and gave him a pouch of surface seeds. - **Tongues of Madness Patch:** A fungal growth identified by Stool. Eating the fungus causes truth-telling and compulsive speech; Iragon inhaled spores from it and began muttering paranoid warnings. - **First Camp:** The party’s attempted rest was interrupted by a giant fire beetle attack. The beetles were defeated and their glow sacks harvested. - **Faerzress / Wild Magic Zone:** A region of warped magical pressure where spellcasting felt wrong and short-term madness affected Vorgrath and Dose. - **Glowing Mote Passage:** A tunnel of floating lights that Stool warned should not be eaten, though they could potentially be jarred as light sources. - **Crevasse and Rope Bridge:** A dangerous crossing where Edric and Shuushar fell, Feather Fall saved them, the drow pursuit caught up, and Aeris’s Mold Earth trap sent pursuers falling. - **Ancient Spiral-Carved Ruins:** Smooth, flowing ruins not immediately identifiable as drow or dwarven. The party found an Elvish diary, an ornate key, fungus wine, and a vest with small vial pockets. - **Darklake Approach:** The route toward the vast subterranean waterways. The party learned that currents, fishing, boats, springs, maps, navigators, and old markings may matter later. - **Umber Hulk Lair:** The site of the session’s major monster battle and the following umber hulk feast. - **Sloobludop Outskirts:** The party ended within sight of the kuo-toa settlement, its boats, lights, and large central statue visible in the distance. ## 📑 Session Highlights - The group reviewed Underdark travel pace, food, water, exhaustion, madness, navigation, and the risk of being caught by drow pursuit. - Aeris experienced a vision of the Circle of Root and Star and received a warning from the Star Reader about the blackening disease and something stirring below. - Prince Derendil spoke with Aeris about dreams of his court and whether a curse can cling to the soul after death. - Stool identified Tongues of Madness fungi, and Aeris collected some for later use. - Iragon inhaled enough Tongues of Madness spores to begin muttering paranoid warnings in the dark. - Stool stayed close to Iragon, saying through rapport spores that Iragon made him feel safe. - The party’s rest was interrupted by giant fire beetles. The beetles were killed, but several allies were already worn down by injury and travel. - The fire beetles were confirmed to be inedible, but the party harvested eight glow sacks for temporary light. - Edric used Create or Destroy Water to fill the recovered chest with clean drinking water, keeping the chest important as both vessel and mystery. - The group found bluecap mushrooms while travelling at a normal pace, helping maintain their food supply. - Jimjar bet constantly until Varang paid him one gold to stay silent for an hour. Jimjar won. Varang still considered the silence worth it. - The party crossed a faerzress / wild magic zone, where Vorgrath began babbling and Dose became frightened and hid near Stool and Shuushar. - Stool warned the party about glowing floating motes: useful as light if jarred, but dangerous and vomit-inducing if eaten. - The drow pursuit caught up near a crevasse and rope bridge. - Edric and Shuushar fell during the crossing, but Edric’s Feather Fall saved them both. - Aeris used Mold Earth to sabotage the slope behind the group, causing drow pursuers to fall to their deaths. - Brom and Dagnar, two shield dwarves, helped during the pursuit fight, pointed the party toward Sloobludop, and then departed south. - Zeleth was killed during the bridge encounter, and Aeris kept her rapier and chain shirt. - The party discovered ancient spiral-carved ruins and recovered several unusual items. - Varang checked the Elvish diary for Darklake routes, but it proved more useful for information about Menzoberranzan and drow society than local navigation. - Shuushar described Sloobludop, the Darklake, and the possibility that his people might still be willing to receive outsiders who were not drow. - The party was attacked by an umber hulk in its lair, but Iragon’s alertness helped prevent a surprise disaster. - Varang’s Bless played a major role in the umber hulk battle and was praised during the end-of-session MVP discussion. - Aeris used Mold Earth against the umber hulk, digging under one of its legs and limiting its movement. - Edric damaged the umber hulk with Magic Missile and later harvested its eyes. - Iragon landed a major smite during the umber hulk fight. - Vorgrath tanked heavy hits while raging and helped hold the front line. - The slain umber hulk was harvested for eyes, mandible, meat, and possible carapace armour material. - The party cooked and ate umber hulk meat, preserving their rations for the night. - Aeris received the session MVP / inspiration, largely for the Mold Earth play during the drow pursuit. - The session ended with the party approaching Sloobludop, still unsure what kind of welcome awaited them. ## 🎞️ Key Scenes --- ![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/GoWimage.png)**Stool pads close beside Iragon in the dark tunnel, releasing a soft puff of rapport spores. The tiny myconid tells the fey knight that he feels safer walking near him.** --- ![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/UZ4image.png)**At the edge of the crevasse, Aeris shapes the earth beneath the pursuing drow. The slope gives way behind the fugitives, turning stone, gravity, and panic into the party’s deadliest weapon.** --- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/cp6image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/cp6image.png)**The warm glow ahead was not safe passage — it was eight giant fire beetles turning the tunnel into a living ambush.** --- ![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/R0Cimage.png)**The party searches smooth, spiral-carved ruins that do not feel drow or dwarven. Among the dust and strange stonework lie an Elvish diary, fungus wine, a vial-pocketed vest, and an ornate key with no lock in sight.** ---
**An umber hulk bursts from the wall of its lair as Bless, Moonbeam, Mold Earth, Magic Missile, smite, and barbarian rage collide in the cramped Underdark chamber.** [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/aMpimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/aMpimage.png) --- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/BdVimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/BdVimage.png)**Beyond the dark water, Sloobludop glows with lanterns, boats, kuo-toa movement, and a large central statue.** --- ## 🧵 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks - **The Drow Pursuit:** The party evaded the immediate pursuit near the bridge, but horns still sounded in the distance. Ilvara’s hunters remain a threat. - **Aeris and the Blackening Disease:** Aeris’s vision tied the blackening disease to something stirring below. The surface seeds and the Star Reader’s warning remain unresolved. - **Prince Derendil’s Curse:** Derendil’s dreams, fear, and questions about curses clinging to the soul continue to cast doubt over his condition and identity. - **Stool’s Bonds:** Stool has grown particularly attached to Iragon, feeling safe near him. This may matter as the party’s NPC relationships deepen. - **Sarith’s Headaches:** Sarith continued to suffer headaches and unease during the journey, especially around strange Underdark phenomena. - **The Recovered Chest:** The party continues carrying the large chest taken during the escape. It has become useful as a water vessel for Edric’s Create or Destroy Water, but its longer-term importance remains unresolved. - **The Ornate Key:** Edric claimed a random ornate key from the ruins. No matching lock was found nearby. - **The Elvish Diary:** The diary contains information about Menzoberranzan, Lolth worship, drow society, and paths around that region, but it does not provide useful shortcut routes through the Darklake. - **The Darklake:** The party learned that maps, navigators, boats, currents, fishing, springs, and ancient route markings may all matter for future travel. - **Sloobludop:** Shuushar’s home settlement is now within sight. It may offer refuge, trade, guidance, danger, or some awful combination of all four because this is still the Underdark. - **Umber Hulk Carapace:** The party learned the carapace could potentially be crafted into light armour, but no confirmed crafting occurred this session. ## 🗺️ Quest Status
Quest / Thread Status Relevant NPCs / PCs Notes
Escape the drow pursuit Ongoing Ilvara, drow pursuers, party The party escaped the immediate bridge pursuit and killed several pursuers, but the larger hunt remains active.
Reach Sloobludop Nearly complete Shuushar, party The settlement is within sight, though the party has not yet entered it or confirmed whether it is safe.
Survive Underdark travel Ongoing Party, escaped prisoners Food, water, exhaustion, light, navigation, madness, and hostile creatures remain constant pressures.
Understand Aeris’s vision Ongoing Aeris, Star Reader The blackening disease appears connected to something below. Aeris carries surface seeds from the vision.
Track the recovered chest Ongoing Edric, party The chest remains important and is being used as a vessel for created water. Its larger purpose is unresolved.
Investigate the ancient ruins Completed Party, Edric, Varang The party found useful items, but the origin and purpose of the ruins remain unknown.
Find use for the ornate key Unresolved Edric The key was found in the ruins, but no matching lock has been discovered.
Resolve Derendil’s curse Ongoing Prince Derendil, Aeris Derendil’s dreams and fears remain troubling, and Aeris has promised to help if the group finds answers.
## 💰 Loot & Discoveries
Item / Discovery Found By Description / Status
Tongues of Madness fungi [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/t0Pimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/t0Pimage.png) Aeris Naïlo Identified by Stool. Eating the fungus causes truth-telling and compulsive speech for several minutes. Aeris collected some.
Pouch of surface seeds [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/9cBimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/9cBimage.png) Aeris Naïlo Received from the Star Reader during Aeris’s vision. Exact use and significance remain unresolved.
Fire beetle glow sacks [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/HYSimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/HYSimage.png) Party Eight glow sacks harvested from slain giant fire beetles. They function like temporary glow sticks and are expected to last one to two days.
Created water Edric Faustin Valemont Created in the recovered chest for drinking water. The chest remains tracked as an important carried item.
Bluecap mushrooms [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/jFeimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/jFeimage.png) Party Found while foraging and near the ruins. Used as edible Underdark staple food and ration substitute.
Glowing motes Discovery only Stool warned that eating them causes severe vomiting. They can potentially be kept in jars as long-lasting light, but collection was not confirmed.
Drow Rapier [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/YxOimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/YxOimage.png) Aeris Naïlo Taken from Zeleth after she was killed during the bridge encounter.
Chain shirt Aeris Naïlo Looted from Zeleth and kept by Aeris.
Vest with tiny vial-sized pockets Party Found in the ancient ruins. Suitable for holding small vials, such as poisons or potions.
Elvish diary Varang the Ash-Mender Found in the ruins. Contains information about Menzoberranzan, Lolth worship, drow society, and the wider region around the drow city, but not useful Darklake route shortcuts.
Bottle of fungus wine [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/mrlimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/mrlimage.png) Party Found in the ancient ruins. Potential trade good, morale item, or future terrible choice.
Ornate key [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/LM6image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/LM6image.png) Edric Faustin Valemont Found randomly in the ruins. No matching lock was found nearby.
Umber hulk eyes [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/3qiimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/3qiimage.png) Edric Faustin Valemont Harvested from the slain umber hulk. Purpose unknown, but Edric kept them.
Umber hulk mandible piece [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/d17image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/d17image.png) Varang the Ash-Mender Smashed loose and kept as a trophy.
Umber hulk meat Party Harvested and cooked after the battle. The party did not need to consume rations that night.
Umber hulk carapace Party Potential crafting material for light armour. No confirmed crafting or final recipient yet.
Session MVP / Inspiration [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/DZFimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/DZFimage.png) Aeris Naïlo Awarded at the end of the session, largely for the Mold Earth play during the drow pursuit.
### Noteworthy Items **The Recovered Chest:** Still carried by the party and still important. This session it proved its worth as a vessel for Edric’s magically created water, but it remains more than just a bucket with delusions of grandeur. **The Ornate Key:** A random key with no matching lock nearby. It has exactly the right shape to become someone’s future problem. **Umber Hulk Eyes:** Edric harvested them from the corpse after the fight. Their practical purpose is unknown, but the wizard took them, which is usually how consequences begin. ## ⚙️ Rules & Mechanics Notes - **Travel Pace:** Fast pace helps distance the group from pursuit but prevents foraging and penalises awareness. Normal pace allows foraging. Slow pace improves caution and searching. - **Food and Water:** Rations remain a major pressure. Bluecaps can help with food, while Edric’s Create or Destroy Water in the recovered chest has become a major survival tool. - **Tongues of Madness:** Eating the fungus causes truth-telling and compulsive speech for several minutes. Spores also affected Iragon when he got too close. - **Glow Sacks:** Harvested from giant fire beetles and treated as temporary light sources lasting roughly one to two days. - **Faerzress / Wild Magic:** The party encountered a zone where spellcasting and mental stability became unreliable. Wisdom saves were required, and short-term madness affected Vorgrath and Dose. - **Feather Fall:** Edric used Feather Fall to prevent himself and Shuushar from taking fatal or serious fall damage at the crevasse. - **Mold Earth:** Aeris used Mold Earth both as pursuit sabotage near the crevasse and as a battlefield control option in the umber hulk fight. - **Bless:** Varang’s Bless was a major contributor during the umber hulk battle and was called out during the end-of-session MVP discussion. - **Harvesting Creatures:** The umber hulk provided edible meat, trophy parts, eyes, and possible carapace armour material. - **Heroic Inspiration:** Aeris received the session MVP / inspiration at the end of the session. ## 💬 Memorable Moments - Varang bet Jimjar one gold that he could not stay quiet for an hour. Jimjar succeeded, and Varang considered the silence worth the coin. - Edric saved himself and Shuushar from the crevasse with Feather Fall, then survived long enough for the party to turn the crossing against the drow. - Aeris’s Mold Earth trap turned a desperate chase into a grisly environmental kill zone. - Stool quietly chose Iragon as someone safe to stand near. - The party’s survival priorities after killing the umber hulk immediately became: can we eat it, can we harvest it, and can anyone use the armour-shaped bits? Sensible adventuring. Disgusting, but sensible. ## 🏷️ Session Tags - Underdark - Travel - Drow Pursuit - Faerzress - Wild Magic - Tongues of Madness - Fire Beetles - Glow Sacks - Bluecap Mushrooms - Circle of Root and Star - Aeris Vision - Blackening Disease - Prince Derendil - Stool - Jimjar Bet - Crevasse - Feather Fall - Mold Earth - Brom and Dagnar - Zeleth - Ancient Ruins - Darklake - Umber Hulk - Sloobludop - Session 3 ## 🧰 Next Session Prep - Confirm the party’s exact distance from Sloobludop and whether any further encounter occurs before entering the settlement. - Track current rations, water, glow sacks, exhaustion, spell slots, hit dice, and any lingering effects after the umber hulk fight. - Track the recovered chest as both water vessel and unresolved important item. - Confirm who is carrying the ornate key, Elvish diary, fungus wine, vest, umber hulk eyes, mandible trophy, and carapace pieces. - Prepare Sloobludop’s first impression: guards, boats, bridges, smell, noise, statue, rituals, and how Shuushar introduces the party. - Track Brom and Dagnar as departed but known contacts who came from Sloobludop and warned the party. - Keep Aeris’s vision, surface seeds, and the blackening disease active as a personal plot thread. - Keep Derendil’s curse anxiety and Stool’s bond with Iragon available for future roleplay. - Track Ilvara’s pursuit pressure in the background, even if the party has briefly gained distance. ## ⏳ Cliffhanger The party ended the session within sight of Sloobludop, still several hours from the settlement proper. They had survived pursuit, madness, hunger, a crevasse crossing, ancient ruins, and an umber hulk, but survival had not yet become safety. Ahead of them, the kuo-toa settlement glowed across the dark water. Boats moved through the gloom, figures shifted along the docks and paths, and a large central statue rose from the strange settlement like a promise, a warning, or both. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/50Aimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/50Aimage.png) Shuushar believed his people had once been friendly to outsiders who were not drow, but he had been away for a long time and could not guarantee what welcome awaited. Behind the party, the drow pursuit still existed somewhere in the dark. Ahead, Sloobludop waited. **After days of stone, hunger, pursuit, and blood, the party finally saw lights on the water. Sloobludop was close enough to hope for, but not close enough to trust.** --- # Session 04: The Fall of Sloobludop
🎵 Music
[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/hdvimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/hdvimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/8pJimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/8pJimage.png)
*Ploop Said, Blopp Said* *Demogorgon*
**
``` [Intro] Drip-drop, Sloobludop, try to say it, don’t you stop. Fish folk chanting on the dock: “Ploop said, Blopp said, mind the rock!” [Verse 1] Ploopploopeen was the priest of the Sea, very holy, very damp, very hard to spell for me. He said, “Blibdoolpoolp will guide us through,” and honestly, mate, I hope that’s true. Then in came Bloppblippodd with a staff and a stare, with lake-mist robes and alarming hair. She said, “Leemooggoogoon has chosen me!” And Edric said, “I dislike this socially.” [Pre-Chorus] Glooglugogg went, “Mum, this is bad.” Gloogor held the weapons we wish we had. Morgan the smith said, “Gold? That’s fine, but clams are lunch and lunch is mine.” [Chorus] Ploop said, Blopp said, Glooglugogg too, Gloogor took my sword and my backup shoe. Blibdoolpoolp went bubble-bloop, Leemooggoogoon went scoop-de-loop. Sloobludop, don’t stop, fish names falling like a bucket of slop. Ploop said, Blopp said, somebody run, the Deep Father party has got out of hand, son. [Verse 2] Edric got spat on, right on the cape, so he threw a Web spell — bold escape. But the Web went wide and the priestess ducked, then the guards moved in and Edric got thwucked. Varang went booming with temple voice doom, “Touch us and ashes will fill this room.” Iragon said, with elegant grace, “Flee or die,” to a very wet face. Dose looked calm in the worst kind of way, like “this is data” at the end of the day. Nettle stood ready with poison and bite, while Ront made a doorway by losing a fight with a wall. [Pre-Chorus] Stool went wobble, Jimjar bet, Eldeth said, “Not dead yet.” Sarith had headaches, Derendil had stress, and Shuushar picked the worst day to come home, I guess. [Chorus] Ploop said, Blopp said, Glooglugogg too, Gloogor took my sword and my backup shoe. Blibdoolpoolp went bubble-bloop, Leemooggoogoon went scoop-de-loop. Sloobludop, don’t stop, fish names falling like a bucket of slop. Ploop said, Blopp said, somebody run, the Deep Father party has got out of hand, son. [Bridge] Say it quick now, don’t be slow: Ploopploopeen, Bloppblippodd, Glooglugogg, Gloogor! Say it twice and earn a clam: Blibdoolpoolp and Leemooggoogoon, thank you ma’am. Say it backwards? Absolutely not. That’s how the village summoned the plot. One more chant by the altar stone, and Demogorgon says, “Who called my phone?” [Breakdown] Ploop! Blopp! Glooglugogg! Gloogor! Morgan! Clams! Hand table! Run faster! [Final Chorus] Ploop said, Blopp said, Glooglugogg too, Gloogor took my sword and my dignity too. Blibdoolpoolp went bubble-bloop, Leemooggoogoon made a demon go “boop.” Sloobludop, don’t stop, unless the lake starts to bubble and pop. Ploop said, Blopp said, too late, run— the Deep Father party has summoned someone. [Outro] Drip-drop, Sloobludop, never trust a chanting dock. If a fish priest says, “It’s fine, don’t flee,” check your weapons, grab the map, and disagree. ``` ``` [Intro] Black water breathing, lanterns in the mist. A thousand mouths were praying, and the lake began to twist. [Verse 1] We came to the shore with hunger in our bones, with drow horns fading far behind. We came for a map and a road through the dark, for a name the water might find. The village was whispering through fishbone and rope, through shell, through net, through mud. The Sea Mother wept in her crayfish crown, while the Deep Father drank in blood. [Pre-Chorus] Ploopploopeen cried warning, but the drums had learned to crawl. Bloppblippodd raised her broken faith, and the black lake answered all. [Chorus] Demogorgon, rise from below, two heads crowned in undertow. Red eyes burning where no stars shine, madness walking out of brine. Demogorgon, hear them scream, tear the prayer out of the dream. The Darklake opened, the village was gone, and the deep sang Demogorgon. [Verse 2] Shuushar stood where his people knelt, peace in a world gone wrong. He had walked us home through stone and fear, but home did not last long. The roar split faith from flesh and breath, and silence broke its spine. Some ran in terror, some laughed and bled, some died without a sign. Glooglugogg fell in the shadow of scale, Ploop’s grief was dragged through mud. Bloppblippodd called a god from the deep, and found only teeth and flood. [Pre-Chorus] The altar cracked, the lanterns swung, the nets became a snare. No priest could bind what rose from the lake. No prayer could hold it there. [Chorus] Demogorgon, rise from below, two heads crowned in undertow. Red eyes burning where no stars shine, madness walking out of brine. Demogorgon, hear them scream, tear the prayer out of the dream. The Darklake opened, the village was gone, and the deep sang Demogorgon. [Bridge] Run with the corpse, run with the map, run with the names of the dead. Run with the ash-priest dragging the broken, run where the black waters spread. Run with the myconid, run with the gnome, run while the old docks groan. Run from the thing that answered the call, run, but you are not alone. Because far in the mist, where the lake has no shore, one head is laughing, and one head wants more. [Final Chorus] Demogorgon, rise from below, two heads crowned in undertow. Red eyes burning where no stars shine, madness walking out of brine. Demogorgon, hear them scream, tear the prayer out of the dream. The Darklake opened, the village was gone, and the deep sang Demogorgon. [Outro] Black water breathing, lanterns drowned in foam. We came to Sloobludop seeking a road, but the deep thing followed us home. ```
🖼️ Images [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/W5Ximage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/W5Ximage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/WcYimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/WcYimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/yVkimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/yVkimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/C4Timage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/C4Timage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/bI7image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/bI7image.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/5T8image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/5T8image.png)
## 🪐 Campaign Arc - **Campaign:** Out of the Abyss - **Dungeon Master:** Reuben / Rewrock - **Session Number:** 4 - **Session Title:** The Fall of Sloobludop - **Date:** 2026-06-17 - **Setting:** Sloobludop, the Darklake shore, and the Underdark around the kuo-toa settlement The party entered Sloobludop after days of danger in the Underdark, hoping the kuo-toa settlement might offer trade, food, shelter, boats, and guidance. Instead, they found a village split between the faithful of the Sea Mother and the rising cult of the Deep Father. What began as cautious diplomacy and supply gathering collapsed into religious violence, ritual sacrifice, and the catastrophic emergence of Demogorgon from the Darklake. ## 🎬 Previously On... After escaping Velkynvelve, the party and their fellow fugitives travelled through the Underdark under constant pressure from hunger, exhaustion, hostile creatures, strange fungi, faerzress, and drow pursuit. Aeris received a vision from the Circle of Root and Star warning of a blackening disease connected to something below. The group survived fire beetles, a deadly crevasse chase, ancient spiral-carved ruins, and an umber hulk ambush before finally reaching the outskirts of Sloobludop, guided by Shuushar the Awakened. By the time they reached the kuo-toa settlement, the party carried a strange collection of useful and questionable survival assets: the recovered chest from Velkynvelve, an ornate key, an Elvish diary, fungus wine, umber hulk parts, fire beetle glow sacks, and the burden of a large group of former prisoners still trying to survive the dark. ## 🧭 Overview The session opened not in Sloobludop, but in memory. Varang dreamed of the Cinderborn, the hidden tiefling enclave of ash, heat, basalt halls, and hard healing. In the vision, Varang was shown learning that healing was not gentle mercy but violent discipline: pressure, heat, bone, ash, and the refusal to let death take what still had work to do. Varang recited a ritual over a dying elder and watched life return. Later, faced with a fevered child whose healing carried risk, Varang chose to push the rite further rather than let the child pass. The vision ended with broken death marks, black sap, and strange fungal growth seeping into the ashen tunnels near home.[![grok-996b7157-64cb-4eb8-981e-21a80a90d026.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/grok-996b7157-64cb-4eb8-981e-21a80a90d026.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/grok-996b7157-64cb-4eb8-981e-21a80a90d026.jpg) --- Back in the Underdark, the party rested near Sloobludop before making the final approach. Shuushar warned that he had not returned to his people in a long time and that his welcome was uncertain. Vorgrath had also noticed that Shuushar tended to step away from danger rather than toward it, a detail that would become painfully relevant before the night was done. At the settlement’s edge, the party was met by kuo-toa guards and required to surrender their weapons. Most complied, though Vorgrath successfully concealed his great axe with the kind of subtlety only a giant orc and half-blind fish guards could make possible. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/iipimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/iipimage.png)The group entered Sloobludop and saw a crowded settlement along the Darklake shore: fishnet fences, mud-brick huts, dim lanterns, canoe-like boats, packed docks, and a powerful smell of rotting shellfish. At the shrine of the Sea Mother, the party saw a grotesque nine-foot idol: a wooden female body fitted with the severed head and claws of a giant albino crayfish, lashed together with gut and surrounded by shells, colourful stones, mushrooms, rotting fish, and offerings. Edric placed one of the umber hulk eyes as an offering. Glooglugogg, son of Ploopploopeen, recognised Shuushar and helped guide the party toward trade and a meeting with his parent, the archpriest of the Sea Mother. The party traded weapons and armour at the smithy, receiving gold marked mostly with the Sea Mother’s symbol, though a handful bore an unfamiliar sign. They then navigated Sloobludop’s clam-based economy, buying dried fish, waterskins, cloth, fishing supplies, and a wooden “hand table” shield while learning that gold meant little where food was the real currency. At the general store, the merchant treated the umber hulk eyes less like rare monster parts and more like snacks, which was unsettling but efficient. The group then met Ploopploopeen, archpriest of Blibdoolpoolp, the Sea Mother. Ploop explained that Sloobludop was divided: Ploop’s daughter, Bloppblippodd, had declared herself archpriest of Leemooggoogoon, the Deep Father. Blopp had stolen several valuable objects, including a vital Darklake map built up over generations of Sea Mother archpriests. That map could mark safe routes, dangerous waters, and places to avoid. For a party trying not to die underground, it was exactly the kind of thing worth chasing. The meeting deteriorated when Blopp and her followers arrived. After Blopp spat at Edric, Edric responded with Web. The spell missed its intended target, and the kuo-toa guards answered by beating him with spear hafts. The settlement’s religious schism turned openly violent. The party was surrounded, pushed, dragged, and swept into the heart of a ritual gathering where hundreds of kuo-toa chanted around a horrific altar: two flayed octopuses spread across a flayed manta ray, bleeding into a bowl, with three duergar bound before it as sacrifices. Blopp proclaimed the coming of the Deep Father. The Darklake answered. Oily tentacles rose from the black water, followed by two monstrous heads, tusks, red eyes, and a towering body shedding lake water as it emerged. Demogorgon roared, and the village broke. Heads burst among the gathered kuo-toa. Madness and bloodlust tore through the crowd. Shuushar the Awakened died in the roar, killed in the very village he had hoped might offer refuge. Glooglugogg was also killed in the rampage, leaving Ploop stunned and weeping over the loss of both child and village. In the chaos, the party fought to survive rather than win. Ront smashed through a hovel wall to open an escape route. Iragon fought with his pact weapon and offered enemies the chance to flee rather than die. Dose and Nettle struck where needed, but Dose chose not to cut down fleeing guards. Edric used magic amid the panic, including Shatter against part of the Deep Father altar. Aeris used Longstrider to get away and Healing Word to keep allies moving. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/QN8image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/QN8image.png)Varang used booming intimidation, Bless, and grim battlefield command while helping drag Ploop from the ruin of the ritual. Dose also recovered Blopp’s corpse, hoping the stolen map might still be on her body. At the end of the session, the map itself had not yet been confirmed recovered. The party escaped the immediate slaughter with their former prisoner allies still alive except for Shuushar, but their surrendered weapons remained at the entrance, Sloobludop was collapsing behind them, and Demogorgon’s madness had turned the Darklake into something far worse than a travel problem. ## 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Party Members
CharacterPlayerClass / RoleStatusNotable Actions
Aeris NaïloJustinDruid / Circle of the LandAliveMade an Arcana check around the Sea Mother shrine, used Longstrider during the chaos, cast Healing Word, and focused on escaping the collapsing settlement rather than getting trapped in the mob.
Sarix “Dose” JorascoArtemisDragonborn Ranger / DrakewardenAliveUsed poison breath and Jump, fought alongside Nettle, chose not to attack fleeing guards, and dragged Bloppblippodd’s corpse away in the hope that the stolen Darklake map might be on her.
Edric Faustin ValemontBaconBuff / RobWizard / AbjurerAlive; batteredOffered an umber hulk eye at the Sea Mother shrine, cast Web at Blopp after being spat on, took 12 bludgeoning damage from guards, used Magic Missile, and damaged part of the Deep Father altar with Shatter.
Iragon MidsommarSicareusWarlock / PaladinAliveMaintained his courtly composure through peak fish cult nonsense, fought with his pact weapon, worked with Nettle’s Infused Strikes, and gave enemies the option to flee rather than slaughtering them outright.
Varang the Ash-MenderMooseCleric / Life DomainAlive; MVP inspirationWas the focus of the opening Cinderborn vision, bought white cloth strips, hired a lookout, used Thaumaturgy to amplify threats against the chanting mob, cast Bless, helped drag Ploop from the devastation, and received session MVP inspiration.
Vorgrath KaelMikeOrc Barbarian / Path of the World TreeAliveSuccessfully hid his great axe when entering Sloobludop, kept the weapon through the settlement, raged during the chaos, helped protect the escape, and remained one of the party’s main physical anchors while everything went aggressively fish-shaped.
## 🎭 NPC Tracker
NPCRoleLocationStatusNotes
Ploopploopeen “Ploop” [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/9vRimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/9vRimage.png) Archpriest of Blibdoolpoolp, the Sea MotherSloobludopAlive; stunned and grievingParent of Bloppblippodd and Glooglugogg. Asked the party for help recovering items stolen by Blopp, including an important Darklake map. Survived the ritual disaster but was left weeping over the destruction of the village and the deaths of both children.
Bloppblippodd “Blopp” [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/lxoimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/lxoimage.png) Ploop’s daughter; self-declared archpriest of Leemooggoogoon, the Deep FatherRitual siteDeadLed the Deep Father cult faction, stole Ploop’s valuables and the Darklake map, spat at Edric, and presided over the ritual before being killed when Demogorgon rampaged through the gathering. Dose recovered her corpse, but the map has not yet been confirmed found.
Glooglugogg “Gloog”Ploop’s son; kuo-toa whip and loyal Sea Mother worshipperSloobludopDeadRecognised Shuushar, helped the party reach the smith and Ploop, and remained loyal to the Sea Mother. Killed during Demogorgon’s rampage.
Gloogor / GloogurgKuo-toa guard who held the party’s weaponsSloobludop entranceUnknownHeld the surrendered weapons at the entrance. The party’s surrendered weapons remain there at the end of the session.
Margan Sloobludop smithSmithyAlive / not seen after chaosHandled the trade of scavenged weapons and armour, offering 300 gold or 600 clams. The party chose gold.
General Store MerchantKuo-toa merchantGeneral storeAlive / not seen after chaosSold dried fish, waterskins, fishing supplies, and cloth. Refused gold because gold does not fill the stomach. Bought the umber hulk eyes for clams and treated them like food.
Kuo-toa LookoutLocal lookout hired by VarangSloobludop outskirtsUnknownHired to watch for threats. Final fate after the Demogorgon disaster is unresolved.
Shuushar the Awakened Kuo-toa former prisoner and guideSloobludopDeadGuided the party to his home settlement after the escape from Velkynvelve. Died when Demogorgon roared and the gathered kuo-toa began dying in waves.
StoolMyconid sprout; former prisoner allyWith the fugitivesAliveRemains with the party and former prisoners. His rapport spores remain important for communication and group cohesion.
JimjarDeep gnome gambler; former prisoner allySloobludop / with fugitivesAliveHelped the party navigate local trade, including exchanging gold and clams. Still alive after the chaos.
RontOrc former prisoner allySloobludopAliveSmashed through a hovel wall during the escape, opening a route for the party and allies to flee the mob and Demogorgon’s rampage.
Eldeth FeldrunShield dwarf former prisoner allyWith the fugitivesAliveRemains alive with the escaped group. Her request regarding Gauntlgrym remains unresolved.
BuppidoDerro former prisoner allyWith the fugitivesAliveStill alive with the former prisoner group after Sloobludop’s collapse.
Sarith KzekaritDrow former prisoner and guideWith the fugitivesAliveStill alive with the group. His headaches and uncertain condition remain ongoing concerns.
Prince DerendilQuaggoth who claims to be an elven princeWith the fugitivesAliveSurvived the disaster along with the other former prisoners. His curse and identity remain unresolved.
Topsy & TurvyDeep gnome twins; former prisoner alliesWith the fugitivesAliveStill alive after the destruction of Sloobludop.
NettleDose’s drake companionWith DoseAliveFought beside Dose and contributed through Infused Strikes during the chaos.
Three Duergar PrisonersRitual sacrificesDeep Father altarDeadBound before the flayed manta-and-octopus altar and sacrificed during Blopp’s ritual.
Demogorgon [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/HLBimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/HLBimage.png) Demonic horror from the DarklakeDarklake / SloobludopAliveEmerged from the Darklake after the Deep Father ritual, causing mass death, madness, bloodlust, and the collapse of Sloobludop.
## 📍 Key Locations - **Cinderborn Enclave:** Seen in Varang’s dream. A hidden volcanic settlement of basalt halls, ash rites, and harsh healing traditions. The vision ended with broken death marks, black sap, and fungal growth near Varang’s home. - **Sloobludop Outskirts:** The party approached after a long rest and a final two-to-three-hour journey around the Darklake shore.[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/5SAimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/5SAimage.png) - **Sloobludop Entrance:** The party surrendered most weapons here before entering. Their surrendered weapons remain at the entrance, with Vorgrath’s hidden great axe as the major exception. - **Sea Mother Shrine:** A nine-foot idol with a carved wooden female body and the head and claws of a giant albino crayfish lashed on with gut. Surrounded by shells, stones, mushrooms, rotting fish, and offerings. - **Smithy:** Where the party traded scavenged armour and weapons for gold rather than clams. - **General Store:** A practical kuo-toa shop selling food and supplies. The party learned that clams function as food-currency and that gold has limited local appeal. - **Ploop’s Quarters:** The meeting place where Ploopploopeen explained the schism, Blopp’s theft, and the missing Darklake map. - **Deep Father Ritual Site:** The centre of Blopp’s ritual, marked by a flayed manta ray, flayed octopuses, a blood bowl, and bound duergar sacrifices. - **Darklake:** The black underground water from which Demogorgon emerged, turning the settlement’s religious crisis into a catastrophe. - **Hovels and Escape Route:** Ront smashed through a hovel wall during the chaos, opening a route for the party and allies to escape the mob. --- ## 🎞️ Key Scenes --- ### **The Ash-Borne Dream** [![grok-37492695-eaf0-4590-9fa0-357f9c89bd6c.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/grok-37492695-eaf0-4590-9fa0-357f9c89bd6c.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/grok-37492695-eaf0-4590-9fa0-357f9c89bd6c.jpg)*Varang stood once more among the Cinderborn, where healing was taught as pressure, heat, pain, and command rather than comfort. Over a dying elder, Varang recited the rite: flesh and bone were not ash, breath was not spent, death could wait because the living still had work to do.* [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/psoimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/psoimage.png)*In the Cinderborn enclave, Varang pushed the rite further, choosing fire, pressure, and will over surrender.* --- ### **The Crayfish Shrine** [![grok-13930dfb-6097-4269-9416-cea68d9249a0.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/grok-13930dfb-6097-4269-9416-cea68d9249a0.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/grok-13930dfb-6097-4269-9416-cea68d9249a0.jpg)*Beneath the dim lights of Sloobludop, the party stood before the Sea Mother’s idol: a wooden female body with an albino crayfish head and claws lashed on with gut, surrounded by rotting fish, shells, stones, and offerings. Edric placed an umber hulk eye before it, which was either piety, pragmatism, or wizard impulse control failing in public.* --- ### **Gold, Clams, and the Hand Table** [![grok-9d8ad8a3-61d1-4dfa-80dc-0c5aac19655a.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/grok-9d8ad8a3-61d1-4dfa-80dc-0c5aac19655a.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/grok-9d8ad8a3-61d1-4dfa-80dc-0c5aac19655a.jpg)*The party learned that Sloobludop’s economy cared less for shiny coins than edible barter. Weapons became gold, gold became clams, clams became food, and a wooden shield became a “hand table,” because every settlement needs one phrase that refuses to leave the campaign.* --- ### **The Map That Started the Trouble** [![grok-8be9a9d1-ee3a-4248-8154-bdd7528bf051.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/grok-8be9a9d1-ee3a-4248-8154-bdd7528bf051.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/grok-8be9a9d1-ee3a-4248-8154-bdd7528bf051.jpg)*In Ploop’s quarters, the party learned that Blopp had stolen a map of the Darklake, a precious record of safe waters, dangers, and routes built across generations. For a party stranded in the Underdark, the map was not just loot. It was a possible way forward.* --- ### **Edric Gets Spat On** [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/uAlimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/uAlimage.png)*Blopp’s insult pushed Edric into action. His Web spell erupted toward her but missed, and the guards immediately surrounded him and beat him with spear hafts. It was not diplomacy’s finest hour, though to be fair, diplomacy was already face-down in a bucket of fish.* --- ### **Iragon Offers Mercy** [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/g9Bimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/g9Bimage.png)*In the middle of Sloobludop’s collapse, Iragon gave the guards one clean choice: flee or die.* --- ### **The Deep Father’s Altar** [![grok-397884be-7d72-4fe8-86d4-03c11ab2cabb.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/grok-397884be-7d72-4fe8-86d4-03c11ab2cabb.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/grok-397884be-7d72-4fe8-86d4-03c11ab2cabb.jpg)Hundreds of kuo-toa gathered around the flayed manta ray and octopus altar while three duergar waited bound before the blood bowl. Blopp proclaimed the coming of Leemooggoogoon, and the Darklake began to answer in shapes too large to be prayer. --- ### **The Roar That Killed Shuushar** [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/c5eimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/c5eimage.png)Demogorgon rose from the Darklake and roared. Kuo-toa died in waves, heads bursting amid the crowd. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/gKEimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/gKEimage.png)***Shuushar the Awakened**, the party’s peaceful guide back to his people, died in that roar as Sloobludop collapsed around him.* --- ## 🧵 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks - **The Stolen Darklake Map:** Blopp’s corpse has been recovered, but the map itself has not yet been confirmed found. This remains one of the party’s most important practical leads. - **Weapons at the Entrance:** Most of the party’s surrendered weapons are still at Sloobludop’s entrance with Gloogor / Gloogurg or wherever the chaos left them. Vorgrath’s hidden great axe is the major exception. - **Shuushar’s Death:** Shuushar died in the destruction of his own home settlement. This removes the party’s kuo-toa guide and marks the first major former-prisoner ally death since the escape. - **Ploop’s Survival:** Ploop survived but lost both Blopp and Gloog as Sloobludop collapsed. Whether Ploop remains useful, broken, or both is unresolved. - **Demogorgon’s Madness:** The party has now witnessed a demon lord’s manifestation and the mass madness that followed. Psychological and supernatural consequences may not be finished with them. - **Sloobludop’s Fate:** The settlement has been torn apart by cult violence and Demogorgon’s emergence. Survivors, factions, and usable supplies remain uncertain. - **The Deep Father Cult:** Blopp is dead, but the cult’s influence, symbols, and corruption may not have ended cleanly. Cults rarely have the decency to stay solved. - **The Unknown Gold Symbol:** Some of the gold coins received from the smith bore a symbol the party did not recognise. - **Varang’s Cinderborn Vision:** The broken death marks, black sap, and fungus near Varang’s home suggest a personal threat or omen connected to the deeper Underdark. - **Aeris and the Blackening Disease:** Aeris’s earlier vision of blackened roots and pale fungus remains active, and the repeated fungal corruption imagery around multiple character threads may matter later. - **Former Prisoner Allies:** Stool, Jimjar, Ront, Eldeth, Buppido, Sarith, Prince Derendil, Topsy, Turvy, and Nettle all survived Sloobludop, but keeping them alive remains an ongoing problem. - **Ilvara’s Pursuit:** The drow pursuit remains a background threat, even if Sloobludop’s disaster has created more immediate concerns. - **The Recovered Chest:** The party continues carrying the chest from Velkynvelve. It has served as a water vessel, but its larger significance is still unresolved. - **Prince Derendil’s Curse:** Derendil remains alive, but his dreams, fears, and claimed royal identity still need answers. - **Sarith’s Headaches:** Sarith remains alive, but his condition and headaches remain concerning. ## 🗺️ Quest Status
Quest / ThreadStatusRelevant NPCs / PCsNotes
Escape SloobludopIn progressParty, former prisoners, Ploop, DemogorgonThe party escaped the immediate ritual site and rampage, but the settlement is collapsing and the wider escape route is not yet secure.
Recover the Darklake mapIn progressDose, Blopp, PloopDose recovered Blopp’s corpse because the map may be on it. The map itself has not yet been confirmed found.
Recover surrendered weaponsUnresolvedParty, Gloogor / GloogurgMost weapons remain at the entrance. Vorgrath successfully kept his hidden great axe.
Survive Demogorgon’s emergenceOngoingParty, Demogorgon, surviving NPCsThe party survived the first disaster, but Demogorgon remains alive and nearby. “Run” remains the best tactical doctrine.
Protect the former prisonersOngoingStool, Jimjar, Ront, Eldeth, Buppido, Sarith, Prince Derendil, Topsy, Turvy, NettleAll former prisoner allies survived except Shuushar.
Mourn / resolve Shuushar’s deathNewShuushar, partyShuushar died in the roar of Demogorgon after leading the party to his home settlement.
Understand the Deep Father cultOngoingBlopp, Ploop, Leemooggoogoon cultistsBlopp is dead, but the cult’s influence and the meaning of its symbols may still matter.
Track Varang’s Cinderborn omenOngoingVarangBroken death marks, black sap, and fungus near Varang’s home were shown in the opening vision.
Find a safe route beyond SloobludopOngoingParty, Ploop, map if recoveredThe Darklake map may be essential for navigating away from the disaster and toward safer settlements.
Maintain food and waterOngoingPartyThe party bought supplies, but the escape chaos may complicate inventory and access to stored goods.
Investigate unknown coin symbolUnresolvedPartyTen to fifteen of the gold coins from the smith bore an unfamiliar symbol.
## 💰 Loot & Discoveries
Item / DiscoveryFound ByDescription / Status
300 gold piecesPartyReceived from Margan for traded armour and weapons. Most coins bore the Sea Mother symbol, but roughly ten to fifteen bore an unfamiliar symbol.
ClamsPartyUsed as local food-currency. Jimjar helped with exchange. The party tracked 90 clams during the shopping sequence.
Four waterskinsPartyPurchased from the general store for 2 silver each.
Two white cloth stripsVarangPurchased for 4 gold total, likely for spell component use.
Wooden shield / “hand table”DoseBought from the smith for 5 gold. Provides 1 AC rather than the usual 2 AC.
Fishing net, bait, and tacklePartyPurchased as practical survival gear for Darklake travel and fishing.
27 dried fishVarangPurchased as rations. One dried fish was treated as one day’s ration.
Bloppblippodd’s corpseDoseRecovered from the ritual chaos because the stolen Darklake map may be on her. The corpse has been retrieved; the map has not yet been confirmed found.
Heroic Inspiration [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/U2Ximage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/U2Ximage.png) VarangAwarded at the end of the session for MVP, especially the Cinderborn backstory sequence and Varang’s presence during the chaos.
### Noteworthy Items **The Darklake Map:** The most important unresolved object of the session. Ploop described it as a map built up by generations of Sea Mother archpriests, marking nearby Darklake routes, dangers, and places to avoid. It may be the party’s best chance of navigating the waters ahead. **Blopp’s Corpse:** Not exactly loot, but currently treated with loot-level urgency. Dose dragged it away because the map might still be on her. If it is not, he may have hauled a dead fish cultist through a demon disaster for nothing, which would be embarrassing but very on-brand for the Underdark. **Vorgrath’s Hidden Great Axe:** The only major party weapon confirmed to have bypassed the entrance surrender. This may matter immediately if the party cannot retrieve the rest of their weapons. --- ## ⚙️ Rules & Mechanics Notes - **Long Rest:** The party took or confirmed a long rest before entering Sloobludop, recovering key resources. - **Clams:** Local barter currency, but also food. Perishable, impractical, and somehow still more useful than gold in Sloobludop. - **Dried Fish Rations:** One dried fish was treated as one day’s ration. The party purchased 27. - **Wooden Shield:** The wooden shield / hand table provides 1 AC rather than a standard shield’s 2 AC. - **Web:** Edric cast Web at Blopp after being spat on. She avoided it, and the guards retaliated physically. - **Thaumaturgy:** Varang used the booming voice effect to intimidate the chanting mob. - **Shatter:** Edric used Shatter against the Deep Father altar, damaging part of the structure and breaking one octopus head. - **Jump:** Dose used Jump during the escape chaos, helping with movement and corpse retrieval. - **Infused Strikes:** Nettle contributed extra damage through Dose’s drake companion feature during combat. --- ## 💬 Memorable Quotes - **Varang:** “Flesh and bone is not ash. Breath is not spent. Seal what is torn. Burn what is foul. Death may wait. This one still has work to do.” - **Vorgrath:** “So you’re a coward.” - **Shuushar:** “I couldn’t hurt a fly. But I can hurt a fish, because they’re good, tasty.” - **Edric:** “I suppose I’ll put one of the umber hulk eyes. That’s a little sacrifice to the goddess of this place.” - **Dungeon Master:** “Clams are just food.” - **Dungeon Master:** “Gold doesn’t fill my tummy.” - **Ploopploopeen:** “My daughter... believes she has had a vision, and that she is now the archpriest of Leemooggoogoon, the Deep Father.” - **Dungeon Master:** “This is two octopuses flayed out on a manta ray, bleeding into a bowl of blood.” - **Bloppblippodd:** “He comes. He comes.” - **Vorgrath:** “We need to get the fuck away from the thing. He just stomped three people and killed them.” - **Dose:** “Dragging the priestess’s body away. Deep Father. Hopefully she’s got something on her, otherwise I’ll feel very foolish.” - **Edric:** “This is the response to someone spitting at me.” - **Vorgrath:** “Hiding my giant fucking axe at the entrance.” --- ## 🧰 Next Session Prep - Confirm whether the Darklake map is actually on Blopp’s corpse. - Resolve whether the party can recover their surrendered weapons from the entrance. - Track immediate escape positioning after fleeing the ritual site and Demogorgon’s rampage. - Update NPC roster: Shuushar dead; all other former prisoner allies alive. - Track Ploop’s condition, usefulness, and whether Ploop can still guide or advise the party. - Track food, water, clams, dried fish, spell slots, hit dice, exhaustion, and any madness effects. - Clarify the fate of the hired kuo-toa lookout. - Confirm final inventory after the chaos, especially supplies purchased in Sloobludop. - Determine whether Demogorgon remains an immediate chase threat, a background catastrophe, or both. Bad options buffet. ## ⏳ Cliffhanger Sloobludop fell into screams, blood, and madness behind the party. The Deep Father’s ritual had called something far worse than a local cult victory. Demogorgon rose from the Darklake, killed with a roar, and left the kuo-toa settlement collapsing under terror, bloodlust, and grief. Shuushar the Awakened was dead. Glooglugogg was dead. Bloppblippodd was dead. Ploopploopeen survived, but only as a shattered witness to the ruin of family, faith, and village. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/iRoimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/iRoimage.png) Dose had Blopp’s corpse, but not yet the confirmed map. The party’s surrendered weapons remained at the entrance. Their former prisoner allies, except Shuushar, were still alive. Somewhere behind them, Demogorgon still towered over the Darklake. The party had come to Sloobludop hoping for rest, trade, and a route forward. They left with a corpse, a grieving priest, missing weapons, one dead guide, and the sound of a demon lord’s roar chasing them into the dark. **The map might still save them. If it exists. If it is on the corpse. If they live long enough to read it.** # Characters # Aeris Naïlo
🔊 Name Pronunciation
Character Name **Aeris Naïlo**
Pronunciation Guide **\[AIR-iss NAY-low\]**
Name Audio
🖼️ Character Images **Upload character art, token images, or reference sheets to BookStack, then replace the placeholder links below.**
Image Type Preview / Link Notes
Portrait [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/KFnimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/KFnimage.png) Close-up character portrait.
Full Body Reference [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/N5qimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/N5qimage.png) Useful for outfit, gear, posture, and colour reference.
Character Reference Sheet [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/IHBimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/IHBimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/Ma5image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/Ma5image.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/Lcdimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/Lcdimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/AWGimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/AWGimage.png)
Token [![Aeris Nailo-token.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/aeris-nailo-token.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/aeris-nailo-token.png) [![smallspidertoken.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/smallspidertoken.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/smallspidertoken.png) [![wolftoken.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/wolftoken.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/wolftoken.png) For Roll20, Foundry, Owlbear Rodeo, or other VTT use.
Symbol / Keepsake [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/Z49image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/Z49image.png) Aeris’s pouch of surface seeds, druidic focus, or Circle of Root and Star symbol.
Wild Shape / Familiar ##### Wolf Spider Form [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/nieimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/nieimage.png) ##### Wolf Form [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/Q4qimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/Q4qimage.png) ##### Small Spider Form [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/ejgimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/ejgimage.png) Giant Wolf Spider — signature Underdark scout form Spider — tiny infiltration form Wolf — tracking and pack movement
🌿 Character Overview
Character **Aeris Naïlo**
Player Slitzer
Campaign Out of the Abyss
Class & Level Druid 3
Subclass Circle of the Land — Tropical Land
Species Wood Elf
Background Custom Background
Alignment Neutral Good
Faith The Old Faith
Experience Milestone
**A quiet wood elf druid far from the open sky, Aeris has learned that nature does not stop at the forest edge. In the Underdark, it simply becomes stranger, darker, and hungrier.**
🧍 Appearance
Gender Male
Age 142
Size Medium
Height 5'8"
Skin Warm copper-brown, lightly weathered
Eyes Pale green
Hair Dark brown with moss-green braids
❤️ Core Combat Stats
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 24
Hit Dice 3d8
Initiative +4
Speed 35 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Spell Save DC 13
Spell Attack Bonus +5
Wild Shape Uses 2 / Long Rest
🎲 Ability Scores
Ability Score Modifier Saving Throw
Strength 8 -1 -1
Dexterity 18 +4 +4
Constitution 14 +2 +2
Intelligence 10 +0 +2
Wisdom 17 +3 +5
Charisma 10 +0 +0
👁️ Senses & Passive Scores
Darkvision 60 ft.
Passive Perception 15
Passive Insight 15
Passive Investigation 10
Defenses Immune to magical sleep
Saving Throw Notes Advantage against being charmed
🛠️ Skills
Skill Ability Bonus Proficient?
Acrobatics Dexterity +4 No
Animal Handling Wisdom +3 No
Arcana Intelligence +3 No
Athletics Strength -1 No
Deception Charisma +0 No
History Intelligence +2 Yes
Insight Wisdom +5 Yes
Intimidation Charisma +0 No
Investigation Intelligence +0 No
Medicine Wisdom +3 No
Nature Intelligence +3 No
Perception Wisdom +5 Yes
Performance Charisma +0 No
Persuasion Charisma +0 No
Religion Intelligence +0 No
Sleight of Hand Dexterity +4 No
Stealth Dexterity +6 Yes
Survival Wisdom +5 Yes
⚔️ Attacks & Cantrips
Name Hit / Save Damage / Effect Notes
Produce Flame +5 1d8 Fire Range: Self / 10 minutes, V/S
Unarmed Strike +1 0 Bludgeoning Emergency option. Not exactly the glory play.
🌲 Druid Features ### Spellcasting Aeris casts druid spells using Wisdom. His spell save DC is **13**, and his spell attack bonus is **+5**. ### Druidic Aeris knows Druidic and always has **Speak with Animals** prepared. He can leave hidden Druidic messages, which other Druidic speakers automatically notice and understand. ### Primal Order — Magician Aeris knows one extra cantrip from the Druid spell list. He also gains a bonus to Intelligence checks using Arcana or Nature. ### Wild Shape As a Bonus Action, Aeris can shape-shift into a known Beast form. He can use Wild Shape **2 times per Long Rest**, regaining one expended use after a Short Rest. At this level, he knows four Beast forms with a maximum CR of 1/4 that lack a Fly Speed. ### Wild Companion As a Magic action, Aeris can expend a spell slot or a use of Wild Shape to cast **Find Familiar** without Material components. The familiar is Fey and disappears when Aeris finishes a Long Rest. ### Circle of the Land — Tropical Land Aeris belongs to the Circle of the Land, with a Tropical Land connection. ### Land’s Aid As a Magic action, Aeris can expend a use of Wild Shape and choose a point within 60 ft. A 10-ft.-radius sphere forms there. Chosen creatures in the area make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking **2d6 Necrotic damage** on a failure or half as much on a success. One creature of Aeris’s choice in the area regains **2d6 HP**.
🍂 Wood Elf Traits - **Darkvision:** Aeris can see in darkness up to 60 ft. - **Keen Senses:** Aeris has proficiency in Perception. - **Fey Ancestry:** Aeris has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic cannot put him to sleep. - **Trance:** Aeris does not need to sleep. He meditates semiconsciously for 4 hours to gain the benefit of a full rest. - **Elf Weapon Training:** Aeris is proficient with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow. - **Fleet of Foot:** Aeris’s walking speed is 35 ft. - **Mask of the Wild:** Aeris can attempt to hide even when only lightly obscured.
🎒 Proficiencies & Languages
Armor Light Armor, Shields
Weapons Longbow, Longsword, Shortsword, Simple Weapons
Tools Herbalism Kit
Languages Common, Druidic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Undercommon
🎒 Equipment
Item Quantity Weight
Shield 1 6 lb.
Leather Armor 1 10 lb.
Sickle 1 2 lb.
Backpack 1 5 lb.
Herbalism Kit 1 3 lb.
Staff 1 4 lb.
Oil 2 2 lb.
Rations 10 20 lb.
Rope 1 5 lb.
Bedroll 1 7 lb.
Tinderbox 1 1 lb.
Torch 10 10 lb.
Waterskin 1 5 lb.
### Carrying Capacity
Weight Carried 80 lb.
Encumbered 120 lb.
Push / Drag / Lift 240 lb.
### Currency
CP 0
SP 0
EP 0
GP 9
PP 0
✨ Spellcasting
Spellcasting Class Druid
Spellcasting Ability Wisdom
Spell Save DC 13
Spell Attack Bonus +5
1st-Level Spell Slots 4
2nd-Level Spell Slots 2
### Cantrips - **Guidance** - **Produce Flame** - **Acid Splash** — Circle of the Land - **Mold Earth** — Primal Order ### Commonly Useful Prepared Spells - **Goodberry:** Survival food and emergency healing. Excellent in the Underdark. - **Healing Word:** Bonus Action ranged healing for getting allies back on their feet. - **Faerie Fire:** Reveals hidden threats and helps the party land hits. - **Entangle:** Area control for slowing enemies and shaping the battlefield. - **Absorb Elements:** Defensive reaction against elemental damage. - **Pass without Trace:** Huge stealth boost for group travel and ambush avoidance. - **Spike Growth:** Brutal terrain control. Make the enemy regret having legs. - **Lesser Restoration:** Useful against poison, disease, paralysis, and other nasty Underdark nonsense. - **Web:** Circle of the Land spell; strong area control. ### Full Spell List Placeholder **Add or update Aeris’s full prepared spell list here after each level-up or long rest.**
🧠 Personality
Personality Trait “I speak softly and listen before acting; loud things die quickly in wild places.”
Ideal **Balance.** Decay, darkness, hunger, and growth are all part of nature. The mistake is thinking nature is kind.
Flaw “I am terrified that I will adapt too well to the Underdark.”
Personal Keepsake Aeris carries a small pouch of surface seeds from his home grove. He refuses to plant them until he sees the open sky again.
🤝 Allies & Organizations ### Allies A former mentor from Aeris’s surface grove taught him to read tracks, weather, animal behaviour, and unnatural signs in the wild. ### Organizations **The Circle of Root and Star:** A loose druidic circle that watches for natural omens and protects old woodland paths.
📖 Backstory Aeris Naïlo was once a guide and grove-warden from a secluded wood elf enclave on the surface. His life was spent reading tracks, tending sacred places, and protecting travellers who respected the old paths. In the seasons before his descent, Aeris noticed troubling signs: roots blackening without disease, animals fleeing from cave mouths, and pale fungi blooming where no spores should have reached. Believing these omens pointed to something stirring beneath the world, he followed the signs underground. Whether through capture, betrayal, or simple misjudgement, Aeris became trapped in the Underdark. Now far from wind, rain, birdsong, and stars, he has begun to see that nature does not end at the forest edge. It continues below in stranger, hungrier forms. Aeris is quiet, observant, and compassionate, but survival has sharpened him. He still protects life where he can, but he no longer mistakes mercy for softness. The Underdark is teaching him that rot, darkness, and predation are part of nature too — and that lesson frightens him.
🕯️ Campaign Notes - **Surface Longing:** Aeris carries seeds from his home grove and refuses to plant them until he sees the open sky again. - **Underdark Adaptation:** His fear is not merely dying underground, but becoming too suited to it. - **Survival Role:** Strong Perception, Insight, Stealth, Survival, Goodberry, Pass without Trace, and Wild Shape make Aeris valuable for scouting, travel, and keeping the party alive. - **Moral Tension:** Aeris believes in balance, but the Underdark may force him to decide how much cruelty can still be called nature.
📝 Update Log
Session / Date Update
\[Session / Date Placeholder\] \[Add level-ups, loot changes, major character moments, new allies, scars, curses, visions, or other lasting consequences here.\]
# Dose (Jorasco, Sarix) Dragonborn • Ranger • Drakewarden • House Jorasco Heir A poison-blooded field medic, drake-keeper, and survival scholar of House Jorasco, Sarix studies the line between harm and healing with the calm interest of someone who has already decided the two are not enemies. > “Life persists because death prunes it. Healing without harm breeds weakness. Harm without purpose is waste.”
[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/C2wimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/C2wimage.png) [![dose-token top.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/dose-token-top.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/dose-token-top.png) [![nettle-token top.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/nettle-token-top.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/nettle-token-top.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/DXqimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/DXqimage.png)
## Visual References Use these images for Sarix’s face, dragonborn profile, green-scaled complexion, medical-survivalist tone, House Jorasco influence, and the bond between Sarix and his drake companion, Nettle. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/P25image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/P25image.png) [**Full Body Reference** Armour, posture, silhouette, scale colour, House Jorasco details, and field-medic gear.](FULL_BODY_REFERENCE_URL_HERE) ## House Jorasco Field Kit [![Sarix's House Jorasco field kit and medical focus](SPELL_FOCUS_OR_FIELD_KIT_URL_HERE)](SPELL_FOCUS_OR_FIELD_KIT_URL_HERE) Sarix’s field kit should feel like it belongs equally to a healer, a poisoner, and a natural philosopher. It is not polished temple equipment. It is practical, stained, organised, and a little unsettling: sample vials, wrapped tools, sealed needles, preserved spores, venom-safe containers, House Jorasco markings, and quick-access emergency medicines. Rather than feeling saintly or comforting, the kit should read as **clinical, draconic, and survival-focused** — a healer’s kit used by someone who sees poison not as evil, but as dosage, purpose, and precision. ## Who Sarix Is Sarix Jorasco, known as **“Dose”**, is a male green Dragonborn ranger and House Jorasco heir. He was trained to preserve life, but his studies led him toward the uncomfortable truth that many cures begin as harmful things. Venom, disease, spores, pressure, pain, and survival all became part of the same system in his mind. To those travelling with him, Sarix can seem calm to the point of being unnerving. He observes before he acts, collects samples whenever practical, and treats even hostile creatures as living evidence of adaptation. Beneath that clinical manner is genuine loyalty, especially toward his drake companion, Nettle, whom he raised from an egg. ### At a Glance
Full Name Sarix Jorasco
Nickname “Dose”
Class Ranger 3
Subclass Drakewarden
Species Dragonborn
Ancestry Green Dragon
House House Jorasco
Companion Nettle, drake companion
Magic Healing magic, ranger spellcraft, poison breath, draconic resilience
Story Now Captured in the Underdark by drow and stripped of his belongings
## Game Details
Armour Class 13 Hit Points 31 / 31
Speed 30 ft Initiative +3
Proficiency +2 Hit Dice 3 / 3
Darkvision 60 ft Resistance Poison
Spell DC 13 Spell Attack +5
## Ability Scores
**STR** 9 -1 **DEX** 17 +3 **CON** 16 +3 **INT** 14 +2 **WIS** 16 +3 **CHA** 11 +0
## Backstory ### House Jorasco Sarix was born into House Jorasco and trained to preserve life with precision and care. His earliest studies taught him anatomy, treatment, diagnosis, and the responsibilities of a healer. Yet he noticed what others preferred to ignore: many cures are born from things first understood as harmful. ### The Lesson of Venom Where his tutors taught separation, Sarix saw continuity. His green dragon ancestry only deepened that understanding, granting him both resistance and intuition. He came to believe that healing and harm were not opposites, but tools within the same greater system. ### Nettle Sarix proved this belief by raising his drake, Nettle, from an egg. What began as study became something more: a living reflection of the balance he sought to understand. Through Nettle, Sarix witnessed survival in its purest form: venom as precision, not cruelty. ### The Underdark Sarix came to the Underdark because life there is harsh, honest, and unfiltered. In that lightless world, his philosophy is not questioned; it is demonstrated. Predators, spores, parasites, poisons, and survivors all prove the same point: life adapts, or it is consumed. Now Sarix finds himself captured by drow and stripped of his belongings. For most, this would be only disaster. For Sarix, it is also data. Grim, inconvenient, potentially fatal data — but data all the same. ## Healing Style Sarix’s healing is calm, exact, and almost surgical. He does not waste words. He assesses, applies pressure, treats infection, closes wounds, and gives orders. His magic is not warm sunlight or holy comfort. It is controlled intervention: the right dose, the right cut, the right pressure, the right moment. > “You are not dying. You are responding poorly to damage.” ### Magic Feels Like Green-gold medical light, bitter herbal scent, venom-thin magic threading through wounds, precise draconic breath, tightening muscle, accelerated clotting, and the body being reminded that survival is not optional. ## Ranger Features
Spellcasting Wisdom-based ranger magic. Spell Attack +5, Spell Save DC 13.
Favored Enemy Bonus Action. 2 uses per Long Rest.
Deft Explorer Practical survival training and exploration skill.
Draconic Gift: Abyssal A draconic gift tied to Sarix’s ranger path.
Drake Companion Nettle, Sarix’s bonded drake companion.
## Species & House Traits
Draconic Ancestry Green Dragon.
Breath Weapon Poison breath. 2 uses per Long Rest.
Damage Resistance Poison resistance.
Mark of Healing House Jorasco healing tradition and magical support.
Medical Intuition Additional medical instinct and trained diagnostic skill.
## Spells ### At-Will / Special
Cure Wounds Touch. 2d8 + 3 healing. Listed as feat-based use.
### Cantrip
Thaumaturgy 30 ft. Useful for presence, distraction, intimidation, and draconic theatrics.
### 1st-Level Spells
Absorb Elements Reaction. Self. Elemental defence and counterstrike preparation.
Cure Wounds Action. Touch. 2d8 + 3 healing.
Ensnaring Strike Bonus Action. Strength save DC 13. Restrains and punishes movement.
Healing Word Bonus Action. 60 ft. 2d4 + 3 healing.
False Life Action. Self. 2d4 + 4 temporary hit points.
Hail of Thorns Bonus Action. Dexterity save DC 13. Thorn burst damage.
Hunter’s Mark Bonus Action. 90 ft. Extra 1d6 damage against marked prey.
Zephyr Strike Bonus Action. Self. Mobility, precision, and burst damage.
## Nettle Nettle is Sarix’s drake companion, raised from an egg and treated as both responsibility and proof. Sarix does not see Nettle as a pet, weapon, or experiment alone. Nettle is all of those things and more: a living argument that survival, venom, loyalty, and growth belong to the same system. > “Careful. He is still learning which of you are food.” ## Personality & Identity ### How He Seems Quiet, observant, clinically polite, deeply curious, and difficult to unsettle. Sarix is not emotionless, but he often expresses care through action, preparation, and intervention rather than reassurance. ### What He Believes Life and death are not enemies. Harm without purpose is waste. Healing without understanding is guesswork. Anything that survives in the Underdark deserves respect, even when it also deserves a crossbow bolt. ### Personality Traits - I collect samples — venom, spores, fluids — whenever it is even remotely practical. - I have a quiet respect for anything that survives in harsh conditions. - I observe before I act; every encounter is an opportunity to learn. ### Ideals Life persists because death prunes it. Healing without harm breeds weakness. Harm without purpose is waste. Life and death are not enemies, but partners in a greater system. ### Bonds - I raised my drake Nettle from an egg; his growth is both my responsibility and my greatest proof. - The Underdark holds answers I cannot find anywhere else; I will not leave until I understand them. ### Flaws - I justify harmful actions too easily if they serve a greater understanding. - I will take risks — sometimes reckless ones — to study something new. ## Skills & Training
Strongest Skills Perception +7, Medicine +5, Stealth +5, Investigation +4, Nature +4
Tool Herbalism Kit +4
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Halfling, Undercommon
## Current Story Sarix begins the campaign as a captive in the Underdark after being taken by drow. His belongings have been stripped away, leaving him with little more than his instincts, his training, his resilience, and his bond with Nettle. His immediate goal is survival and escape. His deeper goal is understanding. The Underdark is not merely a prison to him; it is a living laboratory of pressure, poison, hunger, adaptation, and truth. Which is worrying, frankly, because the Underdark does not have ethics approval. **Survive** Endure captivity, escape the drow, and keep Nettle alive. **Study** Collect samples, observe hostile life, and learn what thrives below. **Protect** Preserve useful lives, especially those who still have the sense to stay breathing. **Understand** Discover whether the Underdark holds the answers Sarix could not find anywhere else. # Edric Faustin Valemont [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/A8Pimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/A8Pimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/i3zimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/i3zimage.png) # Iragon Midsommar Eladrin • Warlock 2 / Paladin 1 • Far Traveler A radiant knight of Titania’s Spring Court, carrying oath-bound faith, fey glamour, and stubborn hope into the black halls beneath the world. > “Spring cannot be caged.”
[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/PGHimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/PGHimage.png) **Portrait** [![IragonMidsommar-token top.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/iragonmidsommar-token-top.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/iragonmidsommar-token-top.png) **VTT Token** [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/Ggyimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/Ggyimage.png) **Weapon**
## Who Iragon Is Iragon Midsommar is a male Eladrin from the ever-blooming Spring Court, sworn to Titania, Queen of Light and Life. He is a fey knight, a pact-bound servant of renewal, and a far traveller sent from beauty into horror because hope is most needed where it should not survive. He is warm, noble, strange, and deeply convinced that his path has meaning. Even in drow captivity beneath the earth, Iragon does not see himself as abandoned. Titania sent him into the dark for a reason, and Iragon intends to discover that reason with his head high and his dignity annoyingly intact.
Full Name Iragon Midsommar Species Eladrin
Class Warlock 2 / Paladin 1 Background Far Traveler
Alignment Chaotic Good Gender Male
Faith Titania Languages Elvish, Abyssal, Sylvan
Story Now Captured by drow in the Underdark after tracking raiders below.
## Character Statistics
**AC**11 **HP**32 / 32 **Speed**30 ft **Initiative**+1 **Prof.**+2 **Hit Dice**3 / 3
**STR** 15 +2 **DEX** 12 +1 **CON** 14 +2 **INT** 10 +0 **WIS** 10 +0 **CHA** 20 +5
## Saving Throws, Skills & Training
Saving Throws STR +2, DEX +1, CON +2, INT +0, WIS +2, CHA +7
Strongest Skills Deception +7, Intimidation +7, Persuasion +7, Performance +5, Athletics +2, Insight +2, Perception +2
Tool Flute +5
Armour Light, Medium, Heavy, Shields
Weapons Simple, Martial
## Features
### Warlock Eldritch Invocations Pact Magic Magical Cunning — 1 / Long Rest Pact of the Blade ### Paladin Lay on Hands — 5 / Long Rest Spellcasting Divine Smite Cure Wounds ### Other Agonizing Blast Tough Far Traveler Spring Court heritage
[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/OkMimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/OkMimage.png) --- [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/JuGimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-04/scaled-1680-/JuGimage.png) --- ## Spellcasting
Warlock Spellcasting Ability +5, Spell Attack +7, Spell Save DC 15
Paladin Spellcasting Ability +5, Spell Attack +7, Spell Save DC 15
### Cantrips
Eldritch Blast \[Agonizing\] 120 ft, spell attack +7, empowered by Agonizing Blast.
Minor Illusion 30 ft, creates a 5 ft cube illusion.
### Pact Magic — 1st Level
Hellish Rebuke Reaction, 60 ft, Dexterity save DC 15, 2d10 fire damage.
Cause Fear Action, 60 ft, one creature, Wisdom save DC 15.
### 1st-Level Spells
Cure Wounds Action, touch, one creature, 2d8 + 5 healing.
Divine Smite Bonus Action, self, radiant burst, 2d8 damage.
False Life Action, self, 2d4 + 4 temporary hit points.
Armor of Agathys Bonus Action, self, protective warding.
## Backstory ### The Spring Court Iragon was born beneath the ever-blooming boughs of the Spring Court, where Titania herself rules with radiant grace. His life began in beauty, music, colour, and ancient etiquette, but also in service. The Spring Court is not merely a place of flowers and laughter; it is a realm of vows, renewal, and dangerous grace. ### The Queen’s Knight Drawn to his unwavering compassion and quiet resolve, Titania accepted his oath and bound him as one of her knights. Through her blessing, Iragon became a paladin of renewal: not to guard a single realm, but to go wherever hope struggled to survive. ### The Call Below When Titania whispered of shadows festering in Faerûn and the movements of old enemies, Iragon stepped through a shimmering archway of spring light and followed her call without hesitation. ### Captured in the Underdark A series of adventures on the Sword Coast led him into tracking raiders into the Underdark. There, Iragon was overwhelmed and captured by drow, yet fear never truly touched him. Titania had sent him here; the Archfey do nothing without purpose. Shackled in darkness, he watched, listened, and waited, knowing that spring cannot be caged. His captors believed they had claimed a prize, but they had instead invited the Queen’s knight into their depths — and soon they would learn that a servant of Titania is not so easily broken. ## Personality & Identity
Personality Trait I have a strong code of honor or sense of propriety that others don’t comprehend.
Ideal Adventure. I’m far from home, and everything is strange and wonderful!
Bond I hold no greater cause than my service to my people.
Flaw I consider the adherents of other gods to be deluded innocents at best, or ignorant fools at worst.
### How He Seems Iragon appears noble, bright, curious, and utterly convinced that the world is more wondrous than it is terrible. This is charming right up until someone realises he is not pretending. His optimism is not ignorance; it is discipline. ### How His Magic Feels Blossoming light, warm gold, fey glamour, sudden thorns, courtly command, radiant conviction, and spring wind moving through places where no wind should exist. > “If hope must walk into darkness, then let it walk armed.” ## Current Story Iragon begins the campaign as a captive in the Underdark, taken alive by drow after tracking raiders below the surface. Far from the Spring Court, stripped of freedom, and surrounded by darkness, he remains convinced that his presence here is no accident. His immediate goal is survival and escape. His deeper purpose is service. If Titania sent him into the dark, then somewhere in that dark is a reason, a threat, a soul to protect, or a promise waiting to be fulfilled.
**Endure**Survive captivity and remain unbroken. **Escape**Break free from the drow. **Protect**Preserve hope where it should not survive. **Serve**Fulfil Titania’s purpose in the depths.
# Varang, the Ash-Mender Chthonic Tiefling • Life Cleric • Cinderborn Healer A grim ash-cult healer from the hidden Cinderborn enclave, Varang drags the dying back from death with red-black fire, smoke, pressure, bone charms, and whispered commands to breathe. > “If you fall, I will drag you back. If you waste the life I return to you, I may let the dark have you next time.”
[![Varang portrait](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/R2ov-p-main-png.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/R2ov-p-main-png.png) [![Varang battle portrait](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/v-p-melee-png.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/v-p-melee-png.png) [![Varang fierce portrait](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/varang-portrate-png.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/varang-portrate-png.png)
## Visual References Use these images for Varang’s face, silhouette, armour, weapons, expressions, and overall tone. [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/9hZimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/9hZimage.png) [**Full Body Reference** Armour, build, horns, markings, charms, and silhouette.](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/F63full-reference-set-png.png) [![Expression reference sheet for Varang](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/5jrexpressions-reference-set-png.png)**Expression Reference** Snarling, shocked, neutral, mournful, and other moods.](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/5jrexpressions-reference-set-png.png)[![Weapon reference sheet for Varang](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/kacweapon-reference-set-png.png)**Weapons** Spiked skull-mace and dark ritual shield.](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/kacweapon-reference-set-png.png)## Spell Focus [![Varang spell focus](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/spell-focus-png.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/spell-focus-png.png) Varang’s spell focus is a ritual object that looks as though it belongs equally in a healer’s kit, a funerary rite, and a cave-shrine. It reflects the same core themes as their magic: ash, bone, ember-heat, death without waste, and life dragged back through will. Rather than feeling polished or priestly, the focus should read as **ancestral, practical, and unsettling** — a sacred tool used for rites of mending, warding, and command. It is the kind of object Varang would hold over the wounded while whispering harsh prayers, pressing back the dark one breath at a time. ## Who Varang Is Varang is a gender-fluid Chthonic Tiefling and former healer of the Cinderborn: a hidden people who live in volcanic tunnels, old border-caves, and the shadowed reaches near the Underdark. They are not a soft temple healer or shining saint. They are a battlefield mender, a survivalist, and a death-reverent ritualist who treats life as something sacred because it is fragile. To those who travel with them, Varang can seem severe, frightening, or even cold. But beneath the ash, bone, and harsh words is a brutal kind of compassion. They do not comfort the dying with pretty lies. They grip the wound, speak the rite, burn the bleeding closed, and order the body to keep living. ### At a Glance
Title The Ash-Mender
People Cinderborn
Faith The Ember Below
Magic Red-black ash, smoke, ember-flame, bone charms
Nature Protective, stern, practical, unsettling
Story Now Captured in the Underdark after a Drow ambush
## Backstory ### The Cinderborn Varang was born among the Cinderborn, an isolated enclave of Chthonic Tieflings who survive through secrecy, discipline, ritual, and harsh practicality. Their homes sit near the Underdark, where volcanic heat, old stone, fungi, ash, and bone shape daily life. ### The Ember Below The Cinderborn do not worship bright gods of mercy. Varang was taught that life, death, decay, ash, earth, and rebirth are parts of one sacred furnace. Death is natural; meaningless death is theft from the cycle. ### The Ash Vigil As part of their healer’s path, Varang undertook the Ash Vigil: a sacred isolation in the deep caves. There they listened to buried heat, old shrines, bones, fungi, and the silence of the dead. ### What Varang Found The vigil became more than a rite of humility. Varang found signs that something beneath the world was poisoning the natural cycle: corrupted growths in the caves, violated shrines, creatures fleeing tunnels that should have been still, and a spiritual wrongness in the stone itself. Burdened by this discovery, Varang never returned home. Worn down by isolation, they were ambushed by Drow slavers. They fought with shield, skull-mace, spellcraft, tooth, curse, and survival instinct, but were overwhelmed and taken captive into the Underdark. ## Healing Style Varang’s healing is sacred, but it is not gentle. Their magic burns, seals, cauterises, binds, and drags the dying back before death can claim them. Wounds close beneath red-black ash and ember-smoke. Bone charms clatter. Fungal medicines bite the tongue. Their prayers sound less like hymns and more like commands given at the edge of a grave. > “Breathe. That is not a request.” ### Magic Feels Like Smoke, pressure, heat shimmer, grave-soil, blood-binding, ghostly hands, ember-flame, ash marks, whispered ancestral names, and the body being forced to remember life. ## Personality & Identity ### How They Seem Stern, watchful, grimly compassionate, practical, suspicious of false comfort, and deeply protective through action rather than softness. ### What They Believe Pain means the body still clings to the world. Death is patient. Survival is sacred. A life returned should not be wasted. ### Gender & Selfhood Varang is gender-fluid and may present masculine, feminine, neither, or shifting. Among the Cinderborn, identity is sacred because it transforms: like fire burning down into ash, then being reforged into something new. ## Current Story Varang begins the story as a captive in the Underdark after the Drow ambush. Their immediate goal is survival and escape, but their deeper purpose remains unresolved: something below the world is corrupting the cycle of death and rebirth, and Varang may be one of the few who has seen the signs clearly enough to understand the danger. **Survive** Endure captivity and escape the Drow. **Protect** Keep useful lives from being wasted. **Uncover** Find what is poisoning the deep cycle. **Return** Seek the Cinderborn, if home still remains. # Vorgrath Kael [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/B4fimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/B4fimage.png) [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/image.png) # NPC's # Stool [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/vthimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/vthimage.png) # Brom [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/Qurimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/Qurimage.png) # Dagnar [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/UgVimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/UgVimage.png) # Shuushar the Awakened [![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/vjlimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/vjlimage.png)