Session 01: The Beginning Chapter

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.

🪐 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.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Party Members

🎭 NPC Tracker

📍 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.

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.

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.

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

💰 Loot & Discoveries

Noteworthy Items

The Keyring: The most important item recovered during the escape. Without it, the prisoners would remain half-free at best.

The Large Chest: Seen in Ilvara’s quarters and suspected to contain confiscated equipment. It is the party’s most immediate target.

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.

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.