| Campaign | Out of the Abyss |
|---|---|
| Dungeon Master | Reuben / Rewrock |
| Session Number | 7 |
| Session Title | Never Again |
| Date | 2026-08-05 |
| Setting | Blackthorn Academy in Edric’s past; the gold dragon remains; the lower Silken Path; a web cavern above lava; and a sheltered cave beyond the Silken Path |
| Player Attendance | Kenneth / Artemis absent due to illness; Sarix “Dose” Jorasco and Nettle were controlled by the DM |
| Character | Player | Class / Role | Status | Notable Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aeris Naïlo [](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/cgcimage-photoroom.png) | Justin / Slitzer | Druid / Circle of the Land | Alive; level 4 | Used Moonbeam against the darkmantles and obliterated one; searched the mimic; took all fourteen gold pieces and two mimic teeth; transformed into a giant wolf spider for the web crossing; returned to normal form when the ambush began; struck the intellect devourer with Shocking Grasp and escaped without provoking it; attempted to reach Vorgrath with healing but was too far away; and harvested all five spectator eyes. |
| Edric Faustin Valemont [](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/eabimage-photoroom.png) | BaconBuff / Rob | Wizard / Abjurer | Alive; level 4 | Was the focus of the opening Blackthorn Academy flashback; met Nisa Thorn and helped open a two-person arcane ward; damaged the mimic with Magic Missile; claimed two old short swords; identified the unstable right-hand web route; used Feather Fall to save several falling travellers; damaged and later killed the intellect devourer with Magic Missile; redirected the final dart into the spectator; and tied the dead intellect devourer to his bag as a warning trophy. |
| Varang the Ash-Mender [](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/raw-photoroom.png) | Ben / Moose | Cleric / Life Domain | Alive; level 4 | Finished the mimic with Sacred Flame; sheltered Stool during the darkmantle attack; cast Bless during the mind flayer ambush; restored Spiderbait to full health with Healing Word; and helped coordinate the ropes and recovery after Vorgrath’s fall. |
| Sarix “Dose” Jorasco [](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/raw-photoroom1.png) | Kenneth / Artemis | Ranger / Drakewarden | Alive; level 4; DM-controlled | Was controlled by the Dungeon Master because Kenneth was absent; fought from range with Nettle; threw a net over the mind flayer and restrained it; marked the trapped creature with Hunter’s Mark; and lost the net permanently when Vorgrath carried the mind flayer into the lava. |
| Iragon Midsommar [](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/raw-photoroom2.png) | James / Sicareus | Warlock / Paladin | Alive; level 4 | Used his pact weapon and Divine Smite during the battles; helped finish the remaining darkmantles; restored his own protection with False Life; and heavily wounded the spectator while Prince Derendil descended toward Vorgrath. |
| Vorgrath Kael [](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/raw-photoroom3.png) | Mike / MikeKong | Orc Barbarian / Path of the World Tree | Alive; level 4; recovered from unconsciousness | Sliced a darkmantle in half; supplied rope for the goblin rescue; tried to catch Ront during the crossing; set down his axe and spear-tackled the restrained mind flayer through the web layers while shouting “Never again”; suffered thirty-five lava damage and fell unconscious; rolled a natural twenty on his death saving throw; escaped the lava with one hit point; recovered his axe; and received the unanimous MVP vote and inspiration. |
| NPC | Role | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nisa Thorn | Blackthorn Academy student and Edric’s intellectual rival | Alive in flashback; present status unknown | Arranged a two-person ward puzzle to observe Edric’s thinking. Called him brilliant but reckless and warned that his pursuit of power without understanding would eventually kill him. |
| Yuck Yuck | Goblin guide of the Silken Path | Alive; with party | Attempted the unstable right-hand bridge despite Edric’s warning, fell sixty feet to the lower web layer, took ten damage, and was rescued with rope. Later withdrew from the mind flayer ambush when the danger became overwhelming. |
| Spiderbait | Goblin guide of the Silken Path | Alive; with party | Fell with Yuck Yuck, took ten damage, climbed back with Vorgrath’s rope, fought in both encounters, and was restored to full health by Varang. |
| Fargus Rumblefoot | Halfling traveller and prospective guide | Alive; with party | Fought with the rapier previously given to him and remains committed to leading the group toward his promised tomb. |
| Prince Derendil | Quaggoth who claims to be an elven prince | Alive; with party | Resisted the spectator’s Confusion Ray, was protected by Feather Fall during the crossing, jumped after Vorgrath, endured a spectator attack during the descent, pulled Vorgrath away from the lava, and laughed at his reckless heroism before being hauled back up. |
| Eldeth Feldrun | Shield dwarf former prisoner | Alive; with party | Attempted to prevent Derendil from falling, fought the spectator with her shortsword, and survived its Wounding Ray. |
| Ront | Orc former prisoner | Alive; with party | Cut a darkmantle apart, later fell to the lower web layer during the crossing, caught a strand, and climbed back with rope assistance. |
| Jimjar | Deep gnome gambler and former prisoner | Alive; with party | Attacked a darkmantle with his war pick and contributed ranged support during the later ambush. |
| Sarith Kzekarit | Drow former prisoner and Underdark guide | Alive; with party | Protected Stool during the first battle, supported the party with ranged attacks, and was briefly frightened by the spectator. |
| Buppido | Derro former prisoner | Alive; with party | Used his light crossbow against the darkmantles and during the later ambush. The transcript label “Pito” referred to Buppido. |
| Stool | Myconid sprout and rapport-spore companion | Alive; with party | Was carried and sheltered away from the worst of the fighting because of his extreme vulnerability. |
| Nettle | Dose’s drake companion | Alive; with party | Was controlled with Dose by the Dungeon Master and contributed attacks during the fighting. |
| Topsy and Turvy | Deep gnome twins and former prisoners | Missing | No new trace of the twins was found during the journey through the lower Silken Path. |
| Mimic and darkmantles | Predators among the gold dragon remains | Defeated | The mimic was burned apart by Varang’s Sacred Flame. The darkmantles were destroyed by the party and companions, including Aeris’s Moonbeam and Vorgrath’s axe. |
| Spectator, intellect devourer, and mind flayer | Hidden ambushers in the lava-web cavern | Defeated | The intellect devourer was killed by Edric, the spectator was destroyed during the combined battle, and the restrained mind flayer was carried into the lava by Vorgrath. Its magical breastplate was destroyed. |
| Quest / Thread | Status | Relevant Characters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reach Gracklstugh | Ongoing | Party, Fargus, Yuck Yuck, Spiderbait | The party has completed the Silken Path but intends to visit Fargus’s tomb before continuing toward Gracklstugh. |
| Explore Fargus’s tomb | Next objective | Fargus Rumblefoot | Fargus will lead the group to the tomb in exchange for a share of any treasure recovered. |
| Find Topsy and Turvy | Active | Topsy, Turvy, Sarith | The twins remain missing, and no new tracks or signs were found. |
| Investigate the magical fur | Open | Edric, Topsy, Turvy | The fur remains magical and unidentified. A connection to the missing twins has not been proven. |
| Understand Nisa Thorn and the Lexicon Incident | Personal thread opened | Edric, Nisa Thorn | The flashback established Nisa as Edric’s intellectual rival and named the unexplained Lexicon Incident. |
| Escape drow pursuit | Ongoing | Party, drow pursuers | The party remains on the move and has not confirmed that the drow have abandoned the hunt. |
| Cross the Silken Path | Completed | Party, Yuck Yuck, Spiderbait | The party reached the cave beyond the final web cavern and took a long rest. |
| Resolve the gold dragon remains | Completed | Party, mimic, darkmantles | The mimic and darkmantles were defeated, and the mimic was searched. |
| Survive the lava-web ambush | Completed | Party, spectator, intellect devourer, mind flayer | All three ambushers were killed. Vorgrath survived the lava with one hit point after a natural twenty death save. |
| Item / Discovery | Holder / Finder | Description / Status |
|---|---|---|
| 14 gold pieces [](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/gvOimage.png) | Aeris | Recovered from inside the dead mimic. Aeris took all fourteen coins. |
| Mimic teeth ×2 [](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/6kmimage.png) | Aeris | Two usable teeth harvested from the mimic. |
| Old short swords ×2 [](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/G3uimage.png) | Edric | Two worn short swords found inside the mimic and claimed by Edric. |
| Spectator eyestalk eyes | Aeris | All eyes were harvested after the spectator was killed. |
| Intellect devourer corpse | Edric | Tied to Edric’s bag as a warning trophy. Edric intended to keep it only until the smell became intolerable. |
| Dose’s net | Lost | The net remained wrapped around the mind flayer and was permanently lost in the lava. |
| Mind flayer’s magical breastplate | Destroyed | The armour corroded and dissolved in the lava before it could be recovered. |
| Vorgrath’s axe | Vorgrath | Set down before the spear tackle and recovered before the party left the Silken Path. |
| **The Principles of Hollow Geometry** | Flashback discovery | A pre-Concordance scroll found by Edric and Nisa at Blackthorn Academy. Despite its presentation, Edric recognised it as basic theory rather than dangerous forbidden knowledge. |
Confirm all six player characters have been advanced to **level four**.
- Apply the long-rest recovery from the sheltered cave. - Update Aeris’s inventory with fourteen gold pieces, two mimic teeth, four small spectator eyes, and one large spectator eye. - Update Edric’s inventory with two old short swords and the intellect devourer corpse trophy, subject to its eventual disposal. - Remove Dose’s net from inventory; it was permanently lost in the lava. - Keep Vorgrath’s axe in his inventory; it was recovered before departure. - Begin with Fargus leading the party toward the promised tomb. - Carry forward the missing Topsy and Turvy, the unidentified magical fur, the unverified Potion of Invisibility, and the wider route toward Gracklstugh. - Track Nisa Thorn and the Lexicon Incident as newly established parts of Edric’s personal history. ## ⏳ Cliffhanger - The party finally escaped the Silken Path and rested inside a defensible cave with one entrance and one exit. - Vorgrath survived a two-hundred-foot plunge into lava after awakening on a natural twenty death save with one hit point. - The group reached level four and prepared to follow Fargus Rumblefoot toward the promised tomb. - Topsy and Turvy remained missing, the magical fur remained unidentified, and Gracklstugh still lay somewhere ahead in the Underdark. [](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/CZtimage.png)