Session 07: Never Again
🎵 Music
Placeholder for Session 7 music, theme tracks, lyrics, or recap audio.
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Suggested focus: Edric and Nisa at Blackthorn Academy.
Suggested focus: Vorgrath’s dive into the lava.
🖼️ Images
🎥 Trailer
Placeholder for the Session 7 cinematic trailer.
Trailer Placeholder
🪐 Campaign Arc
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
🧭 Overview
The session opened three years before the present, when seventeen-year-old Edric Faustin Valemont entered the shifting library of Blackthorn Academy in search of forbidden pre-Concordance spell theory. The library moved around its students, whispered from its shelves, extinguished lanterns without wind, and appeared to judge those who walked its impossible corridors. Edric considered it one of the few things at the academy that judged him correctly.
Inside a hidden alcove, Edric met Nisa Thorn, an immaculate and unnervingly perceptive student who had already solved half of a two-person arcane ward. Nisa needed someone reckless enough to stabilise the ward’s shifting lattice while she maintained the logic sequence. Edric forced the runes into alignment, opening the sealed cabinet and revealing a scroll titled The Principles of Hollow Geometry. The supposedly forbidden text proved to be disappointingly basic. Nisa then admitted that the scroll had never been her true objective. She had arranged the test to observe how Edric thought. She called him brilliant but undisciplined, warned that his pursuit of power without understanding would eventually kill him, and left him with the unsettling realisation that he had met someone who might be smarter than he was. He hated her, respected her, and immediately wanted to defeat her at everything.
Back in the present, the party resumed its battle among the remains of the immense gold dragon. The treasure chest hidden among the bones was still a mimic, and several darkmantles descended from the ceiling to join the attack. Aeris brought down a column of Moonbeam that caught multiple darkmantles and obliterated one. Edric battered the mimic with Magic Missile, Iragon fought with his pact weapon and radiant power, and the party’s companions joined the chaotic defence. Varang finally burned the mimic apart with Sacred Flame, while Vorgrath sliced a darkmantle in half and watched it fall into the abyss.
The party searched the mimic’s remains and found fourteen gold pieces, two old short swords, two usable mimic teeth, and bones that appeared to belong to either a child or a halfling. The remains could not be identified more precisely. Aeris took the gold and teeth, while Edric claimed the two short swords. The group then followed Yuck Yuck and Spiderbait for roughly another three hours through the narrowing strands of the Silken Path.
Near the bottom of the route, the party entered a vast cavern where layered webs hung above open lava. The upper web layer stood roughly two hundred feet over the molten rock, with a second layer about sixty feet below. Edric identified the right-hand bridge as dangerously thin and likely to break. Yuck Yuck and Spiderbait attempted it anyway, and the strand snapped beneath them. Both goblins crashed onto the lower layer and were hauled back up with Vorgrath’s rope. Aeris transformed into a giant wolf spider to traverse the silk more safely. Ront later fell and had to be recovered, while Prince Derendil and several others lost their footing during the wider crossing. Edric reacted with Feather Fall, slowing several party members and companions before the cavern could claim them.
The difficult crossing distracted the group from a second danger. A spectator, an intellect devourer, and a mind flayer had been hiding against the nearby stalagmites approximately ten feet above the party’s level. The spectator opened the ambush with a Confusion Ray aimed at Prince Derendil, but the quaggoth resisted it. Aeris returned to his normal form as the fight began. Dose, controlled by the Dungeon Master in Kennith’s absence, made the decisive opening by throwing a net over the mind flayer. The creature failed to escape and became restrained, after which Dose marked it with Hunter’s Mark.
Vorgrath set his axe carefully on the webbing, entered a rage, and charged. With the restrained mind flayer unable to evade him, he used Bless and his inspiration to force the creature from its perch. Refusing to release it during the fall, Vorgrath spear-tackled the mind flayer through the web layers and shouted, “Never again.” Both plunged roughly two hundred feet into the lava. The mind flayer absorbed the greater part of the impact, but Vorgrath still suffered thirty-five damage and fell unconscious on top of it.
The battle continued above. Prince Derendil leapt after Vorgrath while still protected by Feather Fall, enduring a spectator ray during the descent. Iragon drove his pact weapon and Divine Smite into the spectator. Aeris struck the intellect devourer with Shocking Grasp and used the spell’s disruption to retreat without giving it an opening, although Vorgrath remained far beyond the range of Healing Word. Varang maintained Bless and restored Spiderbait to full health. Eldeth survived the spectator’s Wounding Ray, while Sarith was briefly overcome by its Fear Ray. Edric finished the intellect devourer with a second-level Magic Missile and sent the final dart into the spectator.
At the lava’s edge, the mind flayer’s magical breastplate began dissolving. Vorgrath then rolled a natural twenty on his death saving throw, regained consciousness with one hit point, reignited his rage, and used his primal strength to leap from the lava onto solid ground. Prince Derendil landed nearby, dragged him farther from the heat, and howled with laughter at the insanity of the attack. The mind flayer’s breastplate eventually failed completely, and both the armour and the body disappeared into the lava.
After the battle, Aeris harvested all five of the spectator’s eyes: the four smaller eyestalk eyes and the large central eye. Edric tied the dead intellect devourer to his bag as a warning trophy, at least until the corpse began to smell. Dose’s net was lost permanently with the mind flayer. The party combined enough rope to reach Vorgrath and Prince Derendil, endured several awkward hauling attempts, and finally returned both to the upper web layer. Vorgrath’s axe was recovered before the group departed.
The survivors completed the Silken Path and climbed into a roughly fifty-foot-wide cave with one entrance and one exit. There they took a long rest and recovered from the battle. The party advanced to level four, and Vorgrath received the unanimous session MVP vote and inspiration. With the Silken Path finally behind them, Fargus Rumblefoot’s promised tomb became the next immediate destination on the longer road toward Gracklstugh.
🧑🤝🧑 Party Members
Character
Player
Class / Role
Status
Notable Actions
Aeris Naïlo
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
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
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
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
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
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 Tracker
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.
📍 Key Locations
📑 Session Highlights
🎞️ Key Scenes
The Day Edric Met His Match
Seventeen-year-old Edric stood beside Nisa Thorn in a hidden Blackthorn Academy alcove while unstable runes twisted across a sealed cabinet. Nisa held the logic sequence steady and Edric forced the arcane lattice into alignment through intelligence, arrogance, and refusal to respect the possibility of an explosion. When the cabinet opened, the scroll inside proved worthless. Nisa stepped close and admitted that she had only wanted to see how he thought.
Gold Bones, Hungry Dark
Moonbeam poured through the darkness around the gold dragon’s ribs while darkmantles dropped from the ceiling and the mimic thrashed among the bones. Aeris’s pale light erased one of the creatures, and Varang’s Sacred Flame finally consumed the false chest. Nearby, Vorgrath split another darkmantle and watched both halves vanish into the abyss.
Sixty Feet Below
Edric warned that the right-hand strand looked ready to break. Yuck Yuck and Spiderbait crossed it anyway. The web snapped beneath them, and both goblins disappeared onto the lower layer with a scream. Vorgrath lowered his rope through the darkness while the party tried not to look at the lava waiting another hundred and forty feet below.
The Net
Dose threw a net across the gap and caught the hovering mind flayer. The creature twisted against the weighted cords but could not escape. For one brief moment it hung helpless above the lava, marked by Hunter’s Mark and held in place for the orc already setting his axe aside.
Never Again
Vorgrath charged the restrained mind flayer without his axe. As the web vanished beneath his feet, he locked both arms around the creature and refused to release it. “Never again,” he shouted, carrying the mind flayer through the layered webs and into the lava two hundred feet below.
One Hit Point
Vorgrath woke in the lava with a single hit point after a natural twenty death save. The mind flayer’s breastplate dissolved beneath him while Prince Derendil descended slowly through the darkness above. Vorgrath raged again, forced his body to move, and leapt onto the narrow shore. Derendil dragged him away from the heat and howled with laughter at the glorious stupidity of it all.
🧵 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks
🗺️ Quest Status
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.
💰 Loot & Discoveries
Item / Discovery
Holder / Finder
Description / Status
14 gold pieces
Aeris
Recovered from inside the dead mimic. Aeris took all fourteen coins.
Mimic teeth ×2
Aeris
Two usable teeth harvested from the mimic.
Old short swords ×2
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.
Noteworthy Items
The spectator’s eyes: Aeris recovered four smaller eyestalk eyes and the large central eye. Their precise future use has not yet been established in play.
The intellect devourer trophy: Edric’s decision to tie the dead creature to his bag was intended as a warning to future intellect devourers. Whether future intellect devourers respect corpse-based signage remains untested.
💬 Memorable Moments
🏷️ Session Tags
Out of the Abyss, Session 7, Never Again, Blackthorn Academy, Nisa Thorn, Edric Faustin Valemont, Lexicon Incident, Principles of Hollow Geometry, Silken Path, gold dragon skeleton, mimic, darkmantles, Moonbeam, Feather Fall, spectator, intellect devourer, mind flayer, Dose’s net, Hunter’s Mark, lava, Vorgrath Kael, Prince Derendil, natural twenty, level four, Fargus’s tomb, Gracklstugh
🧰 Next Session Prep
Confirm all six player characters have been advanced to level four.
⏳ Cliffhanger
