📖 Session Chronicle 📘 Session 01 - The Beginning Chapter đŸŽ” Music "The Beginning Chapter" – Varrick Songweave [Verse 1] On a stormy night by the Sword Coast’s brim, The rain came down, the light grew dim, A lighthouse stood with a tavern’s glow, Where fate would call and legends grow. Rig with his wrench, a shadowed man, Grabbed five ales with a steady hand, Lagerick drank, his cares set free, A dwarf with peace ‘neath a stormy sea. [Chorus] Oh, strum the lute, let the tale take flight, Through the dark and storm of a fateful night, High Jinks leads with a warlock’s cheer, The Beginning Chapter starts right here! From tavern’s warmth to the road’s cold stare, Adventure calls through the wild, wet air, With gold in hand and a song to sing, The stars await where our fates will swing! [Verse 2] A Githyanki bold, with a wanderer’s dream, Stranded far from the astral gleam, High Jinks danced with a tabaxi’s grace, Her cat-born power lit up the place. Sir Gwen in gold, with a knightly boast, Spoke of a beast on the mountain coast, A sphere with eyes, a terror’s reign, Five hundred gold to ease his pain. [Chorus] Oh, strum the lute, let the tale take flight, Through the dark and storm of a fateful night, High Jinks leads with a warlock’s cheer, The Beginning Chapter starts right here! From tavern’s warmth to the road’s cold stare, Adventure calls through the wild, wet air, With gold in hand and a song to sing, The stars await where our fates will swing! [Verse 3] Miners roared with a drunken plea, “Guard our road to Westbridge, we’ll pay your fee!” Ten gold a day, and a hundred more, To brave the vanishings folklore swore. Then up the tower, an elf stood high, Spyglass fixed on a darkened sky, A caravan shook with a monstrous sound, Fifty gold down, and a quest unbound. [Bridge] Valen Pyre, a shadow still, Silent strength on this stormy hill, Through rain and roar, our band takes flight, Lute strings hum in the dead of night. The guards stood strange, with foam and glare, A mystery brews in the midnight air, Rig stumbled back, his stealth undone, But the tale’s just begun, oh, the tale’s just begun! [Chorus] Oh, strum the lute, let the tale take flight, Through the dark and storm of a fateful night, High Jinks leads with a warlock’s cheer, The Beginning Chapter starts right here! From tavern’s warmth to the road’s cold stare, Adventure calls through the wild, wet air, With gold in hand and a song to sing, The stars await where our fates will swing! [Outro] So raise your mug to the storm outside, To quests unknown on this wild ride, The lighthouse beams, the night unfurls, A bard’s first verse for a cosmic world. Images đŸȘ Campaign Arc   Campaign: Spelljammer – Homebrew Hybrid Session Title: The Beginning Chapter Date Played: 20th March 2025 Dungeon Master: James/Jamie ( Sicareus ) Setting: Sword Coast, Forgotten Realms – with foreshadowing ties to Spelljammer spacefaring themes. 🧭 Overview On a storm-wracked night along the Sword Coast, five strangers found shelter in a remote lighthouse-tavern perched above the Red Rocks, a day’s travel north of Waterdeep. As rain pounded the coast, the adventurers encountered mysterious patrons, drunk miners, tales of monstrous disappearances, and the promise of gold. Each character brought a unique background and skillset, and though most had never met before, fate pulled them toward three concurrent quests: investigating a darkened caravan, protecting a miner convoy, and pursuing a rumored beholder in the Sword Mountains. Hazy with mead and tension, the group quickly bonded through opportunism, dramatic flair, and tactical savvy. The evening ended with them accepting a job to investigate a nearby caravan whose guards now appear to be... not quite right. With their boots on the muddy High Road and the smell of wet earth in the air, the party's legend begins. " Valen and Rigg chatting about past quests" đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class / Subclass Race Traits & Notes Garrick "Rigg" Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Dock rat with a massive wrench; failed stealth, played drunk; quick opportunist. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Laid-back drinker with healer roots; hesitant but reliable under pressure. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Young, bold, and brilliant; linked to an alien patron; emerging group leader. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer / Fighter (Battle Smith) Githyanki Off-worlder longing for space; mechanical mind; silent Steel Defender companion. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Mysterious and reserved; present but unheard due to a technical glitch. 📍 Key Locations The Lighthouse-Tavern – A newly constructed structure built by a retired sailor. Overlooks the Red Rocks. Offers beer, mead, and “road brew” in clever travel contraptions. The High Road – Stretch of treacherous roadway plagued by disappearances. Leads toward Waterdeep and the Sword Mountains. Red Rocks Cliffs – Rugged coastal landmark nearby, often shrouded in mist and rain. 🧑 Notable NPCs Sir Gwen: Shining knight from Neverwinter seeking info on a beholder; funded tavern drinks. Offers gold for intel or victory. The Knight, the Tabaxi, and the One-Eyed Rumour Miners (Sunbrim Hills): Drunken dwarves and humans planning a mining operation near Westbridge; fear for their lives on the road. Elf Guard (Lord’s Alliance): Stationed atop the lighthouse; tasked with investigating High Road disappearances. Professional and alert. Off-duty Guards & Tavern Patrons: Rowdy, possibly mercenary types; flavor the tavern with tension and energy. Barkeeper: Gruff and clever ex-sailor who built the tavern; skeptical of travelers but offers no-nonsense service. 📜 Active Quests Quest Name Giver Objective Reward Status Hunt the Beholder Sir Gwen Track or slay a one-eyed creature in the Sword Mountains. 500g+, negotiable Not yet started Escort the Miners Drunk Miners Protect caravan to Westbridge. 10g/day + 100g Pending Investigate Caravan Elf Guard Examine a darkened caravan nearby. 50g now + 50g Accepted 🎭 Key Events The adventurers meet for the first time in the lighthouse-tavern during a brutal storm. Rigg snags free drinks and makes a scene. High Jinks boldly takes charge of conversations with Sir Gwen and the elf guard. Laydrick drinks heavily but is pulled into action by his new companions. Dino Roar observes and analyzes, keeping his motives close. Valen Pyre remains quiet due to technical issues but is physically present. Miners upstairs drunkenly demand protection—gold teeth flashing, promising coin. The party accepts the elf guard’s caravan investigation job and leaves the tavern. On the High Road, they spot the caravan, which quakes with an internal roar. Four guards stand eerily still in the rain, eyes glazed, mouths foaming, torches dead. Rigg attempts stealth, fails dramatically, and feigns drunkenness before retreating. The party watches from the shadows, planning their next move... 🧼 Current Situation Location: On the High Road, in stormy darkness, 100 feet from the suspicious caravan. Threat: Four seemingly mind-controlled guards; odd behavior suggests magical or psionic interference. Status: Mission in progress; session ended before combat or engagement. Tactical Notes: High Jinks considered Minor Illusion to create a sound distraction. Rigg fell back after being confronted. ✹ Additional Notes & Threads Party Wealth: Each adventurer begins with 500g from prior mercenary work (e.g., merchant escorting, bandit suppression). Spelljammer Foreshadowing: Dino Roar’s desire to leave “this ball of Earth” hints at planar or spacefaring themes. High Jinks’ patron, an alien cat-like being, suggests extraplanar influence. Worldbuilding Layers: The Lord’s Alliance is involved in monitoring regional instability. The tavern’s lighthouse setting feels deliberately positioned—potentially a planar signal or Spelljammer dock? Behaviors of guards suggest mind control, possession, or parasitic influence—possibly beholder-adjacent. 📘 Session 02 - The Cave Beneath the Road Images   Steel Defender - Dino's Familiar Bar Diddly đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer – Homebrew Hybrid Session Title: The Cave Beneath the Road Dungeon Master: James/Jamie ( Sicareus ) Setting: Sword Coast wilderness & cavern lair, continuing from Session 1's caravan investigation. 🧭 Overview Following a disturbing encounter with a darkened caravan, the party investigated a Quaggoth ambush and uncovered a hidden cave used for abducting individuals with latent magical talent. Inside, they battled a Mind Flayer and its minions, saved kidnapped civilians—including a child—and acquired a mysterious Wand of Translocation. This revelation ties the disappearances to a broader, possibly extraplanar, scheme involving spelljamming forces. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class / Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick "Rigg" Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Crit hit a Quaggoth with his wrench; spared mind-controlled guards; revived Laydrick. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Used Spiritual Weapon; KO'd by Quaggoth; revived and steadied the party. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Used Feline Agility to hide; cast Eldritch Blasts; summoned spynks familiar. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer / Fighter (Battle Smith) Githyanki Wounded a Quaggoth; Steel Defender assisted; caught a child mid-air to stop a teleport. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Cast Firebolt and Eldritch Blast; now carries the Wand of Translocation. 📍 Key Locations High Road Caravan Site: Three wagons, one violently shaking; two mind-controlled guards left unharmed. Hidden Cave (Woods): Quaggoth lair and Mind Flayer den with bound captives and a teleportation portal. 🧑 Notable NPCs NPC Description Elf Guard Lord’s Alliance agent from the lighthouse; delivered 1000g reward; explained magical abductions. Caravan Guards Two mind-controlled humans; passive during battle; expected to recover. Cavern Guards Thralls under Flayer’s control; Rig killed at least two; others survived. Kidnapped Civilians Includes a child rescued by Dino; victims of selective magical abductions. 📜 Quests Quest Source Status Details Investigate Caravan Elf Guard ✅ Complete Quaggoths ambushed caravan; led to Mind Flayer cave; captives rescued. Escort Miners to Westbridge Miners (Session 1) 🕗 Pending Week-long escort job; High Road risk evident. Locate Beholder Sir Gwen 🕗 Pending Sword Mountains beholder mission; may tie to magical abductions. ⚔ Key Events đŸŸ Caravan Ambush Party discovers three caravans; one shudders ominously. Quaggoths burst from wagons; chaotic melee. High Jinks hides in a tree; Rig lands a critical with his wrench; Valen’s Firebolt adds pressure. Dino’s Steel Defender inflicts a sapping strike; Leydrick uses Spiritual Weapon before falling. Quaggoths defeated; no gold found—only supplies and signs of missing people.   đŸ•łïž Into the Cave Party follows muddy tracks to a secret cave. Mind-controlled guards attack; Rig kills at least two. Deep within, they find tied-up civilians and face a Mind Flayer and one Quaggoth. 🧠 Mind Flayer Showdown Leydrick is knocked unconscious. High Jinks and Valen fire spells at the Mind Flayer. Dino catches a child mid-teleport, disrupting the Flayer’s spell. The Mind Flayer escapes through a portal, leaving behind a Wand of Translocation . 💰 Loot & Rewards Item Owner Description Wand of Translocation Valen Pyre Teleports the wielder to the Flayer’s portal destination. Gold: 1000g (200 each) from the Lord’s Alliance operative. Additional Supplies: No treasure in caravans or cave—this was an abduction site. 📌 Current Situation Where: Near the cave entrance or regrouped on the High Road. Status: Quest complete; captives freed. Mind Flayer escaped but lost a valuable item. Caravan guards recovering. Party Wealth: 700g each (500 prior + 200 reward). New Resources: High Jinks’ Spynks Familiar : Sphinx-like, small and summonable. Dino’s Steel Defender : Clanking combat companion. đŸ§© Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Abductions Targeting Magic: Suggests an organized force seeking latent spellcasters. Wand of Translocation: May link directly to the Mind Flayer’s base or another plane. Beholder Connection: Beholder sightings and magical abductions may intersect. Spelljammer Foreshadowing: Mind Flayer escape via portal. Dino’s Githyanki lineage and Steel Defender tech. High Jinks’ alien feline patron. Next Quest Choices: Safer: Escort the miners. Riskier: Hunt the beholder in the Sword Mountains. 📘 Session 03 - Whispers of the Woods Images đŸ–Œïž First Encounter with the Green Witch in Kryptgarden Forest Discovery of the Moon-Touched Longsword in a Forest Clearing Ettercap Ambush in Kryptgarden Forest   Audio đŸŽ¶   "Whispers of the Woods" - Varrick Songweave [Verse 1] A town lay bare ‘neath the Long Road’s bend, Two hundred souls to the woods did send, Tracks in the mud, both small and wide, Led into Westwood where shadows hide. A rugged human rogue tracked the trail’s grim start, Miners paid gold, their fears did impart, This chapter’s quest through the night’s cold sting, Chased whispers of doom on a dark wind’s wing. [Chorus] Strum the lute, let whispers sigh, The forest hides a dragon’s eye, Stars above where dangers creep, Whispers of the Woods run deep! [Verse 2] Through Rassalantar’s husk, they sought their prize, A young female tabaxi with starry skies, Looted a temple, gold from the divine, While a stout dwarf cleric prayed for a sign. A tall Githyanki artificer, gears in tow, Joined the rogue in a store’s dim glow, Five hundred coins, then two hundred more, Yet no clue whispered what fate had in store. [Chorus] Strum the lute, let whispers sigh, The forest hides a dragon’s eye, Stars above where dangers creep, Whispers of the Woods run deep! [Verse 3] At camp ‘neath stars, a fire’s warm light, Three voices stirred in the cold midnight, A merchant’s wares drained their gold to none, Boots and gloves for the trials begun. Into Kryptgarden, misty and green, A corpse with no brain, a Flayer’s scene, A stout dwarf cleric stood, his faith held fast, While shadows of illithids loomed from the past. [Bridge] A shrine to Corellon, its face long gone, The Githyanki’s craft pleased the elven dawn, A blue gleam shone where the bushes part, A Moon-Touched blade, a gift from art. Cow bones gnawed by a dragon’s maw, A green witch stirs, the forest in awe, The tabaxi dreamed of a dragon’s deal, While stars above turned a cosmic wheel. [Outro] So raise the lute for the path ahead, Where illithids lurk and a dragon’s dread, The witch’s lair or a Flayer’s den, This chapter hums till we clash again. đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer – Homebrew Hybrid Session Title: Whispers of the Woods Dungeon Master: James/Jamie ( Sicareus ) Setting: Long Road, Westwood, and deep into Kryptgarden Forest. 🧭 Overview After confronting a Mind Flayer in Session 2, the party returned to Rassalantar to regroup—only to discover the entire town had mysteriously vanished into the Westwood. Investigating tracks led them to looted buildings, a merchant encounter, and eventually into the misty, dragon-touched depths of Kryptgarden Forest. Along the way, they discovered signs of Mind Flayer activity, hints of Corellon’s influence, and evidence that an ancient green dragon—referred to in legend as the “Green Witch”—inhabits the woods. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class / Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick "Rigg" Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Led search of Rassalantar; negotiated with merchant; cautious about dragon. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Prayed at Tymora’s temple; looted donation box; cautious spiritual presence. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Looted temple, pushed for dragon diplomacy, used Awakened Mind. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer / Fighter (Battle Smith) Githyanki Identified dragon markings; offered calligraphic gift to Corellon. Valen Pyre (Absent) Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Absent from session; holds the Wand of Translocation from Session 2. 📍 Key Locations Rassalantar (Long Road): Found abandoned. Looted for gear and clues. Westwood: Dense, windy forest; tracks led party to Kryptgarden. Kryptgarden Forest: Lush, misty, and overgrown. Evident dragon influence. 🧑 Notable NPCs NPC Description Miners Escorted in prior session; returned to Waterdeep; paid 20g each to party for one day. Merchant & Guards From Red Larch. Sold magical gear including Full Plate and magical trinkets. Rassalantar Townsfolk 200 missing; likely under Mind Flayer control; one confirmed brain-eaten corpse found in woods. 📜 Quests Quest Name Source Status Details Investigate Rassalantar Miners 🔄 Active Track 200 missing citizens into Kryptgarden; signs of Mind Flayers and possible dragon influence. Escort Miners to Westbridge Session 1 ❌ Abandoned Miners retreated to Waterdeep. Partial payment given. Locate Beholder Sir Gwen 🕗 Pending Sword Mountains mission may overlap with dragon and Mind Flayer threat. ⚔ Key Events 🧭 Rassalantar Investigation Rigg and High Jinks strip the abandoned store for anything useful, the silence of Rassalantar louder than the coins. Town abandoned; ground churned with many tracks (men, women, children). Rogue & Tabaxi looted 500g from general store. Cleric and Tabaxi took 200g from Tymora’s temple (left trinkets). Barracks searched; draft horses found in stables. Wizard checked for correspondence—nothing suspicious found. Total loot: 700g → split 100g each. Laydrick takes what the party needs
 and High Jinks leaves an offering, hoping luck doesn’t take offense. đŸ•ïž Westwood Journey & Camp Rigg negotiates hard while Dino inspects high-end gear—upgrades secured, wallets gutted, and a debt quietly tallied. Night travel through the forest; cold winds. Camped with Steel Defender and Spynks familiar guarding. Merchant encounter: Purchased gear. Notable Items Bought: Full Plate (1100g), Boots of Elvenkind, Hat of Wizardry, Enduring Spellbook. Dino owes Rigg 122g post-shopping spree. đŸŒČ Kryptgarden Discoveries Rigg and Laydrick find the kind of evidence that turns a missing-persons trail into a Mind Flayer hunt. Corpse with Brain Removed: Sign of Flayer activity. Shrine to Corellon: Damaged statue with offerings. Dino left a calligraphic gift (roll: 15). Moon-Touched Longsword: Found in the forest, glowing faintly. Wizard (absent) identified its elven make. Cow Bones with Dragon Bites: Nature check confirmed green dragon. Green Dragon Lore: Tabaxi and Githyanki identified Kryptgarden as home to an ancient green dragon—“The Green Witch.” A blade glows softly in a misty clearing—High Jinks steps closer, and Laydrick weighs omen against opportunity. Dino and High Jinks realize they’re not alone: deep in Kryptgarden, something vast and intelligent is watching. 💰 Loot & Items Source Item / Amount Notes Rassalantar 700g (100 each) From general store & temple. Merchant Gloves of Missile Snaring, Boots of Elvenkind, Hat of Wizardry Half Plate, , Enduring Spellbook, Full Plate Party now heavily equipped but broke. Kryptgarden Moon-Touched Longsword Glows in darkness; elven make; Given to Dino. Prior Wand of Translocation (Valen) Teleports to Mind Flayer destination. 📌 Current Status Location: Deep in Kryptgarden Forest. State: Financially strained; better equipped; dragon-aware. Condition: Alert and cautious; tracking townsfolk; hoping to avoid dragon conflict. Debt: Dino owes Rigg 122 gold. Resources: High Jinks’ Spynks Familiar Dino’s Steel Defender Boots, Hats, and Spellbooks improving utility. Away from the group, Valen studies the wand—because sometimes the most dangerous fight is figuring out what you’re holding. đŸ§© Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Mind Flayer Colony: Growing evidence of a planar or nautiloid threat. Ancient Green Dragon: Potential ally or danger; forest is her domain. Missing Townsfolk: Still under control or deeper in the woods? Beholder Rumors: Sword Mountains nearby—could be central to all disappearances. Spelljammer Themes: Mind Flayer escape portal (Session 2). Dino’s Githyanki knowledge and dragon lore. Spynks and otherworldly influence. 📘 Session 04 - The Green Witch’s Warning Images đŸ–Œïž High Jinx Sphynx (Tiv) The Elven Path with Will-o’-Wisps Roll 20 map Audio đŸŽ¶ "Echoes in the Green" - Varrick Songweave [Verse 1] In Kryptgarden’s mist, ‘neath a moon so pale, Rig stood on watch, saw a light’s green trail, A pond aglow, where a witch did stand, Whispered of doom in this forest land. Valen awoke, his magic did flare, Detected the glow in the dragon’s lair, High Jinks peered in, saw a scryer’s gleam, Lords in Waterdeep, a troubled dream. [Chorus] Strum the lute, hear echoes keen, A witch’s gaze in forests green, Stars above where shadows creep, Echoes in the Green run deep! [Verse 2] The Green Witch spoke, her voice a chill, “Humans trampled my woods, yet I spared their ill, Two Mind Flayers took them, to the Underdark’s gate, North to the mountains, go seal their fate.” Leydrick and Dino, tense in her glow, While High Jinks bowed, her charm did show, They left with care, no tree to scar, For the Witch’s wrath could strike from afar. [Chorus] Strum the lute, hear echoes keen, A witch’s gaze in forests green, Stars above where shadows creep, Echoes in the Green run deep! [Verse 3] Blue lights awoke them, a fainter hue, Valen groaned loud, “Not this anew!” High Jinks and Rig crept through the night, Found a stone path, with wisps of light. Elven songs hummed, a castle’s trace, A basement deep in that ancient place, High Jinks claimed a ring to speak with beasts, Valen took potions for battles unleashed. [Bridge] Spiders struck fast on that haunted trail, Dino’s blade swung, their hides did flail, High Jinks danced back, her blasts did sing, While Valen took hits, his wounds did sting. Leydrick’s prayer brought a healing bloom, Cured Valen’s scars ‘neath the forest gloom, Rig with his wrench, though webbed, broke free, This chapter’s fight in the green canopy. [Outro] So raise the lute for the path they tread, To Underdark’s cave or an elven thread, Mind Flayers wait, or wisps deceive, Echoes in the Green, what fate will weave?   đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer – Homebrew Hybrid Session Title: The Green Witch’s Warning Dungeon Master: James/Jamie ( Sicareus ) Setting: Kryptgarden Forest → Sword Mountains → Underdark 🧭 Overview As the party continued their pursuit of the vanished Rassalantar townsfolk, they encountered the legendary Green Witch—an ancient green dragon scrying the politics of Waterdeep. She pointed them toward a Mind Flayer-infested cave in the Sword Mountains, now confirmed as the path to the Underdark. Along the way, the group explored ancient elven ruins and fought a deadly ambush by spiders and a Drow within the Underdark tunnels. The journey deepens the mystery of the townsfolk’s fate, intertwining planar threats and forgotten elven lore. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class / Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick "Rigg" Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Scouted the Green Witch’s scrying pool; was webbed in battle; missed attacks despite Heroic Inspiration. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Critically healed Valen; fought spiders with Firebolt; struck a Drow in the dark. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Interacted peacefully with the Green Witch; identified will-o’-wisps; acquired animal-talking ring. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer / Fighter (Battle Smith) Githyanki Damaged spiders; wary of the dragon; Steel Defender active. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Used Detect Magic; looted potions; heavily injured but fully healed during spider ambush. 📍 Key Locations Kryptgarden Forest: Dragon-claimed territory. Lush, dangerous, and ancient. Green Witch’s Scrying Pond: Source of visions into Waterdeep politics and movements. Overgrown Elven Path: Lined with will-o’-wisps, ending in ruins with basement loot. Cave to the Underdark (Sword Mountains): Passage to Mind Flayer domain and home of current ambush. 🧑 Notable NPCs NPC Description The Green Witch Ancient green dragon. Allowed safe passage, revealed Mind Flayer location. Dislikes intruders. Will-o’-Wisps Haunting blue lights along an ancient elven path. Possibly dangerous. Drow Ambusher Fought the party in the Underdark; injured but escaped into the darkness. 📜 Quests Quest Name Source Status Details Investigate Rassalantar Miners 🔄 Active Now in the Underdark, where Mind Flayers hold the townsfolk. Spiders and Drow encountered. Locate Beholder Sir Gwen 🕗 Pending Cave may connect to this quest; still unresolved. Ancient Elven Path Discovered đŸ’€ On Hold Strange ruins and music, tied to will-o’-wisps and a Moon-Touched Longsword. ⚔ Key Events 🌿 Scrying with the Green Witch Rig scouted glowing pond; found a mysterious woman staring into it. High Jinks led diplomacy; Green Witch showed Waterdeep nobles in scrying pond. She identified Mind Flayer lair in the Sword Mountains and warned the party to leave her forest. Party agreed and withdrew peacefully, impressed and unnerved. Encounter with the Green Witch đŸ”” Lights in the Forest Blue lights appeared later—will-o’-wisps along an overgrown elven path. Faint stringy music in Elvish confirmed by Rig (Perception 21). Found ruins and looted: Fancy medium armor (unclaimed) Ring of Animal Speech (High Jinks) 2 greater healing potions + unknown mushroom potion (Valen) More Lights and a Mysterious Path đŸ•·ïž Underdark Ambush Entered Underdark through Green Witch’s cave. Ambushed by 4 spiders + 1 Drow: Dino and Steel Defender struck hard. Leydrick used Firebolt, Cure Wounds (restoring Valen fully). High Jinks hit, disengaged with Feline Agility. Rig missed key attacks, was webbed but escaped. Valen took heavy damage, then was fully healed. Combat ongoing. Two spiders remain (one injured), Drow wounded and retreating. Underdark: Spider and Drow Ambush 💰 Loot & Items Source Item / Amount Notes Elven Ruins Fancy medium armor (unclaimed), Ring of Animal Speech (High Jinks), 2 Greater Healing Potions, 1 Unknown Mushroom Potion (Valen) Found in basement near will-o’-wisps. Previous Loot Wand of Translocation (Valen) From Session 2; may still be key to planar travel. 📌 Current Status Location: In the Underdark, mid-combat near Sword Mountains cave entrance. Party Health: Dino: Light damage. Leydrick: 5 damage from crossbow bolt. High Jinks: Bitten, retreated safely. Rig: Webbed and missed attacks, but escaped. Valen: Was near death, now fully healed by Leydrick. Combat: Two spiders and a Drow remain active. Resources: Potions (Valen), Steel Defender (Dino), Spynks Familiar (High Jinks) đŸ§© Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Mind Flayer Lair: Confirmed direction via Green Witch; imminent confrontation likely. Elven Ruins: Musical magic, glowing lights, and a basement of relics suggest deeper lore—possibly tied to the Moon-Touched Longsword. Beholder Tie-In: Sword Mountains are the alleged domain of Sir Gwen’s beholder. Spelljammer Hints: Mind Flayer presence and Valen’s Wand. Green Witch’s scrying and extraplanar awareness. Elven ruins could tie to ancient planar crossings or Spelljammer tech. 📘 Session 05 - The Modron’s March MusicđŸŽ¶ đŸŽ” The Modron’s March - Varrick Songweave đŸŽ” The Modron’s March (Alt Version) - Varrick Songweave [Verse 1] Through webs they fought in tunnels wide, Dark silk clung as the Drow did hide. But not all foes would flee that day— DeSeth stepped forth to join the fray. He cast his blades and joined their stand, As poisoned bolts missed Rigg’s sure hand. The spiders fell to spell and steel, And DeSeth asked, “Let’s strike a deal.” [Chorus] đŸŽ¶ March with the Modron, stranger still, Where logic hums and time stands still. From stars it dropped with whirs and ticks, While Rigg swung high and Dino fixed. Through shadowed caves and fate's design, The Modron marches down the line. đŸŽ¶ [Verse 2] They followed DeSeth past blood and bones, Through winding rock and ancient thrones. But in the dark, the stone betrayed— A Roper lunged from jagged shade! Tentacles flew, it pulled in tight, Till wrenches cracked and flames burned bright. With grit and spell, they fought as one, And carved the beast ‘til it was done. [Bridge] Then shadows stirred—another shape! A ticking cube in odd escape. “An enemy?” Valen cried with dread, And hurled his flask of oil ahead. Dino tossed flame with fearsome flair, But Mono stood, just singed and scared. From Mechanus, its path unclear, It beeped and clicked and drew maps near. [Chorus] đŸŽ¶ March with the Modron, cubed and shy, Not meant to burn, not meant to die. A lamp, some oil—its intro grim, Now follows Jinks, though not with whim. To Mind Flayer dens and danger deep, They brave the dark, they dodge their sleep! đŸŽ¶ [Outro] DeSeth now walks the path they tread, With Eilistraee’s light where others fled. A prison waits with screams and chains, Where villagers lie in psychic pains. So raise your blades and spark your mind, The stars await the bold, the kind— The Modron marches, ticking on, And fate shall write where they belong.   [Verse 1] Through webs they fought in tunnels wide, Dark silk clung as the Drow did hide. But not all foes would flee that day— DeSeth stepped forth to join the fray. He cast his blades and joined their stand, As poisoned bolts missed Rigg’s sure hand. The spiders fell to spell and steel, And DeSeth asked, “Let’s strike a deal.” [Chorus] đŸŽ¶ March with the Modron, stranger still, Where logic hums and time stands still. From stars it dropped with whirs and ticks, While Rigg swung high and Dino fixed. Through shadowed caves and fate's design, The Modron marches down the line. đŸŽ¶ [Verse 2] They followed DeSeth past blood and bones, Through winding rock and ancient thrones. But in the dark, the stone betrayed— A Roper lunged from jagged shade! Tentacles flew, it pulled in tight, Till wrenches cracked and flames burned bright. With grit and spell, they fought as one, And carved the beast ‘til it was done. [Bridge] Then shadows stirred—another shape! A ticking cube in odd escape. “An enemy?” Valen cried with dread, And hurled his flask of oil ahead. Dino tossed flame with fearsome flair, But Mono stood, just singed and scared. From Mechanus, its path unclear, It beeped and clicked and drew maps near. [Chorus] đŸŽ¶ March with the Modron, cubed and shy, Not meant to burn, not meant to die. A lamp, some oil—its intro grim, Now follows Jinks, though not with whim. To Mind Flayer dens and danger deep, They brave the dark, they dodge their sleep! đŸŽ¶ [Outro] DeSeth now walks the path they tread, With Eilistraee’s light where others fled. A prison waits with screams and chains, Where villagers lie in psychic pains. So raise your blades and spark your mind, The stars await the bold, the kind— The Modron marches, ticking on, And fate shall write where they belong.   đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer – Homebrew Hybrid Session Title: The Modron’s March Dungeon Master: James/Jamie ( Sicareus ) Setting: Underdark, beneath the Sword Mountains 🧭 Overview Session 5 picks up mid-combat with spiders and a Drow from the previous session. As the party fought, a second Drow— DeSeth —emerged from the darkness and assisted them, while the original Drow fled. After surviving the ambush, DeSeth urged the party to follow him, only to fall into a trap himself—pulled into a stalagmite-shaped ambusher known as a Roper . Together, the group defeated the monster and pressed forward, eventually encountering a strange mechanical being from beyond the planes: a Modron named Mono . Initial confusion led to Mono being mistaken for an enemy—Valen threw oil, and Dino followed with a flaming lantern, fortunately without damaging the construct. With some effort (and spells), communication was achieved, and the party gained a reluctant ally. Mono revealed a map showing the location of a Mind Flayer-run prison and portal , confirming Spelljammer influence and setting the next course of action. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class / Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick "Rigg" Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Finished the spider fight; grappled by the Roper; helped kill it; fascinated by Mono. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Cast Cure Wounds; Spiritual Weapon; hit Drow and supported the party in both battles. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Interacted with Mono using Awakened Mind; got splattered by spiders (again); moral anchor for Mono. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer / Fighter (Battle Smith) Githyanki Identified Enlarge potion; led Steel Defender; threw fire lamp at Mono; bonded over tech. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Cast Firebolt; used Hat of Wizardry to cast Comprehend Languages; threw oil at Mono. 📍 Key Locations Underdark Tunnels: Caverns beneath the Sword Mountains, filled with threats and Mind Flayer influence. Drow Enclave: A peaceful, moonlit settlement aligned with Eilistraee . Mind Flayer Prison (Objective): A repurposed war-den holding the last of the Rassalantar villagers. Mind Flayer Portal Site: Also marked by Mono; potential extraplanar exit or Spelljammer ship zone. 📑 Session Highlights đŸ•·ïž Spider Ambush & DeSeth’s Arrival Party continued combat against spiders and an enemy Drow. DeSeth , a second Drow, appeared mid-fight and aided the party with attacks and healing magic. The original Drow fled into the tunnels. đŸȘš Ambushed by the Roper While following DeSeth, a Roper disguised as a stalagmite ambushed him. It grappled multiple party members. Dino, Steel Defender, and Rigg delivered major blows. The party coordinated to bring the creature down without casualties. đŸ€– First Contact with Mono In the dark, the party mistook Mono—a Modron—for a threat. Valen threw oil; Dino threw a flaming lantern. Mono, unharmed but confused, began to retreat until Valen used Comprehend Languages (via Hat of Wizardry). Jinks soothed it mentally and socially, earning its grudging companionship. đŸ—ș Intelligence from Mono Mono revealed: It stowed away from a  Spelljammer ship. It witnessed Mind Flayer activity near a prison and portal . It created a crude map for the party marking both locations. Mono agreed to travel with the group reluctantly , following Jinks' lead. đŸ•Żïž Drow Enclave & Mission Prep DeSeth guided the party to his enclave—a haven for non-Lolth Drow. A Drow priestess blessed the party and confirmed: Most Rassalantar villagers are dead. Survivors are held in a Mind Flayer-run war-den prison. The party chose to rescue the prisoners first , before investigating the portal. 🎁 Loot & Discoveries Item / Detail Found / By Description Potion of Enlarge Identified by Dino Mushroom-marked potion found in ruins. Mono (Modron) Encountered by party Extraplanar construct; reluctant ally; map-maker and Spelljammer link. Drow Blessing Given to all party members Spiritual boon from Eilistraee’s priestess. Effects TBD. Spelljammer Map (Crude) Provided by Mono Shows Mind Flayer prison and portal locations. 📌 Current Status Location: Resting at the peaceful Drow enclave. Next Objective: Infiltrate the Mind Flayer prison to rescue survivors. Party Level: Reached Level 5 by session’s end. Companions: Mono (reluctant Modron ally). DeSeth (temporary Drow guide, loyal to Eilistraee). 🔍 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Mind Flayer Prison: Priority mission; holding remaining Rassalantar villagers. Spelljammer Portal: Possible exit point or extraplanar threat zone. Mono witnessed activity here. Mono’s Origins: Connection to Mechanus and Spelljammer tech raises questions. Drow Allies: Non-Lolth Drow enclave may offer long-term support or Underdark knowledge. Villager Fate: Unclear how many are alive or why they were spared. Spelljammer Involvement: Increasing extraplanar signs—Spelljammer ships, Modrons, and portals all imply planar-scale threat. 📘 Session 06 - Break the Chains MusicđŸŽ¶ Break the Chains - Varrick Songweave Mind Whispers – Varrick Songweave [Verse 1] Silver sigils shining, dwarven prayer in rhyme, Moon-Dancer blessings guard our minds in time. Rigg kicks doors flying—“Leeroy! Jenkins!” High Jinks stalks the shadow, claws and emerald moan. Soup-pot steam and torch-smoke swirl around the hall; Four blank-eyed captives crumble to a silent fall. [Chorus] Raise your wrench, let the eldritch spark— Break the chains, light a torch in the dark! From steel and spell to the psyonic scream, Heroes carve freedom through an Underdark dream. [Verse 2] Green-rug chamber cracking—Mind-Flayer’s hungry flare, Valen’s crimson Firebolt sparks the violet air. Dino’s gear-forged hound, jaws of whirring grace, Leydrick’s holy fire scorches tentacled face. One flayer flees in twilight, portal starts to hum, Tentacle left twitching—its war is just begun. [Bridge] (half-tempo, chant-style) Whispered Deep-Speech, diary lost and found, Crystal blades that sigh without a sound. Sixty coins for Jinks, note it, bard, Two-point fire wound—Valen’s victory scarred. [Verse 3] White-fur Quaggoth battering cages iron-bound, Tabaxi blasts it backward; villagers gather round. Dino bends the lock while Rigg slings the stone, Twenty-five freed voices swell into a tone. Dust begins a fall—portal flashes true, “Cowards!” hollers Rigg as the cavern shakes anew. [Final Chorus] Swing the wrench, let your song ignite— Break the chains, carry hope through the night! Quaggoth claw or psychic blade, None withstand the oath we made. Crumbling rock and portal glare, Step by step, we’ll meet them there! (lute flourish, tankards clash, crowd joins on repeat of final two lines)   [Verse 1] Down in the dark where the mind-whispers bite, Drow runes glowed silver, warding our sight. With steel-cored faith and a cat’s swift grace, We marched ‘til the prison showed hate on its face. [Chorus] đŸŽ¶ Break the chains, let the captive cry, Wrench swings high and Eldritch lights fly. Mind-Flayers fall where the brave hearts rise, We break the chains and sever their ties! đŸŽ¶ [Verse 2] Quaggoth claws thundered, guards fought to live, Rigg tripped the beast with a Cunning-Strike give. Leydrick’s flames blessed the tide of the fight, While Dino’s defender bit deep in the night. [Bridge] One Flayer fled in a violet flash, Its echoing shriek our unfinished task. But diaries stolen and keys in our hand, We’ll free every soul in this cursed land. [Final Chorus] đŸŽ¶ Break the chains, under torch-lit stone, With wizard’s fire and a tabaxi’s tone. Villagers saved, our legend remains— Onward we ride to shatter their reigns! đŸŽ¶   Images 📾   đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer – Homebrew Hybrid Session Title: Break the Chains Dungeon Master: James/Jamie ( Sicareus ) Setting: Mind-Flayer prison, Underdark beneath the Sword Mountains 🧭 Overview Guided by their Moon-Dancer Drow allies, the party infiltrated a duergar-built prison now run by Illithids. After subduing a hall of enthralled guards, ambushing two Mind-Flayers (one escaped via teleport), and slaying rampaging Quaggoths, they freed roughly twenty-five Rassalantar villagers. Key loot includes a lock-box of coin, a Deep-Speech Illithid diary, and crystal psionic weapons humming with latent power. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class / Subclass Race Notable Actions (this session) Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human “Leeeroy Jenkins” charge; landed wrench upper-cut killing a Mind-Flayer; tripped a Quaggoth; dug up 300 gp lock-box; collected Flayer head for Dino. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life) Dwarf Sacred Flame seared Quaggoths & Flayers; kept party topped with healing; shared silver rune blessing lore. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (GOO) Tabaxi Dual Eldritch-Blasts dropped Quaggoth #2; calmed rescued villagers; reminded “AI” to note +60 gp for her purse. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer / Fighter (Battle Smith) Githyanki Passed DC 15 Mind-Blast thanks to Drow blessing; Steel Defender mauled Quaggoth; detected abjuration vials; harvested psionic weapons. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Cast Comprehend Languages ; investigated Illithid diary; landed all-important 2-damage Firebolt and proudly told the AI to remember it. 📍 Key Locations Gate-Hall: Fortified entrance where a Quaggoth fought three duergar guards. Mess-Hall: Hex-shaped canteen filled with enthralled human guards; site of silent subdual. Mind-Flayer Refectory: Dining chamber with eldritch aquarium; one Flayer slain, one teleported away. Cell-Block (Rescue Site): Diamond room of cages; Quaggoth #2 downed; villagers liberated. 📑 Session Highlights đŸ„· Mess-Hall Silent Takedown Situation: Four foam-lipped human guards eating gruel at a hex-shaped canteen table. Execution: Party fanned out, each target grappled or clubbed in sync; no alarms raised. Loot: Mess-hall master key, 4 usable spears, 1 half-full flask of duergar grog (claimed by Rigg). Fun fact: Rigg & Dino removed the guards’ boots “so they can’t chase us later.” 🧠 Mind-Flayer Refectory Ambush Door-kick call-out: Rigg shouted a hushed “ Leeeroy Jenkins! ” before charging. Round 1: High Jinks & Valen loosed Eldritch Blast + Firebolt as Leydrick’s Sacred Flame flared; one Flayer Mind-Blasted back (20 ψ, halved by Drow wards). Round 2: Dino’s wrench-assisted crit and Jinks’ follow-up dropped Flayer #1; Flayer #2 teleported away in a violet ripple, leaving a single tentacle on the floor. Pick-ups: Illithid corpse, two Deep-Speech tomes, alchemy vials (abjuration aura). đŸšȘ Gate-Hall Chaos & First Quaggoth Surprise melee: A lone Quaggoth was tearing into three guards. Unsure of allegiances, the party leapt in anyway. Key moves: Rigg used Bag o’ Nutz with a Cunning-Strike Trip , knocking the beast prone; Leydrick’s Sacred Flame scorched it; Dino’s Steel Defender finished the job. 🔓 Cell-Block Rescue & Second Quaggoth Discovery: Diamond-shaped cage room with ~25 villagers, Quaggoth pounding bars. Alpha strike: Jinks’ twin Eldritch Blasts (19 force), Rigg’s sling stone, and Steel Defender’s bite dropped the beast in two rounds. Aftermath: High Jinks calmed civilians; Leydrick treated minor wounds; keys opened every cage. Quote: Villager: “Are the cat-eyes here to save us?” Jinks (tail flick): “Meow-gically, yes.” 🔍 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Translate Illithid Diary: Could reveal tactical maps or Spelljammer intel. Psionic Weapons: Need source of “mind-energy” to activate—or a buyer. High Jinks’ 60 gp Reminder: Add coins at start of next session. 🎁 Loot & Discoveries Item / Detail Found / By Description Lock-Box (400 gp) Rigg Buried in a fresh tunnel mound on the way to the prison. Prison Chest (300 gp) Dino & Valen Duergar-made chest in the armory wing; coins secured for party split. Illithid Officer’s Diary Valen Purple-black leather tome written in Deep-Speech; awaits translation. Crystal Psionic Weapons ×4 Dino & Valen Duergar-forged arms humming with dormant mind-energy. Drow Psychic Ward Moon-Dancer Priestess 24-hour resistance to psychic damage (active, expires next session). Keys ×4 Party collection Gate-hall iron ring and mess-hall master ring; opened all cages so far. 🚹 Cliff-hanger – Portal & Collapsing Cavern Drow escort: After a short rest, the scouts led the party to a broad, well-lit cavern where a glowing portal pulsed at the far wall; two Mind-Flayers stood chanting beside it. Recognition: One Illithid matched the robes/face-tentacles of the Flayer that escaped the refectory fight. Escape: As the heroes watched, the first Mind-Flayer stepped through the portal and vanished ; the cavern immediately began to tremble. Instability: Rock-dust rained down as the ceiling buckled—“ You suspect there is very limited time ,” warned the DM. Reaction: Rigg shouted “ Cowards! ” and charged toward the portal; the rest of the party dashed after him while debris cracked overhead, ending the session on a dramatic cliff-hanger. 📘 Session 07 - Engines of Limbo MusicđŸŽ¶ "Engines of Limbo" - Varrick Songweave   (Verse 1) Come gather, good folk, let this tale ignite, A fireball’s roar shook Trollskull at night. A boy held beads of a deadly chain— But who pulled the string? What mind, insane? (Chorus) So strum the lute, let the tale unfold, Heroes of Trollskull, brazen and bold! Eyeless shines with radiant flame, Captain Mercer plays the shadows’ game. (Verse 2) To Gond’s great halls the party sped, Where brass and cogs marked the path ahead. Captain John scaled the temple wall, Slipped not once—no fall at all! (Bridge 1) There Nim confessed with gears grown cold: "I built him, yes—but he broke the mold." A Nimblewright lost, with fire in hand— We took the task, by Mirt’s demand. (Verse 3) Into the sewers, deep and vile, The detector clicked—crept every mile. They found a cult in serpent guise, Rituals writ 'neath traitor skies! (Bridge 2) Eyeless stood where the torches failed, Wreathed in light, his purpose unveiled. Dren charged in, maul like thunder, Struck down foes, tore spells asunder! (Verse 4) Captain John, in deadly dance, Dodged through strikes like fate’s own chance. Slim Jim mended wounds with grace, A blur of bandage, charm, and mace. (Verse 5) Silas grinned—his boots now charred— Two fireballs flew from his hand unmarred. Scrolls we claimed in smoke and fear: Flaming Sphere, Animate Dead, and more unclear! (Final Chorus) So raise your mugs, let echoes fly, Varrick sings ‘neath Waterdeep’s sky! Eyeless burns with righteous gleam, Dren smites foes in every dream, Slim Jim steadies, Silas schemes, And Captain John haunts alley seams! (Outro) From gears to ghosts, from flame to blade, The hunt begins, the path is laid. Trollskull’s crew, in legend steeped— By fire and fang, their oaths were deeped. Images đŸ–Œïž iI đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer – Homebrew Hybrid Session Title: Engines of Limbo Dungeon Master: James/Jamie ( Sicareus ) Setting: Aboard the Nautalis, corridors and engine chamber 🧭 Overview The party fled a collapsing cavern to board the Illithid Spelljammer Nautalis , fought two Mind Flayers and three quaggoths in tight corridors, and deciphered an arcane journal revealing the ship’s locus world— Limbo —powered by the magic-drained captives. They now stand before the central engine chamber, where three Mind Flayers forcibly siphon a bound wizard’s power. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class / Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Charged first Mind Flayer, landed sneak-attack wrench strikes, finished off quaggoths. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life) Dwarf Used Lay on Hands & Healing Word to save allies, countered grapple damage. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (GOO) Tabaxi Opened fights with Eldritch Blast, cast Cloud of Daggers after Fireball. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer/Fighter (Battle Smith) Githyanki Engaged front-line, noted trap lever, harvested illithid glands. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Cast Fireball on quaggoths, Sleep on Mind Flayer, deciphered journal. 📍 Key Locations Collapsing Tunnel: Rock-hewn cave from Session 6 where first Mind Flayer ambush occurred. Crossbow Chamber: Nautalis room lined with ballistae; hidden lever opens bulkhead. Corridor of Doom: Tight hallway where second Flayer & three quaggoths attacked. Round Table Room: Chamber strewn with Mind Flayer & adventurer corpses. Engine Chamber Threshold: Vaulted heart of the ship, site of magic-draining ritual. 📑 Session Highlights First Ambush: Rigg’s leap + High Jinks’ Eldritch Blast downed Mind Flayer #1. Boarding Action: Portal transition into Nautalis & discovery of crossbow lever. Fireball & Cloud of Daggers: Valen’s Fireball wiped 3 quaggoths; Jinks’ Daggers finished them. Mind Flayer Grapple: Flayer grappled Valen for –20 hp; Leydrick’s Healing Word kept him alive. Sleep & Sneak Attack: Valen’s Sleep spell knocked Flayer out; Rigg scored free headshot. Journal Deciphered: Journal revealed locus world “Limbo” & engine’s magic source. 📾 Key Scenes đŸ”„ Hallway Fireball A crimson-coated human wizard presses his skull-trimmed hat low and unleashes a blazing Fireball down the hall, tentacles thrashing as a Mind Flayer recoils and the wreckage of Quaggoths smolders behind. đŸ’€ Sleep and Strike In a dim corridor, the wizard casts Sleep on a lone Mind Flayer, which slumps unconscious. A lurking rogue with a massive wrench raises for a decisive sneak attack. đŸŸ Sphinx Assault A flickering violet-lit corridor pulses as a spectral feline familiar lunges at a snarling Quaggoth. Nearby, a young tabaxi warlock stands with cloak billowing, directing her magical beast. 🧠 Psychic Clash A stern Githyanki artificer swings a Moon-Touched Longsword, sparks and arcane runes flickering, as a Mind Flayer’s tentacles lash out. In the background, the party’s mechanical defender lies downed. 📘 Illithid Journal Discovery In a torch-lit side chamber, the wizard pores over a glowing purple-leather tome on a carved lectern. Psionic runes drift off the pages as High Jinks leans in, 🔍 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Engine Sabotage: Can the party disrupt the magic-draining apparatus? Bound Wizard: Rescue and debrief the captive—what secrets does he hold? Limbo Intel: Further study of the journal to navigate or escape Limbo. 🎁 Loot & Discoveries Item / Detail Found / By Description Arcane Journal (from session 6) Valen / High Jinks Purple-leather tome explaining the ship’s engines & locus world. Illithid Glands ×2 Dino Harvested from first Flayer; potent psionic reagent. Hidden Lever Mechanism Valen Switch to open bulkheads 🚹 Cliff-hanger – Bridge to the Helm The party stands at the vaulted entrance to the Nautalis’s core engine chamber. Three Mind Flayers chant around a glowing Spelljammer drive, siphoning power from a bound wizard. Weapons drawn and spells readied
 session ends on a tense standoff. The party stands at the ruined helm chamber’s threshold. A gaunt, unconscious wizard slumps on a throne-like control chair, with 3 Mind Flayers looming protectively behind. Ambient starlight filters through fractured portholes as two adventurers hesitate in the doorway. 📘 Session 08 - Ghosts in the Gears MusicđŸŽ¶ We took the helm - Varrick Songweave [Intro – whispered duet] In the ribs of a squid-ship, cold and torn, Where the stars bled blue through the hull, We found three crowns with faceless mouths, And a throne that drank the soul. [Verse 1 – Voice One, low and sharp] We came through the dark on a dying shell, With the helm half-mad and the air gone thin, A nautiloid corpse with its secrets awake, And the taste of the void on our skin. Mind-born tyrants in a ring of gold, Three pale gods with their fingers in thought, But Valen raised fire like a newborn sun, And two of them vanished in rot. [Verse 2 – Voice Two, higher and venomous] Rigg drew thunder from sling and nerve, High Jinks spat eldritch green, Laydrick called flame from a buried saint, And Dino stood where the teeth were seen. The last one screamed without moving its mouth, A nail through the mind, a hook through the skull, But we broke its silence with steel and spell, Till the throne-room rang hollow and dull. [Pre-Chorus – Both, building] No mercy for the mouthless kings, No prayer for the things that feed, We did not kneel to the purple dark — We made the dark retreat. [Chorus – Both, huge] We took the helm, we burned the chain, We drove our names through the astral rain, With fire in our hands and blood in the floor, We were not lost anymore. We took the helm, we split the night, Made dead stars bow to stolen light, Let illithid ghosts crawl back to hell — We took the ship, We took the helm. [Post-Chorus – Voice Two over choir] Turn the throne. Wake the bone. Feed the ship. Make it groan. [Verse 3 – Voice One] Then came the captain, blue as grief, Lackspur chained to a sapphire eye, His neck still bent where the monsters fed, Yet his curse refused to die. “Fuel,” said the ghost, “or the void will chew Through timber, lung, and name. There’s a derelict bird with a belly of rot, Go tear out whatever remains.” [Verse 4 – Voice Two] So High Jinks gave up the silver ring, The beast-tongue charm to the hungry throne, The helm drank deep with a serpent hiss, And the dead ship woke with a groan. Then gravity died like a frightened god, And the stars bent into spears, We leapt through mist in a wounded ark, With our courage held by fear. [Pre-Chorus – Both] No harbour, no moon, no kindly flame, Only wreckage, teeth, and need, But when the void called out our names, We answered it with greed. [Chorus – Both, bigger] We took the helm, we burned the chain, We drove our names through the astral rain, With fire in our hands and blood in the floor, We were not lost anymore. We took the helm, we split the night, Made dead stars bow to stolen light, Let illithid ghosts crawl back to hell — We took the ship, We took the helm. [Bridge – Voice One, dark and rhythmic] There she hung — the Falcon dead, Old wood drowned in starless breath, Bilge and ozone, splintered crates, A hold that stank of acid death. [Bridge – Voice Two, answering] In the barrels, black things stirred, Little hungers without eyes, Puddings slick with graveyard gloss, Born to split and multiply. [Battle Break – alternating lines] Voice One: Dino took the acid strike. Voice Two: Laydrick burned the blackened tide. Voice One: Valen searched the cursed remains. Voice Two: Rigg split hunger open wide. Both: Three small horrors in the hold, Three dead mouths that would not sing, We carved our fuel from poison’s gut, And dragged it bleeding to the king. [Instrumental Cue] War drums, low choir, heavy riff, astral storm swell. [Verse 5 – Voice One] Spectacles red as a planar wound, A marble curled with a living sky, A starmetal compass that twitched and turned When wild magic wandered by. [Verse 6 – Voice Two] A spell-book scorched, a fragile orb, A dead man’s memory locked in glass, The Falcon groaned and the nautiloid breathed, And the dark watched silently pass. [Final Pre-Chorus – Both, restrained] Patch the hull or drown in stars, Read the orb or lose the lead, Wake the helm and chart the scar, Or join the captain dead. [11/05/2026 4:01 pm] Ben Hooper: [Final Chorus – Both, triumphant and savage] We took the helm, we burned the chain, We drove our names through the astral rain, With fire in our hands and blood in the floor, We were not lost anymore. We took the helm, we split the night, Made dead stars bow to stolen light, No squid-born lord, no mind-made spell, Could drag us screaming back to hell. We took the helm, we claimed the flame, Etched our teeth into the plane, Let every wreck and phantom tell — We took the ship, We took the helm. [Outro – whispered duet, ominous] The hull still leaks. The orb still sees. The compass turns. The captain pleads. And somewhere deep in the animal dark, Where dead ships drift and old gods dwell, Five fools laugh in a stolen throne, Sailing a nightmare they stole from hell. Images đŸ–Œïž đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer – Homebrew Hybrid Session Title: Fuel Run Dungeon Master: James/Jamie ( Sicareus ) Setting: Damaged Nautiloid → derelict “Falcon” drifting in Wildspace 🧭 Overview The crew seized control of a battered Illithid nautiloid, burned through a Ring of Animal Speech to power the spelljamming helm, and hopped to a nearby wreck for fresh fuel. Highlights: three-Mind-Flayer wipe, ghostly captain reveal, maiden flight, boarding the Falcon, and an acidic Black-Pudding brawl that etched more armour than egos. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class / Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Crit-wrenched the final Mind Flayer; split puddings. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life) Dwarf Sacred Flame spam; shield now −1 AC. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (GOO) Tabaxi Piloted helm; Eldritch-blasted oozes; pocketed magic marble. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer 5 / Fighter 2 Githyanki Tanked pudding crit; scale-mail −1 AC. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Fireball double-kill; identified Portal-Sight Spectacles. 📍 Key Locations Nautiloid Helm Chamber: Ring-shaped throne-room with bound wizard & three Mind Flayers. Astral Mist Corridor: Brief “runway” used for the first helm jump. Derelict Falcon: Compact wooden spelljamming schooner—cargo hold full of acid oozes. 📑 Session Highlights Fireball Opener: Valen’s 8d6 erased two Mind Flayers on round one. Ghost Captain: Scry-orb triggered Captain Lackspur’s apparition & exposition dump. Helm Test Flight: Jinks’ drained ring powered a smooth astral hop. Falcon Boarding: Zero-g approach; Rigg breached cargo hatch. Pudding Splitter: Oozes divided twice, showering acid across the hold. 📾 Key Scenes ⚔ Mind-Flayer Skirmish Engine-Room Boarding & Mind-Flayer Skirmish Pressing deeper into the nautiloid they captured last session, the party breached a vast, ring-shaped chamber crowned by a gilded spelljamming throne. A wan human wizard lay strapped into the seat, while three wounded Mind Flayers stood guard. Roll20’s fog-of-war briefly scattered everyone’s tokens as the group tried to find their positions. Valen Pyre won the initiative and hurled a roaring Fireball that vaporised two flayers outright and badly scorched the third. Seizing the opening, Rigg loosed a critical shot from his Bag o’ Nutz sling, while High Jinks and Leydrick poured on punishment with Eldritch Blasts and Sacred Flame . Reeling but not yet dead, the lone illithid lashed back with a potent Mind Blast , stunning Rigg. Seconds later, another volley of force and radiance dropped the creature for good, freeing the enthroned wizard and clearing the chamber. đŸ‘» Ghost of Captain Lackspur With the Mind Flayers slain, Valen knelt beside the slack-jawed wizard whose neck still lay twisted at an impossible angle—proof of how brutally the illithids had harvested him. Rifling the corpse, he uncovered a charred spell-book and a fist-sized sapphire scrying orb. The instant Valen’s fingers closed around the gem, the air grew icy and a translucent figure materialised: the spectral likeness of the very wizard at their feet—his head still canted to one side, eyes glowing with mournful blue light. Introducing himself as Captain Barrien Lackspur , the ghost warned, “Do not drop that orb; it is the anchor to my memory.” He confessed that the gilded throne was a spelljamming helm and that the nautiloid’s engines would run only if fed powerful magic—or living essence. Hull breaches meant the vessel could limp, but not sail far, without fresh “batteries.” He urged the crew to salvage arcane fuel from a nearby derelict he had charted before his death, promising safe coordinates etched in star-sigils only he could reveal through the orb. The party listened, half-awed and half-unnerved, as the captain’s ghostly form flickered—bound to the orb, desperate to see his ship fly once more. 🚀 First Helm Jump Needing power for the damaged helm, High Jinks reluctantly surrendered her cherished Ring of Animal Speech , slotting the silver band into the throne’s crystal socket. The metal hissed, drained of every enchantment in a heartbeat, and the deck lights flickered to life. Guided by Captain Lackspur’s disembodied voice, Jinks eased herself into the gilded seat; golden filaments laced across her forearms, and sudden vertigo told the crew they were no longer tethered to gravity. At her mental command the nautiloid lurched forward, cutting a silent path through silver astral vapour. Stars bent and streaked outside shattered viewport panes, while below-decks rigging groaned from residual hull breaches. Within minutes the mists thinned, revealing a lonely wooden schooner adrift near a jagged asteroid cluster—the derelict Falcon the captain had promised. The jump had cost a single spent ring and several frayed nerves, but the ship now drifted, inertialess, on minimal thrust, poised for its first true salvage run. đŸ›łïž Falcon Boarding Derelict Falcon Guided by the ghost-captain’s coordinates, the nautiloid glided alongside the derelict wooden schooner the charts called the Falcon . With inertial thrusters at a whisper, the party crossed the gap by jumping across. Rigg planted a boarding spike and levered open a warped cargo hatch, the stale air inside reeking of bilge and ozone. Lantern-light revealed splintered crates, acid-etched timbers and a faint, wet slither echoing in the darkness. The crew fanned out: Dino and his Steel Defender securing a perimeter while Valen swept the hold with Detect Magic . Moments later two glossy shapes oozed from cracked barrels— Black Puddings , their surfaces fizzing with corrosive acid. The boarding action had become an ambush, and the fight for fresh helm fuel began in earnest on the Falcon’s rotting deck. â˜Łïž Acidic Hold Brawl The moment the Falcon’s hold lights flared, two inky Black Puddings slithered from shattered barrels, their surfaces sizzling with hungry acid. Laydrick reacted first, calling down Sacred Flame that seared away globs of ooze but only made the creatures hiss louder. One pudding lashed a pseudopod across Dino’s chest—an 18-point acid strike that would have melted through his scale mail had he not snapped off an Absorb Elements reaction. Even so, the armour’s plates warped, dropping its protection by a notch. When the stench finally cleared, the party stood singed but unbeaten—gear scarred, nerves frayed—and the hold lay strewn with 3 intact magic infused-items and the promise of much-needed helm fuel. 🔍 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Helm Repairs: Patch the hull or risk a catastrophic breach. Identify the Marble & Compass: Mystery items could be key—or cursed. Lackspur’s Derelict Lead: Follow the ghost’s coordinates for bigger salvage. 🎁 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Portal-Sight Spectacles (Magical) Valen Reveal destination of any planar portal. Iridescent Marble High Jinx Magically active – needs Identify . Starmetal Compass Party Need Identify ; reacts to wild-magic. Spell-Book & Scry-Orb Valen / Jinx Weeks to decipher; orb fragile. 🚹 Cliff-hanger – Drifting in the Dark Corpses stowed, doors barred; helm on minimal thrust. Long rest begins amid the quiet hiss of hull leaks. Next: chart Lackspur’s coordinates—or be hunted first. 📘 Session 09 - Jungle Beyond the Portal đŸŽ¶ Music  The Mirror Helm - Varrick Songweave [Intro] We traced the wounds between the stars, with compass, glass, and will. One light bought from honest hands
 one door opened into teeth. [Verse 1] Aboard our ship of spell and sail, we bent the void to see the hidden scars, the portal trails, the paths that ought not be. A marble world, a lens of shade, a needle twitching thin, two signals burning out ahead, and one was calling in. So we crossed the black where merchants drift, lanterns swinging low, Captain Dunar weighed our words where silver starlights glow. High Jinks smiled with velvet claws, Dino counted stone, and for a globe of captive dawn, we paid and made it home. [Pre-Chorus] Oh, light in a bottle, oh, map in the mind, we thought we were hunting what wanted us blind. [Chorus] Through the gate, through the green, where the jungle drinks the sky, we ran from thunder on broken leaves with a tyrant in its cry. By the helm, by the glass, where the mirror shadows gleam, we tore one star from the other ship and woke inside a dream. Now the deck is gone beneath us, now the void has no shore, we are drifting by will alone where the dead worlds roar. [Verse 2] The portal split like emerald fire, the cavern breathed below, roots like ropes and fungal moons where no true sun could show. Then came the king of ancient hunger, bone and storm and breath, Dino raised his steel-born guard between the crew and death. Its tail came down like judgment, its teeth were white with war, the jungle shook, the defender broke, and still we reached the door. Rigg found coin in a quiet corpse, Leydrick held the flame, Valen read the magic’s bones and gave the cloak its name. [Pre-Chorus 2] Oh, gold in the mud, oh, blood in the vines, we stole what we could from the mouth of time. [Chorus] Through the gate, through the green, where the jungle drinks the sky, we ran from thunder on broken leaves with a tyrant in its cry. By the helm, by the glass, where the mirror shadows gleam, we tore one star from the other ship and woke inside a dream. Now the deck is gone beneath us, now the void has no shore, we are drifting by will alone where the dead worlds roar. [Verse 3] Then came the second signal, cold as a funeral bell, a silent twin of our own ship where no living footstep fell. No crew, no breath, no creaking rope, no prayer, no helm, no guide, only glass in a mirror crown with the Astral dark inside. Valen saw the warning there, blue fire under skin, Dino heard the cursed thing hum— and pulled the mirror thin. The disc came free, the ship came undone, like smoke in a dying room, and every plank and phantom sail was swallowed by the gloom. [Bridge – slower, ominous] No anchor. No heading. No wind in the silver sea. No captain. No coastline. No law but what we believe. Mono watches silent, Limbo waits with teeth, mind flayers dream in the dark ahead, and the Feywild whispers beneath. [Breakdown / Chant] Hold fast. Think true. Shape the road or it shapes you. Hold fast. Burn bright. Steer by soul through the endless night. No stars. No ground. Only thought where the lost are found. No map. No chain. Only will against the plane. [Final Chorus – bigger, layered vocals] Through the gate, through the green, where the jungle drinks the sky, we ran from thunder on broken leaves with a tyrant in its cry. By the helm, by the glass, where the mirror shadows gleam, we tore one star from the other ship and woke inside a dream. Now the deck is gone beneath us, now the void has no shore, we are drifting by will alone where the dead worlds roar. Through the gate, through the green, through the mirror, through the flame, we are lost but not defeated, and the void will learn our names. [Outro – quiet, haunting] The Driftglobe burns beside us, a small sun in the deep. The mirror helm is silent now
 but something heard it weep. đŸ–Œïž Images đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer – Into the Void Session Title: The Jungle Beyond the Portal Dungeon Master: Jamie / Sicareus Setting: Astral Plane, Cavern Jungle, Mirror Ship 🧭 Overview The session opened aboard the party’s spelljammer as the group tested their new magical toolkit—items capable of tracing portals, revealing knowledge, and peering through veils. Detecting two signals—one drifting closer, one fixed—the adventurers elected to pursue the mobile source first. This led to a peaceful meeting with Captain Valriks Dunar and his merchant crew, where the group bartered for a Driftglobe to aid their vessel. Passing through a nearby portal, the party found themselves in a cavernous jungle where danger struck quickly. A massive Tyrannosaurus rex attacked, scattering the party and destroying Dino’s Steel Defender before they narrowly escaped. Despite the chaos, they claimed valuable treasures from a fallen corpse. The second signal proved more disturbing: an abandoned mirror-version of their ship. The eerie vessel dissolved into nothingness when Dino removed a mirrored disc from its helm, leaving the party adrift in the Astral Plane, where navigation relies on thought and will alone. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Valen Pyre Slitzer Wizard (Evocation) Human Cast Detect Magic & Identify; confirmed magical cloak and mirror’s nature. High Jinks Kate Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Triggered T-Rex while scouting; bargained Driftglobe price. Leydrick Gefinhal Jared Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Boarded merchant ship; remained cautious during jungle combat. Dino Roar Robb Artificer/Fighter Githyanki Ritually cast Detect Magic; struck T-Rex; removed mirror disc, causing ship collapse. Rigg Dalhart Ben (played by Robb) Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Received 100g from jungle loot; quieter this session. Mono NPC Modron Modron Observed without intervention. 📍 Key Locations Merchant Vessel (Valriks Dunar’s Ship): Elven/human crew, traders near Port Moander. Cavern Jungle: Tropical underrealm with hostile megafauna; site of T-Rex ambush. Mirror Nautiloid: A silent twin of the party’s ship, anchored by a mysterious mirror helm. 📑 Session Highlights Tested magical toolkit: compass, marble, atlas, and sunglasses for planar navigation. Met Captain Valriks Dunar and purchased a Driftglobe (funded by Jinks and Dino). Portal to cavern jungle led to a brutal T-Rex ambush; Dino’s Steel Defender destroyed. Looted 500g and a magical cloak before retreating. Investigated stationary signal: discovered mirror-ship duplicate. Dino removed helm’s mirror disc, dissolving the ship and leaving party adrift in Astral Plane. 🎭 Key Scenes The Merchant’s Bargain High Jinks leaned in with feline charm, haggling with Captain Valriks for the Driftglobe. Dino chimed in with hard logic and coin. Between their voices, the deal was struck, and the faint glow of their new purchase pulsed aboard their ship. The Corpse in the Cavern Jungle Rigg and Leydrick find the loot pile nobody wants to ask questions about. The Jungle Terror 360 Image - click to drag Dino Roar raises his sword defiantly as a towering Tyrannosaurus rex looms above him in a shadowy cavern jungle. His Steel Defender lunges forward to shield him but is moments away from being crushed by the dinosaur’s massive tail. Dust and broken foliage scatter across the scene. The Mirror Helm Valen sees the warning. Dino removes the problem anyway. Astral Drifting Aftermath The mirror ship vanishes, and the Astral Plane politely declines to provide a floor. đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Mind Flayers in Limbo: Possible staging point for Illithid forces. Wizard rumored in the Feywild: Might aid against planar threats. Mirror Nautiloid: Purpose and origin of the mirrored disc remain unknown. Astral drifting: Navigation now tied to willpower alone. 🎁 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Cape of the Mountebank Valen (identified) Once per dawn, cast Dimension Door , vanishing in smoke. 500 Gold Party (corpse in jungle) Rigg took 100g, remainder split. Driftglobe Dino & Jinks Floating orb of light, powering helm. Blue Mirror Disc Dino Artifact tied to mirror ship; caused disintegration when removed. ⏳ Cliffhanger Ship gone—party now drifting in the Astral Plane. Decision looms: pursue Feywild lead or confront Mind Flayers in Limbo. Mono silently observes, offering no guidance. 📘 Session 10 – The Fey Wilds and False Doors MusicđŸŽ¶ "The Doors of False Promise" -  Varrick Songweave Chorus Raise a glass, brave souls, beware! Golden dreams hide poisoned air. Through fire, fey, and mimic’s maw, The tower waits with stair on stair. Verse 1 A shining gate of gold did gleam, Promising peace, eternal dream. Dino fell, and Valen too, But stout Laydrick’s will stayed true. Chorus Raise a glass, brave souls, beware! Golden dreams hide poisoned air. Through fire, fey, and mimic’s maw, The tower waits with stair on stair. Verse 2 The fire realm roared with endless flame, The party turned, too hot to tame. Through silver woods where starlight grew, They faced the gaze of a dragon blue. Verse 3 The villagers spoke of wizard lost, His tower stood with riddles crossed. Three doors carved with truth and lies, But one would bite with hungry guise. Chorus Raise a glass, brave souls, beware! Golden dreams hide poisoned air. Through fire, fey, and mimic’s maw, The tower waits with stair on stair. Verse 4 The mimic fell to steel and spell, Though Dino’s defender rang its knell. The center path swung wide to show, Two stairways rise and sink below. Final Chorus (repeat twice, rising) Raise a glass, brave souls, beware! Golden dreams hide poisoned air. Through fire, fey, and mimic’s maw, The tower waits with stair on stair.                       đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer – Shadows of the Void Session: 10 – The Fey Wilds and False Doors Dungeon Master: James (Sicareus) Setting: Planar portals between Elysium, Elemental Fire, and the Feywild 🧭 Overview The party’s path through the planar nexus revealed both wonder and peril. First, a golden gateway into Elysium promised bliss, but its peace nearly proved fatal. Next, the searing flames of the Elemental Fire plane forced retreat. Finally, they entered the Feywild, where silver trees and starlit skies led them to a dragon-guarded village and a wizard’s abandoned tower. There, illusions and false doors tested their judgment—culminating in a mimic attack and the discovery of a hidden staircase. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Found bracelet/ring of Mind Shielding; wary during mimic fight. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Persuaded dragon they weren’t bandits; later opened central tower door. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Purchased spell components in Fey village. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / BaconBuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter Githyanki Burned +1 longbow to fuel progression; Steel Defender destroyed by mimic. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Arcane support during puzzles and exploration. 📍 Key Locations Elysium Portal – Golden archway to blissful rest, with hidden danger. Elemental Fire Plane – Uncrossable inferno beyond a fiery portal. Feywild – Silver trees, beautiful skies, and guarded settlements. Dragon-guarded Village – Home to Star Elve villagers seeking missing wizard Githrin. Wizard’s Tower – Contained riddle-doors, a mimic, and a hidden staircase. 📑 Session Highlights The Riddle "I mimic wood, I mimic stone — A clever trap, not flesh nor bone. Three doors you see, but one is true, And two would make a meal of you. The left one lies about its fate. The right one lies about its mate. The center door tells what is right. But only one speaks truth tonight. Choose the path with logic keen, Or be devoured, sight unseen." Door Claims Left door: “I lead to safety.” Center door: “The right door is false.” Right door: “The left door is safe.” Dino sacrificed a +1 Longbow to continue through planar paths. Gold portal to Elysium : Dino and Valen fell asleep in blissful dreams before being shaken awake. Fire portal revealed only flame—party declined to risk entry. In the Feywild , Laydrick convinced a dragon they weren’t bandits; villagers revealed wizard Githrin missing. Jinx bought spell components. Tower puzzle: inscriptions marked one door as safe, another as false. Dino opened “right door” → revealed as a Mimic ; Steel Defender destroyed in battle, mimic slain. Laydrick opened center door → revealed dual staircases leading up and down. 📾 Key Scenes Elysian Dreams Dino and Valen collapse into serene slumber beneath golden light, their faces peaceful—until sudden shaking rouses them into dissonant reality. Dragon’s Suspicion A blue-scaled guardian looms over the party, eyes narrowed with distrust. Leydrick’s calm persuasion eases tension, winning passage to the wizard’s tower. The False Door’s Bite Dino pulls open the ornate right-hand door—only for it to snap into tendrils and fangs, consuming his Steel Defender in an instant before being destroyed. The Split Path Outside a weathered stone tower with three doors, High Jinx (lantern at her hip) stands before the central door, tail flicking warily. The rightmost door lies collapsed, revealed as the corpse of a slain mimic. The tower looms above under a pale, alien sky, its walls cracked with age. Behind the central door lies two diverging stairways: one ascending to unknown heights, the other spiraling downward into shadow. 🔍 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks The fate of wizard Githrin , last seen at the tower. Choice of path in the tower: upward or downward . The dragon’s warning about bandits may signal other factions nearby. The planar nexus remains unstable, with Elysium and Fire left unresolved. 🎁 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Bracelet/Ring of Mind Shielding Rigg Protects thoughts from detection. Spell Components High Jinks Purchased in Feywild village. Burned Longbow +1 Dino Sacrificed to fuel planar travel. 🚹 Cliffhanger The mimic slain, the central tower door revealed a split staircase . The party must now choose: ascend into the tower’s upper mysteries or descend into its depths. 📘 Session 11 – Engines of Limbo đŸŽ¶ Music đŸ–Œïž Images     đŸȘ Campaign Arc     Campaign: Spelljammer – Beyond the Sword Coast Session: 11 – Engines of Limbo Dungeon Master: James / Sicareus Setting: Wizard’s Tower (upper room & basement), our nautiloid ship, a Water World portal, Limbo, and the Realm of Chaos 🧭 Overview Picking up from Session 10, the party chose to go up the tower first. In the upper room, a hat and a note awaited: the former owner left the tower “for the next wizard to own.” Valen claimed the tower. The hat, when worn, makes the wearer appear as a mind flayer — Jinks tried it and kept it. Descending to the basement, the party found three doors warded by sigils — green , blue , and red . Valen dispelled the green sigil, revealing a second sealed door that “clicked” and posed a riddle. Dino solved it (answer: “Tomorrow / the Future” ), opening a hidden vault with coin, gems, spellbooks, and rare magic items. The blue door proved empty ; the red door was left sealed (Valen had no more Dispel Magic ). Returning to the party’s nautiloid (already theirs for several sessions), they navigated to a Water World . Through the portal, about sixty feet away, a large block of ice held a dead wizard clutching a wand . Tethered by rope, Dino swam in and dragged the ice closer with psychic force—but two Water Elementals ambushed him and followed through the portal into the ship. A close-quarters battle in the hold ended with both elementals destroyed and the prize secured: a Wand of Winter . For the next leg, the crew used the recovered Far Realm Shard as fuel for the helm and translated into Limbo , where a black portal opened to the Realm of Chaos . Crossing through onto a drifting chunk of land, the party was immediately confronted by three Red Slaadi . The session closed on that cliffhanger. 🎭 Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Sneak Attacks and precise strikes during the elemental fight aboard ship. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life) Dwarf Kept the line stable with timely healing and radiant pressure on the elementals. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Claimed and tested the mind-flayer disguise hat; eldritch firepower in the shipboard brawl. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter Githyanki Tethered dive into the Water World; used psychic force to haul the ice; first contact with the elementals. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Claimed the tower; dispelled the green sigil; with Dino solved the riddle; managed arcane logistics. 📍 Key Locations Wizard’s Tower – Upper Room: Hat & note bequeathing the tower to “the next wizard” (claimed by Valen). Wizard’s Tower – Basement: Three sigil doors (Green, Blue, Red); green led to the vault after a riddle; blue was empty; red left sealed. Our Nautiloid Ship: Party’s spelljamming vessel; site of the portal spillover fight with Water Elementals. Water World Portal: Submerged realm; a dead wizard frozen in ice with a wand. Limbo → Black Portal: Transition to the Realm of Chaos and a floating land shard (The Far Fortress). ⚔ Session Highlights Up the tower first: Valen claims ownership via the note; Jinks keeps the mind-flayer disguise hat. Basement: Three sigils (green/blue/red). Valen dispels the green ; Dino solves the riddle ( “Tomorrow / Future” ) to access the vault. Blue is empty. Red remains sealed (no more Dispel Magic ). Loot haul from the vault: substantial coin and gems, Wand of Scorching , Dancing Sword , Far Realm Shard , a gold-inlaid spellbook , and a flesh-bound spellbook . Water World dive: Dino (roped) swims through, uses psychic force to tow a huge ice block containing a dead wizard holding a Wand of Winter . Ambush & shipboard battle: Two Water Elementals follow through the portal into the hold—party destroys them. Fuel & jump: The Far Realm Shard is consumed to power the helm to Limbo ; a black portal opens to the Realm of Chaos . Cliffhanger: On a floating land shard, the party is confronted by three Red Slaadi . 🎬 Key Scenes Valen and High Jinx : Inside the ruined wizard’s tower, Valen Pyre holds up an old parchment that reads “Here is my hat, this tower is for the next wizard to own.” At his feet lies a pointed wizard’s hat shimmering with illusion, making the wearer resemble a mind flayer. High Jinks eyes the hat warily, tail twitching, silver moonlight pouring through a cracked window. The Green-Sigil Vault Opens In the torchlit stone basement, Dino Roar stands before a glowing green-sigil door. Arcane runes shimmer as he confidently speaks the word “Tomorrow.” The stone door parts open, revealing faint gleams of treasure within, while magical sparks scatter across the floor. Beneath a vast underwater expanse, Dino Roar swims with a rope tied to his waist, straining as he psychically pulls a 15-foot cube of ice closer. Inside the block lies the corpse of a wizard clutching a Wand of Frost. Dim light filters through the water, illuminating his Steel Defender construct perched anxiously at the portal’s edge. Water Elemental Boarding the Nautiloid A water elemental surges through the blue portal onto the nautiloid ship’s deck, spraying seawater across alien tentacle-like walls. Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart braces himself mid-swing, ready to strike. The elemental towers above him, coiled waves forming a humanoid shape, glowing eyes fixed on its prey. Slaadi at the Black Portal On a jagged floating landmass within a stormy void, the party emerges from a black, swirling portal. Leydrick Gefinhal plants his feet as three hulking red Slaadi leap forward from the mists. One Slaad’s claws drip with chaotic energy, the air itself warping around them. đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Red Sigil Door: Still unopened in the tower basement—requires further magic or a different approach. Disguise Risks: Jinks’ mind-flayer appearance could help infiltration—or attract exactly the wrong attention. Spellbooks: The gold-inlaid and the flesh-bound tomes need careful study for contents (and possible consequences). Fuel Problem: The Far Realm Shard was consumed—how will the ship be fueled next time? Chaos Front: Three Red Slaadi block the party’s path in the Realm of Chaos. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder / Holder Description / Status Hat of Disguise (Mind-Flayer Guise) High Jinks Alters appearance to a mind flayer; useful for deception, potentially hazardous socially. 3000 gp 2× 1000 gp diamonds, 3× 500 gp emeralds Party Vault spoils from the green-sigil path. Wand of Scorching Party Fire-evocation wand recovered from the vault. You create three rays of fire and hurl them at targets within range. You can hurl them at one target or several. Make a ranged spell attack for each ray. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 fire damage. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you create one additional ray for each slot level above 2nd. Dancing Sword Dino Found in the Green Sigal door You can take a Bonus Action to toss this magic weapon into the air. When you do so, the weapon begins to hover, flies up to 30 feet, and attacks one creature of your choice within 5 feet of itself. The weapon uses your attack roll and adds your ability modifier to damage rolls. While the weapon hovers, you can take a Bonus Action to cause it to fly up to 30 feet to another spot within 30 feet of you. As part of the same Bonus Action, you can cause the weapon to attack one creature within 5 feet of the weapon. After the hovering weapon attacks for the fourth time, it flies back to you and tries to return to your hand. If you have no hand free, the weapon falls to the ground in your space. If the weapon has no unobstructed path to you, it moves as close to you as it can and then falls to the ground. It also ceases to hover if you grasp it or are more than 30 feet away from it. Spellbook (gold-inlaid) Valen (tower claimant) Finely crafted wizard’s tome; contents blank. Spellbook (flesh-bound) Party Uneasy provenance; contents unknown—handle with care. Looks difficult to read Far Realm Shard Party → Consumed Used as helm fuel to reach Limbo / Realm of Chaos. Wand of Winter (Wand of Frost) High Jinx Found in the Water World ice block; taken from the dead wizard’s grasp. The wand possessed seven charges, one or more of which were expended every time it was used. Whomever wielded a wand of winter could use it to produce the spells ray of frost (without expending a charge), sleet storm , or ice storm . [1] A number of the wand's charges were restored each day. If it was ever completely exhausted of its power, there was a chance the wand would instantly melt and never be usable again. Vault riddle: “I am always in front of you, yet never seen. Without me, you cannot begin, and without me, you cannot end.” — Answer: Tomorrow / the Future . ⏳ Cliffhanger Helm jump completed using the Far Realm Shard → arrival in Limbo . A black portal opened to the Realm of Chaos ; the party crossed onto a floating land shard. Three Red Slaadi closed in—combat starts next session. 📘 Session 12 - Into the Chaotic Deep MusicđŸŽ¶ "Into the Chaotic Deep" - Varrick Songweave [Verse 1] On shards of stone where the void winds creep, We fought the Slaads in the Chaotic Deep. The cleric’s fire, the warlock’s roar, The wizard’s gust threw beasts to the floor. [Chorus] So drink, my friends, raise tankards high, For foes we fought and did not die! A thrall’s disguise, a hero’s leap, We march along through the Chaotic Deep! [Verse 2] The rogue’s great wrench, it swung in vain, The Githyanki laughed through blood and pain. A monk in guise, his face did keep, He wore the hat in the Chaotic Deep. [Chorus – repeat] So drink, my friends, raise tankards high, For foes we fought and did not die! A thrall’s disguise, a hero’s leap, We march along through the Chaotic Deep! Images đŸ–Œïž đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer: Shadows Among the Stars Session Title: Into the Chaotic Deep Dungeon Master: James (Sicareus) Setting: The chaotic plane of Limbo, floating islands and unstable gravity 🧭 Overview The party fought for survival in the chaotic plane of Limbo, where Red Slaads and a powerful Githzerai Enlightened descended upon them. The battle raged across floating stone and shifting gravity, but radiant fire, eldritch blasts, and Kith rath ’s psionic-imbued strikes eventually turned the tide. As the dust cleared, the Githzerai revealed his true intent: he opposed the Slaads, and his attack had been a test as much as a clash. After tense words — and Dino’s constant jabs about being the “real hero” — the monk proposed an alliance. With the help of a Hat of Disguise , he transformed into Dino’s likeness, posing as a supposed “champion” who had captured the rest of the adventurers. This would be used to disguise as a Mind Flayer to with the group, disguised as thralls, to infiltrate Mind Flayer ranks at the Shrak’talor Temple. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick "Rigg" Dalhart Ben/Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Landed a sneak attack with wrench; missed several swings Laydrick Gefinhal Jared/Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Radiant flames suppressed Slaad regeneration; healed self High Jinks Kate/Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Relentless Eldritch Blasts carried ranged damage Dynoth “Dino Roar” Rokos Robb/Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter Githyanki Wielded Moon-Touched + Dancing Sword; crit with psionics; taunted the Githzerai throughout Valen Pyre Justin/Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Gust of Wind hurled a Slaad into the void; sustained arcane blasts Kith rath (NPC) DM Psychic monk-warrior Githzerai Assisted party near end of battle; later allied, using Hat of Disguise to appear as Dino đŸžïž Key Locations Floating Shards of Limbo – fractured battlefield with chaotic gravity. Shrak’talor Temple (distant) – destination where the Mind Flayers gather. ⚔ Session Highlights Fierce battle against Red Slaads and their regenerative abilities. Valen tried to hurl a Slaad into the void with Gust of Wind . Dino’s psionic-charged crit nearly felled an enemy, while mocking the Githzerai’s “heroics.” Jinx’s blasts consistently rained devastation from afar. The Githzerai Enlightened joined for the end of the battle. Post-battle alliance: Githzerai donned the Hat of Disguise to appear as Dino, while the rest of the party agreed to play the role of captured thralls . 🎭 Key Scenes Leydrick’s Radiance Leydrick stands on a jagged floating shard in Limbo, raising his holy symbol as Sacred Flame pours down in radiant fire. A Red Slaad reels back, its wounds seared shut by the divine light. Rigg's Leap Rigg lunges forward across unstable stone, his oversized wrench crashing down in a sneak attack. His face is tense with focus, the void swirling behind him. High Jink's Attack High Jinks, unleashes twin beams of Eldritch Blast. The crackling purple force arcs across the void, slamming into a hulking Slaad on a nearby shard. Valen's Wind Valen Pyre, human wizard in a crimson coat, braces against the winds of Limbo. His coat whips dramatically as he unleashes Gust of Wind. A massive Red Slaad is thrown backward, teetering at the edge of a floating rock. The void stretches endlessly behind it, fragments tumbling away. Another Gith? Dynoth “Dino Roar” Rokos, a Githyanki artificer-fighter, fights with intensity. He wields his glowing Moon-Touched Sword while his Dancing Sword hovers beside him like a silver blur. Across from him, the Githzerai Enlightened braces, fists glowing with psionic force. Sparks of light and psychic shock-waves erupt between blade and strike as they clash with 2 Red Slaad on a narrow floating shard. Kith’rath – Githzerai Enlightened A disciplined warrior-monk from the chaos plane of Limbo, Kith’rath wields devastating unarmed strikes infused with psionic force. His calm, calculating nature hides beneath a sharp pragmatism—he tests strength before granting trust. He revealed himself as an ally against the Slaads. Using the party's Hat of Disguise to impersonate Dino and later a Mind Flayer in their future infiltration plan. 🧠 Power of the Mind Creatures within Limbo can manipulate the chaotic plane itself through sheer willpower and focus: Move Objects: As an action or bonus action, make an Intelligence check to move a visible object within 30 feet. DC 5 (Tiny), DC 10 (Small), DC 15 (Medium), DC 20 (Large), DC 25 (Huge or larger). On success, the object moves 5 feet +1 foot per point above the DC. Alter Objects: As an action, make an Intelligence check to reshape a nonmagical object not being worn or carried. DC 10 (Tiny), DC 15 (Small), DC 20 (Medium), DC 25 (Large or larger). On success, the object changes into another nonliving form of the same size (e.g., stone into fire). Stabilize Area: As an action, make an Intelligence check to stabilize a sphere of order centered on the creature. DC 5 for a 10-foot radius, +5 DC for each additional 10 feet. On success, the stabilized zone resists Limbo’s shifting chaos for 24 hours, or until this ability is used again. Kith’rath, the Githzerai Enlightened, revealed the strange discipline of his people in Limbo: the ability to impose will upon chaos. With a calm focus, he demonstrated how thought alone could shift the battlefield. He stabilized the floating shard beneath the party’s feet, preventing it from drifting apart into the void, creating a calm sphere of order in the storm. He showed how an object could be moved or reshaped by sheer mental focus , lifting stones with no hands and briefly altering one into a burning ember before returning it to stone. He explained that this ability is not limitless — the further one pushes against Limbo’s chaos, the greater the strain of concentration. The party realized that these powers could mean survival in a plane where even the ground itself betrays them. đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Ambush plan: infiltrate Mind Flayer ranks disguised as peer and thralls. Shrak’talor Temple ahead — its true nature and alliances uncertain. Illithid and Slaad threat continues to deepen across planes. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description/Status Hat of Disguise High JInks Used to appear as Dino and a Mind Flayer for infiltration Githzerai Alliance Party New ally against the Slaads and Mind Flayers; shared infiltration plan 📘 Session 13 - The Bottled Storm đŸŽ” Music "The Bottled Storm" – Varrick Songweave [Verse 1] Through Limbo’s breath and shifting stone, We walked where thought could shape the throne. A stolen face, a captain’s guise, High Jinks wore the flayer’s lies. The monastery, once calm and clear, Now hummed with hunger, dread, and fear. Thralls bowed low and dared not speak, While psionic shadows kissed the weak. [Hook] Raise the glass, let thunder form, Sing the tale of the bottled storm. Letters sealed and secrets sworn, Chaos caught before the morn. Raise the glass, let legends roar, For the crew came back through Limbo’s door. [Verse 2] The captains gathered in the hall, Mind-born lords beneath command. A stranger spoke of gifts to claim, Then vanished like a dying flame. One letter taken fair and bold, One slipped away by rogue’s hand cold. Underdark ink and Abyssal thread, Marked the roads where horrors spread. [Hook] Raise the glass, let thunder form, Sing the tale of the bottled storm. Letters sealed and secrets sworn, Chaos caught before the morn. Raise the glass, let legends roar, For the crew came back through Limbo’s door. [Bridge] Valen whispered, sleep took hold, The guarded blade fell quiet and cold. Leydrick steadied wounded breath, Turning mercy back from death. Rigg struck sharp where shadows spun, Jinks listened when the deed was done. Falx was named in secret tone, Another hive, another throne. [Verse 3] Then in the courtyard lightning screamed, A crystal heart with tempest gleamed. Air took shape with claws of gale, And tore through stone with shrieking wail. Dino reached with phantom hand, Gith’rath fought where winds did stand. Steel and discipline, spell and flame, Held the storm that none could tame. [Final Hook] Raise the glass, let thunder form, Sing the tale of the bottled storm. Letters sealed and secrets sworn, Chaos caught before the morn. Raise the glass, let legends roar, For the crew came back through Limbo’s door. [Outro] So mark the map and guard the flame, The Illithid plots now bear a name. From Underdark deep to Abyss torn, We sail beyond the bottled storm. đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer (Homebrew + Semi-Custom) Session: 13 – “The Bottled Storm” Dungeon Master: James / Jamie / Sicareus Setting: Limbo – Captured Monastery of the Githzerai 🧭 Overview The crew of the party descended into the shifting chaos of Limbo to infiltrate an Illithid-occupied Githzerai temple. Disguised through illusion and cunning, they uncovered a gathering of Mind Flayer captains directed by a mysterious figure, seized two sealed letters tied to Illithid colonies, and discovered a volatile psionic storm that birthed elemental guardians. After a harrowing battle and the containment of the tempest into what would become known as the Storm in a Bottle , the group returned to their ship with new intelligence—clues pointing toward Illithid operations in the Underdark and the Abyss . 🧑‍🚀 Party Members Character Player Class / Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Pickpocketed a second Illithid letter during the dispersal; precise Sneak Attack strikes with wrench and daggers during the elemental battle. Leydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Kept allies standing with Healing Word and Cure Wounds ; radiantly smote foes with Sacred Flame . High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Disguised herself as a Mind Flayer captain using the Hat of Disguise; rightfully took one of the sealed letters; later used Clairvoyance to overhear Captains Zelthar and Sylna discussing “Falx.” Dynoth “Dino” Rokos Robb / Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter Githyanki Initiated contact with the storm vessel using Mage Hand , sealing it mid-battle to create the Storm in a Bottle ; fought alongside Gith’rath in melee. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Unleashed devastating Fireballs against the Air Elementals; cast Sleep to capture the dominated Githyanki guard. Gith’rath NPC Ally Monk (Githzerai) Githzerai Posed as a thrall during infiltration; fought alongside Dino with disciplined psionic strikes. đŸ—ș Key Locations Captured Githzerai Monastery: Once a tranquil temple, now twisted into an Illithid command post lined with neural conduits. Captains’ Hall: Site of the Mind Flayer gathering led by an unidentified humanoid who promised “gifts” for obedience. Storm Courtyard: Open ruin where a Limbo-born storm coalesced around a crystalline bottle—source of the elemental battle. ⚔ Session Highlights High Jinks disguises herself as a Mind Flayer captain, with all others—including Gith’rath—posing as thralls. The group infiltrates the monastery, bypassing the dominated Githyanki guard through persuasion. The party witnesses a meeting of Illithid captains led by an unknown humanoid who vanishes after issuing cryptic orders about “gifts” and “letters.” High Jinks, accepted as one of the captains, legitimately takes a sealed letter; Rigg stealthily acquires another. Valen subdues the Githyanki guard with Sleep for later restoration. A psionic storm erupts nearby; Dino’s investigation triggers three Air Elementals to manifest. During the fierce battle, Dino seals the bottle, ending the storm; the remaining elementals are destroyed. The group retrieves the artifact and returns to their Spelljammer ship. High Jinks casts Clairvoyance , overhearing Captain Zelthar and Captain Sylna mention “ Falx ,” believed to be another Illithid colony. The two letters reference collecting items from the Underdark and the Abyss . 🎭 Key Scenes High Jinx disguised as a Mind Flayer Mind Flayers surrounding a vanishing figure. Rigg Pickpocketing the Letter The Bottled Storm (Dino & Gith’rath) đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Illithid Colonies: Names confirmed—Captains Zelthar and Sylna; new colony Falx identified. Letters of Acquisition: Tasks involving retrieval of artifacts from the Underdark and the Abyss . Unidentified Meeting Leader: Non-Illithid entity directing Mind Flayer captains; motives unknown. Thrall Restoration: The captured Githyanki guard may reveal methods to break psionic control. Storm-Energy Artifact: The Storm in a Bottle radiates Limbo’s raw elemental chaos—purpose yet undefined. 💎 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Storm in a Bottle Dino Rokos Sealed vessel containing a captured Limbo air-storm; hums with unstable elemental and psionic energy. Handle with care. Illithid Letter I High Jinks Obtained legitimately during the captains’ meeting; instructs collection of items from the Underdark . Illithid Letter II Rigg Dalhart Stolen post-meeting; orders procurement from the Abyss . Dominated Githyanki Guard Valen Pyre / Leydrick Gefinhal Captured alive via Sleep ; currently unconscious aboard the ship, potential source of intel or redemption. Item Flavor Notes Storm in a Bottle: “Pressure trembles beneath glass; each heartbeat echoes a distant thunder.” Letters of Command: “Written in alien glyphs that shimmer and crawl when read—tasks spanning realms best left untraveled.” ⏭ Cliffhanger / End State The Storm in a Bottle secured aboard the party’s Spelljammer. Two Illithid letters decoded—missions to the Underdark and the Abyss . Names heard through Clairvoyance: Zelthar and Sylna of the colony Falx. An unconscious Githyanki thrall held for restoration. The party sets course to plan their next strike against the Illithid network. 📘 Session 14 - The Mandate of Primus đŸŽ” Music   Mandate of the Clockwork King [Verse 1] In the market of the Gith, where the firelights burn, Rigg bought trouble in a jug, Dino waited his turn. Rook rotted in a cell humming death’s old tune, ’Til a bribe and a lie broke him out by noon. [Hook] Turn the gears, let the stars align— Primus speaks in a voice of iron. We were cast through the void with a single ring: “Further the task,” said the Clockwork King. [Verse 2] Back aboard the ship, silence split in two, A golden giant marched like judgment overdue. Wind roared, spells cracked—but nothing made it fall; One by one we blinked out, answering the call. [Bridge] No mercy, no choice, no place to run— Mechanus shines like a dying sun. We stood before the mind of law, Accused by a god with no breath to draw. [Hook] Turn the gears, let the stars align— Primus speaks in a voice of iron. We were bound by decree to a nameless thing: “Further the task,” said the Clockwork King. [Outro] So we walk the edge where the shadows cling— Still hearing the hum of the Clockwork King. đŸ–Œ Images   đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer – The Shattered Crown Arc Session: 14 – “The Mandate of Primus” Dungeon Master: Sicareus (James) Setting: A Githyanki outpost market, the Spelljammer vessel, and the plane of Mechanus. 🧭 Overview The party arrived at a Githyanki-operated market in search of Rook — the merchant-guide with knowledge of routes leading into the Underdark. While Leydrick, High Jinks, and Valen remained at a tavern drinking, Dino and Rigg headed toward the local prison to negotiate Rook’s release. After bribes, distractions, and bargaining with a disinterested captain, Rook was freed and re-equipped. Upon returning to the ship, their brief moment of rest was shattered when a towering golden construct forced its way onboard, classifying the party as trespassers. A chaotic corridor battle followed, where spells and desperate tactics failed to slow it. One by one, each member succumbed to a forced Charisma save, vanishing from the ship. The group reappeared before Primus , the god-machine of Mechanus. Accused of aiding Illithids, the party defended their mission, insisting they sought to undermine the Illithid plot surrounding the Crown of Sorrow. Primus accepted their explanation only after binding them to an unclear but absolute directive: “You must further the task.” Moments later, the party was returned to their ship, shaken and cosmically obligated to continue. 🧙 Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue – Swashbuckler Human Bought Alchemy Jug; distracted guards with improvised noises; bribed prison officials; attempted combat against construct. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric – Life Domain Dwarf Market drinks; radiant attacks; swiftly removed by construct and transported to Mechanus. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock – Great Old One Tabaxi Shared drinks with party; hid under tables during combat; attempted persuasion on both construct and Primus. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter Githyanki Led prison negotiations; insulted Primus under his breath; opposed the Illithid accusation fiercely. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard – Evoker Human Brewed spells at market; used Thunderstep against construct; willingly stopped resisting the teleport effect. Rook NPC Merchant Guide Unknown Freed from prison by Dino & Rigg; now equipped and assisting the party. Keshari NPC Elemental Vendor Fire-touched humanoid Sold magical goods to Rigg; provided minor insight into market wares. 📍 Key Locations Githyanki Market Outpost – planar bazaar, taverns, elemental vendors. Gith Prison Complex – Rook’s holding location, run with minimal oversight. The Spelljammer Ship – site of the construct assault. Mechanus – the Clockwork Nirvana, domain of Primus. ⚔ Session Highlights Meeting Keshari; purchasing an Alchemy Jug and magical candle. Drinking interlude for Leydrick, High Jinks, and Valen. Dino & Rigg’s successful extraction of Rook from prison (bribery, distractions, negotiation). Massive construct boards the ship and initiates forced compliance protocols. Gust of Wind, Eldritch Blast, Sacred Flame, Thunderstep used with limited effect. One-by-one forced Charisma saves leading to planar displacement. Audience with Primus — accusation of Illithid collaboration. Imposed cosmic directive to “further the task” concerning the Crown of Sorrow. Instant return to ship after divine judgment. 🎭 Key Scenes 1. The Market Firespeaker The party browsed the bustling Githyanki bazaar, where Keshari displayed fire-touched wares. Rigg secured an Alchemy Jug and candle while the others found drinks and gathered information. 2. The Prison Bargain (Expanded) Dino and Rigg located the Gith prison where Rook was detained. The guards stated Rook had been jailed after an altercation with another inmate — who could still be heard loudly down the hall. When Dino and Rigg offered to “quiet him down,” the guards casually allowed them inside. Rook insisted they retrieve his confiscated gear. Rigg distracted a nearby guard using improvised didgeridoo noises while looking for it. When stopped by the prison captain, Rigg attempted a story about essential “medication” in Rook’s belongings. The captain was unmoved but offered the gear for 50 gold. Rigg paid the bribe, securing Rook’s equipment. To exit, Rook pretended to be unconscious. Dino and Rigg carried him toward the front desk, slipping the guards additional gold to avoid questioning. They left without incident and returned to the ship with Rook fully restored. 3. The Construct Boards Upon reboarding the ship, a colossal golden construct pushed through the corridor, declaring the party unauthorized. Combat erupted in tight quarters, but spellfire and steel barely slowed it. Each failed Charisma save resulted in a character vanishing. 4. The Throne of Primus Transported to Mechanus, the party faced Primus. He accused them of aiding Illithids. After protest, explanation, and strained diplomacy, Primus deemed them “useful” but bound them to an unclear divine directive regarding the Illithid plot. Seconds later, they were returned to their ship. đŸ§© Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks The Crown of Sorrow remains the central artifact sought by Illithids. Primus’ Directive: A geas-like compulsion to “further the task.” Names mentioned: Zeltha, Silna, Folks — likely Illithid-aligned contacts. Rook’s guidance essential for reaching Deep Shanatar. Keshari’s items may possess hidden uses. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Alchemy Jug Rigg This ceramic jug appears to be able to hold a gallon of liquid and weighs 12 pounds whether full or empty. Sloshing sounds can be heard from within the jug when it is shaken, even if the jug is empty. You can use an action and name one liquid from the table below to cause the jug to produce the chosen liquid. Afterward, you can uncork the jug as an action and pour that liquid out, up to 2 gallons per minute. The maximum amount of liquid the jug can produce depends on the liquid you named. Once the jug starts producing a liquid, it can't produce a different one, or more of one that has reached its maximum, until the next dawn. Candle of the Deep Rigg The flame of this candle is not extinguished when immersed in water. It gives off light and heat like a normal candle. Rook’s Gear Dino & Rigg Retrieved after multiple bribes; returned to its owner. Mandate of Primus Entire Party Cosmic instruction to continue the anti-Illithid mission. ⏳ Cliffhanger The party stands on the deck, reeling from divine intervention. The construct is gone — but its message was unmistakable. Deep Shanatar and the Crown of Sorrow now lie ahead, with Primus watching. 📘 Session 15 - Thunder in the Void đŸŽ” Music đŸ–Œïž Images đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer Session: 15 Dungeon Master: Sicareus Setting: Astral Desert Plane → Portal Route to the Underdark Date : 20 December 2025 🧭 Overview After a brief rest and recovery, the party followed Rook Varrek through a portal leading to a harsh, desert-like astral plane — a crossroads realm where Rook maintained access to multiple other portals, including routes into the Underdark. Moments after emerging, the party was ambushed by a Neogi raiding force. What followed was a brutal, multi-round shipboard battle against pirates, void hunters, and a Neogi captain, ending in the discovery of a shattered Neogi spider-ship and valuable astral loot. With wounds tended and resources spent, the party pressed onward toward the Underdark, greeted by a disturbing, sickly-sweet scent as the session ended. 🧑‍🚀 Party Members Character Player Class Race Notable Actions Valen Pyre Justin Wizard (Evoker) Human Fireball opening strike; Thunder Step; revived Leydrick; final Eldritch Blast kill High Jinks Kate Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Chill Touch pressure; Eldritch Blasts; later summoned new familiar Dino Roar Robb Artificer / Fighter Githyanki Dancing Longsword; frontline control; post-combat ship investigation Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Ranged Sneak Attacks; heavy wrench damage; claimed Ring of Spell Storage Leydrick Gefinhal Jared Cleric (Life) Dwarf Downed by double critical; revived; finished a Void Hunter; heavy post-fight healing Rook Varrek NPC — — Portal guide; heavy pistol and rapier damage throughout the fight 📍 Key Locations Astral desert plane used as a portal nexus   Open void near a damaged Neogi spider-ship Portal leading toward the Underdark ⚔ Session Highlights Party ambushed immediately after exiting the portal by Neogi forces Enemy composition: 6 Neogi Pirates, 2 Neogi Void Hunters, 1 Neogi Captain Valen opened with Fireball, dealing heavy early damage Leydrick was dropped by a double critical attack early in the fight Valen revived Leydrick in the following round Rook Varrek consistently dealt high damage with pistols and rapier Valen flew out to confront a Void Hunter directly, then Thunder Stepped back to the ship A Void Hunter was finished off by Leydrick after Valen’s repositioning play The final Neogi was killed by Valen with a low-damage Eldritch Blast — just enough Dino discovers cracked open Neogi shipwreck and discovers great treasures  🎭 Key Scenes Leydrick’s Fall: Leydrick was struck down by a devastating double critical, forcing immediate triage under fire. Valen & Void Hunter: Valen flew out from the ship toward a Neogi Void Hunter, smirked, then detonated a Thunder Step to escape back to safety. Final Shot: A battered Neogi staggered under a pitiful Eldritch Blast — and still fell. đŸ§© Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Rook’s knowledge of astral portals and Underdark access remains largely unexplored The damaged Neogi ship suggests a prior, unknown conflict in the area The sickly-sweet smell beyond the Underdark portal hints at a new threat ahead 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status 5,000 Gold Party Recovered from the cracked Neogi spider-ship Wand of Web Party Inventory A wand etched with sticky, filament-like runes Cloak of Protection High Jinks Lightweight cloak that subtly bends fate and fortune Ring of Spell Storage Rigg A smooth ring capable of holding dormant spells 3 Astral Diamonds Party Crystalline gems humming faintly with planar energy đŸ§Ș Aftermath Party healed, recovered, and rested after the battle High Jinks summoned a new familiar — an Imp, currently disguised as a Raven   The party leveled up ⏳ Cliffhanger The party passes through the portal toward the Underdark A sickly-sweet smell fills the air on the other side 📘 Session 16 - Spores, Mirrors, and the Bone Wagon đŸŽ” Music đŸ–Œïž Images   đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: DnD Campain - SpellJammer Dungeon Master: James / Jamie / Sicareus Setting: Underdark (post-portal travel) Session Date: 18/01/2026 Next Session: 24/01/2026 🧭 Overview The party stepped through the portal and immediately found themselves in a sickly-sweet, yellow miasma thick with spores. The air didn’t just choke the lungs — it warped perception. Familiar shapes appeared where they had no right to be, including a vision of the tavern from the campaign’s beginning, sitting in the haze like a memory made physical. A distant blue light and moving figures drew attention, but every instinct in the fog felt unreliable. Pushing onward, the group reached an illusory wall and passed through into what looked like farmland and a small village. The “villagers” gathered and repeatedly insisted the party should stay . Dino probed them with Detect Thoughts and met a chorus of voices repeating the same message. After testing the situation with spells and physical interaction — and getting no comforting answers — the party chose to back away and keep moving rather than gamble on the “welcome.” When the spores finally thinned, the Underdark immediately reminded them why caution exists: Dino kicked what looked like a harmless rock, and it screamed. The noise drew four Hook Horrors, and the party cut them down with coordinated force — fireball, sacred flame, eldritch blasts, wrench work, and Rook’s rapier. Moments later, a new threat announced itself with sound before sight: a deep buzzing in the darkness. The group sprinted until it faded behind them
 straight into the path of something worse — a chained carriage dragged by two massive skeletal beasts, surrounded by shadow-like guards, with a lone figure seated inside. Valen launched his last Fireball. It was counterspelled into nothing. Dino, committed to the worst-good idea, cast Heroism and jumped onto the carriage as the session ended. 🧑‍🚀 Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Kept scouting through the hallucination zone; fought Hook Horrors with the “Big Ol’ Wrench,” movement tricks, and poison; dimmed his hooded lantern to sneak closer to the carriage and count threats. Leydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Anchored the Hook Horror fight with repeated Sacred Flame; attempted protective magic for Dino (Protection from Evil and Good was discussed, Shield of Faith was active). High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Blasted Hook Horrors with Eldritch Blast; re-positioned familiar (imp) for stings/poison attempts; joined the group’s stealthy approach toward distant lights. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter Githyanki Used Detect Thoughts on the “stay” villagers (received a unified chorus); triggered the Hook Horror fight by kicking the “rock;” pushed to engage the carriage threat; cast Heroism and jumped onto the carriage at the cliffhanger. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Tried Gust of Wind earlier to disperse spores (didn’t resolve the zone); considered Identify during the strange village; used Fireball to end the Hook Horror fight; fired his final Fireball at the carriage — counter-spelled. Rook Varrek (NPC ally) — — Human Stayed with the party; fought Hook Horrors with an ice-encrusted rapier; was consulted about the carriage but had no clear answer. 📍 Key Locations Portal exit region (Underdark): thick yellow spore-miasma; sickly-sweet air; perception distortion. Hallucinated landmark: the tavern from the earliest session appearing in the haze. Blue-light distance markers: bright lights and figures moving at an angle ahead (party chose cautious movement). Illusory wall & farmland: the party passed through a wall into farmland-like terrain and a village scene. “Stay” village: humanoid/farmer-like figures repeating “stay,” with a many-voiced mental presence. Hook Horror ambush zone: scream-triggered fight after a “rock” was kicked (it was not a rock). Buzzing-dark tunnel stretch: loud buzzing approached; party sprinted until it fell away. Carriage roadway: chained carriage/wagon wheels and footfalls; two massive skeletal pullers; shadowy guards; one seated figure inside. ✹ Session Highlights Entered a spore-saturated Underdark pocket where perception fractured: hallucinations, dĂ©jĂ  vu, and distant “mirror” movement. Spotted an impossible landmark: the party’s original tavern, sitting in the haze like a trap made of nostalgia. Moved toward (but did not directly engage with) distant blue-lit activity and figures. Passed through an illusory wall into farmland and a village where the locals repeatedly insisted the party should stay . Dino used Detect Thoughts on the “villagers” and received a chorus of voices all repeating the same directive. After testing the scene with magic and contact — and finding no reassuring explanation — the party withdrew and continued. Dino kicked a “rock” that screamed, drawing four Hook Horrors. The party won the Hook Horror fight decisively: Fireball, Sacred Flame, Eldritch Blast, poison, familiar stings, and melee work. Immediately afterward, a loud buzzing approached through the darkness; the party ran until it was gone. They then heard wagon wheels and chains before they could see anything: a carriage pulled by two massive skeletal creatures, surrounded by ~six shadow-like guards, with one lone figure seated inside. Rigg dimmed his lantern and snuck close enough to confirm the count and the seated figure. The party used a “magic marble” (existing tool) and confirmed heavy magic around the carriage/occupants. Valen fired his last Fireball into the carriage
 and it was counter-spelled. Dino cast Heroism and jumped onto the carriage. End scene. 🎬 Key Scenes The Tavern That Shouldn’t Be There Rigg stands in yellow spore-mist, staring at an impossible mirage of the party’s original tavern looming in the Underdark haze. Passing Through the Illusory Wall Leydrick steps through a shimmering boundary—half in cavern-dark, half emerging into the false “farmland” beyond. ‘Stay.’ The Spore-Village Chorus Dino faces farmer-like figures in a fungal village as they gather in eerie silence, unified by a single insistent message: “Stay.” F.A.F.O. Dino kicks what looks like a rock—only for it to shriek open like a fungus-mouth, sending spores and panic into the tunnel. Hook Horror Clash High Jinks unleashes eldritch force into the gloom as a Hook Horror silhouette rises from the shadows, drawn by the scream. The Bone Carriage Approaches Rigg crouches with a dimmed lantern as a chained carriage rolls past—dragged by massive skeletal beasts and flanked by shadowy guards. đŸ§© Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Myconid / spore influence: the party was warned the area felt “too close” to myconid territory/kingdoms; the spores clearly have perception-warping effects. Reality distortion zone: hallucinated tavern, illusory wall, and “stay” village suggest either powerful spore-magic or something using spores as a delivery system. The “Stay” chorus: Dino’s Detect Thoughts returned a unified multi-voice directive; the figures may have been a shared-mind puppet group rather than independent people. The buzzing presence: something large/fast moved in the dark (audible buzzing) and forced a retreat; it did not pursue to contact. The Bone Carriage: two massive skeletal pullers, ~six shadow-like guards, and one seated figure inside. Heavy magic confirmed. Counterspell confirmed: whoever is inside the carriage can shut down big magic instantly — and did so without hesitation. Dino on the carriage: the party starts next session with Dino committed forward and the group potentially exposed. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status “Magic marble” (existing tool) Party Used near the carriage; confirmed a strong concentration of magic around it. (No new loot recovered this session.) Hook Horror remains — No notable loot found on the corpses. Flavor note: The Underdark doesn’t do “quiet” — it just switches from hallucinations to hooks to counterspells without changing tone. 🧹 Cliffhanger The party confronts a chained carriage dragged by two massive skeletal beasts, escorted by ~six shadow-like guards, with a lone figure seated inside. Valen’s final Fireball is counterspelled — hard confirmation that the carriage has serious arcane defense. Dino with Heroism (cast by Leydrick) and jumps onto the carriage, committing the party to an engagement whether they wanted one or not. Next session: 24/01/2026 — opening moment begins with Dino on top of the carriage and everyone else deciding how to not die about it. 📘 Session 17 - Carriage of the Stilled Tongue đŸŽ” Music   đŸ–Œïž Images đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer Session: 17 — The Stilled Tongue’s Carriage Date: 21/02/2026 Dungeon Master: James / Jamie / Sicareus Setting: On the road during portal travel (rocky outcrops and a stopped carriage) 🧭 Overview Mid-journey and still under Primus’ not-so-subtle “keep moving” mandate, the party’s travel turned into a roadside nightmare: shadows swarmed in, backed by two hulking minotaur skeletons. The fight immediately became a positioning puzzle—carriage, rock cover, and a fallen pillar mattered as much as damage. Then the real problem stirred: a lich revealed itself from within the carriage and started carving the battlefield apart with necrotic surges, brutal force blasts, and repeated deathly teleports. Fear scattered key bodies at the worst possible time, heals were constantly racing damage spikes, and more than one ally hit the dirt—then got dragged back into the fight anyway. By the end, the lich dropped, the road went quiet, and the party crawled away richer, scarier, and ready to level up. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Heavy Sneak Attack turns; dropped late, then revived post-fight. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Kept the party alive with Aura of Life, Healing Word / Mass Healing Word, and Channel Divinity; eventually downed. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Thunder Step, Eldritch Blast pressure, and one of the final blows on the lich; imp familiar assisted. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter Githyanki Frontline damage with Moon-Touched longsword + Dancing Longsword; forced to run when Fear landed. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Mind Sliver + Eldritch Blast output; Shield reactions; delivered the last hit that ended the lich. Rook Varrek DM (Ally NPC) Unknown (rapier user) Human Ice-encrusted rapier strikes; soaked big hits; feared into a full retreat at one point. 📍 Key Locations The stopped carriage/wagon (where the lich was hiding). A fallen pillar / rocky outcrop used for cover, leaps, and line-of-sight breaks. The surrounding road/approach where shadows and skeletons closed in. ⚔ Session Highlights Initiative opened on six shadows and two minotaur skeletons —then escalated when the lich joined from the carriage. High Jinks’ imp (often acting like a sneaky little aerial menace) contributed alongside repeated Eldritch Blasts. The lich’s toolkit defined the fight: Disrupt Life necrotic bursts, Deathly Teleport , heavy force blasts, and later Fear —which sent Dino and Rook sprinting. Leydrick’s Aura of Life (plus relentless healing) prevented a wipe when bodies started dropping. He still went down before the end. Rook dealt meaningful damage and soaked punishment, but ran away with fear along with DIno. Final sequence: High Jinks landed one of the last blows on the lich, then Valen finished it. Post-battle revives: High Jinks brought Leydrick back up; Valen brought Rigg back up. 🎬 Key Scenes Dino climbs onto the carriage and keeps the lid shut on instinct—because whatever’s inside is absolutely going to ruin someone’s night. He instead commits to the nearest shadow, blade flashing in tight arcs as the road turns into a swarm. Leydrick plants himself where allies can stay in reach, forcing the battlefield to orbit around his Aura of Life. Necrotic waves slam through the group. Rigg vaulting off a fallen stone pillar at a diagonal angle, coat snapping in the wind, both hands gripping a massive metal wrench overhead as he brings it down toward a Shadow A lich stepping out from the open carriage door Rook and Dino running full-tilt past jagged stone outcrops, breath visible in cold air, frost scattering from Rook’s rapier, Dino clutching his glowing blade as if it’s the only thing keeping him real. Valen and Jinx take down the Lich đŸ§© Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Primus’ mandate continues: the party is still bound to “further the task,” and delays tend to invite consequences. (Context from prior arc.) Rook Varrek remains central as a portal-route ally—also now clearly a liability when Fear and high burst damage start flying. The lich’s presence on the road: why was it traveling hidden in a carriage, and what was it doing in the party’s path? New dangerous assets acquired: the Tome and Crystal Ball raise questions about attention from enemies who know what those are. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Tome of the Stilled Tongue Valen A forbidden grimoire that feels less like a book and more like a sealed argument with death itself. Status: In Valen’s possession. Crystal Ball of Mind Reading High Jinks A cold, luminous orb that seems to dim when handled—like it resents being observed. Status: In High Jinks’ possession. 5,000 gp Party Recovered after the lich was defeated. 🧹 Cliffhanger Valen and Jinx revive Rigg and Leydrick The party survives the roadside lich encounter and secures high-tier loot and coin. After a rest, the party levels up to 8 . Next session: 07/03/2026. 📘 Session 18 – The Haunted Forge of Sondar đŸŽ” Music đŸ–Œïž Images       đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer Session: 18 – The Haunted Forge of Sondar Dungeon Master: James / Jamie / Sicareus Setting: Underdark travel route, swampy cavern near a black dragon, and the ruined dwarven kingdom of Sondar 🧭 Overview After surviving the roadside lich battle, the party rested, leveled to 8, and resumed the push deeper into the Underdark under the pressure of both Primus’ mandate and the Illithid task tied to a rumored crown. Early progress was cautious rather than heroic: Rigg and High Jinks scouted a distant light, discovered three fire elementals, and wisely chose not to add “burned to death in a cave” to the party rĂ©sumĂ©. Along the way, Valen used downtime to transcribe Misty Step and later Shield into his spellbook. Travel grew stranger as the ground turned damp and the party stumbled into the territory of a black dragon. They backed off without a fight and continued until the mountain fortress of Sondar came into view: a dead dwarven kingdom carved into stone, its great gates torn from their hinges and its streets littered with the old remains of dwarves and Illithids alike. Inside, a cold forge and a lantern-lit echo of the past revealed ghostly dwarven smiths trapped in a repeating scene. What first looked like a haunting or time-loop became something more dangerous when Dino disturbed the forge’s tools, causing the figures to twist into nightmare shapes. The session ended on initiative. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Scouted ahead with High Jinks, helped avoid the fire elementals, and investigated the ruined entrance to Sondar. Laydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Spotted distant light in the Underdark and helped guide the party toward the dwarven ruin. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Joined Rigg on the stealthy scout, investigated the forge’s looping ghost-scene, and tracked its pattern inside the lantern light. Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos) Robb / Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter Githyanki Took point at the forge, climbed in through the window, manipulated the lantern and hammer, and triggered the final hostile shift. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Used downtime to transcribe Misty Step and Shield , cast protective camp magic during the second rest, and used Detect Magic at the forge. Rook Varrek NPC Ally Guide / Rapier Fighter Human Led the party onward through the Underdark, identified Sondar as a ruined dwarven kingdom, and pushed the group to keep moving toward their objective. 📍 Key Locations Underdark Camp: A rough resting point where the party recovered, leveled up, and reorganized after the lich fight. Firelit Cavern Route: A stretch of tunnel where distant light revealed three fire elementals patrolling ahead. Black Dragon Swamp: A damp, dangerous cavern area occupied by a black dragon the party wisely chose not to provoke. Sondar: A ruined dwarven kingdom carved into a mountain, long fallen to Illithids and now eerily silent. The Forge of Sondar: A cold smithy where a magical lantern revealed looping dwarven echoes and a deadly shift into shadowy horror. 📑 Session Highlights The party completed a long rest after the lich fight and leveled up to 8. Valen used downtime to transcribe Misty Step into his spellbook, then later added Shield . Laydrick spotted a distant light; Rigg and High Jinks scouted ahead and identified three fire elementals. The group avoided the fire elementals rather than engaging them. Travel led the party into a damp cavern area occupied by a black dragon; they withdrew without fighting. The party reached Sondar, a ruined dwarven mountain kingdom whose gates had been torn down long ago. Inside the city, they found streets strewn with the old remains of dwarves and Illithids. A rhythmic hammer-on-anvil sound led them to a cold forge filled with ghostly dwarf-shapes visible only in lantern light. Investigation revealed the figures were trapped in a repeating scene: forging, reacting to a disturbance outside, grabbing weapons, and vanishing before the loop began again. Detect Magic revealed magic on the lantern and the anvil. Dino manipulated the scene from range, and when the hammer was violently displaced, the figures transformed into nightmarish shadow-creatures. Initiative was rolled just as the session ended. 🎭 Key Scenes 1. “Three Lights in the Dark” — Rigg & High Jinks Far ahead in the black of the Underdark, three distant lights drifted like torches. Rigg and High Jinks slipped forward under cover of darkness and discovered the truth: not wanderers, not campfires, but three fire elementals moving through the caverns. For once, the party chose good sense over violence and went around. 2. “Get Out” — Dino & the Black Dragon The floor turned wet, the air turned foul, and the next problem announced itself without subtlety: a black dragon in the swamp. The encounter lasted only moments, but that was enough. A warning, an apology, and a careful retreat kept the party alive. Sometimes heroism is knowing when to stop walking forward like an idiot. 3. “The Broken Gates of Sondar” — Laydrick & Rook When Sondar finally emerged from the darkness, it did not look like a kingdom waiting to be reclaimed. Its great metal doors had been knocked from their hinges and left on the ground, and beyond them lay silence, bones, and the distant outline of a keep. Rook called it safe enough. The ruin itself disagreed. 4. “Lantern Light” — Dino & High Jinks Inside the cold forge, the dead did not linger freely; they only existed inside the glow of a single lantern. High Jinks traced the loop in the scene while Dino pushed closer, prying at the edges of the mystery with magecraft and curiosity. The moment the forge’s rhythm was broken, the dwarven echoes stopped being echoes and became a threat. đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Primus’ mandate still hangs over the party: they are expected to keep moving and further the task. The Illithid letter objective continues: the party is still pursuing one of the artifact-retrieval leads, now focused on Sondar. The Crown of Sondar: local legend suggests the queen went mad shortly before the Illithid fall, and the party suspects a crown may be tied to that event. Why Sondar resisted settlement: Rook believes the Illithids could not remain here for long, possibly because the place is haunted. The black dragon remains nearby: an immediate danger left alive and unchallenged on the route behind them. The forge’s lantern, anvil, and hammer are all significant: the party has not yet learned whether they are relics, anchors for the haunting, or something worse. The dead of Sondar are not resting quietly: the ghostly forge-loop suggests the city may preserve moments of its fall in magical fragments. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Sondar Party A fallen dwarven kingdom cut into stone, littered with the remains of dwarves and Illithids. Status: Entered and under exploration. Ghost-Lantern Party discovery A lantern whose light reveals dwarven echoes repeating the final motions of forge-work and panic. Status: Still in the forge at session end. Magical Anvil Party discovery A silent anvil radiating magic, central to the forge scene and whatever memory or haunting is anchored there. Status: Unclaimed; still under investigation. Forge Hammer Party discovery The striking tool in the repeating forge scene; disturbing it caused the ghostly dwarves to become hostile shadow-forms. Status: Not secured; interaction triggered combat. Spellbook Progress Valen Misty Step and later Shield were transcribed during travel downtime, expanding Valen’s prepared options for what is very obviously becoming a terrible place to stand still. Status: Completed. 🧹 Cliffhanger The party stands inside or around the forge in the ruins of Sondar. The lantern still reveals the scene; outside its light, the figures vanish. After the hammer was displaced, the ghostly dwarves twisted into nightmarish shadow-creatures. Initiative was rolled. Next session opens with combat in the haunted forge. 📘 Session 19 - The Whispering Crown of Sondar đŸŽ” Music   "The Whispering Crown of Sondar" – Varrick Songweave đŸ–Œïž Images đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer Session: 19 – The Whispering Crown of Sondar Dungeon Master: James / Jamie / Sicareus Date: 26/03/2026 Setting: The ruined dwarven kingdom of Sondar, its haunted forge, keep, throne hall, and sealed vault 🧭 Overview The session opened exactly where the last one ended: inside the haunted forge of Sondar, with the ghostly dwarven smiths now fully hostile after Dino disturbed the forge’s tools. What began as a fight against three apparitions nearly became a party wipe when the ghosts possessed Rigg, Dino, and Leydrick, turning the group’s own blades, spells, and poor life choices against them. Valen’s Fireball helped break the chaos open, Leydrick’s healing brought bodies back from the brink, and the party narrowly pulled themselves out of a spiral that had become less “combat encounter” and more “team-building exercise from hell.” Once the forge was quiet, the group recovered a powerful dwarven hammer. Rigg, having stolen it from Dino while Dino boasted about his untouched health, handed it over to Leydrick. Valen identified it as a Dwarven Thrower , a rare and potent weapon best suited to the party’s dwarf. With the hammer secured and the party patched up, Rook led them deeper through the dead streets of Sondar toward the keep. Inside the keep, the party discovered the remains of a failed Illithid colony and the truth behind Sondar’s fall. Ancient dwarven notes described a siege, the queen’s descent into madness, rune-carving across the city, starvation, and the final massacre. In the throne hall, the dead queen still sat with a battleaxe buried in her chest and a silver crown gleaming on her head. Before the party could safely claim it, the ground split open and a Neothelid erupted from beneath the keep. Rook was swallowed, Rigg rode the creature like an idiot with conviction, and Dino eventually carved it down. The crown, once recovered, whispered darkly and caused the party’s instructions to change: it must now be taken to Arborea and gifted to the Choir Master . đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue / Swashbuckler Human Was possessed by a forge ghost; stole the hammer from Dino and gave it to Leydrick; read ancient Dwarvish notes; grabbed the crown; rode the Neothelid; picked the vault lock; began planning a treasure cart. Leydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric / Life Domain Dwarf Received the Dwarven Thrower; was possessed and later downed; cast Protection from Evil and Good, Prayer of Healing, Mass Healing Word, Sacred Flame, Spiritual Weapon, and Cure Wounds. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock / Great Old One Tabaxi Used Invisibility and Eldritch Blast through both major fights; sent her imp into danger; blasted the Neothelid; retaliated with Hellish Rebuke after the acid breath; briefly received the cursed crown. Dino Roar / Dynoth Rokos Robb / Baconbuff Artificer / Battle Smith, Fighter Githyanki Was possessed by a ghost and turned on his own side; received Protection from Evil and Good; identified the old Illithid spawning pool; recognized the Neothelid threat; used Protective Field on Rook; dealt heavy melee damage and helped finish the creature; secured the crown with telekinetic force. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard / Evoker Human Used Eldritch Blast, Fireball, Misty Step, Identify, Detect Magic, and Ice Knife; helped stabilize the ghost fight; identified the Dwarven Thrower; survived the Neothelid’s Feeblemind attempt. Rook Varrek NPC Ally Unknown Human Guided the party through Sondar; fought with pistols and ice-encrusted rapier; was swallowed by the Neothelid; escaped from its corpse alive but deeply unhappy; began preparing a red-circle return route to the ship. 📍 Key Locations The Haunted Forge of Sondar: The ghost-lit forge where the party fought possessed smith-spirits and recovered the Dwarven Thrower. Ruined Streets of Sondar: Corpse-strewn dwarven avenues marked by the aftermath of old battles between dwarves and Illithids. Sondar Keep Gate: A barred, decayed door forced open by Leydrick with Dino assisting. The Keep’s Inner Hall: A carnage-filled chamber with whispers, a rumbling floor, and signs of an ancient Mind Flayer presence. Illithid Spawning Pool: An empty basin identified as part of a failed Mind Flayer colony. The Queen’s Throne Hall: The chamber where the dead dwarven queen sat with a battleaxe in her chest and the silver crown on her head. Sondar Vault: A locked treasure vault discovered behind the throne hall and opened after Rigg noticed the lock the hard way. 📑 Session Highlights The party resumed mid-combat against three forge ghosts from the previous session. The ghosts possessed Rigg , Dino , and Leydrick , causing the fight to become a dangerous party-versus-party scramble. Valen used Fireball during the chaos, damaging possessed allies and ghosts alike. Leydrick was knocked down but later brought the party back with major healing, including Prayer of Healing and Mass Healing Word. Rigg stole the mysterious hammer from Dino during the aftermath and handed it to Leydrick. Valen identified the weapon as a Dwarven Thrower , requiring attunement and best suited for Leydrick. The party pushed onward through Sondar’s dead streets and forced open the entrance to the keep. Inside, the group discovered evidence of a failed Illithid colony and an old spawning pool. Ancient dwarven notes revealed that Sondar fell after Mind Flayers laid siege, the queen ordered rune-carving across the city, madness spread, starvation weakened the dwarves, and the Illithids slaughtered the survivors. The party found the dead queen on her throne, pierced by a dwarven battleaxe and wearing the silver crown they sought. A Neothelid burst into the throne hall before the party could safely extract the crown. Rook was swallowed by the Neothelid and suffered acid damage inside the creature. Rigg climbed onto the Neothelid and attacked it from its back with his wrench. The Neothelid used acid breath and nearly crippled Valen with a Feeblemind-like psychic assault. Dino delivered the killing blows, slicing the monster open and allowing Rook to escape from its corpse. The silver crown whispered when held, and the task note changed to instruct the party to take it to Arborea and gift it to the Choir Master . The party discovered a treasure vault and began preparing to transport as much loot as possible back to the ship via Rook’s red circle. The group chose Arborea as their next destination, leaving the Shard of Hate in the Abyss for later. 🎭 Key Scenes 1. Valen and the Possessed Line The forge fight turned ugly when the ghosts slipped into the bodies of the party’s frontliners. With friends attacking friends and Leydrick bleeding out, Valen made the kind of wizardly calculation that only looks insane if it fails. Fireball bloomed across the battlefield, burning ghosts and allies alike, buying just enough space for the party to keep fighting instead of collapsing into a haunted heap. 2. Rigg Gives Leydrick the Hammer In the aftermath, while Dino was busy celebrating his suspiciously untouched health, Rigg quietly helped himself to the forge hammer. Rather than keep it, he handed it to Leydrick with the air of a man who had absolutely acquired it through legitimate channels. Valen identified it as a Dwarven Thrower, and the party agreed that the dwarf should probably hold the dwarf-only hammer. Bold strategy. Shockingly sensible. 3. Rigg and Rook Against the Neothelid When the Neothelid erupted into the throne hall, Rook was the first to suffer for standing too close to the wrong mouth. The creature swallowed him whole, leaving only muffled screaming and acid-soaked panic from within. Rigg answered in the only way Rigg could: by climbing onto the gargantuan worm and attacking it from its back with his massive wrench. 4. Dino Takes the Crown from High Jinks After the Neothelid fell, the silver crown proved immediately unpleasant. It whispered in the mind, radiated cursed-ring energy, and made everyone nearby look briefly untrustworthy. Rigg tossed it to High Jinks, who was already tempted to try it on, before Dino lifted it away with telekinetic force and ordered it sealed away before anyone did something wonderfully stupid. đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks The Crown’s New Command: The party’s written instructions changed after the crown was claimed. The crown must now be taken to Arborea and gifted to the Choir Master. The Crown Whispers: The silver crown is clearly dangerous, possibly cursed, and actively whispers to whoever holds it. The Shard of Hate: The other known objective remains in the Abyss, but the party chose to finish the crown task first. Primus’ Mandate: The command to “further the task” still hangs over the party’s decisions. The Fall of Sondar: The ancient notes suggest the dwarven queen’s madness, the city’s runes, and the Illithid siege were connected. The Queen’s Death: A dwarven battleaxe was found embedded in the queen’s chest, implying betrayal, execution, or a desperate final act. Vault Haul Pending: The party found a large vault of treasure. Exact contents are still pending final count. Rook’s Survival: Rook survived being swallowed by a Neothelid, but he may never be emotionally clean again. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Dwarven Thrower Recovered by Dino, stolen by Rigg, given to Leydrick A very rare +3 magical warhammer requiring attunement by a dwarf or a creature attuned to a Belt of Dwarvenkind. It has the Thrown property, returns after being thrown, and deals extra force damage on ranged hits, especially against giants. Currently with Leydrick. Forge Lantern Dino A lantern taken from the haunted forge area. Status and magical properties remain unclear. Ancient Dwarven Notes Rigg Old records from the keep describing the siege of Sondar, the queen’s madness, rune-carving across the city, starvation, and the final Illithid slaughter. Silver Crown Initially Rigg; secured by Dino The sought-after crown from the dead queen’s throne. It whispers when held and caused the mission note to change. It is now tied to the instruction to take it to Arborea and gift it to the Choir Master. Dwarven Battleaxe Valen A fairly nice dwarven battleaxe pulled from the queen’s chest. It appears meaningful to the queen’s death, though it was not identified as especially magical. Sondar Vault Treasure Party A large vault of gold and scattered valuables discovered behind the throne hall. Exact treasure count is pending. The party began stacking as much as possible into Rook’s red circle for transport back to the ship. Item Notes Dwarven Thrower: A weapon that feels made for an ancestral grudge. Heavy, rune-marked, and built to leave the hand like a thunderbolt before returning as if pulled by old dwarven pride. Silver Crown: Bright enough to command a throne, wrong enough to make every sensible instinct scream. Its whispers are indistinct, but no one holding it felt comforted. Dwarven Battleaxe: Not the grandest weapon in Sondar, but its placement made it impossible to ignore. Whoever drove it into the queen’s chest made a final statement in steel. ⏳ Cliffhanger The Neothelid is dead, and Rook escaped from its corpse alive. The silver crown has been recovered but is whispering and clearly unsafe. The task note now points the party toward Arborea and the Choir Master . The party intends to return to the ship with as much vault treasure as possible. The Shard of Hate in the Abyss remains unresolved. Next destination chosen: Arborea . 📘 Session 20 - Through Heaven's Back Door đŸŽ” Music "Through Heaven's Back Door" – Varrick Songweave [Verse 1] From Sondar’s vault of dust and stone, They hauled old gold by circle’s glow. Rook said, “My debt is paid in full,” Then passed a pistol, worn and cold. Five thousand coins for parting grace, A smirk, a nod, no warm embrace. He named a spire, a ship of dread, Then vanished where old captains tread. [Hook] Raise the sail, let the green seas roar, Through heaven’s back door once more. Gold in the hold, crown in the dark, A cursed little whisper with a bite and a bark. Sing low, sing high, let the wild winds soar, We’re bound for the Choir Master’s door. [Verse 2] The gate demanded magic’s price, Not blood this time, which seemed quite nice. Boots of winter, web-wand bright, Ring of Ram in blue-green light. Valen watched the runes ignite, High Jinks fed sparks into the night. The portal split with feyborn flame, And Arborea called their name. [Hook] Raise the sail, let the green seas roar, Through heaven’s back door once more. Gold in the hold, crown in the dark, A cursed little whisper with a bite and a bark. Sing low, sing high, let the wild winds soar, We’re bound for the Choir Master’s door. [Verse 3] Upon green waves their rowboat spun, The “peaceful trip” was quickly done. A Morkoth rose with teeth and spite, To ruin everyone’s afternoon delight. Dino braced and Leydrick prayed, Rigg shot poorly, undismayed. The wyrmling’s flame made sea-mist bloom, And bought them space from certain doom. [Bridge] Then up they rose by dragon fire, Past sea and stone and silver spire. Valen traced the way back home, In circles inked on secret tome. Dino stared where bright skies burned, Knowing nice views mean trouble earned. For heaven smiles with open hands, Then buries knives beneath the sands. [Verse 4] In Arvandor’s enchanted green, They tried their best not to be seen. High Jinks became a twilight fox, While Dino’s elf act shook the rocks. Leydrick clanked with holy care, Rigg rang bells from who-knows-where. A glowing watcher turned aside— Somehow the lie survived. [Final Hook] Raise the sail, let the green seas roar, Through heaven’s back door once more. Gold in the hold, crown in the dark, A cursed little whisper with a bite and a bark. Sing low, sing high, let the wild winds soar, We’re bound for the Choir Master’s door. [Outro] Five shadows stand where starlight streams, Before the land of deathless dreams. The crown still calls, the songs still pour, And trouble waits behind the door. So tune the lute and mark the score— We’re bound for the Choir Master’s door.     đŸ–Œïž Images đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer Session: 20 – Through Heaven's Back Door Date: 25/04/2026 Dungeon Master: James / Jamie / Sicareus Setting: Sondar Vault, the party's spelljammer, the Astral Sea, Arborea's second layer, and the forested upper realm of Arvandor. 🎬 Previously On... In Session 19, the party survived the haunted forge of Sondar, recovered a Dwarven Thrower for Leydrick, uncovered the grim history of the fallen dwarven kingdom, and claimed the whispering crown from the dead queen's throne hall. The crown immediately changed the shape of the party's task: instead of merely surviving Sondar and its Illithid-haunted ruin, they were now compelled to take the crown to Arborea and deliver it to the Choir Master. The session ended with the vault finally opened and the party standing before more gold than they had ever seen in their lives. The only remaining problem was simple: how to move a dwarven kingdom's worth of treasure without turning the ship, the party, or basic logistics into paste. 🧭 Overview Session 20 began in the treasure vault of Sondar, where the party turned from desperate survivors into very wealthy, very suspicious people. With Rook's teleportation circle limited by space rather than greed, the group loaded roughly 49,500 gold onto their ship, sorted through powerful magic items, and created a dedicated gold room aboard the vessel. Rigg celebrated the haul with beer from his Alchemy Jug, because nothing says financial responsibility like pouring alcohol over a dwarven payday. After the treasure was secured, Rook announced that his debt had been repaid and that he had to return to his own ship and crew. The farewell was generous and practical: Rigg handed him 5,000 gold, Rook gave directions toward Fizzwick and the spire on Arborea's second layer, warned them about the Mountain of Misery as a last-resort contact, and gifted Rigg a pistol from a coat full of firearms. The party then paid the portal's fuel tax with magic items, travelled for weeks through the Astral Sea, and reached a sea cave opening onto Arborea. From there, the journey became a strange passage through heavenly territory by the least official route imaginable. A rowboat crossing turned dangerous when a Morkoth burst from the green sea, only to be driven off through spellwork, steel, rowing panic, and help from a red dragon wyrmling. The party found Fizzwick's network, bought passage aboard a dragon-powered blimp, learned more about the Choir Master's music and the danger of the crown, received anti-scrying rings, and finally entered the forests of Arvandor in disguise. By the end, they were alive, hidden for now, and moving toward the music that may sit at the center of the whole problem. Arborea đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick "Rigg" Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Claimed the Belt of Dwarvenkind; celebrated the gold haul with beer from the Alchemy Jug; gave Rook 5,000 gold; received Rook's pistol; attempted to use the pistol against the Morkoth despite lacking firearm proficiency; later helped distract the glowing investigator with a bell. Leydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Received the Belt of Hill Giant Strength and Periapt of Wound Closure; helped manage survival and recovery; rowed during the Arborea crossing; remained the party's most sensible candidate for staying alive so everyone else could keep being healed. High Jinx Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Used Armor of Agathys during the Morkoth attack; used Hat of Disguise to pass as an elf named Fox at Twilight Dre, or simply Fox; helped talk the party past suspicion in Arvandor; earned inspiration for the distraction. Dino Roar / Dynoth Rokos Robb / Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter Githyanki Managed party inventory and loot logistics; explained firearm proficiency and offered to train Rigg; protected himself with Shield during the Morkoth encounter; contributed to rowing and combat decisions; disguised himself as an elf with questionable confidence. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Attuned to the Tome of the Stilled Tongue; used Cause Fear to drive the Morkoth back; copied teleportation circle details as an emergency escape route; gained dragonchess set proficiency during the blimp journey; helped piece together the danger of delivering the crown to the Choir Master. 🎭 NPC Tracker NPC Role Location Status Notes Rook Former companion and guide Departed from the party's ship Left party Declared his debt repaid and returned to his own ship and crew. Accepted 5,000 gold from Rigg, gave directions toward Fizzwick, warned of the Mountain of Misery, and gifted Rigg a pistol from a coat packed with firearms. Fizzwick / Fizz Contact and passage arranger Spire island on Arborea's second layer Active Rook's recommended contact. Helped arrange passage upward toward Arvandor, though the service was expensive. Sea Elf Contact Local negotiator / guide Arborea's second layer Active Helped handle negotiations around travel and local arrangements. Name unclear from transcript. Taran Human wizard and Arborea contact Cave / blimp route Active Interested in Valen's magical book. Provided warnings about Arborea, copied teleportation circle locations for Valen, and warned the party to destroy the page if compromised. Volmea Dragon handler Cave / blimp route Active Long-time companion of Taran and handler of the red dragon wyrmling that powers the blimp. Red Dragon Wyrmling Dragon and blimp power source Arborea's second layer / blimp Active Powered the blimp by breathing flame into its furnace. The party was clearly advised not to touch or annoy it. Confused Elf Spirit Wandering spirit Forest of Arvandor Wandering A slightly transparent elf who questioned why the party was there and warned that they did not belong. Glowing Elf Investigator Suspicious investigator Forest of Arvandor Active Surrounded by orange light and investigating disturbances in the forest. Nearly exposed the party before High Jinx and Rigg redirected attention. Choir Master Target of the crown delivery Arvandor Unknown Leads or directs the magical choir whose music spreads across the upper realm. The crown being meant for this figure is increasingly alarming. Corellon Leader of the elven pantheon Arvandor Active / nearby influence Frequent presence near the party's target area. The party was warned that getting too close to places watched by Corellon and the elven gods would be a very bad idea. Primus God-machine of Mechanus Mechanus / wider planar influence Active influence Still compels the party to further the task. The party increasingly suspects Primus wants to see how the plan unfolds rather than simply prevent it. Mono Modron ally / former travelling companion Unclear Unresolved The party briefly wondered about earlier companions and whether anyone had been left aboard the ship. Mono's current role was not resolved this session. Unidentified former crewmate Possible former shipboard NPC Party's ship or departed Unknown The party could not remember whether this person had left, remained aboard, or had simply been forgotten in the Astral Sea. Deeply professional adventuring. 📍 Key Locations Sondar Vault: The treasure-filled dwarven vault where the party recovered major wealth and several magic items. Party's Spelljammer: The ship became the landing point for nearly 50,000 gold and gained a dedicated gold room. Portal with Blue and Green Flecks: The portal toward Arborea, requiring three magic items as fuel before passage. Astral Sea: The party spent roughly two to three weeks travelling, resting, attuning, and discussing training. Arborea Sea Cave: The party's entry point into Arborea's second layer, opening onto a small island surrounded by green sea and stone spires. Green Sea of Arborea: The rowboat crossing where the Morkoth attacked from below. Spire Island: The rocky island and large stone spire where Rook said the party would find Fizzwick. Cave and Blimp Dock: The staging point where the party met Taran, Volmea, and the red dragon wyrmling before ascending by blimp. Dragon-Powered Blimp: A magical airborne vessel powered by the wyrmling's fire, carrying the party upward toward Arvandor. Arvandor: The upper forested realm of Arborea, bathed in elvish music and watched by powerful divine forces. Forest Near the Choir Master's Region: The drop-off point where the party encountered elven spirits and a glowing investigator. Mountain of Misery: A dwarven ship in the Astral suggested by Rook as a last-resort contact, with the warning that it is definitely not filled with dwarves anymore. 📑 Session Highlights The party sorted through the Sondar vault and transported roughly 49,500 gold to the ship. Rigg used the Alchemy Jug to pour beer during the loading effort, fully embracing suspiciously dwarven energy. Rigg claimed the Belt of Dwarvenkind; Leydrick received the Belt of Hill Giant Strength and Periapt of Wound Closure. Rook departed after declaring his debt repaid, taking 5,000 gold and leaving the party with directions, warnings, and a pistol for Rigg. The party sacrificed the Boots of the Winterlands, Wand of Web, and Ring of the Ram to pay the portal's magic-item fuel tax. During weeks of Astral travel, the party rested, attuned to items, discussed firearm training, and prepared for Arborea. The crown remained a growing concern, especially after the party learned it may be most dangerous in the hands of someone powerful. The party entered Arborea through a sea cave and found themselves on a small island surrounded by green water and stone spires. A rowboat crossing turned into a fight when a Morkoth burst from beneath the water. Valen's Cause Fear drove the Morkoth away, though the creature's spell reflection could have made that a hilarious disaster for everyone in the boat. The red dragon wyrmling flew over the fleeing creature and later powered the blimp that carried the party upward. Taran and the Arborea contacts warned the party about Corellon, the elven gods, and the danger of being caught where they should not be. Valen copied teleportation circle locations for an emergency exit, with strict instructions to destroy the page if compromised. The party received five enchanted anti-scrying rings to help hide from divine and magical scrutiny. Valen gained dragonchess set proficiency during the blimp journey. In Arvandor's forest, High Jinx and Dino used disguises while Rigg created a bell distraction to divert a glowing investigator. The session ended with the party moving through the forest toward the source of magical elven music and the Choir Master's domain. đŸŽžïž Key Scenes Rook’s debt is paid, but he does not leave empty-handed — or without leaving something behind. With a sack of gold at his feet and the party’s treasure-stuffed ship behind him, he gives Rigg a flintlock pistol from his coat of hidden weapons: a practical farewell from one troublemaker to another. To reach Arborea, the party pays the portal’s price in magic rather than blood. The Boots of the Winterlands, Wand of Web, and Ring of the Ram dissolve into blue-green sparks, feeding the gateway as Valen and High Jinks guide the unstable ritual forward. The peaceful green waters of Arborea turn violent as a Morkoth erupts beneath the party’s rowboat. Dino braces at the prow while Leydrick calls on divine power, the tiny boat suddenly caught between celestial beauty and something very interested in eating them. The party rises toward the upper realm aboard a dragon-powered blimp, with Arborea’s green seas and stone spires falling away below. Valen studies the teleportation-circle notes that may become their escape route, while Dino watches the horizon, fully aware that heavenly scenery rarely means heavenly odds. High Jinks steps into the role of “Fox at Twilight Dre,” trying to look like she belongs in the elven afterlife while suspicion closes in. Hidden nearby, Rigg rings a small bell to draw attention away — a ridiculous plan, naturally, which means it somehow works. đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks The Crown and the Choir Master: The crown appears especially dangerous in the hands of someone powerful, possibly allowing outside influence or control. This makes the command to give it to the Choir Master far more alarming, since the Choir Master directs the magical music that washes across Arvandor. Primus' Mandate: The party is still compelled to further the task. They suspect Primus may be allowing the plan to unfold in order to understand or expose a larger design. The Music of Arvandor: The entire upper realm is bathed in magical elvish music with calming and other effects. The Choir Master appears to be central to this system. Divine Surveillance: Corellon and the elven gods are active powers in the region. The party has been warned that being noticed in the wrong place could end very badly. Anti-Scrying Rings: Each party member received an enchanted ring designed to hide them from divination and prying eyes, though it is only a smaller version of stronger protections used by their contacts. Emergency Return Route: Valen copied teleportation circle locations that may allow the party to escape. If compromised, the page must be destroyed. Rigg's Pistol Training: Rook gifted Rigg a pistol, but Rigg is not yet proficient with firearms. Dino offered training, though proper proficiency will take longer than the party currently has. The Dwarven Scrolls: The scrolls from Sondar reveal that the crown reached the queen during the Illithid siege, after which rune-carving spread across the city and appeared to trap souls. Fizzwick's Network: The party has now used Rook's Arborea contact, but future help from this network is likely to be expensive and politically dangerous. Mountain of Misery: Rook named this dwarven Astral ship as a last-resort contact. It is not filled with dwarves anymore, which is exactly the kind of detail that makes the word "last-resort" do heavy lifting. Forgotten Shipboard Companions: The party remains unsure about the fate of at least one previous companion or crewmate, and whether anyone was left aboard, departed, or simply forgotten. đŸ—ș Quest Status Quest / Thread Status Relevant NPCs Notes Deliver the Crown to the Choir Master In Progress Choir Master, Primus, Taran The party has reached Arvandor and is moving toward the source of the magical music. The consequences of delivery are increasingly worrying. Hide within Arvandor Ongoing Glowing Elf Investigator, Confused Elf Spirit The party must avoid detection by spirits, investigators, and possibly divine powers. Disguises and distraction are currently keeping them alive. Use Rook's Arborea Contact Completed Rook, Fizzwick Rook directed the party to Fizzwick near the spire. Fizzwick's network helped arrange passage upward. Survive the Green Sea Crossing Completed Morkoth, Red Dragon Wyrmling The Morkoth attacked the rowboat but was driven away by magic and dragon fire. Secure an Escape Route Available but risky Taran, Valen Valen copied teleportation circle locations. The page must be destroyed if the party is compromised. Understand the Crown's Role in Sondar Ongoing Rigg, Queen of Sondar (historical) The dwarven scrolls tie the crown to the queen's madness, the city's runes, and trapped souls. Train Rigg with Firearms Deferred Rigg, Dino Rigg can fire the pistol but lacks proficiency. Dino can train him, but it will require more downtime. Seek Help at the Mountain of Misery Optional / Last Resort Rook Named as a dwarven ship in the Astral, but Rook warned it is no longer crewed by dwarves. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item / Discovery Finder / Holder Description / Status 49,500 Gold Pieces Party Recovered from the Sondar vault and teleported back to the ship. The party stored it in a newly designated gold room. Belt of Dwarvenkind Rigg A dwarven belt that immediately suited Rigg's mood, especially once beer started flowing. Grants dwarven resilience and associated benefits after attunement. Belt of Hill Giant Strength Leydrick A strength-enhancing belt that helps Leydrick handle heavy armour and strike harder with dwarven weapons. Very practical. Suspiciously sensible. Periapt of Wound Closure Leydrick A survival charm suited to the healer. If Leydrick stays alive, the party's odds of staying alive improve dramatically. Funny how that works. Boots of the Winterlands Party Inventory Sacrificed as part of the portal's magic-item fuel tax. Wand of Web Party Inventory Sacrificed as part of the portal's magic-item fuel tax. Ring of the Ram Party Inventory Sacrificed as part of the portal's magic-item fuel tax. Ring of Spell Storing Party Inventory Not sacrificed. Contents remain unknown and should be checked later. Rook's Pistol Rigg A firearm gifted by Rook during his farewell. Rigg is not proficient yet, but can still fire it without adding proficiency to the attack roll. Anti-Scrying Rings Party Five enchanted rings given before entering Arvandor. They provide protection against divination and prying eyes, though they are weaker than the protections on the helpers' ship. Teleportation Circle Locations Valen Copied by Taran into Valen's book. This page may allow escape, but must be destroyed if the party is discovered. Ancient Dwarven Scrolls Rigg / Party The scrolls reveal that Sondar sealed itself during an Illithid siege. The crown later reached the queen, whose madness spread through the city as rune-carving intensified. The runes appeared to trap souls. Dragonchess Set Proficiency Valen Gained during the blimp journey after playing dragonchess. Achievement unlocked,. Point of Inspiration High Jinx and Rigg Awarded for the disguise and bell distraction that helped divert the glowing investigator in Arvandor's forest. Rowboat Party Found on the small island in Arborea and used to cross toward the spire. Survived the Morkoth attack, which is more than could reasonably be expected. ⚙ Rules & Mechanics Notes Teleportation Circle Capacity: The vault gold was limited by how much could fit inside Rook's circle, not by ship weight. Attunement: Characters can attune to up to three magic items, and attunement requires rest. Portal Fuel Tax: Passage through the Arborea portal required sacrificing three magic items. Firearm Proficiency: A character can fire a pistol without proficiency, but does not add proficiency bonus to the attack roll. Training: Dino can train Rigg in firearms, but it requires more time than a single short stretch of travel. Long Rest: The table confirmed use of 5.5-style long rest recovery for hit dice. Morkoth Spell Reflection: The Morkoth's ability to reflect spells could have made Valen's Cause Fear rebound horribly if the save had gone differently. Rowboat Movement: Two oars meant two people could row effectively at once. Weak rowers slowed progress, because physics remains rude even in heaven. Disguise Self: Disguise magic was used to help non-elves pass in Arvandor, but the spell only affects the caster. Heavy Armour and Stealth: Plate armour still causes stealth issues, though sufficient strength prevents speed reduction. Anti-Divination Rings: The rings must be worn to help hide the party from scrying and divination. 💬 Memorable Quotes Rigg: "We're rich boys and girls." Leydrick: "Lets make it 49,999." Dino: "We'll leave a donation." Rigg: "Little bit of donation for the Dungeon Master. You know, for his hard work." Valen: "Back to the Depths with you!." Rook: "I've repaid my debt." Rigg: "Your wizard. Make it a speedboat, for fuck's sake." DM: "Don't touch the dragon." DM: "Most people don't try to sneak out of heaven." 🏁 Cliffhanger The party has reached Arvandor, the upper layer of Arborea, while disguised and hidden under anti-scrying magic. The magical music of the realm grows more important as the party approaches the Choir Master's domain. The crown remains in the party's possession and may be exactly the wrong thing to give to exactly the wrong person. Corellon and the elven gods are active nearby, making discovery a potentially catastrophic problem. The party has an emergency teleportation route, but using or exposing it may burn their Arborea contacts permanently. 📘 Session 21 - When Heaven Stopped Singing đŸŽ” Music "When Heaven Stopped Singing" – Varrick Songweave [Intro] Tap the iron, strike the chain, Sing it once and not again. Silver crown and holy song, Someone knew it would go wrong. [Verse 1] Up through heaven’s greenwood bright, Past the spirits, pale as light, Came five thieves with borrowed names, Walking soft through godly flames. Elven voices filled the air, Old souls listening everywhere, On the stone where music flowed, Rigg stepped out and stole the road. [Pre-Chorus] One minute bought with shaking knees, One fool dancing for the trees, One crown waiting, cold and thin, One bad task about to begin. [Chorus] Heave now, haul now, run from the choir, Gold-green heaven is catching fire. Row now, roll now, straight through the foam, Gods behind us and death for home. No bell rings clean, no prayer rings true, When the song turns black underneath the blue. [Verse 2] Dino came in silver smoke, Quiet as the oath he broke, Set the crown on sacred hair, Whispered sorry to the air. First song trembled, second rose, Cold as stone where no wind blows, Every note began to bend, Like a hymn that found its end. [Pre-Chorus] Valen carved the circle wide, Leydrick guarded at his side, High Jinks watched the branches sway, Then the whole world looked their way. [Chorus] Heave now, haul now, run from the choir, Gold-green heaven is catching fire. Row now, roll now, straight through the foam, Gods behind us and death for home. No bell rings clean, no prayer rings true, When the song turns black underneath the blue. [Verse 3] Fizzwick saw them hit the floor, Knew enough to ask no more, Sea elf staring, circle bright, All good hosts know when to flight. Out by boat on shining green, Came the beast they’d hoped unseen, Morkoth rising, teeth and spite, Hungry for the fleeing light. [Bridge] Jinks fired force and wore it back, Purple pain on silver track. Valen’s fire split the spray, Leydrick’s hammer marked the way. Rigg let fly with rogue-born luck, Dino stood and carved and struck. Then thunder cracked the heavens wide, And all the holy music died. [Chorus] Heave now, haul now, run from the choir, Gold-green heaven is catching fire. Row now, roll now, straight through the foam, Gods behind us and death for home. No bell rings clean, no prayer rings true, When the song turns black underneath the blue. [Verse 4] Back aboard with dripping blades, Counting rods and robe-eyed shades, Thinking, maybe, danger passed, Fools forget the gods move fast. Steel feet thundered through the gloom, Law walked cold into the room. “Do not resist,” the Marut said, Then dragged the living toward the dead. [Breakdown] Rigg stayed shadow, clean and dry, Watched the metal judgement fly. Dino raged and took the blow, Down where lawful rivers flow. Four returned with silver skin, Clockwork heaven still within. [Verse 5] Primus spoke with burning gears, Measured doom and mortal fears. Corellon’s wrath was newly named, Still the task was praised, not blamed. Mind Flayer broken on the floor, Letters stolen, rival war, Other hands had moved the thread, Other fools were further ahead. [Final Chorus] Heave now, haul now, chain by chain, Carceri calls through blood-red rain. March now, mark now, none go free, Find the prison, turn the key. Stop the Flayers, break what’s spun, Loose the god called Tharizdun. [Outro] Tap the iron, strike the chain, Sing it once and not again. Four in metal, one stayed clean, And red stars wait where none have been.     đŸ–Œïž Images The Choir Master   đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer Session: 21 – When Heaven Stopped Singing Date: 30/05/2026 Dungeon Master: James / Jamie / Sicareus Setting: Arvandor in Arborea, Fizzwick’s island and sea cave, the Astral return route, the party’s spelljammer, and Primus’ metallic domain in Mechanus 🧭 Overview The party resumed in Arvandor after slipping past the previous session’s glowing investigator. Still disguised, scattered, and very aware they were intruding in elven heaven, they followed the magical music across open plains toward a vast bowl-shaped valley. At its centre stood a raised stone stage where thirty to forty elven singers and musicians performed powerful elven circle magic, surrounded by spirits that had become deeply attuned to Arborea over time. Their task was simple in wording and awful in implication: place the silver crown from Sondar on the Choir Master’s head. After confirming Valen could prepare an escape through Teleportation Circle, the party committed. Rigg walked onto the stage and improvised a deeply uncomfortable dance distraction while Dino used Misty Step to appear behind the female Choir Master and place the crown on her head, apologising as he did it. The music did not stop immediately. Instead, a second song began to rise beneath the first, growing louder as the original faded. The party fled through Valen’s circle back to Fizzwick’s island, where Fizzwick and the sea elf immediately realised something had gone wrong. The escape turned into a frantic boat chase when the Morkoth returned, the anti-scrying rings began to burn, and a thunderclap from above silenced the music. After killing the Morkoth and stripping it of magical loot, the group returned to the ship — only to be seized again by Primus’ Marut enforcer. Primus revealed that Corellon had been angered, that rival Mind Flayers were hunting the party over a stolen letter, and that another group was moving toward the Red Prison in Carceri. The new order: go to Carceri, find the Red Prison, stop the Mind Flayers, and release Tharizdun. Because apparently the paperwork was not cursed enough already. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Distracted the Choir Master with an improvised stage approach and performance; struck the Morkoth with Bag O’ Nutz, Sneak Attack, and Fire Strike; later successfully hid from the Marut enforcer and avoided Primus’ summons. Leydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Stayed near the escape circle during the crown operation; rowed during the boat escape; hit the Morkoth with the Dwarven Thrower; succeeded strongly on the religion check concerning Tharizdun. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Entered the amphitheatre disguised as an elf, kept a telepathic mind link with Rigg, observed the choir from the front seats, blasted the Morkoth, and took reflected Eldritch Blast damage when its spell reflection turned her own magic back on her. Dynoth “Dino Roar” Rokos Robb / Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter (Psi Warrior) Githyanki Borrowed the Dimension Door cloak plan, used Misty Step to reach the Choir Master, placed the crown, used Telekinetic Movement to shove the boat toward the portal, and delivered the killing blows against the Morkoth with his Moon-Touched Sword. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Recognised the faded nature of Arborean spirits, prepared and cast Teleportation Circle as the escape route, used Gust of Wind to help propel the boat, hit the Morkoth with Fireball and Fire Bolt, and identified several recovered magical items. 📍 Key Locations Open plains of Arvandor: The party’s route after escaping the previous investigator, leading toward the source of the plane-spanning music. Natural amphitheatre: A vast bowl-shaped valley with a raised stone dais at its centre, where the Choir Master and elven performers maintained powerful circle magic. Elven keep and river: A nearby structure and river close to the amphitheatre, observed while the party planned the approach. Fizzwick’s island cave: The Teleportation Circle destination used for the escape; after the crown was placed, the song could be heard there where only sea noise had been before. Island boat route: The frantic crossing toward the lower portal, complicated by the returning Morkoth and the burning anti-scrying rings. Astral return route: After passing through the lower portal, the party floated back toward their ship using Astral movement. The party’s spelljammer: The temporary safety point after the escape, loot sorting, and the site where the Marut enforcer returned. Primus’ metallic domain: The place where most of the party was summoned, questioned, and given the next catastrophic order. Red Prison in Carceri: The newly assigned destination tied to Tharizdun, the Mind Flayers, and the next major objective. 📑 Session Highlights The group regrouped after avoiding the previous Arvandor investigator and continued toward the magical music. Valen’s strong religion result revealed that long-dead spirits in Arborea gradually fade into and become attuned to the plane. High Jinks moved to the front seats, disguised as an elf, and established a telepathic link with Rigg while watching the choir. The party identified the performance as heavy elven circle magic, powerful enough for the song to be heard across the plane. Valen confirmed he had a Teleportation Circle location in his book and could use it as the escape route, though the spell required one minute to cast. Dino planned the crown placement around Valen’s casting time, using Misty Step for the final approach. Rigg climbed onto the stage and bought time with a painfully awkward but successful performance. Dino placed the crown on the female Choir Master’s head and apologised as he did so. A second song began to rise beneath the first, and the original music slowly faded. The party fled through Valen’s Teleportation Circle to Fizzwick’s island cave. Fizzwick and the sea elf saw the party return and immediately demanded to know what they had done. Fizzwick began repairing or preparing his own circle and fled the unfolding disaster. The party escaped by boat while the Morkoth closed in from the water. The anti-scrying rings began burning during the escape, suggesting the party was being found or pressured by divine/magical attention. A thunderclap from above silenced the music. Dino used Telekinetic Movement and Valen used Gust of Wind to help push the boat toward the portal. Valen’s Fireball damaged the Morkoth before initiative began; the creature failed its save, so its spell reflection did not trigger there. High Jinks later learned the reflection problem the ugly way when a missed Eldritch Blast bounced back into her. The Morkoth bit Leydrick and High Jinks, but missed Rigg. Dino finished the Morkoth with Moon-Touched Sword strikes after the creature was already badly wounded and leaking echo into the water. The party looted magical items, a fine red trident, and a small chest from the sinking creature. Back on the ship, Valen identified the recovered items as a Robe of Eyes, a Rod of Rulership, and an Immovable Rod. The contract envelope changed again, now instructing the party to make their way to the Citadel of the Atavoid “when it becomes time.” The Marut enforcer returned to the ship, said “Do not resist,” and began removing party members again. Dino resisted violently and was hit by the Marut’s Unerring Slam for massive damage before being taken. Rigg successfully hid from the Marut and did not appear before Primus with the others. Primus stated that the party had angered Corellon, the elven god, but had performed the assigned task well. Primus revealed that a captured Mind Flayer from a rival vessel had been hunting the party for one of the stolen letters. Primus explained that other groups were working on related tasks, and one had completed a task originally assigned to the party. The next instruction was issued: travel to Carceri, find the Red Prison, stop the Mind Flayers, and release Tharizdun. The metallic floor turned to liquid, dragging the summoned characters away and returning them to the ship dripping with metallic residue. đŸŽžïž Key Scenes Rigg’s River-Dance Distraction Rigg stepped onto the dais before a gathering of impossibly beautiful elven performers and immediately learned that the Choir Master was a woman. After a brief conversational crash-and-burn, he committed to the only plan left: movement. He whistled with the music, shuffled into a jig, and somehow avoided tripping over his own feet. It was not graceful. It was not holy. It was, against all odds, enough. Dino Places the Crown With Valen’s circle nearly finished, Dino vanished in silver mist and appeared behind the Choir Master with the crown ready. He placed it on her head and apologised as the nearby elves turned. For a breath, the music continued. Then another song began beneath it — quieter at first, then louder, pressing upward as the original faded. The Circle Opens Valen holds the escape route together while Leydrick stands guard against heaven itself High Jinks and the Reflected Blast As the boat lurched toward the portal, High Jinks hurled Eldritch Blast into the sea monster. One beam struck true, but another missed and came screaming back through the Morkoth’s spell reflection. The force slammed into High Jinks instead, turning a confident warlock volley into a brief but educational self-own. Dino Ends the Morkoth The Morkoth leaks echo into the sea as Dino drives the Moon-Touched Sword home. Primus and the Captive Mind Flayer In Primus’ domain, a battered Mind Flayer appeared on the metal floor: confused, injured, and no longer in control of its hunt. Primus stated that it had come from a rival vessel and had been searching for the party because they carried something that belonged to it — one of the stolen letters. The creature became less an enemy and more evidence that the board had more players than the party realised. đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Corellon’s wrath: Primus confirmed that the party angered Corellon, the elven god. After the escape, someone was still trying very hard to find them. The crowned Choir Master: The crown was successfully placed, but the full effect remains unknown. The immediate result was a second song rising, the original song fading, and a thunderclap that ended the music. Primus’ agenda: Primus considered the task successful, showed no interest in protecting the party from divine fallout, and still wants the wider plan seen through to its conclusion. The stolen letters: The captured Mind Flayer was hunting the party because one of the stolen Illithid letters belonged to it. Rigg holds the Abyss-related letter; High Jinks holds the Underdark-related letter. Other groups are moving: Primus revealed that other groups are working on the same larger task network, and one has completed a task originally assigned to the party. Tharizdun and the Red Prison: The next mission points to Carceri. The party must find the Red Prison, stop the Mind Flayers, and release Tharizdun — a god-level problem with the instructions written by someone who hates clarity. Tharizdun’s identity: Leydrick’s religion check and Valen’s book confirmed Tharizdun as the Elder Elemental Eye, one of the oldest elder gods, imprisoned in Carceri after attempting to tear a hole in the multiverse. Citadel of the Atavoid: The contract envelope now says to make for the Citadel of the Atavoid when it becomes time. It is not yet clear whether that is before, during, or after the Carceri mission. Anti-scrying rings: The rings burned during the escape from Arborea and stopped burning once the party returned to the ship. Their reaction likely matters. Rigg missed the Primus briefing: Rigg successfully hid from the Marut and had to be filled in afterward by the others. Loot allocation and attunement: The Robe of Eyes, Rod of Rulership, and Immovable Rod are now in party inventory, with attunement limits still relevant. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Silver Crown of Sondar Delivered by Dino Placed on the Choir Master’s head. Immediate effects included a second song rising beneath the first and the apparent angering of Corellon. No longer in party possession. Teleportation Circle Location Valen Valen had a circle location recorded in his book and used Teleportation Circle as the escape route from the amphitheatre back to Fizzwick’s island cave. Cloak / Coat of Dimension Door Valen / used in planning Confirmed as usable without attunement. It formed part of the crown-placement escape plan, allowing rapid extraction from the stage area. Robe of Eyes Valen identified; Given to High Jinx Looted from the Morkoth. Requires attunement . Grants all-around sight benefits, darkvision, and the ability to see invisible creatures and into the Ethereal Plane within range. Rod of Rulership Valen Looted from the Morkoth. Requires attunement. A command-focused magical rod; exact use should be handled carefully because “making people listen” rarely stays morally tidy. Immovable Rod Valen identified; party inventory Looted from the Morkoth. A classic utility rod with a button that fixes it magically in place until deactivated or overpowered. Fine Red Trident Dino Recovered from the Morkoth’s carried items. Not detected as magical, but clearly well made and visually distinctive. Small Chest Valen / party inventory Recovered from the Morkoth as it began to sink. Contents not confirmed during the session. Contract Envelope Update Party The task envelope changed after the escape. New wording: make your way to the Citadel of the Atavoid when it becomes time. Tharizdun Intelligence Leydrick and Valen Identified through religion knowledge and Valen’s book: Tharizdun is the Elder Elemental Eye, imprisoned in Carceri after trying to tear a hole in the multiverse. Captured Rival Mind Flayer Primus Presented in Primus’ domain. It had been hunting the party from a rival vessel because of the stolen letter. Primus declared its worth little and allowed the party to dispose of it. Item Flavor Notes Robe of Eyes: A dark, unsettling robe covered in eye-like patterns. Useful, powerful, and absolutely not subtle. It sees what polite people pretend not to. Immovable Rod: A plain iron rod with a button and a bad attitude toward physics. Once fixed in place, it simply refuses to move. Rod of Rulership: A commanding magical rod suited to forceful authority. Potentially powerful, potentially dangerous, and exactly the sort of item that makes party members glance sideways at whoever picks it up. Fine Red Trident: A striking, well-crafted trident taken from the Morkoth’s hoard-like collection. Not magical by detection, but too stylish for Dino to ignore. Small Chest: A recovered container from the Morkoth’s carried treasures. Contents remain unknown, which means it is either useful, cursed, or about to become someone’s problem. ⏳ Cliffhanger The party is back aboard the ship, coughing up metallic residue after Primus’ forced transport. Rigg was already on the ship after successfully hiding from the Marut and now needs the full explanation. Corellon is angry, and the party may have only escaped divine attention because they left fast enough. The contract now points to the Citadel of the Atavoid “when it becomes time.” The immediate mission is worse: travel to Carceri, find the Red Prison, stop the Mind Flayers, and release Tharizdun. The next target is known. The wisdom of going there is very much not. 📘 Session 22 - The Silent Nautiloid at the Red Portal đŸŽ” Music The Escape has Begun [Intro] Oh-oh, the red gate’s rising, Oh-oh, the stars are cold. Oh-oh, the red gate’s rising, And the dark wants what we stole. [Verse 1] Four came back in silver shame, One stood clean and asked their name. Clockwork gods and metal rain, Primus put them on the chain. Cloak and rod and death-charm bright, Fed the helm for one more flight. Through the void with no moonlight, Carceri burned red in sight. [Pre-Chorus] Pay the price, light the spark, Steer the ship into the dark. Hold your nerve, draw your blade, Every debt must now be paid. [Chorus] Red gate rising, red gate calls, Through the stars where silence falls. Sail it fast and sail it true, Mind Flayers waiting, hunting you. Red gate rising, red gate gleams, Past the wrecks and broken dreams. Chain by chain, spark by spark, We ride laughing through the dark. [Verse 2] Asteroids rolled like dragon teeth, One dead ship lay still beneath. No crew stirred and no bell cried, Only purple lamps inside. Rigg went quiet, Q went small, Sneaking through the living wall. Found the book with whispers thin, Then the trap came closing in. [Pre-Chorus] One little imp, one stolen page, One rogue grin, one warlock rage. When Q went dark, the silence broke, High Jinks burned in violet smoke. [Chorus] Red gate rising, red gate calls, Through the stars where silence falls. Sail it fast and sail it true, Mind Flayers waiting, hunting you. Red gate rising, red gate gleams, Past the wrecks and broken dreams. Chain by chain, spark by spark, We ride laughing through the dark. [Verse 3] Dino drove the ship in hard, Tentacles reached through the stars. Rigg came back with book in hand, Straight from death’s own purple land. Then they boarded, steel and spell, Into one tight corridor hell. Valen smiled, raised his flame, Dino learned the wizard game. [Bridge] Fire in the hallway, Fire in the bone, Three squid-faced horrors, Dino not alone. Leydrick called the healing, High Jinks brought the cold, Rigg’s shot rang like thunder, And the Flayer’s luck was sold. [Chorus] Red gate rising, red gate calls, Through the stars where silence falls. Sail it fast and sail it true, Mind Flayers waiting, hunting you. Red gate rising, red gate gleams, Past the wrecks and broken dreams. Chain by chain, spark by spark, We ride laughing through the dark. [Verse 4] One Flayer fled through folded air, Too near death to linger there. Alhoon stood with corpse-cold pride, Moon-Touched steel came in from the side. Dino shook the stun away, Cut the dark and won the day. Smoke rolled out, the ship lay still, But the red gate waited still. [Final Chorus] Red gate rising, red gate calls, Through the stars where silence falls. Q is gone and debts are due, There’s a stolen book to read through. Red gate rising, red gate gleams, Past the wrecks and broken dreams. Chain by chain, spark by spark, We ride laughing through the dark. [Outro] Oh-oh, the red gate’s rising, Oh-oh, the stars are cold. Oh-oh, the red gate’s rising, And the dark wants what we stole. đŸ–Œïž Images       đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer Session: 22 – The Silent Nautiloid at the Red Portal Date: 13/06/2026 Dungeon Master: James / Jamie / Sicareus Setting: The party’s spelljammer, the Astral Sea, an asteroid field around a red portal, and an enemy Illithid nautiloid 🎬 Previously On... After placing the silver crown on the Choir Master in Arvandor, the party fled through Valen’s Teleportation Circle, escaped Fizzwick’s island, fought and killed the returning Morkoth, and returned to their spelljammer. Their brief safety ended when the Marut returned and dragged most of the party back before Primus, leaving Rigg hidden aboard the ship. Primus confirmed that Corellon had been angered, that rival Illithids were hunting the party over the stolen letters, and that another group was already moving within the wider task. The party’s new command was clear in wording and horrible in content: travel to Carceri, find the Red Prison, stop the Mind Flayers, and release Tharizdun. 🧭 Overview Session 22 began with the party reunited aboard their spelljammer, though not in equal states of dignity. Everyone except Rigg had returned from Primus’ metallic domain covered in strange clockwork residue, while Rigg had missed the divine briefing entirely and needed to be caught up. The group confirmed their next destination: a red portal somewhere in the Astral Sea, tied to Carceri and the Red Prison. Before they could travel, the party had to pay the now-familiar magical toll, sacrificing the Cloak of Protection, the Immovable Rod, and Leydrick’s one-use wound-closure amulet to gain enough planar “juice” for the journey. After a long but uneventful trip, the red portal came into sight within a dense asteroid field. The portal was only humanoid-sized, making it useless for ship travel, but the more immediate problem was the silent nautiloid waiting nearby. The enemy ship showed no visible movement from a distance, so Rigg volunteered for a stealth infiltration. High Jinks sent her newly named imp familiar, Q, with him, using the familiar’s invisibility and scouting ability to help search the ship. Rigg disabled one of the nautiloid’s weapons and found several Illithid living spaces full of psionic devices he could not properly identify. The stealth mission went bad in the traditional party style: almost successful, then immediately everyone chose violence. Q slipped into a chamber with three figures and helped steal a strange Illithid tome, but was caught or destroyed before escaping. Rigg got the book back to the party and handed it to Valen, while High Jinks, furious over Q’s loss, flew toward the enemy ship in Mind Flayer disguise. Dino drove the party’s nautiloid into position, used its tentacles to retrieve Rigg, then launched himself into the enemy ship. What followed was a brutal corridor battle against Mind Flayers and Alhoons, ending when Dino shook off his stun and carved the final foe apart with two critical strikes. The session ended before the ship could be searched or the red portal entered. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Moose / Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Infiltrated the enemy nautiloid with Q, disabled a ship weapon, helped steal the Illithid tome, escaped through a window, later landed a heavy Bag O’ Nutz Sneak Attack that burst one enemy’s head apart. Leydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Sacrificed his one-use death-saving amulet for portal fuel, healed Dino after the fireball incident, later restored 21 HP to the whole party with Mass Healing Word, and threw the Dwarven Thrower through the packed corridor. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Confirmed the Robe of Eyes as her current look, sent Q with Rigg, used Armor of Agathys before boarding, flew toward the enemy ship in Mind Flayer disguise after Q was lost, and punished melee attackers with cold and fire retaliation. Dynoth “Dino Roar” Rokos Robb / Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter (Psi Warrior) Githyanki Piloted the party’s spelljammer, retrieved Rigg with the nautiloid’s tentacle-teleport system, boarded the enemy ship first, cast Heroism, endured stuns and psychic attacks, then ended the fight with two critical sword strikes. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Helped select sacrifices, received the stolen Illithid tome from Rigg, cast Cause Fear, unleashed a cramped fourth-level Fireball that hit enemies and Dino alike, used Fire Shield and Shield, and postponed studying the book until after combat. 📍 Key Locations The party’s spelljammer: Starting point after Primus’ summons; Rigg had remained aboard while the others returned coated in metallic residue. Astral Sea route: The long travel path toward the red portal, powered by sacrificed magic items. Asteroid field: A dense field around the destination portal, giving cover and making the approach cautious. Red portal: The vision-guided destination toward Carceri and the Red Prison. It was only humanoid-sized, so neither nautiloid could pass through it. Enemy nautiloid exterior: The silent Illithid vessel waiting near the portal, initially showing no visible movement from a distance. Enemy nautiloid living quarters: Rooms searched by Rigg, filled with beds, tables, small artifacts, and psionic devices he could not meaningfully operate. Enemy nautiloid weapon room: Rigg disabled one rope-and-gear weapon system by cutting part of it and pulling out a component. Enemy nautiloid corridor: The main battlefield, where Mind Flayers, Alhoons, party members, spells, steel, and bad spatial awareness all collided. 🎭 Key Scenes Rigg and Q: The Book Heist Inside the silent Illithid nautiloid, Rigg moved room by room, listening for footsteps and slipping through doors while Q crept ahead unseen. The living quarters were full of strange psionic tools, useless to a non-psionic thief but clearly part of a Mind Flayer vessel. When Q found crystals, a wand, and a suspicious tome guarded by three figures, the pair pushed their luck. The imp created a distraction, the book was stolen, and Rigg escaped with the prize — but Q did not make it back. High Jinks and Q: The Familiar Lost When High Jinks realized Q had been caught or destroyed, caution lost the argument. Wearing her Mind Flayer disguise, she launched herself toward the enemy ship across the void. It was not the safest move, but it was exactly the move High Jinks would make: angry, grieving, and suddenly much less interested in leaving the Illithids alone. Valen and Dino: Fire in the Corridor The battle compressed into a brutal nautiloid corridor, with Dino trapped near the front and enemies packed around him. Valen stepped into position and chose the wizard’s oldest answer to clustered problems: Fireball. The explosion tore through Mind Flayers and Alhoons, but the cramped space gave mercy to no one. Dino took the blast along with the enemy, turning the tactic into both a breakthrough and a reminder that friendly fire is still fire. Leydrick’s Healing Word Through Smoke As the corridor burns and minds break, Leydrick drags the party back from the edge. Dino and the Alhoon: Two Critical Cuts Near the end, the last Alhoon still stood despite spellfire, thrown weapons, freezing backlash, and a corridor full of violence. Dino, fresh from being stunned and absolutely finished with the creature’s existence, surged forward. He leapt over his Steel Defender, struck twice with brutal precision, and cut the enemy down in a final burst of Githyanki fury. 📑 Session Highlights The session opened with Rigg seeing the others return from Primus covered in strange metallic residue. The party reviewed Primus’ command and clarified that the next major destination was Carceri, specifically the Red Prison tied to Tharizdun. Valen and the others confirmed that the small chest from the Morkoth had already been opened previously. Everyone who had gone to Mechanus felt a directional pull and received a brief vision of a distant red portal. The party needed three more magical items to fuel the next long journey. The chosen sacrifices were the Cloak of Protection, the Immovable Rod, and Leydrick’s one-use wound-closure amulet. The anti-scrying rings from Arborea were confirmed to have burned up or snapped after leaving that situation. High Jinks confirmed she now wears the Robe of Eyes, and specifically wanted future images to show it. During the long travel, Rigg asked Dino for lessons in “shooty-shooty-bang-bang,” mostly involving how to hold a firearm sideways with confidence and questionable practicality. Near the red portal, the party found a silent enemy nautiloid waiting among asteroids. The portal itself was only humanoid-sized, meaning neither ship could simply fly through it. Rigg and Q infiltrated the enemy ship while the rest of the party waited aboard their own vessel. Rigg found Illithid devices and artifacts throughout the living quarters, but most appeared to rely on psionics and were not useful to him. Rigg disabled one enemy ship weapon by cutting its workings and removing a gear or component. Q entered a guarded chamber, located crystals, a wand, and a tome, and helped steal the tome. Q was caught or destroyed during the escape, which pushed High Jinks into a furious, direct boarding attempt. Dino used the party nautiloid’s tentacle system to retrieve Rigg, teleporting him into one of the unlocked cells aboard their ship. High Jinks flew toward the enemy vessel in Mind Flayer disguise, driven more by grief and anger over Q than by tactical sanity. Dino launched himself into the enemy ship and began the fight at close range. The enemy force included regular Mind Flayers and Alhoons, the latter appearing as dried, pale, lich-like Illithid spellcasters. Valen’s Cause Fear drove one enemy away through the corridor. Dino was repeatedly targeted by tentacles, psychic pressure, and Mind Blast, spending a painful portion of the battle stunned or grappled. Valen cast a fourth-level Fireball in the tight corridor, badly burning multiple enemies and also catching Dino in the blast. Leydrick patched Dino back up afterward and later used Mass Healing Word to restore 21 HP to everyone in range. High Jinks’ Armor of Agathys punished melee attackers with cold damage, and her later retaliation added more punishment through fire. Rigg scored a heavy Bag O’ Nutz Sneak Attack that caused an enemy’s head to burst apart, spraying gore through the corridor. One heavily wounded Mind Flayer chose to Plane Shift away rather than stay and try to eat Dino’s brain. An Alhoon used Negate Spell against Valen’s Cause Fear, but the spell slot or charge was not wasted. The final enemy survived a ridiculous amount of punishment before Dino, freshly free from stun and furious, landed two critical hits and carved it into pieces. The session ended before the party could loot the bodies, search the nautiloid properly, study the stolen tome, or enter the red portal. đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks The red portal: The party has reached it, but has not yet gone through. It is humanoid-sized and appears tied to the route toward Carceri and the Red Prison. The Red Prison: The main task remains unresolved: reach Carceri, find the prison, stop the Mind Flayers, and release Tharizdun. The stolen Illithid tome: Rigg recovered a book written in Illithid script and carrying a nasty aura. Valen needs about an hour to study it properly. Q’s fate: High Jinks’ imp familiar was lost during the theft. Whether Q was captured, destroyed, or recoverable was not resolved during the session. The escaped Mind Flayer: One badly wounded Mind Flayer Plane Shifted away instead of dying. That is almost never free of consequences. The enemy nautiloid: The ship has not yet been searched after the fight. It may contain clues, supplies, psionic devices, letters, maps, or additional trouble. The other group: Another group appears to be advancing the wider Primus-linked task network. Their motives, route, and current progress remain unclear. Corellon’s wrath: The consequences of crowning the Choir Master and silencing heaven’s music remain unresolved. Magical fuel cost: The party keeps sacrificing useful magic items to move between major planar targets. This is now officially a pattern, not a quirk. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Cloak of Protection Party inventory Sacrificed . Given up as one of the three magical items needed to power the long journey toward the red portal. Immovable Rod Party inventory Sacrificed . A useful utility item fed into the planar travel cost. Naturally, the table immediately joked about needing it later. Wound-Closure Amulet / Death-Save Amulet Leydrick Sacrificed . A one-use protective item that could turn a failed death save result into survival. Leydrick volunteered it as the third magical fuel source. Robe of Eyes High Jinks Equipped / confirmed. High Jinks now wears the Robe of Eyes. Future depictions of her should include it unless later changed. Anti-Scrying Rings Party Destroyed / spent . Confirmed to have burned up, cracked, or snapped after the party escaped the Arborea situation. Illithid Tome Q and Rigg; handed to Valen Recovered, not yet studied. A stolen book written in Illithid script, carrying a nasty aura. Valen said it would take about an hour to properly examine. Unknown Wand Seen by Q Seen but not recovered. Q spotted it in the guarded room alongside crystals and the tome. The tome was prioritised. Crystals / Gems Seen by Q Seen but not recovered. Present in the guarded chamber. Their purpose and value remain unknown. Illithid Psionic Devices Rigg Observed only. Rigg found multiple strange devices in the enemy living quarters, but they appeared to rely on psionics and could not be easily understood or used. Enemy Nautiloid Weapon Rigg Disabled. Rigg cut part of its mechanism and removed a gear or component, rendering that weapon useless. Enemy Nautiloid Corpses and Ship Contents Party Pending. The fight ended before the party could search bodies, loot rooms, inspect ship systems, or determine whether anything else remained aboard. ⏳ Cliffhanger The final enemy aboard the visible battle area was killed by Dino’s double-critical strike. At least one wounded Mind Flayer escaped by Plane Shift. Q is missing after the failed familiar escape. The stolen Illithid tome is in Valen’s hands but has not yet been deciphered. The enemy nautiloid has not yet been looted, searched, or fully secured. The red portal still waits outside among the asteroids, and the party has not yet stepped through toward Carceri. 📘 Session 23 - The Ferryman’s Bargain đŸŽ” Music The Escape has Begun [Intro] Red sky burning, black chain turning, Silver river, take us down. Red sky burning, no returning, Past the dead and underground. [Verse 1] On the silent squid-ship, cold and still, Rigg poured acid on the helm at will. Runes hissed out and the controls went dark, Then five stepped through the crimson arc. Boots hit stone and the air turned wet, Tracks led onward where the dead gods slept. Four felt a pull through the mire and rain, But Rigg walked free of the unseen chain. [Pre-Hook] Mud to the knee, red in the sky, Thunder rolled but nothing passed by. Follow the footprints, follow the dread, Down where the prisons swallow the dead. [Hook] Row, ferryman, row us down, Past the fog where the lost souls drown. Thirteen coins or a giant’s crown, Row, ferryman, row us down. Red sky burning, black chain turning, Silver river, cold and slow. We paid in steel, the deal is sealed— Row, ferryman, down we go. [Verse 2] Through the swamp stood a marble lord, Thirty feet tall with his leg chained hard. Crius watched from the prison ring, With Illithid stains on his hands like ink. “They tried to command me, they entered my ground, I crushed the fools and I ground them down. The rest went deeper—your quarry still runs, Toward the cage of the chained mad one.” [Pre-Hook] Don’t speak the name, don’t call his gaze, Don’t draw the dark through the prison maze. Find the river, bargain well, Every road runs deeper into hell. [Hook] Row, ferryman, row us down, Past the fog where the lost souls drown. Thirteen coins or a giant’s crown, Row, ferryman, row us down. Red sky burning, black chain turning, Silver river, cold and slow. We paid in steel, the deal is sealed— Row, ferryman, down we go. [Verse 3] The boat came gliding without an oar, A hooded shape on the silver shore. “Thirteen souls,” was the price he gave, For a road beneath the prison grave. No coins in pocket, no souls to spend, But two black crystals made his silence bend. Then Dino shook the ferryman’s hand: “Name the beast, and we’ll clear your land.” [Bridge] Never drink the silver water, Never let it touch your tongue. One drop steals a name remembered, Two drops leave the old songs unsung. Never swim beneath the surface, Never trust the fog below. Keep your hands inside the vessel— There are things you should not know. [Breakdown] Fire in the cave! Valen lit the night. Hammer through the smoke! Leydrick’s aim struck right. Jinks from the shadows, Force against the stone. Rigg cracked the giant— Dropped him to one knee alone. Dino raised the moonlit blade, Cold axe falling, debt repaid. One last cut, the giant fell, And thunder rolled across the hell. [Final Hook] Row, ferryman, row us down, Past the fog where the lost souls drown. The giant is dead, the debt is bound, Row, ferryman, row us down. Red sky burning, black chain turning, Silver river, cold and slow. Mind Flayers fleeing, mad gods dreaming— Row, ferryman, down we go. [Outro] Red sky burning, no returning, Silver river, take us down. Chains are calling, kingdoms falling— Row us deeper underground. đŸ–Œïž Images đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer Session: 23 – The Ferryman’s Bargain Date: 11 July 2026 Dungeon Master: James / Jamie / Sicareus Setting: Enemy Illithid nautiloid, the red portal, Othrys and the Swamps of Treachery in Carceri, the silvery river, and a Frost Giant’s cave Next Session: 8 August 2026 🎬 Previously On... In Session 22, the party followed Primus’ command toward a humanoid-sized red portal believed to lead into Carceri. An enemy Illithid nautiloid waited among the surrounding asteroids, and High Jinks’ newly summoned imp, Q, was destroyed while scouting its interior. The party boarded the vessel and fought through its defenders, killing several Mind Flayers and two undead Alhoons while one badly wounded Illithid escaped by plane shifting away. The enemy ship had fallen silent, but the red portal remained open nearby. Somewhere beyond it lay the Red Prison, the surviving Illithids and, according to Primus’ impossible command, the imprisoned god Tharizdun. 🧭 Overview The party began by securing the captured Illithid nautiloid before committing themselves to the red portal. Rigg swept the vessel for hidden survivors while Valen searched for magical salvage. Their search uncovered two crystals taken from the destroyed Alhoons, each carrying disturbing magic connected to trapped minds or souls. Knowing that the escaped Mind Flayer might return with reinforcements, the party turned their attention to disabling the ship. Once Dino and Rigg identified the psychic helm as its critical control point, Rigg poured acid from his Alchemy Jug across its runes and mechanisms, melting away important sections and leaving the vessel unable to pursue them without considerable repair. After a short rest, the party passed through the red portal and emerged into a cramped, humid cave. Footprints showed that another group had recently traveled ahead of them. Beyond the cave stretched Othrys, the uppermost layer of Carceri  a seemingly endless mire beneath a red, storm-filled sky. Everyone except Rigg felt an unnatural pull leading deeper into the swamp. The tracks followed the same direction, so the party pressed onward through the region identified by Valen’s Book of Knowledge as the  Swamps of Treachery . The journey brought them within a great magical boundary containing Crius , a thirty-foot-tall Titan seemingly carved from white marble and chained within a powerful prison circle. Crius revealed that the Illithids had arrived earlier and attempted to control him; those foolish enough to enter his circle had been crushed. He confirmed that Tharizdun was held on one of Carceri’s deeper and more dangerous layers, then directed the party toward a nearby river. A guide found there could carry them down through the prison plane—but Crius warned them neither to drink nor swim in its water. At the river, a silent ferryman emerged through the fog and demanded the traditional toll of thirteen soul coins.  The party had none, but the ferryman recognized that they carried crystals taken from Illithid liches and believed they might be useful. After recoiling at the spoken name of Tharizdun , the ferryman offered another price: kill a dangerous creature that had been murdering his kind, and he would transport the party as far as Cathrys , Carceri’s second layer. Dino sealed the bargain with a handshake, binding both sides to peace aboard the vessel. The ferryman carried them across the silver water to a grey shoreline and a firelit cave. Inside waited a Frost Giant, maddened or diminished after drinking from the river. Rigg scouted the chamber, High Jinks stationed her pseudodragon outside to watch the boat and ferryman, and the party launched a coordinated assault. Valen opened with a powerful Fireball, High Jinks battered the giant with Eldritch Blasts, Leydrick’s Dwarven Thrower proved especially effective against the giant, and Dino endured the creature’s enormous axe strikes at close range. Rigg repeatedly struck from concealment, eventually smashing the giant to one knee before Dino delivered the killing blow. The session ended with the giant slain, the ferryman’s price paid, and passage deeper into Carceri now owed to the party. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Moose / Ben Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Scouted the enemy nautiloid and later the Frost Giant’s cave; used acid from his Alchemy Jug to destroy the Illithid helm’s runes; inspected the ferryman’s supply of soul coins without stealing one; dealt repeated Sneak Attack damage and left the Frost Giant on one knee. Leydrick Gefinhal Jared Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Provided healing during the Frost Giant battle and repeatedly attacked with the Dwarven Thrower, whose enchantment was particularly effective against a giant. High Jinks Kate Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Summoned a new pseudodragon familiar during the party’s rest; used it to watch the ferryman and river while the party entered the cave; struck the Frost Giant repeatedly with Eldritch Blast from long range. Dynoth “Dino Roar” Rokos Robb Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter Githyanki Helped determine that the nautiloid’s psychic helm was the key to disabling the ship; followed the supernatural pull through Othrys; formally accepted the ferryman’s bargain; absorbed several brutal Frost Axe attacks and delivered the final strike against the giant. Valen Pyre Justin Wizard (Evocation) Human Used Detect Magic to search the nautiloid; recovered information about the Alhoons’ crystals; consulted the Book of Knowledge to identify Othrys and the Swamps of Treachery; negotiated with Crius and the ferryman; opened the Frost Giant battle with Fireball. 📍 Key Locations Captured Illithid Nautiloid: The enemy vessel conquered during Session 22. Its remaining rooms were searched before Rigg destroyed important runes on the central psychic helm. The Red Portal: A humanoid-sized opening among the asteroids that led directly from the Astral Sea into Carceri. Portal Cave: A small, damp cave on the Carceri side of the portal. Numerous recent footprints led from it into the swamp. Othrys: The uppermost layer of Carceri, consisting here of endless marshland beneath a red sky filled with unnatural lightning and distant thunder. Carceri Map The Swamps of Treachery: The lethal marshland through which the party followed both the Illithids’ tracks and a supernatural directional pull. Crius’ Prison Circle: A vast magical boundary containing the chained marble Titan. Illithids who attempted to control him had been crushed inside it. The Silvery River: A fog-covered waterway flowing toward Carceri’s deeper layers. Every swallowed drop strips away part of the drinker’s identity or memory. The Ferryman’s Boat: A strange vessel governed by a binding promise that neither the ferryman nor his passengers would harm one another aboard it. The Frost Giant’s Cave: A firelit chamber beyond a grey beach, littered with the remains of large creatures and occupied by a river-corrupted Frost Giant. 📑 Session Highlights The party confirmed that the Illithid who escaped Session 22 had not returned to the nautiloid. Two magical crystals connected to imprisoned minds or souls were recovered from the destroyed Alhoons. Rigg used eight ounces of magically produced acid to melt important runes from the enemy ship’s psychic helm. High Jinks replaced Q with a pseudodragon familiar during the party’s short rest. The party entered Carceri through the red portal and found tracks left by the Illithid expedition. Valen’s Book of Knowledge identified the region as Othrys and the Swamps of Treachery. Everyone except Rigg felt a supernatural pull leading deeper into the prison plane. The party encountered Crius, a chained Titan imprisoned within a magical circle. Crius confirmed that the Illithids had passed through earlier and tried unsuccessfully to control him. Crius warned the party that Tharizdun was held on a lower, more dangerous layer of Carceri. The ferryman demanded thirteen soul coins, then accepted a monster hunt as an alternative payment. The ferryman reacted with fear when the party spoke Tharizdun’s name aloud. The party learned that drinking the river’s water causes a person to lose pieces of themselves with every drop. Rigg discovered that the ferryman carried numerous silver soul coins but wisely chose not to steal one. Valen opened the Frost Giant battle with a Fireball that engulfed the cave. Leydrick’s Dwarven Thrower dealt additional damage because the target was a giant. Dino survived the Frost Giant’s heaviest attacks by using Shield and remaining in close combat. Rigg’s final wrench strike forced the Frost Giant to one knee. Dino killed the Frost Giant with his Moon-Touched Longsword. The party earned passage with the ferryman toward Cathrys, the second layer of Carceri. 📾 Key Scenes The Titan in the Storm Valen looked upward as what he had mistaken for a statue drew breath. Crius towered above him, thirty feet of pale marble muscle framed beneath Carceri’s red lightning. Black smears stained the Titan’s hands where earlier Illithid visitors had been crushed. One of Crius’ legs remained bound by a chain, while the vast prison circle beneath him shimmered with ancient divine magic. The Ferryman’s Hand Dino stood at the edge of the silver river while the ferryman waited motionless in his narrow boat. Thirteen soul coins were the stated price, but the party carried none. Instead, the ferryman extended one hand and offered a bargain: remove the killer haunting the river, and receive passage deeper into Carceri. Dino accepted the cold hand, sealing a promise that no one aboard the boat would harm another. Rigg Reaches for the Soul Coins Rigg’s hand hovered over the Ferryman’s soul coins, but even he knew some purses were better left untouched. The Giant Falls Rigg’s wrench blow forcing the Frost Giant down onto one knee, Dino seized the opening. He stepped through the firelit smoke and drove his Moon-Touched Longsword into the wounded giant with a final, decisive strike. The massive axe slipped from the creature’s grasp as it collapsed beside the roasting canoloth, ending the ferryman’s hunt and sealing the party’s passage deeper into Carceri. đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks The Escaped Mind Flayer: One Illithid survived the battle aboard the nautiloid and escaped by plane shifting away. Its destination and plans remain unknown. The Remaining Illithid Expedition: Crius confirmed that only some of the earlier Illithids were crushed. Others continued deeper into Carceri. Tharizdun: The chained god is held on one of Carceri’s lower layers. Merely speaking his name may attract dangerous attention. Primus’ Mandate: The party remains compelled to stop the Mind Flayers and release Tharizdun, despite having no clear understanding of why doing so serves Primus’ greater design. The Alhoon Crystals: The two crystals are connected to trapped minds or souls and were recognised by the ferryman as phylacteries or similarly dangerous Illithid artefacts. Crius: The imprisoned Titan remains chained within Othrys. The party chose not to interfere with his prison, but his knowledge and immense power may become important later. The River’s Cost: Drinking the river causes progressive loss of identity or memory. The Frost Giant may have been altered by this effect. The Ferryman’s Promise: With the Frost Giant dead, the ferryman now owes the party transport toward Cathrys. The Red Portal: It is not known how long the portal will remain open, whether the party can return through it, or whether the sabotaged enemy nautiloid will eventually be repaired. High Jinks’ Familiar: Q remains dead. High Jinks has summoned a new pseudodragon familiar, whose name is R 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item Finder Description / Status Mind-Trapping Crystal / Alhoon Phylactery Valen and the party Two magical crystals recovered from the destroyed Alhoons. Its magic is associated with trapping minds or souls. The ferryman immediately recognized the pair as dangerous objects taken from Illithid liches. Damaged Illithid Nautiloid Party The captured enemy vessel remained behind near the red portal. Rigg destroyed important control runes with acid, leaving the ship disabled but not necessarily beyond repair. Fragment of Frost Giant Helmet Valen A piece cut from the giant’s horned helmet as a trophy. The “horn” was part of the helmet rather than the giant’s body. Frost Giant’s Axe Unclaimed An enormous Frost Axe far too large for ordinary use. It remained in the cave at the end of the session. Mind-Trapping Crystals Cold magic moves within each crystal like a thought searching for a skull. Whatever consciousness, soul or psychic residue lies inside cannot be seen clearly from the surface, but the stones carry the unmistakable wrongness of Illithid immortality. Even the ferryman treated them with caution. Fragment of the Frost Giant’s Helmet A jagged piece of horn and metal cut from the fallen giant’s helm. It is less a refined trophy than proof that the party survived something built to crush mortals beneath its boots. ⚔ Frost Giant Battle Summary Valen: Opened combat with Fireball, dealing 29 fire damage after the giant failed its Dexterity save; later used Fire Bolt. High Jinks: Attacked from range with repeated Eldritch Blasts, including an especially strong opening volley. Leydrick: Used Healing Word and repeatedly threw the Dwarven Thrower, gaining its additional damage against a giant. Rigg: Attacked with the Bag O’ Nutz and Sneak Attack, triggered Strike of the Giants, then moved into melee for a decisive wrench strike before disengaging. Dino: Fought with the Dancing Longsword and Moon-Touched Longsword, used Shield to avoid a potentially devastating pair of axe attacks, and delivered the killing blow. Frost Giant: Used War Cry for temporary resilience and attacked with a Frost Axe dealing heavy slashing and cold damage. Despite its strength, several poor attack rolls prevented it from inflicting the damage it was capable of. 🔚 Cliffhanger The Frost Giant lies dead inside its cave. The creature troubling the ferrymen has been removed. The party has fulfilled its side of the bargain. The mysterious ferryman is waiting outside with High Jinks’ pseudodragon watching him. Passage toward Cathrys and the deeper layers of Carceri is now available. The surviving Illithids remain somewhere ahead. Tharizdun’s prison lies still farther below. 📘 Session 24 – Rot and Ruin in Cathrys đŸŽ” Music Red Sky Over Cathrys [Intro] Red sky. Dead air. No birds in the trees. Cathrys waits Where nothing breathes. [Verse 1] Mist on the river, black boat drifting slow, Ferryman silent where the cold waters flow. Rigg asks why we free what should never be freed, Old god chained underneath all the red and the reeds. Step from the boat, Into the rot. Sweet in the air like the whole world forgot. High Jinks rising, eyes in the trees— Something moves where nobody sees. [Pre-Hook] Then the ground breaks open, Dead bloom, corpse-filled spine. Leydrick keeps talking: “We’re gonna be fine.” [Hook] Red sky over Cathrys, Rot beneath our feet. Kill the bloody thing, Then get out clean. Through the corpse and acid, Through the claws and screams, Five walked into Cathrys— Five leave the scene. [Verse 2] Valen throws Fear and the nightmare recoils, Rod goes up—now the horror changes sides. Flower spits bodies, dead hit the ground, Farastu closing while the roots lash around. Steel Defender shattered, Parts in the mud. Dino throws a field— Takes the edge off the blood. Then R drops still. High Jinks turns cold. Eldritch force hits hard— No mercy left to hold. [Break] One fiend vanishes. One stays to fight. Rigg steps forward. Big wrench. Good night. [Drop] Fifty-seven damage. Peppermint tea. [Hook] Red sky over Cathrys, Rot beneath our feet. Kill the bloody thing, Then get out clean. Through the corpse and acid, Through the claws and screams, Five walked into Cathrys— Five leave the scene. [Bridge] Valen Thunder Steps, Gets out alive. Leydrick takes the claws, Still refuses to die. One prayer. One save. One flash of light. Farastu gone— But not for good. [Final Hook] Red sky over Cathrys, Silence in the trees. One fiend is hiding, One waits somewhere unseen. R is gone. Steel is broken. Still we follow through. Mind Flayers deeper. Resident waiting. What the hell are we about to do? [Outro] No birds. No flies. Red sky overhead. And somewhere in Cathrys— Something isn’t dead. đŸ–Œïž Images đŸȘ Campaign Arc Campaign: Spelljammer Session: 24 – Rot and Ruin in Cathrys Date: 8 August 2026 Dungeon Master: James / Jamie / Sicareus Setting: The Ferryman’s silvery river and boat → Cathrys, the second layer of Carceri Next Session: 29 August 2026 🎬 Previously On... Session 23 ended with the party standing over the body of the corrupted Frost Giant on Othrys. The creature had been killing the ferryman’s kind, and Dino had personally sealed a bargain: kill it, and the ferryman would carry the group deeper into Carceri. With the giant slain, the debt was paid and passage toward Cathrys , Carceri’s second layer, was now owed. Behind them remained the red portal, the damaged Illithid nautiloid and at least one escaped Mind Flayer. Ahead, the surviving Illithid expedition had already travelled deeper into Carceri. Primus’ command still hung over almost everyone in the party: stop the Mind Flayers, find the Red Prison, and ultimately release Tharizdun . The closer they came to that final instruction, however, the less anyone liked the sound of it. 🧭 Overview Session 24 began in the immediate aftermath of the Frost Giant battle. The party returned to the ferryman, boarded his mist-shrouded vessel and finally took the long rest they had been craving. During the journey the entire party advanced to level 9 , with new spells and abilities selected before the next leg of the descent. High Jinks chose Ascendant Step , granting her the ability to levitate at will, while Leydrick prepared Motivational Speech for whatever inevitable disaster waited on the far shore. The quiet voyage also gave the party time to confront the increasingly uncomfortable truth behind their mission. Rigg openly questioned why they were being compelled to release “the resident” when everything they had learned suggested doing so was an appalling idea. When the ferryman was questioned directly about Tharizdun , even he recoiled from the name and warned against speaking it freely. He described Tharizdun as an ancient god chained by newer powers after attempting to tear a hole through the planes. The party was also reminded that another group was already moving toward the same objective; whatever decision they eventually made, they were no longer the only pieces on the board. The ferryman finally delivered them to Cathrys . What awaited them was a rotting jungle beneath another crimson sky: swampy ground, collapsing vegetation, the sickly-sweet smell of overripe decay and, most disturbingly, almost complete silence. There were no birds or insects. While Rigg and High Jinks searched for signs of movement, something invisible stalked them between the trees. Before they could identify it, a vast bone-filled plant monstrosity pushed its way out of the jungle. The ensuing battle drew out zombies and two Farastu Demodands , cost High Jinks her newly summoned pseudodragon R , destroyed Dino’s Steel Defender, and ended with one Farastu fleeing invisibly and the other being banished somewhere else on Cathrys. đŸ§‘â€đŸ€â€đŸ§‘ Party Members Party Level up to level 9 Character Player Class/Subclass Race Notable Actions Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart Moose / Ben / Elemunk Rogue (Swashbuckler) Human Questioned the wisdom of releasing Tharizdun; stealthily investigated the unseen creature stalking the party; used Bag O’ Nutz, Sneak Attack and Fire Strike during the opening fight; later landed the infamous 57-damage “peppermint tea” critical with the Big Ol’ Wrench against a Farastu Demodand. Leydrick Gefinhal Jared / Galindis Cleric (Life Domain) Dwarf Completed Motivational Speech in the middle of the Corpse Flower fight; battered enemies with the Dwarven Thrower; kept allies alive with healing; survived a savage Farastu assault that removed most of his remaining health; then successfully cast Banishment on the fiend and removed it from the battlefield. High Jinks Kate / Keitachan Warlock (Great Old One) Tabaxi Chose Ascendant Step during the level-up and immediately made use of at-will Levitate to scout Cathrys; her Robe of Eyes helped expose movement that would otherwise have remained unseen; maintained ranged pressure with Eldritch Blast and protected herself with Armor of Agathys. Her pseudodragon R was killed by a Corpse Flower Zombie, which High Jinks immediately destroyed. Dynoth “Dino Roar” Rokos Robb / Baconbuff Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter (Psi Warrior) Githyanki Held the frontline with the Moon-Touched Longsword, Dancing Longsword and Psionic Strike; continued fighting despite the Corpse Flower’s poisonous stench; redirected onto the newly arrived Farastu as soon as they revealed themselves; used Protective Field to reduce a heavy hit against Leydrick by 11 damage. His Steel Defender was destroyed by a Farastu. Valen Pyre Justin / Slitzer Wizard (Evoker) Human Successfully frightened the Sovereign Corpse Flower with Cause Fear ; later used the Rod of Rulership , failing to dominate either Farastu but successfully turning the Corpse Flower and one of its zombies against them. Used Thunder Step to escape close engagement and later placed a Fireball onto the remaining Farastu without catching the party. 📍 Key Locations The Ferryman’s Boat: The party’s protected transport through Carceri. Mist swallowed the vessel during the journey, providing enough time for a long rest and the party’s level-up to 9. The Silvery River: The dangerous waterway previously encountered on Othrys. The ferryman remained the party’s only safe means of travelling it. When asked about returning later, his answer remained transactional: without the required coin, there was no guarantee of another crossing. Cathrys Shore: The party’s landing point on Carceri’s second layer. From here the ferryman pointed them onward and left them to continue their descent. The Rotting Jungle of Cathrys: A dead and decomposing jungle beneath a red sky. The air carried a disturbingly sweet smell of decay, while the complete absence of birds and insects made the silence itself feel threatening. The Jungle Bridge: A crossing used as the group pushed farther into Cathrys before signs of nearby movement became obvious. The Corpse Flower Battlefield: A swampy clearing among dead trees where the Sovereign Corpse Flower emerged and the two Farastu Demodands finally revealed themselves. 📑 Session Highlights The ferryman honoured his bargain from Session 23 and carried the party toward Cathrys. The party completed a long rest aboard the boat and advanced to level 9 . High Jinks selected Ascendant Step , gaining at-will Levitate. Rigg openly questioned whether releasing Tharizdun was becoming an obviously terrible idea despite the compulsion driving most of the party. The ferryman warned the party not to speak Tharizdun’s name lightly and described him as an ancient imprisoned god who had attempted to tear a hole through the planes. The party was reminded that another group is already travelling toward the same objective . The ferryman delivered the party to Cathrys, Carceri’s second layer . The party discovered a silent, rotting jungle filled with swamp, dead vegetation and a sickly-sweet smell of decay. High Jinks’ Robe of Eyes and Rigg’s perception revealed signs of something unseen moving through the trees. A Sovereign Corpse Flower emerged from the jungle carrying corpses within its body and began throwing or releasing them as zombies. Leydrick completed Motivational Speech while combat continued around him, granting the party temporary protection and a badly needed morale boost. “All right, team, we’ve come a long way. We’ve just got off a bloody boat, and we’re gonna venture through this forest. We’re gonna find the Resident, but first we may have to make it through this shithole.There’s some bloody things stalking us, and there’s a bloody giant plant-looking thing with bloody bones coming out of it.So we’re gonna kill this bloody thing, and we’re gonna pass this place, and we’re gonna be fine, right?” Valen successfully used Cause Fear on the Corpse Flower, forcing the enormous plant horror to recoil and retreat. High Jinks’ pseudodragon R attacked one of the zombies but was killed. High Jinks immediately destroyed the zombie responsible. Two previously hidden creatures revealed themselves as Farastu Demodands , powerful fiends capable of grappling prey and delivering devastating acidic bites. Valen activated the Rod of Rulership . Both Farastu resisted its magic, but the Corpse Flower and one zombie fell under his control and were ordered to attack the fiends. One Farastu destroyed Dino’s Steel Defender , reducing it to component parts. The charmed Corpse Flower attacked a Farastu but was eventually struck down by one of the fiends while attempting to move away. The Sovereign Corpse Flower died with a final shriek. Roll20 began failing and delaying rolls badly enough that several attacks had to be resolved manually with physical dice and increasingly questionable arithmetic. Rigg delivered the session’s largest single hit: a 57-damage critical with the Big Ol’ Wrench against a Farastu, immediately christened “peppermint tea.” Valen used Thunder Step to escape a Farastu at close range while damaging it in the process. One wounded Farastu turned invisible and fled into the jungle. High Jinks’ Robe of Eyes allowed the party to continue tracking its movement briefly, but it escaped. The remaining Farastu savaged Leydrick with a claw-and-bite combination for roughly 50 damage , leaving him standing but barely. Leydrick retaliated with Banishment . Because the Farastu was a fiend already on its native plane, it did not return to the battlefield after one minute; instead it was displaced somewhere else on Carceri. The battle ended with no player-character deaths , but High Jinks had lost R and Dino had lost his Steel Defender. After combat, Leydrick smashed the Corpse Flower’s remains to prevent any unpleasant reuse of the bodies while High Jinks sat with R and repeatedly blasted the remains of the zombie that had killed him. The party searched the immediate area, but no specific new treasure was confirmed before the session ended. ⚔ Encounter Resolution Creature / Companion Final Status Notes Sovereign Corpse Flower Dead Initially fought the party, was frightened by Valen, then charmed through the Rod of Rulership and turned against the Farastu. It was finally killed by a Farastu while attempting to withdraw. Corpse Flower Zombies Destroyed The flower released corpses as zombies during the encounter. One killed High Jinks’ pseudodragon R before High Jinks destroyed it. Farastu Demodand – Invisible Escapee Alive / Escaped Badly wounded, turned invisible and fled farther into Cathrys. High Jinks could briefly follow its movement through the Robe of Eyes, but it escaped. Farastu Demodand – Banished Alive / Displaced Nearly killed Leydrick before failing against Banishment. As a native fiend of the plane, it was displaced somewhere else in Carceri rather than being permanently sent to another plane. Pseudodragon R Dead High Jinks’ newly summoned familiar from Session 23. Killed by a Corpse Flower Zombie. Dino’s Steel Defender Destroyed Torn apart by a Farastu Demodand. Dino indicated that repairs or rebuilding would be needed afterward, but no completed rebuild occurred before the end of the session. 🎭 Key Scenes The Ferryman Refuses the Name With the boat moving silently through the mist, Rigg pushed the ferryman for answers about the being everyone else called “the resident.” When Tharizdun’s name was finally spoken, the Ferryman reacted immediately. He did not want the name repeated aboard his vessel. What little he offered was hardly reassuring: Tharizdun was an old god, chained by newer gods after attempting to tear open the structure of the planes. Asked why anyone would free such a being, the ferryman had no comforting answer. Valen Turns the Flower The enormous Sovereign Corpse Flower had already filled the clearing with poison, corpses and zombies when Valen broke its momentum with Cause Fear. Later, as the Farastu emerged, he raised the Rod of Rulership. The fiends resisted—but the flower did not. Moments later the same monster that had been trying to kill the party twisted around under Valen’s command and lashed out at the new arrivals instead. Peppermint Tea With Roll20 barely functioning and the fight reduced to physical dice and increasingly hostile arithmetic, Rigg closed on a wounded Farastu Demodand . The Big Ol’ Wrench came around in a brutal critical strike for 57 damage . The blow smashed into the fiend before Rigg slipped back out of its immediate reach. The attack was promptly—and inexplicably—named “peppermint tea.” Leydrick Sends It Away The remaining Farastu Demodand finally reached Leydrick and demonstrated why the earlier caution had been justified. Claw and acidic bite tore through most of the cleric’s remaining health in a single sequence. Still standing, Leydrick answered with Banishment. The fiend failed. It vanished from the clearing—not destroyed, but hurled somewhere else across the prison plane. The immediate problem disappeared. The future problem became considerably angrier. đŸ§” Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks Primus’ Mandate: The party remains compelled to stop the Mind Flayers and ultimately release Tharizdun. The group is now openly questioning whether completing that order could be catastrophic. Tharizdun: The ferryman’s reaction reinforced everything previously learned: the “resident” is not simply another prisoner. He is an ancient god imprisoned after attempting to tear open the multiverse or planes. The Other Group: Another group is already travelling toward the same broader objective. Their identity, motives and current distance ahead of the party remain unknown. The Illithid Expedition: Mind Flayers who survived the earlier journey through Othrys are still somewhere deeper in Carceri. One Illithid also escaped the nautiloid battle before the party entered the red portal. The Invisible Farastu: One Farastu Demodand escaped alive and invisible into Cathrys. It now knows exactly who the party is. The Banished Farastu: Leydrick’s Banishment removed the second Farastu from the fight, but did not destroy it. It remains alive somewhere else on the same plane. Two Angry Fiends: By the DM’s own assessment, the party now has two very angry Farastu somewhere on Carceri. High Jinks’ Familiar: Pseudodragon R was killed only one session after being summoned. High Jinks ended the encounter holding the body. Dino’s Steel Defender: The construct was destroyed by a Farastu. Dino intends to repair or rebuild it, but that work had not been completed when the session ended. The Alhoon Crystals: Session 23 recorded two mind-trapping crystals recovered from the destroyed Alhoons. During Session 24’s recap the DM confirmed that the party had not given them to the ferryman and that at least one remained. The exact current count should be reconciled against character inventory. The Ferryman’s Return: The ferryman delivered the party as promised, but a future crossing appears to require the traditional payment. The party still does not possess a convenient supply of soul coins. Safe Rest: The group survived the battle and Leydrick restored himself, but no secure campsite or resting location in Cathrys had been established by the end of the session. 💰 Loot & Discoveries Item / Discovery Finder Description / Status Cathrys Party The group has successfully reached the second layer of Carceri . The local environment is a silent, rotting jungle beneath a red sky, with swampy terrain, unnatural decay and powerful fiends moving unseen among the trees. No confirmed new material loot Party Dino proposed searching the Corpse Flower and surrounding battlefield after combat, but no specific treasure or item was confirmed before the session closed. ⏳ Cliffhanger The Sovereign Corpse Flower is dead and its remaining corpses have been deliberately smashed or destroyed. High Jinks’ pseudodragon R is dead. Dino’s Steel Defender has been destroyed. One Farastu escaped invisibly into Cathrys. The second Farastu was banished elsewhere on Carceri and remains alive. No secure resting place has yet been confirmed in the dead jungle. The surviving Illithids and the unidentified rival group remain somewhere ahead. The party must continue deeper toward a prisoner they increasingly believe should probably remain imprisoned. Next Session: 29 August 2026.