# 📘 Session 11 – Engines of Limbo

<details id="bkmrk-%F0%9F%8E%B6-music-%28placeholder"><summary>🎶 Music</summary>

[![image_large_d0310363-95d8-46ce-97f3-9599ef8958c4.jpeg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/image-large-d0310363-95d8-46ce-97f3-9599ef8958c4.jpeg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/image-large-d0310363-95d8-46ce-97f3-9599ef8958c4.jpeg)

<video class="" controls="controls" height="150" width="300"><source src="https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/attachments/87"></source></video>

</details><details id="bkmrk-%F0%9F%96%BC%EF%B8%8F-images-%28placehold"><summary>🖼️ Images</summary>

[![raw.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/raw.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/raw.jpg)

[![raw.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/TNlraw.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/TNlraw.png)

[![raw.jpg](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/VAeraw.jpg)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/VAeraw.jpg)

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/u4dimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/u4dimage.png)

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/NBrimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/NBrimage.png)

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/81jimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/81jimage.png)

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/Kjgimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/Kjgimage.png)

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/ABRimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/ABRimage.png)

</details>## 🪐 Campaign Arc

<table border="1" class="align-center" id="bkmrk-%C2%A0-campaign%3A-spelljam" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-width: 1px; border-style: hidden;"><colgroup><col style="width: 59.4048%;"></col><col style="width: 40.5952%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td>**Campaign:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Spelljammer – Beyond the Sword Coast</span>

**Session:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 11 – Engines of Limbo</span>  
**Dungeon Master:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> James / Sicareus</span>  
**Setting:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Wizard’s Tower (upper room &amp; basement), our nautiloid ship, a Water World portal, Limbo, and the Realm of Chaos</span>

</td><td><video class=" align-center" controls="controls" height="150" width="300"><source src="https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/attachments/89"></source></video></td></tr></tbody></table>

## 🧭 Overview

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Picking up from Session 10, the party chose to go </span>**up**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> the tower first. In the upper room, a </span>**hat**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and a </span>**note**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> awaited: the former owner left the tower “for the next wizard to own.” </span>**Valen**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> claimed the tower. The hat, when worn, makes the wearer appear as a </span>**mind flayer**—**Jinks**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> tried it and kept it.</span>

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Descending to the basement, the party found </span>**three doors warded by sigils**—**green**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span>**blue**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, and </span>**red**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span>**Valen**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> dispelled the green sigil, revealing a second sealed door that “clicked” and posed a riddle. </span>**Dino**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> solved it (answer: </span>**“Tomorrow / the Future”**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">), opening a hidden vault with coin, gems, spellbooks, and rare magic items. The </span>**blue**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> door proved </span>**empty**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">; the </span>**red**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> door was left sealed (Valen had no more </span>**Dispel Magic**).

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Returning to the party’s nautiloid (already theirs for several sessions), they navigated to a </span>**Water World**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. Through the portal, about sixty feet away, a large block of ice held a </span>**dead wizard clutching a wand**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. Tethered by rope, </span>**Dino**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> swam in and dragged the ice closer with psychic force—but two </span>**Water Elementals**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 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 </span>**Wand of Winter**.

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">For the next leg, the crew used the recovered </span>**Far Realm Shard**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> as </span>**fuel**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> for the helm and translated into </span>**Limbo**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, where a </span>**black portal**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> opened to the </span>**Realm of Chaos**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. Crossing through onto a drifting chunk of land, the party was immediately confronted by </span>**three Red Slaadi**. The session closed on that cliffhanger.

## 🎭 Party Members

<table id="bkmrk-characterplayerclass" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><colgroup><col></col><col></col><col></col><col style="width: 85px;"></col><col></col></colgroup><tbody><tr><th>Character

</th><th>Player

</th><th>Class/Subclass

</th><th>Race

</th><th>Notable Actions

</th></tr><tr><td>Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart

</td><td>Ben / Elemunk

</td><td>Rogue (Swashbuckler)

</td><td>Human

</td><td>Sneak Attacks and precise strikes during the elemental fight aboard ship.

</td></tr><tr><td>Laydrick Gefinhal

</td><td>Jared / Galindis

</td><td>Cleric (Life)

</td><td>Dwarf

</td><td>Kept the line stable with timely healing and radiant pressure on the elementals.

</td></tr><tr><td>High Jinks

</td><td>Kate / Keitachan

</td><td>Warlock (Great Old One)

</td><td>Tabaxi

</td><td>Claimed and tested the mind-flayer disguise hat; eldritch firepower in the shipboard brawl.

</td></tr><tr><td>Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos)

</td><td>Robb / Baconbuff

</td><td>Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter

</td><td>Githyanki

</td><td>Tethered dive into the Water World; used psychic force to haul the ice; first contact with the elementals.

</td></tr><tr><td>Valen Pyre

</td><td>Justin / Slitzer

</td><td>Wizard (Evoker)

</td><td>Human

</td><td>Claimed the tower; dispelled the green sigil; with Dino solved the riddle; managed arcane logistics.

</td></tr></tbody></table>

## 📍 Key Locations

- **Wizard’s Tower – Upper Room:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Hat &amp; note bequeathing the tower to “the next wizard” (claimed by Valen).</span>
- **Wizard’s Tower – Basement:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Three sigil doors (Green, Blue, Red); green led to the vault after a riddle; blue was empty; red left sealed.</span>
- **Our Nautiloid Ship:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Party’s spelljamming vessel; site of the portal spillover fight with Water Elementals.</span>
- **Water World Portal:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Submerged realm; a dead wizard frozen in ice with a wand.</span>
- **Limbo → Black Portal:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Transition to the </span>**Realm of Chaos**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and a floating land shard (The Far Fortress).</span>

## ⚔️ Session Highlights

- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Up the tower first: </span>**Valen claims ownership**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> via the note; </span>**Jinks**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> keeps the mind-flayer disguise hat.</span>
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Basement: Three sigils (green/blue/red). </span>**Valen**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> dispels the </span>**green**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">; </span>**Dino**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> solves the riddle (</span>**“Tomorrow / Future”**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">) to access the vault. </span>**Blue**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> is empty. </span>**Red**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> remains sealed (no more </span>**Dispel Magic**).
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Loot haul from the vault: substantial coin and gems, </span>**Wand of Scorching**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span>**Dancing Sword**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span>**Far Realm Shard**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, a </span>**gold-inlaid spellbook**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, and a </span>**flesh-bound spellbook**.
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Water World dive: </span>**Dino**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> (roped) swims through, uses psychic force to tow a huge ice block containing a </span>**dead wizard**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> holding a </span>**Wand of Winter**.
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Ambush &amp; shipboard battle: </span>**Two Water Elementals**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> follow through the portal into the hold—party destroys them.</span>
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Fuel &amp; jump: The </span>**Far Realm Shard**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> is consumed to power the helm to </span>**Limbo**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">; a </span>**black portal**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> opens to the </span>**Realm of Chaos**.
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Cliffhanger: On a floating land shard, the party is confronted by </span>**three Red Slaadi**.

## <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">🎬 Key Scenes </span>

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/mkrimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/mkrimage.png)

> 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**

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/m6yimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/m6yimage.png)

> 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.

---

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/JVQimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/JVQimage.png)

> 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**

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/5o0image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/5o0image.png)

> 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**

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/87cimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/87cimage.png)

> 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.

---

## 🧵 Ongoing Threads &amp; Plot Hooks

- **Red Sigil Door:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Still unopened in the tower basement—requires further magic or a different approach.</span>
- **Disguise Risks:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jinks’ mind-flayer appearance could help infiltration—or attract exactly the wrong attention.</span>
- **Spellbooks:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> The </span>**gold-inlaid**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and the </span>**flesh-bound**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> tomes need careful study for contents (and possible consequences).</span>
- **Fuel Problem:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> The Far Realm Shard was consumed—how will the ship be fueled next time?</span>
- **Chaos Front:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Three Red Slaadi block the party’s path in the Realm of Chaos.</span>

## 💰 Loot &amp; Discoveries

<table id="bkmrk-itemfinder-%2F-holderd" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><colgroup><col></col><col></col><col></col></colgroup><tbody><tr><th>Item

</th><th>Finder / Holder

</th><th>Description / Status

</th></tr><tr><td>**Hat of Disguise (Mind-Flayer Guise)**

[![81121bc1-969e-454c-9f39-243c3ac9b412.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/81121bc1-969e-454c-9f39-243c3ac9b412.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/81121bc1-969e-454c-9f39-243c3ac9b412.png)

</td><td>High Jinks

</td><td>Alters appearance to a mind flayer; useful for deception, potentially hazardous socially.

</td></tr><tr><td>**3000 gp**

**2×** **1000 gp**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> diamonds, </span>

**3×****500 gp**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> emeralds</span>

[![e1490ea4-b382-4128-98f7-97142adbb9a0.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/e1490ea4-b382-4128-98f7-97142adbb9a0.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/e1490ea4-b382-4128-98f7-97142adbb9a0.png)

</td><td>Party

</td><td>Vault spoils from the green-sigil path.

</td></tr><tr><td>**Wand of Scorching**

[![ba472870-00c7-4ca6-9d9f-d81c947c8809.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/ba472870-00c7-4ca6-9d9f-d81c947c8809.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/ba472870-00c7-4ca6-9d9f-d81c947c8809.png)

</td><td>Party

</td><td>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.  
  
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Make a </span>[ranged spell attack](https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Spells?expansion=34047#toc_33)<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> for each ray. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 fire damage.</span>  
  
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.

</td></tr><tr><td>**Dancing Sword**

[![03fd0e93-8513-4b10-a2d8-5e6ef32a1828.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/03fd0e93-8513-4b10-a2d8-5e6ef32a1828.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/03fd0e93-8513-4b10-a2d8-5e6ef32a1828.png)

</td><td>Dino

</td><td>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.

</td></tr><tr><td>**Spellbook (gold-inlaid)**

[![f43579c0-237a-4b35-9020-2bc7f05f98d2.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/f43579c0-237a-4b35-9020-2bc7f05f98d2.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/f43579c0-237a-4b35-9020-2bc7f05f98d2.png)

</td><td>Valen (tower claimant)

</td><td>Finely crafted wizard’s tome; contents blank.

</td></tr><tr><td>**Spellbook (flesh-bound)**

[![89804596-1e74-4f37-9cee-b4579fa27339.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/89804596-1e74-4f37-9cee-b4579fa27339.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/89804596-1e74-4f37-9cee-b4579fa27339.png)

</td><td>Party

</td><td>Uneasy provenance; contents unknown—handle with care. Looks difficult to read

</td></tr><tr><td>**Far Realm Shard**

[![raw.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/9wRraw.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/9wRraw.png)

</td><td><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Party → </span>

**Consumed**

</td><td>Used as helm fuel to reach Limbo / Realm of Chaos.

</td></tr><tr><td>**Wand of Winter**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Wand of Frost)</span>

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/scaled-1680-/image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2025-09/image.png)

</td><td>High Jinx

</td><td>Found in the Water World ice block; taken from the dead wizard’s grasp.

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The wand possessed seven charges, one or more of which were expended every time it was used. Whomever wielded a </span>**wand of winter**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> could use it to produce the spells </span>[**ray of frost**](https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Ray_of_frost "Ray of frost")<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> (without expending a charge), </span>[**sleet storm**](https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Sleet_storm "Sleet storm")<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, or </span>[**ice storm**](https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Ice_storm "Ice storm").[<sup><span class="editor-theme-superscript">\[1\]</span></sup>](https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Wand_of_winter#cite_note-HDQ-p94-1)

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.

</td></tr></tbody></table>

**Vault riddle:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> “I am always in front of you, yet never seen. Without me, you cannot begin, and without me, you cannot end.” — Answer: </span>**Tomorrow / the Future**.

## ⏳ Cliffhanger

- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Helm jump completed using the Far Realm Shard → arrival in </span>**Limbo**.
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A </span>**black portal**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> opened to the </span>**Realm of Chaos**; the party crossed onto a floating land shard.
- **Three Red Slaadi**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> closed in—combat starts next session.</span>