# 📘 Session 13 - The Bottled Storm

<details id="bkmrk-music-placeholder"><summary>🎵 Music</summary>

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

**"The Bottled Storm" – Varrick Songweave**

<video class="align-center" controls="controls" height="50" poster="" src="https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/attachments/171" width="100%"></video>

```
[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.
```

</details>## 🪐 Campaign Arc

- **Campaign:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Spelljammer (Homebrew + Semi-Custom)</span>
- **Session:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 13 – “The Bottled Storm”</span>
- **Dungeon Master:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> James / Jamie / Sicareus</span>
- **Setting:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Limbo – Captured Monastery of the Githzerai</span>

---

## 🧭 Overview

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">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 </span>**Storm in a Bottle**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, the group returned to their ship with new intelligence—clues pointing toward Illithid operations in the </span>**Underdark**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and the </span>**Abyss**.

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/scaled-1680-/U7rimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/U7rimage.png)

## 🧑‍🚀 Party Members

<table id="bkmrk-characterplayerclass"><colgroup><col style="width: 98px;"></col><col style="width: 96px;"></col><col style="width: 130px;"></col><col style="width: 97px;"></col><col style="width: 559px;"></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><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Pickpocketed a second Illithid letter during the dispersal; precise </span>

**Sneak Attack**

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> strikes with wrench and daggers during the elemental battle.</span>

</td></tr><tr><td>Leydrick Gefinhal

</td><td>Jared / Galindis

</td><td>Cleric (Life Domain)

</td><td>Dwarf

</td><td><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Kept allies standing with </span>

**Healing Word**

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span>

**Cure Wounds**

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">; radiantly smote foes with </span>

**Sacred Flame**

.

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

</td><td>Kate / Keitachan

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

</td><td>Tabaxi

</td><td><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Disguised herself as a Mind Flayer captain using the Hat of Disguise; rightfully took one of the sealed letters; later used </span>

**Clairvoyance**

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to overhear Captains Zelthar and Sylna discussing “Falx.”</span>

</td></tr><tr><td>Dynoth “Dino” Rokos

</td><td>Robb / Baconbuff

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

</td><td>Githyanki

</td><td><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Initiated contact with the storm vessel using </span>

**Mage Hand**

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, sealing it mid-battle to create the </span>

**Storm in a Bottle**

; fought alongside Gith’rath in melee.

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

</td><td>Justin / Slitzer

</td><td>Wizard (Evoker)

</td><td>Human

</td><td><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Unleashed devastating </span>

**Fireballs**

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> against the Air Elementals; cast </span>

**Sleep**

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to capture the dominated Githyanki guard.</span>

</td></tr><tr><td>Gith’rath

</td><td>NPC Ally

</td><td>Monk (Githzerai)

</td><td>Githzerai

</td><td>Posed as a thrall during infiltration; fought alongside Dino with disciplined psionic strikes.

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

## 🗺️ Key Locations

- **Captured Githzerai Monastery:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Once a tranquil temple, now twisted into an Illithid command post lined with neural conduits.</span>
- **Captains’ Hall:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Site of the Mind Flayer gathering led by an unidentified humanoid who promised “gifts” for obedience.</span>
- **Storm Courtyard:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Open ruin where a Limbo-born storm coalesced around a crystalline bottle—source of the elemental battle.</span>

## ⚔️ 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.
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Valen subdues the Githyanki guard with </span>**Sleep**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> for later restoration.</span>
- 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.
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">High Jinks casts </span>**Clairvoyance**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, overhearing </span>**Captain Zelthar**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span>**Captain Sylna**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> mention “</span>**Falx**,” believed to be another Illithid colony.
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The two letters reference collecting items from the </span>**Underdark**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and the </span>**Abyss**.

## 🎭 Key Scenes

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/scaled-1680-/adzimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/adzimage.png)

**High Jinx disguised as a Mind Flayer**

---

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/scaled-1680-/0Ktimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/0Ktimage.png)  
**Mind Flayers surrounding a vanishing figure.**

---

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/scaled-1680-/ekSimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/ekSimage.png)

**Rigg Pickpocketing the Letter**

---

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/scaled-1680-/Gp7image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/Gp7image.png)

**The Bottled Storm (Dino &amp; Gith’rath)**

---

## 🧵 Ongoing Threads &amp; Plot Hooks

- **Illithid Colonies:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Names confirmed—Captains Zelthar and Sylna; new colony </span>**Falx**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> identified.</span>
- **Letters of Acquisition:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Tasks involving retrieval of artifacts from the </span>**Underdark**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and the </span>**Abyss**.
- **Unidentified Meeting Leader:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Non-Illithid entity directing Mind Flayer captains; motives unknown.</span>
- **Thrall Restoration:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> The captured Githyanki guard may reveal methods to break psionic control.</span>
- **Storm-Energy Artifact:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> The </span>**Storm in a Bottle**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> radiates Limbo’s raw elemental chaos—purpose yet undefined.</span>

## 💎 Loot &amp; Discoveries

<table id="bkmrk-itemfinderdescriptio"><colgroup><col></col><col></col><col></col></colgroup><tbody><tr><th>Item

</th><th>Finder

</th><th>Description / Status

</th></tr><tr><td>**Storm in a Bottle**

<video autoplay="autoplay" class="align-center" height="100%" loop="loop" muted="" width="100%"><source src="https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/attachments/130" type="video/mp4"></source></video>

</td><td>Dino Rokos

</td><td><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Sealed vessel containing a captured Limbo air-storm; hums with unstable elemental and psionic energy. </span>

**Handle with care.**

</td></tr><tr><td>**Illithid Letter I**

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/scaled-1680-/qgMimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/qgMimage.png)

</td><td>High Jinks

</td><td><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Obtained legitimately during the captains’ meeting; instructs collection of items from the </span>

**Underdark**

.

</td></tr><tr><td>**Illithid Letter II**

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/scaled-1680-/hejimage.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/hejimage.png)

</td><td>Rigg Dalhart

</td><td><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Stolen post-meeting; orders procurement from the </span>

**Abyss**

.

</td></tr><tr><td>**Dominated Githyanki Guard**

[![image.png](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/scaled-1680-/Xs7image.png)](https://bookstack.thecartwrights.nz/uploads/images/gallery/2026-02/Xs7image.png)

</td><td>Valen Pyre / Leydrick Gefinhal

</td><td><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Captured alive via </span>

**Sleep**

; currently unconscious aboard the ship, potential source of intel or redemption.

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

### Item Flavor Notes

- **Storm in a Bottle:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> “Pressure trembles beneath glass; each heartbeat echoes a distant thunder.”</span>
- **Letters of Command:**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> “Written in alien glyphs that shimmer and crawl when read—tasks spanning realms best left untraveled.”</span>

## ⏭️ Cliffhanger / End State

- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span>**Storm in a Bottle**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> secured aboard the party’s Spelljammer.</span>
- <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Two Illithid letters decoded—missions to the </span>**Underdark**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and the </span>**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.

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