📘 Session 13 - The Bottled Storm

"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.

🪐 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

🗺️ 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)

🧵 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 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.