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📘 Session 14 — The Mandate of Primus

🎵 Music

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[Placeholder for thematic track – cosmic tension, metallic clockwork ambience]

🖼 Images

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[Placeholder: Githyanki market]
[Placeholder: Keshari the Fire Vendor]
[Placeholder: Massive Construct boarding ship]
[Placeholder: Primus, God of Mechanus]

🪐 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 reluctant merchant-guide with knowledge of routes leading into the Underdark. While Leydrick, High Jinks, and Valen foundremained drinks,at a tavern drinking, Dino and Rigg pressedheaded deeper intotoward the outpost,local eventuallyprison negotiatingto negotiate Rook’s releaserelease. fromAfter bribes, distractions, and bargaining with a Githdisinterested prisoncaptain, byRook payingwas for his gearfreed and promising him safe passage.re-equipped.

BackUpon aboardreturning to the ship, thetheir brief moment of calmrest endedwas abruptly:shattered when a towering golden construct forced its way aboard,onboard, declaringclassifying the party as trespassers. A chaotic,chaotic narrow-corridor battle ensued,followed, where spellfire, wind magic,spells and rawdesperate panictactics failed to haltslow the being.it. One by one, theeach partymember wassuccumbed compelledto intoa magicalforced complianceCharisma save, vanishing infrom burststhe of light.ship.

TheyThe group reappeared in the presence ofbefore Primus, the god-machine of Mechanus. Accused of consorting withaiding Illithids, the party argueddefended their truemission, intentions:insisting they sought to sabotageundermine the Illithid plot surrounding the Crown of Sorrow. Primus boundaccepted their explanation only after binding them to aan vagueunclear but absolute cosmic mandate —directive: youYou must further the task”task.” Moments beforelater, returningthe themparty was returned to thetheir ship, shaken butand alive.cosmically obligated to continue.

🧙 Party Members

Character

Player

Class/Subclass

Race

Notable Actions

Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart

Ben / Elemunk

Rogue – Swashbuckler

Human

Bought Alchemy Jug; negotiateddistracted Rook’sguards release;with nearlyimprovised wind-pushednoises; tobribed death;prison vanishedofficials; earlyattempted incombat constructagainst confrontation.construct.

Laydrick Gefinhal

Jared / Galindis

Cleric – Life Domain

Dwarf

RelaxedMarket at the market bar; attempteddrinks; radiant damageattacks; onswiftly construct;removed resistedby nothing,construct disappearedand quickly.transported to Mechanus.

High Jinks

Kate / Keitachan

Warlock – Great Old One

Tabaxi

DrankShared drinks with Valen;party; hid under tables;tables triedduring combat; attempted persuasion on both construct and later on Primus.

Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos)

Robb / Baconbuff

Artificer (Battle Smith) / Fighter

Githyanki

Led the prison negotiation; deeply offended by Primus’ accusation;negotiations; insulted a godPrimus under his breath.breath; opposed the Illithid accusation fiercely.

Valen Pyre

Justin / Slitzer

Wizard – Evoker

Human

ThundersteppedBrewed spells at market; used Thunderstep against construct; willingly stopped resisting the construct;teleport later chose to willingly fail the save and go to Mechanus.effect.

Rook

NPC

Merchant Guide

Unknown

RescuedFreed from Githprison prison;by Dino & Rigg; now travellingequipped withand assisting the party.

Keshari

NPC

Elemental Vendor

FireFire-touched Genasi or Fire Spirithumanoid

Sold Alchemymagical Juggoods andto candle;Rigg; offeredprovided crypticminor warnings.insight into market wares.

📍 Key Locations

  • Githyanki Market Outpost – chaoticplanar bazaar, planartaverns, goods, questionableelemental vendors.
  • Gith Prison Complex – whereRook’s Rookholding waslocation, detained.run with minimal oversight.
  • The Spelljammer Ship – site of the construct assault.
  • Mechanus – the Clockwork NirvanaNirvana, and thronedomain of Primus.

⚔️ Session Highlights

  • IntroductionMeeting ofKeshari; Keshari,purchasing seller of fire-touched magical goods.
  • Purchase ofan Alchemy Jug and a mysteriousmagical candle.
  • Drinking interlude for Leydrick, High Jinks, and Valen.
  • Dino & Rigg’s successful extraction of Rook from Githprison imprisonment.(bribery, distractions, negotiation).
  • Massive construct boards the ship,ship declaringand theinitiates partyforced unauthorized.compliance protocols.
  • Chaotic corridor battle: Gust of Wind, Eldritch Blast, Sacred Flame, Thunderstep.Thunderstep used with limited effect.
  • ConstructOne-by-one forcesforced Charisma saves — anyone who fails disappears.
  • Entire party transportedleading to Mechanusplanar before Primus.displacement.
  • Audience with Primus accuses themaccusation of aidingIllithid Illithids; party defends intentions.collaboration.
  • PrimusImposed bindscosmic themdirective to a“further divinethe directivetask” concerning the Crown of Sorrow.
  • PartyInstant returnedreturn to theship ship,after constructdivine gone.judgment.

🎭 Key Scenes

1. The Market Firespeaker

Keshari’sThe stallparty crackledbrowsed withthe floatingbustling embersGithyanki asbazaar, hewhere Keshari displayed trinketsfire-touched infusedwares. withRigg elemental heat. Rigg, staring atsecured an Alchemy Jug likeand acandle man discovering religion, flicked a coin intowhile the vendor’sothers hand.found Valen, Jinks,drinks and Laydrickgathered nursed drinks while Dino negotiated the practicalities of travel with increasing impatience.information.

2. The Prison Bargain (Expanded)

InDino aand dimRigg stone chamber beneathlocated the outpost,Gith prison where Rook satwas chained but unbroken. Dino’s heritage opened the door to negotiation; Rigg’s gold sealed it.detained. The guards handedstated overRook 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 belongingsbelongings. The captain was unmoved but offered the gear for 50 gold. Rigg paid the bribe, securing Rook’s equipment.

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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 aRook shrugfully restored.

“your problem now.” Rook, dusty but grateful, followed them out.

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3. The Construct Boards

BackUpon onreboarding the ship, metala thunderedcolossal golden construct pushed through the hull. A colossal golden figure stepped out of the corridor, arm raised. “Cease and desist. Trespassers. Do not resist.” What followed was not a fight — it was a slow-motion inevitability. Magic washed off its frame; the wind howled uselessly. One by one,declaring the party vanished.unauthorized. Combat erupted in tight quarters, but spellfire and steel barely slowed it. Each failed Charisma save resulted in a character vanishing.

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4. The Throne of Primus

GearsTransported to Mechanus, the sizeparty faced Primus. He accused them of citiesaiding turnedIllithids. inAfter protest, explanation, and strained diplomacy, Primus deemed them “useful” but bound them to an unclear divine directive regarding the void.Illithid Aplot. goldenSeconds beinglater, ofthey perfectwere symmetryreturned addressed them with a voice like grinding suns. “You consort with Illithids. Explain.” Dino bristled. Jinks tried diplomacy. Valen floated slightly, overwhelmed. Slowly, Primus acceptedto their intentionsship.

— but not without imprinting a mandate into their minds.

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🧩 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks

  • The Crown of Sorrow remains the primarycentral objectiveartifact tiedsought toby the Illithid conspiracy.Illithids.
  • Primus’ Directive: TheA partygeas-like is magically compelledcompulsion to “further the task” — interpretation unclear.task.”
  • Names uncovered:mentioned: Zeltha, Silna, Folks — possiblelikely Illithid agents orIllithid-aligned contacts.
  • Rook’s knowledgeguidance ofessential Underdarkfor routesreaching nowDeep essential.Shanatar.
  • Keshari’s waresitems may holdpossess hidden properties.uses.

💰 Loot & Discoveries

Item

Finder

Description / Status

Alchemy Jug

1a096643-266f-4527-8c0f-d00e916ef052.png

Rigg

ProducesThis variousceramic liquids;jug potentialappears combatto be able to hold a gallon of liquid and utilityweighs applications.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.

MysteriousCandle Candleof the Deep

763688b8-d74b-47a2-8db4-ba10056b5cb1.png

Rigg

Fire-touched;The propertiesflame currentlyof unknown.this candle is not extinguished when immersed in water. It gives off light and heat like a normal candle.

Rook’s Gear

fcc15e9c-2eaa-4c15-8f8c-4173376da009.png

Dino & Rigg

PaidRetrieved forafter tomultiple secure his release; nowbribes; returned to its owner.

Mandate of Primus (Geas-like Effect)

Entire Party

CompulsionCosmic instruction to completecontinue the anti-Illithid task; may have long-term consequences.mission.

⏳ Cliffhanger

  • The crewparty stands back aboardon the shipdeck, reeling breathless,from rattled,divine and magically bound.intervention.
  • The construct is gone,gone — but its message lingers.was unmistakable.
  • TheDeep Shanatar and the Crown of Sorrow awaitsnow inlie Deepahead, Shanatar… andwith Primus is watching.