Session 04 - "Echoes in the Green"

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High Jinx Sphynx (Tiv)

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The Elven Path with Will-o’-Wisps

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Roll 20 map

(A Bardic Ballad for Lute, Chapter Four)  

[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?  

Session 4 Summary

Characters (Unchanged)

• Rig Derek Dalhart (Rugged Human Rogue): Practical, stealthy, wielding a two-handed wrench. Took watch, scouted strange lights, encountered the Green Witch, fought spiders in the Underdark (got webbed but escaped), and missed several attacks despite heroic inspiration.
• Leydrick Giffenhall (Stout Dwarf Cleric): Devout and supportive. Fought spiders with Firebolt, healed Valen with Cure Wounds (fully restoring his health), shot a Firebolt at a Drow in the Underdark (hitting but not killing), and expressed disdain for spiders.
• High Jinks (Young Female Tabaxi Warlock): Charismatic and reckless, with a sphinx familiar (Tiv). Used Awakened Mind, looked into the Green Witch’s scrying pond, fought spiders with Eldritch Blast, disengaged using Feline Agility, and received a ring to talk with animals.
• Dino Roar / Dynoth Rokos (Tall Githyanki Artificer): Strategic, with a Steel Defender. Fought spiders alongside his Steel Defender in the Underdark, dealt significant damage, and coordinated with the party.
• Valen Pyre (Flamboyant Human Wizard, played by Justin): Spell-focused, returned after missing Session 3. Woke with High Jinks, Leydrick, and Dino, used Detect Magic, was reluctant to wake for the second lights, took heavy damage in the spider fight (low health), was healed by Leydrick, and found two greater healing potions and an unknown mushroom potion.

Setting

• Initial Location: Kryptgarden Forest, near the Sword Mountains, a few days’ travel from Rassalantar and Westwood. The forest is lush and misty, under the influence of the Green Witch (an ancient green dragon).
• Later Location: The Underdark, accessed via a cave at the base of the Sword Mountains (as directed by the Green Witch), where the party encountered spiders and a Drow.
• Time: About a week and a half after leaving Rassalantar, now pursuing the townsfolk in the Underdark.

Session 4 Recap

Camping in Kryptgarden Forest

• The party camped in Kryptgarden Forest, pursuing the 200 missing Rassalantar townsfolk, believed to be under Mind Flayer control. Rig took the first watch, followed by Dino, with High Jinks’ sphinx familiar (Tiv) and Dino’s Steel Defender guarding the camp.
• During Rig’s watch, he noticed strange greenish lights in the forest, a few minutes’ walk away. Using stealth (possibly with Boots of Elvenkind from Session 3), Rig approached, spotting a glowing pond with a greenish hue and a woman in green staring into it. Wary of danger, Rig returned and woke High Jinks, Leydrick, Dino, and Valen to report the “weird chick staring into a glowing pond.”

Encounter with the Green Witch

• High Jinks, Leydrick, Dino, and Valen investigated, leaving Tiv and the Steel Defender to guard their supplies. Rig led them to the pond, where Valen used Detect Magic, revealing the pond and woman radiated strong magical energy (“lighting up like a Christmas tree”). The woman, identified as the Green Witch, invited High Jinks to look into the pond, which she was using for scrying. The pond showed lords and ladies in Waterdeep discussing the Rassalantar disappearances.
• The Green Witch confirmed she saw the townsfolk pass through her forest, trampling plants, but deemed them not worth killing. She revealed their destination: a cave to the north, at the base of the Sword Mountains, leading to the Underdark, where two Mind Flayers had taken them. She urged the party to retrieve the townsfolk and leave her forest, warning of conflict if more humans intruded. High Jinks, enjoying the interaction, conversed politely, while Valen admired her magic, and Leydrick and Dino were stressed by the dragon’s presence. The party agreed to follow her directions and retreated carefully, avoiding further disturbance (High Jinks reminded everyone not to hurt trees).

More Lights and a Mysterious Path

• Back at camp, the party rested, but during the next watch, fainter blue lights appeared. High Jinks, woken by Tiv, and Valen investigated, with Valen reluctantly waking up (grumbling about being disturbed again). Rig joined them, stealthily following the lights despite his frustration. The lights led to an overgrown stone path with occasional blue flashes and faint, stringy Elven music in the distance (Rig, who speaks Elvish, confirmed its distinctly Elven nature with a perception check of 21, noting its haunting, string-like quality).
• The path led to a clearing with no trees, revealing a castle footprint—evidence of a large, unnatural structure long gone. Small plants had overgrown the area, and the blue lights were identified as will-o’-wisps (per High Jinks’ Arcana check, 19). High Jinks worried they might lead to doom, but the party, drawn by the Elven music, investigated further, finding a basement in the castle ruins. They looted: fancy medium armor, a ring allowing High Jinks to talk with animals (given to her), and Valen found two greater healing potions and an unknown potion with mushrooms.
• The path’s direction was away from the Sword Mountains (interpreted as veering off to the side), not toward the cave the Green Witch mentioned. However, the party ultimately chose to follow the Green Witch’s advice and headed north to the Sword Mountains cave, entering the Underdark to pursue the townsfolk.

Underdark: Spider and Drow Ambush

• After entering the Underdark via the cave at the base of the Sword Mountains, the party was ambushed by four large spiders and a Drow. Combat ensued:
• Dino: Led the charge, dealing significant damage with his sword (8 damage, killing one spider) and directing his Steel Defender to attack (14 to hit, dealing further damage).
• Leydrick: Used Firebolt to damage a spider (nearly killing it). A Drow shot an arrow at him from the darkness but missed; Leydrick fired a Firebolt back into the darkness, hitting the Drow (who remained alive). Later, Leydrick cast Cure Wounds on Valen, fully restoring his health (noted as “insane” healing per 2024 D&D rules). He expressed disdain for spiders.
• High Jinks: Hit a spider with Eldritch Blast but was bitten. She disengaged using Feline Agility to double her movement and retreat, avoiding an opportunity attack, and later dashed to safety.
• Rig: Rushed to Leydrick’s aid, swinging his wrench but missing twice (despite using Heroic Inspiration). A spider webbed him, restraining him (speed 0, attacks at disadvantage), but he used a bonus action to disengage and escape.
• Valen: Used Firebolt to finish off a damaged spider but took several nasty hits, reducing him to low health. Leydrick’s Cure Wounds fully healed him, keeping him in the fight.
• The spiders and Drow landed hits: one spider bit Dino (failing to penetrate his armor), another dealt 5 damage to Leydrick via a crossbow bolt (he passed a Constitution saving throw), a third webbed Rig, and several hit Valen (bringing him to low health before healing). The Drow’s arrow missed Leydrick, but Leydrick’s Firebolt hit the Drow, who survived and remained in the darkness. By the session’s end, two spiders were dead, one was heavily damaged, one remained at full health, and the Drow was injured but alive.

Current Status

• Location: In the Underdark, near the entrance of the cave at the base of the Sword Mountains, mid-combat with two remaining spiders and an injured Drow.
• Party Condition:
• Dino: Took minor damage, Steel Defender active.
• Leydrick: 5 damage from a crossbow bolt, otherwise stable.
• High Jinks: Bitten but retreated safely, no major injuries.
• Rig: Webbed briefly but escaped, uninjured, frustrated after missing attacks.
• Valen: Took heavy damage (low health), fully healed by Leydrick, equipped with two greater healing potions and an unknown mushroom potion.

• Quests Updated:

• Investigate Rassalantar Disappearance: The party has entered the Underdark, following the Green Witch’s directions, and encountered enemies (spiders and a Drow), confirming the presence of threats guarding the townsfolk.
• Locate Beholder in Sword Mountains: Still pending, potentially tied to the Underdark cave.
• New Lead: The stone path, will-o’-wisps, Elven music, and castle footprint (with basement loot) suggest an ancient elven site, possibly tied to the Moon-Touched Longsword. The party chose to pursue the Underdark instead but may return to this lead later.
• Loot Acquired:
• Fancy medium armor (unclaimed).
• Ring to talk with animals (given to High Jinks).
• Two greater healing potions and an unknown mushroom potion (taken by Valen).

Notable Moments

• High Jinks’ interaction with the Green Witch ensured a peaceful encounter, though Leydrick and Dino were on edge.
• Valen’s use of Detect Magic and reluctance to wake up again highlighted his cautious but curious nature.
• The basement loot added utility (High Jinks’ ring) and survival options (Valen’s potions), crucial for the Underdark.
• Combat dynamics: Dino’s aggression, Leydrick’s critical healing and retaliation against the Drow, High Jinks’ hit-and-run, Rig’s protective instincts (despite misses), and Valen’s resilience after taking hits.
• A humorous out-of-character moment discussed a restaurant named “Child Sister,” likely a translated name for an Asian fusion brunch spot.