📘 Session 6 – “Break the Chains” WIP

Music🎶

🎵 Break the Chains – Varrick Songweave

🎵 Break the Chains (Alt Version) – Varrick Songweave

[Verse 1]
Down in the dark where the mind-whispers bite,
Drow runes glowed silver, warding our sight.
With steel-cored faith and a cat’s swift grace,
We marched ‘til the prison showed hate on its face.

[Chorus]
🎶 Break the chains, let the captive cry,
Wrench swings high and Eldritch lights fly.
Mind-Flayers fall where the brave hearts rise,
We break the chains and sever their ties! 🎶

[Verse 2]
Quaggoth claws thundered, guards fought to live,
Rigg tripped the beast with a Cunning-Strike give.
Leydrick’s flames blessed the tide of the fight,
While Dino’s defender bit deep in the night.

[Bridge]
One Flayer fled in a violet flash,
Its echoing shriek our unfinished task.
But diaries stolen and keys in our hand,
We’ll free every soul in this cursed land.

[Final Chorus]
🎶 Break the chains, under torch-lit stone,
With wizard’s fire and a tabaxi’s tone.
Villagers saved, our legend remains—
Onward we ride to shatter their reigns! 🎶

🪐 Campaign Arc

Campaign: Spelljammer – Homebrew Hybrid
Session Title: Break the Chains
Dungeon Master: James/Jamie (Sicareus)
Setting: Mind-Flayer prison, Underdark beneath the Sword Mountains

🧭 Overview

Guided by their Moon-Dancer Drow allies, the party infiltrated a duergar-built prison now run by Illithids. After subduing a hall of enthralled guards, ambushing two Mind-Flayers (one escaped via teleport), and slaying rampaging Quaggoths, they freed roughly twenty-five Rassalantar villagers. Key loot includes a lock-box of coin, a Deep-Speech Illithid diary, and crystal psionic weapons humming with latent power.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Party Members

Character	Player	Class / Subclass	Race	Notable Actions (this session)
Garrick “Rigg” Dalhart	Ben / Elemunk	Rogue (Swashbuckler)	Human	“Leeeroy Jenkins” charge; landed wrench upper-cut killing a Mind-Flayer; tripped a Quaggoth; dug up 300 gp lock-box; collected Flayer head for Dino.
Laydrick Gefinhal	Jared / Galindis	Cleric (Life)	Dwarf	Sacred Flame seared Quaggoths & Flayers; kept party topped with healing; shared silver rune blessing lore.
High Jinks	Kate / Keitachan	Warlock (GOO)	Tabaxi	Dual Eldritch-Blasts dropped Quaggoth #2; calmed rescued villagers; reminded “AI” to note +60 gp for her purse.
Dino Roar (Dynoth Rokos)	Robb / Baconbuff	Artificer / Fighter (Battle Smith)	Githyanki	Passed DC 15 Mind-Blast thanks to Drow blessing; Steel Defender mauled Quaggoth; detected abjuration vials; harvested psionic weapons.
Valen Pyre	Justin / Slitzer	Wizard (Evoker)	Human	Cast Comprehend Languages; investigated Illithid diary; landed all-important 2-damage Firebolt and proudly told the AI to remember it.

📍 Key Locations

Gate-Hall: Fortified entrance where a Quaggoth fought three duergar guards.
Mess-Hall: Hex-shaped canteen filled with enthralled human guards; site of silent subdual.
Mind-Flayer Refectory: Dining chamber with eldritch aquarium; one Flayer slain, one teleported away.
Cell-Block (Rescue Site): Diamond room of cages; Quaggoth #2 downed; villagers liberated.

📑 Session Highlights

🥷 Mess-Hall Silent Takedown

Situation: Four foam-lipped human guards eating gruel at a hex-shaped canteen table.
Execution: Party fanned out, each target grappled or clubbed in sync; no alarms raised.
Loot: Mess-hall master key, 4 usable spears, 1 half-full flask of duergar grog (claimed by Rigg).
Fun fact: Rigg & Dino removed the guards’ boots “so they can’t chase us later.”

🧠 Mind-Flayer Refectory Ambush

Door-kick call-out: Rigg shouted a hushed “Leeeroy Jenkins!” before charging.
Round 1: High Jinks & Valen loosed Eldritch Blast + Firebolt as Leydrick’s Sacred Flame flared; one Flayer Mind-Blasted back (20 ψ, halved by Drow wards).
Round 2: Dino’s wrench-assisted crit and Jinks’ follow-up dropped Flayer #1; Flayer #2 teleported away in a violet ripple, leaving a single tentacle on the floor.
Pick-ups: Illithid corpse, two Deep-Speech tomes, alchemy vials (abjuration aura).

🚪 Gate-Hall Chaos & First Quaggoth

Surprise melee: A lone Quaggoth was tearing into three guards. Unsure of allegiances, the party leapt in anyway.
Key moves: Rigg used Bag o’ Nutz with a Cunning-Strike Trip, knocking the beast prone; Leydrick’s Sacred Flame scorched it; Dino’s Steel Defender finished the job.

🔓 Cell-Block Rescue & Second Quaggoth

Discovery: Diamond-shaped cage room with ~25 villagers, Quaggoth pounding bars.
Alpha strike: Jinks’ twin Eldritch Blasts (19 force), Rigg’s sling stone, and Steel Defender’s bite dropped the beast in two rounds.
Aftermath: High Jinks calmed civilians; Leydrick treated minor wounds; keys opened every cage.
Quote: Villager: “Are the cat-eyes here to save us?” Jinks (tail flick): “Meow-gically, yes.”

🔍 Cleanup & Preparations

Inventory sweep: 300 gp lock-box, crystal psionic weapon set, Illithid diary secured.
Strategic choice pending: Escorted freed villagers back to Drow enclave.
Reminder flags: High Jinks +60 gp next session; translate diary; identify abjuration vials.

🔍 Ongoing Threads & Plot Hooks

Translate Illithid Diary: Could reveal tactical maps or Spelljammer intel.
Psionic Weapons: Need source of “mind-energy” to activate—or a buyer.
High Jinks’ 60 gp Reminder: Add coins at start of next session.

🚨 Cliff-hanger – Portal & Collapsing Cavern

Drow escort: After a short rest, the scouts led the party to a broad, well-lit cavern where a glowing portal pulsed at the far wall; two Mind-Flayers stood chanting beside it.
Recognition: One Illithid matched the robes/face-tentacles of the Flayer that escaped the refectory fight.
Escape: As the heroes watched, the first Mind-Flayer stepped through the portal and vanished; the cavern immediately began to tremble.
Instability: Rock-dust rained down as the ceiling buckled—“You suspect there is very limited time,” warned the DM.
Reaction: Rigg shouted “Cowards!” and charged toward the portal; the rest of the party dashed after him while debris cracked overhead, ending the session on a dramatic cliff-hanger.