We have been playing D&D 5th edition on Discord using DnD Beyond since March during the Covid-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania. This is our second campaign.
- Eanrin, Half-Elf, 6th level Bard/Druid
- Fradelis Eni, Half-Drow, 6th level Hexblade Warlock
- Luna, Half-Elf, 6th level Champion Fighter
- Rain on the Night Wind, Elf, 6th level Hunter Ranger
Forgotten Realms, The Silver Marches, 1486
For prior sessions, please use the following links: Session Zero, Session One, and Session Two.
Our heroes remain in the Dwarven complex connected to the mine. They have worked their way through to the second room, the one shaped like a diamond. They are growing weary from their efforts, and more than a few of them are wounded. And so, tired, hungry, and thirsty they decide to take a short rest within the room despite the odd idols and the droning voice chanting in Infernal coming from the obelisk in the center of the room.
During the time of rest, and between mouthfuls of trail rations and water, Eanrin reminds Luna that she had found a map on the corpse of one of the Hobgoblin soldiers. They inspect it together, finding that it is a map of the Silver Marches with four locations marked. With a little teamwork, they manage to decipher that two of the marks are mine entrances with one being the entrance that they used to enter this very complex. The third mark was easily recognizable as the logging camp. However, the last mark within the Southern section of the Moonwood holds no significance to them. But obviously, it is a location that is important to Kalman and his warriors.
After looking at the map, Eanrin and Luna shared their duties during the War of the Silver Marches. Eanrin acted as a musician and escort to the Silverymoon Silver Knights while Luna was assigned as a quartermaster, mainly focused on making sure that supplies and weapons were available for the forces of the Silver Marches.
After an hour has passed, the companions began to gather their things and make ready to continue exploring. They all felt worse than they had before taking a rest. They realized that the obelisk and its constant loud droning and chanting had affected them in a negative way. The loud noise pollution mixed with the purple flashing light had stressed them out to the point that they felt exhausted.
[Each character was assigned 1 level of Exhaustion as an effect of being exposed to the Infernal chanting for 1 hour.]
At this point, Luna and Rain started to talk about the idols arranged within the alcoves around the room. Luna explained that she recognized a few of them including Tiamat, the five-headed dragon; and Hextor, the multi-armed war god. Rain seemed interested in these revelations but he was unable to come to any conclusions as to why the idols might be on display.
Fradelis decided to inspect the obelisk while her friends chatted about the idols. She touched it with the tip of her dagger and a Barbed Devil appeared. The chanting ended and it also stopped strobing with purple light.
Resembling a tall humanoid covered in sharp barbs, spines, and hooks, it had gleaming eyes that are ever watchful of the four heroes. The devil looked around at the companions with a sly grin and said, “What is it that I can do for you?” They noticed that a thin silver chain was around the monster’s ankle, tethering it to the obelisk.
Rain made a point of mocking and goading the creature, going as far as to purposefully call it a demon rather than a devil. The monster was offended, of course, but contained its anger and annoyance rather than lashing out. As a barbed devil, the fiend was accustomed to just ploys. It merely ignored Rain and interacted with the others instead.
The devil suggested that it could strike an infernal bargain with one or all of the companions. When it was asked its name, it replied: “You may call me Erol.” Despite many offers to broker a deal with the four heroes, the devil was unable to convince them. In the end, the creature touched the obelisk again and vanished. Thankfully the obelisk did not resume chanting or blinking with light.
It was then that our heroes decided to investigate further. They left the diamond shaped room and walked cautiously down the hallway that led some twenty-five feet to another closed but unlocked wooden door.
Rain took the lead, checking carefully for any indications of traps in the corridor. Luna followed with Eanrin close behind. Fradelis brought up the rear, allowing a gap between herself and Eanrin.
The air was stale in the long corridor, hinting at poor ventilation. The ceiling was smooth and supported by large, sagging wooden beams. The floor was tiled with cracked masonry tiles matching those in the previous rooms.
Opening the door carefully, alert to any sort of triggering of a trap, Rain stepped aside to allow his companions to see into the next room. It was large. Perfectly executed symbols and glyphs, scribed in bright green dye, decorated the irregularly shaped crumbling chamber.
Faded mosaic tiles matching those in the previous rooms decorated parts of the wall and ceiling, but most had fallen to the dust-covered floor and shattered. Situated at the center of the chamber stood a slim pedestal of rusted iron holding a crystal ball.
To the far right, there is a large table pushed against the wall that held mortars, pestles, small tools, and bowls that must have once been used to make powders and potions. And to the far left was another table covered with a stack of 5 books.
Fradelis cast Detect Magic as the others entered the room. She glanced around, noticing that many items within the room glowed with magical auras including the crystal ball, some tools on the table to the right, and one of the books in the pile to the left.
Eanrin walked towards the table with the books and started sorting through them. She found that they were odd to say the least. The titles included: “To Serve Man: A Cookbook on the Delicate Art of Cooking Humans; Admirable Labors of the Giants and Their Clans; The Lure of Beasts; The White Curse; and a final book that was unmarked on the cover but written with Dwarven lettering within.
Luna walked to the alchemist table, inspecting the tools. Rain followed, and he pointed out the collection of four potions arranged on the table. Rain remembered that potions can easily be identified; a little taste is enough to tell the taster what the potion does. He carefully tasted each potion, identifying them as the following: Climbing, Heroism, Speed, and Vitality.
At this point, a cloud of dust behind the pedestal holding the crystal ball rose up and a skull appeared. It was a demilich, and it shouted in anger at them.
“WHO ARE YOU AND WHY DO YOU DARE TO DISTURB MY SLEEP?!”
The companions were all surprised and caught off guard. Rain reacted first, lying to the demilich by saying: “I am Erin … Eroll …. Erol! And Kalman the Cruel has told us to meet him here.”
The demilich was familiar with Erol the barbed devil and did not believe the Elf. But the part about Kalman was possible, so it activated the crystal ball and summoned up a mystical connection between itself and Kalman.
The image of the Hobgoblin Warlord slowly appeared in the crystal ball. They could see Kalman gazing through the glass at them in confusion. “Mohan” the heard the Hobgoblin shout angrily. “What is the meaning of these and who are these miserable persons?!”
The demilich knew at that point that Kalman had not sent them. “LIARS! INTERLOPERS! INVADERS,” the demilich shouted through its cracked, yellow teeth. “THIEVES! THIEVES COME TO STEAL! THIEVES COME TO PLUNDER MY WEALTH!” The skull’s screaming voice was shrill and filled with hate.
Luna tried to persuade the demilich, but was unsuccessful. The demilich rose a little higher in the air, its green gemstone eyes flickering with magic. It used Energy Drain on them, drawing out their very lifeforce.
Rain acted quickly, casting Ensnaring Strike, but the demilich resisted the magic. Drawing out his bow, Rain first aimed at the image of Kalman, thinking that the warlord had entered the room. Then realizing that he was seeing only an image through the crystal ball, the Elf switched his aim and fired twice at the demilich, one arrow striking hard just above its left eye and the other creating a groove across its forehead.
Fradelis stepped forward shouting a Hellish Rebuke at the monster, but it seemed to fend this off without effect. She summoned up her energy and cast an Eldritch Blast but the demilich shifted away and the beam struck the wall behind it without effect. Finally, the warlock growled and hexed the demilich with a Hellblade’s Curse.
Eanrin stepped forward, summoned up the raw magic around him to cast Cloud of Daggers. The air around the demilich filled with spinning, shimmering daggers that hacked and slashed at its skull. Meanwhile, Luna drew up her crossbow and fired twice at the creature, striking it with both shots.
The dust around the demilich began to stir again and it used its ability Cloud of Dust, then let out an ear-piercing screech as it unleashed its Howl. As a result, Fradelis and Rain both fell unconscious from the effects of the Howl while Luna and Eanrin were blinded by the dust.
Eanrin focused on his connection to nature and used Wild Shape to assume the form of a tiger. Then despite being blind, he assisted Luna in finding and dragging their fallen companions away from the demilich and back through the doorway into the hall.
[Both Fradelis and Rain failed their first death saving throws.]
Without missing a beat, Eanrin used Cure Wounds and Healing Word to stabilize his companions, and then they gazed back into the room with the demilich. The creature remained angry, shouting, They could hear Kalman issuing orders through the crystal ball.
“Do not kill them, Mohan,” said the Hobgoblin. “They may still be of use to me.” With that the demilich screamed in anger, and the Hobgoblin spoke again. “If they return to plunder your wealth, then slay them. But otherwise allow them to live for now!”
With that, Rain surged forward and slammed the door shut. They all quickly agreed at they should make haste for the mine entrance again. They rushed through the hallway and into the diamond shaped room. Moving onward they dashed through the room with the pits only to see a man with white skin and dark clothing standing on the other side of the stone door watching them. He smiled, removing the key and causing the stone door to snap shut.
As a last ditch effort, Rain tossed a dagger at the door hoping to wedge it shut despite knowing that on every occasion the stone door had slammed shut so violently that the idea of weding it open was unlikely.The dagger flew true and the blade snapped as it was slammed in the stone door.
And now they were trapped within the room with no point of egress.
Children of the Ampersand 