The party finished looting the dead teleportation-worm, survived two brutal Shadow ambushes in an alcove-lined hall (Venerus went down to dying 2), discovered an improvised Morlock shrine and the corpse of one of Yinyz Mara's missing thieves, fought off four sacrificing Morlocks, parleyed with Graugus, King of the Ghost Queen's Morlocks, and accepted his "deal": slay the river monster and bring its head. They then hunted down and killed a River Drake, wiped out a rat swarm, and pulled a treasure chest (gold + a Wand of Fear + a serpent rod + an unidentified compass) from the flooded cavern. The session ends with the dragon's head in hand, heading back to Graugus's throne room.
Last session the party killed a worm-like elemental in the fog (Venerus nearly died), cleared rooms of mold and animated skeletons, found a secret teleportation room with a massive worm carcass, and first ran into the Morlock ("mushroom") people, sniping one as it fled.
| 00:00:30 | Recap of last session A player recaps the prior session: killing a worm-like elemental in the fog (with Venerus nearly dying), clearing rooms of mold and animated skeletal remains, discovering a secret room with a teleportation glyph/worm carcass, and encountering the Morlock ('mushroom') people, one of whom was sniped while fleeing. [S7 · 00:00:30 · turn 0007 · scene 001] |
| 00:03:35 | Healing up and returning to the teleportation room The party rests, heals (Abbas/Veve soothes and treats wounds), and returns to the circular teleportation room with the giant worm carcass and a ribbon of pale blue light. Cid investigates the corpse, digging out a +1 warhammer from a skeleton inside, but triggers the bursting light hazard, taking damage on failed reflex saves. They confirm the worm is dead and the magic is too strong to identify. [S7 · 00:12:12 · turn 0127 · scene 002] |
| 00:19:49 | Shadow ambush in the sarcophagus hall Venerus opens the double doors into a narrow hall lined with alcoves/sarcophagi and is ambushed by Shadows that rip pieces of his shadow away (enfeebled). The fight is brutal: Venerus drops to dying 2 from a crit and is dragged to safety by Veve/Abbas. The shadows hide in the alcoves and recoil from the magical light spell. The party learns the shadows ignore torch/fire but are weakened by magical light and damaged by healing magic. [S7 · 00:22:43 · turn 0228 · scene 003] |
| 01:01:50 | Regrouping, investigating the shadows, and a long rest Out of initiative, the party debates how to handle the shadows, treats wounds (Venerus stays wounded after a failed treat-wounds), and has a long rules discussion about Battle Medicine in/out of combat. They decide the circular worm room is safe (pristine immaculate walls), take watches, and complete a long rest. Enfeebled ends after a couple hours. A real-life break is taken and a late player returns. [S7 · 01:11:39 · turn 0699 · scene 004] |
| 02:08:24 | Second shadow encounter and clearing the hall After the rest the party re-enters the sarcophagus hall with everyone carrying a light, prepared to use healing magic against the shadows. They fight and dissipate the shadows (healing magic destroys them on contact), confirm the dead shadow spoke Necril, and finally clear the corridor. They learn the shadows are non-magical creatures shaped like a person, recoiling from magical light, not afraid of fire. [S7 · 01:41:08 · turn 1008 · scene 005] |
| 02:20:19 | The improvised shrine and the dead rogue Venerus finds a lever; pulling it opens a wall in a former kitchen rebuilt as an improvised shrine to a violent deity (a bone idol decorated with mud and blood). Below the shrine the party loots a crimson bloodstone, a magical glowing rune stone, and a magical obsidian gem. A stabbed, throat-slit human corpse with a bird tattoo is identified as a member of the rogue/thief group sent by Yinyz Mara (the questgiver), who bore the same tattoo. The body is days (under a week) old. Sarcophagi are all empty. [S7 · 02:25:05 · turn 1349 · scene 006] |
| 02:40:00 | Morlock cell ambush While Cid struggles fruitlessly to pry open sealed sarcophagi (with the contractual crowbar) and a door leading downstairs is opened, four Morlocks ambush the party from cells, screaming about sacrificing intruders to 'the Ghost Queen'. A long fight: Veve/Abbas is stabbed repeatedly, daggers fly, and the party grinds the Morlocks down one by one (thrown-arrow crit, warhammer skull-crush, a Morlock hurling its weapon at allies). The party prevails but takes heavy damage, then heals. [S7 · 03:25:14 · turn 1922 · scene 007] |
| 03:42:30 | Exploring down: silver room, swamp cavern, and a river drake The party descends and explores: a non-magical octagonal silver-metal/rune chamber (a deactivated teleportation-style room they cannot operate), a flooded swampy cavern with ruined rafts and rope/pulley remnants and signs of a large serpentine creature, and a wet tunnel. Cid identifies the sleeping creature as a River Drake (a Drake, not a true dragon; ~level 3-5). They scout further and find a second Morlock throne room. [S7 · 03:51:34 · turn 2187 · scene 008] |
| 04:14:43 | Audience with Graugus, King of the Ghost Queen's Morlocks In a throne room (mattress 'throne', bones, an attendant), the Morlock leader Graugus, King of the Ghost Queen Warlocks/Morlocks, parleys (in Necril/Sakroth, with Venerus translating). After a botched sneak attack, Graugus offers a choice: become a sacrifice, or prove worth by slaying the river monster and bringing him its head. The party agrees, planning to kill the drake then return for information and to eliminate him. Graugus is perceived as lying about controlling the drake and warns this is not the entirety of the Ghost Queen's Morlocks. [S7 · 04:27:44 · turn 2512 · scene 009] |
| 04:36:00 | Slaying the River Drake The party lures the sleeping river drake out by throwing a thunderstone/lightning item into the mud. The drake's acid breath (10-ft burst, persistent acid) catches most of the party; Cid is knocked unconscious by a critical tail lash. Using Runic Weapon (cast for the first time on Cid), bow fire that keeps the drake off-guard, sneak attacks, and a thrown-arrow projectile, the party kills the river drake. Venerus lands the final head shot. [S7 · 04:50:35 · turn 2720 · scene 010] |
| 05:09:50 | Rat swarm and the drake's treasure After healing, a rat swarm ambushes the party; Abbas's Concordian Choir and Venerus's skewering crit wipe them out. The party builds a raft from drake parts and scrap to cross the deep water, and Cid dives to recover a sealed sea chest. Inside: a pile of gold (36 gp, ~9 each), a bronze serpent rod, a bluish-purple wand (a Wand of Fear, claimed by Abbas/Veve), and an ornate compass with a slot. Items are partially identified. [S7 · 05:22:59 · turn 3038 · scene 011] |
| 05:42:08 | Identifying loot and wrapping up Walking back toward the Morlock king's room, the party identifies items: the obsidian gem is a fear-related talisman; the rune stone is a Battle Medicine boost talisman (lets the holder use Treat Wounds as Battle Medicine, 1-hour cooldown); the crimson bloodstone is a valuable gem; the compass is unidentified; and one rod casts a toggleable Light spell. Cid swipes the light item. They split gold (9 gp each) and end the session with the dragon's head in hand, several items still unidentified, before re-entering Graugus's room. [S7 · 05:45:13 · turn 3269 · scene 012] |