Session 26: The Voidglutton and the Aurora's Suites

S26 — The Voidglutton and the Aurora's Suites

Abomination Vaults · S26 · draft recap (medium confidence)

TL;DR

The party cashed in the werewolf bounty (doubled, plus the wolf-wife reveal), learned from the rescued man that two more named horrors — Vaughrrest and Volo — still lurk below, reactivated Gauntlight teleportation portals to hit level 6, discovered the Aurora's hidden lounge suites past a looping staircase, and barely survived a brutal fight against the Voidglutton (Vollok's patron) in its body-filled nest.

Previously

The party defended Carman Rajani in a mock court, killed the werewolf with a destructive sonic blow, and found a striking guitar in deep water plus bloody footprints into a secret library room. The Gauntlight tower, thought disabled, is clearly still active.

What happened

Bounty turn-in (Otari market). The party presented the werewolf's head, belt, and a recovered locket. The huge wolf companion turned out to be the merchant's transformed wife, so he doubled the bounty plus extra (~27g 5s, split four ways), gave each PC a 20% market discount voucher, and offered future intimidation work. [00:22:38 / turn_0224, 00:27:15 / turn_0263]
Shopping. Venerus sold the dead werewolf's tainted striking guitar for 100 gold (kept it personally), bought a striking rune, a mirror, sacks, and two potions of water breathing, and commissioned a new composite shortbow for the next day. [00:33:14 / turn_0320]
Lazda's tale (Rockfish tavern). The rescued man described his captivity: a pale-blue-lantern figure abducted him; a chained, blue-stone-skinned woman (Vaughrrest) tortured and studied him; a Leech Man (Volo) experimented on him coldly; and a void of eyes watched, feeding on his fear and answering to something else. Recall checks marked Vaughrrest as an evangelist of "perfection through pain." At least two more sentient enemies remain. [00:50:48 / turn_0473, 01:00:55 / turn_0550]
Fake guards on the road. A dwarf and two thugs posing as Absalom City Guard were hunting a red-haired tiefling (Snemi). They didn't know the real head guard Lardis, so the party deceived them and steered them away. [01:30:25 / turn_0782]
The watching-eye haunt. Cid used a mirror to investigate the secret "painting" room; an eye/haunt watched but faded when ignored, leaving a battle-wrecked couch and two small teleportation circles. [02:13:42 / turn_1104]
Portals and leveling. Abus and Veve ran the awaken portal ritual and linked Gauntlight circles. Repeated teleporting granted 30 XP per portal trip and pushed the whole party to level 6. [02:57:33 / turn_1544, 02:58:11 / turn_1550]
Underwater dive. Venerus drank a water-breathing potion and, after many failed searches in murky tide-shifting water, recovered a second identical striking guitar. He spotted an underwater passage and a faint green light the party chose not to chase. [03:15:33 / turn_1703, 03:20:35 / turn_1737]
The looping staircase & the Aurora's suites. The pale-blue stairway impossibly looped. Venerus found a hidden door into the Aurora's well-kept suites, each showing burned-in echoes of the Aurora and the drow Vollok, the Aurora reading the Whispering Reeds, and dining on a disturbingly human roast arm. [03:41:49 / turn_1932, 04:07:18 / turn_2074]
Boss fight: the Voidglutton. After a long hero-point/secret-check rules debate, the party fought a swirl of eyes and needle hands that webbed and immobilized the front line, crit Veve near death, and dropped 4th-rank darkness blanking even darkvision. Venerus survived at 2 HP via a healing potion and finished it with Sonic Blow + stacking bleed. [04:31:25 / turn_2274, 05:53:01 / turn_3060, 05:55:14 / turn_3085]
The nest. Three preserved bodies — a transparent-skinned Abaddon killer, the drow Vollok, and a drider — decayed when cut down. Loot: holy prayer beads (recognized by Cid from an old master), an unidentified vial, and a runed composite longbow (an upgrade for Veve). The Aurora briefly appeared via portal with blood on her hands but did not engage. [06:21:09 / turn_3309, 06:23:13 / turn_3333]

Decisions

Accepted the doubled bounty, discount voucher, and standing job offer.
Sold both recovered striking guitars; Venerus kept the first 100g personally.
Deceived and abandoned the fake Absalom guards rather than helping them.
Did not jump blindly through unknown portals; reactivated and linked known ones.
Left town without Venerus's new bow to avoid wasting six hours.
Killed the Voidglutton and freed the three preserved bodies.

Loot & mechanics

~27g 5s bounty (doubled) split four ways; 100g for the first striking guitar.
Each PC has a 20% Otari market discount voucher.
Whole party reached level 6 from teleportation XP (30 XP per portal trip).
New feats: Venerus — Gang Up + skill training; Cid — Slam Down.
Nest loot: holy prayer beads, an unidentified vial, a runed composite longbow (for Veve).
Second striking guitar recovered (to be sold); one water-breathing potion used.
House ruling: hero points (a fortune effect) may be spent preemptively on secret recall-knowledge checks case-by-case; one fortune effect per roll, point spent regardless of result.
4th-rank darkness blocks darkvision; GM also required DC 5 flat checks to move in it (disputed at session end).

Open questions / next-session reminders

Where are Vaughrrest and Volo, and how dangerous are they?
What is the green light in the underwater cave passage?
What does the unidentified vial do? (Get it identified in town.)
Why did the drow Vollok have holy prayer beads tied to Cid's old master?
What is the Whispering Reeds book and why do the antagonists want it?
Where do the unused teleportation portals lead?
Who/what does the Voidglutton (and the Aurora) ultimately answer to?
Venerus's new composite shortbow is still waiting in Otari.
Unexplored: the blue-fire staircase, the altar/corridor past Joel's room, the couch-room portals.
The fake guards and tiefling Snemi remain a loose thread near town.

Note: PC names (Venerus, Cid, Abus, Veve) and NPC names (Lazda, Vaughrrest, Volo, Vollok, Aurora, Snemi) are transcribed phonetically and may be misspelled; treat as medium/low confidence pending review.

Scene timeline (12)

00:00:00	Recap and leaving the Gauntlight The GM recaps the previous session: the party defended Carman Rajani in a mock court, finished off the werewolf (Joel) with a destructive sonic blow, found a striking guitar in deep water and bloody footprints throughout the library leading into a secret room. Carrying the werewolf's severed head, the party heads back upstairs and out to Otari to turn in the bounty before going back into the dungeon. [S26 · 00:00:13 · turn 0003 · scene 001]
00:10:33	Turning in the bounty to Calino In Otari's market the party meets the bounty-giver (the merchant who lost his spouse to the werewolf). Cid butchers the belt first then Abus reclaims it; the party presents the severed head plus a recovered locket. Learning the werewolf's huge wolf companion was the man's wife, the merchant doubles the bounty plus extra: roughly 27 gold 5 silver split four ways. He offers future intimidation work patrolling the market and a 20 percent merchant discount. [S26 · 00:13:54 · turn 0130 · scene 002]
00:30:50	Selling the tainted guitar and shopping Venerus sells the dead werewolf's striking guitar (the Qatar/guitar weapon) to the merchant for 100 gold, keeping the money personally since it was his recovered loot. He plans to transfer or buy a striking rune for his composite shortbow, buys a mirror and five sacks, and the party splits to shop and head to the Rockfish tavern. Venerus buys two potions of water breathing. The Rockfish (Laza and her mom) feed and house the party. [S26 · 00:33:14 · turn 0320 · scene 003]
00:49:48	Lazda's tale of captivity Over dinner at the Rockfish, the rescued man (Lazda) tells of his captivity deep underground: a figure with a pale blue lantern abducted him; a blue-stone-skinned chained woman (Vaughrrest) tortured and studied him; a Leech Man (Volo) experimented on him coldly; and a void-like swirl of eyes watched, learning from his suffering and answering to something else. Recall checks identify the chained woman as a Sarvarist/evangelist of pain (perfection through pain, self-mutilation). The party realizes there are at least two more sentient enemies in the Gauntlight. [S26 · 00:50:48 · turn 0473 · scene 004]
01:13:17	Suspicious 'Absalom guards' on the road Next morning Venerus's new bow is not ready; the party leaves town without it. On the road they encounter a dwarf in a green cloak with two thuggish 'Absalom City Guard' enforcers carrying hidden blades and crossbows. Cid and Abus sense the trio are imposters/bounty hunters hunting a red-haired tiefling woman (Snemi/St Amy). The party deceives them, refuses to help, and steers them away, wishing them harm. The party also discusses the campaign schedule shift and the upcoming Age of Ashes alternation (out-of-character). [S26 · 01:17:27 · turn 0670 · scene 005]
01:40:01	The watching-eye haunt and couch room Back in the library the Morlock boy is gone (signs of a fight). Cid investigates the secret 'painting' room behind the library using a mirror to avoid looking directly; an eye/haunt watches but fades when ignored, leaving a destroyed couch with old battle blood. The GM frames it as a possibly-temporary haunt. The party finds two small teleportation circles behind the room (one with silver, one without). Long discussion of awakened-portal vs teleportation-circle ritual mechanics; the party decides not to blindly jump through unknown portals. [S26 · 01:40:24 · turn 0851 · scene 006]
02:32:55	Activating the portals and leveling up Abus/Veve perform the awaken portal ritual on the couch-room portal (it lights up, awakened for several days though the far end was not found). They then link a portal on this floor to the one on the second floor near where they killed a 'dragon'. Repeatedly teleporting back and forth grants 30 XP per teleport, pushing the party to level up (Venerus visibly ages each pop). Loot/XP from the merchant quest is also reconciled. They debate going to fetch Venerus's bow versus pressing on. [S26 · 02:45:33 · turn 1422 · scene 007]
03:01:18	Diving for the second guitar In Joel's room Venerus hands off his gear, drinks a water-breathing potion, and dives the deep ocean-fed cave water to find the second striking guitar. After repeated failed searches in murky, tide-shifting water he finally recovers an identical weapon striking guitar (planned to be sold). He notices an underwater passage leading elsewhere. Abus later sees a faint green light emanating from that cave, which the party flags but chooses not to pursue. [S26 · 03:04:40 · turn 1609 · scene 008]
03:22:10	The looping staircase and the Aurora's suites Heading up the pale-blue energy stairway, the party finds the stairs impossibly loop back on themselves (a magical effect). Venerus spots an off section of wall and discovers a hidden door. Beyond it is a chain of well-kept suite rooms (lounge, formal lounge, dining room) showing burned-in echoes/holograms of the Aurora (a well-dressed blonde) and the drow Vollok conversing, the Aurora reading the Whispering Reeds book, and finally the Aurora dining on a disturbingly human roast arm. Each room has another door deeper in. [S26 · 03:27:25 · turn 1809 · scene 009]
04:07:51	Rules debate: hero points on secret checks Initiative is rolled as a void-like creature ambushes the party. A long table rules discussion follows about whether a player may spend a hero point (a fortune effect) preemptively on a secret recall-knowledge check, and whether the GM rolling a secret twice (rolling low penalty) stacks. The GM rules case-by-case, dislikes stacking fortune effects, and refunds a hero point. They read PC Core p.450 on secret checks and fortune/misfortune effects. [S26 · 04:08:27 · turn 2085 · scene 010]
04:30:11	Boss fight: the Voidglutton The party fights the Voidglutton, a whispering-behemoth void with seven-fingered needle hands and eye-tipped tendrils that thrives on arcane energy and feeds on fear. It webs/immobilizes Venerus and Veve, crits Veve badly, and casts 4th-rank darkness blocking even darkvision while forcing the party to roll to move. Venerus lands a heavy Sonic Blow and stacks bleed; a healing potion literally saves him at 2 HP. Veve's level-2 dispel fails to counteract the rank-4 darkness. Venerus finishes it with a final Sonic Blow; the creature dissolves and its eyes drop to the floor. The party recognizes it as the Voidglutton (Vollok's patron). The Aurora briefly appears via portal/echo with blood on her hands but does not engage. [S26 · 04:31:25 · turn 2274 · scene 011]
05:55:00	Looting the nest: bodies, beads, vial, and longbow In the octagonal nest, three bodies are mounted in ectoplasmic webbing: a transparent-skinned Munavri-like killer (worshippers of Abaddon), the drow Vollok, and a drider (drow/spider flesh-warp). Cutting them down releases them and they rapidly decay, freeing them from the Voidglutton's preserving webs. Loot recovered: holy prayer beads (recognized from one of Cid's old teachers/masters), an unidentified vial, and a composite longbow with runes (an upgrade, likely Veve's). Venerus tries to burn the web with limited success. The session ends; the rescued man never returned to check on them. [S26 · 06:16:47 · turn 3265 · scene 012]

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