Behind a cracked door the party found a centuries-stuck imp named Sizek, who spilled the whole layout of Aravian's prison: the boss Aravian locked himself behind a door that needs a five-piece amulet (the party has three or four), the grave knight is Kalido Harovex, the devils were summoned by Belcorra, and the way down is sealed by magic and rubble. Forced to go up after the fifth amulet piece, the party fought a pack of mossy "sodhounds" and a living-landslide golem in a cavern, looted six gemstones, then reached a dark pool guarded by two regenerating five-headed hydras. After a long grind of cauterizing heads with alchemist's fire and the fire-tagged Hellforge glaive, both hydras went down — but they carried no amulet piece. The session ended with the party launching a folding boat onto the water to keep searching, Cid's plate armor nearly sinking it.
The party had been clearing rooms near the elevator: they fought what they believe was the Hellforge's blacksmith (and are unsure whether they can use the Hellforge or should destroy it — they lack holy water), then cut down an undead "philosopher" (joke-named Skelly Spider Boy) whose walls were covered in nonsensical inscriptions. They are level 8 and worried about the grave knight coming down the stairs and cornering them.
| 00:00:01 | Pregame chatter and recap of the philosopher fight Tech setup, mic/volume joking, and a player recap. Last session the party explored a corridor/room near the elevator, fought what they took to be the Hellforge's blacksmith, debated whether they can use (or should destroy) the Hellforge, and then cut down an undead 'philosopher' (nicknamed Skelly Spider Boy) who covered the walls in inscriptions. They are level 8 and wary of the grave knight coming down the stairs and cornering them. [S62 · 00:02:29 · turn 0024 · scene 001] |
| 00:08:18 | Healing up and the door that cracked open The party hears a faint bubbling behind a door and decides to patch up before pressing on (a ten-minute Treat Wounds, healing Cid and the others). Three unexplored doors surround them. Veve swears she briefly saw one of them crack open and close again; the party ribs her about 'seeing things,' then resolves to check it. [S62 · 00:14:28 · turn 0133 · scene 002] |
| 00:18:48 | Sizek the imp: the amulet, Aravian, and the lay of the dungeon Behind the door is a frightened, foul-mouthed imp who calls himself Sizek and has been stuck here for centuries taking notes for the devil Aravian (Erabian). Despite Cid's hostility (a paladin who badly wants to smite the devil), Venris and Veve keep the peace and pump the imp for intel. Sizek reveals: the boss is Aravian, who locked himself behind a door that opens with an amulet of FIVE pieces (the party has 3-4 from the enemies they've killed: Barmacock the smith, Ickin the guard, the Quartermaster/'creep', a 'bub'). The fifth piece is held by a 'sarglock'/serpent creature lurking in water up in the laboratories. Aravian has an arrangement with 'old Belcorra,' broke a deal back in hell over something he never delivered, and is now too scared to return. He blocked the route down with magic and rubble. The grave knight is named Kalido Harovex, a mercenary and 'cousin of Cora.' The imp also describes the gug behind one door, a summoning chamber Belcorra used to bring the devils, and the 'farm' down the elevator where prisoners were sourced. He begs the party to kill Aravian so his contract ends. [S62 · 00:35:07 · turn 0300 · scene 003] |
| 01:10:43 | Blocked path down, and choosing to go up The party finds the route deeper blocked exactly as the imp warned: a pile of massive rubble that would take days or weeks to clear. With the way down sealed by Aravian's magic and stone, they decide they have to go through Aravian. The GM awards a villain point for the imp RP and ribs Cid for nearly blowing the scene by wanting to attack the devil; the party climbs the stairs to look for the fifth amulet piece (the water creature in the labs). [S62 · 01:10:21 · turn 0567 · scene 004] |
| 01:14:21 | Sodhounds and the living landslide Climbing into a mossy cavern toward the still water, the ground erupts and combat starts. Several small mossy 'sodhounds' (earth-elemental dogs that meld into and form out of the stone, bleeding no blood, going for metal) attack, followed by a larger humanoid earth creature, the 'living landslide,' that uses a Sliding Earth charge to trip Cid and Venris. The party tears through them: Venris splits the hounds with his bloodletting kukri and thrown chakrams, Cid (Abbas) casts Divine Lance and crits the golem, and Cid the fighter cleaves with sonic blows. The party's casters note the elementals' binding to the area is weak and could be undone by a four-hour ritual consuming gems, but decide it isn't worth the money/time. The landslide and its three sodhound 'puppies' are all killed. [S62 · 01:37:19 · turn 0805 · scene 005] |
| 01:55:10 | Gemstones and the dark water cavern After the fight Veve spots a glimmer and the party recovers six gemstones from the earth (the loose 'shiny rocks,' likely the same kind a binding ritual would consume). Pressing on, they reach a large pool under stalactites with five square shafts in the ceiling and the transparent stone wall watching from above. Light into the water reveals two large shapes moving below. Recalling Morlibint's library notes, the party warns each other these may need their heads cauterized with fire or they'll regrow. They probe the water carefully and take a break before fully engaging. [S62 · 01:58:52 · turn 1002 · scene 006] |
| 02:14:25 | The hydras surface Venris lands a lucky crit on a shape in the water and a multi-headed serpent — a hydra — wails out, dragging the party into initiative. A second hydra reveals itself; the two are huge five-headed creatures that regenerate severed heads unless the wound is cauterized. Cid (Abbas) lands a crit-fail Fear on one hydra (frightened 3) but the other shrugs it off. Venris's organ-sight and fork attacks do big damage but the heads just heal back. The party realizes each head is its own target and that only fire (or acid) will stop regeneration, while Venris (Visigoth/Cid the fighter) tanks one hydra one-on-one with his shield. [S62 · 02:25:03 · turn 1121 · scene 007] |
| 02:46:36 | Cauterizing the hydras with fire and the Hellforge glaive A long grind to put the hydras down by stopping their regeneration. The party uses alchemist's fire, Veve's Spray of Stars focus, and crucially the fire-tagged Hellforge glaive (recovered from Venris's bag mid-fight, earning a hero point) to sever-and-cauterize heads one at a time. One hydra keeps diving into the water to regenerate out of sight, forcing repeated Seek checks. The party miscommunicates about flanking and reaction-baiting (the GM teases them for not working as a team), but methodically cauterizes head after head. Both hydras are eventually reduced to their last heads and finished off. [S62 · 03:20:43 · turn 1591 · scene 008] |
| 03:47:08 | Hydra loot, no amulet piece, and the boat onto the water Searching the dead hydras turns up no amulet fragment — these were not the right creatures. Venris carves one open with his metal arm and finds only the half-digested eye of a creature the party had thrown down earlier. The GM muses about a Monster-Hunter-style harvest system but they settle for a small gold roll from a few hydra talons (plus a half hero point 'for trying'). Believing the fifth amulet piece is still out in deeper water, the party deploys a shape-shifting folding boat (rowboat form, holds a pilot plus two) and Venris and Viz/Cid get aboard while Abbas walks the ledge — but Cid's plate armor nearly sinks the boat, prompting a GM rant about magic runes that let you swim in plate. The session ends here on a soft cliffhanger; the water exploration is deferred to next session. [S62 · 03:49:59 · turn 1873 · scene 009] |