Session 29: Following the Lullaby

General Summary

Into the Depths

After Warby’s brief bout of mind-controlled aggression, we collectively decided to pretend it never happened—because really, who has time for such drama?—and descended past the stone tablet into the darkness below.
The descent was long, far longer than I expected. The deeper we went, the stronger the lullaby became, a haunting echo that coiled around the edges of our minds. It gnawed at our resolve, like a whisper just on the edge of hearing, never quite loud enough to grasp but impossible to ignore. It made the air feel heavy, and I caught myself humming along more than once. I stopped each time, but the melody lingered.
We pushed ahead through a network of winding caverns, our steps reverberating off ancient stone. Soon, we found signs of an old encampment—long abandoned. Scattered notes warned of a Magma Worm hunting these tunnels, and something else caught our eye—mention of a relic capable of resisting the lullaby’s influence. But, of course, we’re nothing if not reckless, and we pressed forward without searching for it.

The Magma Worm

That, in hindsight, may have been an error.
Not long after, the cave walls trembled, and the ground beneath us cracked open, spewing molten rock and revealing a colossal Magma Worm. Its body glowed with searing heat, steam rolling off its form in thick waves. It wasted no time lunging at us, hunger driving it forward.
The battle was quick and vicious. The beast’s molten breath turned stone to slag, and it lashed out with earthen spikes from the cavern floor. Warby’s griffon may be gone, but his skill in mounted combat remained, dodging and weaving around the worm’s snapping jaws. Dulb went straight for the underbelly—because of course he did—and Goq leapt through the air with all the finesse of a hunter taking down an apex predator. In the end, the thing fell in a great, steaming heap, sinking partially back into the magma pools from which it had emerged.
One threat down. But the lullaby remained.

Voices in the Dark

Further in, we found ourselves walking through a vast cavern where the air shimmered strangely. Then, we heard them—whispers, hundreds of them, circling us in an unseen dance.
The spirits came then. Not fully manifested ghosts, but echoes, remnants of something left behind in this place. They did not attack physically. No, they struck where we were weakest. They burrowed into our minds.
Goq staggered. He clutched his head, eyes unfocused, trapped in some silent struggle against whatever had sunk its claws into his thoughts. The rest of us braced ourselves as the voices built to an overwhelming crescendo, a cacophony of wailing, pleading, and singing—always singing.
Then, Warby took a knee. He closed his eyes, and with quiet reverence, whispered a prayer to Mordos. The air shifted. A faint, silvery glow spread through the chamber, and the voices stilled. For the first time since we entered these forsaken caves, there was silence.
The spirits faded. Their torment, it seemed, was finally ended.

The Perilous Chasm

Not long after, we reached a fork in the tunnels, where something gleamed in the distance—a network of ancient pipes, leading deeper into the mountain. We noted their presence but pressed on toward the most immediate problem.
Ahead lay a massive cavern, filled with perilous wooden bridges and razor-sharp rock formations. Worse, something unnatural clung to the air, an unseen force that yanked at anyone attempting to fly. If we fell, there would be no catching ourselves.
We had no choice but to cross the chasm carefully, tying a rope between us to ensure no one slipped into the abyss below.
It was going well. Until it wasn’t.
Dulb, who had been unusually quiet—always a dangerous sign—staggered mid-step, the lullaby claiming him at last. He turned with vacant eyes, unsheathing his weapon. He lunged at us.
We beat him unconscious. Quickly.
With the chasm behind us and Dulb’s senses returned, we found ourselves before a colossal stone door. A riddle was inscribed upon its surface.
It didn’t take long. The answer, of course, was music.

The Clockwork Guardians

Beyond the door, the chamber opened into a vast, domed cavern. Strange pipes lined the walls, pumping water in unknown directions. More importantly, at the center of the room sat a massive, ornate orrery, its mechanical arms slowly spinning in their celestial dance.
At least, that’s what we thought it was.
When we stepped forward, the thing activated, revealing itself as a Radiant Warden—a construct of incredible power. It was not alone. A Mithral Golem surged forward at its command, its polished silver body gleaming even in the dim cavern light.
The battle was brutal. The Warden controlled the golem, forcing us to split our attention, lest the golem tear us apart piece by piece. Warby, Goq, and I focused on the Warden, aiming for the delicate mechanisms that powered its core, while Dulb and Sunny dodged the golem’s relentless strikes.
In the end, the key was simple: Destroy the Warden, and the golem would fall.
And that’s exactly what we did.
With one final strike, the Warden collapsed, gears spilling across the floor. The golem, motionless, returned to stillness.
For the first time since entering these caves, the lullaby was gone.

A Divine Monument and the Keeper’s Arrival

We had little time to rest before pressing on. One final descent brought us into a vast underground sanctuary. A massive carving of Selenthe stood before us, her presence looming over the chamber like a silent guardian.
Then, she appeared.
A spectral woman, draped in ethereal robes, her eyes filled with sorrow and something deeper—something lost.
Ahead of her, glowing runes pulsed with quiet power. Trapped within them were the missing creatures—including Frostbulb and Crown.
The First Keeper had finally revealed herself. And now, at last, we would get our answers.
Sera

Campaign

The New Dawnbreakers

Protagonists

Sunny Grannach

Brazen White Bulb Conquering Red Blossom

Dulb the Deckhand

Dulb's sheet

Level 13 Swashbuckler.

Health

/

Goq-Ixai

Report Date

15 Mar 2025