Session 23: All the castles in the sky
General Summary
Session 23: All the castles in the sky
The session opened with tensions still raw. The Stormhorn Guardians interrogated Lucky, sceptical of his claim that the glowing glyph upon the cavern floor compelled him to strike at Ursa. Despite the residual magic, his friends did not believe him. Deeply offended, Solas - joined by Colmir - retrieved the Pinion of Peace, the radiant shield left behind by the restored Fury, and the party began their journey from the cavern, the lava cooling around them but the structure still groaning under arcane instability.
Exhausted and now wary of surprise attacks, the party resumed their rest on the sulphur shores. Solas, reflecting on Silverclaw’s journal, recalled the mention of a strange tree atop the cliff, the path once blocked by Fury’s presence. They found the orange-leaved oak and realised it was no tree at all, but a cleverly disguised illusion. Passing through it, they climbed a series of carved stone steps.
Atop the cliffs lay a quiet meadow disturbed by nothing, not even morning dew. Beyond the mist, they uncovered another illusion: a floating fortress suspended 100 feet in the sky, anchored to the ground by an enormous chain embedded in stone.Choosing caution, the group slept once more beneath the stars. Come morning, Bob and Shadow, still recovering, remained behind while the others investigated the anchor.
Inside the anchor shaft, they discovered colossal gears and chains operating a still-living machine. Navigating narrow tunnels, they emerged into a massive cog chamber. With no walkways fully intact, the party leapt with precision and crossed safely.
Further down, they faced a corridor of pistons slamming against one another. Solas detected a vent. Beneath it, a tunnel bypassed the deadly trap. One more chamber remained: a long corridor with no clear path but randomly pounding, spiked pistons that had stood the test of time.
No pattern could be discerned. The walls promised death to the unworthy. Beyond them, sunlight beckoned, but wisdom overcame recklessness. The party confessed defeat.
They passed the steam-boiled remains of the werewolf, where the air hung thick with sulphur and wet fur, and emerged into the fresh air near the sulphuric warm waterfall. There they attempted to rest. Their brief reprieve was interrupted as insectoid claws burst from the pool - Chuul, creatures of ancient servitude to the Aboleths.
Lucky quickly identified them from bardic tales and cast Darkness to split the battlefield. One Chuul was intercepted by Colmir, transformed into a great white shark, and engaged in a vicious underwater clash. But the Chuul fought back with savage efficiency - slashing, tearing, and eventually paralysing the shark with its tentacled maw.
The others were harried by Estelle and Lucky weaving in and out of the magical darkness, while Solas’s Spiritual Guardians hammered down upon the enemy. One Chuul fell early, but the second managed to destroy the shark before being felled itself under a barrage of blades and spells.
Exhausted and now wary of surprise attacks, the party resumed their rest on the sulphur shores. Solas, reflecting on Silverclaw’s journal, recalled the mention of a strange tree atop the cliff, the path once blocked by Fury’s presence. They found the orange-leaved oak and realised it was no tree at all, but a cleverly disguised illusion. Passing through it, they climbed a series of carved stone steps.
Atop the cliffs lay a quiet meadow disturbed by nothing, not even morning dew. Beyond the mist, they uncovered another illusion: a floating fortress suspended 100 feet in the sky, anchored to the ground by an enormous chain embedded in stone.Choosing caution, the group slept once more beneath the stars. Come morning, Bob and Shadow, still recovering, remained behind while the others investigated the anchor.
Inside the anchor shaft, they discovered colossal gears and chains operating a still-living machine. Navigating narrow tunnels, they emerged into a massive cog chamber. With no walkways fully intact, the party leapt with precision and crossed safely.
Further down, they faced a corridor of pistons slamming against one another. Solas detected a vent. Beneath it, a tunnel bypassed the deadly trap. One more chamber remained: a long corridor with no clear path but randomly pounding, spiked pistons that had stood the test of time.
No pattern could be discerned. The walls promised death to the unworthy. Beyond them, sunlight beckoned, but wisdom overcame recklessness. The party confessed defeat.
They passed the steam-boiled remains of the werewolf, where the air hung thick with sulphur and wet fur, and emerged into the fresh air near the sulphuric warm waterfall. There they attempted to rest. Their brief reprieve was interrupted as insectoid claws burst from the pool - Chuul, creatures of ancient servitude to the Aboleths.
Lucky quickly identified them from bardic tales and cast Darkness to split the battlefield. One Chuul was intercepted by Colmir, transformed into a great white shark, and engaged in a vicious underwater clash. But the Chuul fought back with savage efficiency - slashing, tearing, and eventually paralysing the shark with its tentacled maw.
The others were harried by Estelle and Lucky weaving in and out of the magical darkness, while Solas’s Spiritual Guardians hammered down upon the enemy. One Chuul fell early, but the second managed to destroy the shark before being felled itself under a barrage of blades and spells.
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