GoSR-Session 10 & 11: Confronting Keledeck

After their harrowing encounter in the underground water lock, the party bunkered down in their makeshift hideout and patched up Piddug, an orc pirate who Grey maimed in the fighting. Recognizing an opportunity for assistance, they struck a deal with Piddug: his freedom in exchange for his aid in upcoming battles. With Piddug now owing them a debt of gratitude, the party felt bolstered by their newfound ally as they prepared to face the challenges ahead.

As they returned to the great well, Molly ascended their escape rope and pressed the strange stone they noted before. Spreaking the password, EX NIHILO NIHIL FIT, granting them access to a concealed passage within the chamber's wall. Venturing forth, they found themselves navigating a tunnel that gradually transformed into a polished marble hallway, evoking an sense of lost grandeur.

Soon they came acros a cross passage, collapsed and sealed off by rubble on either side. Amidst the debris, a particularly grisly discovery caught their eye—a bloody hole near the top of the cave-in, hinting at possible passage through the rubble, or dangers lurking in the shadows.

As the party ventured deeper into the ancient halls, their eyes fell upon a dusty oil painting adorning the wall—an eerie depiction of a once-glorious silver dragon, now tainted and enveloped in a sinister black liquid. Investigating, they noted the title scrawled on the back: "Sheno Corrupted," a name that whispered of a dark history.

Undeterred by the unsettling artwork, they pressed forward, passing through a door that opened into a vast chamber—an unexpected sanctuary hidden within the depths of the earth. What greeted them was a sight both awe-inspiring and unsettling: a secret wizard's laboratory teeming with strange arcane contraptions, towering shelves laden with ancient tomes and forbidden knowledge, and large vats filled with twisteds creatures suspended viscous liquid.

Their attention, however, was drawn to the far end of the lab, where a grotesque monstrosity awaited—a nightmarish amalgamation of dragon parts, grotesquely stitched together and suspended from chains above a gaping pit. Before it lay an altar, upon which rested a spellbook and a box containing an array of strange vials emitting an unsettling aroma reminiscent of various animals—a potent concoction that hinted at dark experiments.

As the party cautiously examined the altar and the grotesque monstrosity before them, Oceanus's keen ears caught the faint sound of ragged breathing from the shadows. Alerting Grey, they stealthily maneuvered around the massive creature to investigate the source of the unsettling noise. Their hearts sank as they laid eyes upon a haggard figure, his form grotesquely stitched into the monstrous construct. The man's eyes, filled with despair and pain, met Oceanus's gaze as he pleaded for release from this nightmarish existence.

However, before Oceanus could act, Grey stepped forward into the torchlight, and their eyes met in a moment of terrible recognition. The tortured figure was none other than Ned Shakeshaft!—The crimnal they had been hunting, now twisted and corrupted by dark magics. Fueled by sudden rage and despair, Ned lashed out at the party, his once-human form now distorted by monstrous appendages and emitting ear-splitting roars of agony and fury.

Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, the party found themselves locked in a desperate battle against their former adversary-turned-abomination. Rallying together, they unleashed a flurry of coordinated attacks against the chains binding him. Bowstrings hummed as arrows soared through the air, accompanied by sizzling bursts of acid and thunderous shatter spells that reverberated through the chamber. With each strike, the chains weakened, groaning under the combined assault.

Finally, with a resounding snap, the chains gave way, sending the monstrous creature plummeting towards the abyss below. Yet, even as victory seemed within reach, the corrupted Ned refused to yield, two massive tentacles lashing out to cling to the edge of the pit. In a fit of rage, he let loose an bone rattling scream that reverberated through the chamber, shattering the vats surrounding him and unleashing a horde of draconic mutants upon the unsuspecting adventurers.

Caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, Molly and Oceanus found themselves overwhelmed by the ferocity of the mutants' assault. With a well-aimed strike, they managed to sever one of the clinging tentacles, but not before the relentless onslaught left them reeling, brought to their knees by the sheer force of the draconic trageies cries.

Meanwhile, Grey and Silver found themselves fighting for their lives, as they bore the brunt of a mighty blow that sent them hurtling into the unforgiving stone wall of the chamber. Bones crunched under the impact, and Valignis rushed to their aid in a desperate bid to stem the tide of their injuries.

In the midst of the chaos, Piddug bravely fended off the charging horde of mutants, while Bowbow, summoning his most potent magic, hurled his catalyst at the remaining tentacle, determined to free this twisted thing from it's torment once and for all. With a final, decisive blow, the tentacle was severed, sending the mutated Ned tumbling into the depths below, followed by the horde of monsters that obeyed his twisted commands. As silence descended upon the chamber once more, the party breathed a collective sigh of relief, their victory hard-won but their resolve unbroken.

As the echoes of battle faded and the adrenaline began to wane, the party took a moment to catch their breath and assess their injuries. Their hard-fought victory had come at a cost, but they could feel the surge of newfound strength coursing through their veins—With a shared sense of accomplishment, they realized that they had ascended to a new level of prowess, reaching level four.

Eager to explore their surroundings further, the party set about scouring the wizard's laboratory for any treasures or secrets that may lie hidden there. Their efforts were rewarded as they unearthed a trove of valuable artifacts and arcane knowledge—Zenopus' remains in a gildend urn, a dragon claw amulet crackling with latent magic, a pair of enchanted goggles that shimmered with focused energy, and a cache of gold and treasures that gleamed in the dim light of the chamber. Among their discoveries was also Keledeck's spellbook, a tome filled with forbidden incantations of transmutation, alongside the vials of polymorph noted earlier.

Intrigued by the enigmatic bloody hole they had encountered earlier, Oceanus and Grey ventured forth to investigate. Crawling through the narrow passage, they were met with a grisly sight—a small, gore-filled nest teeming with remnants of past horrors. Among the detritus, they discovered a Ring of the Doppleganger, its twisted artifact indeed.

With their findings in hand, the party made their way back to the Root Crypt, where they presented Zenopus' remains to Curdle the grave nymph—a solemn gesture of respect. In the wake of their victory, they shared a moment of celebration with Curdle, reveling in the triumph of their hard-fought battle. In return, Curdle offered them insight into Keledeck's plans and the secrets of the dungeon— Explaining that this place was once a grand temple to the dragon diety Sheno, that was later repuposed with fey magics to cleanse that very god of some terrible corruption. Keledeck had come to this place to exploit it's latent powers for his terrible aims. Tapping into the fey magics of her lost love Zenopus, and raiding the burial sites of the dragon worshippers that once rested under her care.

She warned of the dangers that would lay ahead if they continued further into the vaults below, and offered to teach them some of her white necromancy if they could get rid of the twisted wizard once and for all. As the party rested and planned their next move, Bowbow's sharp ears caught the whispering flaps of strange wings coming from the entance to the crypt.

Creeping stealthily towards the source of the disturbance under a quick invisibility spell, Bowbow's sharp eyes caught sight of plumes of dust billowing from the entryway. Reacting swiftly, he unleashed a spell aimed at the unseen foe, the crackling catalyst slicing through the air with deadly precision. The spell struck true, revealing the intruder to be none other than Munk, the imp familiar, spying on them. Realizing that he had been discovered, Munk attempted to flee, but the party was quick to react. With a command spell, they immobilized the imp, preventing him from escaping and forcing him to turn and face them head on.

However, Munk's body had been enhanced by his master's experiments, and with a wicked grin, he transformed into a hulking demon—a fearsome sight that sent a shiver down the spines of the party members. Undeterred by the demon's formidable appearance, they rallied together, their weapons and spells poised to strike.

In a fierce battle that tested their resolve and skill, the party unleashed a barrage of attacks against the demon. In the end, their perseverance paid off, as the demon's form wavered and dissipated into nothingness, leaving behind only a lingering sense of dread in its wake. With the threat vanquished, the party breathed a collective sigh of relief. Yet, realizing the urgency of their situation and the potential retaliation from Keledeck following the demise of his familiar, the party swiftly devised a plan to strike at the wizard before he could gather his powers agaist them.

Bowbow, with his adept alchemical skills, brewed a potent potion allowing communication with animals, and set their sights on the phase spider nest they had avoided before. Relying on Grey's prowess handling animals, they entered the webbed lair and negotiated with the imposing Spider Matron. They promised a source of magical sustenance from Keledecks lair in exchange for the spiders' assistance in eliminating the wizard. After a tense negotiation, the Spider Matron agreed to lend her aid, offering five of her young spiderlings to bolster their ranks in the impending confrontation.

With this unexpected alliance forged, the party made their way back to the great well chamber, where they ascended the rope leading to the surface. Upon returning to the surface, the party bid farewell to Piddug, who quietly slipped away into the shadows, his end of the deal fulfilled. With a promise to share a drink should their paths cross again. Grey granted the orc an arrowhead, a token to remember their comraderie.

With their attention now fully focused on the task at hand, the party set their plan into motion—a two-pronged attack aimed at catching Keledeck off guard in his ruined tower. Bowbow, Valignis, and the spiders positioned themselves in ambush on one side of the tower. Meanwhile, Grey, Molly, and Oceanus circled around to the front, preparing to engage Keledeck in a tense conversation that would serve as a distraction.


Knocking on the door, they waited with bated breath as the sound echoed through the silence. Moments later, Keledeck appeared, suspicion etched upon his face as he eyed the unexpected visitors before him. Engaging him in conversation, Grey and Molly skillfully kept his attention occupied, while behind the scenes, Bowbow stealthily made his way to the back window, preparing to strike when the moment was right.


Unbeknownst to Keledeck, the spiders, with their uncanny ability to phase shift, had already infiltrated the tower, their presence hidden from view until the opportune moment. Sensing danger, the wizard attempted to cast a spell in a desperate bid for escape, but before he could act, Molly and Grey launched a surprise attack, forcing him to cast blink and vanish into the ethereal plane.


Yet, as Keledeck disappeared, he found himself faced with an unexpected adversary—the phase spiders, lying in wait to strike. Keledeck screamed in terror, his form flicked in and out of view amidst the relentless assault of the phase spiders. With each blink, he found himself confronted by the venomous fangs and razor-sharp appendages of his arachnid assailants.

Summoning the last reserves of his magical prowess, Keledeck returned from the ethereal plane, casting a force bubble that enveloped him in a protective barrier. Inside the shimmering dome, he bought himself a precious minute to negotiate. In a voice tinged with desperation, Keledeck offered a tentative surrender. He pleaded for leniency, bargaining that he could still be of value to the party, particularly in aiding Silver's curse—a prospect that gave the party pause.

However, despite Keledeck's pleas, the party remained wary. They knew all too well the dangers of trusting a powerful wizard, especially one with a history as dark and twisted as Keledeck's. As they deliberated their next move, the question remained—how could they keep a mage of such formidable skill and cunning securely confined?

With their minds racing and their options limited, the party knew that they would need to devise a plan—a foolproof method of containment that would neutralize Keledeck's magic and prevent any chance of escape. As the party deliberated on how to safely contain Keledeck, Oceanus, driven by desperation, called upon his terrifying patron—the Grindilow Magus. With a solemn invocation, he beseeched the otherworldly entity to strip Keledeck of his magical abilities, rendering him powerless and unable to pose a threat to anyone ever again.


Suddenly, they were engulfed in an ominous darkness. A bone-chilling cold gripped the party, freezing them to their core as an overwhelming sense of dread washed over them. In the terror of the depths, they were consumed by a vision—a blood-red sea stretching out before them, with a strange island looming ominously in the distance.


The scene shifted, and the party found themselves on the deck of a ship, its timbers creaking underfoot and its hull encrusted with barnacles and seaweed. Ahead, a shadowed door beckoned—there they sensed a terrible presence lurking, accompanied by a growing purple light that cast eerie shadows across the deck.


In the presence of the Magus, they were compelled to swear an oath— to seek out this mysterious ship and uncover the secrets it held. Not seeing any other option, the party pledged themselves to the task, knowing that their fate was now inexorably tied to the fulfillment of this oath.


With the oath sworn, the Magus descended upon Keledeck, its needle-sharp claws descending with surgical precision. With a cruel and gentle strike, it mutilated Keledeck's brain, severing his connection to magic and leaving him powerless and vulnerable before the party's judgment.


As the echoes of their encounter with the Magus faded, the party found themselves standing amidst the ruins. The weeping wizard kneeling pwerlessly before them. Though victory had been achieved, the price they had paid was steep, and the path ahead promised dire peril.