Session Report 51

General Summary

Cambio, Chev, and Itzal refused to continue their participation with Cathar and his Deck of Many Things. Shade and Tazmeth arrived shortly after and they were poised to take a gamble on the cards. Feeling lucky the two began to draw cards. As Tazmeth drew his card, an origami cat appeared emanating with magical energy. The party filled with excitement did not notice that Shade had collapsed to the ground. The card that he had drawn had ripped soul from his body and sent it far away.
Frantic the party began to discuss what to do about Shade. Chev was adamant that he wanted to use his wishes sparingly in the situation. Cambio using his brain decided to use the power bestowed by the Deck to meditate and learn where Shade’s had gone. After meditating on the question Cambio learned that Shade’s soul was transferred to Tritemeus’s lair in the Caldera. Specifically, Shade’s soul was trapped in a jar in Tritemeus’s secret laboratory underneath the Caldera. The laboratory was in a massive sphere of obsidian that was floating in liquid magma just below the crust of Eratros. The only way to access the laboratory was by teleportation means. Not seeing a way to get Shade’s soul back without the use of a wish, Chev was forced to use one of his three wishes to get his friend’s soul back. Choosing his words carefully, Chev began to speak his wish into existence. “I wish for the container that holds the jar that holds Shade’s soul to be teleported here.” As often happens with haphazardly phrased wishes an unexpected result occurred. Rather than the jar with Shade’s soul in it, Tritemeus’s obsidian sphere laboratory appeared outside of the cave that the group was in.
While questioning how to enter, Itzal walked up and cast a simple spell opening a path inside. Thankful for his great magical prowess the Muskrats headed inside to Tritemeus’s laboratory. The first two levels was a library, the third was a magical item repository with exceptional magical defenses, the fourth was the laboratory, and finally the fifth was a small living quarters. The most interesting discovery was that Mongo was dressed in a butler uniform and cleaning the laboratory. Proceeding carefully the Muskrats began to progress to the top of the laboratory. Reaching the magical item repository, the Muskrats began to debate on whether or not they should attempt to break through the powerful defenses to obtain the items. Chev was adamantly against using his wish on breaking the defenses. Deciding against trying their luck, they proceeded to the fourth level and came face to face with Mongo. His appearance had under gone more changes such as trading his hands for crab pincers. An argument broke out between Cambio and his father over Tritemeus and why Mongo was serving him. After refusing to betray Tritemeus, Mongo chose to defend the laboratory against his adopted son and the Muskrats. With a single eldritch blast, Cambio killed Mongo to the horror of the Muskrats, Malar, and the gods.
With Mongo dead the Muskrats began their investigation of the laboratory. There they found Shade’s soul and Tritemeus’s future plans. After looking through Tritemeus’s notes the Muskrats learned that Tritemeus was hunting down the Eater of Planes. The Eater of Planes was a beholder that consumes other creatures to steal their powers and hopes to one day stretch the Far Realms to consume all other planes. The interesting fact about the Eater is that he is in control of the Bronzedawn, but is heavily influenced by the Achivelli and used as a tool against their enemies. Furthermore, they learned that Tritemeus is planning to awaken Rorn to cause the death of hundreds of thousands in an attempt to steal their souls and forge it into a weapon.
Itzal proceeded to explore Tritemeus’s living quarters to find numerous drawings and paintings of himself in his old mentor’s bedroom. All the artworks were created by Sir Arthur Doodle, a famous artist from Joral. Upon exploring further, Itzal found artwork of other apprentices and the newest artwork depicted scenes of great violence. Realizing that there was a magical energy source in the room, Itzal discovered that the bed was a polymorphed elf. After dispelling the spell, Itzal began to converse with the elf, but she had been driven to insanity by being polymorphed for so long, and bit her tongue in an attempt to kill herself. Itzal attempted to intervene but the elf began to bash her head against a wall causing severe bleeding. Giving up Itzal left leaving the elf to her own devices.
The Muskrats fled the laboratory and headed back to the cave where they returned Shade’s soul to his body. Caltar always seeking to push the luck of others offered one last card to the Muskrats and chose to depart. But before leaving he revealed that he was an Avatar of Asomodeus and that he would be back to claim Chev’s soul. Shade feeling lucky drew the final card after Caltar left. With the final draw all of Shade’s magic items disintegrated and his bow, The Wild Hunt, vanished to a far away location.
Down on their luck, the Muskrats settled into the cave for a restful evening. Itzal took the first watch and a couple hours in realized that a figure had appeared in the sky: Tritemeus. He had grown incredibly annoyed at the Muskrats for wrecking his laboratory and decided it was time to teach the Muskrats a lesson. With that he cast Meteor Swarm and as they fell upon the cave it began to collapse and the Muskrats fell into the Underdark.
Shade and Chev fell unconscious as they began to fall into the subterranean space below. With quick thinking Tazmeth grabbed hold of both and guided them down below. They plummeted into a rapidly running river and were swept away as rumble began to fall. Quickly they were pulled down the river and then a waterfall. Each Muskrat fought to stay above water as they were pulled down a waterfall. At the bottom they were deposited on a small rocky shore where two small rowboats were tied up. Looking out the Muskrats could see only a large expanse of water and nothing in sight.
After a short time, a small boat and figure began to approach. A horrendous smell wafted across the water towards the Muskrats. As the figure drew closer the Muskrats saw a man with a partially matted ponytail, goggles with one shattered lens, dirty overalls, and a filth covered face. He introduced himself as Kenny and began to share his story about it. He had been living in the Underdark for many years in the expansive sea that the Muskrats have found themselves in. Kenny told a story of adventurers he had traveled with in the Underdark many years ago and spoke fondly of them. Offering to lead the Muskrats across the sea to his home, the Muskrats decided this was the best opportunity to escape the Underdark.

Report Date

14 Jun 2022