Shackled 14 - Chaos in the Glittering Dark
General Summary
Recap Of Last Session
In the chaotic realm of Cauldron, our intrepid band of adventurers found themselves grappling with the aftermath of a spectacularly disastrous encounter with Cloakers. It was the kind of battle that left them questioning not only their tactical prowess but also their life choices—like why they thought attacking a lurking menace was a good idea instead of tending to their fallen comrade, Lysikor. You see, amidst the fray, Lysikor had taken a nasty hit, collapsing into a heap of heroism and confusion. But instead of rushing to his aid, the party collectively decided that a little more chaos was in order, opting to launch an assault rather than rescue him. A classic case of priorities, really.Questionable Choices
(or Lysikor roll's his 4th 1 of the night!)
Starting this session, in a moment of questionable judgment, Lars, ever the healer, managed to bring Lysikor back to consciousness. Unfortunately, the poor fellow was as disoriented as a squirrel on caffeine, panicking and inadvertently dropping a bomb that he was trying to throw at the retreating Cloakers. in Lysikor fashion, he stumbled while throwing the bomb, only to hit his arm against the door frame. As everyone watched, the bomb dropped from Lysikor's hand and landed on the floor beside him and Eolas. Cue the explosion! Did I mention that because of this, all the other bombs attached to Lysikor and Eolas go off as well, causing a chain reaction of chaos. It was as if the universe had decided to throw a surprise party, starting with the release of a shock-wave that knocked several party members flat on their backs, leaving them in a stunned silence as the second aspect of the bomb is released. Triggered by the first bomb the other bombs go off in quick succession. The second bomb envelops the party in Darkness as the second spell along with another shock-wave. Without a breath between them, a third bomb goes off which releases a chalky dust which is inhaled by both conscious and unconscious alike. As the dust settled, confusion reigned supreme. The air thickened with a chalky substance that made breathing feel like trying to inhale a brick. Coughing erupted among the conscious members, which would have been quite the delightful soundtrack to their misadventure, if anybody could hear (or see) what was going on. Lysikor and Eolas, battered by the brunt of the rapid change in air pressure, had their brains decide that they just didn't want to have to deal with their their inside and bones on the outside of their bodies; promptly fell unconscious. The rest of party tries to re-group in their disoriented state. Skullgrin, bless his battle-hardened heart, called out to his companions, only to discover he was in a soundless void—his voice swallowed by the eerie silence. Lars, not one to be deterred, struggled to cast Cure Wounds on himself, but the magical silence proved to be a significant barrier. Naldon crawled towards (he hopes) the large statue to hide behind, trying to avoid whatever magical mishaps were afoot. Once there, Naldon mentally regroups then ever concerned about his fellow adventures who might be unconscious, manages to pop open a healing potion, and then proceeded swill it himself. Meanwhile, Skullgrin, determined to maintain some semblance of order, started to feel around in the silent darkness; finding a shoulder of someone who was up and moving. He ignored them and continued searching since they were still part of the living. Skullgrin then stumbled upon two unknown objects on the ground; so channelling his inner barbarian, he kicked both unknown objects on the ground, which, one can only assume, was a strategic move to try and determine if it was friend or foe. He eventually started feeling around and determined they were two bodies; one of which had skin like leather, a detail that surely added to the evening's excitement. He promptly decided that dragging them towards what he hoped was the exit was a solid plan. Naldon, once free of the silence and blindness, and starting to understand the scope of the explosions and the damage the party must have taken, opens another potion. And then decides to drink that one himself as well! The teamwork of this group is indescribable. Lars and Naldon both eventually find themselves outside of the silence and darkness created by the explosions, while Skullgrin is seen going back into the darkness after dragging and dropping Eolas unceremoniously on the floor outside the area of effect of the spells. After a min, he emerges again, dragging the corpse (hopefully not) of Lysikor and drops him on the ground as well. While grumbling and complaining Skullgrin very quickly pours two of his biggest potions down the throat of both Lysikor and Eolas, saving them from well...not living. The atmosphere was thick with tension, a palpable reminder that they needed to recover before they became the next casualties of Calderon. It was at this time, that the true nature of chalky cloud started to become evident, to both the players, and the characters. Once everyone is conscious, the group tries to takes stock of the situation, as well as one can while tripping out on mushrooms. It seems that the whole party has just inhaled large amounts of hallucinogenic mushroom dust from one of the explosions. As the whole party starts tripping, they also become aware that the whole room any everything in it including them, is covered in glitter, glow-in-the-dark glitter! It seems that Weir's bombs had more then just some spicy (explosive) pepper in them. A glimmer of humour emerges amidst the chaos. The party bantered back and forth, recalling their original mission to rescue individuals—a noble cause that now seemed laughably distant. Lysikor, ever the voice of reason, suggested they might be under the influence of a hallucinogenic substance, given the glitter coating their bodies. Because, of course, when in doubt, blame the glitter. The party dynamics shone through brilliantly, with Skullgrin attempting to shake off the effects by headbutting a wall, which is precisely the kind of genius move that could only be made in the heat of the moment. Meanwhile, Lars took it upon himself to wipe glitter off the walls, because clearly, that was the most pressing issue at hand.Licking their Wounds
After navigating through the disorienting high that they are all on, they made their way back to the elevator room, where they realized they had been underground for several hours. Apparently, time has a different agenda when under the influence of random drugs shoved in bombs. After eventually stumbling into the elevator room, they felt like it was stepping into a cozy tavern after a long journey—if that tavern was filled with uncertainty and a pressing need for healing. Lars proposed they find a room to rest, but Skullgrin, with his usual stubbornness, insisted they seek healing first. Priorities, folks! Just as they prepared to move, Eolas, clearly having a conversation with himself, attempted to silence the voices in his head, leading to a moment of levity as the voices snickered at his efforts. Because what’s a little insanity among friends? They decided to visit the clerics for healing and a good scrub, but in a classic twist of fate, Lars found himself in a private house taking a bath, only to later wake up in a drunk tank due to public intoxication. Meanwhile, the rest of the party sat around discussing their strange behaviours, particularly Lysikor’s complaints about the glitter that refused to wash off. Ah, the joys of adventuring! The next day their journey brought them back to the alchemist's workshop, where they talked to the owner, Weir, who was as surprised as anyone that glitter meant for a villain was all over the party. It’s always nice to be the unintended victims of someone else’s bad planning. Amidst discussions about the glitter fiasco, Lysikor requested more explosives, prompting Skullgrin to threaten Weir should he dare provide them to the rogue again. Nothing says teamwork like a little intimidation! The alchemist, clearly eager to avoid becoming a target, agreed to create larger, fuse-based explosives for future use. After all, what could possibly go wrong? As they set out into the rain—an ominous harbinger of the flood season festival—the party debated their approach back to the Malachite Fortress, weighing stealth against light. Lysikor readied his bow, while Lars sent his bird to scout ahead, ensuring their safety. The tension was palpable as they recalled past encounters with Cloakers, which certainly did nothing to calm their nerves. With each cautious step through the cave system, the air thickened with anticipation.Back to Malachite Fortress, Glitter Style!
But of course, the underdark had other plans. Their journey soon led to an unexpected confrontation with animated armour, triggering a new round of combat. Skullgrin, ever the warrior, missed his initial attack but quickly turned the tide by using inspiration to strike successfully on his second attempt. It’s always nice when a little pep talk can turn failure into success! The party rallied, casting spells and strategizing against the animated armour and other foes, with Lysikor and Lars actively contributing to the fight—because teamwork makes the dream work, or so they say. As the session concluded, the party took a moment to reflect on their performance. Skullgrin, in a moment of classic bravado, boasted about his critical hits, while the others rolled their eyes and mentally prepared for the next round of shenanigans. Plans were made for future sessions, including discussions about character creation and the exploration of abilities. With their mission to rescue captives still at the forefront of their minds, our adventurers braced themselves for the challenges that lay ahead in the tumultuous landscape of Calderon, where chaos is always just around the corner, waiting to pounce.The Motley Crew
- Eolas (Human Cleric of St. Cuthbert)
- Lysikor Stickyfingers (Half-elf Rogue)
- Lars Dino (Woodelf Ranger)
- Naldon Amakiir (Eladrin Wizard)
- Skullgrin Bonesnapper (Half-orc Fighter)
Report Date
26 Nov 2024
Crew Members Off Adventuring
- Ragnarock (Human Barbarian)
- Graye Damyrus (Tiefling Druid)
