Session 189 - Rocks and Illusions

General Summary

3^rd of Kelen (Third Month of Spring) 724TR

The story so far

The heroes have learned that the mad priest of Ilvir, Xantosa, is hellbent on collecting relics (body parts) of the Crab-Titan Obsidapor. What are his sinister plans? Does he intend to resurrect this ancient monster?

The party has learned the location of one of these relics, Obsidapor's Tongue, which is believed hidden in a hidden cave on Tarkel Island.

This is the continuation of Session 188 - The Gray Giant, Ghosts and Goats.

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Location - Tarkel Island in the Kingdom of Kanday.

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Part 1 - The Rock Climb

The heroes follow a rough-cut trail to a small rocky cliff overlooking the sea. They spot a water-level cave entrance, attach a rope to a sturdy tree, and prepare to climb down. But first, they carefully check their surroundings, not wanting to be ambushed while rappelling down the rocks. Their caution is well merited. Large Rock Lizards are lurking below but are quickly distracted and then dealt with.

The characters descend into a cave, 5-ft deep in water which raises to dry web-filled passage.

Part 2 - Unreal Lake

What the PC see, battlemap by Attacus

Taking care to avoid the webs lining section of the walls and roof, the heroes find a large cavern filled with water. Suspicious, the heroes look around. However, their investigation is interrupted by four rope-like tendrils launching out of the water. These wrap around Remy, but luckily Abaddon breaks him free. More tendrils appear; some are skillfully deflected, although one catches Abaddon and drags him into the water. He is pounded by floating debris and rocks as he hits the water but makes out the murky form, a column-like creature with a massive toothed maw and a single malicious giant eye. Strangely this creature, a Roper, can breathe and function in water.

The Roper takes a bite out of Abaddon, who is frustrated to find the water impedes his attacks; he cannot score any hits through the creature's rocky hide. Abaddon's friends jump into the water to offer aid but are also severely bruised by rocks and objects they find in the water. Remy strikes, but his Blink spell fails to function at the right time and is forced to Shield incoming tendril attacks. Odin swaps his bow for a short sword and dagger but is caught by a tendril. Using weapons that function adequately in water, Odin scores some hits on the monster and receives several nasty bites in return.

What is really going on, Battlemap by Attacus

Finally, Remy Blink works, and he briefly leaves the water to the ethereal plane. He sees an entirely different view of the real world. There is no water. Looking more carefully, he realizes the pool of water everyone is fighting in is an illusion. The heroes' lying senses have betrayed them. Blinking back into the real world and now seeing through the illusion, Remy uses his high-level scroll of Magic Missile, causing severe damage to the creature. However, he was unable to communicate with his friends the presence of the illusion. However, badly injured, the heroes eventually prevail. Odin passes a short sword to Abaddon, who annihilates the atrocity with a devastating series of stunning strikes.

After the Roper is slain, the illusion collapses. The party finds themselves in a rocky chamber filled with a startling array of natural rock crystals. Remy soon discovers this is a Lyahvi Sanctum. This area naturally generates and enhances illusion magic. The Roper must have mastered its magical properties to create such a sinister trap.

Part 3 - Spiders and Traps

On the other side of the crystal chamber are more web-filled passages. Giant Spiders lurking nearby are quickly disposed of. The dungeon delvers find a crafted stone wall and several side passages with ancient statues. Some of these statues have mechanical traps which the characters disable. One has a lever, when pulled, opens a concealed door in the stone wall, revealing another final chamber.

However, they fail to spot a spear trap at the chamber's entrance and are hurt as they enter.

Part 4 - Rock Garden

The chamber has two unusual features. Sections of the rock floor are covered haphazardly with stone tiles, most concentrated in its center, surrounded by four rough-cut gargoyles like statues, strangely facing the walls. The statues have what appears to be a residue of oil and ash in their mouths.

The characters start moving the tiles in the chamber's center, which quickly reveals an ancient chest. Before they can open it, other tiles scattered throughout the chamber move, gather and form vaguely humanoid moving masses of hard stone, Rock Elementals. The characters are in for the most brutal fight they have had in a long time.

The stone creatures take a pounding and are eventually destroyed. However, Odin is severely injured by a lucky strike. Abaddon, who initially dodges every attack, is wounded and forced to retreat, attempting to draw the creatures over the trapped section at the chamber's entrance. He is partially successful. One follows and nearly kills him with a well-placed stony punch. Bleeding badly and dying from shock, the other characters scramble to save him with healing magic before he perishes. And frustratingly, too late, Remy learns that his Thunderclap spell is particularly effective, shattering the stone monsters.

The heroes have narrowly won the battle and are completely exhausted.

To be continued.

NPC Interactions

No one this week.

Challenges Overcome

5 x Giant Rock Lizards.

1 x Roper.

5 x Giant Spiders.

1 x Small + 6 x Minor Rock Elementals (as per Minor Earth Elemental but with extra HPs).

Rewards

4 x gems in the Roper's gizzard.

Created Content

Nothing this week.

Related Reports

Nothing this week.

Player Character Status

Odin - Human - Level 5 Gloom Stalker.

Abaddon - Elf - Level 5 Open-hand Monk.

Remy - Half-Elf - Level 5 Bladesinger.

Campaign

Games of the Gods - Campaign On Hold

Protagonists

Remy

Abaddon

Odin

Report Date

07 Nov 2021

Lyahvi Sanctum

This area of the cave is covered in clear crystals which enhance and modify light and visual illusion-based magic.

While in the cave an attuned character gains the following benefits.

• The cost of spell creation and magic item creation of illusion and light magic is reduced by 25%.
• They can as a bonus action restore a spell slot used to cast an illusion and light spell. Usable 1 per long rest.
• The duration of all magic spells is doubled.