Session 003 - The Slanty Tower
General Summary
The party arrive at the other end of the mirror from the Witchlight Carnival, and they notice that Myrtle Shellback is not with them. A quick check of their surroundings shows that they were standing at the edge of a raised and broken causeway under a hazy, twilit sky. They observe that the causeway is built from pale stones that glow faintly from within, and towers over the surrounding landscape. Large sections of the causeway have crumbled away, and the parts that remain in place are separated by large gaps where portions have collapsed. They look beyond the causeway to see a fog-shrouded swamp that spreads out below them in all directions and notice that from its murk wafts the smell of rotting plants. After considering their current circumstances, Talia Starfinder identifies three creatures, which are Lornlings. Nishara Mistwood attempts to greet the three creatures, and a battle subsequently occurs.
Talia Starfinder attempts an action but fails to succeed. Tarin Ganu-Maga swings her great axe but misses her target, and her subsequent strike also fails. Wirth’s attack attempt also falls short. A Lornling retaliates by throwing three daggers, successfully hitting Talia Starfinder and Tarin Ganu-Maga. Another Lornling throws a dagger at Tarin Ganu-Maga, causing damage.
In response, Nishara Mistwood transforms into a panther using Wild Shape and launches an attack on the Lornling, landing a successful hit. A Lornling attempts to strike Wirth but misses the mark. Talia Starfinder misses on her first strike, but manages to hit on her second strike, delivering a fatal blow to a Lornling by stabbing it in the face.
Despite Tarin Ganu-Maga's efforts, her strikes with the great axe fail to connect. Wirth, however, successfully strikes a Lornling with his mace, inflicting some damage. The Lornling repositions itself and throws a dagger at Talia Starfinder, Tarin Ganu-Maga, and Nishara Mistwood. The attacks hit Tarin Ganu-Maga and Nishara Mistwood.
Undeterred, Nishara Mistwood bites the Lornling with great force, scoring a critical hit and dealing significant damage. A Lornling retaliates, successfully hitting Wirth and causing damage. Talia Starfinder takes aim and launches an arrow, but it fails to find its mark. Tarin Ganu-Maga swings her great axe, managing a successful hit, resulting in a lornlings demise as she decapitates it in a dramatic fashion.
Wirth quickly tends to Tarin Ganu-Maga, providing healing. Nishara strikes a lornling, dealing damage. A Lornling, taunting Wirth, targets Nishara Mistwood and Wirth, successfully hitting both. Wirth falls unconscious due to the attack.
Undeterred, Talia Starfinder tries another arrow shot but fails to hit the mark. Tarin Ganu-Maga, fuelled by determination, swings her great axe, successfully connecting and delivering a killing blow to the final Lornling, serving its head in the process. Nishara Mistwood casts Healing Word, reviving Wirth, and restoring hit points.
It is at this time that Myrtle Shellback passes through the mirror in The Witchlight Carnival and joins that party, it is identified that time works differently where they are. Talia Starfinder, noticing Myrtle Shellback's bad temper removes the deflated balloon from Myrtle Shellback's wrist, which she could not remove herself due to it being a non-magical rope. It is at this point that Nishara Mistwood spots in the distant sky a great balloon made of patchwork material. The party watch as it spins out of control as though punctured, causing the wicker basket that hangs from it to swing wildly. The balloon plungers out of sight, disappearing into the fog approximately a mile away.
The party opt to climb down from the bridge, where Nishara Mistwood and Talia Starfinder fall, with Talia Starfinder landing on Nishara Mistwood. The rest of the party easily make the climb down, noticing sticky mud squelching beneath their feet. Tangled mangroves grow out of pools of rippling water, half hidden by the thick fog, and purple mushrooms cling to rotting logs and stumps scattered throughout the marsh. Crickets that glow like fireflies chirped serenely before they were snatched out of the air by the tongues of hungry frogs.
The group notice that coming from one direction are several voices joined in a marching song. The singing grows louder as six Harengon wearing clothing emerge from the fog. Two of them tug at the reins of a giant snail, and others other clubs and slings. The group hears the following words being sung by the Harengon:
Sticks and stones, we’ll break your nose,
We’ll beat you blind and steal your clothes.
But none among us can compare,
To one wily, swift, and stand-up hare—
Scarf that’s glorious, thief notorious,
His deeds are truly meritorious!
With a wink and a grin, he’ll show his cunning,
A flash of his scarf, he’ll take off running.
Quick as a bolt, his long scarf trailing,
Gasping, grasping, you’ll end up flailing.
You’ll pout, you’ll moan, you’ll huff, you’ll sneer,
Thanks to Agdon Longscarf, brigand prince of Prismeer!
Nishara Mistwood calls out for help, however the Harengon bandits inform the party that it is a robbery. Short of temper, Myrtle Shellback attacks and kills two Harengons in quick succession, forcing the rest of the brigands to flee from the party. Suddenly after this, Mud Mephits emerge from the swamp demanding for the party to answer what their favourite food is. Tarin Ganu-Maga answers correctly, Mudpies! Which causes them to leave the party alone.
The party opt to head in the direction that they saw the balloon fall, ensuring they take a short rest to recover. After a short while, they arrive at the Slanty Tower which is a crumbling stone tower rising out of the swamp, leaning at such an angle that it threatens to keel over. The party notice black brambles are surrounding the base of the tower and clings to its lower half. Hanging from the crenelations on the lower side of the towers peak Nishara Mistwood sees a large woven basket at the end of a tangle of ropes and tattered fabric. The basket dangles thirty feet above the surface of the swamp.
As the part approach the edge of the bramble patch, Tarin Ganu-Maga hears a whispered voice calling out for help and warns the party to whisper. The voice introduces itself as Talavar, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court of the Summer Court and warns the party that two Giant Constrictor Snakes are asleep in the brambles. Nishara Mistwood Wild Shapes into a giant spider, and travels across the brambles to reach Talavar, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court. Nishara Mistwood attempts to pick up the basket that Talavar, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court is in with her pincers, while the faerie dragon continues to warn the party of the Giant Constrictor Snakes and Bavlorna Blightstraw. As this is happening, Nishara Mistwood falls and drops Talavar, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court into the brambles which causes him to raise his voice, Talia Starfinder quickly reminds him to whisper and refrain from awaking the serpents. Unfortunately, she is too late, and the two Giant Constrictor Snakes in the brambles attack the party. The first Giant Constrictor Snake strikes Tarin Ganu-Maga, while the second hits Nishara Mistwood. Myrtle Shellback launches into a flurry of three attacks, all which hit, dealing a large amount of damage to one of the Giant Constrictor Snake. Tarin Ganu-Maga enters a rage and attacks, inflicting damage. Talia Starfinder shoots at the first Giant Constrictor Snake, hitting for damage. Wirth strikes the same target with his mace, hitting for damage.
The first Giant Constrictor Snake retaliates and attacks Myrtle Shellback, reducing her to just 1 hit point. Nishara Mistwood uses her bite attack, successfully hitting the second Giant Constrictor Snake. The Giant Constrictor Snake in return manages to grapple Nishara Mistwood. Myrtle Shellback is grappled by a Giant Constrictor Snake, breaks free of it, swipes with her claws, and delivers a devastating blow. Tarin Ganu-Maga strikes the first Giant Constrictor Snake, dealing damage, and Talia Starfinder follows suit. Wirth focuses on healing Myrtle Shellback. Myrtle Shellback is hit again by a Giant Constrictor Snake, reducing her again to 1 hit point, and she becomes constricted for the second time. Nishara Mistwood fails to break free from the grapple but manages to reduce most of the damage. Nishara Mistwood reverts out of her Wild Shape form. Nishara Mistwood breaks free of the grapple, and retreats into her shell, providing her with much needed protection. Tarin Ganu-Maga lands a successful attack, dealing damage, and manages to kill the Giant Constrictor Snake by cutting off its head. Talia Starfinder strikes, hitting the other Giant Constrictor Snake and causing damage. Wirth also attacks, successfully hitting and inflicting damage.
The first Giant Constrictor Snake killed by Tarin Ganu-Maga, revives from death and attacks her, constricting her. Nishara Mistwood retaliates by attacking one of the Giant Constrictor Snake, dealing minimal damage. Her ice knife exploding, accidentally hitting Wirth and damaging him. Nishara Mistwood successfully kills the Giant Constrictor Snake with the damage of the exploding ice knife. Before Nishara Mistwoodcan take a breath, the Giant Constrictor Snake comes back to life and attacks her, successfully hitting and dealing damage, causing Nishara Mistwood to fall unconscious. Myrtle Shellback emerges from her shell and swiftly kills the revived Giant Constrictor Snake. Tarin Ganu-Maga attacks and kills the remaining Giant Constrictor Snake, but it comes back to life once more.
Talia Starfinder takes a shot, hitting the Giant Constrictor Snake, and kills it by shooting it in the eyes. However, the Giant Constrictor Snake reanimates again. Wirth attempts to attack but fails. Nishara Mistwood makes her first death saving throw and succeeds. The Giant Constrictor Snake attacks and hits it target. Myrtle Shellback tries to stabilise Nishara Mistwood but fails. Tarin Ganu-Maga attempts to hit the Giant Constrictor Snake but fails as well. Talia Starfinder manages to hit and kills the Giant Constrictor Snake by shooting her second arrow through the first one. Wirth fails in his attempt to stabilise the dying Nishara Mistwood. Nishara Mistwood successfully makes her second saving throw with a natural 20 and stabilises herself.
Nishara Mistwood recovering from her near-death experience, gets up and goes over to Talavar, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court. The faerie dragon provides information to the party, including that he needs to be set free so that he can return to his queen and report the news that Zybilna has been overthrown by The Hourglass Coven. As this conversation is occurring, Myrtle Shellback attempts and fails to cut some brambles with her claws to make a fire.
Talia Starfinder attempts to calm a frustrated Talavar, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court, explaining that the party is wary of strangers after being attacked multiple times. Understanding Talavar, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court provides further information to the party, informing them that Bavlorna Blightstraw is one of three sisters that form The Hourglass Coven, who is responsible for trapping Zybilna, the Archfey of Prismeer. The party decide to investigate the inside of Slanty Tower and enter walking single file, leaving Talavar, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court in his cage near the brambles. As the party walk up the tower, Talia Starfinder hears rustling behind the door at the tower. She knocks on the door and attempts to enter, when a hand reaches out and grabs her. Nishara Mistwood Wild Shapes into a snake and attempts to bite the hand but fails. The creature hurts Talia Starfinder who falls to the ground. The creature attempts to talk to the party, and Nishara Mistwood queries if it is one of Bavlorna Blightstraw's creatures, which it denies. Each of the party introduces themselves to the creature, which introduces itself as Lorna, the Lornling. Lorna, the Lornling is furious to hear that the party killed Bob and Jack, her two Giant Constrictor Snake pets outside. Nishara Mistwood attempts to first calm Lorna, the Lornling and when that fails, sneak past her into the room, which also fails.
Talia Starfinder attempts to cut the rope around her with a dagger but fails, and Nishara Mistwood attempts to talk to Tarin Ganu-Maga in her mind, which results with the barbarian screaming. Myrtle Shellback tries to talk to Lorna, the Lornling, who responds rudely, which causes Myrtle Shellback to try a different tactic. As the party continues to converse with the Lornling, Myrtle Shellback makes a concoction with her alchemist tools which she shatters filling the area with smoke.
Nishara Mistwood attempts to constrict Lorna, the Lornling, fails and constricts Myrtle Shellback herself. Myrtle Shellback undeterred picks up Nishara Mistwood and places the druid around her neck. Wirth and Tarin Ganu-Maga push through the door and find that Lorna, the Lornling has escaped. Talia Starfinder cuts the rope around her feet and enters the room. Furious Myrtle Shellback jumps out of the window, and lands spectacularly to the ground below, only to see Lorna, the Lornling fleeing on a Giant Constrictor Snake which has swallowed Talavar, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court.
Before Talavar, Knight-Errant of the Summer Court is completely out of hearing range, he calls out to Myrtle Shellback to find Jingle Jangle. The rest of the party exit the tower and attempt to determine if they can track and follow Lorna, the Lornling but are unsuccessful. The party set up camp for the night in the tower and scavenge for supplies. Wirth, Nishara Mistwood, and Talia Starfinder find water, and Talia Starfinder finds a flower. Myrtle Shellback attempts to take a single tooth from the serpent, impales herself and falls unconscious. Nishara Mistwood rushes to heal Myrtle Shellback, and the party rests for the night at the tower.
Report Date
09 Jun 2023
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