DND Blog

A place to keep DND session recaps, from various campaigns.

The Ninety-Fifth Session

January 6, 2024, Campaign: As the ground quakes, evil wakes

Some retconning happens; we pick up some other plot threads. Belladonna still attacks Quadroads; we still brief the Ascendants. Then we go to Dirius' talk and learn of Dirius' upcoming expedition to the First Library in the Red Wastes. Percival's father sends a message. Jerry dreams of Bugfood.

Table of Contents

  1. Retconning
  2. Last session
  3. Today
  4. Dirius's presentation
  5. Percival and his father
  6. Shopping?
  7. Ren's house
  8. Jerry's Dream
  9. Next Session

Retconning

We never received Bugfood's message. We still went to the World Spire, still ticked off the Night Mother, still went back to our hotel. But that morning, instead of going to the Temple of Ioun and teleporting out to Viper Cove, we instead do….

Last session

We learned about a spectre at the base of the World Spire. We met with the Ascendants to catch them up on the plot, without telling them about Belladonna specifically. And there was going to be an exhibit put on by Dirius at the Temple of Ioun.

We bargained with the Devil Rezzik Brazzik to call off the hit on Dirius, and we paid him off with all the money and a promise to kill Belladonna or trap her for as long as Rezzik Brazzik exists.

We went to talk to the spectre, and this backfired. The spectre remembered who she was, ad exploded in a Psychic Wave that damaged us and the city. We saw pieces of Belladonna's life and learned of Belladonna's backstory. She started preaching her world dominance message. Five Ascendants appear to try to cast spells on her, but she leaves.

We talk it over with the Ascendants, after the fact, and try to figure out what can be done about her.

Then we go back to the Irregular Inn and sleep.

Today

It's about two weeks before the end of the year.

Our schedule looks like:

The conversation with Thrai goes great. The guard has been dealing with a brand-new apocalyptic cult preaching in the Night Mother's name, and she's overworked. She tells us to go deal with the problem and get out of her office.

On our way to the Ascendants' tower, we notice that the city is very active today. Energize, excited, afraid. People whose beliefs in the old gods have been shaken. Percival approaches a pro-doomsday cultist. Upon questioning, we learn that they saw the explosion and heard the speech, but didn't get the visions we saw.

The entity without moving or speaking projects a voice: "My time has come again." A deep, feminine voice, echoing. "This world will be made anew. Only those who follow in my light shall see the Eden beyond its destruction."

Jerry says that sounds like the person responsible for the explosion is going to be the one who destroys the world. The cultist says of course, and that's why the cultist is joining the cult: to live on into the new world. Jerry says she doesn't like the sound of that, and wants to block the end of the world. She fails to persuade him; Percival doesn't find information about any meeting of the cult.

The Ascendants' tower is thronged with guards. There's a protest on one side, and petitioners asking for more information on the other side. A spokesperson is telling the crowd that more information will be disseminated come from the Temples, so we head off to the Temple of Ioun.

Dirius's presentation

The Temple of Ioun is swamped. There's a line to get in, and it's moving slowly. There's hushed conversation. We listen in: speculation on what caused the explosion, wonders about who caused it.

Ahead of us in line is a group of religious devotees of Ioun, with their holy symbols out. And behind us, too. Percival asks the guy behind him what he's hoping to look up. The older gent is walking in line with his granddaughter. He's concerned about the cause of the explosion; says that the Ascendants haven't told anything. The Quadroads are supposed to be safe, but that explosion was too powerful. "Did the gods betray us?"

After an hour, we're in the building, in front of the reception desk. The receptionist with the elaborate sidecut is very stressed. "Lecture Hall 3 is for last night's events; Dirius is in Lecture Hall 1. Whaddya want?" We go to Dirius first, because the latest news will be latest once we're done talking to Dirius.

Most of the people in Dirius' talk are scholars. They have little faith in gods. They are, in fact, Percival's nonverbal study buddies. Percival goes over and gives an amiable look, and receives one in response. They research students are ready to take notes.

We sit down. There's about a half-hour wait.

Ryltar expresses his desire to prevent an assassination.

The lecture is a translation and deciperhing and compiling of information on the pre-divergence era, compiled from the textbooks that we raided and donated to the temple. No indication that Dirius was part of the acquisitions, just of the translations. Ryltar and Percival ask some questions, and it transpires that the authors of most of the books were Wint. Ryltar, with a 22, thinks there's no direct spoken lies, just some lies of omission. Dirius says that the information is collected from the books recovered by another book, but nowhere has Dirius said that she was there in Wint's Lair. That's the lie of omission.

There's a knowing grin on Dirius' face as she sees us.

Percival asks when the next planned expedition is, and Dirius cracks into a grin.

The Harbingers of Discovery announce that their next expedition will be made into the Red Wastes, in search of the First Library. The expedition is funded and looking for volunteers.

Much laughter.

Jerry elbows Ryltar. Percival raises Ryltar's hand.

Ryltar stands, asks: "When will this expedition commence?"

"We set out from Quadroads in the beginning of the New Year, so as to be in the Red Wastes in time of gentler weather. If you would like to volunteer, we will be having an open signup outside of this lecture hall. Any other questions?"

Percival: "Any comment on yesterday's excitement?"

"Whatever had happened, the gain of knowledge requires that we press further. To distinguish what happens from what has happened. Gaining knowledge from a library that has been rumored to predate the Divergence shall gain the knowledge necessary for telling what had happened."

It seems like her death would be inconvenient to us this time, not just inconvenient to Ryltar's morals. Last time we took what the group was looking for, leaving them to die underground. Lots of the party died. Dirius survived. When we were on the World Spire, Ryltar had a vision of him fighting Dirius, where she said that "we will gain the information; burn the rest." After Percival's thesis, he spied on her, and learned that his presentation on the Library gave her more information that she needed.

We have two weeks to gear up before they leave Quadroads.

The lecture breaks, and outside there's a little table with Dirius and some other Drow, with the sign-up sheet. Percival signs up all his study buddies. Dirius comments, "Percival! Haven't seen you for a while." "No, been out here in the real world." "Last I heard, your father wanted to meet with you." "It's been a while; I suppose I owe him a visit."

The rest of us walk up. Dirius calls out to Ryltar, saying, "How interesting that we meet here. I must thank you again for saving me at that scuffle at Gillywig's." Ryltar says, "Oh, it was nothing.But we were wondering, would you have us on this mission?"

"It would be a delight," says Dirius icily.

"Our interests are aligned on this project," says Ryltar, trying to patch over a major rift. "There are increasing numbers of Divergence-related phenomena, and the Ascendants and City Guard have tasked us with addressing them. The knowledge is quite essential."

They're interested; they need "able bodies" because of the harsh sun. Jerry asks, "You'll be traveling at night, I assume?" "We'll accommodate what's necessary, among those who volunteer."

Jerry warns them about Eden cultists; Dirius asks why; Jerry says that the Eden cultists want the nd of the world and would probably "burn" the library rather than disseminate its information. (No unusual reaction from Dirius.)

So we thank Dirius for her consideration, and we go to listen to the lecture in the other room.

The Head Priest of Ioun is at the front of the room, saying basically that more information is needed and that the City is working to make sure that everything is safe.

After a quick conversation, we decide to make an appearance. Jerry walks in on the ceiling, sparkling with Ryltar's Faerie Fire and Percival's bagpipes. Standing on the ceiling above the priest of Ioun, Jerry says that the Knights of the Summer Court are on the case.

There are a bunch of questions, and Jerry fields most of them. People ask what we know; Jerry deflects and says basically that the entity is hostile to all life; that it wants to rule the world and will kill anyone to achieve those goals. "What can we do?" "I could tell you the usual things: Return to your normal lives. Listen to the priests, the temples, the Ascendants. But I will say this: If someone comes to you in the nights and says, 'Join us. We can keep you safe and make sure you have a place in the new Eden,' know that they are lying. They have no way of ensuring your safety. If you trust these people, you will die."

The room is silent.

She ducks out of the room, over the lintel, and walks up the wall into the high-ceilinged hallway. The crowd follows, so she pops Pass without Trace and vanishes on a 34.

Back in the lecture hall, the other Knights talk with the Head Priest of Ioun. Percival says that the Knights will join the expedition; the priest says that this is a good thing.

Percival and his father

He sends a Sending:

Hello Father. It has been some time since we last spoke. I am working with a party of heroes. Contact me with further instructions as needed.

The reply:

I disapprove of your gallivanting. Your studies and legacy are more important. I will send an entourage to return you to the manor, in Haste.

Percival rolls a 1 on his Wisdom check.

Shopping?

Looks like we need some desert clothes for Percival.

We go back to the Cloak and Shadow store, and Percival says that he's "scared of the arid" weather, and needs desert clothes. They say that his doublet will be ready in a couple of days, and for a mere 2gp more we can get him some desert clothes.

We've already bought out all the potioneers in the city.

We go to Felix's Sorcerous Scriptorium. When we walk in, we are greeted by name, despite never having met them before. For sale:

We commission a Scroll of Comprehend Languages: 75gp

Ren's house

Ryltar takes us back to the Inn, and casts Teleport. We are in Ren's sitting room. It's silent.

We pick up all the stuff we'd left there before heading off to raid the Bank of Banyo.

Then we case the place:

Percival raids his closet and finds:

Ryltar discovers that the wand is a three-charge Wand of Secrets which spends a charge to point at any secret thing within 30 feet of you. It regains 1d3 charges at dawn.

Vurguron checks on the books; with a 7 investigation he determines that there's none of import. We put the books in Jerry's bag to give to the Temple of Ioun.

We're gonna stay here tonight, lacking a second Teleport and anything better to do, so we carouse.

We're the diplomatic party from Kearndal Keep, and we're here to totally not cause an international incident. We successfully mitigate a political affair with excellent carousing. Percival is very affected by the elven wine, and must be carried home. He's too drunk to cast to open the Mansion, so he sleeps in a pile of robes. Jerry takes the bed, and takes it all. Vurguron takes the floor; Ryltar takes a couch.

Jerry's Dream

Jerry sees a seaside village. Waves lap at the beach, and a fog rolls in. There's a dark blue tiefling running up to her: it's Bugfood. In a huff, he says, "Finally found you. Where were you?" "I'm at Ren's house." Bugfood is puzzled. "An at Quadroads before that." Still puzzled. "And in the Magnificent Mansion." "What's that?" "An extra-dimensional space?" "Oh. Anyways. I need your help down here. I've been helping relocate people who have been missing. Will be missing." "Where is here?" "Maymoor. My family came here? Found family. One of them got tooken. Took? Right. That's why I need help. I can't find them." "How are we supposed to find them?" "I was hoping you could do that." "So we just show up and — are they Tieflings?" Eventually it gets to that Bugfood thinks they're humans. "Everyone seems to be wanting gold, when even I don't want it." They're selling the fish for gold. "I've been helping those who haven't been taken, keep them, take them." "How will we find you?" "I am sure that you would recognize me. Something nefarious is coming."

As the sun sets, a shadow envelops the city, from the ocean side. "Help."

Bugfood is swallowed by darkness.

Jerry wakes up.

Next Session