DND Blog

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

The Hundred and Sixth Session

August 17, 2024, Campaign: As the ground quakes, evil wakes

Vurguron sneaks into the Open Session and invokes Prima Dominus. It doesn't go as he expected.

Table of Contents

  1. Last session
  2. Jerry
  3. The Rest of the Party
  4. Dawn of the Day of Challenge
  5. Next session

Last session

We've been running around, trying to get allies from among the Twenty Houses. We've gained the loyalty of the Fifteenth and Seventh Houses. In the Fifth House, we gain their support and a disguise to move about town.

Jerry, who was out investigating the issues of the Seventh, Eleventh, and Eighteenth houses.

Jerry

Jerry is admitted through the front gate, and walks into town.

"You there, stop!" cries a guard.

"Who, me?"

"You're wanted for questioning."

"I'll have to tell my host that I'll be detained," Jerry says, and walks off towards the Fifth House.

One guard tries to grab Jerry's shoulder, but with an 25 Athletics she keeps walking.

The three guards pounce, and with a 29 Athletics, she keeps walking.

  1. Round 1: Jerry ignores the guards, and then hides.
    1. Guard 1 hits Jerry with a longsword for 9 and then misses. Jerry's Stand Against The Tide means that he hits another guard for 5, and then he misses with a shortsword.
    2. Guard 2 makes two more longsword attacks, 12 and miss.
    3. Guard 3 makes an attack with a crossbow.
    4. Jerry says, "That's very rude," and takes 6 slashing. She Action: Dashes out of the area, around a corner, and then Bonus Action: Hides for 26 Stealth.
  2. Round 2: Jerry continues hiding.
    1. The guards cannot see Jerry. They use a whistle, and call a wyvern-rider.
    2. Jerry casts Pass Without Trace on herself and some rats in the alley, and herds the rats out of the alley to serve as an invisible distraction.
  3. Round 3: Jerry sneaks off.
    1. There's general panic and a heightened sense of security.
    2. Jerry makes to the eaves, and sneaks off at half speed at 40 feet per round, towards the 5th House, stealthily.

The Rest of the Party

Disguised, the Party exits the Fifth House, and sends a Message to Jerry, letting her know that they've met with the Fifth House, and gained its support. Now they go to the House of Arts.

Jerry replies: "Found nothing new. Will meet you at House of Arts." With a 22 Perception, despite sneaking, she gets there first.

The others walk, disguised as servants of the Fifth House, towards the House of Arts. They see guards running with electric mauls. "What has Jerry gotten up to now?" asks Ryltar.

The House of Arts is covered in stained-glass windows, and at night, it's lit from inside, creating a light show.

Jerry can't see the Party. The Party can't see Jerry.

Jerry tries to imitate the sounds of a spider, and fails.

Ryltar tries to look for Jerry, but gets blinded by a passing spotlight.

Percival cannot see the person who's in charge.

They go over to see the performance.

With a 21 insight, Jerry spots the Party. One Dragonborn got blinded by a spotlight, and there's a cluster of three. She follows them to the amphitheatre, and sees no way to get close to them, so she pulls herself into a shrub with Hide in Plain Sight.

The performance concludes some time later. The lights draw to a focus and cut out, and people exit. The Party don't see the leadership. But as the seats empty, they see a more-ornate seat, almost a stone throne, with attendants. Percival gives the positive ID, so Vurguron wanders over to give the Fifth House's scroll to the House of Arts.

The one in the chair is a silvery-blue Dragonborn in a toga, conversing with a maid. Colmernet Rulis. Vurguron presents the message, and the servant takes it, reads, it, and is confused. The servant passes it to the Colmernet, who reads it, and dismisses Vurguron.

Vurguron doesn't have a way of illustrating his identity. He pulls out his Scroll of Pedigree and says, "Colmernet, it's me. I'm Vurguron." He doesn't seem to be very persuasive. Ryltar walks up, says that the Toastmaster of the Fifth House disguised us. With a disadvantaged 22, Ryltar is somewhat persuasive.

"It's always a question of why the messengers know what they're delivering, when it comes to the Fifth House," grouses the Colmernet. Percival starts playing the same tune that he charmed the house with previously. "Yeah, I get it," the Colmernet says. "Tell the Toastmaster that I will send aid. But he better have a good reason for this."

The wyverns circle above, screaming.

Ryltar: "Have you seen a half-orc around here, recently?"

"No."

"Shit. But thank you for your aid. It is not misplaced, so. Go on."

They walk off, and Jerry introduces herself to the disguised Party.

We go off to the High Spires, with Jerry Polymorphed as a stoat, and go to pick up Percival's flyers. They do, and go to put up flyers in other areas. They're let into the High Spires, and move to the Second House.

Wyvern riders circle overhead. They land on buildings, look around, and fly off. Vurguron continues to roll natural 20s and they get to the Second House unmolested. They get to a quiet spot and Teleport into the Second House. They're not expected; they introduce themselves as the expected characters, disguised. The Matriarch of the Second House welcomes them.

The Orb arrived at the final location. The process of deciphering the code has found a new name: "Bercea", who was the one who delivered the Orb to the ship that wa ssmuggling it.

The Second House tells us that, if we can make it into the Open Session. If Vurguron can invoke Prima Dominus, he'll be protected against the arrest warrant.

We discuss some of how to make sure Vurguron is in his best shape, and then go to bed.

Dawn of the Day of Challenge

We're gonna bird Vurguron into the thing.

Jerry will run around under Pass Without Trace and distribute flyers. Ryltar Dimension Doors her out of the High Spires, towards the Forum. With a 37 Stealth she runs around distributing fliers. Despite the guards' high alert, she distributes the stuff.

Ryltar Polymorphs Vurgron and Percival makes him Invisible. Percival will know when to cancel the spell by Ryltar noticing when the Polymorph drops.

Vurguron flies in through an open window, and discovers that the room's got an oculus at the top, with all manner of birds, looking down upon a sea of Dragonborn.

The First House is conspicuously absent, but their entrance will begin the Open Session. Each other Head of House is present, with a couple aides apiece. There's the whole color spectrum of Dragonborn here, in every color and spectrum, chromatic and metallic. Sergith sits in the Third House's seat, where the 20 seats all face each other across a ring.

The room is meant to amplify the voices of those in the center of the room. There's some quiet discussion, and then a white-robed figure walks in with a silver spear and rings it against the floor: Everyone stands and bows as the First House enter. There's a silver-armored figure in mask and gauntlets and pauldrons, sitting on the First House throne. They sit, and so does everyone else.

Kharnath, of the Second House, stands, and opens the session.

There's the usual business discussion:

Vurguron decides not to poop on Sergith.

It's getting close to the end of Invisibility and Polymorph when Kharnath stands once more, and Aezu, Toastmaster, stands, saying that the Winter Solstice is two days away. He calls for anyone to present their grievances.

A bronze Dragonborn walks towards the center of the arena, and Vurguron decides to go first.

He plummets from the railing, landing on the floor, dispelling his Polymorph. Ryltar pokes Percival; Percival dispells Invisibility. The guards in the room begin to react; Ryltar and Percival begin their sprint to the building.

Jerry is hanging outside the building; can see the crowd but not see in.

Vurguron stands and brushes himself off, and starts his speech, saying that the usurpation of the Third House was a crime; that Sergith was responsible for the theft of the Shield. He says that he is the rightful leader; he returned Honor's Last Stand to the Third House. "And as such, I invoke Prima Dominus against Sergith."

The room is still, tense, gasped.

Sergith leans forwards, and asks, "What is this?"

"Sergith. You took over our house. We believe you're connected to the theft of the shield. I don't believe that the circumstances of the previous Prima Dominus were not the correct outcome."

"You say you returned it. I don't have it."

"You scallywag! I returned it two days ago."

Vurguron looks around, but there is only confusion.

Not only the houses that Vurguron spoke to, but those he didn't speak to.

"Vurguron, it is very unlikely that you did this. It's likely that a torlekkan, as you are, stricken with grief and vengeance at the unseating of your father, would seek out the means to ruin your former house. You say that you've returned the shield; I say that I do not have it. You say that it was illegal for met to become Head of House, yet it is within our traditions. What a naive and vengeful creature you are."

There's a roar from the crowd, saying that a torlekkan should not be able to invoke Prima Dominus.

Outside, Jerry hears the uproar and murmurs, excitement.

Kharnath sits there.

"Were there no citizens who saw me walk into the city with the shield on my back?" cries Vurguron. "The return of the shield that was lost among the Houses?" He's not very persuasive.

The guards are ordered to apprehend him, but CLANG the herald of the First House has rung the spear again. The room becomes deadly quiet.

"I invoke Prima Dominus against Sergith, illicit head of Third House."

Sergith stands. He waves to the guards to stand back. "Vurguron, you are a person of honor and righeousness. When you came to the city, I took you in and explained to you what had happened, and what I did to your parents, as what I thought was just. I offered you champion of the Third House, since I do not have one. You have spurned this generosity and challenged me. I do not want to waste a citizen of the Empire like ourself to wantless vengeance. What is to be law, I cannot control. I have proven that I am what the Third House needs. Do not take this strength away from the Empire. I will ask you to rescind your challenge of Prima Dominus, or what comes next, I cannot control. This is our law and tradition that this is so." He looks to the Second and First Houses.

"Sergith, I'm disappointed you continue your lies. I came here in person and returned the shield. You continue to double down. I rightfully brought this challenge; my colleagues and I came through legendary challenges to come here; we killed the legendary green dragon Kerjes and found the shield in her hoard. Why you reject the truth baffles me, and I will not rescind my challenge."

Kharnath stands, looks to the First House, nods, and turns to the room. "Prima Dominus has been challenged. Vurguron challenges the Third House. At what time shall this challenge be conducted?"

The Toastmaster says, "Well, the Winter Solstice, who knew? We were already building it up. A Prima Dominus for a major house? What a celebration to remember! I say, the day after next, as part of the celebration."

There's words of approval from the other houses.

The Fourth House, a red Dragonborn elder, with numerous scars, says, "This boy should be put down, not to stain this Empire. I say, today! Do not instill this weakness in the Empire further!" Murmurs.

The vote comes out to: the Prima Dominus will happen at noon, on the Winter Solstice. "It is by our laws that this happens."

Vurguron hears in his head, his father's voice via Sending: "There's people here, looking for us, trying to find us." His parents are off in the public housing outside the City.

He replies: "Prima Dominus invoked. No longer safe here. Two days."

The tension in the room dissipates; Kharnath says, "You are free to leave."

Vurguron says, "I am disappointed that Sergith continues to lie," and walks out.

In the back, one child says, "I did!" There was a group of two young Dragonborn playing with swords, at the entrance.

Vurguron walks out; the birds Percival and Ryltar land on his shoulders. Jerry follows.

Next session

Homework:

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