DND Blog

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

The Hundred and Ninth Session

October 12, 2024, Campaign: As the ground quakes, evil wakes

Vurguron cleans house. We learn that Sergith was working for Belladonna. Vurguron details a paladin to support the Party, and the Party goes off to Zennar, where they meet with Dirius and the Harbingers of Discovery.

Table of Contents

  1. Last session
  2. Prima Dominus Aftermath
  3. Reunion of the Party
  4. The Interrogation of Belladonna's Puppet
  5. Splitting the Party
  6. Power Word Yeet: Zennir
  7. Joining the Expedition
  8. Next session

Last session

Prima Dominus Aftermath

Vurguron thanks the champions of the supporting Houses for fighting alongside him. They acknowledge him as the head of the Third House.

"So what is to become of Sergith?"

"We should lock him up for questioning, but I intend to let him live."

Sergith asks to speak; Vurguron allows it. Sergith says that there is risk. He admits to stealing the shield; trading "one trinket" to secure a future for the empire. He says that he is the only one who can lead the empire through the darkness that is to come into the light. With this Prima Dominous, he can no longer do that. "I will not live to see this empire crumble," he says, and kneels.

Vurguron says it was quite a speech, but he'll lock Sergith up for the future. He has the communications, he says that Sergith is lying about the "tribute". Sergith asks how he knows this; Vurguron says that he has records from a hideout. Sergith claims that the shield represented a deal that was struck; and decries Vurguron's "arrogance and blind ambition."

"It was your own arrogance that got you into this. You no longer have a say in the future of this city, Sergith." Sergith is hauled off.

But now people have questions. Aezu asks Vurguron about the messages, but then lets the questions fall, and compliments Vurguron on putting on a good show.

Vurguron says that he needs to contact his compatriots, who still have an arrest warrant out. He recalls the warrant.

Sergith's multi-headed whip coils up like a snake, and hisses at one of the magisters. The Second House claims it and interrogates it.

Reunion of the Party

The Party exits the Magnificent Mansion and finds Vurguron's celebratory parade. We catch up with him and eventually go to the Third House. There aren't any guards or servants around, so we serve ourselves some cold cuts from the stores and discuss what's next.

We do need to catch up with Dirius, who's headed to the desert, looking for the lost library of Ioun: the Arcadia Infinatum. It's something that both Ryltar and Percival want. But no one wants to leave Vurguron abandoned.

Does Vurguron want us to stay? He leaves it up to us.

Can we catch up with Dirius? We do know they're leaving from Quadroads today, and they're going to Zennir.

Percival sends a Message to Vurguron's parents to tell them he won.

Then we go off to interrogate Sergith.

The Interrogation of Belladonna's Puppet

We go over to the Second House to talk with Sergith. Kharnath is already interrogating him, and we're allowed in. Deep in the bowels of the city, we pass through a magical ward, into the basement of the jail. The jail is guarded by the First Guard.

There's a 10x15' chamber, with chairs fixed to the ground, one facing each other. Sergith is stripped to his loincloth, arms manacled behind to him, legs manacled to the chair. Kharnath sits across from Sergith, talking to him as we enter.

Kharnath looks at us, to see who's entered.

We notice that there's a Zone of Truth in effect; Jerry and Vurguron are affected.

The name on the Thieves' ledger is Bersea. Ryltar asks Sergith lots of questions.

"Why did you pay off Kerjes, of all beings?" "I do not want to see the Empire fall."

Why? "There are powers in this world far greater than we have come to understand."

"We're well aware. Tell us more."

"Bahamut, the Gods — they are locked behind the Divine Gate. What you saw today was the most of heir influence, which is minor, diminished. I have sen true power on this plane, which would shake everything we would know, about the Gods and those who they would fear."

"So are you talking about things from this plane?"

"They are already here."

He's very elliptical in his speech.

Eventually we argue him around, and he rips his shirt off with his teeth. Branded into his scales is a depiction of a tree on fire, leaves crackling. As Sergith explains, nothing else comes to mind, but he does say: "I am part of the Circle of the Burnt Tree. I have been branded to be saved in the destruction of this world. All slates wiped clean, wiped new in Eden. I was to spread the word and have everyone who wishes to be branded as such, so that the can survive the destruction."

"You know that's going to spread fear and panic, not salvation," says Ryltar.

"All those who are saved have nothing to fear."

Jerry scrubs at the brand with a bit of the Forest Mother's Sap, from the urn in her Bag of Holding. The sap burns and bubbles, and evaporates away, sizzling off. The brand stays. Sergith winces.

"So you found my sister," says Sergith, in Belladonna's voice. The brand flares and spreads, crawling across his skin. His yellow eyes fade, the eyes becoming invisible to show the back of his sockets.

"So how's your boyfriend?"

"Tough. He's with me now. We're making plenty of arrangements."

"We are, too. Don't you worry."

"You're digging a little bit too deep here."

"I think we dug deep enough."

"Maybe I should come visit you."

"You're welcome to. We've kind of been all over the place recently. Or maybe we should come visit you."

"Oh, please do. I've spent so much time preparing things."

Kharnath is very discomfited. The First Guards point spears at Sergith.

A pulse emits from Sergith, throwing Kharnath and the guards across the room. Jerry catches Kharnath. "The board is set. The pawns are moving. I do enjoy what has come about."

Jerry: "Did Sergth know who you are?"

"Yes. I put that brand on him personally, so he can spread it to others. He did what he set out to do."

"He didn't do a good job of that."

Belladonna chuckles. "If you come to visit, that's fine. I have other pawns making their plans."

"We'll find them as well."

Belladonna keeps laughing, and then there's a gurgle, as she keeps laughing, as Sergith's body keeps straining against the spreading corruption.

Jerry dumps the rest of the urn on Sergith. The brand continues to flare; Belladonna continues laughing. The two elite guards stand; Kharnath comes to.

Sergith is dead.

Kharnath asks what happened.

"So there's this ancient thing, called Belladonna—" starts Ryltar, and the First Guards step forward. They're not yet telling us to shut up, but the want us to tread cautiously. And Vurguron knows that the First House knows, and know enough to step in.

Jerry suggests that Kharnath re-cast Zone of Truth, so that he can be sure that we're telling the truth.

We tell about the thing in the quadroads, the spirit harassing people. The history of Belladonna.

Kharnath solves the mystery of "Bersea": It was Sergith's original family name. Sergith stole the shield and orb.

What next? Work to preserve the strength of the Houses, because that's what Sergith was trying to break.

The cover story is that Sergith is now in seclusion. The First Guard back Vurguron. There are representatives of other houses waiting outside the jail, and we tell them the official line.

Splitting the Party

We divvy up some of Vurguron's items.

Vurguron sends a paladin of the Third House with us: a spear-wielding female Dragonborn.

Power Word Yeet: Zennir

Dirius has left the Quadroads, and so we Teleport to Zennir. We arrive shoulders-deep in sand.

We dig ourselves out. There's some multilayered rock formations above us. We climb the rock formation, and think we see where we're supposed to be going off in the distance: some smoke trails.

We set off in that direction, and find a wooden palisade, with an often-reconstructed gate, heavily battle-damaged, with some Dragonborn standing guard at the towers. They tell us this is Zennir.

We ask if the expedition came through here; it turns out that they're still in town.

The guard asks us for our ticket. "Our what?" "Did you not use the Water Line?" "I heard what you said, but what?" Ryltar has no idea what they're asking about.

The Water Line is a series of wells and oases maintained by the Draconic Empire, which is the primary means of crossing the wastes. If we didn't pay for a ticket to get here, then it's 75gp to get in. They don't believe that we just got here from the Empire, until Jerry convinces Ryltar to do a Dimension Door, and Jerry pulls out the Magic Microwave to bing some ice-cold water.

We're let in at 25gp apiece.

Joining the Expedition

Inside the gates, the settlement's ground has ruddy sand. There's some locals' tents, and then there's the expedition's encampment, which is much bigger and fancier. Their tents are all marked for the Harbingers of Discovery, and the Temple of Ioun from the Quadroads.

We find the biggest tent, introduce ourselves, and are led to the grand pavilion with Dirius' quarters and meeting spaces.

Dirius is pleased to see us, somewhat. "Now we do have our little history together." "We do?" asks Ryltar.

"I feel that we never understood one another," says Dirius. "Let us clear the air and have the truth."

Ryltar hands Dirius the missing puzzle piece: the last page of Ryltar's mentor's book. "But I don't have such another puzzle piece this time." Dirius reads it, and tosses it aside.

"I just want to propose a little social encounter between us," say Dirius. Jerry mouths a "what."

Dirius proposes an exchange: "I'll ask you three questions, if you answer truthfully, you may ask me three questions and I'll answer truthfully." In her tent.

Ryltar agrees.

Next session

We level up: 16