DND Blog

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

The Hundred and Thirtieth Session

December 6, 2025, Campaign: As the ground quakes, evil wakes

We save the Ascendants, burning even more spell slots. Ryltar has to give up the Ice Heart of Winter to Enigma Cortex Belladonna. The Ascendants send us to South Haven, to help the Draconic Empire.

Table of Contents

  1. Last session
  2. The Ascendants
  3. Belladonna: Enigma Cortex
    1. At the Irregular Inn
    2. The Temple of Denier
    3. The Irregular Inn
    4. The Temple of Ioun
    5. The Irregular Inn
  4. South Haven
  5. Next Up

Last session

We saved a couple of people from a pyre being built by the Cult of the burning Tree.

We're in the Irregular Inn right now.

Percival attunes the Ring of Mind Shielding.

The Ascendants

We decide to go check on the Ascendants.

Their building is silent. The floor is littered with stone debris. The main chamber is ransacked; the doors hang awry. Inside the chamber is a small clump of roiling green mist, with yellow lighting inside it.

The first two Ascendants we see are exhaustedly, ineffectively casting spells at each out. We carefully look and see that they're on cantrips. They still have defensive spells, but they're down to just their easiest spells.

Percival casts Silence, and the lightning within the mist stops. It reforms as someone we've seen before, at the bottom of a mountain after a huge explosion. It's the ghast form of Belladonna. Everyone (except Percival, who chooses to allow it) hears: "The most logical things would be to end this farce."

A psychic pressure against us all.

"Quadroads has fallen. This is one of many plans coming to fruition, though a little ahead of schedule. I believe that is your doing."

Belladonna: Enigma Cortex

She's floating 15 feet in the air.

  1. Round one
    1. Ryltar attacks with Ray of Frost but loses a Wisdom save. Given the choice of hitting someone else or losing the attack, the attack hits the wall. He moves forwards, and sees someone laying on the ground, the Ascendant of Pellor, poking at a rock with a former chair leg.
    2. Jerry pops Ashardalon's Stride and runs up to swing at Belladonna. There's a psychic pressure around Belladonna; Jerry misses two swings of the Moon Scythe.
    3. Belladonna fires two Force Blasts at Jerry, who thanks to a Strength Save (13die + 12) is not knocked prone, taking 22, and then 35, and then is knocked prone. Then Ryltar is scared and sent funning down the hallway.
    4. Ryltar realizes that the telepathy and fear were spells. She knows the Subtle metamagic.
    5. Percival looks at a petrified Ascendant and the Ascendant of Pellor, and decides to address the issue with the Pellorian ascendant. Then he summons Bigby's Hand and smacks at Belladonna, but fails that pesky Wisdom save.
    6. Embersia casts Mass healing Word, giving everyone 10 HP.
  2. Round 2
    1. Ryltar runs back a bit, then casts Dispel Magic on Belladonna. But many of her aspects are essentially innate, because she's almost divine. She's doing some sort of weird high-level magic.
    2. Jerry stands up, and shoots Belladonna with an upcast Lighting Arrow. She expends her use of Aquarius' Gift to bypass the Wisdom save to hit, hits, and deals 6d8 = 32 damage, but it's not as effective as it should be. Then she jumps up onto the Bigby's Hand and attacks with the Moon Scythe for 19 magical slashing,
    3. Belladonna looks at Jerry. Speaking now, she says, Relinquish. Ryltar tries to Counterspell, and succeeds. She Force Blasts Jerry. The first does 48 damage and knocks her prone. Then she does another, at disadvantage because prone, but still hits for 47. Jerry's Boon of the Defiant kicks in, protecting her from this attack, in the center of the Hall of the Gods. "The world is tired. You are tired. Fairer to submit; I shall be your destruction either before or after."
    4. Percival does some Greater Restoration with a soothing diamond-grit scalp massage. The Ascendant of Pellor is no longer affected by Feeblemind.
    5. Embersia does some Spirit Guardian to see if that will attack Belladonna. It does 9 damage.
    6. Belladonna uses her legendary action to Teleport next to Ryltar.
    7. (lots of dice rolling ensues)
    8. The Ascendant walks over and casts Radiant Blast twice at Belladonna. Hits once. There's a vague form of a female humanoid present, in the shape of smoke, with lightning running through it.
  3. Round 3
    1. Ryltar Shadow Steps away from Belladonna, over to the two cantripping Ascendants, casts ray of Frost and misses.
    2. Jerry runs over, casts Hunter's Mark, and attacks twice for 19 and one redirected attack.
    3. Belladonna slices at Jerry with Force Swipes, which doesn't down Jerry simply because of Relentless Endurance, Then she advances into the Spirit Guardian range, taking 8 damage, then making another Force Swipe against Embersia. Percival does Cutting Words to protect our healer, Then Belladonna Force Swipes at Percival and hits for some damage. Belladonna ignores the Spirit Guardian. "This could end. This could all end."
    4. Bigby's Hand is gone, so Percival casts Tasha's Hideous Laughter but misses Belladonna, and the spell is wasted. He desperately opens a pocket, and pulls out (1d100 = 93) a piece of platinum.
    5. Embersia uses Channel Divinity to attack Belladonna with Radiance of the Dawn for 24. Then she gives Jerry 10 healing.
    6. The Ascendant of Pellor casts Radiant Blast twice more for a total of 61 damage.
  4. Round 4.
    1. Ryltar does Ray of Frost
    2. Jerry burns a Spell Scroll of Polymorph to turn into a Giant Ape (huge)
    3. Belladonna uses Reform: Her wispy form disassociates, and comes back together, regaining some hit points.
    4. Belladonna Force Swipes at Embersia, move over to Ryltar, and Force Swipes at Ryltar who Counterspells
    5. Percival casts Greater Restoration on the petrified Ascendant.
    6. belladonna does Reform again, for 26.
    7. Embersia uses Radiance of the Dawn again.
    8. The Ascendant of Pellor casts Bless as a bonus action, then continues blasting, casting Radiant Blast three times for 82.
  5. Round 5
    1. Ryltar takes a step to the side and casts Cone of Cold on Belladonna and incidentally one of the cantrip Ascendants. 41 points of cold damage. Belladonna says, sadly, "Wint. We've done this dance before." "We'll do it again." "I'll see that the events are still the same." That was the last charge on the Staff of Frost, but it doesn't explode. That Ascendant is now an icicle.
    2. The other Cantrip Ascendant comes out of his stupor.
    3. Jerry the Great Ape moves over to Belladonna, attacks twice, fails, grabs the icicle Ascendant, and moves away. Belladonna takes an attack of opportunity and damages Jerry enough that she drops the Polymorph.
    4. "Curious," says Belladonna. Ryltar sees her attack Embersia with force blasts, killing her, and Percival too. He's in Mental Prison. She's moving between people, killing them. And then Belladonna hits Embersia with Force Blasts, which Percival Cutting Words down to 10. Then she Force Blasts Percival, which Embersia Warding Flares down to 22 to hit, 47 damage.
    5. Percival Greater Restorations another Ascendant.
    6. Belladonna does another Reform.
    7. Embersia heals Jerry for 70
    8. Ascendant of Pellor does more blasting.
    9. Belladonna has to burn a Legendary Resistance to avoid losing concentration.
    10. Attendant next to Belladonna and Ryltar disengages from Belladonna and runs away from her.
  6. Round 6
    1. Ryltar watches Belladonna push her hand through that attendant's face. He casts Ray of Frost and hits Jerry. Everything he does fails.
    2. He did fire it, but ineffectually.
    3. Jerry Hunter's Marks Belladonna and attacks twice, but is turned away twice.
    4. Belladonna forms a Wall of Force around herself and Ryltar. He's out of the Mental Prison, but now he sees just himself and her in a green bubble. With an insight check of natural 20, Ryltar realizes that she can take out every single person here again, and again, and again.
    5. Percival Greater Restores a Dwarf acolyte.
    6. Embersia casts Guardian of Faith, but it can't get into the Wall of Force
    7. Ascendants continue trying to raise the dead. The one bashing his head into the wall is calmed and restored. Others continue to heal each other.
  7. Round 7
    1. Ryltar wonders: How fragile is a Fey artifact? (Insight: natural 20) Not very. They usually have specific ways to destroy them. Belladonna says, "You have the opportunity." He gives it a solid flex as he makes the check, praying in the moment that some feat of divine intervention would let it snap, but nothing happens. He holds onto it for a brief moment, and then lets go. It sinks into her hand. "Maybe you're smarter," she says. He lets out a baleful scream.
    2. The Wall of Force falls, and Belladonna disappears.

Ryltar tosses the sheath down, and leaves the room. Down the hall, out into the fresh air of burning Quadroads. He goes and wanders around the city for a while, Shadow Stepping from alleyway to alleyway. Rioters get hit with blind-rage Rays of Frost.

It takes him some time to cool off. He no longer feels icy cool. After 15 minutes of seeking out as much violence as he can perceive as good, he goes to the Temple of Denier.

Percival picks up the sheath. He lets Ryltar go.

Over the course of a following minute, the Raise Dead ritual on the frozen Ascendant coalesces and succeeds. The sawn-in-half Ascendant is put to rest.

"How did this all happen" asks Percival.

"A wave of psychic energy overcame us, scattered us. We fought each other."

We says that the Cult of the Burning Tree is doing this in other places, targeting other temples. Trying to wipe out evidence of the Gods. "We need to unify," says the Ascendant.

Percival says he's going to go to the Irregular Inn and make sure there's enough food.

Embersia is still worried for South Haven, but she knows that Vurguron wanted her to be here.

No one died. No one went critical. Jerry lived. She reckons with this fact.

She tells the Ascendants that they will come to have a meal at the Irregular Inn. She's not using her mom voice; she's not using her polite voices. She's using her Master Sergeant voice. They cast Gentle Repose on the halved Ascendant; she picks it up and leads the group to the Irregular Inn. The Ascendants and acolytes follow her, with the Ascendant of Pellor following up.

They work out timelines of Sending.

At the Irregular Inn

Percival sends a Message to Ryltar to let him know that food is prepared.

Audrey and Genin are there, trying to reconcile their knowledge of the past with the present conditions. They do not know what Ascendants are; Xander does. He's trying to get them to treat the Ascendants and acolytes with proper reverence. He has issues with the half of an Ascendant, and goes off to prepare beds.

The Temple of Denier

Ryltar walks among the destruction and scattered papers of the temple. Someone's looting the books and Ryltar starts to mutter the incantation for Ray of Frost; the humanoid freezes solid. He walks over and sees the brand of the Cult of the Burning Tree. A shade of green drains from the eyes. He pushes th ebody over.

He goes over to the altar. His journal is sitting there, already open to a page. Not in his handwriting, there's a word written: "Hope."

Moon's writing. He contemplates this, and her, and thinks about how keeping the Ice Heart of Winter safe has been a pathological itch for most of his recent life. He feels like he's broken a promise to a good friend.

He flips to the next page, and writes, and continues writing, "I give this to you, and to carry away, and to hide this from those who would carry it to evil hands. There will be others." The words that Wint spoke to him.

At some point his quill snaps, and he grabs another, and repeats.

It's probably noon before he comes out of this. He stands, and looks at the devastation around him. There is one priest of Denier in the corner, dead and cast aside. Ryltar walks over to the priest, not really knowing any rites off the top of his head, he picks up the priest and heads to the Temple of Ioun.

The Irregular Inn

A meal is had.

Ockoh is jubilant at how many mouths there are to feed. He's having the best day of his life. To provide a meal for such esteemed people, too!

Percival keeps an eye on Ockoh, and makes sure that only the finest oosahs are served. He also serves some pierogies, poutine, and barbecue sauce.

The Temple of Ioun

The guards let Ryltar in, and rush to aid him and the priest of Denier. "Someone to give him last rites," Ryltar says.

The temple moves around him; he's lost in thought.

A soft paw lands on his shoulder.

Ryltar turns to look at Moon, but he's kinda vacant. She hugs him anyways. He cries.him

Time passes. The initial assault of the Quadroads has ended. Whatever Belladonna's goal was, completed or hindered, it's done. There's the dead to tend. The living to live through. Moon forcibly takes Ryltar to the Irregular Inn. He doesn't realize, but she's sort of breaking the rules set by the Temple of Ioun for her.

The Irregular Inn

Ryltar buries his head in his hands.

The Ascendant of Pellor speaks: "You said that this happened all over?"

We have reports from:

"So we came here."

"And we are most grateful."

"But we cannot do everything today. Whatever resources you have, send them to Lanthet, Maymoor, Sky Diamond. Send them to the places that can't defend themselves."

We talk about the Fey Seeds. Embersia was not aware of this aspect of the setting. She doesn't remember going to the Fey Wild. She doesn't remember casting Divine Intervention. We bring her and the Ascendants up to speed. Three Fey Seeds have been taken by Belladonna. Two more might not have been found yet. We could go to the Fey Wild to ask their creators avout their locations and uses.

We celebrate the Grand Opening of the Irregular Inn, sarcastically. The Ascendants are present!

We need to marshal forces beyond what we ourselves can do. The Temple of Ioun is somewhat secure, Moon confirms. Their Teleportation Circles may still be active. Quadroads can send people there. "Where do you need now," asks an Ascendant.

"Out of the list that we have, there are two that have a Teleportation Sigil that I can teach: Sky Diamond and the South Haven's Sixth House," says Ryltar. "Can you muster enough to help those two places?"

The Ascendants discuss among themselves. "Sky Diamond Academy are our arcane sisters. If they are attacked the same as us, I believe we can look beyond our different paths. If you wish to go to South Haven, we have the capabilities to do it now."

The other Ascendants are evoking divine channels at this moment, slowly trickling back into consciousness, with reports of what has fallen, survived, and been defended.

A short rest, and then off to South Haven. Ryltar attunes to the Bloodwell Vial, squeezing blood into it. Ockoh gives us some gyros.

The Ascendants use their Divine Intervention to Teleport us to South Haven.

South Haven

We arrive on the front steps of the Third House.

Next Up

We're not going to level up soon; we've been this level for 4 days.