Skyfell Campaign: Session 7
Skyfell Introduction
I started a once-per-month Dungeons and Dragons game in my Skyfell campaign setting. I wanted to provide my players with a log of their adventures and then realized that such a log might make for fun blog posts. See the Session Index for a complete listing.The cast is:
Laura - Meribore Softwalker - female fitbolg, Druid (Circle of the Moon)
Jeff - Omagoshno - male rock gnome, Artificer (Artillerist)
Rodney - Tauffae Twofeather Topshelf - male orc, Fighter (Champion)
Dan - Drekzhar - male minotaur, Bard (College of Swords)
Pat - Frit Nimbly - female goblin, Monk (Way of Shadow)
Michelle - Bronte Whitewinter - male firbolg, Cleric (Tempest Domain)Session 7: The Piruna Run, "Into the Burrow part 3"
Preparation
Given how the interaction between Swiftwords and the party went down in Session 6, I spent a lot of time considering how Session 7 could and should roll out. There was a very real possibility that I could have a TPK on my hands. There were also a few other possibilities that would leave them either abandoned on the island or stranded in a particularly dire (but incredibly interesting) situation. L weren’t helped considering I had planned the final encounters thinking the PCs were level 4 when they were in fact only level 3.
What I’m trying to say is that there was a lot of uncertainty going into this session and your humbly diabolical dungeon master had to corral all of it into a cohesive experience. I can’t really talk about the alternate paths that might have been because I've filed those away for later. Some of the possibilities might be obvious after you read this post.
I like handouts. I usually make a bunch but the Piruna Run arc hadn’t yet offered many opportunities for them. Since the party was going to start the session with a long rest, I wanted Meribore and Bronte to have important dreams that might affect their actions the next day. In the past, I had simply pulled the players aside and told them their dreams. This time, though, I wrote them out ahead of time so that I could simply give them a hard copy in session. This proved quite convenient so I’ll be doing this more. Also, I was having a hard time finding information about Hiatea (Bronte's divine benefactor) online beyond a few little mentions here and there. It took me way too long to realize that she was probably detailed in Monster Mythology, a 2e collection of deities. I had picked up a print-on-demand copy from the DMs Guild for super cheap. Sure enough, there is an entry for Hiatea. I was able to integrate some of the information from that entry into Bronte’s dream. I also sent pictures of the entry to Michelle so she could read it.
If you’ve been reading my posts or have been following me on social media, you'll know that I use Heroscspe hex tiles for my D&D sessions. (A vast majority of my miniatures are from that game.) I had also made a set of square tiles for interiors a while ago. Given the size of the map for the burrow, I realized that I might actually need more of these square tiles. So I made more to look like floor boards. I also made a few hex tiles for the cheap plastic tees that came with the dinosaur toy set I had purchased when I started the campaign. Anyway, I’ll be blogging about their creation sometime in the near future. Don't miss it!
I set up the tiles the morning of the game. I was going to do another stop motion sequence but I hadn’t slept well and was already kind of tired. Plus I was pressed for time, so I skipped that. I did use my new tiles, though, and was very pleased about how they turned out.
Let me mention food. I like to cook for people but for this session I was having a hard time figuring out what to make. I finally settled on lentil soup with turkey sausage. I kept forgetting to go to the store though. I didn’t actually get the final ingredients until the morning of the session, which is usually when I do the other set-up work. It turned out pretty well anyway.
Oh, one interesting tidbit. If you look at the original map for the burrow (I’ve included it in the Supplemental Materials section below), you’ll see that there is a door near the stage in the meeting hall. This is the kitchen. It's where the ale that Swiftwords served during session 6 was supposed to be located. I completely missed this little room when I laid down the tiles though. During every game, I get caught up in the moment and either miss notes I’ve taken or forget to include some bit of information. This absent mindedness is one of the reasons why I avoid pre-made adventures. It is something I have to work on; I need to slow down which is very much against my gnome nature. Anyway, I debated far too long about whether I should retcon that room into the map. Eventually I decided to leave it out. Ultimately, it did not affect the game and while I don’t have a problem retconning things, I prefer to leave the story as it played out except for the really important boo boos. But I am confessing the error of my mistake here.
Frit prepared a delicious meal with a spot relaxing tea. Bronte attuned himself to the Wand of Webs. Omagoshno mulled over more details for the cleric's new arm. No soon after, everyone was asleep, leaving Drekzhar on first watch.
Shortly into Drekzhar's watch, Vola (the orc who had knocked out Drekzhar after casting darkness in the meeting hall) sneaked up on the entrance to the barracks. She warned him that Swiftwords was the lapdog of some evil gnome god. While she didn’t care about the affairs of puny gnomes, this god intended to spread its influence across all of Skyfell. It had already managed to infect Bilga. Her once proud leader now spent her time with Swiftwords in the feral-gnome's temple. In that place, there was a statue of some gnome god with its face hacked away and replaced with a mask of a bloody, fanged maw. She was certain Swiftwords was behind the vandalism. Drekzhar asked if Vola could stall Swiftwords and Bilga for an hour or so in the morning to give the party time to check out the statue. She agreed and promised to do all she could to help the party destroy the foul god before it could infect the orcs.
The rest of the watch was mostly uneventful barring a few humorous moments. Those on watch did hear whispering throughout the night that sounded a lot like Swiftwords arguing with someone (or something) in a deferential tone. No one could identify the language or even exactly where it came from. Bronte and Meribore both had incredibly vivid dreams. (These I presented as handouts. See the Supplemental Materials at the end of this blog.)
After the long rest, Drekzhar told everyone about Vola. Meribore needed time to recover from her dream before she was willing to talk even to Bronte about it (though she very much wanted to let her long-time friend know). Though his dream left him feeling bolstered and more certain in his path, Bronte also kept his dream to himself. He wanted to spend more time in prayer and contemplation before reacting to it. During the discussion, Frit went into more detail about the mask that was covering the statue in the burrow’s temple.
As Omagoshno listened, he began to feel ill. It was obvious that the mask was the mark of The Glutton. All the stories that his family had used to frighten him into behaving (because even for a gnome he had been a little off the rails) came rushing back to him. He had ignored all of those warnings at the time, sure they were nonsense just made up to scare him. Now, suddenly, he started to wonder if they had all been truths after all. And if the evil god was at work on the island, he knew he had to do everything he could to stop him.
With their path clear, the party went directly to the temple. They knew one of the entrances was through the meeting hall. Once there, Bronte cast gust of wind to clear the passage of the mist. Since it was gnome-sized, the larger folk had to crawl on their hands and knees to squeeze through it. The space in the template was open enough for them to stand and move about freely though (see Session 6 for a description of it). Everyone piled in, except Omagoshno. He froze with fear when he saw the statue of Baervan Wildwanderer vandalized; the god’s face replaced by the gaping maw of The Glutton. The other members of the party closed in on the statue though and did precisely what they came to do. They closed in and attacked it. Though each strike landed true, each did far less harm than expected or hoped for. Worse, a wave of searing pain shot through each attackers’ nervous system in retaliation.
Even before the first attack was made, the mouth began to open and close as though it were chewing on something. A dark vortex opened where a throat would be if the mask were a real mouth. With each “bite” the mouth’s jaw expanded, crackling like bones being pulled out of their sockets. Gradually, a room took shape on the other side of this opening. It was cloaked in darkness, but the outlines of a desk with alchemist supplies and various magical implements became apparent. When the mouth reached its full expansion, two creatures charged out of the darkness, leaped out of the mouth, and landed in the temple among the party.
These immediately attacked Drekzhar, who was closest to one of them, and Omagoshno, who was still immobilized with fear at the entrance of the template. Their jaws clamped down, shredding armor and flesh and attaching each to its victim. A withering fatigue began to spread out from the wounds to the rest of the victims’ bodies. (The assault did, at least, snap Omagoshno out of his stupor.) This also left the creatures vulnerable to attacks and they were eventually destroyed as the party closed ranks to protect their comrades. As he regained control of himself, it occurred to Omagoshno that the skeleton he had found in the woods was one of these creatures.
Amidst this melee, Frit leaped onto the statue with her Bag of Holding in hand. After a bit of struggle, she managed to get the mask inside. (This earned Pat some extra experience.) As she cinched the bag, the mist in the other hallways dissipated. The sense of dread and illness that had bothered Meribore since her arrival also began to fade. The immediate danger posed by the mask appeared to be over. But as calm settled, the party could hear shouting and the sounds of clanking steel from deeper within the burrow.
The party recollected itself and rushed toward the residential area where Swiftwords had led Omagoshno only a few hours ago. (Well, I say rushed, but when a minotaur and a pair of firbolgs are trying to make their way through gnome-sized tunnels the going is pretty slow.) As a side note, Omagoshno spent this time back-tracking through the herbalist room and the meeting hall to make sure no one was hiding in ambush in either location.
The party arrived at the residential hall to a pitched battle already in progress. Bilga and Grutak were in a brutal melee with Vola. Shamog and Rhorog were standing nearby obviously confused and unsure of what they should do. On the far end of the courtyard, Swiftwords was on his knees praying to a god in a language no one recognized. It was clear to everyone, though, that he was a priest of The Glutton and he was appealing to the evil god for aid.
As the party joined in the battle, several things happened in quick succession. Bilga commanded Shamog and Rhorog to attack the party but Tauffae managed to intimidate them into turning against her. Swiftwords summoned a spiritual weapon, in the form of a gaping maw with fangs, in the middle of our heroes. He sent it after the orcs, killing Shamog. Swiftwords also used a magic wand to conjure stirges; the wand disintegrated in his hands after this use. Those little beasties were able to take a nibble or two out of Meribore before they were squished. Frit made a dash for Swiftwords, reaching him just as the wand crumbled, and got him into a hold. Bronte eventually caught up with Frit and started attacking Swiftwords. Vola slew Grutak but was so near death that she had to disengage and seek protection from the party. They obliged, closing in on Bilga. As she was killed, Swiftwords broke free and tried to flee. He was cut down for his attempt.
Bilga twitched and convulsed as she crumpled to the floor. A cold, blue flame pulled away from her corpse and coalesced into a vaguely humanoid form. The eyes were the first to become corporeal, filled with hate and craving vengeance. The rest of the body followed; first the skeleton, then the musculature, then rotted, paper-thin flesh, and finally armor. This new enemy picked up Bilga’s scimitar and yelled out in a bitter rage.
This new enemy attacked Meribore, killing of her dinosaur wild shape. The others, only briefly stunned by what they had just witnessed, closed in. The numbers were clearly in their favor and the hateful creature was destroyed.
Vola, Rhorog, and Tauffae gathered. In a traditional post-battle rite, they beat their chests and let out a victorious roar. They then embraced and declared each other comrades of battle, promising to tell stories of their great deeds until their death and even to brag to Gruumsh until he tired of the story and silenced them permanently. Vola declared Tauffae was now a part of her tribe and pledged a boon to him. This left Tauffae feeling a sense of belonging among his own people that he hadn’t felt before.
In the aftermath of the battle, the party recovered the following from the orcs: Bilga’s scimitar, Grutak’s longsword, Shamog’s greataxe, and three javelins. On Swiftwords, they found a dagger, a pendant that looked exactly like the mask that had been on the statue of Wildwanderer (Bronte took this), and a Creature Feature potion (see my Bracing Beverages supplement on the DMsGuild).
They spent the rest of the day searching the burrow for survivors. They found none, but did find a vial of Indigo Fizzy Dew and a vial of Sweet Dreams Calming Tea (both also in Bracing Beverages), a Mask of Baravar (out of my Common Curiosities and Trivial Trinkets supplement), and a set of plans for enchanted bagpipes in the common areas of the burrow. They also found a few gold pieces scattered about. In general, however, the party did not want to loot the personal chambers or living spaces. They felt that if there were any survivors then those folks would want to try to rebuild their burrow and clearing it out of every valuable would work against that. (I later rewarded them with additional experience for this decision as it was in character and, quite frankly, a nice thing that they did not have to do.)
During discussion as we wrapped up the session, the players decided that their characters needed to return to the Stout Crow. Captain Ka-aaw had promised to leave after five days since strange monsters had attacked his ship and they didn’t want to be left behind. I quickly let them know that on the way out of the burrow, they would be greeted by Sil-tsinia who is accompanied by a pair of dryads, fifteen gnomes (residents of the burrow), and Springeye Reese (the rock gnome engineer from the Howling Wind). I asked everyone to use Discord to let me know what their characters were going to do during the ten-day trip back to Highwater. I also made a mental note to flesh out the last farewells between the island folk and the party and send a write-up to everyone. The ultimate goal was to have the next session start with the party back in Highwater on Doraku.
With that, we called it a day.
What I’m trying to say is that there was a lot of uncertainty going into this session and your humbly diabolical dungeon master had to corral all of it into a cohesive experience. I can’t really talk about the alternate paths that might have been because I've filed those away for later. Some of the possibilities might be obvious after you read this post.
 |
| The Best Laid Plans of Mice and DMs |
I like handouts. I usually make a bunch but the Piruna Run arc hadn’t yet offered many opportunities for them. Since the party was going to start the session with a long rest, I wanted Meribore and Bronte to have important dreams that might affect their actions the next day. In the past, I had simply pulled the players aside and told them their dreams. This time, though, I wrote them out ahead of time so that I could simply give them a hard copy in session. This proved quite convenient so I’ll be doing this more. Also, I was having a hard time finding information about Hiatea (Bronte's divine benefactor) online beyond a few little mentions here and there. It took me way too long to realize that she was probably detailed in Monster Mythology, a 2e collection of deities. I had picked up a print-on-demand copy from the DMs Guild for super cheap. Sure enough, there is an entry for Hiatea. I was able to integrate some of the information from that entry into Bronte’s dream. I also sent pictures of the entry to Michelle so she could read it.
If you’ve been reading my posts or have been following me on social media, you'll know that I use Heroscspe hex tiles for my D&D sessions. (A vast majority of my miniatures are from that game.) I had also made a set of square tiles for interiors a while ago. Given the size of the map for the burrow, I realized that I might actually need more of these square tiles. So I made more to look like floor boards. I also made a few hex tiles for the cheap plastic tees that came with the dinosaur toy set I had purchased when I started the campaign. Anyway, I’ll be blogging about their creation sometime in the near future. Don't miss it!
 |
| Making New Tiles Post Talking about the Process to Come |
I set up the tiles the morning of the game. I was going to do another stop motion sequence but I hadn’t slept well and was already kind of tired. Plus I was pressed for time, so I skipped that. I did use my new tiles, though, and was very pleased about how they turned out.
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| All Set for the Game |
Let me mention food. I like to cook for people but for this session I was having a hard time figuring out what to make. I finally settled on lentil soup with turkey sausage. I kept forgetting to go to the store though. I didn’t actually get the final ingredients until the morning of the session, which is usually when I do the other set-up work. It turned out pretty well anyway.
 |
| Lentil Soup...Nom Nom Nom |
Oh, one interesting tidbit. If you look at the original map for the burrow (I’ve included it in the Supplemental Materials section below), you’ll see that there is a door near the stage in the meeting hall. This is the kitchen. It's where the ale that Swiftwords served during session 6 was supposed to be located. I completely missed this little room when I laid down the tiles though. During every game, I get caught up in the moment and either miss notes I’ve taken or forget to include some bit of information. This absent mindedness is one of the reasons why I avoid pre-made adventures. It is something I have to work on; I need to slow down which is very much against my gnome nature. Anyway, I debated far too long about whether I should retcon that room into the map. Eventually I decided to leave it out. Ultimately, it did not affect the game and while I don’t have a problem retconning things, I prefer to leave the story as it played out except for the really important boo boos. But I am confessing the error of my mistake here.
Pre-game
The weekend of the session was another double header for me. I played Slothfinger (my forest gnome horizon walker) in a game on Friday night. Because of that my usual setup activities had to wait until Saturday morning. There had been some uncertainty regarding our start time as well but that all got hammered out on Discord the night before so everything worked out fine in the end. I didn’t have any problems with Skype or the camera this time. The game pretty much started after everyone finished lunch. All I had to do was give my recap and we were ready to go.In-game
The party wanted to take a long rest. After some debate, they decided to camp in the barracks near the entrance to the burrow. This would let them keep watch over the entrance in case anyone (or anything) tried to get in or out. Swiftwords and the orcs retired to the residential area of the burrow. |
| You Can't Beat a Long Rest |
Frit prepared a delicious meal with a spot relaxing tea. Bronte attuned himself to the Wand of Webs. Omagoshno mulled over more details for the cleric's new arm. No soon after, everyone was asleep, leaving Drekzhar on first watch.
Shortly into Drekzhar's watch, Vola (the orc who had knocked out Drekzhar after casting darkness in the meeting hall) sneaked up on the entrance to the barracks. She warned him that Swiftwords was the lapdog of some evil gnome god. While she didn’t care about the affairs of puny gnomes, this god intended to spread its influence across all of Skyfell. It had already managed to infect Bilga. Her once proud leader now spent her time with Swiftwords in the feral-gnome's temple. In that place, there was a statue of some gnome god with its face hacked away and replaced with a mask of a bloody, fanged maw. She was certain Swiftwords was behind the vandalism. Drekzhar asked if Vola could stall Swiftwords and Bilga for an hour or so in the morning to give the party time to check out the statue. She agreed and promised to do all she could to help the party destroy the foul god before it could infect the orcs.
The rest of the watch was mostly uneventful barring a few humorous moments. Those on watch did hear whispering throughout the night that sounded a lot like Swiftwords arguing with someone (or something) in a deferential tone. No one could identify the language or even exactly where it came from. Bronte and Meribore both had incredibly vivid dreams. (These I presented as handouts. See the Supplemental Materials at the end of this blog.)
After the long rest, Drekzhar told everyone about Vola. Meribore needed time to recover from her dream before she was willing to talk even to Bronte about it (though she very much wanted to let her long-time friend know). Though his dream left him feeling bolstered and more certain in his path, Bronte also kept his dream to himself. He wanted to spend more time in prayer and contemplation before reacting to it. During the discussion, Frit went into more detail about the mask that was covering the statue in the burrow’s temple.
 |
| The Mask on the Statue Source: Races of Stone |
As Omagoshno listened, he began to feel ill. It was obvious that the mask was the mark of The Glutton. All the stories that his family had used to frighten him into behaving (because even for a gnome he had been a little off the rails) came rushing back to him. He had ignored all of those warnings at the time, sure they were nonsense just made up to scare him. Now, suddenly, he started to wonder if they had all been truths after all. And if the evil god was at work on the island, he knew he had to do everything he could to stop him.
With their path clear, the party went directly to the temple. They knew one of the entrances was through the meeting hall. Once there, Bronte cast gust of wind to clear the passage of the mist. Since it was gnome-sized, the larger folk had to crawl on their hands and knees to squeeze through it. The space in the template was open enough for them to stand and move about freely though (see Session 6 for a description of it). Everyone piled in, except Omagoshno. He froze with fear when he saw the statue of Baervan Wildwanderer vandalized; the god’s face replaced by the gaping maw of The Glutton. The other members of the party closed in on the statue though and did precisely what they came to do. They closed in and attacked it. Though each strike landed true, each did far less harm than expected or hoped for. Worse, a wave of searing pain shot through each attackers’ nervous system in retaliation.
Even before the first attack was made, the mouth began to open and close as though it were chewing on something. A dark vortex opened where a throat would be if the mask were a real mouth. With each “bite” the mouth’s jaw expanded, crackling like bones being pulled out of their sockets. Gradually, a room took shape on the other side of this opening. It was cloaked in darkness, but the outlines of a desk with alchemist supplies and various magical implements became apparent. When the mouth reached its full expansion, two creatures charged out of the darkness, leaped out of the mouth, and landed in the temple among the party.
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| Creatures Leap Out of the Mouth of The Glutton Source: Mordendainen's Tome of Foes |
These immediately attacked Drekzhar, who was closest to one of them, and Omagoshno, who was still immobilized with fear at the entrance of the template. Their jaws clamped down, shredding armor and flesh and attaching each to its victim. A withering fatigue began to spread out from the wounds to the rest of the victims’ bodies. (The assault did, at least, snap Omagoshno out of his stupor.) This also left the creatures vulnerable to attacks and they were eventually destroyed as the party closed ranks to protect their comrades. As he regained control of himself, it occurred to Omagoshno that the skeleton he had found in the woods was one of these creatures.
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| Battling the Creatures in the Temple |
Amidst this melee, Frit leaped onto the statue with her Bag of Holding in hand. After a bit of struggle, she managed to get the mask inside. (This earned Pat some extra experience.) As she cinched the bag, the mist in the other hallways dissipated. The sense of dread and illness that had bothered Meribore since her arrival also began to fade. The immediate danger posed by the mask appeared to be over. But as calm settled, the party could hear shouting and the sounds of clanking steel from deeper within the burrow.
 |
| Bag of Holding with Mask of The Glutton Inside, No, really, it's in there. I promise. Source: Dungeon Master's Guide |
The party recollected itself and rushed toward the residential area where Swiftwords had led Omagoshno only a few hours ago. (Well, I say rushed, but when a minotaur and a pair of firbolgs are trying to make their way through gnome-sized tunnels the going is pretty slow.) As a side note, Omagoshno spent this time back-tracking through the herbalist room and the meeting hall to make sure no one was hiding in ambush in either location.
The party arrived at the residential hall to a pitched battle already in progress. Bilga and Grutak were in a brutal melee with Vola. Shamog and Rhorog were standing nearby obviously confused and unsure of what they should do. On the far end of the courtyard, Swiftwords was on his knees praying to a god in a language no one recognized. It was clear to everyone, though, that he was a priest of The Glutton and he was appealing to the evil god for aid.
As the party joined in the battle, several things happened in quick succession. Bilga commanded Shamog and Rhorog to attack the party but Tauffae managed to intimidate them into turning against her. Swiftwords summoned a spiritual weapon, in the form of a gaping maw with fangs, in the middle of our heroes. He sent it after the orcs, killing Shamog. Swiftwords also used a magic wand to conjure stirges; the wand disintegrated in his hands after this use. Those little beasties were able to take a nibble or two out of Meribore before they were squished. Frit made a dash for Swiftwords, reaching him just as the wand crumbled, and got him into a hold. Bronte eventually caught up with Frit and started attacking Swiftwords. Vola slew Grutak but was so near death that she had to disengage and seek protection from the party. They obliged, closing in on Bilga. As she was killed, Swiftwords broke free and tried to flee. He was cut down for his attempt.
 |
| The Fight Rages in the Courtyard of the Burrow Apartments |
Bilga twitched and convulsed as she crumpled to the floor. A cold, blue flame pulled away from her corpse and coalesced into a vaguely humanoid form. The eyes were the first to become corporeal, filled with hate and craving vengeance. The rest of the body followed; first the skeleton, then the musculature, then rotted, paper-thin flesh, and finally armor. This new enemy picked up Bilga’s scimitar and yelled out in a bitter rage.
 |
| A Creature Materializes Out of Bilga's Corpse Source: Monster Manual |
This new enemy attacked Meribore, killing of her dinosaur wild shape. The others, only briefly stunned by what they had just witnessed, closed in. The numbers were clearly in their favor and the hateful creature was destroyed.
Vola, Rhorog, and Tauffae gathered. In a traditional post-battle rite, they beat their chests and let out a victorious roar. They then embraced and declared each other comrades of battle, promising to tell stories of their great deeds until their death and even to brag to Gruumsh until he tired of the story and silenced them permanently. Vola declared Tauffae was now a part of her tribe and pledged a boon to him. This left Tauffae feeling a sense of belonging among his own people that he hadn’t felt before.
In the aftermath of the battle, the party recovered the following from the orcs: Bilga’s scimitar, Grutak’s longsword, Shamog’s greataxe, and three javelins. On Swiftwords, they found a dagger, a pendant that looked exactly like the mask that had been on the statue of Wildwanderer (Bronte took this), and a Creature Feature potion (see my Bracing Beverages supplement on the DMsGuild).
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| Looting Stuff Source: Dungeon Master's Rulebook (B/X edition) |
They spent the rest of the day searching the burrow for survivors. They found none, but did find a vial of Indigo Fizzy Dew and a vial of Sweet Dreams Calming Tea (both also in Bracing Beverages), a Mask of Baravar (out of my Common Curiosities and Trivial Trinkets supplement), and a set of plans for enchanted bagpipes in the common areas of the burrow. They also found a few gold pieces scattered about. In general, however, the party did not want to loot the personal chambers or living spaces. They felt that if there were any survivors then those folks would want to try to rebuild their burrow and clearing it out of every valuable would work against that. (I later rewarded them with additional experience for this decision as it was in character and, quite frankly, a nice thing that they did not have to do.)
During discussion as we wrapped up the session, the players decided that their characters needed to return to the Stout Crow. Captain Ka-aaw had promised to leave after five days since strange monsters had attacked his ship and they didn’t want to be left behind. I quickly let them know that on the way out of the burrow, they would be greeted by Sil-tsinia who is accompanied by a pair of dryads, fifteen gnomes (residents of the burrow), and Springeye Reese (the rock gnome engineer from the Howling Wind). I asked everyone to use Discord to let me know what their characters were going to do during the ten-day trip back to Highwater. I also made a mental note to flesh out the last farewells between the island folk and the party and send a write-up to everyone. The ultimate goal was to have the next session start with the party back in Highwater on Doraku.
With that, we called it a day.
End session 7.
Experience earned:
Bronte - 1205 (3631 total)
Drekzhar - 1187 (3575 total)
Frit - 1323 (3686 total)
Meribore - 1211 (3606 total)
Omagoshno - 1187 (3527 total)
Tauffae - 1247 (3710 total)
Drekzhar - 1187 (3575 total)
Frit - 1323 (3686 total)
Meribore - 1211 (3606 total)
Omagoshno - 1187 (3527 total)
Tauffae - 1247 (3710 total)
Supplemental Materials
The Orcs
So, in case you were wondering:
Bilga was an Orc Blade of Ilneval. In game, I replaced the longsword described in Volo’s Guide with a scimitar. To be honest, I was looking at the stats for Vola when I did that. A complete mistake. (Again, I was caught up in the moment.) In hindsight, it works out pretty well though. It gives a certain amount of flavor to that NPC and it provides Drekzhar (who ultimately ended up looting it) with a cool weapon for his two-weapon fighting feature for his class. While I used the creature stat block of a wight for the entity that possessed her, it was in actuality something else that I do not want to go into detail about here.
Orc Sword of Ilneval
Source: Volo's Guide to Monster
Vola is an Orc Red Fang of Shargraas. I debated whether I should disclose this in this summary or keep it a mystery. In game, Tauffae did recognize her as an assassin, the sort of individual who is extremely dangerous and kept to the outskirts of tribal life because their skills are outside of the general orc ethos of brute force. In that light, I don’t mind giving out this information. Besides, even if my players rush to read the stats of abilities of a Red Fang of Shargraas, it won’t affect any game play the next time they meet her...and they will be meeting her again. I've decided that I very much like this particular NPC, especially after some of the discussions that have been happening on Discord.
Orc Red Fang of Shargraas
Source: Volo's Guide to Monsters
Moss Creek Burrow Map
Note the kitchen I forgot to include in the game off the south-west corner of the meeting hall. There was also a secret escape hatch behind the stage which I disclosed to the party after they spent a day exploring the burrow.
Original Map of Moss Creek Burrow
Supplemental Materials
The Orcs
So, in case you were wondering:
Bilga was an Orc Blade of Ilneval. In game, I replaced the longsword described in Volo’s Guide with a scimitar. To be honest, I was looking at the stats for Vola when I did that. A complete mistake. (Again, I was caught up in the moment.) In hindsight, it works out pretty well though. It gives a certain amount of flavor to that NPC and it provides Drekzhar (who ultimately ended up looting it) with a cool weapon for his two-weapon fighting feature for his class. While I used the creature stat block of a wight for the entity that possessed her, it was in actuality something else that I do not want to go into detail about here.
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| Orc Sword of Ilneval Source: Volo's Guide to Monster |
Vola is an Orc Red Fang of Shargraas. I debated whether I should disclose this in this summary or keep it a mystery. In game, Tauffae did recognize her as an assassin, the sort of individual who is extremely dangerous and kept to the outskirts of tribal life because their skills are outside of the general orc ethos of brute force. In that light, I don’t mind giving out this information. Besides, even if my players rush to read the stats of abilities of a Red Fang of Shargraas, it won’t affect any game play the next time they meet her...and they will be meeting her again. I've decided that I very much like this particular NPC, especially after some of the discussions that have been happening on Discord.
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| Orc Red Fang of Shargraas Source: Volo's Guide to Monsters |
Moss Creek Burrow Map
Note the kitchen I forgot to include in the game off the south-west corner of the meeting hall. There was also a secret escape hatch behind the stage which I disclosed to the party after they spent a day exploring the burrow.
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| Original Map of Moss Creek Burrow |
The Music
I spent a lot of time trying to assemble the perfect background music for this arc. Here are all the playlists that I put together for the arc:
I spent a lot of time trying to assemble the perfect background music for this arc. Here are all the playlists that I put together for the arc:
Bronte’s Dream
You are following a meandering path through a wild forest. The trees are vibrant. The undergrowth is lush. Insects buzz about. An archaeopteryx perched overhead squacks before taking flight. The rumbling call of a nearby brontosaurus causes the ground you walk upon to tremble. A distant answer gives you a sense that all is well here.
As you become aware of the smell of smoke, the path guides you to a stone circle tucked beneath towering trees. In its center is a flaming sphere not much more than a foot in diameter that hovers above the embers of a fading campfire ringed by stones. Beside this fire pit is a reed blanket. Upon it, someone has dropped a reed doll of a farmer. A small wicker basket partially filled with wheat grain rests next to the toy. On the opposite side of the fire pit is a woolen throw. Upon it is a wooden doll of a hunter along with a bow and a full quiver.
As you approach the flaming sphere, Hiatea’s voice fills your mind. “There is a time for peace. There is a time for war.” The sphere pops and collapses on itself. You wake up.
Meribore’s Dream
You are in a void. Wisps of fog fade in and out of existence to a now familiar arrhythmia; it’s the pulse of the island. It’s also you. You are the island. The pulse is your beating heart. A wave of nausea comes with this realization. Beads of sweat break across your forehead. Your stomach feels as though it is being devoured from the inside by ravenous fangs of ice. You try to scream, to give voice to the pain you’re feeling. Instead, you are suddenly diving down into what feels like your own mouth but it can’t be. You tumble through concentric circles of razor fangs that shred you into a million pieces. You splash into damp earth, sending a shockwave of light across its surface. For only a moment, earthen walls and a ceiling are revealed. A table is nearby, cluttered with instruments and raw materials. Your nostrils fill with the scent of freshly turned soil and blood. Your ears ring as the light disintegrates into an unnatural, cold darkness.
You attempt to collect yourself, to literally pull yourself together, but the most you can accomplish is to maintain a loose nebula that continues to pulse with the life-force of the island. You ponder what to do next only to become aware that you are not alone. There are others with you in this dark place. They are shapeless, pathetic things that cower before you. You reach out to the nearest one. As you do, your hand mutates into a gaping maw of fangs. You grow desperate to devour everything your see, to unbuild all that is built, to leave behind nothing but death. You chomp down on your victim. A frightened gnome face flashes before you. Then another. And another. They are the citizens of Moss Creek. You’re sure of it.
You’re suddenly thrown from the scene. You streak through a network of passages that are roughly cut in stone and braced with dying roots. You explode out of the mouth of a burrow into a dark sky dotted with countless pinpoints of flame. A large sphere of soft light hangs overhead. Fog clings to a withering landscape. Through the haze, you think you see the silhouette of a crumbling fortress clinging to a rocky ledge off in the distance. You strain to see better, commanding your eyes to focus or for the fog to part. Neither obey you. Instead, you fall back toward the entrance of the burrow. As you plummet past the threshold, you realize that your dream is ending. Whimpered prayers for Wildwanderer to send help fill your consciousness as you wake up.
Bronte’s Dream
You are following a meandering path through a wild forest. The trees are vibrant. The undergrowth is lush. Insects buzz about. An archaeopteryx perched overhead squacks before taking flight. The rumbling call of a nearby brontosaurus causes the ground you walk upon to tremble. A distant answer gives you a sense that all is well here.
As you become aware of the smell of smoke, the path guides you to a stone circle tucked beneath towering trees. In its center is a flaming sphere not much more than a foot in diameter that hovers above the embers of a fading campfire ringed by stones. Beside this fire pit is a reed blanket. Upon it, someone has dropped a reed doll of a farmer. A small wicker basket partially filled with wheat grain rests next to the toy. On the opposite side of the fire pit is a woolen throw. Upon it is a wooden doll of a hunter along with a bow and a full quiver.
As you approach the flaming sphere, Hiatea’s voice fills your mind. “There is a time for peace. There is a time for war.” The sphere pops and collapses on itself. You wake up.
Meribore’s Dream
You are in a void. Wisps of fog fade in and out of existence to a now familiar arrhythmia; it’s the pulse of the island. It’s also you. You are the island. The pulse is your beating heart. A wave of nausea comes with this realization. Beads of sweat break across your forehead. Your stomach feels as though it is being devoured from the inside by ravenous fangs of ice. You try to scream, to give voice to the pain you’re feeling. Instead, you are suddenly diving down into what feels like your own mouth but it can’t be. You tumble through concentric circles of razor fangs that shred you into a million pieces. You splash into damp earth, sending a shockwave of light across its surface. For only a moment, earthen walls and a ceiling are revealed. A table is nearby, cluttered with instruments and raw materials. Your nostrils fill with the scent of freshly turned soil and blood. Your ears ring as the light disintegrates into an unnatural, cold darkness.
You attempt to collect yourself, to literally pull yourself together, but the most you can accomplish is to maintain a loose nebula that continues to pulse with the life-force of the island. You ponder what to do next only to become aware that you are not alone. There are others with you in this dark place. They are shapeless, pathetic things that cower before you. You reach out to the nearest one. As you do, your hand mutates into a gaping maw of fangs. You grow desperate to devour everything your see, to unbuild all that is built, to leave behind nothing but death. You chomp down on your victim. A frightened gnome face flashes before you. Then another. And another. They are the citizens of Moss Creek. You’re sure of it.
You’re suddenly thrown from the scene. You streak through a network of passages that are roughly cut in stone and braced with dying roots. You explode out of the mouth of a burrow into a dark sky dotted with countless pinpoints of flame. A large sphere of soft light hangs overhead. Fog clings to a withering landscape. Through the haze, you think you see the silhouette of a crumbling fortress clinging to a rocky ledge off in the distance. You strain to see better, commanding your eyes to focus or for the fog to part. Neither obey you. Instead, you fall back toward the entrance of the burrow. As you plummet past the threshold, you realize that your dream is ending. Whimpered prayers for Wildwanderer to send help fill your consciousness as you wake up.
One More Thing
The conversations on Discord have been going quite well and a lot of good material and RP has come out of them. I'm going to be posting a supplemental summary once all of those talks are done. I'm pretty excited.
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Follow me on one of these fine social media platforms:
Instagram: @hokumsean
Spotify: @hokumsean
Twitch: @hokumsean
Twitter: @hokumsean
Tumblr @hokumsean
Stop by my YouTube channel "Ovens and Dragons" and partake in the exciting world of cooking for gamers.
Also, check out my DMsGuild offerings:
- Epic Gnomish Inventing
Rules supplement for creating gadgets. - Gnome Concept Packages 1
Collection of gnome-related backgrounds, feats, magic items, and more. - Great House Servants
Collection of backgrounds centered on the servants of a great house. - Mildew's Revenge
A first-level adventure. - Random Plot Generator
A tool for creating adventure prompts for one-shots and story arcs. - The WhatNot Shop’s Absurd Accoutrements
A collection of unusual magical items. - The WhatNot Shop's Bracing Beverages
A collection of strange potions. - The WhatNot Shop's Common Curiosities and Trivial Trinkets
A collection of common magic items and trinkets. - The WhatNot Shop's Dastardly Doodads and Orc Oddities
A collection of orc-themed common magic items and trinkets.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow me on one of these fine social media platforms:
Instagram: @hokumsean
Spotify: @hokumsean
Twitch: @hokumsean
Twitter: @hokumsean
Tumblr @hokumsean
Stop by my YouTube channel "Ovens and Dragons" and partake in the exciting world of cooking for gamers.
Also, check out my DMsGuild offerings:
- Epic Gnomish Inventing
Rules supplement for creating gadgets. - Gnome Concept Packages 1
Collection of gnome-related backgrounds, feats, magic items, and more. - Great House Servants
Collection of backgrounds centered on the servants of a great house. - Mildew's Revenge
A first-level adventure. - Random Plot Generator
A tool for creating adventure prompts for one-shots and story arcs. - The WhatNot Shop’s Absurd Accoutrements
A collection of unusual magical items. - The WhatNot Shop's Bracing Beverages
A collection of strange potions. - The WhatNot Shop's Common Curiosities and Trivial Trinkets
A collection of common magic items and trinkets. - The WhatNot Shop's Dastardly Doodads and Orc Oddities
A collection of orc-themed common magic items and trinkets.
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