Skyfell Campaign: Session 9

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:

Rodney - Tauffae Twofeather Topshelf - male orc, Fighter (Champion)

Pat - Frit Nimbly - female goblin, Monk (Way of Shadow)

Dan - Drekzhar - male minotaur, Bard/Rogue (College of Swords, no specialty)

Laura - Meribore Softwalker - female fitbolg, Druid (Circle of the Moon)

Michelle - Bronte Whitewinter - male firbolg, Cleric (Tempest Domain)

Jeff - Omagoshno - male rock gnome, Artificer (Artillerist)

Session 9: Stranger Things, Part 1

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

This is the adventure that comes with the Dungeons and Dragon Stranger Things box set. Because this is a log of our campaign, I will be disclosing details of that published module. I will, of course, be altering some of those details to fit the campaign, but the overall adventure along with its puzzles and solutions will likely appear in the coming posts. If you don’t want to know these things...

...STOP READING!

You’ve been warned.

Preparation

If the preparation for session 8 was a marathon of manic masterminding, the preparation for session 9 was a serene stroll serenaded by Pachelbel. The conclusion of session 8 saw the kickoff of the adventure that comes with the Stranger Things box set; swapping out the role of Sir Tristin with Lady Zoka Axiotis, the ward of Captain Trovick whose zombified remains the party fought way back in session 2. That minor change was not the only one that I would need to make if I was going to integrate the adventure into my campaign. So, yep, you guessed it, most of the prep work was around making those changes.

The Stranger Things Box Set

In doing this, there were a couple of considerations I had to keep in mind. First, the adventure seemed like it was designed for level 3 players (though I couldn’t find anywhere that it explicitly said this). I had six level 4 players, some of whom recently found, purchased, or were gifted some very nice items. I was concerned that the adventure would be too easy and from experience I’ve learned that it’s generally easier to decrease the difficulty of an encounter on the fly than it is to increase. With this in mind, I made an effort to retool some encounters to make them more difficult or at least more interesting.

Second, there were key NPCs in the published module that I wanted to change up a little so that the storyline not only fit into my campaign but aligned with the events so far. I already mentioned how I changed Sir Tristin. If you’ve either read the adventure or have played through it, you’ll probably catch the other changes I made.

I also wanted to write out some descriptions that I could read to my players instead of improvising like I usually do. The hope here was that doing so would not only help ensure I didn’t miss any important details but also help me with the in-game write up later.

I suppose I would be lying if I didn’t mention the extra work I continued to do on the ambient music. It was a no-brainer to start with the soundtracks from seasons 1-3 of the Stranger Things series. It took a little work to break the music down into the three categories I have settled into using : mood for general background music, adventure for dungeon delving music (but not combat), and combat for, well, fighting music. I trolled Spotify for additional music that would blend in with the style of the soundtrack and still meet my needs for those categories. An interesting side effect in using the soundtracks is that they have a very distinct auditory flavor that is not exactly your standard Dungeons and Dragons vibe. But I like this. Music establishes the mood. It makes sense that different styles should be used for different adventures. It’s a thought I’ve carried over to the playlists for the other adventures I’ve planned. (I'll be sharing those when the time comes.) 

Pre-game

The morning of the game, I built out the map that would be needed for the first encounter the players would stumble on. I put the map on a board and hid it out of sight for a later reveal. 

Other than that, I browsed through the Stranger Things module to refresh my memory on its details. I was still concerned that I would forget something important or otherwise unintentionally deviate from the script in a way that would cause regret later. (Which, spoilers, I ended up doing anyway.)

Pat was unable to make it to this session so I didn’t have to set up the camera. I pondered an explanation for Frit’s absence. I eventually settled on no explanation as she would have disappeared in the night and was simply unaccounted for at the moment. This left more options for an explanation of her reappearance later.

After all the players were present and fed, I reviewed the events of the previous session and got started. I put on the RPG Mood - Stranger Things Arc playlist I created.

In-game

The members of the party regrouped in the morning. Meribore, who had spent the entire twilight communing with Paela and the other druids in the Encampment Green (see the Post Game section of my Session 8 summary), was exhausted and in dire need of some rest. Thankfully, the group booked a shuttle for the trip which gave Meribore the opportunity to get some shuteye and avoid any consequences of spending an entire twilight walking, shape-shifting, and frolicking with no sleep.

Skyfell Cultural Note

Highwater and Delakor are the two largest settlements on Doraku. They are connected by a highway that is patrolled by Tescalain’s troops. The distance between the two cities is quite far, though. It’s impossible to keep the roadway entirely safe from either the wildlife of Doraku or its rustic criminal elements; there are quite a few of both. A safer, quicker, and more expensive means of travel is to take a ferry or runabout. The vessels are vaguely beetle-shaped, where passengers ride on the top deck under a collapsible canopy and the cargo and wheel house is on the bottom deck. These flights, which mostly follow the highway’s course, depart daily, carrying those with enough coin in a mostly comfortable and uneventful journey. 

The Flight Path from Highwater to Delakor

The terrain of the southern portion of Doraku, where Delakor is located, is hilly and covered in tropical forest. Farming is not as easy there as it is in the Mayraki Flats (as I described in my geography post about Doraku). The economy is driven more by small lumber and mining operations as well as support services for the Kalraka School of the Weave. Fort Delakor stands on a hill overlooking the town of Delakor, cutting a stalwart outline against the sky. While The Aerie in Highwater radiates a certain cultured elegance of wealth and power, Fort Delakor is a stout work of utilitarian stonecraft. It’s the sort of place one would want to retreat to if all Skyfell should suddenly fall apart. Its rampart is a massive barrier that challenges travelers even from a great distance. Atop each of its four battlements is a ballista. Armed soldiers walk the parapets. There is even a dock where a patrol craft is moored.

Fort Delakor, as Seen from the Streets of Delakor
Source: Pixabay

The party landed in Delakor and walked the short distance to the fort. There were a lot of soldiers on duty there. The patrol craft and dock were heavily damaged. The activities inside the fort’s walls seemed normal enough but the chatter was anxious. The tension was obvious in every suspicious look the party received (especially the firbolgs who were unique enough in their own way). And even though none of the adventurers had ever been to the fort before, it all very much felt like a nervous hive waiting for something dreadful to happen.

After some queries, our adventurers found there way to Captain Kimbatuul, who was in his office shuffling paperwork.

Captain Kimbatuul
Source: Heroforge

After some brief introductions, Drekzhar explained that they were there to take care of the thessalhydra and to escort the follower of The Glutton (who was currently jailed in the fort) back to the Temple of Garl Glittergold in Highwater. He presented the paperwork to prove the truth of his words. In the ensuing discussion, the party learned that the gnome’s name was Laeri Raptorstein and decided to leave him be until they dealt with the thessalhydra.

Regarding that topic, the captain explained, “We suspect the creature has attacked three or four times in the last month. Not so often as to alert The Aerie but enough to terrify the locals. We think its first attack was against a pair of traders coming down from the city. There were no survivors so I can’t be sure. It might have been a dinosaur for all I know. The second time was a farm a couple of miles away from here. The thing destroyed a barn, ate one hadrosaurus and dragged off another. The third time it ambushed a labor convoy. There was one survivor. Her name is Flower. The beast did to her mind what it did to the bodies of the dead so we’re keeping her here for her own safety. The fourth time, the damn thing came down on the fort. It destroyed the dock before we knew what was happening. We got a few good shots off, but by then I’m guessing it had accomplished what it set out to do because it retreated back into the woods. A fireteam gave it chase. We found what was left of them later. The creature’s tracks went further into the woods and then ended. And that’s the thing. It keeps vanishing. We’ve followed its tracks and they simply end. It’s as though it sprouts wings and just flies away.”

The party asked a few questions about the various attacks and the investigations into them. They then asked to speak with the lone survivor. She was a quiet halfling, wary of everything around her.

Flower, The Loan Survivor
Source: Heroforge

When the adventurers questioned her about the thessalhydra she became agitated and frightened. Meribore cast calm emotions on her. This brought the halfling into a more stable state so that she could relate her story. She said that she had been part of a labor party collected from the surrounding homesteads to work on a project in Delakor. Their convoy was attacked by an eight-headed monstrosity that came crashing out of the forest. Where its chest should be was a gaping mouth full of fangs. Its tail ended in giant pincers.

The Creature that Attacked Flower
Source: Monster Manual II

It smashed both vehicle and passenger indiscriminately. Among the earliest victims was her sister. Flower tried to run away but was knocked clear of the road. She awoke in the fort. The captain went on to describe the scene they had discovered and where they had found her.

The party gently questioned Flower. When they felt they had all the information they could gather from her, Flower returned to her room. Upon request, Captain Kimbatuul provided a map showing each of the attack sites. They were all within a few miles of the town. He also explained that he lacked the manpower to go hunting after a beast that vanished into thin air. He also didn’t relish the idea of depleting the fort’s strength, especially since the monster’s attack on the dock left them more vulnerable than he was comfortable with. As such, he was extremely grateful for their assistance and praised Lady Axiotis for her aid (and the party’s help).

Next, the party took a look at the dock and what was left of the patrol craft. The dragonborn guard on duty described the events. A creature the size of a barn came out of the forest and laid waste to the dock and airship before the fort really understood what was happening. The nearest ballista team fired off one good shot; several of the watch fired upon it with their bows. The guard was certain that this drew blood. But before they could give the creature a proper whomping, it retreated back into the forest. He mourned their loss and empathized with the families. He also very badly wanted to get some payback and he wished the party all the luck any god might give them.

The party followed the very obvious path the thessalhydra had left on both its approach to and retreat from the fort. When a huge creature pushes its way through a forest, it’s bound to leave behind evidence of its passing through. They followed the trail that led to the fort first. This ended abruptly some ways into the forest. They investigated the area and discovered there were some very large mushrooms clustered nearby. One of them looked as though it had exploded. The remains of its stalks were stained with splatters of blood that no one recognized. 

Bloodied Mushroom
Source: Original Images from Pixabay
Additional Digital Work by Me

They then doubled back and followed the creature’s retreating path. This too ended abruptly near a growth of the same mushrooms. Here too, only the stem of one of them remained and that was stained with splatters from the same sort of blood. The adventurers quickly pieced together that the mushrooms must have something to do with the thessalhydra’s movements. For some time, they discussed what they should do next. Meribore suggested she use her innate Firbolg ability to speak with beast and leaf. She asked the living mushrooms if they knew of a place that had lots of good, smelly food for them. The nearest one quivered and a little way off a puff of spoors were expelled from another cluster of fungus. The party quickly descended upon that only to see another puff of spoors a little further along.

They followed this unexpected guidance for a couple of hours. The terrain in those parts is quite hilly and heavily forest, not really ideal for a stroll. The puffs led them to the entrance of a cave. 

They Followed the Spores to a Cave

Skyfell Cultural Note

The Whispering Caverns is the best known cave system a few miles northwest of Delakor despite being little explored. That said, the region is dotted with numerous caves, both big and small. Most are uncharted let alone explored. Finding a cave, here, at the end of their journey would not be so unusual even though they were within walking distance of the fort. 

Nearby, the party found a patch of mushrooms, most of which were exploded and stained with the same blood. Thessalhydra tracks led directly from these into the cavern. There were also dozens of other three-toed-humanoid tracks going into and coming out of the cave. Some of these were covered up by a three-foot wide, thin sheet of material that looked like a snail trail but was clearly way to large to have been made by a snail.

Around the mouth of the cave was a tangle of flowering vines. As the party approached, one of these vines let loose a gaseous cloud that smelled of musk and rot.

The Yellow Flower Releases a Cloud of Musk
Source: Tomb of Annihilation

At the same time, several of the nearby bushes closed in on the party and began throwing thorns its members. Worse, another plant (one with three flowers each a different color) lashed out at Tauffae and Drekzhar, slowing them down and trying its best to grapple and dissolve them.

The Nasty Flowers Try to Dissolve Our Heroes
Source: Tomb of Annihilation

In the chaos that ensued, the yellow flower focused its attacks on Meribore who had been out in front leading the party. Tauffae and Drekzhar, who had been in the back, battled the animated bushes and the tri-flowered plant. Bronte and Omagoshno helped out by attacking whatever carnivorous flora (real or perceived) within striking distance. Eventually Omagoshno was able to turn his attentions to Meribore’s foe. The aid was too late though. The plant struck Meribore with such a vicious blow that sent her running in fear. A second strike of opportunity felled her. The plant plunged a proboscis-like vine into her body. Omagoshno watched as something was passed through that vine into Meribore’s body. The plant then tried to retreat up the side of the cave entrance to safety but was finished off by the rest of the party.

The Death of Meribore

Everyone gathered around Meribore eager to revive her only to find that she was beyond aid. Bronte was devastated but some portion of his psyche forced back his grief to concentrate on saving his friend.

Omagoshno reported that the plant had put something in Meribore’s body. Bronte quickly cut open Meribore’s chest. He found a sickly pale pod with tentacles that had already begun weaving around her organs. This he removed. Tauffae crushed the thing under his sword while Bronte closed Meribore’s wound. Without a word, he then lifted her body and began carrying her back to Fort Delakor. With only one arm, this was an extremely difficult task. Even so, he refused help only until he became concerned that his difficulties were threatening any chance Meribore might yet have.

They arrived at the fort several hours later. Bronte crossed the portcullis into the fort’s courtyard. His immediate task done, he collapsed in the middle of the road, exhausted and weak. All of the feelings that his heart had thankfully allowed him to ignore until then came down upon him all at once and he began to sob.

The others looked for someone who could help. They found the fort’s cleric, a female dragonborn named Havilar Myastan. She could cast raise dead on Meribore but they would need a diamond for the task. Omagoshno hurried through the town looking for someone who not only had a diamond of the right quality but would also part with it. He found one. It only cost him the Wand of Magic Missiles that Lady Axiotis had given the party. With the diamond in hand, he hurried back to the fort so that Havilar could complete the spell.

Havilar Myastan, Cleric of Bahamut
Source: Heroforge

Meribore was ignorant of all this activity going on about her corporeal form. Her soul had already departed but instead of going off to be with Hiatea as she would have expected, she found herself in a small room that looked much like a small guest room of a dreary castle. She felt chilled, tired, and a heaviness of spirit that she didn’t understand.

She surveyed the room trying to understand where she was. Finding nothing that helped, she left through a door that opened into a long hallway. This was lined with windows that looked out onto a landscape that was darker than any twilight she had ever experienced. Where there should have been light and the shifting form of The Tempest there was instead a veil of darkness filled with thousands of flickering candle lights and a large, silver disc that cast a cool glow upon her. The landscape was worn and sickly with a light mist pulling its way through the tops of withered trees. The sight was very much similar to her dream. 

The Dark Landscape
Source: Original Images from Pixabay
Additional Digital Work by Me

Ravens, more than Meribore had ever seen in one place, crisscrossed the sky. Their caws carried with them the whispers of lives long lost. The sound filled her senses, an unceasing stream of moments from an infinite number of souls.

A Caw that Carries Memories
Source: Original Image from Pixabay
Additional Digital Work by Me

Cautiously now, she walked the length of the hall to a circular chamber. There, she found a tall, slender humanoid male. His pale skin was marred by an age beyond mortal constraints. His long, silver hair was pulled back behind a pair of ears that were pointed like a gnome’s. He was far too tall to be a gnome, though. He was far too mournful as well; a cold melancholy radiated from him in the same way warm light radiated from a fire. His clothes were a kind of soft, black, studded leather with an elegant but utilitarian cut.

A Man Awaits
Source: Heroforge

Behind him were a pair of doors about which were perched several ravens.

“Welcome to Shadowfell, Meribore Softwalker,” he said. His voice was little more than a lyrical whisper but it filled the chamber. His words were heavily accented in a way that somehow felt familiar but she couldn’t place. “You have died. Normally, you would be on your way to Woodhaven to join Hiatea, but my mistress has taken an interest in you and so she offers you a choice.”

“Who is your mistress?” Meribore asked.

“She is the Raven Queen. She watches over those who pass into oblivion and protects them from the curse of undeath. She understands that death is as much a part of life as is the need for food, shelter, and companionship. It is, in fact, her duty to ensure this natural order is not broken by those who would turn it to their own gain. She is also a conservator of experiences and memories. She gathers them here, in the Fortress of Memories, so that they are not forgotten.

She is Also a Conservator of Memories
Source: Original Images from Pixabay
Additional Digital Work by Me

“And that, Meribore Softwalker, is the choice she has made available to you. Should you pass through this door,” he gestured to the door on his right, “you shall continue on your way to Woodhaven. You will never see your friends again. Should you pass through this door,” he gestured to the one on the left, “you shall return to your corporeal form and to your friends but you will have agreed to share your experiences with my mistress. You will have granted her permission to experience what you experience and to remember what you remember.”

As Meribore pondered this choice, her friends’ pleas for her to return to life gently echoed within the chamber. Their words were accompanied by a mournful melody that could only be Drekzhar's doing.

In Skyfell, Havilar was in the midst of raising Meribore from the dead. The rest of the party were gathered around Meribore’s body, sharing memories and begging for her to return. When Bronte spoke, his holy symbol of Hiatea glowed with a subtle, red light. When Omagoshno spoke his words, the medallion of Garl Glittergold (the one Trickfinger had given him) warmed in his pocket. As Tauffae spoke, the bell that Trickfinger had given him chimed. When Drekzhar sang, his melody that united everyone's words into a prayer that elevated everyone's spirits.

“I’ve made my choice,” Meribore said back in Shadowfell.

The man bowed, granting her passage to either door.

Meribore stepped through the door on the left.

“You shall hear from me again,” the man said.

Meribore awoke in her own body, surrounded by her friends and under the care of Havilar.

The Return to Life

Meribore’s death, and subsequent resurrection, weighed heavily on the entire party. In fact, it left more than a few deep scars that were soothed only by the fact that she had returned to them. They remained in Delakor until dawn the next day so that they might rest and contemplate the events of the day.

In the morning, Drekzhar went to Captain Kimbatuul to request additional help on their quest. He continued to insist that he couldn’t spare any men but Drekzhar spun a persuasive argument that the good captain found difficult to outwit. He granted the use of three guards, who would be ready to leave with them within the hour.

Tauffae nursed a new found fear of and loathing for yellow flowers. He vowed to himself, and to anyone who would listen, that he would destroy every bloom he came across before it could try to kill another of his friends.

Meribore was, quite understandably, still processing her experience in the Fortress of Memories. She was not entirely sure what was expected of her regarding the pact she had become a part of. But she also knew there was no use in worrying. She vaguely recalled the man had said she would hear from him. There was nothing for her to do but wait for that contact. It might have been the extreme exhaustion, a deep rooted fatigue that even a long rest didn’t rid her of, that caused her to so readily give in to fate.

The party set out for the cave, with a greater number and a greater sense of caution. The three guards on loan were named Rosenkrantz, Guildenstern, and Medrash. Medrash was the fellow with whom they had spoken at the fort's dock. All three were dragonborn. They were eager to find the thessalhydra and destroy it.

Guards from Fort Delakor: Rosenkrantz, Guildenstern, and Medrash
Source: Heroforge

They arrived a few hours later. Nothing much seemed changed from the day before. They entered the cave only to find the interior to be smoothed rock with no tracks to follow save the thin film.

They chose to follow the film and came upon what, at first glance, appeared to be a giant rock off in a dark corner of a chamber. When it moved, Tauffae charged forward and attacked it. The rock slowly turned as it began to radiate a brilliant variety of color. Several stalks extended from beneath what the party now recognized to be a shell. Each ended a spiked nodule similar to the head of a flail.

The Snail
Source: Volo's Guide to Monsters

The party closed in on the creature and killed it in short order. Meribore recognized that the shell would be useful in making armor, so the group hauled the body to the entrance of the cave where they intended to return and retrieve it after their quest was complete. 

Battling the Snail

Tauffae understood that there might be more dangers lurking about. Instead of walking around waiting for them to be ambushed, he hit upon a plan to draw out any would-be attackers by creating a ruckus that couldn’t be ignored. Drekzhar and Bronte remained just inside the cave while the rest of the party took cover outside. Once in position, Drekzhar and Bronte staged a scene designed to create as much noise as possible.

After a minute or so of this performance, a group of humanoids, an odd mixture of reptile and amphibian, rushed in around them from one of the passages. Their smell was an awful mixture of refuse, rotting meat, and feces that nearly overwhelmed both Drekzhar and Bronte.

The Creatures Move In
Source: Monster Manual

Ignoring the assault on his senses, Bronte let loose a shatter spell that felled all of their attackers. As they readied for another wave, another of the creatures cautiously emerged from the same passage. It examined the scene with obvious grief and confusion.

“Why do you invade my home?” the creature said in broken common. “Why do you slaughter my people?”

“We were only defending ourselves,” Drekzhar said. “We’re not here to kill your people. We’re hunting the thessalhydra.”

“You’re going to kill the monster?”

“Yes.”

“Will you leave my home if I show you the way to it? No more killing my people?”

“Yes.”

“Then I must show you the way. Come.”

The creature lead the party through several natural chambers to a carved hallway clearly large enough for a monster the size of a barn to pass through.

End session 9.

Experience earned:

Bronte - 1108 (4739 total)

Drekzhar - 1147 (5432 total)

Frit - 0 (3686 total)

Meribore - 1298 (5619 total)

Omagoshno - 1217 (5459 total)

Tauffae - 1144 (5504 total)

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