Skyfell - Rise of the Glutton : Session 23
Introduction
A little while back I started a once-per-month Dungeons and Dragons campaign in my Skyfell setting that I call The Rise of the Glutton. 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 Rise of the Glutton Session Index for a complete listing.
The cast is:
Session 23 - The Dead Isle : Mid-gloom Snacking
Preparation
Even though Bronte’s player could not make it to the game, we decided to go ahead and get together, with the idea that Bronte had simply stayed behind on The Howling Wind II. A few days prior to the start of the game, however, Oma’s player let us know that he wouldn’t be able to make it either.
This put us in a bind. Instead of postponing the game, I decided to try to find a player who could fill in for Oma. I asked someone from another game I’m in (the one where I am now playing Iseldora). She agreed. The night before the Skyfell session, I got to talking with another person about Skyfell and the second campaign I am starting. When I mentioned we were down one player in this campaign, she agreed to fill in for Bronte.
This was great because now we had a full crew.
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| Adventurers, Assemble! |
Pre-game
As per the usual, we ate and I did a recap. I was a bit rushed because everyone had a hard stop later that evening and I didn't want to have to stop the session in the middle of the combat that most definitely was taking place. But I also had come new players who were getting dumped into the middle of said combat situation so I needed to go into some extra detail. Ultimately, I know I left out information but as it is we only just finished right at everyone's hard stop.
In-game
The party rallied around Oma who was falling into a fearful panic over the thought of facing more of the creatures from Moss Creek.
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| Monsters that Tried to Eat Ohmagoshno Source: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes |
Tauffae took a moment to offer some reassuring words (orc style) to calm his friend while the rest of the party discussed their next steps. In the midst of their lengthy back and forth, Oma did calm down enough to realize that something was coming up the stairs toward them. Meribore cast Pass without a Trace on the party and then they scattered to find hiding places from which to spy on whatever was clearly coming to spy on them.
A few moments later, a strange quadrupedal creature as tall as Oma appeared at the head of the stairs. Its skin was a slightly grayed cream color, reminiscent of the monster that had tried to eat Oma. Along its back were the beginnings of spinal growths. It’s pug-faced head lolled as it sniffed the air and scanned the area with eyes that seemed too big for its general size. It’s large feet padded on the broken stonework. And it drooled. A lot. Everyone who saw this thing got the sense that they were looking at a juvenile of its species and that perhaps the things back on Moss Creek had been newborns.
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| Possible Adult Version of the Creature at the Top of the Stairs Source: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, 5e |
And then the creature set its eyes upon Tauffae. The area beneath its chin expanded like a sack and it let out a piercing howl that froze Tauffae and Oma with fear. The rest of the party managed to keep their wits about them and attacked the thing. When Tauffae finally broke out of his stupor, he charged and skewered it with Shadow's Dark Bite (the great sword he had gotten from Lady Axiotis back in Session 8). It took a chunk out of Tauffae in return before the party finished it off.
The group waited to see if there had been any reaction from the enemy below. It was silent except for some indiscernible whispers that sounded like someone giving orders. Meribore decided to take advantage of her Pass Without a Trace spell to scout ahead. She descended the stairs into a passage that took a hard right turn. There she noticed a gaunt gnome in rags coming toward her.
A moment later, Tauffae came rushing down the stairs, pushed passed Meribore, and killed the gnome before neither the gnome nor Meribore could react. Though Tauffae had shaken free of the fear effect caused by the creature's howl, he was now scared and angry, and not thinking clearly. All he cared about was killing whatever was down here, no matter what he found. The gnome cried out as he died, a mixture of confusion, pain, and, oddly enough, relief.
From deeper down the passage, a male gnome voice called out, “Oryn?”
Meribore used her innate Firbolg ability (Hidden Step) to turn invisible and continued down the passage. This opened into a large chamber.
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| Meribore Finds a Chamber |
The room was littered with supply crates, barrels, and refuse. In the center of the chamber was a statue similar to those found elsewhere in Piruna Fields. Its head had been smashed off. In its place was a makeshift sculpture of a gaping maw made from wood fragments, scraps of burlap, and other junk. A youngish gnome was hiding behind the statue. Though he wore a kind of ceremonial armor that clearly identified him as a follower of The Glutton, he looked scared.
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| Young Glutton Follower Source: Heroforge Design by Me |
At the back of the chamber, sitting in a stack of crates, was a very large gnome decked out in studded leather armor. The chest piece was molded like a gaping maw. At his feet was a very old, gaunt gnome. He was leashed, like a pet. A medium-sized hairless creature at the gnome’s feet. Swirling around all of them was a collection of ethereal mouths with sharp fangs snapping open and closed. Clearly, this gnome was the leader.
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| The Leader of The Glutton Followers Source: Heroforge Design by Me |
As Meribore took in all of this, Tauffae exploded past her and into the main chamber. When he saw the swirling fangs he ducked into the nearest doorway. The hairless creature went after Tauffae as the leader hopped down from the crates. He drew a dagger and a rod with mouth full of teeth at its end and announced that The Glutton would fill his belly with orc meat.
Tauffae made short work of the hairless creature.
Meribore wild shaped into her dinosaur form. Together, she and Tauffae charged the leader. On their way, the gnome hiding behind the statue shouted, “It wasn't supposed to be like this.” In a panic, he tried to use inflict wounds on Meribore but missed. Then he ran, exposing his back to a reaction slash from Meribore’s claws. "I'm sorry, Oryn," he said as he continued his flight.
Meanwhile, the rest of the party rushed into the chamber.
A quick dispel magic got rid of the ethereal teeth, making it safe to engage the leader.
The old, leashed gnome shouted at our heroes to leave The Master be. Tauffae killed him without a second thought.
Oma used ray of frost to finish off the fleeing follower. He then checked each of the adjoining rooms to make sure there weren't any other enemies waiting to ambush them. He discovered that one room contained a nice bed and some furniture. Another room had three bedrolls spread out on the floor. Another was a cell with straw piled up to form two makeshift sleeping pads. Another looked like a kennel that had three piles of material collected together to form what looked like nests. The last room was full of supplies.
Bronte stumbled upon another gaunt gnome in rags. This female saw that Bronte was a Firbolg and started to cry. She looked at the other members of the party. “You're them,” she said. “You're the ones who freed Moss Creek. Save me. Please. I want to go home.” Bronte did not kill her. Instead he put her up on a crate and told her to stay put. When Bronte turned his back, she immediately hopped down and retreated to the cell, closing the door behind her.
Drekzhar joined the fight with the Meribore and Tauffae, which was moving out of the chamber and down a hallway. There, the group came under attack from another follower of The Glutton and another of the juvenile creatures.
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| Another Follower of The Glutton |
The extra help wasn't enough. Our heroes finished off The Glutton leader and his followers in the hallway behind the main chamber.
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| Fighting in the Hall |
End session 23
Experience earned:
Bronte - 4294 (37,535 total)
Drekzhar - 3954 (38,212 total)
Meribore - 3975 (37,789 total)
Omagoshno - 3954 (38,475 total)
Tauffae - 4027 (38,065 total)
Post Game Deep Thoughts
It occurred to me as I was writing this summary that I really was playing fast and loose with the rules this time around. I think I had become so focused on getting the NPCs all squared away that I just didn’t have the bandwidth to monitor the players too. Don’t get me wrong. I like keeping the flow of the game going and sometimes that means fudging the rules (in a fair way). But this time, it really went a little sideways.
It happens. I’m going to say this was due to a combination of the general distraction of having new players, playing in another game the night before, the unfamiliarity of playing clerics and using their spells, the lingering after effects of some recent life events, the realities of dealing with higher-level characters, and maybe even a bit of being out of practice. This was only the second game or so since lockdown was lifted after all. And maybe, just maybe, I've gotten a little rusty in the Dungeon Master department.
I’ll be more precise next time. Or not. The best laid plans of mice and DMs and all that.
And can I just take a moment to complain about all the 2s, 3s, and 4s I rolled this session. I mean…sheesh! Some dice are in for a smacked bottom and some jail time after all that nonsense.
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