Skyfell - Rise of the Glutton : Session 36

 

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 Rise of the Glutton in my Session Index for a complete listing.

The cast is:

Tabbi (played by Jeff) - male tabaxi, Sorcerer monk (Divine Soul)
Drekzhar (played by Dan) - male minotaur, Bardic rogue (College of Swords, Swashbuckler)
Tauffae Twofeather Topshelf (played by Rodney) - male orc, Fighter (Champion)
Meribore Softwalker (played by Laura) - female fitbolg, Druid (Circle of the Moon)
Onyx (played by Leslie) - female tabaxi, Rogue (Swashbuckler)

Session 36 - Little Roots Burrow : The Necromancer

Preparation 

After the amazing cliffhanger at the end of session 35, I was very excited for session 36. First, I knew it was going to be a crazy ride given the fact that the characters would most likely be boarding The Venom. Second, it was going to conclude the major story arc that we have been playing through for a few years now. While I didn't know how the session would play out, I did know it would be epic.

I was stoked.

The only prep work I needed at this point was to build out the map of The Venom. Given the general shape and size of the ship, as well as the needs I would have for it, I decided to go with a standard grid map and draw out all the details. (Alas, while the Heroscape tiles and my homemade grid squares have served me well over the years, they would not see action in this session.) I also toyed with the idea of filling the map with set pieces (most of which I own are from either the original or the reissue of HeroQuest), but I abandoned that pretty quickly. There were going to be a lot of figures on the board already. I didn't want to clutter it more. I needed the players to be able to see everything that was happening. 

Ultimately, this is what I drew out.

Map of The Venom

It might look a little odd, but keep in mind that The Venom's cockpit had been sheered off at the end of Session 35 (lost in what the characters could only assume was the Shadowfell). The first drawing on the left is the top deck. The drawing in the middle is the mid-deck. The drawing on the right is the bottom deck. For all three drawings, the bow is at the top. The stern is at the bottom.

Other than this prep, and recommitting the numerous characters and their abilities to mind, there was not much else in the way of preparation. I was grateful for this, though, because I was running a story arc in another game (a care bears/D&D crossover where Care-a-lot is a pocket realm in the Feywild) and I really needed to work out the final details of that game since we were playing the night before the Skyfell game. It was a hectic weekend of Dungeons and Dragons to say the least but what a ride!

Pre-game

There was very little pre-game chit chat this time around. Everyone, including me, wanted to jump right into the mayhem. 

In-game

Drekzhar rose to his feet on the top deck of The Venom. He was unaware of the two giant spiders that were skittering toward him as he ran through what exactly his next move should be. The creatures' assault jarred him from his machinations. Shockingly, the spiders blinked out of existence before he could retaliate. Shaking away his confusion, he determined his best bet was to get down to the mid-deck and "hit the brakes" on the ship so that everyone else could catch up to her and board. The only way our heroes would ever be able to rid Skyfell of The Necromancer was together, as a unified team. 

Skyfell Cultural Note
The wings on an airship serve a number of purposes. They are primarily used to help ensure a smoother ride through the Open Skies. They can be used as sails to catch the winds should the drive crystals fail. They can also be used as emergency brakes in much the same way. While the former is very much a normal part of piloting the ship, the latter is more of an engineering duty and requires a more manual process. In most cases, there are banks of controls for this. 

As Drekzhar made his way to the stairs to the lower deck, however, a flurry of arrows came up at him. Worse, the giant spiders blinked back into existence and attacked.

Meribore, having reverted to her firbolg form, plummeted toward the gravity well of Little Roots. As she fell, she managed to keep an eye on The Venom's loading ramp. Standing guard there were a pair of reavers and what she could only guess to be an adult version of the howling creatures that the party had encountered multiple times since fighting the Glutton followers on The Dead Isle.

Spiders Swarm Drekzhar as
Meribore Falls

She used her last wild shape to once again assume the form of a quetzalcoatlus. She sped back up toward The Venom only barely latching onto its hull as the ship continued to rocket out of the gravity well off Little Roots and into the zero-gravity of the Open Skies. As she gained her own footing, she saw a reaver charge up the stairs to join the giant spiders in their attack on Drekzhar. A series of barbed chains shot up from below as well, knocking the minotaur to the ground and leaving him open to a horrible fate.

Meribore Lands on the Top Deck

Tauffae gave the order to slow The Howling Wind II so that his tabaxi friends (both riding their flying ostriches) could catch up and land on the ship. (Otherwise, the two would never be able to reach The Venom.) Once they were aboard, the orc barked out the command to get to the enemy ship as fast as possible. Springeye burned off a couple more drive crystals to boost their speed (see my airship rules for more information) as Eldith pushed the ship as hard as she could through the transitional region (where the gravity well of the island begins to weaken and becomes unpredictable) and into the Open Skies. Despite the fact that The Venom was now tumbling through zero-gravity, Eldith managed to pull up to the enemy ship at its perpendicular and match its movements well enough to allow a boarding action. Onyx, Tauffae, Gubrash, and Huru slid down anchored ropes from The Howling Wind II to the top deck of The Venom. Only Huru lost her footing as the gravity pull of The Howling Wind II was replaced by the perpendicular pull of The Venom.

Tabbi chose instead to ride Mother Wind down into the fray.

Even as this was taking place, pools of swirling magic ripped open the deck around Meribore. Howls and screams bubbled up out of the abyss that they exposed. Quivering, undead reavers, skeletal monstrosities dripping with effluvia, clawed their way up out of that horrible darkness to destroy her.

Undead Reavers Attack

The assault was enough to destroy Meribore's quetzalcoatlus form and return her to her firbolg shape. There now erupted a pitch battle on the top deck between our heroes and the undead reavers, giant spiders, and living reavers. The living reavers and one of the giant spiders were the first to be destroyed. 

The Top Deck Erupts in Battle

The remaining giant spider charged Tauffae, sinking its fangs deep into his throat and puncturing his larynx. The orc tried to shout for help as he gripped his neck in a futile attempt to stem the blood that was pouring from the gaping wound but found he could not speak. Fortunately, his allies witnessed the brutal attack and quickly finished off the spider. Onxy and Tabi (with Mother Wind's help) worked their way through the undead reavers, freeing up Meribore to cast healing spirit near Tauffae. The spell manifested as an angelic archaeopteryx that perched itself upon the orc's chest and licked his wounds.

This was enough to at least end the bleeding. Better, the mere presence of the ethereal helper allowed Tauffae to regain control of his fear and sharpen it into anger. The Necromancer was the cause of all this horror. The Necromancer must be destroyed. He rallied Drekzhar, Huru, and Gubrash, gesturing for them to advanced to the mid-deck where surely their evil foe was hiding.

Still resolved to "brake" The Venom, Drekzhar dashed down into the mid-deck along with Huru and Gubrash. The orc soldiers were now as charged with bloodlust as Tauffae. They were met by a reaver, an enemy in engineer's clothing wearing a mask in the form of a skull (clearly the ship's engineer), and another enemy clad in dark leather armor wearing a mask resembling the face of death.

As our brave souls engaged these enemies within the tight confines of the mid-deck, two more reavers climbed up from the front of the ship (those that Meribore had seen standing guard on the loading ramp) and struck down Meribore. Tabbi and Onyx rushed to her aid. 

Some Heroes Advanced to the Mid-deck

Through a combination of deadly strikes from Onyx and some well placed spells from Tabbi, the reavers were quickly dispatched. Onyx rushed to Meribore to revive her with a healing potion. Meanwhile, Drekzhar engaged the remaining reaver in the mid-deck while Huru and Gubrash divided their efforts. The Death-masked enemy lashed out with chains as he disappeared into the shadows in one part of the ship only to emerge from the shadows elsewhere. Each strike did terrible harm to our heroes.

Satisfied that Meribore was safe enough, Onyx rushed down to the mid-deck. Tauffae followed her but instead of stopping on the mid-deck, he continued down to the lower deck certain that The Necromancer was there, waiting. He wanted nothing more than to introduce her to Shadow's Dark Bite. He waited though, out of sight, at the foot of the stairs on the lower deck to act as a guard until his friends could join him. Not wanting to be left alone, Tabbi flew Mother Wind down to damaged loading ramp.

The tabaxi only had a moment to take in the fact that a good portion of the lower deck was devoted to cages full of zombies before a terrifying howl blasted out of the ship's depths. It was the same howl he had her upon their arrival at Little Roots. And while he and Mother Wind both managed to fight back the utter terror that gripped them, it left them both mentally exhausted.

The Creature's Howl Rattles Our Heroes

Sensing now that another fight was unfolding nearby, and seeing both Tabbi and Mother Wind resolve flounder under the howling attack, he threw himself at the beast to protect his friends. The creature retreated into a passage that led to the back of the ship. Beyond there lurked a figure in the shadows shouting orders in a language Tauffae did not understand. The creature's body filled the narrow hall forming an impenetrable barrier between its attacker and the mysterious figure.

On the mid-deck, our heroes managed to surround the Death-masked enemy and knock them prone. Full of spite and venom, the enemy used the last of their efforts to cut down first Drekzhar and then Gubrash, before they themselves were finished off by Onyx. Seeing that the battle was turning against them, the Skull-masked enemy (the engineer) dashed toward the gaping hole where the cockpit should have been. They leapt into the Open Skies and muttering in their fell language, and flew back toward Little Roots and the cavern from which The Venom had emerged.

The Fight Progresses

Pinned as it was, the howler let loose another terrifying yell that blasted through Tauffae and the caged zombies to overwhelm Tabbi and Mother Wind. This time, the assault was too much for Mother Wind, and she fell, dead, from a fear that contorted her avian features. Tabbi yowled as his mind tried to reject any idea that his life-long companion, best friend, and in many ways soul mate (as the flying ostrich are seen and felt in tabaxi society) was gone forever.

In the mid-deck, Meribore once again cast healing spirit to revive her fallen friends. Then, Onyx and Gubrash rushed down to the lower deck to help Tauffae and Tabbij while Drekzhar and Huru moved toward the engine room on the mid-deck to engage the ship's wings and brake its forward velocity.

As our heroes closed in on the lower deck, the howling monster dragged itself out into the open so that it could more easily engage them. Ignoring the fact that the creature would also be harmed, the mysterious figure in the back of the ship (who clearly had to be The Necromancer) cast a spell that sent a shockwave of necrotic energy cross the entire lower deck. This finished off the caged zombies (who had been weakened by the howling assaults they had been caught up in).

Eventually, the howling creature was destroyed and Tauffae charged down the narrow hall toward The Necromancer. She threw blasts of necrotic energy at him but his anger carried him through the immense damage each hit caused.

The entire back of the ship was a shrine whose floor was covered in viscous, black blood and whose walls were littered with dozens of gnome skulls. Flames from Tabbi's fireballs had worked their way down the back of the ship and were now chewing their way into the cabin, filling it with dark smoke. In the center of the room was a statue of Kiaransalee. 

Statue of Kiaransalee
Source: HeroForge design and
digital composites using images from Pexels

The Necromancer swore at Tauffae as he charged forward and slashed at her with Shadow's Dark Bite. She landed more blasts of necromantic energy on the orc before Onyx dashed into the room, slinked up behind their dreaded enemy, and finished her off.

Tauffae and Onyx Attack The Necromancer

The Necromancer was dead.

.

Source: Pixabay

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The Venom continued to burn.

It wouldn't be long before the entire ship was consumed by the flames. Our heroes had no intent on salvaging the cursed vessel. They preferred, instead, for the fire to cleanse Skyfell of this evil once and for all.

Tabbi, heartbroken, mourned the loss of Mother Wind. Onyx, singularly among all the heroes, understood just how deep a wound this truly was and joined Tabbi in his grief. Broken, Tabbi retrieved a few feathers from Mother Wind and then made his way back to The Necromancer's body where he spent his remaining energy severing her head. When he finished the bloody work, he stuffed the prize into one of Mother Wind's saddle bags and returned to The Howling Wind II. He the body of his beloved companion behind so that her spirit would be released by the flames and so could return as the companion of another tabaxi.

Onxy picked the lock of a strong room on the lower deck. Inside was a collection of valuables of gnomish origin all stored away in lock boxes, chests, and coffers. Tauffae couldn't stop himself from going through the items not because of greed or a lust for treasure but instead because of what this represented. It was all that The Necromancer had stolen from her numerous victims, a wealth of personal items that spoke to lives that were forever gone. He couldn't turn away from these lost treasures. Instead, he became determined to gather what he could so that he might return them to those who would know better a proper means of honoring their former owners and remembering the lives to which they once belonged.

Coffers, Chests, and Other Treasures are Found
Source: Pixabay

After braking The Venom to a turbulent halt, Drekzhar and Huru joined Gubrash and Meribore in a quick search of the ship, grabbing what looked useful (tools, weapons, materials, and so forth). Drekzhar also spent a little time in both the shrine on the lower deck and in The Necromancer's cabin on the mid-deck, quickly going through books and papers for anything that looked important or valuable.

In the space of less than 30 minutes, the group had collected what they could. Fizzlesick helped by ferrying the loot back to The Howling Wind II using the runabout. When it became clear that the fire had become too dangerous to remain, the party all boarded The Howling Wind II and retreated to a safe distance.

From there, they watched the vile ship burn. Huge plumes of acrid smoke, tainted with the sickly green of necromantic energies, bloomed around the skeletal wreckage. Small explosions sundered the frame, scattering burning debris.

As the fires raged, ravens came down out of the clouds and from Little Roots. They surged toward the wreckage, flitting and dancing about it in wild celebration of the ship's end. In sudden unison, the swarm broke away from the reverie to circle the The Howling Wind II instead. Here again, the flitted and danced with joyous abandon until one by one the birds returned from whence they had come. All, that is, but one raven that landed on the railing next to Meribore. It cawed respectfully, almost admiringly, at her before bowing deeply. With that honor, it lit off toward the cavern intent on returning home.

A great evil had seen its end.

The natural order and balance of Skyfell would be returned

But that victory came at a cost.

End Session 36.

Experience earned:

Drekzhar - 4110 (70,922 total)
Meribore - 4137 (70,866 total)
Onyx - 4137 (70,554 total)
Tabbi - 4176 (70,764 total)
Tauffae - 4164 (71,260 total)

Supplemental Materials

The Spoils of War

The following is a list of the items that the party collected from The Venom.

Gnome Treasure Hoard

Per discussions with Rodney, Tauffae became caught up in the personal nature of the items in the storage area and so focused mostly on retrieving that which he believed could be returned to any survivors.

• Rings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, lockets, and other jewelry
  These were being stored in pouches and coffers of various sizes all of gnomish origin. They are mostly made from hammered-copper, ivory, or silver. A few include uncommon gemstones. All show a high degree of craftsmanship. (Of course, all gnomes appreciate and love fine jewelry, so this should not be much of a surprise.) Most have inscriptions in Gnomish, often naming either the owner, giver, or both. Many of the lockets include small portraits.
• Burrow Chronicles
  These include family trees, agricultural yields, natural resource lists, contacts with other burrows, and meteorological data. Maps pinpoint resources. There are journals for Moss Creek, Ten Trees, and Rock Pool.
• Coffer of Seeds
  Its design is of elfey origin rather than gnome. It contains dozens of seeds that the party currently cannot identify.
• Collection of uncut gemstones
  These were being stored in coffers of various sizes, all of which are of gnomish design. In total, they include the following: 10 amethyst, 9 amber, 9 garnet, 6 jade, 4 aquamarine, 2 topaz
• Collection of cut gemstones
  These were being stored in coffers of various sizes, all of which are of gnomish design. In total, they include the following: 8 amethyst, 3 garnet, 15 jade, 4 aquamarine, 8 topaz, 1 pearl
• Jasper statuette of Baervan Wildwanderer
  He's smoking a pipe that smells of halfling leaf. His eyes are silver. At his feet is a procyon lotorosaur.

The Necromancer's Items

Among the items retrieved from the shrine of Kiaransalee and The Necromancer's cabin were the following:

• Plague doctor's mask (found on The Necromancer's body)
  This has very dark lenses that remind Tauffae and Drekzhar of the goggles that kobolds wear to protect their eyes when they venture out during full bright.
• Elegant dagger (found on The Necromancer's body)
  This is kept in a fine sheath inlaid with sapphires. Its pommel is a spider whose legs stretch out to form the grip. Both sides of the guard include a rendering of Kiaransalee's visage with sunken eyes that glimmer green in firelight. (From a metagaming standpoint, it's a +1 dagger.)
• Fine book (found in the shrine to Kiaransalee) 
  This is written in a language unfamiliar to the party but it includes pictures of what appears to be Kiaransalee. At first glance, this is either a history, religious tome, or both.
• 2 Alchemist supplies (found in the shrine to Kiaransalee)
• Collection of correspondence from Hungryfang (found in The Necromancer's cabin)
  This completes the full conversation between Hungryfang and The Necromancer regarding their plans.
• Collection of papers (found in The Necromancer's cabin)
  These are written in a language unfamiliar to the party but include paragraphs of text, followed by collections of signatures and/or name stamps. At first glance, these look like contracts, treaties, or some other form of agreements.
• Fine book (found in The Necromancer's cabin)
  This is written in a language unfamiliar to the party but includes many depictions of undead, what might be sets of instructions or ingredients, and long passages of prose. At first glance, this might be either a spellbook or a ritual manual.
• Fine book (found in The Necromancer's cabin)
  This is written in a language unfamiliar to the party but it includes many depictions of elfey. Some look like the elfey statues found around Piruna Fields. Some look like the servants of The Raven Queen. Others look like The Necromancer and her crew. There are long passages of prose. There are also a number of drawings of cities, towns, and castles of wildly different architecture. At first glance, this appears to be a history of some sort.
• Fine book (found in The Necromancer's cabin)
  This is an ancient book written in Elfey that seems to be an encyclopedia of floral and fauna found throughout Piruna Fields. Meribore recognizes some of the sketches as items that are known to either have magical properties or to be components used either in the creation of magical items or in ritual spellcasting.
• Coffer of fine rings (found in The Necromancer's cabin)
  Its design hints at Elfey origin, however there is an obvious motiff of necromancy. Its satin interior holds 4 gold rings each inlaid with rubies and sapphires. These rings also hint at Elfey origin.
• Coffers containing 300 gold coins (found in The Necromancer's cabin)

Equipment and Material

The following items were collected from around the ship. Per conversations with Dan, his intent was to gather anything that might prove useful to The Howling Wind II and/or its crew.

• 30 reaver arrows coated in an unknown material
  (From a metagaming standpoint, these are standard arrows that also reduces a targets speed by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.) These are only good for one use each.
• 20 ballista bolts
• 1 tinker tools
• 1 smith tools
• 1 leather workers tools
• 1 carpenters tools
• 1 jewelers tools
• 2 herbalism kits
• 3 healing potions (standard)
• 1 healing potion (greater)
• 6 drive crystals
• Airship drive supplies
• 4 stabilizer crystals
• Airship stabilizer supplies
• Components to assemble a rare drive
  Found in a chest at the engineer's station. 
• Numerous fasteners, nuts, bolts, joints, mounts, and other hardware
  These were found in the engineering area and on the lower deck in a crate. They are the kinds of materials that are very useful for ad hoc/emergency repairs.

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