Skyfell - Lost in the Feywild : Session 39

 

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 39 - Test of the Branches: Brother, Can You Spare a Spell?

Preparation

I had already devised a rough outline for this story before the start of Session 37, including the map through which the player characters would travel and the challenges they would encounter. I lacked specific details, though, not just for the exact content of those vague notes but also their mechanics.

The week leading up to the game was super busy at both work and home, so I was unable to really sink my mental teeth into working out those details until the night before. And even then, I only got as far as building out the map for one of the encounters using my beloved Heroscape tiles.

I woke into a bit of a panic super early the next morning worrying about the size of the map. It was just too big, promising to turn what I really needed to be a fun encounter into a boring grind. On top of that, I still didn't have a clear idea of how the mechanics for the encounter would go. Worse, there was a second encounter that I had yet to even think about.

Luckily, I tend to do my best planning when there's a little pressure.So, I put on an episode of the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon (it was "Beauty and the Bogbeast"), poured myself a cup of coffee, and got to work reworking the map. This exercise got my brain thinking about the mechanics. I wrote out these thoughts in a Google Doc and printed a few copies as handouts for my players (see the Supplemental section below). While I tinkered with all this, I managed to also work through the rules for the other encounter of the day. Yay!

That business completed, all I had left to do was finalize the creature stats (and to remind myself to always check their special abilities). I finished that task right as my first player knocked on the door.

Nothing like cutting it close.

While all of this was going on, I was also working out a treat for the game. I'm not a vegan by any stretch of the imagination. (I mean, I did experiment with veganism in college, but who doesn't do a little experimenting in college?) What I do love, however, is great food. There's a vegan restaurant in town to which I had been recently introduced. Their food is delicious. They have nachos that are freaking amazing. I wanted to share this with my friends. So, part of my evil plan was to get a whole heap of nachos for the game...or perhaps more precisely for Jeff to pick up a whole heap of nachos on his way to the game and I would pay him back. 

Man. Now I want those nachos.

Pre-game

As each of my friends arrived to play, their tired and grim looks were a clear signal that events had not only been conspiring against my wife and me in the week leading up to the game. Everyone else had also been dealing with various flavors of shenanigans as well. So, we did what we always do when one of us is feeling down. We hung out for a while and spent time being there for each other. The nachos helped. My awesome wife offered to go the store to get some beer for everyone. When we found out that Leslie's birthday was coming up, cake and a few simple decorations were quietly added to the shopping list. In a few minutes we had a little surprise celebration. It was a nice moment.

Bad vibes properly vetted and friends properly soothed, we were settled in and I began the recap from Session 38. And then we started.

In-game

The dust devil slowly formed into a small, winged creature. It's body formed and reformed as the winds threw off dirt, dust, and stone only to pick up more from the ground. Even so, it was clear that this being was ragged and emaciated. 

A Being Forms from the Dust Devil
Source: Monster Manual

"Can you spare a little something for someone in need?" it said in Sylvan, regarding each of our heroes in turn.

The party was more than willing to help, asking what it was it needed and how it had come to be so deep in the ravine.

"I am Sirocco," he said, "a poor wanderer of the Valley of Jealous Winds. I seek only a peaceful life where I might find my fill of sustenance through the wonders of the Weave. If you would be so kind as to give me one of your cantrips, it would restore my soul to its full vitality and I would be forever grateful."

When the party asked for clarification, Sirocco explained that he must consume not only the magical energy pulled from the weave in order to cast the offered cantrip but also the very existence of the cantrip within the mind and body of the donor. The cantrip would be never again knowable, forever lost to the donor as even a possibility.

Tabbi agreed readily and offered Sirocco his toll the dead cantrip, which was eagerly accepted. Sirocco took Tabbi's hand. Tabbi felt the Weave being knitted together as though he were casting the cantrip. He felt the words he would speak being pulled from his mind and the hand gestures he would perform being erased from his muscle memory. As this happened, Sirocco's frame filled. His bent and aged body straightened. He became youthful and strong. 

When it was done, Tabbi asked when Sirocco would take his offering, forgetting what it was exactly that he had offered in the first place.

"It has already been given and humbly accepted," Sirocco said. "I am forever grateful for your kindness and offer a bit of wisdom in return. When the sands rise up against you, utter these words of protection: 'Tih liathla.' And when you are lost and want to escape the Valley of Jealous Winds, hold hands in friendship and utter these words 'Meh-bacht hak?ytha.' This shall return you to safety here on this spot. Now, please excuse me as I must continue on my own path."

The party thanked Sirocco for his advice and words of wisdom, and continued on their way. Immediately before them, the ravine turned sharply so that they could not see what lie ahead. Around that corner, the ravine opened into a flat area 50 yards wide and 120 yards long whose floor was sand. It was clear that the hard-packed ground they had been walking on sank beneath the sands. The walls of the ravine were scoured here and there. On the far end of the area, the ravine once again narrowed and continued on its winding way.

After some discussion about what sort of trap this might be, the party eventually, and very cautiously, advanced with Tabbi in the lead. Only after they were nearly half way across the expanse did a strong wind whip up a fierce sand storm that blinded the party.

A Sandstorm Kicks up
Source: Pixabay

Our adventures pushed forward, though, ignoring the stinging pain as they were blasted by sand and stone. Long, low howls weaved themselves among the winds. At first these calls seemed to be coming from everywhere and yet nowhere. But soon, they closed in on the party. Each of the spellcasters became aware of entities circling them, clawing and biting not at their flesh but at their connection to the Weave. Each, remembered Sirocco's advice and shouted as loudly as they could the words of protection, "Tih liathla." And though the things in the sandstorm continued to hunt our heroes, continued to nip at their magic, they never unleashed a complete attack. They only taunted. They only threatened. 

Only briefly did Onyx and Drekzhar become separated from their friends. Tauffae, Meribore, and Tabbi were able to find each other and they tied themselves together so that they would not lose anyone again. They pushed forward, or at least continued in a direction they believed to be forward. Eventually, Tabbi felt the spongey bounce of the sandy floor give way to hard ground. And then, the winds ended just as quickly as they had begun. 

The party took a moment to clean themselves of the sand that had gotten into every crease, wrinkle, crack, and crevice of their armor, clothing, and bodies. Then, they continued on their way.

Eventually, the ravine began to widen again. Soon, our heroes came upon a deep chasm that dropped hundreds of feet into the depths of the island. The remnants of a stone bridge (really, just the approach slab and a foot or so of deck) clung to the edge. This was flanked by statues of dragons carved into the ravine walls. Beyond, large chunks of stonework (clearly pieces of the bridge) bobbed and turned, their movement caused by rhythmic gusts erupting up from what appeared to be wildly churning winds some three-hundred below.

A Chasm Opens Before Them

Everyone began working through how they might proceed, not just a little curious about what might happen should they tumble into the churning winds deep down in the chasm. They decided that Tabbi would use dimension door to jump from stone to stone, taking Drekzhar along with him. Tauffae and Onxy would tie themselves together and traverse the course on foot by jumping from stone to stone. Meribore would wild shape in her now very much favorited quetzalcoatlus form and hover nearby everyone to keep an eye out for danger and to swoop in to save anyone who might fall. 

Meribore Wild Shapes Before They Advance

Tauffae and Onyx led the way, tied together at the waist. It was just a short hop to the first chunk of bobbing bridge bits and a much further jump to the second. Tauffae landed hard. Onyx followed with slightly more elegance and a three-point landing. (Tauffae grumbled about her being a bit of a show off.) The bridge slabs wobbled a little but they otherwise remained level and continued their steady bobbing. 

The First Leap

When Tabbi fired off his dimension door, he felt a strange sort of tingle in the Weave. It was as though the magic itself was actively trying to turn away from his commands to instead act of its own accord. Despite this resistance, the dimension door did work. He and Drekzhar ended up a good distance ahead of Tauffae and Onyx balancing on a set of smaller rocks near the bend of the chasm. From this vantage point, they could see the end of the chasm and the continuation of the ravine.

Before Tabbi could cast another dimension door, however, a gust of wind slammed into him from a nearby crevice. The blast nearly knocked him off his perch. This was no ordinary wind, however, because the dust and other debris it carried along with it gave it the distinct form of a large, winged beast. As he regained his balance, he recalled that Meribore's casting of commune with nature (see Session 38) had revealed there to be elementals in the area. This thing certainly looked as though it could be an air elemental. He shouted out a warning to his companions before targeting the solid ground at the end of the chasm with another dimension door.

Once again, though, Tabbi felt a disturbance in the Weave, an almost petulant willfulness to ignore his commands and do as it pleased. This time, though, a good portion of the threads of magic that he pulled in around him did not bend to his will and instead wrapped around him. The dimension door worked, and both he and Drekzhar stepped through it to land on the other side, but as Tabbi emerged he was glowing a bright blue.

Before either Drekzhar or Tabbi could really process the meaning of this, a pair of smaller elementals swooped down upon them, engulfed them, and then flung them both back out onto the floating chunks of rocks in the chasm. 

Knock Off Solid Ground

As these new elementals closed in on our courageous duo for another attack, Drekzhar turned on his charm and cast hypnotic pattern. (Tabbi was caught up in the area of effect to.) Drekzhar also felt that strange resistance in the Weave. Still, though, his spell worked. Both the elementals, and Tabbi, became entranced by the dazzling pattern of lights that he had conjured. Drekzhar was kind enough to slap Tabbi to break him of the effects so that they could both hop back onto the relative safety of solid ground.

Meanwhile, Tauffae and Onyx were leaping from rock chunk to chunk aware of Tabbi's warning but focused more on not falling (to their doom?) into the churning winds below. The larger elemental zeroed in on the two as they were now the closest targets, slamming into each of them before zipping away. They took the damage but continued with their advance. 

Meribore had been holding back in her quetzalcoatlus form for just this sort of reason. Now, she headed straight for the elemental that was harassing her friends intent on a little payback. Meribore and the elemental weaved and bopped about each other, striking their foe whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Meribore Retaliates

Meanwhile, Tauffae and Onyx spotted the end of the chasm (and could see that Drekzhar and Tabbi were battling a pair of much smaller elementals. With the end in sight, they quickened their pace.

Meribore and the Elemental Fight

Eventually, the elemental did enough damage to Meribore that she reverted to her firbolg form. Sensing a chance for a victory, it closed in on her for the final kill. Meribore, though, once again wild shaped into her quetzalcoatlus form. Surprised, the elemental attempted to retreat but suddenly found itself face to face with Tauffae. A deep blow from Mid-gloom's Dark Bite finished off the creature.

A few seconds later, the party was once again reunited on solid ground. They hurried away, leaving behind two very hypnotized air elementals.

Our heroes paused at a safe distance away from the chasm to decide what to do next. Some were still hurt and Tabbi was still glowing bright blue. They decided to bed down for a rest to recover, hopping that this strange effect on Tabbi would somehow correct itself.

Drekzhar cast Leomund’s tiny hut. Again, he felt that same resistance from the Weave. Everyone settled down for a long rest, trying hard to block out Tabbi's incessant glowing. 

When everyone awoke a few hours later, Tabbi was no longer glowing. The strange effect had worn out itself, it seemed. But no one really knew what had caused it in the first place.

Regardless, everyone was relieved that Tabbi was no longer playing the role of mobile beacon. They packed and got on their way.

Within another hour of travel, the narrow ravine began to widen. Soon, the party found the remnants of cobblestones scattered around the ground and evidence of eroding stonework on the walls. Further along, it became clear that this portion of the ravine had once been well paved and lined with statues that were well on their way to succumbing to the winds. 

Then, the ravine opened into a plaza with a sheer vertical wall on the far end. This ended the long, winding path they had followed. Into that wall was carved a two-story edifice of eroding pillars and statues. The triangular tympanum sheltered an entrance on the first level that opened into the cliff itself. This was flanked by pillars and more aged carvings. School of Cacophony was chiseled into the tympanum in an ancient form common using an elegant, flowing script.

They Find a Structure

Skyfell Cultural Note
According to bardic myth, the bardic colleges all trace their origins back to a single, pre-Cataclysm institute called School of Cacophony. It was here that the first bards developed the use of the performing arts for spellcasting. According to the myth, the school was founded by a halfling named Goelz, The Mercurial Maesrto. It is said that Goelz was busking in Folthrax on Akima Prime (see Skyfell Geography: Akima Prime) when a particularly annoying audience member began putting down his performance. At first, Goelz ignored the taunts. But no one is a total saint, and eventually he lost his temper. He flung a string of insults so deeply and personally cutting that the heckler dropped dead immediately. Not just a few of the bystanders passed out from hearing the vulgar language. It was all quite a chaotic scene. (While every bard knows the seven, cursed words that composed Goelz's insult, no bard would ever dare recite them in public for fear of retribution from the Maestro himself. No one abides a plagiarist.) Shocked by the power of his own words, and shunned by his community for their use, Goelz (along with 56 fans and acolytes) retreated to the furthest reaches of Skyfell where he could safely explore the intricate relationships between the Weave and the arts. Soon, word got around and other bards from across all of Skyfell sought out Goelz and his teachings. Eventually, they established the School of Cacophony as a formal institute of learning. Or at least, so say the myths and we all know how accurate they are.

While the discovery of THE School of Cacophony should have been a mind-blowing moment for our resident bard, Drekzhar's attention was drawn to more immediate concerns. There were several statues scattered around the plaza, all of which were carved as though they were running away from the structure in complete terror. Many of these showed minor signs of erosion. There were two other statues at the entrance, one crouching in fear near a pillar and the other running toward the plaza but looking over its shoulder. These were both goblins. They were decked out in the avant guard hair stylings and stage costuming of glam bards. The running goblin clutched a hand drum in one hand and a what looked like a spiked, double-wrap belt in the other. 

Drekzhar was convinced that this was Shoor Purdy. 

Skyfell Cultural Note
Shoor Purdy was a famous bard from a century before known for her growling vocals, thunderous percussions, and hyper tempos. Her songs celebrated the goblinoid legends of old. As she had toured first Teskos (see Skyfell Geography: Teskos) and then the rest of Skyfell, Purdy had cobbled together an impressive collection of archaeological treasures tracing the history of the goblin people, including their subjugation by the orcs in the Teskos Chain, their migrations to other parts of Skyfell, and the subsequent blossoming of goblinoid culture in those other lands. She had disappeared under mysterious circumstances at the height of her career. Common wisdom pointed to a conspiracy by the orc tribes of Teskos to silence what had become a unifying voice for the goblin people.

More importantly, though, was the dawning realization that all the statues were bards, and that the statues weren't statues at all but rather real people who had been turned to stone while fleeing some danger--a danger that seemed to really have it in for anyone of the bardic persuasion.

End Session 39.

Experience earned:

Drekzhar - 920 (73,357 total)
Meribore - 890 (73,271 total)
Onyx - 890 (72,944 total)
Tabbi - 1040 (73,304 total)
Tauffae - 890 (73,650 total)

Supplemental Material

Post-credit Scene

Ever since Bronte's and Oma's departure, I've been dropping in little hints of what has been happening to them as "post credit scenes." Here is this session's edition:

Bronte and Oma skid to a halt as they break through the dense, rainbow-colored vegetation into a field of purple grasses dotted with orange flowers. A sky turtle hovers just a few feet off the ground, glaring at them. A swarm of much smaller creatures (could they be turtles with butterfly wings?) scatter as the sky turtle draws a deep breath that pulls the moisture out of the air. Its mouth glows with intense heat as it exhales.

Chasm Rules

I handed out the following rules when the player characters reached the chasm. I do love that after looking over the rules and surveying the map, Rodney's immediate reaction was to say it was just like Super Mario Brothers. That, and every other side-scroller arcade game I've ever played, was definitely an inspiration here.

Note that on the map I used red poker chips to indicate the masses that bobbed up and down each turn. I used a d6 to determine how many levels they moved. I used white poker chips to indicate the masses the rotated. These rotated one hex-side clockwise each turn using the chip as the pivot point.

Mechanics

• 1 level = 5 feet
• Use hypotenuse counter for distance between different levels
• If rock has number of PCs on it equal to size, then sinks 1 level (will bounce up one level after fewer PCS are on it)

Jumping

• Standing jump : ½ Str score
• Long jump : Str score after 10 feet of movement
• 1-3 elevation lower = 1-3 extra feet
• No extra after 3 feet
• 1 foot short : succeed at the jump anyway due to irregularities of rocks
• 2 feet short : succeed with Athletics check
• 3+ : fail
• Helper can use bonus action to catch, using half their height to reach (and therefore close gap) with successful Acrobatics check DC 10
• Helper can use bonus action to heave person up

Falling

• 0-10ft : no damage
• 11-15ft : DC10 athletic or acrobatics check, if successful, then no damage
• 15ft+ : regular damage
• Damage : 1d6 per 10 feet
• Starting from 15 with successful check
• Starting from 10 with failed check

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