Episode 16
Session Summary
A Portal Interrupted
The session opened with the arrival of Queequeg and Aubrey, who had entered a portal from a distant plane of existence. The portal journey, initially serene, turned chaotic as they were flung through a turbulent vortex. Both managed to survive the ordeal, finding themselves unconscious and disoriented in strange surroundings.
Meanwhile, back in the Tower of Melignus, the rest of the party—Voscheck, Nedra, Shadow, and others—continued their descent to restore power to the facility. They encountered remnants of magical defenses and the lingering threat of the animated spine creature. The group took a cautious but determined approach to unraveling the mysteries of the tower.
Discoveries in the Depths
The party came across a new level of the tower, marked by a heavy metal cog door that they struggled to close securely. Upon entering, they found a cavernous space lit by magically sputtering torches, revealing crates of supplies and mysterious mechanisms. The environment spoke of forgotten experiments and a decaying arcane infrastructure.
Exploration led to:
- Aubrey inspecting crates of supplies, identifying alchemical mushroom spores of great value.
- Voscheck investigating the surroundings, noting the weakening of the tower’s magical energy.
- Nedra skillfully manipulating the cog door mechanism, ensuring it was firmly sealed behind them.
Character Highlights and Giggles
- Voscheck demonstrated his investigative instincts, uncovering clues about the tower’s failing magic and speculating on its origins.
- Nedra earned admiration for her strength and ingenuity in handling the cog door, ensuring the group’s safety.
- Shadow kept the group on their toes with her sharp observations and wry remarks, pointing out the absurdity of the decayed infrastructure.
- Aubrey, as the newcomer, balanced quiet observation with moments of brilliance, particularly in her alchemical knowledge, as she identified valuable mushroom spores.
- Queequeg added levity with his Goliath-sized attempts to “organize” the area, often humorously outpacing his own thought process.
Enemies Encountered
- Animated Spine: Although it did not appear directly, the party remained vigilant for signs of its return.
- Giant Undead Lifter Gnome: A hulking, grotesquely altered gnome loomed near a collection of crates. Its presence hinted at necromantic experiments and unnerved the group.
NPCs Met
- Ilya: A young girl with striking blue eyes and a mysterious past. She appeared frightened and disoriented, claiming to have been transformed from a doll. Her cryptic statements suggested connections to events beyond the party's immediate understanding.
Treasure
- Crates of Supplies:
- Rations: 60 days' worth of preserved food items, including dried jerky and salt pork.
- Seeds: A collection of alchemical mushroom spores and common crop seeds, potentially valuable for future trade or potion crafting.
- Mushroom Spores: Identified by Aubrey as a rare and potentially lucrative find, valuable in alchemy and magic.