Episode 34

📣 Opening & Housekeeping

• Peter welcomed the group warmly, noting that this is Session 34: "Two Weeks", and celebrated over a year of steady play (34 sessions!).
• He confirmed all players were present and consenting to recording.
• There was playful background commentary about the three doodles (dogs): Missy, Maya (particularly vocal!), and Tilly. The group laughed about Maya’s contributions to the soundscape.

🎲 Recap of Last Session

• They discussed the previous session involving a poker-like dice game.
  • This game used dice to simulate cards, featuring bluffing, cheating, and strategy mechanics.
• Stakes included the staff of the wraith and securing the miners' help to repair the ship.
• The group won cleanly, ensuring the miners would work on the ship.
• Molly played a dwarf character during that session (not her main), and there was chatter about which players participated and how it played out, including who was "last dwarf standing."

🧒 Training the Kids

• The group briefly recapped working on training the children from town (mentioned: Hopper, Ember, Lunis, Whittle, and Pip).
• The kids were getting some skills training, and they discussed character development moments, including quirks and references to them looking a bit like certain anime or game characters.

🌄 Starting the Day

• The session transitioned to the following morning, Sunday the 8th of Rising Blooms.
• Everyone gathered at the Rusty Cog tavern.
• Peter explained downtime wouldn’t be played day by day, but rather interwoven in an open-ended two-week stretch.

⚓ Ship Check & Priorities

• Shadow asked to check on the ship’s status, but Peter suggested putting that on hold to give other characters a chance to advance their down-time narratives following the card game.

🐸 Brynn’s Plans

• Brynn (Karissa) wanted to check on Hobinka, her frog companion, currently kept at the church.
• Brynn suggested HJ join her, promising to share tips about Merra (Ephemera): what she likes and dislikes.
• Brynn offered to help guide HJ through town and share local knowledge.

🍳 Marjorie’s Skillet Mastery

• Marjorie had been practicing using her magic cast iron skillet, creating baked goods with extra effects.
• She arrived at the Rusty Cog, proudly distributing her new batch of skillet treats to everyone before leaving.

🏛️ Heading to the Arcane Asylum

• The group decided to check Merra’s shop (the Arcane Asylum) first.
• They found her two undead ravens (Caws and Effect) perched by the door and a note pinned with a dagger.
• Brynn tried to read the note (rolled a 9, failed), but Voscheck helped and successfully deciphered it with a 16.
• The note read: "I’m not here. I’m at the church."
• The ravens chimed in with commentary:
  • "Merra gone! No poking in drawers!"
  • "Touch her vials and die!"
  • "She said, behave! We don’t think you will!"

💀 Aubrey’s Gilding Reminder

• Aubrey remembered she had a skull to gild for Merra.
• The group discussed whether to do it now, but Aubrey decided not to disturb Merra’s workspace without her present.

⚰️ Discussion: Church & Graveyard Visit

• Brynn suggested heading to the church since Merra was there, and Hobinka would be, too.
• HJ mentioned wanting to speak to Shaina Hallidae, who Aubrey recognized with intense anger.
• Abrey explained Shaina was the person who sent them to Barovia and described her as possibly having a "twangy accent," wearing a big hat. HJ confirmed it was the same woman he’d seen in the graveyard.

💢 Aubrey’s Rage

• Aubrey struggled to hide her fuming rage toward Shaina.
• The group unpacked the history: she went to Barovia to find Shaina’s father ("the Mad Mage"), visited an insane asylum, encountered a creepy doll, ended up in a boat, then in fog… finally in Barovia… and died repeatedly during that journey!
• Aubrey discussed finding a locket that had housed the Mad Mage’s cat familiar, which she left behind in Barovia.
• Brynn and others questioned Shaina’s motives and whether Aubrey and her companions had been set up.

🧥 Aubrey’s Cloak

• Brynn called out something peculiar about Aubrey’s cloak from Barovia, which she only started wearing recently despite peer pressure from her friend Umbra while whe was in Barovia.
• The group joked about the potential curses or consequences of mysterious items from creepy manors full of cultists.
• Ultimately, the true nature of the cloak wasn’t discussed.

🍍 Support Codes & Planning

• The group discussed whether Aubrey would be able to control her rage if they met Shaina, offering support and suggesting code words.
• They joked about using "pineapple" as a code word if Aubrey needed backup.

🪦 Graveyard Check

• They stopped at the graveyard, encountering two young goblins picking slugs off gravestones.
• The goblins hadn’t seen Shaina recently, having just arrived that morning to collect dew-fresh slugs. The last time Shaina was here was several days ago. She could be anywhere if she’s still in town.
• HJ offered a grub to the goblins as a friendly trade.

🐸 Quiet Conversation on Gilli’s Pact

• While at the graveyard, Brynn and Marjorie had a private discussion about Gilli’s infernal pact timeline.
• They estimated there was about one month left before Gilli’s deal came due.
• They debated whether to bring it up now or after seeing her, ultimately deciding to check in gently first.

⛪ Arrival at the Church

• On the way to the church, they saw townsfolk with fresh bandages leaving the building, hinting at ongoing recovery.
• Brynn asked about separating the wounded from those infected with Ringspawn.
• Peter explained infected individuals are euthanized or left town immediately (depending on the severity) and usually willingly, while regular injuries are treated at the church, which now feels more like a busy hospital than a temple.

🏥 Inside the Church

• The party entered the main chamber of the Church of the Triune, transformed from a serene holy space into a chaotic field hospital. - The room reeked of antiseptic, potions, herbs, blood, and incense meant to ward off corruption.
• Makeshift cots lined the chamber in chaotic rows.

💔 Scenes of Injury

• Light from stained glass windows fell across:
• Sweat-drenched soldiers.
• Commoners with severed limbs or limbs slowly regrowing through magic.
• A young guard trembling with shell shock; a half-elf cleric pressed fingers to his forehead and gently put him to sleep before moving on.
• An old fisherwoman groaning as a cleric struggled to repeatedly heal her shredded leg, with partial success.

✨ Gillian’s Condition

• Gilli, head cleric, was overseeing everything:
  • Wearing simple brown and white robes ("Obi-Wan" style), not her usual armor.
  • Covered in blood, sweat, and grime.
  • Clearly spell slots long exhausted, relying on potions and herbs, guiding less experienced clerics in proper healing incantations.
  • Her robes designed to hide stains, her hair soaked and matted.
  • Despite exhaustion, her voice remained strong and commanding.
• A tabby cat watched all from a sunlit window, looking calm and knowing.

🗣️ Looking for Merra

• The group scanned for Merra but saw no sign of her.
• When asked, a half-elf cleric directed them to Gillian, hinting that Merra wasn’t "ready yet."

💬 Conversation with Gillian

• Gilli explained Merra was below the church in a sealed crypt:
  • After battle trauma, Merra fell into an "abyss" — not feral, but lost in obsessive necromantic spiraling.
  • She had asked Gillian to lock her away for everyone's safety.
• Gilli held out an iron key, explaining they’d need to:
  • Carefully release arcane wards.
  • Unlock physical barriers.
  • Manage Merra’s mental state upon awakening.
• Gilli was physically and mentally drained after ~48 hours straight of battle and triage without rest.
• Her warhammer (still with bits of brain stuck to it) leaned by the pulpit; she hadn’t yet cleaned it since the battle.

🧎 Helping Gillian Rest

• Marjorie persuaded Gillian to rest (Persuasion check: 15 with advantage).
• Jillian almost fainted at the thought of rest, accepted help, and leaned heavily on Marjorie.
• Sister Irvina, a stout dwarven "battleaxe" cleric, took over leadership. She teased Jillian for only listening to Marjorie after ignoring repeated urgings from the staff.
• Gillian, cracking a weary smile, agreed to go rest.

🧹 Marjorie’s Care

• Marjorie escorted Jillian to her quarters:
• Jillian’s room was a mess — like a teenager’s: dirty dishes, laundry piles, general chaos.
• Marjorie used Prestidigitation to clean spots, air out the room, and tidy up just enough to allow restful sleep.
• She pressed Jillian’s bedding clean, and prepared the space quietly but affectionately.
• Jillian gave Marjorie the steel key before collapsing into bed.

🗝️ Jillian’s Final Guidance

• Jillian indicated she might help with Merra in a day or two after resting, but confirmed the group could also handle it themselves sooner.

🐝 Voscheck’s Mysterious Visitor

• Meanwhile, outside the church:
  • Voscheck noticed a figure leaning on a beehive, whittling wood.
  • The figure transformed the wood into cards, flipping them expertly — revealing himself as Malakaz.
  • Malakaz offered to become Voscheck’s new patron, explaining Voscheck’s current patron was withdrawing influence and wouldn’t support him beyond level 7.
• Voscheck understood that to accept Malakas's offer, his current patron's pact would need to be formally dissolved — something beyond his power alone.
• Malakas hinted at arranging a conversation with the existing patron, suggesting Voscheck consider new terms.
• He parted with a crass joke, referencing the divine cat ("Nothing distracts like pussy"), and walked away.

🐱 The Cat’s Reaction

• Voscheck messaged the tabby cat to confirm it had heard the conversation.
• The cat rolled over, exposing its belly, conveying a resigned, exasperated "ugh, another asshole" feeling rather than words.

🛌 Jillian Tucked In

• Marjorie tucked Jillian into bed, and left her to rest.
• Before falling asleep, Jillian gave Marjorie a final blessing: "You're gonna need this" (the steel key).

⛪ Hobinka Check-In

• While this happened, Brynn slipped away to check on Hobinka, her frog friend.
• She found Hobinka laid out in a private back room below the church, preserved in a state of suspended death via repeated Gentle Repose.
• The infection that killed Hobinka was also frozen in stasis, neither advancing nor retreating.

🙏 Brynn’s Prayer

• Brynn decided to pray — not to her usual deities (Pawelos or Pauline), but instead to Paelev, seeking a miracle to bring Hobinka back and expressing deep emotional conflict.
• As she prayed, she removed her plague mask, emphasizing the vulnerability and personal nature of the moment.
• She offered herself or a future favor in exchange for Hobinka’s return to life.
• After finishing, Brynn stood, donned her plague mask, and waited silently for a response.

🐱 Visit from the Cat

• The tabby cat entered, jumped onto the plinth, sniffed Hobinka, and lightly bit her hand.
• The cat's eyes glowed green as it spoke aloud, saying:
  • Brynn was "praying to the wrong guy" in this house, implying balance issues.

  • Brynn replied she had tried other deities already and felt desperate enough to try Paelev.

• The cat, aloof and sarcastic, explained that stealing a soul from death would "piss off" her brother (a reference to the triune gods).
• Brynn offered a fish she had in her pack, which the cat accepted with mild amusement before leaving.
• Brynn then made a symbolic blessing over Hobinka, more heartfelt than religious, before putting her mask back on and leaving the room.

🛡️ Return to Main Chamber

• Brynn rejoined the party in the church’s main room.
• By this point, most patients were stable and no longer in immediate danger.

🗝️ Discussion Before the Crypt

• The group discussed preparations to descend and free Merra from the steel box below the church.
• They inventoried comfort items:
  • Chocolates
  • Water (Brynn remembered seeing her drink water at the Rusty Cog)
  • Smut novels (Infernal language, requiring translations and dramatic "audiobook" style performances)
• Aubrey and HJ had an amusing exchange about reading Infernal aloud.
• Plans were made to use these items to help coax Merra back to herself gently if she emerged disoriented or aggressive.

📖 Book Discussion & Comedic Bits

• There was comedic banter about how exactly to use the smut novels:

  • Magic Mouth spell to "narrate" the book in a dramatic or comedic fashion.

  • Party joked about picking the "spiciest" page.
• They discussed safe words ("pineapple") in case they needed to intervene quickly.

🌀 Heading Down

• They decided to head to the crypt:
  • Passed through a basement storage area filled with wine casks, crates, and supplies.
  • Descended further down a spiral hallway into the underground crypt.

⚖️ Arrival at the Steel Box

• In the final chamber, they found a large, cube-shaped steel containment box:
  • Not coffin-shaped, but a big cube, almost like a large industrial freezer.
  • Covered with arcane runes (glyphs of warding) and heavy mechanical locks.
  • The runes were dangerous, designed to punish tampering rather than simply sealing.
  • The key Jillian gave them was needed for the mechanical aspects, but the wards had to be deactivated carefully.

💨 The Mysterious Hole

• They noticed a large, dark hole nearby, about six feet wide, with smoke and a faint sulfurous smell.
• The hole seemed roughly dug recently by some large burrowing creature.
• Occasional sounds of something big breathing heavily and snoring echoed up.

🦶 Tracks and Investigation

• Brynn examined the ground and found large paw prints near the hole, implying a massive burrowing creature.
• She realized the prints were fresh, only a day or so old.
• The party debated whether this creature might be dangerous if woken up, concluding they should try not to disturb it.

🔮 Arcane Analysis

• Aubrey analyzed the glyphs:
  • She determined they required being read backward and "unwoven".
  • The traps would go off if anyone simply tried to brute force the box.

💡 Deception Plan

• Marjorie suggested using Feign Death on herself to appear dead and infected, thinking this might "snap" Merra back to focus if she saw someone "infected."
• Others worried Merra might harm or want to dissect Marjorie in that state, so they discussed backup contingencies like Spare the Dying.

🦅 Ravens Arrive

• Caws and Effect, Merra’s ravens, arrived and perched just outside the room.
• They gave cryptic warnings, including:
  • "Careful! She hates messy stitches. Precision!"
• The ravens appeared ready to help if Merra emerged erratic.

🔦 Final Preparations

• The group entered the room stealthily, using Pass Without Trace to avoid disturbing the sleeping creature below.
• They checked the hole more closely:
  • Brynn rolled well and noted signs of a large burrowing animal, but no clear exit trail.
• The group prepared for possible trouble, whether from Merra’s mental state or the lurking underground creature.

💥 Realization About the Burrowing Creature

• They connect that two days prior, the town used massive underground explosions to collapse tunnels.
• The group realizes these disturbances probably woke or displaced the large burrowing creature now resting below them.
• No one is keen to wake it — everyone agrees to be as quiet as possible.

🕷️ Stealthy Recon Mission

• After comedic debate about what creature form to take (spider? cow? crab? dolphin?!), Marjorie ultimately wild shapes into a tiny spider.
• Despite disliking spiders, she does it for the team, imagining “roller skates on all eight legs” 🕷️✨.
• She crawls quietly down the burrow (stealth roll: 17 + Pass Without Trace).

👁️ Creature Description

• She finds a huge creature sleeping in a rough, sulfurous tunnel:
  • It resembles a monstrous mix of armadillo, alligator, and dragon.
  • No signs of prey, bones, or food — just the creature resting. Seems like it’s just passing through and took a break along its way.
• Marjorie messages up a vivid, comedic description: “like an armadillo and an alligator had an affair they shouldn’t have had.”
• Party consensus: Leave it alone and don’t poke it.

💬 Plan to Deal with Merra

• They reaffirm that the top priority is freeing Merra — carefully and quietly.
• The group jokes about stuffing chocolate in her mouth to keep her from screaming.
• Pass Without Trace continues active to keep everyone stealthy.

🔑 Approaching the Box

• They discuss the arcane wards on the large steel box containing Merra:
  • Aubrey steps up to read and deactivate the arcane runes, with help from the party.
  • Series of Arcana checks (25, 16, 23): Aubrey successfully disables the three main glyph wards.
  • When the final ward is removed, a new set of divine glyphs appear, glowing a warm golden yellow.

💡 Divine Glyphs Analysis

• The new glyphs are religious seals, not arcane.
• They are designed to contain Merra’s unstable "abyssal" energy, even as the box is opened.
• These seals must be kept “stable” with intention, faith, and focus — or else Merra’s traumatized energy could leak out into the room.

🔍 Reading the Divine Seals

• After discussing who might best interpret them, Aubrey steps up despite not being particularly religious.
• With a Religion check (17), she deciphers that:
  • The divine seals don’t prevent the box from opening but maintain a barrier to contain her tortured spirit and mind from escaping until she stabilizes.
  • Their stability depends on the faith and focused intention of those present while opening.

💬 Group Discussion: Who Should Do What

• They discuss whether Marjorie should pretend to be dead again (Feign Death) to help calm Merra, ultimately dismissing this as not useful.
• Concerns arise about needing to keep the divine field stable during opening rather than relying on trickery.
• They prepare emotional and mental focus to stabilize the field when opening — a sort of "prayerful intent" rather than a literal spell or prayer.

⚡ Party Dynamics & Character Beats

• Comedic moments abound:
  • More jokes about "whispering smut" or reading spicy novels to Merra to distract her.
  • Jokes about "stealth cows" and other absurd animal forms.
• Some tension around reliance on concentration spells and overlapping effects (notably Pass Without Trace).
• Aubrey prepares Mage Armor (described as feathery motes swirling and enveloping her).

⚔️ Preparation for the Divine Seal Bolstering

• The group realizes Merra knows everyone here; they agree that pretending to be dead might traumatize rather than help.
• Mechanically, they need three strong support actions to bolster the divine field as they open Merra’s box.
• Players can use Religion checks — or anything else they can justify as bolstering the divine field.

🙏 Bolstering Attempts

✔️ Voschek's Persuasion

• Voschek uses a Persuasion check to appeal to the divine field through his connection with Merra, emphasizing shared magical interests.
• Roll: 23 — Successful. A warm glow strengthens one side of the field.

✔️ HJ's History & Mercy Amulet

• HJ uses shared personal history and the Mercy Amulet (a powerful religious artifact) to bolster the field.
• Roll: 20 — Successful. Another side strengthens, and a divine sphere starts to form.

✔️ Bryn's Prayer + Grimoire

• Bryn uses an old plague doctor’s grimoire, praying to Pauline (the goddess of balance) while holding her plague mask.
• Roll: Initially a 1, then rerolled to a Natural 20 + Medicine bonus for 27 — Massive success.

The sphere now becomes radiant, forming an orrery-like divine shield encompassing them and the box.

💥 Dangerous Slip

• Voscheck momentarily loses focus (failed CON save), causing the field to collapse briefly.
• A dark wisp escapes, snuffs a torch, and deepens the shadows nearby.
• Voscheck reestablishes the field just in time (24 roll), preventing a major disaster.

🗝️ Unlocking the Box

• Three mechanical locks remain.
• Roll sequence:
  • First lock: Sleight of hand 16 — success.
  • Second lock: Natural 20 — perfect.
  • Third lock: Almost fails, makes a loud screeching noise.
• The group listens — they realize the snoring creature below has stopped, but no immediate attack occurs (yet).

💀 Opening the Box

• Box opens quietly thanks to oiling and Pass Without Trace.
• Inside: A horrifying “bony throne” resembling a hybrid between a dentist chair and a torture rack.
• Merra is strapped, mouth open in a silent scream, eyes wide, catatonic.
• Abyssal whispers swirl out: “Harvest, perfection, all things rot...”
• She is deeply lost in a dark, broken mental state.

🧠 Saving Merra

🥀 Aubrey’s Reading

• Reads aloud from her smut novel in Infernal to recreate her safe, personal mental space.
• Roll: 24 (History) — Her eyelids flutter, abyssal strands slow.

🐦 Animal Messenger (Marjorie)

• Uses Animal Messenger on Caws (the raven) to deliver chocolate and a sweet, encouraging message.
• Roll: 22 (Survival) — Successful; Merra accepts the chocolate, starts flexing fingers, abyssal strands retract further.

🍵 Offering Tea (Shadow)

• Offers tea, persuading her to rejuvenate body and soul.
• Roll: 20 (Persuasion) — Successful; final soul fragments absorbed, she returns to herself.

🗣️ Merra Revives

• With each step, her mental state stabilizes.
• Opens her eyes, recognizes the group: "I could fix your face so much better..." (her morbid humor returns!).
• Demands to be released from the chair — she is back, albeit still intense and macabre.

🕯️ Final Actions

• Divine glyphs dissolve like liquid gold, falling silently.
• The dark corner grows menacing, but they quickly prepare to leave before anything emerges.
• The creature below remains in a fragile sleep…

🎁 Merra Freed

• They unstrap Merra and prepare to exit.
• Both ravens perch on her, protective and loyal.
• With Merra freed, they now gain access to her shop and can gild the skull they came for.

✨ Session Wrap-Up

• The group chooses to stop for the night before working on the skull.
• DM notes how close they came to triggering combat — through careful planning and creativity, they avoided it entirely!
• Session ends with high spirits and relief.