Episode 39

🎭 Session Kick‑off & Quick Recap

The party regrouped after their last adventure in the Xvart camp. They’d cleared out a dead‑dwarf leader’s lair, rescued Mother Bear and reunited her with her cub.

📦 Loot & Gear Overview

Item	Owner / Notes
Mr. Dead	- An undead clydesdale
Saddle from skeletal horse	- Discussed repurposing for a bear mount.
Medallion (horse‑engraved)	- Mr. Dead's “control device.”
Two Greater Healing Potions	- Shared among the party.
Potion of Flying & 3 Feather Fall	- Flight went to Dirk; Feather‑Fall to Arthur.
Seismic‑Detection Contraption	- Built to sense recent tremors; key clue to the “Prisoner of War” camp.
Scroll of Earth Glide	- Held by Karissa’s character - Allows any class to cast "Meld Into Stone" once.
Cipher Page	- Contains passphrase calls and responses for the POW Camp area.
Box of “colding”	- A Bag of Holding style cooler chest Filled spices and fresh fruit.
800 gp + 2,000 gp worth of gems & spices	- Split among the group.
Greatsword, plate mail, toolbox	- Dirk’s had really good notes on all the loot, but does NOT hold all of it!
Spellbook (3 necromancy spells)	- Spellbook contains Animate Dead, Ray of Enfeeblement, and Spirit Guardians

🪄 The Reduce Spell & Wagon‑Size Trick

Arthur (formerly H.J.) demonstrated his new “Reduce” spell on the wagon in the camp.

• The massive cargo‑wagon shrank to roughly a large wheelbarrow size, allowing it to slip through the narrow tunnel back into Mother Bear's cave.
• The DM described the creaking wood and the dramatic halving of all dimensions, turning a “F‑150‑sized” wagon into a miniature transport that two strong folk could lift.

🕰️ Arthur’s (H.J.’s) Backstory Reveal

🧭 Arthur’s Origin & Early Life

• Family Ties – Arthur Malignius is a distant cousin of Davos (the tower’s master). He and his parents were residents of High River, a town on the river‑bound trade route.
• Apprenticeship – As a youth, Arthur was recruited by Davos to serve as an assistant in the Tower of Malignius. He was essentially an intern, tasked with assembling parts for a mysterious “*arcanomechanical” device.

⚙️ The Tower’s Dark Experiments

• Moral Dilemma – While working there, Arthur discovered the tower’s experiments involved a soul‑sucking engine that harvested life essence from unsuspecting folk.
• Refusal & Flight – Disgusted, he refused to continue the work and fled the tower under cover of night, returning to his hometown of High River.

💀 Tragedy in High River

• Plague & Death – Shortly after his return, a strange illness spread through High River’s water supply. The town’s residents began dying in large numbers, and the source was traced back to a contaminated well.
• Mass Grave Awakening – Arthur died in the outbreak, only to awaken buried in a mass grave. He emerged not as himself, but as the amalgamated consciousness known previously as H.J. – a blend of many fragmented souls that had been forced into the same reborn body.

🧬 The H.J. Persona

• Fragmented Identity – As H.J., Arthur retained only a single eye and an arm from his former self; the rest of his consciousness is a mosaic of the other souls trapped in the grave.
• Total Recal - Although the Arthur persona has regained full control of his mind and the reborn body, he retains all of the memories he formed as H.J.

🔎 Current Motivation

• Regaining Control – For four years he has been struggling to reclaim his own body and mind from the composite consciousness of H.J., slowly pulling out the fragments that belong to him. The exposure to salt soaked ringspore was the catalyst that led to his success.
• Heir to the Tower? – The Party suspects he may be the rightful heir to the Tower of Malignas now that his family is otherwise gone. He hopes to locate and free any relatives who might still be trapped in the soul prison teacups.

🪄 Newfound Abilities

• Class Change – Arthur's mind has returned to him, and with it, so has his expertise as an artificer. While he retains his memories as H.J. he has lost the physical instincts he honed as a rogue. (Meta: Character class re-spec at current level.)

📜 Key Takeaways for the Party

• Arthur’s backstory ties directly to the Tower of Malignas and its corrupt experiments, which may become a future plot hook.
• He is motivated to return to the tower, both to avenge his family and possibly undo some of the damage of the soul‑siphoning device.
• His magical toolkit (Reduce/Enlarge) already proved useful, hinting at further abilities!
• The party now knows that Arthur is not just a random NPC but a former apprentice‑turned‑fragmented soul seeking... revenge?... redemption?... and answers.

🐻 Spirit Bond with Sister Bear

At the cave entrance, Mother Bear and her cub reunited with the party. The Sister Bear granted Sister Bear’s Spirit Mark to Dirk (the goblin ranger).

• The mark appears as a glowing paw‑print on Dirk’s forehead and a matching goblin handprint on the bear.
• The bond grants two once‑per‑long‑rest abilities (no spell slots required): Beast Bond (telepathic link, shared emotions) and Warding Bond.
• The bear communicated telepathically, asking for a name—a role‑play thread left open.

📜 Key Lore & Hooks

• Seismic Box: Used by the Eternal's Compound party that died under Mother Bear's cave; it registered tremors near the cave a month and a half ago.
• The Tower of Malignus: Arthur’s family may be trapped there in enchanted “teacups.”
• Sister Bear’s Spirit Mark: Opens up a new companion mechanic.

🎁 Items & Plans Going Forward

• The party now owns a wagon (reducable in size for easy parking), a seismic detection device, several potions & scrolls, and a large cache of gold/spices.
• Arthur (Arthur H‑J) is motivated to further investigate the tower, possibly recruiting the party.
• Dirk has a new bear companion with which he has bonded with, offering combat support and role‑play opportunities.

🚧 Return to Town & Guard Encounter

With the wagon safely reduced, the party emerged from the tunnel and traveled back to Longmorn

🧠 Brain Freeze! Brain Freeze! Brain Freeze!

During the short journey, Voscheck (the warlock) suffered a brief “ice‑cream headache” – a fleeting, painful loss of magical focus that left him momentarily powerless before it passed.

🌊 Arrival at Longhorn & the Salt‑Water Protocol

• The party is greeted by town guards operating a manual winch that brings them up to the settlement of Longhorn.
• Because of the recent ring‑spore contamination, the town has instituted a mandatory salt‑water hose bath for all newcomers.
• The DM describes the hose as a crude “spray‑down” system that douses each person with seawater.
• The process is uncomfortable but effective; the salty spray seems to neutralize lingering ring‑spore effects.

🛁 The Communal Jacuzzi Scene

• The party pays 2 gp each for a soak; the cauldron, newly installed at the Rusty Cog is described as a large copper‑lined tub with wooden benches, heated by a fire and perfumed by the tavern’s kitchen.
• While soaking, Bevin (Professor Peppercorn) provides background music on a tiny lute/ukulele‑like instrument, adding a lighthearted vibe.
• Arthur watches the scene, noting the town’s “A‑Team” (the original expedition) versus their own “B‑team” status.
• The party uses the downtime to sell off part of their loot: gems, spices, fresh fruit, a greatsword, chain‑mail, and a plate‑mail set.
  • Karissa (Bryn) takes charge of the sale, securing 1 633 gp total. After dividing it roughly eight ways, each character receives 205 gp (rounded).

📜 Deciphering the Cipher Page

• Three party members (Aubrey, Arthur, and Voscheck) work together on the cipher page recovered from the dead dwarf’s camp.
• They roll an Arcana check (advantage for Aubrey & Voscheck) and succeed, revealing a series of call‑and‑response phrases tied to times of day: Midnight, Sunrise, Moon, Sunset.
• Each phrase is a poetic appeal to an “Eternal” and a “Star Child,” sounding like the liturgy of a mysterious cult that worships a celestial entity (potentially linked to the vampire‑like figure rumored in the swamp).
• The party suspects they might be a password system used by the captors of the prisoners in the swamp camp.

🛠️ Arthur’s Mechanical Investigation

• While the others soak, Arthur fiddles with athe small arcane‑mechanical device found in the dead dwarf’s camp (the “seismic box”).
• Using his Artificer tools and a 1st‑level spell slot, he powers the device. It whirs, ticks, and projects a minor illusion map of the area they just left.
• The map shows Bear Island, the entrance to the cave, and the surrounding topography.
• The investigation takes about one hour; the party reconvenes once Arthur finishes, sharing the new geographic insight.

🗣️ Eavesdropping & Town Rumors

• During the soak, Peppercorn and Shadow listen in on nearby conversations.
• They overhear fishermen complaining about the new salt‑water baths and, more ominously, reporting strange voices heard on the water:
  • One crew hears a Boom voice urging them to touch the water.
  • Another sailor hears a disembodied voice asking about life on land, then mentions an attack on the town.
• While soaking, Peppercorn hears a mysterious ethereal voice under the water that issues him the command... SEE!
  • The voice belongs to an enormous underwater beak‑shaped entity that appears to Peppercorn when he opens his eyes under water in the Jacuzzi! The creature is massive, clearly not present, appearing as a dreamlike projection, but its presence triggers panic and a frantic attempt to flee the tub, but not before it issues one more demand... BRING ME THE ONE WITH THE VOID!!!!
  • The rumors and experience in the Jacuzzi hint at a mysterious aquatic entity or enchantment affecting locals, possibly tied to the same cultic “Star Child” referenced in the cipher.

🐻 Bear, Goat & Skeleton‑Horse Comedy

• Sister Bear, and the skeletal horse try to join the tavern scene.
• Attempts to bring the bear inside are dismissed as impractical (the bear is 8 ft tall, minivan‑sized).
• The DM notes the bear could be reduced with the Reduce spell, but only for a minute – not enough to keep it inside the tavern safely.

🔍 Arthur’s Arcane Device & Map Projection

• Arthur finishes tinkering with the arcane‑mechanical box.
• After expending a 1st‑level spell slot, the device projects a low‑poly map of the surrounding region:
  • Shows Bear Island, the location of the party’s recent cave.
     - Displays a path to Bear Island “epicenter” where the seismic event was recorded.
     - The map only renders natural terrain, no structures, and stops at the edge of a swamp‑encircled rocky mount that houses the Eternal’s compound (the “POW camp”).
  • The device acts as a seismic detector: when an earthquake occurs, it draws a line from the party’s current position to the quake’s source.

🧭 Tactical Planning & Terrain Insight

• With the map, the party pinpoints three key locations:
  1. Longmorn (current town) which lies beyond the path on the map.
  2. Bear Island – the cave they just left and the epicenter of the seizmic disturbance.
  3. The Eternal’s compound – marked as a natural, rocky mount (no structures visible).
• The map reveals that the POW camp sits on the hill, while a secondary “pit” and several mines lie nearby.
• The device also indicates a rough half‑mile radius for the hill, giving a sense of scale for the upcoming trek.

🏰 The “Rabbit Hole” Meeting & New Contacts

• After the hot‑tub, the party proceeds to the Rabbit Hole (the defacto Town Hall and briefing room fashioned from a natural cave).
• Two stern Tiefling guards in Morn‑shield armor let them pass. Inside, a circular table holds a grid of colored stones – something that looks like a puzzle board.
• Babi Danka, the tavern owner, accompanies them. A female Dragonborn (named Cara Bellum) appears, shifting from a broad‑shouldered male Tiefling to a petite gold‑scaled dragonborn with bird-like facial features.
• Cara, the guild’s asset, explains that the Eternal’s compound is a dark, depressing place where their captured friends are being held.

🗺️ Site Layout & Threat Overview (as described by Cara)

• Cara makes sense of the puzzle board is in fact a crude map she has made from colored stones.
• The overall layout resembles a mile‑wide town with a tower atop a small mount in the center, not a single building, with rocky terrain and extensive steel/iron structures (suggesting heavy industrial activity).
• The compound consists of multiple camps: “prisoner” sites, mines, larger structures, and concentric layers of defenses.
• Surrounding the complex are turrets capable of firing fire, ice, and lightning (though it's unclear if it can do all three at once).
• Surrounding the central tower and inner buildings are mines and a breeding pit (used for grotesque alchemical experiments on both people and creatures).
• The POW camp (where the party’s friends are) is a smaller sub‑camp within the larger complex.

🤔 Open Questions & Hook Threads

1. What is the “Eternal” / Star‑Child? – Cult verses hint at a deity or powerful entity tied to the seismic disturbances.
2. Why are they interested in earthquakes? – Possibly a means of locating “epicenters” for some unknown purpose.
3. What is the nature of the underwater beak entity? – Seen by multiple characters; its purpose remains unclear.
4. How will the party infiltrate the heavily‑armed turret zone? – They now have a rough map and knowledge of camp layout.

🏔 Revealing the Eternal’s Mountain & Cult Details

• Cara (the dragonborn asset) describes the central spire on Eternal Mountain: a small “mountain‑like” rock formation topped by a castle‑style building where the Eternal (the cult’s god‑like leader) resides.
• The spire is surrounded by three concentric rings of turrets and walls (all contained within about a ~½‑mile radius of the tower).
• The cult worships the Eternal twice daily (noon & sunset) and serves a mysterious “Star Child”—the ultimate deity of the cult.
• The elite guards, called Elysium, are crystalline‑shimmering beings that float and “chime” like wind chimes. They can de‑resonate (a sonic blast that instantly vaporizes a target).

🏭 The Prison‑Camp Complex

• The mountain’s lower slopes host a breeding pit and several mines.
• The camps are a mixture of prisoners (humanoids, bugbears, goblins, orcs, ogres, rock‑creatures) and workers.
• Prisoners are forced to drink a strange “milk of the Eternal” – an ash‑tasting, ring‑spore‑derived concoction that brainwashes captives. Those already loyal are unaffected; the rest become thralls.
• Some prisoners are subjected to experiments that breed hybrid creatures (e.g., rock‑creatures mixed with fungi). The strongest hybrids become guards, workers or soldiers in the army being built by the Eternal.

🗺️ Tactical Layout & Turret Coverage

• Turrets are turtle‑shaped metal constructs that fire fire, ice, and lightning (normally only one element at a time).
• Each turret covers around a quarter mile; their arcs overlap partially but leave a blind spot on the far side of the hill.
• small but fast moving rivers streams down the hill, feeding waterfalls and a fast‑moving current.
• The POW camp (where the party’s friends are held) is a single fenced area on the outskirts of the land cleared for the compound
• It is guarded by a turret that sits high atop a nearby rocky hill. A powerful natural spring spouts water from the hilltop and feeds fast moving streams that run ferociosly down the hill and around the camps below before emptying into surrounding swamp.
• Three additional satellite camps exist nearby; all are populated, but only the POW camp houses the party’s allies.

⚔️ Planned Assault & Logistics

• Goal: Disable the outer turret, infiltrate the POW camp, rescue captured allies, then call in the Hoverbugs for a quick escape away from the area.
• Approach Options Discussed:
  • Hoverbug Approach from the Tower of Malignius side to avoid exposing the hoverbugs to turrets
  • Insertion into Terrain a safe distance from the POW camp, where the aircraft can be hidden and called in quickly
  • Stealth entry through the jungle’s blind spot (using invisibility spells/potions).
  • Aerial strike with flying spells to sabotage the turret from above (requires coordination of invisibility and flying).
  • Direct assault using the party’s combat abilities (risky due to turret fire and Elysium).
• Resources Needed:
  • Invisibility (Aubrey, Chris/Arthur) – up to two targets simultaneously.
  • Flying (potions/scrolls) – needed for at least one infiltrator.
  • Reduced spell (Arthur) – could shrink the bear for a quick “bear‑ball” escape if needed.
  • Scroll of Earth Glide (Karissa) – may help traverse the rocky slope.

🎲 Experience & Level‑Up

• The session concluded with the party successfully decoding the cult cipher and gaining a solid tactical picture of the Eternal’s mountain complex.
• The DM awarded ≈700 XP total