← Previous Session: Session 017: Thundertree (Day 2)

2 Mirtul, 1471 (Day 38)

Afternoon

• The Party heads to the wizard’s tower and prepares for potential battle with a dragon.
  • After laying out their plan, Raemund tells The Party that the code word to attack will be “Egg” which he’ll enhance by casting Thaumaturgy
  • Mo casts Protection Against Poison on Orthanc
  • Mo makes sure the humans have the antitoxin he made them 
    • Raemund and Vala clink vials in toast and drink the antitoxin.
  • Verna casts Longstrider on herself
  • Mo Wildshapes into a rat and climbs onto Raemund’s shoulder, pretending to be his familiar.
  • Verna tries to climb a tree to get a good vantage point 
    • The tree is slick from the heavy rain earlier in the day, making it hard to climb and causing Verna to suffer from 1 level of Exhaustion
    • Verna hides in the tree
• Raemund, Vala, and Mo approach the tower entrance, a small one story building attached to the tower.
  • Raemund (disguised as a Thayan)
  • Mo (disguised via Wildshape as Raemund's rat familiar), hiding in Raemund’s pocket
  • Vala (disguised as a dragon cultist) with Miss Tra
    • Vala has the 3 diamonds looted from the dragon cultists as a tribute for the dragon
• Verna casts Mage Hand. She gives one end of her 50 ft rope to the spectral form, sends it to tie its end to the roof of the building The Party entered through, and ties the other end around herself, a precaution in case she tumbles from the 30 ft tree in which she is perched.
• Vala casts Guidance on Raemund as they approach the door and strums her harp to provide Raemund and Mo with Bardic Inspiration.
• Raemund casts Thaumaturgy on himself and booms “Great dragon, we bid you to please parlay with us. We hope to prove ourselves worthy.”
• Nothing happens, so Vala opens the door and they enter a dark room.
• Raemund casts Light on one of the Diamonds Vala is holding
• As they enter, they notice an overwhelming, acrid chlorine smell
  • Vala tells Raemund and Mo that it’s chlorine gas exhaled by the green dragon. It won’t harm them immediately, but they can’t breathe it for a long time
• The door to the tower is closed and covered in cobwebs.
  • Vala casts Firebolt on the cobwebs, burning them away
  • Raemund opens the door
    • An even heavier cloud of chlorine emanates, filling the room they’re standing in.
• The tower is dark, but light pours in through the arrow slits.
• The dragon is lying in a corner, looking directly at the door, perturbed but not yet aggressive, saying, “Who dares enter the lair of Ventashlymthor, what brings you here?”
• Raemund replies “I am Waistlin of Thay, and I accompany a Cultist of the Dragon. We hope to offer our services. We hope to prove ourselves worthy to you, great dragon of the Ruins.”
  • Ventashlymthor huffs out a gust of chlorine gas and rolls his eyes when he hears Cult of the Dragon
• Ventashlymthor says “I haven't known many Thayans to ally themselves with the Cult of the Dragon. I thought I would have more respect for Thay, that they would associate themselves with such weak trash.”
• Raemund lies, saying the cult has given great offerings for the Thay’s expertise in necromancy and they come in hopes that he will be the first to reap the benefits from the strange new alliance.
  • Ventashlymthor sees through the lie, and looks closer at Raemund’s markings, noting that they seem inauthentic to normal Thayan tattoos.
• Vala attempts to distract Ventashlymthor through deception. She speak in Draconic, claiming to be no simple dragon cultist but rather an oracle who previously served the king of Neverwinter and that she wishes to serve something greater, namely him. 
  • She fails spectacularly in convincing him.
• Ventashlymthor tells the Vala and Raemund that if they have tribute, they should leave it and be away.
• Vala whispers to Raemund asking if it’s “egg time,” and he solemnly and gravely nods.
• Vala kneels theatrically with the diamond offerings as Raemund casts Thaumaturgy and proclaiming “Dragon, I hope that you come to regret ever hatching from your EGG!”

BEGIN COMBAT

Round 1

• Vala tell Raemund to “duck!” secrets the diamonds away on her person, and pulls out a Scroll of Fireball. She turns to the dragon and yells both pleadingly and defiantly, “We could have talked!” as she casts the spell and flings a fireball at it.
  • Vala runs outside as soon as her spell lands, giving Raemund a passing harp-stroke of Bardic Inspiration as she flees.
• Ventashlymthor turns to the doorway and unleashes his Poison Breath on Raemund and Mo. Sickly yellow-green gas blasts Raemund and Mo.
  • Raemund succumbs to the poison breath attack and falls Unconscious, beginning Death Saving Throws..
  • Mo’s dwarven constitution saves him from the full effect of the gas, but he is severely injured as wel..
  • From outside the building, Orthanc and Verna hear the word “Egg!”in a bomming  echo from the tower. Briefly after, a massive column of flame erupts from the whole in the tower ceiling, immediately followed by a cloud of yellow-green gas.
• Verna uses her rope to quickly descend the tree and then dashes into the tower. She casts True Strike and shoots her Light Crossbow at the dragon, but misses and quickly retreats outside with Vala.
• Orthanc dashes toward the tower from his hiding place, making it to the threshold of the door.
• Mo scurries out of Raemund's pocket, advances on the dragon, and crawls under the dragon’s belly.
  • Mo then Wildshapes from a Rat to a Brown Bear. As he changes shape, he rears back on his hind legs, lifting the dragon off the ground and causing it to become off balance. He roars, trying to draw the dragon’s attention squarely on him and away from Raemund, then attacks, biting and clawing the dragon and knocking it prone. 

Round 2

• While the dragon is distracted and prone, Vala rushes into the tower and casts Cure Wounds on Raemund, grimly joking with him that “our gods are dead, you can’t be too. ” She helps him to his feet and implores him to “get the fuck out” as she takes her own advice.
• Ventashlymthor stands up and roars at Mo and Raemund. Both are able to resist the powerful effect of Dragon Fear.
  • Ventashlymthor attempts to bite Mo, but Raemundmind casts Warding Flare, briefly blinding the dragon. Ventashlymthor misses Mosely and instead, smashes his head into the wall.
• Raemund casts Burning Hands, spraying the dragon with a gout of flame, severely burning one of its wings, then retreats outside with Vala and Verna.
• Verna reenters the building, casts True Strike, and Sneak Attacks the dragon. She hits the dragon with an Alchemist’s Fire Arrow she and Vala crafted, burning the dragon further.
• Orthanc takes the opportunity to flank the dragon on the opposite side from BearMo He hits Ventashlymthor with his Greataxe but it ricochets off of the dragon’s scales.
• BearMo bites the dragon and then swipes it with his claws.

Round 3

• Vala attempts to cast Id Insinuation, but fails.
• Ventashlymthor tries to retreat from Orthanc and Bear Mo, but Mo connects with an Opportunity Attack with his claws, knocking it prone.
  • Ventashlymthor says in Draconic to Vala “Maybe I was hasty in my assessment of you. Your minions here have impressed me.”
  • Vala asks “Do you wish to treat with us? We came seeking to help you.”
  • Ventashlymthor responds “It seems that you are worthy of entreating with a dragon. If you call off your minions, perhaps we can find mutual business in parlay.”
  • Vala casts Message to telepathically communicate with BearMo, asking if they should relent and talk with the dragon.
    • Mo, in a pique of bear rage, snarls “I'm going to kill this dragon! We're going to kill a dragon today! This thing is evil and wicked and it's only going to do bad in the world! It should die… if we can kill it!”
  • Vala sides with Mo and tells Ventashlymthor that it seems it’s too late.
  • Ventashlymthor haughtily responds “Very well peasants. If it's going to be peasants’ work, then it will be a peasant's death for all of you.”
• Ventashlymthor attacks BearMo, biting him, but missing with his claws
• Raemund casts Burning Hands, further burning the dragon.
• Verna casts True Strike and fires her Light Crossbow, hitting the dragon with another devastating Sneak Attack.
• Orthanc swings his great axe and manages to slash through the dragon’s scales this time. 
• BearMoslashes the dragon, knocking it prone.

Round 4

• Vala casts Vicious Mockery, taunting Ventashlymthor by expressing her surprise at seeing a bear slap the shit out of a dragon. Then she gives BearMo Bardic Inspiration and retreats outside.
• Ventashlymthor attempts to fly away, but BearMo hits with an Opportunity Attack, slashing with his claws and knocking the dragon prone once again.
• Ventashlymthor sees the writing on the wall and knows it is defeated. It manages to climb back to it feet, take to the air, and fly 40 ft into the air toward the opening in the roof
• Raemund refuses to give up the battle, sprints up a section of collapsed stairs, and holds up his holy symbol of Lathander, calling on the Radiance of the Dawn to smite the dragon. A massive wave of radiant energy hit Ventashlymthor, searing his underside and almost killing him.
• Verna runs into the tower and fires her light crossbow, but misses.
• Orthanc throws a handaxe at the dragon, but misses. The handaxe flies through the hole in the roof, never to be seen again
• Mo exits his Wildshape and casts Starry Wisp, but misses.
• The time in the tower and the exertion of the battle cause Orthanc and Raemund to take damage from their prolonged breathing of chlorine gas.
• Ventashlymthor flees through the sky, proclaiming that he will return to claim his rightful lair and that The Party will all pay for crossing.

END COMBAT

• The Party takes a moment to collect themselves and allow some of the gas to dissipate from the tower, making it safer to investigate.
  • The Party sees a pile of coins and a small chest in the corner of the room.
• Vala tells Verna the mini-hoard has her name all over it and casts Guidance.
• Verna casts Detect Magic and approaches the loot.
  • The chest is partially open and contains
    • 250 GP
    • 800 SP
    • 4 Silver Goblets with inset moonstones (60 GP ea)
    • Scroll of Misty Step (used)
    • Scroll of Lightning Bolt (Vala inventory)
  • Verna exuberantly shoves her hands into the chest of coins, digging around in them in delight.
• The Party notices an extremely rusted and worn battle axe leaning against the wall in the hoard. Verna and Vala both sense a strong Enchantment magic
  • Verna calls back to The Party “That ax, it looks like it might charm you and then you could like never let it go.  Or you have to chop your own head off.  I don't know exactly.  But it has some sort of magic on it.”
  • She picks it up and brings it back to The Party for closer inspection, pointing out some dwarvish script on the handle that she cannot read. 
    • Mo inspects the weapon,  revealing that the inscription reads “Hew” in Dwarvish, but he doesn’t recognize the odd script it is written in.
    • Vala inspects it and tells The Party that it’s a Dwarvish script called “Dethic” used exclusively by the Duergar, advising caution while handling it.
  • Verna quickly loses interest because the axe didn’t “speak” to her, both literally and figuratively.
  • Orthanc, cautiously and with suspicion, wraps it in a blanket and packs it away.
•  The Party exits the tower and returns to Reidoth’s hut
  • Mo woodpecker knocks on Reidoth’s door but receives the same out of office reply.
  • As the message plays, a humanoid-shaped portion of the thicket behind them seems to bulge out as if it is trying to walk away. The thicket then rapidly transforms, and Reidoth emerges walking single-mindedly toward his domicile. He doesn’t seem to notice The Party standing in his way, walking right through and bumping into them, which causes him to notice them and tell them that he was just returning from one of his “rambles”
  • Reidoth thanks The Party for dispatching all of the blights around Thundertree and mentions that it’s much easier to collect samples when they’re dead.
  • He then pauses and bluntly tells The Party that they all smell terrible. He then taps on the door, opens it, and invites them in. 
• Once inside, Reidoth dumps a pile of vegetation samples onto the work table and begins to categorize them as if The Party were not there.
  • Verna collapses to the ground in impatience saying “Why you got a bunch of twigs?” then turns to Mo and asks “How do you stand it, man?” referencing the categorical aloofness of Reidoth, the Druid.
  • Mo informs Reidoth that they “did run off that dragon.”
    • Reidoth seems shocked they managed it, saying that the only way to sufficiently scare a dragon from its lair is to nearly kill it.
  • Reidoth asks if The Party managed to parlay with the Dragon Cultists
    • Raemund mentions, diplomatically, that the cultists had a hard time with negotiations.
    • Reidoth notices Vala is wearing a bloody dragon cult headdress and seems to understand that the cultists are long dead.
  • Reidoth suddenly freezes and shivers with unease. He says that one of The Party members has something in their possession that is “distasteful.”
    • Mo assumed that Reidoth is referring to Hew. 
    • Orthanc pulls out Hew and holds it out to Reidoth, telling him where they found it
    • Reidoth tells them that Hew is a foul Duegar artifact, forged by Hurrum Ironflayer, aka “Nymphbane,” a Duergar smith who took particular delight in warring with dryads, often goading them into conflict by clearcutting forests simply out of spite.
    • Anyone carrying the axe feels an overwhelming sense of foreboding when moving through wooded areas, as if the trees were becoming hostile toward them
    • It does immense damage to any plant life, stealing its life force.
  • Reidoth offers to perform a ritual to cleanse Hew, though he notes that it may change or even destroy the weapon.
    • Before Reidoth can begin, Verna opines about how much The Party thinks the Thayans would give pay them for Hew
    • Reidoth beseeches The Party to refrain from giving Hew to any Thayan. He demonstrates Hew's power to convince her of its foulness
      • Verna takes the handle of the axe, and Reidoth presses a potted plant to it.
      • The plant withers and dies immediately.
      • Verna’s hand becomes cold and she feels an overwhelming sense of dread, as if she is experiencing the plant’s lament as its soul is ripped out and it beckons for vengeance. Verna does not like.
    • Reidoth tells The Party that Hew was created somewhere around 800 - 1000 years ago and has the life energy of countless plant lives stored in it.
    • After hearing the plant dying, Verna tells Reidoth he should do the ritual. She hopes the plants will go to plant heaven.
  • Reidoth takes Hew and begins the cleansing ritual.
    • He covers Hew in fresh leaves and flower petals, then chants in Druidic
    • The axe starts vibrating and emits a vibrant green light. 
    • The rusty axe blade grows, then crumples back into the haft, weaving itself through the haft and forming a rusty face at the top.
    • The haft elongates until it is quarterstaff length
    • Where “Hew” was once written in Dethic, it now reads “Grew” in Druidic. 
  • Reidoth is very pleasantly surprised by the transformation and presents the staff to Mo, fondly saying that no one was more deserving than he to wield such an amazing magic item. He also gives Mo a token of the Emerald Enclave, telling Mo that their operative in Neverwinter would make contact.
  • Reidoth gladly marks the location of Wave Echo Cave’s entrance on The Party's map and bids them along on their way
  • Reidoth then stands awkwardly and idly as if waiting for something…
• The Party leaves Reidoth’s Watch

Next Session → Session 019: The Lost Session. Also Necro Pee Stuff. Oh Yeah, The Party Finds Cragmaw Castle!