← Previous Session: Session 026: Ghouls in the Darkness

14 Mirtul, (Day 50) 

Morning

Wave Echo Cave

• The session resumes immediately where The Party left off in the blast furnace room.
  • Verna has just entered the room and spotted the floating human skull surrounded by green flames.
  • The flameskull has seen Verna.
  • There are partially decomposed corpses scattered around the room.

START COMBAT

• Rae hears the flameskull screech and immediately runs toward Verna and the source of the noise.
  • He casts Shield of Faithon himself as he approaches.
• Orthanc sees Rae running toward Verna and follows.
  • Orthanc rages, increasing his movement speed, and runs directly to Verna so that she is not alone.
  • Rig points out that Orthanc apparently has a little crush on Verna and intends to spend the fight being her meat shield.
• The flameskull continues screeching.
• The corpses scattered around the blast furnace begin to rise.
  • Some are dwarves wearing degraded chain shirts and carrying warhammers.
  • Others are orcs wearing deteriorated hide armor and carrying battleaxes.
  • Their armor and weapons have degraded significantly with age.
• One of the orc zombies immediately shuffles over to Verna and attacks her.
  • Verna easily avoids the slow swing of its battleaxe.
• Rig is still separated from the rest of the Party in the storage room and can only faintly hear something happening in the distance.
• Rig investigates the old provision barrels in the storage room before moving on.
  • Most of their contents have evaporated or deteriorated into dust.
  • There are some small barrels and boxes that could potentially be used to hold Rig’s knickknacks.
  • Any identifying marks they once had have worn away.
• 2 dwarf zombies begin moving across the furnace room toward the Party.
  • They are extremely clumsy and trip over themselves on the way.
• Verna attempts to stab the orc zombie in front of her using True Strike but misses.
• Verna disengages and retreats from the furnace room.
  • She tells the others that there is:
    • A flaming skull.
    • Zombies.
    • Orcs.
    • A very large furnace.
  • Verna is unusually concerned and tells them that she is pretty sure the skull could kill her.
• Another zombie begins stumbling down the stairs toward Mo.
• The flameskull flies across the furnace room and positions itself where it can see down the hallway toward Verna, Vala, and Rae.
• The flameskull casts Fireball.
  • A small bead of fire shoots down the hallway and explodes around Verna, Vala, and Rae.
  • 3 succeed on their Dexterity saves.
  • They each take 11 fire damage.
  • Verna points out that this is almost half of her maximum HP.
• A dwarf zombie attacks Orthanc with its warhammer.
  • Orthanc is raging and takes reduced damage.
• More dwarf and orc zombies continue moving toward the hallway.
• Mo casts Entangle in the path of the approaching zombies.
  • The spell covers a 20 ft square.
  • 2 zombies fail their saves and become restrained.
  • Another succeeds.
  • The entire area becomes difficult terrain.
  • Mo maintains concentration on the spell and moves closer to the front to help intercept anything that gets through.
• Vala moves forward and gets as close as she can while remaining behind Orthanc, as instructed.
• Vala casts True Strike and fires her crossbow at the flameskull.
  • The attack hits.
  • The radiant damage appears to hurt the flameskull considerably more than a normal weapon attack would.
  • The flameskull screams when it is hit.
• More dwarf zombies shuffle into the room.
• Rae moves farther forward with his glowing stone to provide the Party with more light.
• Rae casts Guiding Bolt at the flameskull.
  • He hits it for 17 radiant damage.
  • This is the first time Rae has successfully hit something with Guiding Bolt.
  • The radiant blast burns away a large portion of the skull.
  • The flameskull is left barely holding together.
  • It glitters with divine energy, giving the next attack against it advantage.
• Orthanc attacks the zombies immediately in front of him with his greataxe.
  • He uses Reckless Attack.
  • He badly damages the first dwarf zombie, cutting away a large section of its shoulder and arm.
  • He uses Cleave to continue the swing into a second dwarf zombie and cuts off its hand.
• Because Orthanc is raging and has enough room, his Path of the Giant abilities cause him to grow to Large size.
• An orc zombie moves toward Rae and attacks him but misses.
• Rig finally starts making her way back toward the Party from the storage room.
• Rig fires her bow into one of the orc zombies as she approaches.
  • The arrow penetrates the corpse, although the piercing damage appears somewhat less effective against the dead flesh.
• A dwarf zombie pushes toward Rae.
  • Rae tries to strike it as it moves but misses.
• Verna gets a clear view of the flameskull hovering roughly 10–15 ft above the floor.
• Verna casts True Strike and fires her crossbow at the flameskull.
  • The glowing attack hits it for 13 radiant damage.
  • The arrow goes directly into one of its eye sockets.
  • The flameskull screams, bursts into flame, and crumbles into a pile of ash and burnt bone.
• The Party continues fighting the remaining zombies.
• One of the restrained orc zombies manages to break free of Mo’s Entangle and moves toward the Party.
• Another orc zombie attacks Mo but misses.
• Mo casts Shillelagh and attacks the zombie with Grew.
  • He hits it for 12 force damage.
  • The blow caves in part of the zombie’s skull.
• Vala casts Chromatic Orb at one of the dwarf zombies but misses.
  • The spell strikes its deteriorated armor and the heat is absorbed without seriously injuring it.
  • Vala rolls burnout.
  • The unstable Weave refreshes her spell slots but also causes the failed magic to rebound into her shoulder, dealing 2 damage.
• More zombies continue moving through the difficult terrain toward the Party.
• A dwarf zombie bites Orthanc.
  • Because Orthanc is raging, the damage is reduced.
• Rae raises his holy symbol of Lathander and uses Turn Undead.
  • The zombies make Wisdom saving throws.
  • 3 succeed.
  • 2 fail.
  • The 2 that fail become frightened and incapacitated for 1 minute.
  • The effect ends if they take damage.
• Rae follows Turn Undead by casting Spiritual Weapon.
  • The weapon manifests as a spectral morningstar.
  • Rae immediately attacks one of the dwarf zombies with it.
  • It deals 12 force damage.
• Orthanc uses Reckless Attack on one of the orc zombies.
  • He hits it hard enough to cut the lower portion of its body away and kill it.
  • He continues the swing into a nearby dwarf zombie with Cleave.
  • The dwarf zombie is badly damaged.
• Rig moves closer to the cluster of zombies and decides she does not particularly want to touch them.
• Rig takes one of her flasks of lamp oil and throws it over the zombies caught together around Mo’s Entangle.
• 3 zombies fail to avoid the oil and become completely coated.
  • One of the dwarf zombies attacks Rae with its warhammer.
  • It hits Rae for 9 bludgeoning damage.
  • Rae is bloodied but maintains concentration.
• Another dwarf zombie attacks Orthanc.
  • The blow mostly glances off his natural armor and deals only minor damage.
• Verna fires at one of the dwarf zombies but misses.
• Verna retreats slightly and drinks a Potion of Lesser Healing.
• One of the frightened zombies tries to move away from Rae.
  • Orthanc swings at it as it leaves his reach but misses.
  • Taking the opportunity attack would have ended Turn Undead if he had hit it.
• One of the restrained dwarf zombies attempts to pull itself out of the vines and fails.
• An orc zombie attacks Mo.
  • It hits for 10 slashing damage.
  • Mo’s armor absorbs part of the attack, reducing the damage to 6.
  • Mo maintains concentration on Entangle.
• Mo puts away Grew long enough to pull out a torch.
• Mo uses Druidcraft to ignite the torch and throws it at the oil-covered zombies.
  • The torch hits one of them.
  • Another zombie fails to move out of the way when the burning corpse falls into it.
  • Both zombies ignite.
  • The lamp oil causes them to take additional fire damage.
• The fire begins spreading through the magical vines created by Entangle.
  • It will continue spreading approximately 5 ft each round.
• Vala casts Chromatic Orb again at one of the dwarf zombies.
  • This time the spell hits.
  • The fire completely immolates the first zombie, reducing it to ash.
  • The matching damage dice allow the Chromatic Orb to leap to another zombie.
  • The second zombie is badly burned and left barely alive.
• Vala realizes afterward that Rae is badly hurt and apologizes for forgetting to heal the holy man.
• One of the burning zombies attacks but misses.
• A frightened dwarf zombie continues moving away from Rae.
• Another orc zombie walks directly into the burning section of Mo’s Entangle and catches fire.
  • The Party concludes that zombies are extremely convenient creatures to set traps for.
• Rae moves his Spiritual Weapon to another dwarf zombie and attacks.
  • The spectral morningstar caves the zombie’s head in and kills it.
• Orthanc moves farther into the group of zombies.
  • He attacks a dwarf zombie and cuts off one of its legs.
  • He uses Cleave and slices another dwarf zombie completely in half.
• Rig moves forward and decides to make a called shot against one of the remaining zombies.
  • She uses Inspiration.
  • Rig drives her stiletto directly through the zombie’s ear and into its brain for massive damage.
• Verna uses her crossbow against another damaged zombie.
  • The bolt slips past the remains of its helmet and enters through its ear.
  • The zombie dies.
• A previously restrained zombie finally breaks free.
  • It immediately walks into the burning vines and catches fire.
• Another burning orc zombie has lost its arm and therefore no longer has its weapon.
  • It attempts to bite Mo instead but misses.
• Mo attacks one of the burning zombies with Grew.
  • The blow hits its badly burned neck.
  • Its head pops off and falls to the floor.
• Vala checks on Rae and heals him for 16 HP.
  • Rae thanks her for the healing.
  • Vala thanks him for “killing them with God.”
• Several remaining zombies are badly damaged and burning.
• 2 of the zombies finally collapse as the fire destroys what remains of them.
• Rig sees the last surviving zombie, takes aim with her shortbow, and shoots it through the head.
• The final zombie dies.

END COMBAT

• The Party receives 330 XP each for defeating the flameskull and zombies.
• Vala and Rae immediately go to inspect the remains of the flameskull.
• The flameskull has been reduced to a pile of burnt bone roughly the size of a skull.
• Vala can still sense arcane energy coming from the remains.
• Rae recalls from his clerical training that some powerful undead can reconstitute themselves after their physical bodies are destroyed.
  • He remembers that flameskulls can return if the remaining undead energy is not properly dispelled.
  • Holy water, consecration, Ceremony, or similar divine magic should prevent it from returning.
• Vala does not have Dispel Magic and asks whether Rae has anything suitably holy.
  • Rae uses his remaining bottle of holy water.
  • Rae and Vala stand over the flameskull’s remains.
  • Rae recites prayers to Lathander and sprinkles the remains with holy water.
  • Wisps of green energy rise from the burnt bones and dissipate.
  • Vala can no longer detect magic coming from the remains.
  • The flameskull now appears to be permanently destroyed.
• Mo examines the enormous furnace in the room.
• As a dwarf, he recognizes it as the primary forging furnace for the mine.
  • The water wheel would once have been powered by water diverted through the 5 ft deep channel.
  • The wheel powered the giant bellows that fed the furnace.
  • There appear to have been 8 separate forging positions around it.
  • Although the furnace is centuries old, it is still in surprisingly good condition.
  • Mo thinks that if the Party could restore the water flow, the furnace could probably be made operational again without an enormous amount of work.
• The crashing-wave noise is even louder in the forge room than it was in the Great Hall.
  • The rhythm remains the same.
  • Near the northern end of the room, the Party can feel a slight vibration through the floor when the waves crash.
• Rig examines the zombies more closely to determine whether any might be the Rockseeker brothers.
  • The bodies appear to have been dead for only a few weeks or months.
  • Their clothing, armor, and weapons are centuries old.
  • Rig and the Party conclude that the flameskull’s necromantic energy was preserving the ancient corpses enough that they could still be raised as useful undead.
  • None of them are the missing Rockseekers.
• Verna scouts farther ahead in the darkness.
• Verna finds a large drop-off.
  • The cliff descends approximately 30 ft.
  • Water flows along the bottom.
  • There is another cliff on the opposite side.
• Verna explores through a narrow culvert-like passage and finds another large drop with more water at the bottom.
• Verna returns and reports the cliffs and water to the Party.
• Vala asks whether anyone wants a short rest.
• The Party decides that the open forge room is not a particularly good place to rest and retreats to the old provision storage room Rig previously explored.
• Mo positions himself near the door to listen for danger while the others rest.
• The Party takes a 1 hour short rest.
  • They spend hit dice and patch themselves up.
  • Rig uses her medical skills to help with healing.
  • Vala recovers magical energy.
  • Vala ritual casts Find Familiar and brings Talibund (aka Miss Tra) back after dismissing her to summon the unfortunate octopus during the previous session.
• After the rest, Rae recasts Light on his stone.
  • The spell creates 20 ft of bright light and another 20 ft of dim light.
• The Party returns toward the forge with Verna and Mo, who both have darkvision, scouting ahead.
• As they retrace their path, they discover that a door which was closed previously is now open.
  • A brazier is burning inside the room.
  • The fact that the door opened while the Party was resting immediately concerns them.
• Verna speaks up to investigate.
• The room appears empty.
• On the far side of the room is another heavy stone door.
  • A large iron bar has been wedged into a metal plate in the floor to barricade it shut.
  • The Party realizes this is the opposite side of the same door Orthanc tried and failed to force open near the disgusting warm pool.
• Mo and Verna investigate the room.
  • There are old, decrepit beds.
  • There are also several comparatively new bedrolls.
  • A small collection of recently scavenged supplies has been piled nearby.
  • The room smells strongly of a musky, hairy creature.
  • Mo estimates that at least 6 creatures have been using the room recently.
  • Whoever was living here made some effort to clear the debris away and turn the room into a usable living space.
• The Party suspects the occupants may be bugbears.
• Verna checks the barred door for traps.
  • She does not find any.
  • The iron bar appears to exist solely to keep the door shut.
• Verna removes the bar and opens the door.
• It leads back into the cavern with the warm, disgusting pool.
• The Party now has another route back through the area they previously explored.
• Verna does not want to leave a door barred behind the Party when they may need to use it later.
• The Party decides not to return through the pool cavern and instead continues exploring north.
• Before they continue, Vala remembers the small enchanted silver flask she took from the ancient wizard in the pool.
• Vala finally opens the flask enough to smell its contents.
  • It smells like recent rainfall with a faint metallic blood or copper scent.
  • Vala recognizes the smell as similar to a Potion of Lesser Healing.
  • She can sense magic from both the flask itself and the liquid inside it.
  • She still suspects there is something unusual about the enchanted container beyond simply holding a healing potion.
• Vala gives the enchanted flask to Verna.
  • Vala tells Verna that she constantly feels like Verna is about to die.
  • Vala knows Verna does not particularly care if she dies, but Vala does.
  • She tells Verna to drink from the flask if she needs healing.
  • Vala warns her that she does not entirely know what the flask does, but the fluid seems helpful.
  • Verna is grateful and promises to figure it out.
• The Party continues north.
• Verna reaches another hallway near the waterfall and sees a set of large double doors.
  • The double doors immediately seem important.
• Verna and Mo move toward the doors stealthily.
• Verna listens at the doors.
  • She hears what sounds like speech on the other side.
  • The doors are extremely thick stone, so she cannot make out the words.
  • It sounds like approximately 2 people speaking to one another.
• Rig moves closer to help cover the other side of the doorway.
• As Rig approaches, the conversation behind the doors abruptly stops.
• Rae palms the glowing stone to conceal its light.
• Mo activates his Tremorsense and concentrates on the stone beneath him.
  • He can detect creatures and moving objects within 60 ft as long as they are in contact with the same surface.
  • Mo detects 2 creatures moving inside the room.
  • They move closer to the door and then stop.
• Verna moves away from the direct line of the doorway and casts Mage Hand.
  • She hopes to remotely open the door so that whoever is inside will find an apparently empty hallway.
  • Verna burns out while casting.
  • The unstable Weave drains 6 HP from her.
• The stone doors are far too heavy for Mage Hand to open.
• Verna decides the Mage Hand can at least knock.
• The spectral hand gives the door a frantic knock.
• Rig uses the opportunity to quietly patch Verna up.
  • Verna recovers 13 HP.
• A voice from inside the room responds in Common:
  • “Well, you’ve made enough noise at this point, you might as well come in.”
• Verna listens carefully to the voice.
  • It sounds Elven.
  • She recognizes an Underdark accent.
  • Verna believes the speaker is a drow.
  • Verna reacts with immediate hostility.
• Rae casts Silence over the doorway and surrounding area.
  • The spell creates a 20 ft radius sphere where no sound can be heard.
  • Rae maintains concentration on the spell.
• Mo signals for Orthanc to come forward.
• The Party arranges themselves around the hallway.
  • Mo and Orthanc prepare to open the doors.
  • Verna and Rig remain nearby.
  • Vala stays with Rae rather than standing directly behind Orthanc.
• Mo opens the double doors.
• Inside the room, the Party sees:
  • 2 bugbears standing on either side of the entrance, apparently waiting for the door to open.
  • A drow dressed in black clothing and black wizard’s robes.
  • 6 cracked marble pillars lining the walls.
  • A 9 ft tall statue of a dwarf seated on a throne.
    • A large warhammer rests across the statue’s lap.
    •  Large emeralds form the statue’s eyes.
  • The room has been meticulously cleared of dust and debris.
  • Bedrolls are arranged between the pillars, showing that the room is being actively occupied.
• The drow looks at Mo and Orthanc and smiles.
  • He calls them “a mighty large man and a mighty small man.”
  • He tells them that he knows there are more members of the Party outside.
  • He asks whether they have come to parlay or whether they are going to “do this the difficult way.”
• Mo cannot hear any of this because he is standing inside Rae’s Silence spell.
• Mo backs away far enough to be able to speak.
• Rather than immediately agreeing to parlay, Mo prepares to summon a beast behind the drow, transform into a bear, and attack.
• The Party is facing a drow wizard and 2 bugbears in a recently occupied chamber deeper inside Wave Echo Cave.
  • The drow has offered to parlay.
  • Mo is preparing for combat instead.

Next Session → Session 028: Showdown with the Black Spider