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Current Situation
- Preparation to confront Alectos is underway. Items are purchased, weapons and spells tested, and questions asked.
Session Summary
- Sometime in the night, Abbot Tank interrupts a talk between Barrett and Friar Illu Stardust. Barrett calls the rest of the Maybesitters, and the Abbot is clearly concerned and agitated about something. Tank lets the group know there's been a development, and the containment of Alectos has been compromised. Somehow, the entire area is cut off to the other two Couatls. They cannot sense anything inside, and cannot send the group directly to Alectos. However, they can access teleportation to the entrance to the caves.
- Z asks if it's possible they may run into any other adversaries, and while there are other creatures on the island, they should land right next to the entrance. Dhann asks if the other two Couatl have been inside the containment, and they have not, as crossing the border of the wards would lower them. The Cleric asks if that's also why the other people sent, couldn't leave; perhaps the wards trapped them. The Abbot thinks perhaps it's more along the lines of the other people having been killed by Alectos.
- Barrett asks if the group needs to expedite leaving, and the Abbot says that the morning should still be alright. He wants to make sure sending the group is worth the risk and so needs to have a few talks with some of the other leaders on the island.
- The group decides to look at the Couatl egg again, to see if there have been any changes. Dhann wonders why the isle doesn't keep the egg hidden, if it's so valuable, and the Abbot says this is is to keep access to it readily available in case Alectos needs to transfer the duty to the chick at a moment's notice.The egg had been retrieved by Gemere before Alectos could destroy it.
- Z asks permission to attempt detecting magic from, or in the egg, and the Abbot has no problem with this. From the egg, the Bard senses an intense amount of magical power. No school is sensed, not coming at all. It's more a blast of magic, and doesn't feel divine, it's ancient and arcane, like the creature itself has magic running through it, and is alive, rather than made of magic, like the Weave. No being is sensed, but there is definitely something alive in the egg and producing magic. There's a large sense of celestial, otherworldly magic.
- Rae asks the group if she should take back the Mythallar seed from the Abbot, and Barrett says he's not sure how much help it would be to go with them to the caves. Dhann tells Rae he thinks that because the seed was given to her, what's done with it is her decision. Barrett agrees. Dhann watches the Abbot during this and the Abbot looks nothing but concerned, about both the island, and the Maybesitters.
- At this time, Rae apologizes for "coming across so intensely" on the mountain, and the whole thing must have been quite creepy. She accepts she's a stranger to them, but can't pretend she doesn't know them. But if they'll give her a chance, she'll show them she can be trusted, because getting trust based on being told to, by someone else, feels cheap.Then, asking if they need proof, she holds out the Bag of Holding to see if anyone takes it from her.
- Barrett explains how he saw the care and concern Rae showed Tabitha during the removal of the Ring of Tides and gives Rae back the bag to hold, which she takes.
- Left alone for the time being, Dhann tells the group that he messaged Marnic Remsie for more details on the mysterious stranger in Trollskull Tavern. The answer is yes - when Mirt loudly asked if the group was back from the Moonshae, the man immediately left the tavern. Overall, it was concerning.
- Dhann also experimented with the Glove of Radiance, and shows everyone that he can now summon a ball of Radiant light, and Barrett mentions the armory is just around the corner, if the Cleric or anyone would like to practice or test any attacks before they leave. Dhann says absolutely, and Z and Rae both have something they'd like to try as well.
- Barrett gives them a tour of the armory and training areas. He asks the person on duty if they can use the grounds, and the man gives the group permission to use the place privately, and takes his leave. It's noticed at this point that the group seems to be more on the radar for anyone in the immediate area, as word spreads of their preparation to visit Alectos.
- Setting up, Barrett shoots Sacred Flame at a dummy to see the damage, so that Dhann has something to gauge Radiant Sphere again. Summoning the light, Dhann hurls it at one of the mannequins, hitting it solidly. Z plays some medival Pink Floyd. The light that hits the dummy grows larger and faster the further it gets from Dhann's hand. The light slams and engulfs the target rather than hitting one specific location. While Radiant light, the magic is something else compared to, or at least doesn't behave, quite like usual Radiant magic.
- As Dhann goes to throw another sphere at the target, Barrett asks him to wait, and as Dhann freezes mid throw, the light actually returns to Dhann's hand and waits to be thrown again.
- At this point, Barrett shoves the dummy aside and tells Dhann to bring it on. Someone has to say Roshambo, and Dhann calls to Barrett to try and catch the light. Barrett suggests catch. Dhann throws the ball, and Barrett hesitates ever so slightly at the light coming straight at his face, but manages to catch the light. It burns, still, but the Monk has successfully caught the light.
- Barrett suggests trying to call the light back, and Dhann holds his hand out to do so, and WHOOSH, the light is back in Dhann's palm. Immediately, he hurls it at the dummy nearest, and the mannequin takes a heavy blow. Barrett then wants to get hit by the spell, but Dhann doesn't like throwing it at friends, but does, and it hits the Monk for a good amount of damage. Barrett can tell that (ouch) it's Radiant damage, but there's a unique level of pain with this stuff, almost like it's hitting his brain. Barrett realizes that the spell, when hitting him, has almost seemed to quell or calm his surface negative emotions. It's like the bad feelings have been pushed out of his head. Z suggests offering exorcism services at Trollskull.
- Rae, having watched this, tries Eldritch Blast at the same dummy the Clerics have been beating up. She casts it successfully, and seems relieved for some reason. Just for more fun, she then casts Witch Bolt. Another good hit. The dummy explodes.
- Z then steps forward and shows off something new he's made; three juggling beanie bags, and flings them artfully at another dummy. Two hit, and as they do, the dummy is uprooted and flung in a random direction by the juggling balls. "I can make it dance!" Everyone is incredibly excited and impressed by this new work of art.
- Tabitha still feels somewhat under the weather, after having had the curse of the Ring of Tides removed. She's definitely herself, but there's some sort of lingering malaise, almost like a hangover. She shares in the new discoveries of her compatriots, but seems under the weather overall.
- Barrett asks Rae what spell she was concerned about, and it's Find Familiar. She gives sparing details on having a familiar who has gone missing since the whole debacle in the tomb. Barrett offers that the order has a few wizards and perhaps they can help. Rae isn't sure what the problem is, and takes him up on the offer.
- Dhann gives Z the fabrics he purchased, and thanks him again for helping make a matching gauntlet liner for his left hand, to better hide the Glove of Radiance. Z mentions he's off to see Master Buttons again later that evening.
- Barrett spends his time sparring with Jalad and Thilthaad Zofbis.
- Dhann gets a message from Mirt as everyone heads to dinner, saying that Velrosa Nandar has been having nightmares of her dead husband, Drezlin Nandar. That's not normal. He asks that the group see him as soon as they're back, and Dhann assures him as soon as they're back in Waterdeep, they will be sure to meet with him. Mirt also says that Maran is at Trollskull with Erky and Ander is "studying," whatever that means. He doesn't give a location.
- In the dining room, a Heroes' Feast is set out for everyone, even if the mood doesn't fit the magnificent spread. A new person is in attendance, the third couatl, Nocabi. Gemere is busy focusing on maintaining the containment around Alectos.
- Everyone sits down for the information download, and much of this is new to those in attendance as well.
- Alectos' containment is mostly magic, but now requires one couatl to focus on the ward hold. The chamber is deep within a mountain, and there's a cave entrance to the inner sanctum, but it seems that there has been some sort of cave in. Something has breached the interior of the entire sanctuary. The group can only be teleported to the entrance to the system, and needs to keep an eye out for landslides, tunnel collapses, and other dangers of that kind. Maybe the monastery has something to offer to assist in this way.
- The couatl know, to an extent, how to get to the Mythallar, but it's not a path you can directly walk. This at least is information that the Maybesitters don't need to worry about extracting. Mainly, it's what's happened to her, or, if they can cure her, can she pass her duty to her chick.
- Z asks if there's any magic that can help assist Dhann in moving earth or stone on their way through the tunnels to Alectos' chambers, and this is absolutely something that the monastery can provide. Rae asks if there are any maps of the tunnel system, and unfortunately, the answer is no.
- Brainscanning the group, Nocabi senses the malaise around Tabitha and says that she and Stardust should convene and remove the "illness" from the Witch while the rest of the group heads out the next morning, and they'll send Tabitha along as soon as possible. It's too big a risk to send Tabitha to the sanctum if she's under the influence of some strange magic or effect.
- In the morning, Nocbai and the Abbot meet the group to then transport them to the cave entrance. Nocabi gives Barrett a Steel Pearl of Move Earth, to help with clearing any debris that might be blocking the caves.
- Nocabi turns back from her humanoid form into her couatl form, and Z recognizes the aura of magic he was able to detect from the egg, even without needing to cast any spell. It feels like pure goodness. Her wings flare up, and with a burst of magic, the group finds themselves near the entrance of a cave - however, rocks and refuse are scattered around the entrance, and two Tyrannosaurs are present.
- Landing after being teleported is rough, and the group lands a bit scattered rather than being in the circle they left in. Barrett lands just fine, and Dhann manages to land on his feet, but Rae stumbles and lands prone in some shrubbery, out of sight. Z is fine. Unfortunately, the sounds of flora and a landing Warlock draw the attention of the dinosaurs, and everyone readies themselves for a fight.
- The fight is quite intense. At one point, Z becomes trapped within the jaws of one T-rex, and Barrett, another. Strangely, neither of them seem to take as much damage as they should, and, curiously, Rae seems much more bruised than one should be from not having actually been hit. But then she is, snapped up in the jaws of a dinosaur, but Dhann generates water in the T-rex's stomach and punches it solidly with Spiritual Weapon, causing it to vomit a terrible amount of water and one filth-covered Warlock. After an intense and thunderous fight, the T-rexs are vanquished, and bruised, bloody, barfed, and alive, the four adventurers regroup and prepare to enter the cave entrance.
Next time on...
All that lays between the third couatl and our heroes finding answers are some tunnels, dirt, and a whole lot of darkness. Has Tabitha been cured of her strange hangover? Will the Maybesitters be able to find Alectos within the cave system? Only time will tell!