Who is around
Disguised
- Isaac
- Northas
- Maddox
Non disguised
- Áinfean
- Sigfried
- Khohros
- Yalana
- Elissa
Where are we
Quick Summary of last session
“Wasting time chopping some stranger’s firewood is called ‘pulling a tiramisu’”
-Ellie
We decide to have the disguised people go ahead to try find a safe house, while the rest of us stay behind. Khohros is ready to cast Pass Without Trace on the remaining group.
As they try to come up with a cover story for why they have not contacted the Order earlier, they realise its 100% believable for Isaac to have just forgotten.
Maddox casts Telepathic Bond on the party.
Scouting into the chamber
“Isaac I can’t believe you are singlehandedly saving our asses by being an idiot!”
-Elissa
There are two hulking figures standing about 10ft from the main Gates of Vaprak.
Their arms as wide as tree trunks. Cannot be seen clearly as they are obscured by shadows.As they get closer they see the figures are ogres, but seem not to be reacting, just staring into their grounds. It looks like something that has never breathed before, trying to get a handle on it.
Northas asks to be let in, and they say nothing, exhale in unison and open the doors. As Maddox looks closer, they seem to be breathing but no air is coming out, and she connects the dots that they have been resurrected.
Beside this, they seem weirdly perfect, no scars or imperfections.
“Ogres in the wild usually have scars, dandruff, something!”
-Tony
It is weirdly bright inside, an unnatural sky on the ceiling, and the streets below feel entombing and like they are pressing in. The lantern have a sickly red glow. All of the buildings are damaged, mostly by falling boulders.
There are multiple layers of walls, walkways and big stone bridges passing above everything. There is the sound of people, hooves, and the footfall of something much bigger than a human. The air is dry and thin here, and far far off is a ~20 foot statue of a cloaked figure holding a staff behind them, and their other hand in front as though trying to raise something up.
There is little to no vegetation, but there is birds perched along the cave walls, some flying around.When one looks closer, you can tell that none of them are alive, not even the ones that are moving.
(Maddox tries to figure out what she knows about Vaprak, remembering that Vaprak is also the name of an old troll God. This city once contained Clever Trolls, but they have since all been wiped out.)
Isaac looks into the first house, then heading into it.Inside the house is book-shelves,the books inside so worn they may turn to dust would one touch them. 2nd floor is completely clean, and 3rd floor is broken with a boulder on the street below. Isaac hears voices, and leaves to find another place.
The next house has a clearly ransacked and abandoned cellar.
PLAN:
Isaac walks back, asks for the door to be opened again so that he can pick the group up, casting invisibility on everyone except Khohros who also casts pass without trace. That way everyone can slip through the door as isaac heads back in. Khohros is Isaac’s excuse for going in and out, saying he forgot his pet snake.
Everything goes as planned up til Isaac comes back, and Khohros casts Pass Without Trace.
“Imagine if Isaac came back and was like ‘ I forgot my pet snake!’ and behind him he has a tiny snake on a leash, being pulled along.”
-Me
We pass through the door back in without incident, and head into the city. There is a spectral figure in the street,on a skeleton horse.Some cultists watches Isaac as we enter. Since Isaac isnt dressed like the others other than the mask, one of them leaves their group and walks up to Isaac. He introduces himself as Fenrin, and draws a half-circle in the dirt, Isaac finishing it to look like a fish. They have a talk about the ritual, and how the Grimoire people are freaky.
Isaac heads into the hideout. The team is pissed because Isaac forgot to tell the others about the secret goddamn handshake.
à Secret Reaper handshake: One draws a half circle in the sand with their foot, and the other completes it to look like a fish.
As Sigfried breaks his invisibility, one can see that his eyes are bright white, and his hair is white and floating as though underwater.
à Sig and Maddox explain that this is a bit like a curse that has been laid on them, and Maddox puts her cloak over him to conceal the glowiness. Time to make another plan. Isaac explains the fish in the sand gesture. Also the fact that people don’t wear masks here.
“It’s a fish! My dad was a fisherman, I know what those look like!!”
-Elissa
The Grimoire: The most high ranking mages of the Order.They have summoned a bunch of ghosts.
Ralastra A different realm from which the Order wants to summon Nerule.
The Second Plan
Pretending to be giving up and‘handing over Last Resort, which is actually just Isaac’s pact weapon.
This wouldn’t work because Isaac told them that Sai has the sword.
Isaac tries to remember what they know about the ritual, and remembers that the ritual can only be performed in Ralastra (?) And if we were to steal the key to Ralastra we could prevent them from summoning Nerule.
Short Rest, end of session.