Session 28:Eclivian's Enclave Report

General Summary

Session 28 – Wednesday February 1, 2023 – The Eclivian Enclave

4 Hour Role Play/battle session 5:30 PM to 10:00PM

The Stone Bearers. Party of 4:

It is the 18th day of the month of Uktar (The Rotting) in the 50th year of the Age of Enialis (Mid November.)

• Abrash – Wood (Dessert) Elf, L5 Druid – Jacob Munson
• Ajani– High Elf, L5 Wizard – Nathan Gioconda (Remote)
• Gazlowe – Goblin, L5 Artificer – Josh Pozsonyi (School)
• Thomas – Human, L5 Blood hunter – Ryan Armstrong (Remote)
• Isabella – Forest Gnome, L5 Barbarian – Jackie Armstrong
• Cedrik – Human, L5 Bard – Dan King (Absent)

Drow Refugees

The party freed the Drow Refugees from their chains. The matron of the drow, Leszyr Hlatlar addressed the party. She was a tall, beautiful woman about 300 years old standing about 6’3”. She spoke with an air of wisdom. She told the Stone Bearers not to fear as the Eclivian Drow have forsaken the evil ways of the Drow and follow strict Tenets of their Faction. She explained that the purpose of the Eclivian Drow is to protect the surface world from the Evil Drow. To that end they have established an enclave in a nearby cavern where they keep an eye on entrances to the Underdark and can protect the surface from the Evil Drow of Lolth.

Leszyr went on to explain that recently a group of odd humans with very pale skin were passing through the caverns. At first the Eclivian Drow simply kept an eye on them. By the time the scouts realized an attack was being planned it was too late. The Humans were accompanied by horrifying large creatures with massive Claws for arms and tentacles hanging from their faces and the Eclivian were overwhelmed. The refugees here are all that escaped. She begged the party to help rescue the remaining Drow who could not escape. She believed that there could be two dozen Drow trapped. She does not believe the invaders meant to slaughter them all. She mentioned that humans were very pale but wore long dark robes and she heard one of them mention Acheros though she doesn’t know what or who that is.

She asked the party to recover any heirlooms or objects of personal significance as that will help with the morale of her people but most importantly to rescue as many of her people as they could. She offered to the party a chest containing 50pp and 1,500gp, as that is all they were able to gather when they left. She also offered the party an additional 5 sapphires worth 100gp each as they have already proven worthy by rescuing the refugees here. If the party is successful in rescuing her people, she will give them the chest and she would gladly meet with the Lady Red to discuss an alliance as any emissaries of the Lady Red who are willing to rescue her people could be strong allies indeed.

On the way to the cavern

Leszyr appointed one of her warrior leaders, Laele Zauviir to lead the party. Laele, a very young female Drow, barely 100 years old bore a deep scar across her face but it somehow complemented her striking beauty. She and 4 of her warriors escorted the party away from the other refugees and back towards the cavern. After a couple hours of walking, the party cautiously stopped as there was a rustling in a nearby bush. The rustling turned out to be nothing but 2 of the Drow suddenly turned on 2 of the other Drow and wrapped ropes around their necks. The party looked on stunned for a moment and Abrash warned the Drow that they would not survive the Stone Bearers. One of the evil Drow yanked on the rope and the neck made a low SNAP! Everyone sprang into action.

Ajani cast shield and deflected two punches from the Evil Drow. The other Drow punched Isabella. Abrash turned into a War Ostrich. Isabella cut the rope around the 2nd Drow’s neck and then sliced into the Evil Drow. Thomas ran to the Drow with the broken neck and found him dead. The Drow punched Thomas with surprising strength. Abrash the Ostrich hit one of the Evil Drow. Isabella made some deep slices into the Evil Drow with her Axe leaving it badly bloodied. Thomas whipped the other Evil Drow. The Evil Drow punched the Ostrich. Ajani hit the Evil Drow with a Ray of frost. The other one, bloodied by Isabella, disengaged, and took off into the woods. Isabella took off into the woods, but she headed in the wrong direction.

Thomas killed the last evil Drow with an uppercut, and it fell over. The Evil Drow’s body began to change as the clothing and the skin morphed revealing a blueish grey doppelganger. The party all ran into the woods to find the other Evil Drow. Abrash, as a very fast and very perceptive war ostrich ran into the woods and found a little gnomish man at the end of a bloody trail. Thomas came in from behind and went in for the kill with his hook hand. The dead Gnome morphed into a dead doppelganger.

Warning the others.

Laele told the party that she needs to go back to the refugees and warn them of possible infiltrators. Thomas stabilized the other Drow who was clearly not a doppelganger. Abrash, as a fast War Ostrich, took Laele and the other Drow back to the refugees. The other Stone Bearers cleared the bodies from the road and hid the bodies in the woods. Abrash left Laele with the refugees to sort out any other doppelgangers. He then caught back up with the others in 2 hours and the party took a short rest.

The entrance to the cavern.

The party walked for a few more hours and found the entrance to the cavern. Thomas lit up his chain and the party cautiously entered. Abrash cast pass without a trace on the team. The entrance opened to a large cavern made of cool, smooth stone. A faint musk scent filled the air. The sound of flowing water gently echoed all around, providing a peaceful atmosphere while a large snake swam through the channel directly ahead. A wooden bridge spanned the channel with a few broken boards on one end. A pile of broken and damaged goods was visible near the far side of the bridge.

The party watched the snake for a bit as it swam out of sight. Isabella spotted a ladder to the south and examined it. Thomas climbed up the 20 feet to see what he could. At the top of the ladder, a lone torch still brightly burned. Several large plants were growing in the soft soil on this plateau. A wet, skeletal corpse was glistening under a plant. A loud chewing sound was audible from the other side of the large rock in the center of this area. The end the plateau dropped off 30 feet down into a river. Thomas walked around the rock and saw, barely visible across a gap in the stone, another skeleton, this one grasping a keyring while a crossbow lay at its feet. Thomas looked around the corner and saw a tremendous creature. It was large with 2 huge lobster claws, a hard shell, and tentacles hanging from its mouth. The creature was sucking on the last few bits of flesh remaining on another skeleton.

Thomas, from his elevated position, was able to see into a well-lit area to the west where he saw at least one cultist and perhaps others in a pit, along with a couple of cages. The creature looked up and Thomas backed up and jumped down to the others only taking a few points of damage. He told the others what he saw but the creature didn’t seem to pursue Thomas. The party decided they should first get the keys Thomas saw and then go after the cultists in robes. Abrash suggested they keep one alive to see if they can get any information.

Isabella goes after the keys

Isabella stealthily climbed the ladder and crept across the plateau. Ajani climbed the ladder and followed her. Thomas quickly walked over the bridge to the west and climbed over a battlement. Isabella peered around the corner and saw the creature. She decided to go back a little bit and climb down the ravine towards the river to hide from the creature. However, as soon as she looked into the ravine, a 2nd lobster like creature reached up and grabbed her and she screamed.

Isabella critically struck the creature with her axe. Ajani used his telekinetic ability to pull Isabella free of her grapple and simultaneously cast a chromatic Orb critically into the open wound left by Isabella’s axe. The creature was near death and dove into the water. Thomas climbed up the spiked wall into the western area and saw that the creatures in the pit were two more of these lobster-like creatures the Drow had called Chuul. He also saw the cages were empty and there was one robed humanoid at the far side of the pit.

The 2nd Chuul had moved closer to Isabella, but she jumped over the ravine to the other side where the skeleton and keys were. She grabbed the keys, and spotted a ring on the skeleton, she grabbed it and the crossbow also. The 2nd creature jumped over the ledge after Isabella, and he grappled her in his claw. Ajani hit it with a chromatic orb. Abrash hit the creature with his thorn whip and yanked it and Isabella along with it off the cliff and they fell into the ravine and splashed into the water. Thomas, flanking from the west was able to see the creature down the river and shot a crossbow bolt at it and was able to break the creatures grapple of Isabella. Isabella hit the creature and then started climbing up the cliff. The creature grappled Isabella again and then started licking her face with its tentacles. Isabella resisted the effect but was very disgusted by it.

Isabella broke free of the grapple and climbed higher up to the top of the ledge. The Chuul tried to attack Abrash, but Thomas cursed it and it missed. Ajani bloodied the creature with a chromatic orb. Abrash shot a firebolt at the creature and walked away. The creature grabbed Abrash and looked to jump into the water with him. Thomas struck the Chuul with his crossbow forcing it to release Abrash. Isabella came in with her great axe and slashed him deeply. The badly bloodied creature let go of the ledge and plunged towards the water, but Thomas, Isabella and Abrash all took opportunity attacks, and it smashed on the rocks plummeting to a watery grave. As it floated in the river, Abrash saw swarms of Quipper feast on the Chuul.

To the Western area

The party climbed down the cliff into the western area where Thomas was. The 2 Chuul and the hooded man seemed to ignore them. A pair of cages sat in the south of this area, next to a small table. On the table were an empty chamber pot and a few pieces of gold. Underneath the table was a badly damaged carpet, having been slashed and burned. Leather was strung upon a wooden panel behind the cages, with elven writing covering it. Two monstrous creatures were visible in the pit to the northwest, with their backs turned towards this area. One humanoid sat on a chair with a dark robe obscuring their face. Ajani read to the party the writing on the panel:

• Dro Oliom. Violation of the First Tenet. Guilty, sentenced to death.
• Hurzal Davar. Violation of the First Tenet. Guilty, sentenced to death.
• Silvra Elpragh. Theft. Guilty, sentenced to one hundred hours of hard labor.
• Saszara Myervs. Violation of the Second Tenet. Not guilty, granted 100 gp compensation for the accusations.
• Brorn Alerae. Theft. Not guilty, no compensation.

Thomas examined the carpet while Isabella found that 2 of the 3 keys on the keyring fit into the locks on the empty cages. The area to the south was dark and a line of female elven clothing was strung over the river heading south. Looking to the west they saw a large throne at the far side of the room overlooking the pit that spans this area. In the center of the pit was an altar, appearing hastily constructed with wood and stitched together with animal hides. An ornate scimitar was set in the center of the altar, surrounded by old, fading bloodstains. Fresh, wet bloodstains dotted the area. A humanoid individual dressed in ornate robes was sitting in the throne. Two monstrous creatures walked between the bloodstains, sniffing them.

Kneel

The party walked around the pit, the Chuul in the pit noticed them but did not attack. The hooded figure said, “Approach!” When the party was about 10 feet from the chair the hooded figure said: “Stop, kneel before me, the master I serve will find you useful.” Abrash subtly cast detect thoughts. Most in the party half-heartedly and cautiously went on one knee but Isabella stood firm. They all started asking questions about what god, etc. The priest in the chair seemed to insist on blind obedience and subservience which the party was clearly not doing. After a 4th request to Kneel and consistent questions from the party he ordered the Chuul to attack but he said, “Keep them alive.”

Pit battle

Abrash cast guiding bolt and critically striking one of the Chuul and as Abrash backed up, the Chuul reached out and grabbed Abrash. Ajani hit the creature with his chromatic orb. Thomas jumped up onto the alter, grabbed the scimitar, and swung at the creature. He also cast shield of faith on himself. The priest’s presence seemed to be maddening. Everyone except Thomas was able to resist the maddening effect. Thomas became confused. Isabella slashed into one of the Chuul grappling abrash. The creature continued to squeeze Abrash and tried to lick his face, but Abrash resisted and wild shaped into a war Ostrich. The 2nd Chuul grabbed ahold of Thomas.

Ajani backed up and cast lightning bolt at both Chuul. He was also able to break Thomas from the grapple and Thomas shook off the confusion. The cult priest confused Ajani. Isabella cracked a stupid crustation joke and killed the Chuul holding Abrash. She turned and critically hit the 2nd Chuul and called him “Shellfish!” The creature grappled Isabella and tried to lick her face, but she resisted the tentacles. Abrash scratched at the Chuul. Ajani stood confused and then broke free from it. Isabella finished off the Chuul with her axe.

Isabella taunted the priest then rushed up and hit him twice with her axe. Abrash the Ostrich jumped up to the priest and hit him with his claws, bloodying him. Ajani cast lightning bolt and the priest who critically failed to dodge. The lightning bolt struck the center of his chest, momentarily blinding the rest of the party. Whey they looked back, the singed robe of the priest floated to the ground where there was nothing but ash and a pair of shoes.

What’s Next:

• Rescue about 2 dozen Eclivian Drow and get them to align with the Lady Red.
• Find out who resurrected Niptu. If he’s been resurrected, stop him.

Remnant tasks

• Revalor is hiding with family at cottage along the Delimbiyr River between Zelbross and Loudwater.
• Gazlowe to find out about Adventurer’s guild
• Find out about the Red and White Ladies and report back to The Lord’s Alliance.
• Find out about mysterious slave trade in the High Forest.
• Train the Hellhound Johny Cash
• Purchase the Firestone Keep and rebuild it.
• Gazlowe to make a permanent mayonnaiser for Flicktongue
• Restore Abrash and Ajani’s homeland.