Session 89: Blades in the UnderDark

General Summary

22nd Unndilar 836PD   Just as soon as the Drow Shadow Blade vanishes their blade pieces Raphael as they apparate behind him, before then melding back into the shadows. But they are not the only vanishing blade, as a bright spark of a sharp purple energy emerges from the hand of a hidden masked figure and strikes a Drow warrior down dead.   Quill throws his wicked sister axes at the Drow warriors whilst riding from the back of his goat, Buckraa. Seeing her forces start to dwindle, the Drow Priestess pulls down the ceiling with her magic to block the Unbroken as she makes her escape.   Sabali and his Shadow Sabalo slice through a drow warrior, but their comrade sticks Sabali deep with their poisonous blade in retaliation and pops Sabalo. The House Captain rallies the remaining warriors to give their lives to defend the Priestess.   Seeing the wounds build on Raphael, Orlando shoots the Shadow Blade to draw their ire away from Raphael. He provides enough of a distraction for the Winter Knight to charge the slippery shadow Drow, and smite him down to the ground as a gasping wreck with his eldritch might. Before Raph can deal the killing blow, the Drow slips into the darkness and his blade finds another back to stab, Orlando's, bringing him to the cusp of death as well. The shady Drow prepares the final twist of their sword, but Quill's axe lodges itself into the Shadow Blade's head, saving Orlando.   A purple psychic blade streaks through the air into a warrior, and as the blade appears in their chest, the masked wielder appears as well as they teleported alongside their blade. Sabali strikes down the warrior that gutted him, and manages to overpower and grapple the House Captain. Orlando in a need of near death catharsis shoots the Captain dead.   The masked figure introduces themself as 'Buzz' (Buzzard), a roguish elf who is a member of the Slayer's Take in Kraghammer. He's been on the hunt for the Drow Priestess, and he offers to help guide the party safely around the other Drow encampments if they assist him in hunting down the Priestess. The party agree and they all start to clear the rubble to try and track the Priestess. Simeon prays for healing for the party, and Quill patches up Orlando, making sure he follow's Mama Boom's orders and look after her boy!   After a couple of minutes the path is clear and Buzz finds the right tracks to pursue the Priestess, heading in the direction of a derelict outpost that he had previously visited. The party stealth through the tunnels and find the outpost with two guards, Orlando lays down a silence over them with Sabali/Sabalo attacking them in the quiet.   Zeni's firebolt burns a guard a down, and the last guard lands in a silent thud as Quill's axe lands in their chest. Buzz moves on ahead, trying to get towards the back of the buildings to prevent the Priestess from escaping out the back. Simeon's shadow separates and forms a duplicate of him, and is sent ahead as well as potential bait for any other forces in the building.   Sabali and Buzz move through the building and come face to face with a Drow Inquisitor, as soon as they see them they alert the other guards and a summon a shadowy scythe that slices into Sabali, along with a deadly looking lance that sucks the life out of Sabali as it pierces his flesh. Seeing the impaled Tabaxi, Quill unleashes a volley of his flying axes into the Inquisitor, giving time for Sabali to swap out away with Sabalo.   Buzz, Zeni and Orlando face down several guards, firing magical blades, bolts and bullets through the dark. The Priestess taps into the dark web of her devotion to Lolth and summons a demonic Yochlol, the yellow slime congeals and forms into a giant horrifying spider. Orlando sees the demon and his flashbacks to the groups' first fight against spiders under the Apothecary's home in Drynna, sends a wary chill down his spine and he resolves to not face a repeat of that encounter. He hammers a radiant salvo from his guns, blasting off one of the demonic spider’s fangs. Zeni's own near death experience in that spider encounter fuels her magic as she channels lightning through her metal horn, it bolts right through the duplicate of Simeon and Quill manages to duck out of the way as it fries the Inquisitor and Yochlol.   The demon tries to dominate Quill's mind as he slashes into the Inquisitor, but the barbarian's rage blocks the attempted interference. Sensing the tide turning against her again, the Priestess weaves her spidery magic to heal her forces as they prepare to return the Unbroken's attacks in kind...