Session XXXV: The Chameleon's Demise

General Summary

General Summary

Dorcan Ithi, A friend of Elandril's from his time in the Twisted Blades, Dorcan Ithi brings the party to meet with Miridi in The Haven where they are briefed on their next mission: infiltrate Khothax's newly discovered mining operation. The party quickly accepts and begins the journey to the mine, which was spotted just outside the walls of Watlema.
  Upon arriving at the mine, the party discovers a few royal guard corpses outside—which they assume were guarding the mine. Cautiously entering the mine, the party notices the unnatural darkness that appears to cover the walls. Heigolor turns on his armor's magical light, and is able to guide the party through the room. However, they are quickly attacked by five shadow creatures, which sap some of the party members' strength. The party manages to dispatch the shadows without much difficulty and are led through the rest of the mine where they find five high elf corpses—whom Ukar recognizes as some of the villagers of his hometown. Noticeably absent are his parents and his husband, Stël. The party continues through the mind until they come across what looks like the entrance to a newly exposed crypt, which bricks made of black, smoking stone. The party hears screaming from the crypt, and decides to venture inside.
  Upon venturing inside, the party comes to a circular room that immediately begins to fill with darkness as cold laughter pierces the otherwise silent crypt. A boneclaw begins the attack the party, clawing at them and jumping through the shadows to avoid their attacks. However, after a few moments, the boneclaw laughs again as Heigolor's armor flickers—briefly leaving the room in complete darkness. When light returns, the boneclaw was nowehere to be seen, but the party begins to become suspicious of each other—believing that they may no longer be along in the crypt.
  In the next room, the party are met with a room that contains six bodies hanging from the ceiling, all in dark cloaks—with one smiling and looking twistedly at the party. Upon taking a closer look, it is revealed that the bodies correspond to the party members and the Chameleon—who's body is still staring back at them. Investigating the bodies further, the party members realize that they are all covered in tally-mark-like scars. Looking around the room, the party finds six pedestals which all except for one display objects: two rings, a vial of blood, blue dragonhide, a bloody warhammer, and a pie. Eventually the party realizes that the objects correspond to their pasts, and feel rushes of emotions as they pick them up. Heigolor feels a rush of loneliness as he picks up the two rings, representing his failure to marry Myrin—and abandoning her. Elandril feels a rush of hunger as he picks up the vial of blood, representing the distasteful consequences of his vampiric affliction. Oswald feels a rush of guilt as he picks up the blue dragonhide—which he believes is a result of failing to protect his dragon master. Ukar feels a rush of anger as he picks up the bloodied warhammer, representing the anger he feels at having been unable to protect or save his husband. Micnik feels an overwhelming sense of being lost as he picks up the pie, representing his murder of an elderly lady in his village. Upon giving the items to their corpses, their heads twist and smile at the party, before the ropes they are being hung on begin to move up and down. When the ropes stop, they appear to be in an order from highest to lowest: Ukar, Elandril, Heigolor, Oswald, the Chameleon, and finally, Micnik. A door opens in the back of the room and the party continues.
  The party now finds themselves in a dimly lit room with a spiral design in the floor, stained with a rust colored substance—as the door shuts behind them. The most important aspect of the room, however, is who else is in it. Seated in two chairs, tied up in the center of the spiral, are Stël and Myrin—the lovers of Ukar and Heigolor respectively. A daggers sits in the center of the spiraling floor—waiting to be used. First, the party attempts to cut the two out of their bonds, but they find that the ropes are not destructable. After much debate, the party eventually comes to the dreadful realization that one of the two must die. Stël tells Ukar that it's alright, he accepts it for the greater good, and eventually a tearful Ukar slits his throat quickly—destroyed at killing his husband. From the center of the spiral, a pedestal rises from the floor—revealing a simple book with black smoke pouring off of it.
  As the book appears, Elandril jumps to grab it—revealing himself to be the Chameleon. The book is revealed to be a fake and disappears as the real Elandril runs into the room—prepared to fight. After seeming to beat the Chameleon fairly easily, it is revealed that he has been Blightborn—similarly to the Plague—as he transforms into a blighted ooze monster. The party manages to beat him—with Oswald skewering him with icy spikes from the ground—but not before the Chameleon is able to visciously attack Ukar. In the process, the Chameleon was able to erase some of Ukar's memories—particularly of him falling in love with his husband, Stël—although this is not immediately apparent to the rest of the party. After the Chameleon's death, the room fills with darkness once more as the boneclaw attempts to attack the party again, but this time the party is able to kill it. A new door opens, revealing a room with a demonite pedestal in the center—displaying an ornate book which radiates with dark power. At this point, upon hearing about what happened to Stël, Elandril attempts to make a deal with the Archfey to bring him back. The Archfey asks for the book in return, which Elandril promises. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the Archfey twisted the deal to hinder the party, while still getting what he wants. Stël is brought back to life in a vegetative state, but the Chameleon's body is noticeably missing from the room. The party looks towards the book and sees ooze drip down from the ceiling and solidify in the form of the Chameleon—who opens the book. The Chameleon attempts to cast a spell from the book, but overcasts, burning and turning into dust. Elandril, magically bound by his deal, attempts to grab the book, but Heigolor gets to it first. As Elandril tries, and fails, to steal the book from Heigolor the two face off against each other—their trust and friendship seemingly shattered.

Rewards Granted

• The Grimoire

Missions/Quests Completed

• Kill the Chameleon

• Stop Khothax's mining operation/Retrieve what is in the mine before he can

Character(s) interacted with

• Dorcan Ithi and Miridi

• Briefed the party on their mission to infiltrate the mine

• Stël and Myrin

• Fake constructs created by the Grimoire

• The Chameleon

• Swapped places with Elandril early on in the mine

• Attempted to steal the fake Grimoire

• Killed by Oswald

• Resurrected by the Archfey

• Overcasts using the Grimoire and kills himself

• The Archfey

• Made a deal requiring Elandril to give the book to him

• Twisted the deal in order to resurrect the vegetative Stël and the Chameleon