2023/01/18: Side Adventure - A Call From Renedge Report

General Summary

Ba'alzamon, Union, Thalin, Nimbus, Everett, Bael   It started off with Ba'alzamon at Blythe's castle using her summoning circle to inquire with Saheeb about possible elemental lords that may want to make a agreement so he can summon them. Saheeb mentioned "Rasheheed the Burning, Lord of Fire, King of the Demses of Firuteke" would possibly be interested in such an agreement.   In the midst of these inquiries, Ba'alzamon felt the call or request from Renedge to go somewhere. He chose to go with the flow.   He appeared in a geode-like circular room which was crystalline in nature and had a pool of pure pristine water in the middle. A spell meant to allow him to speak directly with the planet just gave him images of summoning circles, so Ba'alzamon, taking the hint from Renedge, used the geometry of the growths in the cavern to create such circles. When activated, the circles summoned Thalin, Nimbus, Everett, Bael and Union.   Ba'alzamon introduced himself and recognized some of the adventurers. He then proceeded to brief that we are all here because Renedge doesn't like something and we need to take care of it as its the price of living on the world.   All the characters introduced themselves and their descriptions. Ba'alzamon asked for everyone to state their specialties so he knew best how to use his spells. All the characters gave their skills and he proceeded to look at their relative power to see how to best protect them. He focused on Union and told him to stick close by.   The group then began to examine the geode-like room and the water in the middle. Everett and Bael spent a lengthy amount of time determining that the water is water. Union sensed a force putting pressure on the space they were in and the screaming of children from outside the area.   Bael or Everett walked into the water and noticed there was a tunnel under the water which led out. Ba'alzamon proceeded to turn into a octopus and went down the underwater tunnel.   He came out on the other side in what appeared to be a large sink and noticed some clothes nearby, one of which he snagged before heading back through the underwater tunnel to the rest of the party. The clothing turned out to be a straightjacket with blood on it.   Ba'alzamon believed that he was seen by something when he went back down the sink, while Union deduced the area is possibly some kind of insane asylum. Bael examined the caked blood and believes it's some kind of half human and half something else, but he was sure it's not half elf.   Everett provided some water breathing potions and the party proceeded down the tunnel and entered the same room Ba'alzamon did from the giant sink.   The party looked around and the room and equipment was larger than a normal person would need. Union deduced that this was similar to a medical laundry room he had visited and proceeded to look for a doctor's coat. Several coats were found, some with claw marks, blood and brain matter or other signs of duress. He was able to find one and repair it as well as trim it down to his size.   The party then opened a door in front of them, the door was very heavy and well built and took time to open even with several party members who had high strength. The door led to a hallway with six doors and a chain/grate-like door.   The party proceeded to one of the doors which was locked and warded. Union and Nimbus were able to manipulate the large lock to get it open. The party was concerned that the door contained a banshee but upon opening this didn't seem to be the case.   Largely because beyond the door was an extremely large cavern which contained a great wyrm ghostly dracolich.   Thalin, being a dragon slayer, charged towards the dragon with his dragonslaying lance and shield out in what was almost joy, despite him previously saying that he was retired. Bael and Nimbus followed him in.   The dragon went first and greeted the party with his/her ghostly fire breath weapon. Luckily Thalin's shield protected most of the party behind him from the effects. Bael took the brunt of the breath and seemed very injured. Everett withdrew and healed Bael. Union, affected by the dragons fear aura, proceeded to create a shadowy area and hide in it. Ba'alzamon held his action to react to any possible energy attack spell while trying to determine if the dragon was gold or red, but the latter effort proved unsuccessful.   Thalin connected with the dragon using his dragonslaying lance, almost destroying the dragon in one strike. The bloodied dragon retaliated by attacking Thalin and Bael. Bael had invoked his formless stance and was unfazed by the dragon's attacks, as was Thalin, with the two of them taking minimal to no damage. Nimbus reached the dragon and assisted in defending the two. Bael attacked and finished the dragon. While most of the dragon's ghostly form evaporated, his skull materialized and shrunk down to a more moderate size.   The party collected the skull and proceeded to the next room. Once again Union and Nimbus had difficulty in opening the lock but were successful. At the far end of the room sat a book on a pedestal, contained in an energy field that Ba'alzamon discerned was comprised of evocation and necromancy magic.   The Black Tome appeared to be made from human skin and bones and was rather unsettling.   Ba'alzamon decided that he could take the warding field and proceeded to attempt to walk through. As he attempted to pass through, various signs of burning appeared to be occurring as the field tried to slow his progress to ensure greater effect. Nimbus and the party thought about pulling him back at risk to themselves but Ba'alzamon insisted we kick him through. Nimbus did as asked, forcing him through the field at great pain.   Once through, Ba'alzamon examined the book and the book's several small eyes opened to examine him in turn. He was able to determine that the book was rather magical and he sensed either the book or something within it trying to contact him telepathically. He let down his protections and the book (in all caps) demanded he be freed!   Ba'alzamon attempted to ask more questions to which the book again DEMANDED TO BE FREE and that if he did so he could keep this current form (the book).   Ba'alzamon cast a spell which illuminated the book and helped him determine that Renedge DID NOT like what was in the book and wanted it gone.   Ba'alzamon proceeded to cast a Mordenkainen's Disjunction, with Renedge boosting the power to break the magic that was imprisoning the entity and break the energy walls. The effect was so strong it affected all of Ba'alzamon's equipment and left him with 1 hp. The entity immediately on freedom escaped and all the party saw was a shadow move quickly out of the room, assuming it escaped to another plane.   The party proceeded to rest for short time and then attempted to open the next door. Union and Nimbus were not able to open the lock despite prior success. Bael attempted to assist by increasing in size and kicking the door which did some damage.   Nimbus proceeded to pummel the door for several minutes reducing it to shattered fragments The lock remained intact. Union examined the unbroken lock to assist in opening future doors as well as retaining it due to its unique sturdiness.   The room contained what looked like a alchemy lab which appeared to be self-operated. Various vials were brewing potions all without assistance. Everett examined the processes and potions and determined with great success that the process was taking the best parts of potions and improving them, condensing all the effects into one large beaker. This beaker contained a rainbow liquid and had several magic circles around it. Ba'alzamon and Everett were able to deduce that the other rooms had similar circles which appear to be siphoning magic power for something.   Everett and Ba'alzamon noticed that the room was set to make something that should not be possible work, as the process was perpetual and able to create more magical energy than was used to power the circle and maintain the potion creation as the large beaker never overflowed.   It was determined that the removal of the liquid could be dangerous as the beaker must be incredible to hold such power, and also removing it while the circles were active would likely lead to the substance exploding. Everett was able determine how to shut it off safely. After doing so the liquid drained out and the circles were turned off which allowed the beaker to be removed.   The next door was opened easily by Union and Nimbus due to Union's examination of the previous lock. The room contained a large flabby purple man in a corner sitting at a table drinking from a large cup. The man was very large and had magic runes over his body. He looked over when the party entered but didn't seem to be concerned.   Ba'alzamon examined the runes and believed they were titan magic runes and explored ways to turn them off. Due to the previous encounter with the book he didn't think he could remove them. He proceeded to contact Saheeb to inquire if the person in front of the party was a lost titan. Saheeb was given the information and analyzed that there was no missing titan but that the person may be a half titan/ogre.   Union proceeded to approach the titan and ask if he could have a drink, and the titan motioned in what appeared to be a drunken state that he agreed. Union took a drink using a vial he borrowed from Everett and determined that the alcohol was very strong and immediately put him into somewhat drunken state. Union was able to avert most of the effect using psionics and his power of "being part Irish"   Union attempted to talk to the titan but he was too drunk to give meaningful responses.   Union, despite impairment, along with Bael believed that the titan could possibly sober quickly if not drinking. The party determined that the titan if no longer drunk may be able to break the runes on him as they appeared to be draining power and the alcohol may be keeping him suppressed based on the effects it had on Union.   The party decided that Nimbus could take the cup of booze and play keep-away from the titan, hoping that he would sober quickly. Ba'alzamon created a spell to assist Nimbus in this task as well as other spells from him and Everett.   Nimbus was successful in snatching the cup of booze and not being caught by the titan. As the titan chased he seemed to be rapidly burning off the excess weight, and this proceeded until he passed out on the floor.   Ba'alzamon healed the titan and Nimbus noticed one of the runes on the cup matched one on the titan which appeared to be the one that prevented things with the rune from leaving the room. She also noticed that the cup, while made of clay, didn't seem as pristine and looked more fragile now. She threw it at the wall and the outside shattered, revealing a gold cup with jewels on it.   The titan eventually awoke and introduced himself as Dion, the Irda Rune Caster - Titan Spawn. He was not sure where he was or how he got there and proceeded to cast magic using runes he wrote in the air. He deduced he had been there for thousands of years and that his home was gone or destroyed.   The party explained to him that he was apparently being used as some kind of power source based on the runes and other rooms in the dungeons. He asked if anyone had a bladed weapon he could use. Everett provided him with a holy dagger which he used to cut his skin and break the runes on him. Everett then healed him and he returned the dagger. He then began to mark his skin with runes; the wizards deduced he seemed to be preparing spells for the day. After he prepared himself he joined the party.

Rewards Granted

Dragon Skull Helm, Black Human Bone Tome, Potion Bottle, Chalice of Endless Temptation

Character(s) interacted with

Rasheheed the Burning, Dion the Irda Rune Caster, Saheeb

Created Content

Rasheheed the Burning, Dion the Irda Rune Caster

Notes

Many thanks to Union's player for the notes, as the usual note-taker was absent.