7.0 - Hanging Secrets

The party sneaks through the slum streets to the safe house (Ci's Fish: Abroad). If they are caught, they can fight I guess, but let's work to get them arrested and we can go with the Zaru plan. If they make it to the safe house, then we can have tense dialogue that ends with Hearty "leaving" to think/get some fresh air. Then the guard assassin's from the sneak portion can come in with the devil and have Valgyr nearly die, as well as the players. Then they all get saved by Omdanne, but Hearty is no where to be seen.
Omdanne will set them on their next quest after stabilizing Valgyr, though it will be evident (high DC for direct correlation) that something mentally happened to Valgyr when she saved him. Valgyr will start seeing the other world and/or the past. Kallista can probably see Omdanne form waver. Omdanne gives them the hearts with some explanation, but says she needs to leave (she needs to keep Zaru from catching her trail). She lets them know this building should be safe for a day or two.
*Elemental Equivalence *statue etchings *Sil'Ferrous's breakthrough

Plot points/Scenes

Night Flora Cycle Day 8

Jailed

If they cooperate and get captured peacefully, they will spend most of the night in jail, following a trapdoor down and being lead NW in a tunnel under the city. Wet, slimy, cold, and dark. They will emerge into a larger room with several cells. They will be split, 2/2/1 with Sil'Ferrous the solo one.
After a couple hours, Servitor Kulden will enter, alone. He will confront Sil'Ferrous. "Let's not stretch this out longer than it needs to be. Give me the stone." "Did she convince you to do it? She lies, whatever she told you." "You doom us all if you do not return the gem to me." "I will give you some time to think on it."
Shortly after Zaru leaves, 2 "guards" come in. They are definitely not wearing typical guard uniforms. One sets out torture implements while the other (human) circles and heckles the players. "I think we can start with flaying the centaur's hide; it'd make a nice seat cover. And a woman's screams is music to my ears." At this point, Ild's heart begins to warm, pulsate slightly. "But I was told my plaything is you, elf-boy. How about I fix your fingers? I can pull them apart, slowly so we don't break anything." He laughs, but then A thin spike of earth impales him in the back of the neck and lifts him off the ground. The other "guard" gets impaled through the chest, also lifted. Ild's heart feels more like a subtle heartbeat now.
Omdanne steps in. "Friends of Valgyr, I assume?" Earth rises around the bars and breaks them open.
She breaks them out, leads them further down the tunnels not the direction they came. She makes a turn and the stone parts before her. As they follow, the tunnel closes seamlessly behind them. They emerge in the back room of the safe house.
But the attack has already happened. There's a spike of earth where the demon was killed, and Valgyr lies dead on the ground. In the main room are 2 of the "guards" (assassins) impaled on earth spikes. Outside the building are the other 2, also impaled.

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They enter the safe house. Valgyr leads them to the backroom and starts a small fire in the hearth. Hearty is there staring into the fire. Bring up the traitor conversation, from either Valgyr or Hearty, but Hearty will get intense and need to leave to cool down.
After a bit the devil from before and a couple assassins come in and attack. combat. Valgyr tries to hold the attention of the assassins while the devil leaves the party at 1 hp.
Player health
Sil'Ferrous- 31
Kilith- 36
Holg- 26
Atani- 23
Devil kills Valgyr. Then the earth erupts through the floorboards, impaling any remaining assassins and the devil. The devil vanishes in a queasy puff of smoke.
"I'm late, it seems." a woman's voice.

Relations

Allies

Omdanne
Valgyr

Neutrals/Bystanders

Areon Thornfoot
Zaru Kulden

Adversaries

Hearty Snowflake

Backdrops

Locations

safe house: Ci's Fish: Abroad- a small and defunct fishery, mainly looks like it sold fish rather than catching them. The sign is still hanging, but it's grimy and rotting. The inside has a counter and display areas, all empty and full of dust. Light barely filters through the filthy windows. The back room is only separated by a fraying curtain. It has a small, round, splintering table but no chairs. There's crates, but open and empty. In the corner is a wash basin full of clean water. If they investigate around the basin, they will find (a bit of fur from a bloodhound-locate creature, silver dust-scrying. The water itself is holy. Smears of blood under a crate from summoning.) tucked in a box on it's side.
Ild's heart: A simple grey stone. When Omdanne activates it, fiery veins rise to the surface as it begins to give little pulses. As the veins of color rise, the stone itself seems to melt into those veins, so that the veins look more like tiny rivers. It becomes very warm, but not quite uncomfortable. The heat and color pulsates like a heartbeat.
Natur's heart: A small mass of vines and ivy, with an undercoat of moss. It feels very light, like holding a single leaf. Yet when pressed or squeezed, it holds firm as stone and any flattened foliage pops back up. Though very hard to notice, the tiny leaves twitch rhythmically, in tune with a heartbeat.
Ånd's heart: A squat oval shape, almost flat, like a good skipping stone. But nothing about its appearance seems solid. Its a dark cloud of energy with flashes of radiant light that twirl with the stormy mass. It's heavier than expected, like the weight of a stone its size. the extremities of the fog fade and dissipate, slightly molding around what it rests on.

Encounters

Horned Devil

A winged humanoid, skin a sandy color, with tips in red. Long barbed tail, large horns that curl to the sides of its head. Eyes glow red, and when it opens its mouth to yell, flames and heat escape. Wields a 2-pronged fork.

SRD

Horned Devil

Large fiend (devil), lawful evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)

Hit Points 178 17d10+85

Speed 20ft Fly: 60ft

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STR

22 +6

DEX

17 +3

CON

21 +5

INT

12 +1

WIS

16 +3

CHA

17 +3

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Saving Throws Str +10, Dex +7, Wis +7, Cha +7

Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities Poisoned

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13

Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision.

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

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Actions

Multiattack. The devil makes three melee attacks: two with its fork and one with its tail. It can use Hurl Flame in place of any melee attack.

Fork. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 2d8+6 piercing damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 1d8+6 piercing damage. If the target is a creature other than an undead or a construct, it must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or lose 10 3d6 hit points at the start of each of its turns due to an infernal wound. Each time the devil hits the wounded target with this attack, the damage dealt by the wound increases by 10 3d6 . Any creature can take an action to stanch the wound with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check. The wound also closes if the target receives magical healing.

Hurl Flame. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 150 ft., one target. Hit: 14 4d6 fire damage. If the target is a flammable object that isn’t being worn or carried, it also catches fire.

Assassin

SRD

Assassin

Medium humanoid (any race), any

Armor Class 15 (studded leather)

Hit Points 78 [roll 12d8+24)

Speed 30ft

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STR

11 0

DEX

16 +3

CON

14 +2

INT

13 +1

WIS

11 0

CHA

10 0

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Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +4

Skills Acrobatics +6, Deception +3, Perception +3, Stealth +9

Damage Resistances poison

Senses passive Perception 13

Languages Thieves' cant plus any two languages

Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Assassinate. During its first turn, the assassin has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn. Any hit the assassin scores against a surprised creature is a critical hit.
Evasion. If the assassin is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the assassin instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the assassin deals an extra 14 4d6 damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the assassin that isn't incapacitated and the assassin doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

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Actions

Multiattack. The assassin makes two shortsword attacks.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 1d6+3 piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 7d6 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 1d8+3 piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 7d6 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Trained in the use of poison, assassins are remorseless killers who work for nobles, guildmasters, sovereigns, and anyone else who can afford them.

Valgyr

Valgyr

Medium Shifter (Wildhunt, Ranger, Chaotic Good

Armor Class 16

Hit Points 52

Speed: 30 ft

STR

10
( +0 )

DEX

18
( +4 )

CON

14
( +2 )

INT

10
( +0 )

WIS

16
( +3 )

CHA

9
( -1 )

Saving Throws Strength +3, Dexterity +7

Skills Athletics +3, Nature +3, Perception +6, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7, Survival +6

Senses Darkvision 60ft

Languages Common, Primordial

Challenge Rating 6

Suggested Environments

Boreal forest, tundra

Save DC 14

1/day: Slayer's Prey. As a bonus action, you designate one creature you can see within 60 feet of you as the target of this feature. The first time each turn that you hit that target with a weapon attack, it takes an extra 1d6 damage from the weapon. This benefit lasts until you finish a short or long rest. It ends early if you designate a different creature.
Cordon of Arrows. Casting Time: 1 action Range: 5 feet Components: V, S, M (four or more arrows or bolts) Duration: 8 hours You plant four pieces of nonmagical ammunition—arrows or crossbow bolts—in the ground within range and lay magic upon them to protect an area. Until the spell ends, whenever a creature other than you comes within 30 feet of the ammunition for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there, one piece of ammunition flies up to strike it. The creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 piercing damage. The piece of ammunition is then destroyed. The spell ends when no ammunition remains.
When you cast this spell, you can designate any creatures you choose, and the spell ignores them.
Pass Without Trace. Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S, M (ashes from a burned leaf of mistletoe and a sprig of spruce) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour A veil of shadows and silence radiates from you, masking you and your companions from detection. For the duration, each creature you choose within 30 feet of you (including you) has a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks and can't be tracked except by magical means. A creature that receives this bonus leaves behind no tracks or other traces of its passage.
Zone of Truth. Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S Duration: 10 minutes You create a magical zone that guards against deception in a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on a point of your choice within range. Until the spell ends, a creature that enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, a creature can't speak a deliberate lie while in the radius. You know whether each creature succeeds or fails on its saving throw.
An affected creature is aware of the spell and can thus avoid answering questions to which it would normally respond with a lie. Such creatures can be evasive in its answers as long as it remains within the boundaries of the truth.

3/day: Hunter Sense. As an action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You immediately learn whether the creature has any damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities and what they are. If the creature is hidden from divination magic, you sense that it has no damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities.
Zephyr Strike. Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Components: V Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You move like the wind. Until the spell ends, your movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.
Once before the spell ends, you can give yourself advantage on one weapon attack roll on your turn. That attack deals an extra 1d8 force damage on a hit. Whether you hit or miss, your walking speed increases by 30 feet until the end of that turn.
Cure Wounds. Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous A creature you touch regains a number of hit points equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.
Protection from Good and Evil. Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (holy water or powdered silver and iron, which the spell consumes) Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes Until the spell ends, one willing creature you touch is protected against certain types of creatures: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead.
The protection grants several benefits. Creatures of those types have disadvantage on attack rolls against the target. The target also can't be charmed, frightened, or possessed by them. If the target is already charmed, frightened, or possessed by such a creature, the target has advantage on any new saving throw against the relevant effect.

Shifting. As a bonus action, you can assume a more bestial appearance. This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, or until you revert to your normal appearance as a bonus action. When you shift, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point). You also gain additional benefits that depend on your shifter subrace, described below. While shifted, you have advantage on Wisdom checks, and no creature within 30 feet of you can make an attack roll with advantage against you, unless you're incapacitated. Once you shift, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Actions

Extra Attack.
Throw Dagger. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 20/40 ft. one target. Hit: 1d4+4 slashing damage.

Amalgama    Ataxia    Plot (Ataxia)      7.0 - Hanging Secrets

Protagonists

• Kilith
• Atani
• Sil'Ferrous
• Holg
• Kallista

Plot type

Main Plot

Related Locations

• Lyston

Key Items

• Morne Tonash

Ataxia

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