Episode Ninety-six - Caves of Chaos

General Summary

Part One

As the party continued their search for the Caves of Chaos, they met an adventuring party upon the road. Tirith spoke to a man among them, with fiery red hair. He told the party that his group had met all manner of beast that attacked them further on. He admitted that his group was hired to hunt several vampires suspected in the region and that they were looking for a wizard that could send them home. Varian told him about the wizard in Forlorn Hope and told him how to get there. The man, named Viari, was also told of Norden Keep's chapel and its potential for information. Bidding farewell to the group they learned were called Acquisitions Incorporated, the party journeyed on and eventually found what they were looking for; the Caves of Chaos. The forest had been getting denser and more tangled once the party left their wagon concealed in the trees by the road. The thick, twisted tree trunks, unnaturally misshapen limbs, writhing roots, clutching and grasping thorns, and briars all seemed to ward them off but they forced and hacked their way forward regardless. When the strange growth suddenly ended, Dragon Marked stepped out of the thicket and into a ravine-like area. A flock of ravens rose and croaked from the ground then, beating their wings as their cries were magnified by the terrain to sound loud and horrible. Dark streaked rock mingled with the earthen walls of the canyon there and they saw its breadth and even greater depth before them. At varying heights on all sides of the ravine, they saw black mouths of cave-like openings in the rock walls before them. The sunlight was dim there, the air dank, and an oppressive force hung on them as if something evil was watching and waiting to pounce upon them. There were bare dead trees there and upon one a vulture perched and gazed hungrily at them. Amongst the litter of rubble, boulders, and dead wood scattered about on the ravine floor, they could see bits of gleaming ivory and white. They knew it all to be the bones of men, animals, and other things. Though Bree believed the sight of ravens to be a good omen, their fate would not be so certain that day. First and foremost, the party saw to it to pay the ogre fifteen gold in order to ward away its attack. They warned one another of his bear and a few of them grumbled over having to pay the ogre at all. When Thwip spotted a group of kobolds attack a child, the party swooped in to save the kid who was pulled into a cave there. Kobolds sprang from the trees and ganged up on Aldrich. Stabbed several times, Aldrich was set on fire and then stabbed even more before the party managed to fend off the kobolds. When all was done, Bree and Tirith took to saving Calcryx, who was swallowed by a shadow as Aldrich, Thwip, and Varian stormed the kobold lair. As a fight broke out in the kobold lair and the three inside were separated, Bree and Tirith came to help. The kobold cunning proved to be to much however as everyone sustained an injury, some more severe then others. Varian was killed outright by a horde of rats and Thwip was blown up by the kobolds. In death, Thwip was visited by a supposed ancestor of hers; an avian man named Ra. In order to return her to life Thwip agreed to choose the Order of the Ancients when the time came, in order to fight for what was good and lawful. Her deal struck, Ra returned her to life. In Varian's death, two sisters appeared before him. They challenged him and offered him the oppertunity to betray his deity but Varian would not. In the end, they congratulated him and sent him onward to the afterlife. Met with his goddess, Varian faced a troubling choice. Desperate, the party fell back and scattered. Bree slipped down into the dungeon she'd learned Calryx had been taken to. Thwip ran clear out of the ravine as Aldrich followed, though he was saved by his griffon as he became surrounded by goblins and orcs. As Tirith fled last, having recovered Varian's fallen body. Regrouping back at the wagon, Tirith having flown a wide path above the ravine with Aldrich as his escort; the party gathered and contacted Bree via their dragon mark link. As Tirith spoke to Bree via the link, Thwip went inside the wagon to rest. Bree then informed the group that she'd found a dungeon and was going to wait for the rest of the group. Bree had only explored a small portion of the dungeon. She looted a few bodies in a hall of blood columns before she found a room with a large pool of standing water. In the water Bree saw a scene of her elders playing out. In the vision she saw her biological father, Thenedain, argue with her what she came to know was her grandfather. They argued about protecting her bloodline and Thenedain's father banishing him. Her father then asked only that his daughter was protected as he served Loki but her grandfather refused. Just then, in the vision, her great grandfather burst in and offered to take her. As Bree looked upon the face of her adoptive father, Edenost, she saw the truth at last. When the pool when dark, Bree stepped away and that was when she spoke with Tirith. She sat down on the steps to the dungeon then and waited for her friends to come. It was then, at the first hour after noon on the 11th of the Horse, that Dragon Marked all shared in their concerns for their futures.

Part Two

Sent to his goddess, Varian made a deal with her to draw his brother back to her. His goddess told him, "for a time Varian you will have to walk outside of my twilight." "My family's role has always been to walk in the dark to protect the light." Varian responded, "It is only right that I must do this myself, I accept the burden." She told him that he should find a patron, she told him she would always love him, and that he would find his way back. As a trade, for his service, she banished him from her domain. She cast him from her then and sent him to the Hells. Met with a devil, sat upon a throne, a deal was struck that would send Varian back to his body filled with life and new knowledge. Having learned that Norden Keep was beholden to the Hell dragon and that his brother's deal was struck through the Castellan; Varian returned to his body having agreed to lead a Acquisitions Incorporated to a vampire he would soon find.

Part Three

As Varian awoke from death and took to caring for his wounds, Tirith and Aldrich rushed to Bree. Aldrich flew above as Tirith went into the dungeon looking for Bree. Inside, Bree and Tirith decided to push in and Tirith saw Marevak visiting him when Tirith was a child in a puddle of water. At the same time, a devil named Raphael came up to Varian and greeted him as he flirted with Thwip. The devil then headed to the Caves of Chaos, completely unarmed. Seeing what looked like a man from on high, Aldrich talked to Raphael and though the process was informed of his nature as he was flirted with. As Tirith made a deal with vampire to get the dragon back, Aldrich rushed to the keep to tell Acquisitions Incorporated the location of the vampire they sought. When Aldrich returned, after he asked to feed Varian's foot to his griffon, the party regrouped and met Acquisitions Incorporated. Afterward, they returned to the keep on the borderlands. The party spoke with The Curate, where they learned Tirith's gods shrine had gained two interested visitors, but ultimately had to settle with getting a foot made for Varian. Then, at the tavern, Bree cast a spell on Jim Darkmagic, after the party spoke with their group for awhile. It then appeared that Bree tried to steal a gem from Jim but she claimed that she was under a spell and Thwip backed her on the notion. Unfortunately, Bree attempted to stab Omin Dran over the situation and a fight broke out. Harsh feelings were cast throughout, aside from Aldrich and Môrgæn. In the end, Bree and Jim were thrown in jail and the party all split for a week of rest as Varian's new prosthetic was being made. Before Tirith retired for the week however, he cast Divine Sense by the secluded priest's house they'd seen and learned that there were desecrated objects within.

Rewards Granted

Part One 648xp

Missions/Quests Completed

Quest Dungeons and Dragons Continued, Sidequest Keeping Secrets Continued

Notes

Notable Party Damage:

Aldrich has a horrible burn scar on the left side of his neck in front of the ear from an azure fire elemental summoned by Seldra Tylmarande. His shield is extremely claw marked from many Lizardfolk. His shield has a large fist shaped dent in it from when he was crushed by a Sacred Statue.
Noted Effects: Horrible Scar (Neck). You are disfigured to the extent that the wound can't be easily concealed. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar. Dead.
Bree willingly allowed her finger to be eaten by the dragon Calcryx.
Noted Effects: Minor Scar (Missing Pinky Finger). The scar doesn’t have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar.
Thwip has a broken rib after an explosion from a kobold boomstick.
Noted Effects: Broken Rib. Whenever you attempt an action in combat, you must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, you lose your action and can’t use reactions until the start of your next turn. The injury heals if you receive magical healing or if you spend ten days doing nothing but resting.
Tirith was stabbed in the left thigh by a goblin.
Noted Effects: Minor Scar (Left Thigh). The scar doesn’t have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar.
Varian had his foot gnawed off by a swarm of giant rats.
Noted Effects: Lose a Foot (Severed Right Foot). Your speed on foot is halved, and you must use a cane or crutch to move unless you have a peg leg or other prosthesis. You fall prone after using the Dash action. You have disadvantage on Dexterity checks made to balance. Magic such as the regenerate spell can restore the lost appendage.