Session 4: Bhal-Zoo Break In

General Summary

The party lines up at the appointed meeting place outside the eastern wall of the zoo. The sky is dark and the full moon is high in the night sky. Waiting for them at the gathering place are the four agents from another resistance cell: Lashkar, a human ranger; Chinar, an elven sorceress; Sifar, a human rogue; and Zorawar, a dwarven cleric.
After their pleasantries are exchanged, the eight rebels discuss their plan to enter the zoo. Lashkar explains that the zoo is officially no longer a public place, and as such is now being guarded by Riordan soldiers at the entrance and patrols will be present throughout the zoo. Sifar suggests they scale the wall towards the south of the zoo so that the group lands on top of the reptile house on the other side, but since they had visited the zoo the day prior the party suggests scaling the wall further up so that they fall into the now abandoned boar exhibit. The new allies agree that the boar pit would be closer to their target, the palatial building at the rear of the zoo.
Finding their optimal place to climb the wall, the party launches a pair of grappling hooks to create their ascent. Testing the stability of their anchors, Lucky climbs the ropes first and stabilizes two more grappling hooks to allow a descent on the other side. Helping each other take turns climbing the wall, the rebels all easily get over the wall and land in the empty boar pit without detection.
Now inside the zoo, the party begins to navigate along the paths around the animal exhibits, dodging multiple groups of patrolling guards. Everything continues as expected until the moonlight dims and disappears. A total lunar eclipse has begun shrouding the entire city in darkness. While the party is caught off guard, they easily adapt using their member's darkvision. Meanwhile the guards are in disarray as they fumble with the unexpected eclipse. Using this to their advantage, the rebel group makes a quick dash to their goal.
Now at the mysterious building, the large group discusses how best to enter. Lashkar explains again that their informant shared there are three entrances to the building: two plain doors on either of the long sides of the rectangular building and one large entrance for moving animals and materials. Chinar adds that in a few hours their associates outside the walls will blow open a hole near this very building to allow the magical creatures they release to escape the zoo and be recaptured by resistance allies.
Discussing their plan the rebels decide to split into their original groups of four. Lashkar's group will go around the side to secure the freight entrance, while the party will enter from the nearby entrance.
Lucky picks the lock of the palatial warehouse and the party is immediately met with the sight of a pair of Gnolls in a cage. The poor gnolls are thin and emaciated, and their incisors teeth have been surgically removed. This appalls the group as their intel stated the zoo held magical creatures here, but clearly they are standing in front of a sentient race of beings. Emboldened they assure the gnolls they will be releases soon, just as the party can insure the rest of the building is secured.
Continuing through the halls the party finds a stairway leading to the second floor and encounter additional horrors on the main floor. A Chupacabra kept behind a glass wall, a Girallon mindlessly repeating tasks in his undersized enclosure, and a Tlincali pacing in his cell, his tail stinger amputated.
The party quickly reunites with the Lashkar's group who has cleared out a small group of guards in the material loading area. Chinar points out a slope heading down to a basement level and that their informant warned that there was something extremely dangerous in the basement. Our party shares that they saw a number of sentient races held here instead of magical creatures as described. Furthermore, the party wished to explore the second floor before searching the basement. Lashkar's group agrees that it is a good plan and stays to monitor the loading area for additional guards.
Passing back past all of the imprisoned beings on the first floor the party ascends to the second floor to another unexpected sight. Firstly, the majority of this open floor is dedicated to a lusciously furnished and decadent enclosure for the zoo's boars. Secondly, at the edge of the enclosure is a live, black unicorn encased in a glass box. Ignoring the plain boars the party approaches the unicorn to investigate the mythical creature, but when Soleil makes eye contact with the unicorn she senses it trying to make a telepathic connection with her. She submits to the unicorn's force, but the creature does not communicate with her. Together the party agrees to free the unicorn before the other creatures, but they must first deal with one last threat.
Along the stairwell the party had snuck past an office which audibly had an unaware worker inside. Lucky, now enraged, wishes to kill the worker and Soleil obliges by kicking the door in for the bloodlust fueled Tabaxi. The man inside was tending to paperwork as Lucky leapt through the burst doorway and stabbed him through the neck, killing the man instantly. The group investigates the office room for clues to the purpose of the prisoners while Lucky cleans blood from her fur in a large mirror. Vidrohi uncovers a stack of papers detailing a new shipment of creatures being delivered later this month.
Content that there are no longer any zoo personnel left in the building, the party once again ascends to the second floor to approach the unicorn. The group works together to safely shatter the glass to free the unicorn and release it from the collar and leash staking it to the floor. Now that the unicorn is free Soleil once again feels it making a mental connection with her before it vanishes without a word.
The four party members reunite with Lashkar's group and together descend into the basement to find what horror lurks beneath. What they find is a large, hinged door on a metal container. Clusters of small holes in the container leak a horrid, rotting stench into the large basement. The party steels themselves to reveal a deceased creature as they cut the lock keeping the door shut.
The rebels peel open the door and are struck by a wall of foul haze. Their nostrils burning, they look up at the hulking monster trying to step out of its undersized enclosure. The Catoblepas's skull-like head spews a harsh gas from it's mouth and the party readies themselves for combat.

Missions/Quests Completed

1. Free Unicorn

Character(s) interacted with

Lashkar
Chinar
Sifar
Zorawar

Created Content

Gnoll
Chupacabra
Girallon
Tlincali
Unicorn
Catoblepas

Campaign

Rakshasa Resistance

Protagonists

Report Date

18 Nov 2021

Primary Location

Bhalrooz Zoo

Related Characters

• Kairon
• Lucky
• Sifar
• Soleil Goldshroud
• Vidrohi Bhargot
• Zorawar