Chapter 4, Session 2: Death Sleep and Angel's Dreams

General Summary

Returning to the action as the party tried to survive as many rounds as possible, Esmerae crit on an Eldritch Blast and killed the hunter she was fighting. It then turned into a Dream Woven. The Minor Quori Abstracts missed most of their attacks as Peregrine twinned a Healing Word at Malus and Sigholdt in an attempt to make the tanks stay up as long as possible and act as an impenetrable wall. A lair action knocked her to the ground as Malus and Sigholdt traded blows with the Quori Major Hunters, which proceeded to crit on them several times (one blocked by a Silvery Barb from Peregrine). Hermione threw an Ice Knife, learning the Abstracts were weak to cold damage! She then backed off as the Dream Woven - a Living Artillery - lived up to its name. After grappling Malus, the Living Artillery nearly blew Hermione up, her arm nearly torn off. Esmerae shot at the Living Artillery, ignoring an Abstract that tried to target her. Another lair action went off, causing the sky to go into a miasma of colour and stunned Malus. Trying to keep people up, Peregrine twinned healing to Malus and Hermione and sent an extra healing spell to Malus, which kept him up after a round of attacks left him on only 3 hp. Sigholdt healed himself, casting the Shield spell to keep tanking, making it very hard to hit him. Hermione crit on another Ice Knife, proving she is becoming more and more competent in battle! However, the Living Artillery stopped the joy by knocking out Malus and trying to kill Peregrine. Peregrine was able to hang on as Esmerae finally got the killing blow on the Living Artillery, however before Peregrine could heal Malus, an Abstract killed him as the other Major Hunters levelled up to Expert Hunters.
With Malus gone, Peregrine healed herself and Hermione, as Hermione and Esmerae found themselves stunned by the miasma in the sky. Sigholdt attempted to make one of the Hunters afraid of him but failed, and proceeded to get slaughtered as all of the Hunters crowded around him. Hermione was promptly killed as well, leaving only Esmerae and Peregrine to survive into round 7. They did not make it to round 8.
As the party woke back up at the shrine, they took a long rest. Peregrine hugged Malus to thank him for all of his tanking. As the party continued the next day, a sudden red orb shot out of Malus’ chest, moving 30ft away from him and hovering in the air. After quickly healing Malus, the party approached it, realising it maintained 30ft from them. Sigholdt used Misty Step to reach the orb, finding he could touch it and hang off of it, but could not move it himself. He cleaned the orb up for Hermione to Identify it, learning it was called Celwydd’s Eyes. The party recognised the name from a letter they had found written to the angel at the wedding they had crashed in the Shadewoods. Figuring out that the orb moved in a deliberate direction whenever Malus moved, they chose to follow it, finding themselves led to a burrow.
After some debate, Malus crawled into the burrow, with Peregrine close behind with her Dancing Lights, and Esmerae going last (Hermione and Sigholdt choosing to stay above ground). The trio crawled until they reached a long drop. Hermione, having sent Jolly with them, proceeded to send him down the hole, finding an abandoned campsite with dust on everything except for a bed in the centre. Jolly flew up and tried to tell the trio this via an interpretive dance, something no one could understand. Before they could try to figure things out, Esmerae realised the tunnel was closing rapidly behind them. Panicked, the trio chose to drop down the hole, with Peregrine’s Featherfall saving them from a heavy landing.
As they landed, they looked around, spotting a ladder on the other side of the campsite. Climbing up it, the trio found themselves appearing above ground only a little way from Sigholdt and Hermione. With a little persuasion, Sigholdt and Hermione joined the party in going down the ladder, with Sigholdt casting Detect Magic. He detected Divination and Necrotic magic from the bed, so Hermione sent Jolly to burrow into the bed, where he found the orb. After failing to persuade Malus to sit on the bed (something he was very against doing), Peregrine volunteered to do it for him. The second she laid down, Peregrine fell instantly asleep and was granted a vision (see below).
The party realised Peregrine wasn’t breathing, and Hermione’s medicine check helped her notice that Peregrine’s pulse was very slow (like Malus’ usual pulse). Malus moved to pick her up from the bed, and the red orb shot out and back into his chest. Peregrine woke up sharply in Malus’ arms and, after collecting herself, told the group of her vision. They agreed it was time to leave, and after climbing back up the ladder, the tunnel closed behind them. The party proceeded to travel the rest of the way to Diamond, where they realised security was checking everyone’s information at the gate and recording people’s details. With a little questioning over Hermione’s safety, she revealed that the Woven Providence would find her anywhere regardless of her disguises. The party approached the gate and each handed over the following information (though not necessarily all accurate): name, race, nationality, and magic items. The guy at the gate was terrible at his job/did not care for his job, and the party all passed through, with Hermione using the fake name Calliope Criaire.
Things to do: The Ruinor’s Tome con job Find Wraith Find Whisper Secret Hermione stuff Figure out what the dreams want from Peregrine in the Diamond

Peregrine’s vision from the bed:
If a party member sleeps in the bed then they will dream that night waking coming to next to an undressed and beautiful woman who, at first, looks like an elf before the light wings on its back and its glowing skin reveal it to be a solar angel.
As they look at the woman she stares at them with intensity 'I know you do not dream, I know your purpose is to kill and cleanse dreamers, I followed you for that, I fell in love with that; your honour and your resolve... but, since that first night that we lay together, I have done nothing but dream.'
You feel a wrathful blood surge through your chest and your fists tighten.
'I dreamed I was back there, the space that we married and the space we shared the world... I dreamt I cut out my heart and gave it to you... I dreamt you consumed it...'
You feel your anger quell and soothe and you tuck a vicious curved dagger away before reaching up to caress the soft yet slightly too warm cheek of the woman.
'Celwydd, I changed my very name for the quality you so love, I adore and cherish you, I will never harm nor hurt you. Stop these dreams, for they are nothing but danger.' As Celwydd moves into your embrace you feel an overwhelming and shameful desire, brought on by the sound of her heartbeat...

Report Date

02 Jul 2024