Ashe C2 Episode 55 - Virulent Whispers
Previously On Liters of Tomorrow...
The team traveled to Nuxhall Manor in Copenhaus to find the key to Vernabogge's Phylactery. With this key you could have the means to destroy the painting that is the fount of Vernabogge's strength and immortality granted him by the Dark One. Entering Nuxhall Manor you met with resistance from the guards and a tabaxi assassin. Continuing the battle up to the second floor Finn opened a door only to discover horrifying intellect Devourers that tumbled out towards him. To add to the danger strange metal sphere brandished serrated blades to attempt to impale your heads. Things only got more dangerous as the interior of the manor began to freeze and snow and ice fell from the very ceiling.
Remy and Horation found themselves bound and presented to the intellect devourers as docile host bodies. Horatio used his mage hand to untie their bonds and the pair fought free. Remy unfortunately was robbed of his very intellect in the process however. On the other side of the wall Mausim met the same fate as the slick greyings pink brain monsters began to eat brainwaves. Nuth and Demaia put an end to the Tabaxi woman just in time to help Finn destroy the lumpy aberrations. Archos arrived just in time to join the team and try to help heal the now inert bodies his teammates. He and Nuth found a piece of parchment on the tabaxi woman that gave them pause. A Royal seal of the Kingdom of Crossing Sun and Stars and possible evidence that this assassin has a connection to Queen Mew herself.
Low on spells and with two brain dead members of the party, you made the decision to retreat and seek help at a nearby temple. You fled to the temple of Corsun after outwitting a couple of bridge guards. Archos used astromancy to force them to attack each other. At the temple the clerics were able to restore the minds of Remy and Mausim. Taking a long rest you decided to renew your attack on the manor.
Entering the house once more you braced yourselves from the cold with prestidigitation spells and warm clothes. At the top of the stairs you faced new guards and the goliath man Ragvar Hightower. The battle continues amongst the ice and snow and now Nuth finds that he is contacted by a mysterious psychic presence asking him to switch sides...
The team traveled to Nuxhall Manor in Copenhaus to find the key to Vernabogge's Phylactery. With this key you could have the means to destroy the painting that is the fount of Vernabogge's strength and immortality granted him by the Dark One. Entering Nuxhall Manor you met with resistance from the guards and a tabaxi assassin. Continuing the battle up to the second floor Finn opened a door only to discover horrifying intellect Devourers that tumbled out towards him. To add to the danger strange metal sphere brandished serrated blades to attempt to impale your heads. Things only got more dangerous as the interior of the manor began to freeze and snow and ice fell from the very ceiling.
Remy and Horation found themselves bound and presented to the intellect devourers as docile host bodies. Horatio used his mage hand to untie their bonds and the pair fought free. Remy unfortunately was robbed of his very intellect in the process however. On the other side of the wall Mausim met the same fate as the slick greyings pink brain monsters began to eat brainwaves. Nuth and Demaia put an end to the Tabaxi woman just in time to help Finn destroy the lumpy aberrations. Archos arrived just in time to join the team and try to help heal the now inert bodies his teammates. He and Nuth found a piece of parchment on the tabaxi woman that gave them pause. A Royal seal of the Kingdom of Crossing Sun and Stars and possible evidence that this assassin has a connection to Queen Mew herself.
Low on spells and with two brain dead members of the party, you made the decision to retreat and seek help at a nearby temple. You fled to the temple of Corsun after outwitting a couple of bridge guards. Archos used astromancy to force them to attack each other. At the temple the clerics were able to restore the minds of Remy and Mausim. Taking a long rest you decided to renew your attack on the manor.
Entering the house once more you braced yourselves from the cold with prestidigitation spells and warm clothes. At the top of the stairs you faced new guards and the goliath man Ragvar Hightower. The battle continues amongst the ice and snow and now Nuth finds that he is contacted by a mysterious psychic presence asking him to switch sides...
Plot points/Scenes
Remaining Dangers on the Second Floor:
The two Succubi will disguise themselves as concubines of Vernabogge. They will attempt to seduce at first pretending to be unaware of the threat the players pose. If confronted with a threat they will turn to fear and pleading with the party. This only lasts as long as needed to attack and attempt to feed on a target.
Their fake names are Candy St. Claire and Francia Goodhead.
Cast Charm: DC 15 Wisdom Saving throw
Draining Kiss: The fiend kisses a creature charmed by it or a willing creature. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 32 (5d10 + 5) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken.
This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
The Mind Flayer takes a different approach and he unleashes the Cask of Ancient Winters inside the manor. [If a player finds the cask and closes it the wintry conditions end. This Cask is only a replica for one time use. It's magic has ended.]
The temperature in the manor drops quickly to 15 degrees F/-9 Centigrade, and it begins to snow in every room.
The floor now ices over and becomes difficult terrain, this halves their movement. From now on every round each player must make a constitution saving throw DC 14 or take a point of exhaustion.
Coupled with the cold the mind flayer unleashes illusions of cold, holiday themed creatures to bedevil the party. Candy Lads leap through the snow and wield deadly sharp canes. A goat legged creature in a festive red coat appears in doorways and snowman like creatures form out of snowbanks.
While the players jump at shadows the Mind Flayer will blast them with his Mind Blast and cast icy magic missiles at them out of a wand he carries. 4 missiles per attack, 1d4 damage each. Shield spell mitigates this attack.
Mind Blast (Recharge 5–6). The mind flayer magically emits psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or take 22 (4d8 + 4) psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
With the Intellect Devourers and the other dangers keeping their attention only Nuth will begin to feel the presence of the Mind Flayer with his psionic abilities. Each Round he will have to do an intelligence saving throw DC 15. On a success he starts to piece together images that lead to Mind Flayer.
An Octopus, followed by parasitic Wasp, and then a purple grub becoming a black moth. On a failure he takes 1d6 psychic damage as Virulent Whispers enters his mind. If he reaches 0 HP his body rises in a sleep like condition and walks towards the mind flayer ready for implantation.
[DM Note: if the players fail and drop to 0 HP they will then find themselves in the clutches of Virulent Whispers. He restrains them on hard chairs like heavy iron dentists chairs. He will then implant them with tadpoles to turn them into Mind Flayers. He taunts them and says when the tadpoles are implanted they are free to go. He also mentions that Vernabogge is very much reconstituted by now, he expects to hear from him momentarily. He asks them to wait in the city until his return. Virulent Whispers has not had a family for quite some time, he looks forward to their metamorphosis.]
The two Succubi will disguise themselves as concubines of Vernabogge. They will attempt to seduce at first pretending to be unaware of the threat the players pose. If confronted with a threat they will turn to fear and pleading with the party. This only lasts as long as needed to attack and attempt to feed on a target.
Their fake names are Candy St. Claire and Francia Goodhead.
Cast Charm: DC 15 Wisdom Saving throw
Draining Kiss: The fiend kisses a creature charmed by it or a willing creature. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 32 (5d10 + 5) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken.
This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Virulent Whispers
The Mind Flayer takes a different approach and he unleashes the Cask of Ancient Winters inside the manor. [If a player finds the cask and closes it the wintry conditions end. This Cask is only a replica for one time use. It's magic has ended.]
The temperature in the manor drops quickly to 15 degrees F/-9 Centigrade, and it begins to snow in every room.
The floor now ices over and becomes difficult terrain, this halves their movement. From now on every round each player must make a constitution saving throw DC 14 or take a point of exhaustion.
Coupled with the cold the mind flayer unleashes illusions of cold, holiday themed creatures to bedevil the party. Candy Lads leap through the snow and wield deadly sharp canes. A goat legged creature in a festive red coat appears in doorways and snowman like creatures form out of snowbanks.
While the players jump at shadows the Mind Flayer will blast them with his Mind Blast and cast icy magic missiles at them out of a wand he carries. 4 missiles per attack, 1d4 damage each. Shield spell mitigates this attack.
Mind Blast (Recharge 5–6). The mind flayer magically emits psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or take 22 (4d8 + 4) psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
With the Intellect Devourers and the other dangers keeping their attention only Nuth will begin to feel the presence of the Mind Flayer with his psionic abilities. Each Round he will have to do an intelligence saving throw DC 15. On a success he starts to piece together images that lead to Mind Flayer.
An Octopus, followed by parasitic Wasp, and then a purple grub becoming a black moth. On a failure he takes 1d6 psychic damage as Virulent Whispers enters his mind. If he reaches 0 HP his body rises in a sleep like condition and walks towards the mind flayer ready for implantation.
[DM Note: if the players fail and drop to 0 HP they will then find themselves in the clutches of Virulent Whispers. He restrains them on hard chairs like heavy iron dentists chairs. He will then implant them with tadpoles to turn them into Mind Flayers. He taunts them and says when the tadpoles are implanted they are free to go. He also mentions that Vernabogge is very much reconstituted by now, he expects to hear from him momentarily. He asks them to wait in the city until his return. Virulent Whispers has not had a family for quite some time, he looks forward to their metamorphosis.]
Plot type
Main Story
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