Session 16 Prep

Set Expectations

Set the expectations for the session and communicate any above table information FIRST before starting the session…

• I’m not 100% sure of the pacing but we’ll run with things how it goes
• There’s gonna be some combat for sure today
• Discord server?
  • Private channel for players and for GMs
  • Would be better for longer form conversation than messenger
• I really want to implore you all to try and avoid devices/screens for anything other than D&D beyond or really important stuff. This session has the potential to tie up a lot of threads and also will require you to be on the ball in combat
  • Please know what you can do ahead of your turn and consider multiple options so you don’t get stumped if a ruling doesn’t work like you expect.

TODO

• Make tally table for experiments

Recap & Re-Familiarize

Recap the previous session events with brevity, then reintroduce them to the world.

Last we left off… you each managed to avoid what seemed like serious danger - as you landed on a floor of obsidian glass above a vat of lava in an oddly shaped chamber. You managed to repel some odd Automatons before making your way through to another chamber that proved truly eerie.

The odd smell, ominous ticking clock sound, and various instruments of torture and experimentation were the first signs that this room had been used for grim activities. Here you learned of Alexander Tryst - a former member of The Arcane Will expelled by Thelnyron Dose for crimes of experimentation against live Mortals. Through loose journal entries of his - you learned some intriguing & confusing

The room presented a challenge to your party as you were pushed; some more than others, to reveal truths about yourselves to each other. As you did - the clock tracking your time in this room reduced by an hour. Each of you shared some reveals about your origins, identity, or your reason for seeking adventure. It was through this you each learned that SHAI was, in fact, a Changeling from the Feywild.

You exited the room and were rejuvenated through Arcane means. With renewed vigour and newfound trust between each other - you moved onwards down the dimly lit staircase towards the next; and hopefully last, obstacle in this leg or your journey.

And that’s where we’ll pick up from… You each completed a long rest and are all now reach level 6. The current day is Hymark, the 15th of Vaelorn, 920 PD. The staircase is incredibly dusty and seems to go on and on forever.

Immediate Event

The immediate action for the Party to deal with.

• Further in:
  • The tunnel keeps leading downwards for multiple minutes with no end in sight - they stop to take a break and explore their surroundings
  • They need to head back “UP” the stairs to find a gap in the illusion to continue forwards.
  • Give them clues like:
    • “turn back, but don’t turn back.”
    • “the path forwards is often the one already walked”
    • “only the insane repeat the same thing with the expectation something will change”
    • etc

Eventually they’ll find themselves in a small study - with potion vials empty and multiple scraps of paper strewn across the desk and a chalk board. There are also many books in the room.

• Here they can see a tally table that has 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 20, 100 with various numbers of tallies PROP
• Find Tryst’s Log #51

More about Alexander Tryst

• Morgyn will recall hearing that Alexander Tryst had a pretty big personality shift after being named an Exalt member. He earned that title after handling the excavation of an ancient artifact dated to be from The Cataclysm. He spent a week or so along the border with Orsana as he studied the object.
• Many just assumed the desert had worn on him, or ego got to him.
• There was one time you swear you’d heard him talking to himself but you dropped it without second thought (DC18 INT)

There is a door on the other side of the room from the one they entered via - and exiting it takes them to The Final Room

Plots Points/Paths Forward

Details about various plot threads that can be explored this session - with a subheading for each one.

PLTPNT - The Unknown Anchor

The Final Room?

You pass through the doorway and walk out onto a large balcony that runs around the interior circumference of a truly huge room - peering over it you immediately see a large, equilateral, triangular floor with a complex arcane contraption in the centre of this central main chamber. Looking around the room you realize it is once again carved out of the stone around you - with the ‘panels’ in the shape of equilateral triangles that join at the edges to make a nearly; but not quite, spherical chamber.

Surrounding the contraption are all manner of work benches, desks, chalk boards and lab benches. Every one of which is littered with tools, notes, books, or odd shaped moulds. The floor is decorated with odd shaped and glowing pipes, which all feed back towards the contraption in the centre.

From certain angles - you can see the lower walls are thinner than those high up and there seem to be pathways that connect them various doorways cut out of the walls. Built into; and jutting out of, one of the walls you see a large, black, metal cage and next to it you see two long stair cases that curve along the walls in opposite directions.

The air in this room is electric as you each take in the surroundings.

Ask them what they do and improv parts of it

The Cage

• Rescue Brannan
  • Stealth, Lockpicking, Perception
  • He will alert them that he tried to pick the lock once and it knocked him out for a week; he says that the Monarch warned him he would deal with any subsequent attempts personally.
  • Failing to pick the lock on the first try will trigger an alarm to play and the party will be forced to hide.

The Pathways

• Learn more about the device
  • Find Tryst’s Log #32
  • vague diagram which looks like the construct in the middle of the main chamber.
• There are tunnels that extend off in straight lines for seriously long distances and are barely lit. They seem to be carved out of the bare stone as well but one is more crudely dug than the others.
• Following one of the pathways leads to a small room that is darkly lit and contains a familiar mirror. It is deactivated and unresponsive.

The Notes/Tables

• There are some notes written in common that seem illegible/incoherent
• Some are written in another language and the handwriting doesn’t seem to match
  • Written in Drow and they say “Once my mind is free from this meat-bag; I will rip him limb from limb and take this ‘Anchor’ all for myself.”
  • There is one note written in a language that resists comprehension of any sort - even Arcane.
    • Casting Dispel magic on it can reveal it’s contents.
    • “My Husband. He’s ill and I haven’t been able to help him whilst aiding your EfTegBUel - Can’t you save him now that you’ve succeeded…”

The Contraption

• The contraption is protected by a pulsing green arcane barrier - there is a panel with an odd stone material just outside the barrier.
• Arcana check
  • DC17 gets them “its the control panel, it is very complex machinery. It doesn’t appear the barrier can remain this large whilst the device is active.”
  • DC19 gets them “it seems to use a form of Glyphchalk as a medium”
  • DC24 gets them “you think carving potential symbols into it could potentially affect the calibration of the machine - but whether that is beneficial or not you are unsure.”
• General check for the machine (DC15 Investigation)
  • They see multiple prongs feeding energy into a central object
  • It is hard to focus on - it doesn’t seem natural or stable.

Combat

• Eventually (5-10 minutes of searching or if they exhaust everything) Alexander Tryst will start walking down a hallway with loud footsteps

• The party will have to make WIS Saving throws (DC16) or be Frightened.

• they will hear him having conversation - but when he appears, he’ll be by himself.

  • He has aged significantly since the photo but is insanely good physical shape.
  • Broad shoulders and wearing white mages robes that button down the middle - a black fur coat over his shoulder.
  • The click of his boots echoes through this uniquely shaped room.
  • A twisted metal crown precariously balancing on his head.

• He will appear for a second before blinking through the barrier and into the centre of the contraption.

• Group stealth check (DC is beat his active perception check)

• If they fail - a different, gruff voice will start taunting

  • “Come out… I can smell your fear…”
  • “I can sense someone’s been tampering with this…”
  • “Boy… I know when I’m being lied too. Has someone made their way down here?” (if brannan is still in the cage)

If the party engage him, or attempt to surprise him - he will turn and face them.

Well, hello there. You must be The Fated Eight - I’ve heard and learned so much about you all in the past few days. You guys have a really bad habit of not staying dead - you know that?

Well I am outnumbered 8 to 1 - admittedly you would have me in a pickle if I didn’t have this gestures to proto anchor in right hand (it is a green and black pulsing orb that is roughly the size of a tennis ball).

Oh yes, I paid attention to all your tactics and secrets as you made your way down here. Yes, I paid special attention to little Miss Orphanblood over there. Not all of us are so lucky to get so many extra chances…

A separate, gruff voice suddenly yells out “Ignore them you fool - turn on The Crucible and forge the core. Complete the mission.”

PAUSE FOR INTERJECTIONS…

Alexander Tryst stands tall and begins to chuckle loudly whilst taking off his fur coat and top of his robes - revealing a malformed Drow face fused into the flesh of his left abdomen.

“Oh - how rude of me. Let me introduce you to my co-conspirator - this is Dresk Haol… he is the bane of my existence, but I as you can see I am fused to this magnanimous cunt.

It runs deeper than that - he’s in my mind; every second of ever day he’s there blabbing on about something from The Arcanic Age or otherwise… I haven’t slept well in a decade. I would have completed a separation ritual by now if hadn’t been for High Arcanist Dose and the council getting in my way.

But now… I am closer than ever to completing my ultimate goal. There is one final step in the way - eliminating you and completing the core. Dresk my not-so-good-friend… I hope you’re ready for drastic measures…”

“Wait… what are you doing?” Dresk Haol yells out in shock and horror before pained cries echo through the room.

The orb in Alexander Tryst’s hand ignites as Arcane energy crackles through and around his body. Dresk Haol’s begins letting out a final, howling cry as a white flash takes over the room - with Alexander Tryst crushing the orb in his hand. A cloud of green and purple smoke exudes outwards from the contraption, before quickly dispersing. Standing where Alexander Tryst had once stood - is a hulking brute of a Drow with a long white mane of hair down his back. One arm is significantly larger than the other, but as his form begins to stabilize they even out. Your attention is taken away from the new figure as Alexander Tryst - now much lither and currently bleeding out at a rapid rate has rushed towards the centre of the contraption and activated the machine. The green arcane barrier begins to retract - only large enough now to protect someone of Alexander Tryst’s current size.

The Drow figure; that you presume is Dresk Haol, stands tall and assesses the situation before muttering a Drow curse word under his breath. Without warning, his glowing red eyes turn a sickly green colour and you notice Alexander Tryst casting an unfamiliar type of magic on him. “You are my Persona now. If you wish to return to Dresk Haol - you will eliminate the intruders.” Alexander Tryst calmly commands as Dresk Haol turns in your direction, preparing to attack.

I need you all to roll initiative…

Dresk Haol: Immune to grapples - if someone tries it; they find that his form can become gaseous at will and they are unable to grip onto him If it starts looking grim - encourage them to consider what a species who live in pure darkness would be weak against

Alteration Table

The proto-anchor is now fused with Highest of INT, WIS, CHA SAVE (DC18)

Dice Roll	Result
1	Your left and right hands switch places till the end of your next turn. All of your attacks, Dex saves, or Dex-based skills are at Disadvantage.
2	Your lips are sealed shut - you are unable to communicate or cast spells with verbal components till the end of your next turn.
3	Your left and right feet swap places until the start of your next turn. Your feet-based moment speed is halved.
4	You developing crippling anxiety until the end of your next turn. You are frightened.
5	You are suddenly parched and require immediately quenching. You have 1 point of Exhaustion until the end of your next turn.
6	You feel your brain pinch as your eyes are unplugged until the start of your next turn. You are blinded.
7	Your stomach turns in knots as you suddenly vomit up rotten food. You are poisoned until the start of your next turn.
8	You suddenly hear pure silence as your ears are turned inside out until the end of your next turn. You are deafened.

The Fight Is Over…

At the end of combat - Dresk Haol will bubble and boil away, much the same as Cain and Eden had a day earlier. A shockwave from the centre of the room will knock them all to their feet and push them back against the wall.

Thelnyron and Davison Theros are about to arrive…

• DC 17 Perception check hears two sets of footsteps approaching.

The Core Is Complete

Alexander Tryst will turn to the party and monologue.

“You’re too late… the core is complete. Your fate is sealed.” Alexander Tryst pronounces as he gestures to a new artifact in his right hand. It almost hurts to look at because you each realize that it cannot maintain a single geometric shape - it keeps alternating between a variety of three dimensional shapes every second.

DC16 Perception check (18 gets more) - they hear footsteps are close by - coming from the tunnel that Alexander Tryst had used earlier. 18 hears “Davison - slow down”

“I am the Monarch Of Madness and I will bring about a new age! You cannot stop me now…” he shouts as he begins drawing energy from the device. His wound now completely healed.

“It’s time I eliminate you once and for all - no more revivals, no more Fated Eight…” as he blinks closer and begins the motions to release a very seriously upcasted Ray Of Frost in your direction. He seems to be pulling power from the core once again…

Pause to see if they can try something but don’t give them too much time.

Wing this section (roll a dice or smth)

• Maybe he blows up

• Maybe the bleeding starts again

• Maybe he starts melting

• Spells fades and does no damage

• His body begins to crackle with raw Arcane energy as he is slowly ripped apart.

• Thelnyron Dose blinks forwards and protects the party from the shockwave

• Alexander Tryst snickers saying “you’re too late, master…” as he tosses the core up into air before a man in black leather clothes snatches it before landing on the railing of the balcony. DC14 perception check confirms the white hair and eye patch (it’s Caesar Plight) before dashing out of sight.

• Thel says “Davison, after him.” as a crimson blur follows in that direction.

Session Close

• Allow the party to RP a bit and ask Thelnyron some questions (and answer some of the suspicions I’m sure they will have)

• He came from The Dealt Hand - there was a secret, very shoddily dug tunnel that led here.

• Davison Theros had been tailing Caesar Plight for weeks after he was seen sneaking into Veiled Visage University’s restricted sections.

• Is exempt from the government of roan because he’s not part of the government - he’s a special advisor.

• He genuinely liked Alexander Tryst and wished to see him succeed himself one day - but that was not in the cards for him after “that day”

  • He went against the instructions of the council and opened a tome from the early days of The Cataclysm. Every since then he seemed less-and-less sane. Thel admits he had tried to get Alexander Tryst to open up about it but wasn’t able to when it mattered.

• He had asked the Cloak Corps to keep an eye on this building to prevent further events like this but he guesses they were busy elsewhere or reassigned.

• The surface is looking pretty bleak right now - early in the morning, groups of bandits began attacking parts of the city. Storm Corps and Civil Corps are have done a good job protecting it.

The party are teleported out of the building by Thelnyron and to The Witch’s Wardrobe where Cynthia Glint will take care of them. Thel asks them to pop by the university at a later date.