Session 11: Melkerechs Lair

General Summary

Session Recap: The party began mid-dungeon, and were soon reunited with Dofaroc, who had been teleported there “accidentally” by Alyssa, a mage who somehow survived the destruction of Stormhaven Academy. How she ended up teleporting Dofaroc to the lair, though? Bob wasn't sure, he was all mumbo jumbo. During their exploration, they wisely decided not to touch a cracked purple gem surrounded by spinning bronze rings. Sometimes, restraint is a virtue. Further into the lair, things got strange. Lucky almost lost an arm to a hungry bathroom fixture, but after a frantic scuffle, the party reduced the creature to nothing more than mimic sushi. Flushed and done. The kitchen, bedroom, and even a craft model room. The lair had the odd feel of a once-cozy home, made all the weirder by Melkerech's model-building hobby. But Bob has a new toy bronze dragon on a rope.. so that's a win for him. Also Goodboy managed to find them and provide doggy comfort. But, sensing it might actually be safe, the party retreated to the kitchen for some much-needed rest. Or so they thought. Before they could get too comfy, voices echoed in the night, drawing the group further into the lair. Their search revealed a living room, a study, and a creepy mechanical workshop, where Melkerech had dissected otherworldly constructs like Modrons and strange small insectile cog run monstrosities. Finding little else for now they explored the final room they could find attached to the bedroom involving three large three pink-tinged crystal prison, each containing a different version of Melkerech from alternate timelines: The Dreamer, a young idealist who still believed he could save Eliza and refused to accept he’d ever turn to necromancy. The Scholar, an older, bitter chronomancer, angry and jaded, but eager for revenge on the Queen of Thorns after learning of his imminent betrayal by her from the Hollow, explained over the years trapped here. The Hollow, the lich, who silently mocked the others’ hope for redemption, amused by the futility of it all. After some tense conversation (and some sibling-like squabbling between the Melkerechs), the scholar helpfully revealed the vault’s code was 1368 as a gesture of good will for his release - the year of Eliza's death (and a point of mocking from Hollow to Scholar). The party figured these guys were harmless enough and went back to their rest, leaving the Melkerechs to stew in their own existential crisis. The next day, the group found the topaz gems needed to progress, and rather than returning to the clones, they unlocked the vault. Upon opening it, they found grass and ivy poking through the floor—a sign of strange magic ahead. Inside was a floating platform, a dragon statue pouring blue liquid, and four walkways leading in different directions. Playing with the dragon’s gem eyes, they tried various combinations of coloured gems—swapping the gems rotated the doors to the colour of the walkway (though the brown liquid they accidentally made wasn’t exactly their proudest moment led nowhere but a swift reminder of spending time in the toilet together). Venturing down the southern path (with the yellow gems in the dragon eyes), they entered a massive room containing two monuments and a bronze orb in the center. Up on the ceiling, two red gems sat in a glass case, so they had EmMe fly up and smash it with an arrow. The orb, however, had other plans. It unfurled into a giant clockwork abomination, a hulking mix of insectoid robotic parts, construct components, and organic material. Colmir's Moonbeam, Lucky's swordplay, and Bob’s barbarian rage made surprisingly quick work of the beast. Highlights included Bob scaling the creature like a dwarf parkour master to deliver a stunning blow to its head, while Lucky carved through with pinpoint scitimar precision as Colmir continued to crush with moonbeam. Despite its best efforts with electric discharges and saw blades, the abomination was no match for the party's relentless assault and was quickly reduced to scrap metal. The mysteries of Melkerech’s lair are far from over, but at least the toilets are safe... for now.