Session 103 report: Niptu's Prisoners

General Summary

Session 103 – Wednesday November 27th, 2024: The Fiend portal.

4-hour Battle/Social/Level Up session 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

The Stone Bearers. Party of 6:

It is the 2nd day of the month of Ches (The Claw of Sunset) in the 51st year of the Age of Enialis (Late March.)

• Ajani– High Elf, L18 Wizard – Nathan Gioconda
• Cassidy – Human, L18 Blood hunter – Ryan Armstrong (Remote)
• Gazlowe – Goblin, L19 Artificer – Josh Pozsonyi
• Isabella – Forest Gnome, L18 Barbarian – Jackie Armstrong
• Juan Peyote – Gnome L18 Paladin – Will Johnson
• Seften Mitcaver – Human, L18 Cleric – Jacob Munson

Door to ash

Cassidy sneezed and brought the whole party together. Gazlowe complemented the others on their successful destruction of the fiend portal. They observed a stone door to the east and one to the west. Examining the doors, the one to the East seemed relatively unused while there were indications that the one to the west had been used more recently.   They opened the door to the East and found it filled with trash and rubble. Combing through the rubble Gazlowe found a spell scroll of Zephyr Strike. He also found a stone in the wall that seemed out of place. Pressing it, a door opened revealing a long dark passage with bits of floating ash. Seften sniffed for the smell of smoke but interestingly, there was none, just cold floating ash. Before they would go down this dark passage, they decided to examine the other door first.

Enialis and Enialis.

Opening the door to the west they saw a large stone platform upon which laid 2 identical wizards that they recognized as Enialis, the Blackstaff of Waterdeep. They had dealt with one of his Simulacrums before and assumed that one of them here is a Simulacrum. The table was surrounded by a magical field that seemed to emanate from the four large pillars in the room. On the side of the stone platform was a door about 2 feet high and 7 feet wide.   Ajani used his staff and destroyed the pillars with a lightning bolt, breaking the magical protection around the platform. As the magical field dissipated, both of the Enialises awoke. They both sat up and rubbed their heads, becoming oriented with the room around them. The Enialises saw each other and one of them pointed to the other and said, “Kill him, he’s fake.” The other of course pointed back to the first and said, “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he’s the fake one. Kill him.”   Gazlowe pulled out a hat from his bag and put it on the first one to help the party identify Enialis 1 from Enialis 2. The Stone bearers introduced themselves as the Stone Bearers while Enialis 1 logically debated Enialis 2. The pair came to the logical conclusion that one of them was a Simulacrum who has somehow made himself real and is for some nefarious purpose trying to usurp the real Enialis.

Will the real Enialis please stand up.

Questioning why they’re here in the first place, one explained that the last thing he remembered was talking with his wife and then he was here. Seften cast dispel magic on one of them but saw no clear change in them. Cassidy could not detect any history on either of them. Ajani couldn’t read their minds. Cassidy cast identify on them and noted that spells were protecting them: Mind Blank Level 10, Glibness Level 10 were on both but only one had invulnerability that will eventually end. She assumed that Seften had dispelled invulnerability on the other.   Juan wanted to kill them both, but not everyone agreed as killing the real Blackstaff of Waterdeep could be a bad idea. Seften opened the door below them and revealed a beautiful white-haired elf. She was identified as Halani, the wife of Enialis. Enialis explained that she has a terminal illness that no cleric has been able to heal. He postulated that perhaps his simulacrum brought them here as a way to cure her, but he couldn’t fathom why he would do so. As the invulnerability spell ended, Both Enialis pricked their fingers to prove they were real.   Juan had them each hold his talisman, and both were affected in the same way. Juan suggested that they cut Halani in half so each could share her. One of the Enialis seemed to be more protective of Halani and interested in her state than the other, so the party killed the other. They released Halani from the protective shield, and she seemed to be healed. The remaining Enialis was grateful for all they had done. Enialis (in a weakened state) asked the party to escort them out. Once out Enialis gathered his bearings and knew of a Wood Elf haven in this section of the forest that would give them shelter.

The Ash Queen

The party carefully escorted Enialis and Halani out of the caves. They worked together to successfully hide from the fiends. On their journey the Stone Bearers explained to Enialis all that had transpired with Niptu and the Red and White Ladies and all they had fought and encountered. The stories of the powerful elementals triggered Enialis to tell them about some of his recent research on the Ash Queen.   Enialis told the Stone Bearers the ancient lore of Elementals forming the world after the gods had created it. He explained how the mortals of the world, whom the gods then placed into the world, started to reshape the elemental creation. The mortals built cities and roads and the elementals went to war with the mortals. The elementals lost but their queen, The Ash Queen Atæshia, had sworn vengeance and that she would return to destroy the creations of mortal creatures. There had been recent signs of her return. The party remembered the long dark hall of floating ash.

Rest at a wood elf camp.

The party eventually made their way to the wood elves where they rested and leveled up to level 19. After a day of rest, the party made their way back to Hellgate. They again snuck past the demons and devils and made their way back to the path to the Ash Queen.

To the Ash Queen

The path opened into a vast plane of ash. In the distance they saw a dark tower looming. There was no sign of plants or any life except for a windowless black tower rising over 100 feet into the air. The Only clear point of entry was a 20-foot-tall set of doors at the tower’s base guarded by two forces of Iron. The party approached and were asked “Who are you and what do you seek?”   They respond that they would like to speak to the Ash Queen. The guards were cautious, but the Stone Bearers (with Gazlowe’s flash of genius) were persuasive. One of the guards turned to the door and whispered a secret word to get the doors to open. Seften tried to listen in but only heard a short single one (perhaps 2) syllable word that started with a hard consonant sound at the start perhaps a “k” sound like cow, and the end was a soft sound he just couldn’t make out.

The Rotunda

They walked into a large Tiled Rotunda perhaps 80’ in diameter. Every surface was covered in an intricate mosaic that rippled with magic. The walls and ceiling depicted scenes of elementals shaping the world, battling mortals, and mourning their lost. The floor depicted a swirling ocean. One of the guards stayed with the party at the entrance, while the other walked across the room to a purple orb which he touched and was transported away.   The party asked the remaining guard what was happening and the guard explained that Atæshia is in the middle of a ritual and the other guard was going to retrieve her aid Meskrit who can help them. Abrash quietly messaged Gazlowe that they could possibly take this guy before the other one comes back. Ajani distracted the guard with a magic trick.   Gazlowe walked up to the guard and asked for his hand. As soon as he gave it Gazlowe cast shocking grasp. The guard was angered, and 20 water elemental minions came out of the floor and joined the battle. Juan flew on bird to the middle of the room and channeled divinity. Every elemental minion was summarily destroyed. Isabella landed a critical blow on the Force of Iron. Cassidy struck with her whip. Ajani cast his chromatic orb that pinged off the walls. Gazlowe punched with his gauntlets. Seften cast toll the dead and Juan struck with his sword leaving the creature nearly destroyed. Isabella finished it off with her flail. The party left the pieces of metal on the floor and then waited for the return of the other guard.

Killing the messengers.

A few moments later, the Force of Iron guard returned with the queen’s assistant Meskrit (a force of blood) and a Sunlight Nexus. The party got the jump on the unexpecting creatures. Gazlowe started out with his arcane cannon blasting the group as soon as they came through the portal. Seften cast spirit guardians and positioned himself strategically. The force of Blood tried to hit Seften, but Cassidy cursed it causing 2 of the 3 strikes to miss. The others continued with their standard attacks. Cassidy walked into a pillar and struck from within. Ajani’s chromatic orb was more successful hitting all 3 creatures, one was critical.   The Sunlight nexus was about to land a critical blow on Ajani, but Isabella distracted it and made it miss. Juan bloodied the Force of Iron with his sword. The Force of Iron critically hit Juan. Gazlowe cast Bigby’s hand and grappled the Force of Blood. The Force of Blood attacked Gazlowe and Cassidy cursed it to cause it to miss one of its attacks. Isabella destroyed the Force of Iron with her axe and then landed a critical blow on the Sunlight Nexus bloodying it. Ajani destroyed the Sunlight Nexus with a chromatic orb.   The party then focused all their ire on Meskrit. Juan landed a blow with his sword. Gazlowe squeezed it with Bigby’s hand and then landed punch with his gauntlet leaving it bloodied. Seften cast toll the dead on the creature. Meskrit couldn’t land a blow on Gazlowe. Cassidy, still in the pillar hit with her whip. Isabella finished it off with her axe and cut its head off. Some of the blood and iron infused itself to Isabella’s axe making it look cool.

Smashing the front door.

Gazlowe, wanting to be sure the party has an escape route, bashed the front doors until they broke open. It took a while and made a ruckus. After the door was bashed open, an earth elemental (that was hiding in the ground) arose and seeing what the party had done, charged the party. Cassidy again cursed the Earth elemental preventing it from hitting anyone. Gazlowe grappled the creature with his magic hand and then punched it. Seften again hit it with Toll the Dead. Isabella again finished off the creature with yet another critical hit from her axe.   Ajani pointed to the orb and told Juan, “You should touch that.” Juan said, “Okay” and then he walked up to the orb, touched it and disappeared. The party followed…

Rewards Granted

Treasure

From the room to the Ash Hall.

• A spell scroll (1st level) of Zephyr strike