Session 97: The Glass Cavern Report

General Summary

Session 97 – Wednesday October 9, 2024: The Glass Cavern Part 1

4.5-hour exploration/battle session 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM.

The Stone Bearers. Party of 5:

It is the 18th day of the month of Alturiak (The Claw of winter) in the 51st year of the Age of Enialis (Early Feb.)

• Ajani– High Elf, L16 Wizard – Nathan Gioconda
• Cassidy – Human, L16Blood hunter – Ryan Armstrong (Remote)
• Gazlowe – Goblin, L17 Artificer – Josh Pozsonyi (Absent)
• Isabella – Forest Gnome, L16 Barbarian – Jackie Armstrong
• Juan Peyote – Gnome L16 Paladin – Will Johnson
• Seften Mitcaver – Human, L16 Cleric – Jacob Munson (Remote)

The Worm

Cassidy sneezed, brining Seften and Ajani into the material plane and sening Gazlowe to the Ethereal plane. The Party standing in the center of a massive sand pile was attacked by a gigantic Purple Worm. The worm grappled Juan and Ajani with its tongues. Ajani noticed Draconic runes etched on the dragon, pointed them out to Cassidy and used dimension door to escape the grapple. Cassidy read the ancient Draconic rules and recognized them as runes of binding, binding the worm to the lair and preventing it from fleeing. Cassidy attacked the worm, and Isabella attacked the tongue but didn’t do enough damage to release Juan. The worm opened a fissure in the sand and Seften fell 40 feet down into it. Bird rescued Seften and placed him on the sand.   Juan struck the worm’s tongue that was holding him and was able to break the grapple. Ajani cast dispel magic on the runes and yelled, “You’re free.” But the Worm was still attacking. It burrowed into the sand and then came up and attacked Cassidy, Bird, Seften and Juan. Cassidy pushed Seften out of the way and she was swallowed along with Bird and Juan. Isabella struck the worm trying to get it to throw up her friends. Seften cast command on the worm and forced it to throw up his friends.   Juan struck the worm and smote it. The worm chomped down on Juan and swallowed him again and then fled underground. As the tail began to disappear under the sand Isabella and Seften made an attack as it was fleeing and forced it to vomit Juan underground. The worm fled leaving Juan trapped 20 feet under the sand. Cassidy went ethereal and retrieved Juan.

The Dome

Cassidy spotted runes on the walls and noted that there was a magical portal in the ceiling. Cassidy read that a dragon can control the portal. Juan loaned Cassidy Bird and Cassidy attempted to fly Bird through the portal, but Bird smashed into it like it was a solid wall and plummeted back down to the sand 120 feet below.   The thud of the bird slamming into the glass dome rang loudly throughout the cavern. The party listened intently to see if the dragon continued snoring. It did but something else that was snoring along with the dragon stopped. The party knew they awakened something else in the cavern.

Sneaking north.

There were two passages from the large cavern, one to the north and another to the Northeast. The party went north into a large room with a 40’ high ceiling. There was a curtain covering the entire western side of the room. Seften quietly went up to it and listened. He heard multiple creatures breathing deeply. He knew whatever it was, they were large and no longer sleeping.   At the northern end of the hall were giant sized crates with food labels on them. The party discussed their options to walk by stealthily or perhaps attack. Cassidy turned invisible and peaked behind the curtain. She saw 3 huge Fire giants listening intently at the curtain. Cassidy tried to imitate the dragon’s voice (that she never heard) and in draconic told the giants to go back to sleep. The giants laughed and pulled back the curtain gently.

Fire giants of the sunlight legion.

The fire giants asked the party why they are there. Ajani replied, “We’re here to take care of the dragon.” The fire giants (not very fluent in common) replied that they’re taking care of the dragon, they have food for him and are taking good care of the dragon. The fire giant speaking told another of the giants to, “Go get the dragon.” Seften whispered to the others, “We shouldn’t let him do that.” Seften cast “Halt!” The spell failed but the first giant repeated the command to his fellow giant and then questioned the party as to why they want him to stop.   Ajani convinced the giants that they have gifts that they need help with back in the previous room. The giants followed the Stone bearers into the room where the Stone bearers surprised the giants and attacked.   Cassidy critically hit the first giant. Juan followed up and smote the giant leaving him badly bloodied. Isabella finished him off. Seften banished the 2nd giant. Ajani cast Mental prison to psychically trap the third giant in an illusionary trap. Freaking out, the giant swung wildly and hit Isabella. The trap was sprung, and the giant took psychic damage and thinking Isabella hurt him, he became afraid of gnomes. The giant was bloodied, screamed in pain and yelled, “Why you lie!”

The Giants talk.

The Giant was now willing to talk and was afraid the gnomes. The party demanded to know where the dragon was. He told them, “He’s sleeping. North past our room, or past that hallway to the right, there is another big room like this, in the Northeast of that room is a secret passageway where he sleeps.” Ajani asked, “Do you like the dragon?” The giant replied, “He’s very wise and we seek to be enlightened.”   The banishment spell ended, and the 2nd Giant re-appeared. Ajani told the badly hurt dragon, “Tell your man to stop.” The Giant yelled, “Wait! Gome is very powerful!” Anaji explained they want to kill the dragon. The giant said, “No! We want to seek enlightenment. We won’t let you.” Cassidy then told them that they had killed Zenith and that enraged the giants. Cassidy and Juan attacked leaving the first giant near death. Isabella finished him off and then went after the remaining Giant.   Seften continued to cast Toll the dead. Ajani cast ray of frost. The giant punched Isabella. Cassidy whipped the giant. The giant used his heat reaction and Cassidy gained 1 level of exhaustion. Juan hit him with his sword and Isabella finished him off.

The Giant’s loot.

The party looked at the crates of food and found a lot of rations. Hidden in the crates were a potion of Clairvoyance, a potion of poison and a Potion of the Bestest supremiorior healing. They searched the Giants quarters but didn’t find much else there or on the Giants themselves. They did find a journal that Isabella read through. They learned that the Giants are trying to gain wisdom from Xaantikorijek since their leader was brutally slain by evil creatures. Xaantikorijek is perhaps the oldest living creature in the world, but his memory isn’t very good. Xaantikorijek seems to want to restore the age of the dragon but can’t remember how.

The Chamber of prophecy.

The party went through the Northeast passageway to search for the dragon’s chambers. They entered a large room where one wall of contained vivid splashes of colored glass that hint at a massive, vibrant picture covering the entirety of the surface. The picture had been largely scratched out with various sketches and memoranda. The party examined the picture and tried to read the various notes scrawled over the picture.   Juan and Isabella seemed to be entranced by the mural and saw a horrible vision of the possible future with masses of people bowing to Niptu in a sea of dead bodies. The skies were dark, and dragons flew in the air with fey’ri. Fiends stood behind Niptu emphasizing the power he held. Isabella and Juan both came away from the vision with psychic damage and a bad headache, horrified by what they saw.   Ajani had no “vision” but saw in the mural, depictions of ancient creatures. Cassidy translated some of the notes that read:

“Bring back food for Genesis (What does he eat?)”
“The Ashen song lies waiting.”
“How does he Control me? I want to kill him, but I cannot.”

Cassidy didn’t find a secret passage but did find a secret alcove high on the wall. Bird helped Cassidy get up to the alcove and Cassidy found a ledge and a large ball of ancient silk yarn tucked in the back. Cassidy cast identify on it and discovered that it is simply a slightly damp ball of ancient silk worth about 25 gp.

The Chamber of reflection

The party continued north into another large dome room with a 200-foot ceiling. In the far north they saw another passage. In the middle of the room they saw 6 large lightbenders huddled together. The lightbenders carefully watched the party as they approached. Seften took the ball of yarn and played with it, teasing the lightbenders and then rolled it across the room. 5 of them chased the ball of yarn and started playing with it. Juan threw his frisbee past the remaining one and it didn’t move. Seften cast light on the frisbee and tossed it. The remaining lightbender went and sat on the frisbee, covering up the light. The party walked around the room to the passageway to the north (totally forgetting to check for the secret Dragon den.)

The Hoard chamber

The party (brady bunch style) peered around the corner into the northern passage. They saw 2 massive mounds of treasure and 2 fire giants carefully moving treasure from one pile into the other. Another lightbender sat on the floor cleaning himself. The lightbender spotted the party and made a growling sound attracting the attention of the giants who then spotted the party.   Isabella said (in Giant,) “We’re here to help.” The first fire giant told the party to enter the chamber and stand in the corner. He then told the 2nd Giant to go get the dragon. As the 2nd one began to leave, the party attacked.   Isabella attacked the giant who was leaving the room. The lightbender attacked Isabella. Cassidy attacked the first fire giant. Juan and Seften attacked the leaving giant. Cassidy was pummeled by the fire giant and knocked prone. The fleeing giant ran out of the treasure chamber and into the other room and pressed on the secret door opening it. Ajani followed and hit the giant with a psychic lance. The giant was incapacitated but the reverberation of Ajani’s verbal spell components woke the dragon, and the snoring stopped. Isabella attacked the first Giant and bloodied him. Cassidy followed up slashing at him with her whips. Juan finished him off by chopping off his toes. The giant fell and cracked his head open on the treasure. Seften killed the final giant with a loud clang of his shield and a toll of the dead.   A low ancient draconic voice echoed from deep within the cave, “What is this racket that awaketh me?!?”

Rewards Granted

Treasure

From the Fire Giant’s hoard:

• A potion of Clairvoyance.
• A potion of poison.
• A Potion of the Bestest supremiorior healing.
• 14,600 pounds of Rations (fills portable hole ¾ full)