Session 088: Red Dragon Returns Report

General Summary

# S088: Red Dragon Returns   Date: Jul 6th, 2025   ## Summary The party followed a cosmic cat through the mystical Mist of Concatenation, a realm between realities where the cats of Ulthar dwelled. In this strange space, thoughts and memories became shared telepathically, creating a hive mind connection that made secrets impossible to keep. The black cat that guided them transformed into a cosmic, universe-like appearance as they walked through the rejuvenating mist that healed their wounds and restored their magical abilities.   As they journeyed through the mist, the party experienced profound shared visions that revealed their interconnected histories. Bastion's memories of his life in Grognar and his complex relationship with Meklin were laid bare - they learned that Meklin was both Bastion's grandfather and son across different realities, existing as the god Paradox who lived in multiple timelines simultaneously. The cats showed subtle animosity toward the Tabaxi party members, referring to them as "uprights" and feeling they had stolen the goddess Bast's attention away from them.   Barlo began sharing visions of his father aboard the flying ship Audacity, where the elder had served alongside young Captain Meklin, Sas's father, and Shadow's village elder. In these memories, Barlo's father possessed the ability to sprout large purple-black wings with metallic talons, jumping from the ship to fight cultists during an ancient battle. The party witnessed visions of the climactic confrontation beneath the bell near the ziggurat of Therizdun, where hundreds of glowing orbs floated before a black void while the goddess Bast grew to enormous size to help contain the cosmic threat.   Calliope's memories revealed her father fighting brown-cloaked enemies with red glowing swords while her mother attempted to leave the order of Ashla and Bogons to become a way seeker. Shadow experienced confusion about the cats' prejudice and saw spectral visions of her companion Artie transforming into cat form. The mystical experience provided the party with benefits equivalent to a long rest, fully restoring their health and magical abilities.   The peaceful journey took a dark turn when Sas began emitting psychic feedback that caused damage to the party members. Disturbing visions revealed the red dragon Almadine's previous attack on the party and showed Vyrin's brother working with drow and an Orthon devil. The climactic revelation came when the party discovered that Sas had been replaced by a doppelganger during their teleportation - the real Sas had been captured by the escaped Orthon.   The cats apologized for the delay in breaking through the imposter's deception and immediately transported the party to a volcanic cave where they found the real Sas tied up and unconscious. The adult red dragon Almadine loomed over the scene, now larger and more powerful than before after participating in the Dragon's Crucible on one of the moons, where dragons competed for power and absorbed abilities from conquered foes.   Combat erupted as the party engaged the doppelganger while preparing to face the dragon. Barlo raged and grappled the fake Sas, while Bastion dealt massive damage with his Hex and rapier combination enhanced by True Strike. Shadow delivered the killing blow to the doppelganger with an arrow to the neck, revealing metallic blood and sulfurous flames as it died and transformed back to its true form.   The dragon's arrival brought terror as it used its Frightful Presence to terrorize most of the party, leaving only Shadow unaffected by the fear. Almadine's devastating fire breath targeted Shadow and Calliope, dealing massive damage while the Orthon teleported away claiming he would collect his payment later. The dragon's lair responded with dangerous environmental effects including magma geysers and poisonous gas clouds that created additional hazards.   The party struggled to engage the flying dragon while dealing with fear effects and difficult terrain. Barlo remained frightened for most of the battle, limiting his effectiveness to long-range crossbow shots. Bastion attempted to incapacitate the dragon with Hypnotic Pattern but failed against the creature's powerful will. Shadow used her clockwork amulet to guarantee hits with Lightning Arrow spells, dealing significant lightning damage to the beast.   Calliope made a dramatic tactical decision to transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex using Polymorph, becoming a hot pink, glittery dinosaur to engage the dragon in melee combat. Her transformation proved highly effective when she rolled a natural 20 on her bite attack, dealing 53 points of piercing damage and leaving the dragon bloodied and seriously wounded. The critical hit also granted her permanent hit point increases as her mark of the adventure activated.   The wounded dragon made desperate counterattacks, clawing and biting the T-Rex while the party continued their assault. Shadow's arrows found their mark repeatedly, while Bastion provided healing and support with Cure Wounds and Ray of Frost spells. Calliope cast Cloud of Daggers directly on the dragon's position, creating additional damage as the creature moved through the magical blades.   The battle reached its climax when Shadow delivered the killing blow by shooting an arrow directly into the dragon's mouth as it prepared to breathe fire. The arrow caused an explosion inside the dragon's throat, and the mighty beast fell to the earth with a reddish essence shooting out as it died. The party felt immense heat wash over them as Almadine's life force dissipated, ending the threat once and for all.   After the combat, the party rescued the real Sas and discovered an enormous treasure hoard containing over 16,000 gold pieces per person, along with precious gems, magical potions, and important documents. They found a contract revealing Almadine's participation in the Dragon's Crucible and a draconic religious tome called "The Book of the World." Shadow successfully harvested valuable materials from the dragon's corpse, including wings, breath glands, scales, and blood, while the party identified various magical items including rings, potions, and a broken wand of wonder. The adventure concluded with the party wealthy beyond their previous dreams and having uncovered crucial information about the cosmic forces at work in their world.   ## Scenes ### Journey Through the Mist of Concatenation #### The party follows a cosmic cat through a mystical mist where thoughts and memories are shared telepathically.

Party follows a black cat that transforms into a cosmic, universe-like appearance

Characters experience shared consciousness and telepathic connection with the cats

Bastion's thoughts about fighting devils and demons are shared with the group

Party learns they are in the Mist of Concatenation, a space between realities

Discovery that the cats of Ulthar are a hive mind with psychic abilities

Revelation that cats can find pockets and folds throughout the universe

Animosity detected between the cosmic cats and the Tabaxi party members

Everyone rolls 2d10 and regains hit points from the rejuvenating mist

Shadow and Bastion notice that Sas is being unusually quiet and secretive

### Shared Visions and Memories in the Mist #### The party experiences profound shared visions revealing their interconnected histories and the cosmic nature of their quest.

Bastion shares memories of his life in Grognar and his connection to the god Paradox/Meklin

The party learns that Meklin is both Bastion's grandfather and son across different realities

Everyone receives healing and spell slot restoration from the mystical mist

Barlo begins sharing visions of his memories with Meklin

A draconic illusion briefly appears over Bastion, resembling a brassy copper dragon

A cat emerges from the shadows, touches Bastion's feet, takes on his qualities, and darts away

Barlo's draconic illusion appears showing purple-black dragon features

Another bulkier cat appears, rubs against Barlo's legs, takes on his qualities, and disappears

Barlo sees visions of his father on the deck of the Audacity with young Meklin, Sas's father, and Shadow's village elder

In the vision, Barlo's father jumps off the ship and sprouts large purple-black wings with metallic talons

Barlo attempts to mentally block the shared visions to prevent deeper memories from being revealed

The party learns about Meklin's deal with the cats of Ulthar for safe passage

Calliope's memories are shared, revealing her father fighting brown-cloaked enemies with red glowing swords

Visions show Calliope's mother trying to leave the order of Ashla and Bogons to become a way seeker

Shadow experiences confusion about the cats' animosity toward Tabaxi

The party learns that the cats refer to Tabaxi as 'uprights' and feel they've taken Bast's attention away

Shadow sees a spectral vision of Artie transforming into a cat form

Visions reveal the elder, Sas's father, and Barlo's father on the Audacity flying toward the ziggurat of Therizdun

Party witnesses vision of ancient battle with Bast, Meklin, and the black void with floating orbs

Vision shows Meklin being sucked into void while pulling orbs with him

Party gains benefits equivalent to a long rest from the mystical experience

### The Doppelganger's Deception Revealed #### Sas's psychic resistance breaks down, revealing disturbing visions and the truth about her identity.

Sas emits psychic feedback causing 3 points of damage to most party members

Visions reveal the red dragon Almadine's previous attack on the party

Memories show Vyrin's brother working with drow to find an arcane forge

Vision reveals the brother making a deal with an Orthon devil

Second psychic blast deals 6 points of damage to most party members

Final vision shows alliance between the drow, Orthon, and red dragon Almadine

Third psychic blast deals 2 points of damage

Climactic revelation that Sas was replaced by a doppelganger during teleportation

Real Sas was captured by the Orthon that escaped

Cats apologize for delay in breaking through the imposter's deception

Party becomes frozen in place as the truth is revealed

### Arrival in the Dragon's Lair #### The party is transported by the cats to a volcanic cave where they discover the real Sas is being held captive.

The cats transport the party to a volcanic cave with magma and large bones

The party spots Almadine the red dragon, now larger and more powerful than before

They see an Orthon guarding the real Sas, who is tied up and unconscious

The fake Sas (doppelganger) with the party yells 'it's time to go' to alert their enemies

Combat begins as the party realizes they've been traveling with an imposter

### Battle with the Doppelganger #### The party engages the doppelganger impersonating Sas while preparing to face the dragon.

Barlo rages and attempts to grapple the fake Sas

The doppelganger reveals it secured passage for a passenger the party failed to pick up

Bastion attacks with Hex and rapier, dealing massive damage with True Strike

The doppelganger tries to use a magical item but Barlo prevents it

Calliope attempts Phantasmal Killer on the Orthon but it fails due to magic resistance

Shadow moves to higher ground using land stride and writing tide to hover

Shadow shoots and kills the doppelganger with an arrow to the neck

The doppelganger's body transforms back, revealing metallic blood and sulfurous flames

### Dragon's Arrival and Frightful Presence #### The adult red dragon Almadine appears and uses its frightful presence to terrorize the party.

The ground trembles as the adult red dragon emerges

Dragon taunts the party about getting stronger over three years

Dragon mentions knowing secrets of gaining power quickly

Dragon uses Frightful Presence ability

All party members except Shadow fail wisdom saves and become frightened

Frightened condition lasts one minute with saves at end of each turn

Dragon targets Shadow and Calliope with fire breath

Calliope succeeds on dexterity save and takes 31 fire damage

Shadow fails save and takes 63 fire damage

The Orthon teleports away saying he'll get his pay later

### Lair Actions and Environmental Hazards #### The dragon's lair responds with dangerous environmental effects targeting the party.

Ground crumbles and quakes where the doppelganger died

Magma tower breaks through ground, rising 20 feet high

Magma rains down on Barlo and Bastion

Both fail dexterity saves and take 21 fire damage each

Later lair action creates poisonous volcanic gas cloud requiring constitution saves

Tremor shakes the lair in 60-foot radius around dragon

Party members make dexterity saves to maintain balance

### Dragon Combat - Opening Rounds #### The party struggles to engage the flying dragon while dealing with fear effects and difficult terrain.

Barlo struggles to reach the flying dragon due to difficult terrain and being frightened

Barlo fires crossbow bolts at the dragon from maximum range, hitting for minimal damage

Bastion casts Hypnotic Pattern attempting to incapacitate the dragon, but it fails

Bastion transfers his Hex spell to the dragon and moves to cover

Bastion overcomes his frightened condition

Calliope considers using Polymorph to turn into a Tyrannosaurus Rex

Calliope attempts Hypnotic Pattern as well, but the dragon resists with a roll of 28

Shadow uses her clockwork amulet to guarantee a hit and casts Lightning Arrow at 4th level

Shadow's Lightning Arrow deals 30 points of lightning damage to the dragon

Shadow fires a second arrow for additional damage

Dragon breathes fire again, dealing 28 fire damage to multiple party members

Dragon moves to 15 feet above ground, hovering near Shadow

Dragon uses legendary action to tail whip Shadow for 18 bludgeoning damage

### Calliope's T-Rex Transformation #### Calliope transforms into a Tyrannosaurus Rex to engage the dragon in melee combat.

Calliope plans to use Polymorph to become a T-Rex and consume a fire breath vial

The DM explains that red dragons are immune to fire damage, making the plan ineffective

Calliope decides to proceed with the T-Rex transformation anyway for survivability

Calliope successfully casts Polymorph and transforms into a hot pink, glittery T-Rex

The T-Rex moves toward the dragon but cannot attack yet due to Polymorph being the action

Calliope charges toward the dragon as a Tyrannosaurus Rex

Calliope rolls a natural 20 on her bite attack

The critical hit deals 53 points of piercing damage to the dragon

The dragon is now bloodied and seriously injured

Calliope gains 5 hit points back and 3 permanent hit points from rolling natural 20s

Calliope is no longer frightened

### Dragon's Desperate Counterattack #### The wounded dragon makes desperate attacks against the party members.

Dragon's fire breath fails to recharge

Dragon attacks Calliope with claws, rolling natural 20 for critical hit

Dragon deals 22 points of damage to Calliope

Dragon moves into poisonous mist and attacks the T-Rex

Dragon bites T-Rex for 19 piercing and 7 fire damage

Calliope maintains concentration on Polymorph spell

Shadow shoots arrows at the dragon, dealing 27 points of damage with the first hit and 24 with the second

Shadow goes invisible as a defensive measure, though the dragon has blindsight

Shadow takes a healing potion, recovering 16 hit points

The dragon claws and bites the T-Rex, dealing additional damage

A lair action creates a tremor requiring dexterity saves from all party members

### Healing and Tactical Adjustments #### Party members focus on healing and repositioning while continuing the battle.

Bastion casts Cure Wounds at 6th level, healing for 26 hit points

Bastion attempts to summon two mastiffs from magical patches but realizes it requires an action to detach patches

The mastiff summoning is retconned as a vision that rewinds itself

Barlo finally overcomes his fear of the dragon with a successful wisdom save

Bastion casts Ray of Frost twice, with one hit reducing the dragon's movement speed by 10 feet

Calliope casts Cloud of Daggers directly on the dragon's position

Shadow casts Lightning Arrow again, accidentally hitting Calliope (as T-Rex) in the face with lightning splash damage

Calliope's polymorph spell ends, reverting her from T-Rex back to her normal form

### The Dragon's Demise #### Shadow delivers the killing blow to the adult red dragon Almadine.

Shadow fires a second arrow dealing 36 points of damage to the severely wounded dragon

Dragon attempts tail and bite attacks but misses the party members

Dragon flies away from melee combat, staying airborne

Shadow delivers the killing blow by shooting an arrow directly into the dragon's mouth as it prepares to breathe fire

The arrow causes an explosion inside the dragon's mouth

The dragon falls to the earth and dies

A reddish essence shoots out of the dragon as it dies

The party feels immense heat pass over them

Combat ends with no party members unconscious or dead

### Post-Combat Recovery and Rescue #### The party tends to their wounds and rescues the real Sas after defeating the dragon.

Shadow casts Healing Spirit to help the party recover hit points

Bastion casts Cure Wounds on the unconscious Sas to revive her

Sas regains consciousness, relieved but confused about what happened to her

Party realizes they successfully defeated the dragon without anyone falling unconscious

### Looting the Dragon's Hoard #### The party searches the dragon's lair and harvests valuable materials from Almadine's corpse.

Party discovers a massive treasure hoard: 16,543 gold pieces, 2,683 platinum, and 6 electrum per person

Found four valuable gems: a ruby, two diamonds, and a black sapphire worth about 5,000 gold each

Discovered three potions and a spell scroll for Force Cage

Found a contract revealing Almadine participated in the 'Dragon's Crucible' on the moon to gain power

Discovered 'The Book of the World' - a draconic religious tome about dragon creation myths

Found Nesnar's spellbook containing Silvery Barbs spell

Discovered magical items: a brass ring that makes one finger invisible, a levitating gem ring, a broken wand of wonder, and a stylish cap

Shadow successfully harvests dragon parts: two wings (70 lbs), dragon breath glands (12 lbs), and dragon scales (40 lbs)

Barlo collects seven vials of dragon blood

Shadow takes dragon meat for her companion Artie

Bastion identifies magical items using ritual casting

Barlo taste-tests three potions: supreme healing, invisibility, and vitality

The party discusses weight limits and storage solutions for their treasure

## Npcs ### Cosmic Cat Guide A black cat that transforms into a cosmic, universe-like appearance while leading the party through the mist. Part of the cats of Ulthar hive mind, it shows subtle animosity toward the Tabaxi party members and serves as the party's guide through the interdimensional space.   ### Cats of Ulthar A collective hive mind of psychically linked cats that exist in the spaces between realities. They have the ability to share thoughts and memories with visitors, show no tolerance for secrets, and display prejudice against Tabaxi, whom they refer to as 'uprights.' They track stories, narratives, and histories across the universe and use the power of secrets as magic. They made a deal with Meklin for safe passage and can banish visitors instantly if they choose.   ### Meklin/Paradox A complex god figure who exists across multiple realities and times. He is simultaneously Bastion's grandfather and son depending on the reality. Known as the Paradox God, he has lived as a mortal and serves as Bastion's nexus to this reality. He was seen as a young Captain on the Audacity in visions and made a deal with the cats of Ulthar. In ancient visions, he flew toward floating orbs while casting spells before being pulled into a black void.   ### Barlo's Father A mysterious figure from Barlo's past who served on the Audacity. He possessed the ability to sprout large purple-black wings and had metallic talons. He jumped off the ship during the ancient battle to fight cultists on the ground and never told Barlo much about his past.   ### Sas's Father A crew member who served on the Audacity alongside Barlo's father and young Meklin, seen as a younger man in the shared visions during the ancient battle.   ### Shadow's Village Elder A figure from Shadow's past who was present on the Audacity as a younger person, serving alongside the other crew members in the visions. An old friend of Meklin who helped raise Calliope and was involved in the ancient battle against Therizdun.   ### Calliope's Father Seen in shared visions fighting against brown-cloaked enemies with red glowing swords, telling Calliope's mother to run while he held them off.   ### Calliope's Mother A member of the order of Ashla and Bogons who was being hunted as she tried to leave the order to become a way seeker, which would allow her to have relations.   ### Bast A powerful goddess with connections to cats, shown in visions growing to enormous size to fill a cavern. She was involved in the ancient battle against Therizdun, chanting spells to teleport the party to safety and help contain the cosmic threat.   ### Vyrin's Brother (Nesnar) A male drow doppelganger and brother to Vyrin, shown in visions working with other drow to find an arcane forge. He made a deal with an Orthon devil to save his life in exchange for his shapeshifting services, and later allied with the red dragon Almadine. He was the one who replaced Sas and traveled with the party as an imposter.   ### The Orthon A pig-like devil creature that made deals with Vyrin's brother and the red dragon Almadine. This entity was responsible for capturing the real Sas and replacing her with the doppelganger during the party's teleportation. Has magic resistance giving advantage on spell saves and teleported away when the dragon arrived, stating he would collect his payment later.   ### Almadine An adult red dragon that previously attacked the party three years ago and was seeking Dragon Orbs. She has grown significantly more powerful after participating in the Dragon's Crucible on one of the moons, where dragons compete for power and absorb abilities from conquered foes. Uses frightful presence to terrorize enemies, devastating fire breath attacks, and demonstrates increased intelligence and tactical awareness. She was ultimately slain by Shadow's arrow to the mouth.   ### Real Sas W.T. Rayce The actual party member who had been kidnapped and replaced by a doppelganger. She was found tied up and unconscious in the dragon's lair, confused about what had happened to her when revived by Bastion's healing magic.   ## Locations ### Mist of Concatenation A mystical realm that exists between realities and universes, where the cats of Ulthar dwell. The mist creates a hive mind connection that shares thoughts, memories, and emotions among those within it, making secrets impossible to keep. Time feels distorted here, and the mist has rejuvenating properties that heal travelers and restore their magical abilities.   ### Grognar A location from Bastion's past where he lived and had experiences with Meklin, revealed through shared memories in the mist.   ### The Audacity The party's flying ship, seen in visions with Barlo's father, young Captain Meklin, Sas's father, and Shadow's village elder aboard. The ship was present during the ancient battle beneath the bell near the ziggurat of Therizdun.   ### The Ziggurat of Therizdun An ancient structure beneath a bell, site of a climactic battle involving a black void, floating orbs, and the goddess Bast. The location where Meklin was pulled into the void while attempting to contain the orbs.   ### The Dead Archfey's Domain The area where the party's Elder was created from the remains of a corrupted Archfey. The location transformed from evil to good through golden light spreading across the landscape, turning the fleshy Archfey to stone.   ### Volcanic Dragon Lair A large volcanic cave with magma flows, rough terrain of jagged rocks and broken debris, ancient temple ruins, and a rough-hewn pyramid structure. The lair features difficult terrain, standing columns, and active volcanic activity that creates environmental hazards including magma geysers and poisonous gas clouds. This serves as Almadine's base of operations where she kept the real Sas captive.   ### Dragon's Crucible A location on one of the moons where dragons compete in life-or-death battles for power. Dragons who conquer others can absorb their abilities and rapidly increase their strength, which explains how Almadine became so much more powerful in just three years.   ## Spells ### Psychic Feedback Uncontrolled psychic emanations from the doppelganger posing as Sas, causing psychic damage to party members as its mental defenses broke down. The feedback grew stronger with each wave, dealing 3, 1, 6, and 2 points of damage respectively to different party members.   ### Telepathic Communication The cats of Ulthar's ability to communicate directly into minds without opening their mouths, used to apologize for the delay in revealing the doppelganger's deception and offer assistance.   ### Memory Sharing The psychic connection created by the cats of Ulthar that allowed the party to experience each other's memories and thoughts while in the Mist of Concatenation, breaking down mental barriers and revealing hidden truths.   ### Hex Cast by Bastion on the doppelganger and later transferred to the dragon. Adds necrotic damage to attacks and gives the target disadvantage on ability checks. Bastion chose to apply the disadvantage to strength checks to potentially help with grappling attempts.   ### True Strike Cast by Bastion to ensure his second attack would hit the grappled doppelganger, contributing to massive damage output.   ### Phantasmal Killer Attempted by Calliope on the Orthon but failed due to the creature's magic resistance. The spell creates a frightening illusion visible only to the target.   ### Counterspell Attempted by Bastion to stop the doppelganger from using a magical item, though it wasn't actually a spell being cast.   ### Frightful Presence The dragon's supernatural ability that forces wisdom saves from all creatures within range. Those who fail become frightened for one minute, unable to move closer to the dragon and suffering disadvantage on attacks.   ### Fire Breath The dragon's devastating breath weapon that deals massive fire damage in a cone. Used multiple times during combat, with recharge attempts that sometimes failed. Dealt 63 points to Shadow and 31 to Calliope in the first use.   ### Hypnotic Pattern A spell cast by both Bastion and Calliope attempting to incapacitate the dragon with twisting patterns of colors. Both attempts failed as the dragon successfully resisted the enchantment, including one natural 20 save.   ### Lightning Arrow A 4th level spell cast by Shadow multiple times that transforms her arrow into lightning, dealing significant lightning damage to the dragon and creating a 10-foot radius effect that could damage nearby creatures. Used with the clockwork amulet to guarantee hits.   ### Polymorph Calliope cast this spell to transform herself into a Tyrannosaurus Rex during combat. The spell requires concentration and gave her the form of a hot pink, glittery T-Rex with significantly more hit points for survivability. She maintained it through multiple concentration saves.   ### Cure Wounds Bastion cast Cure Wounds at 6th level to heal himself for 26 hit points during the dragon battle, and later at 3rd level to revive the unconscious Sas after her rescue.   ### Ray of Frost Bastion cast this cantrip twice against the dragon, with one hit that reduced the dragon's movement speed by 10 feet and dealt cold damage, helping to slow the creature's mobility in the final moments.   ### Cloud of Daggers Calliope upcast this spell to 5th level, creating a damaging area effect directly on the dragon's position that would deal 20 points of slashing damage when the dragon moved through it.   ### Healing Spirit Shadow cast this spell after combat to help the party recover hit points, allowing each party member to heal multiple times by moving through the healing area.   ### Identify Cast as a ritual by Bastion multiple times to determine the magical properties of the various items found in the dragon's treasure hoard, including rings, wands, and other magical objects. Takes 11 minutes per casting.   ### Skill Empowerment Cast by Calliope to double Shadow's proficiency bonus for nature checks during the dragon harvesting operation, requiring recasting every 30 minutes as the spell duration expired.   ### Invisibility Shadow used this spell during combat as a defensive measure, though it proved less effective against the dragon due to its blindsight ability.   ### Blade Song A magical ability used by Bastion to enhance his combat capabilities, providing bonuses to AC and other combat statistics.   ### Mirthful Leap A magical ability used by Calliope to enhance her jumping distance, allowing her to cover difficult terrain more effectively by adding 1d8 feet to her jump distance.   ### Writing Tide A spell used by Shadow to hover 10 feet in the air, providing elevation and tactical positioning during the dragon combat.   ### Land Stride A ranger ability that allows Shadow to move through difficult terrain without penalty, helping her navigate the rough volcanic cave environment.   ## Items ### Time Dragon Egg An egg retrieved from a time dragon that the party obtained to appease the cats of Ulthar. It was stolen from a house after fighting red Abishai and is central to gaining the cats' attention and cooperation.   ### Portal Gems Two red gems that contained orbs and were used to power a portal to the plane of Avernus. The party destroyed these gems to shut down the portal, preventing demons and devils from continuing to come through.   ### Floating Orbs Hundreds of glowing gems or orbs (possibly 333 total) that floated in front of a black void during the ancient battle. Their light was being sucked into the void, and Meklin pulled them into the void with him when he was consumed by it.   ### Mark of the Adventure A magical mark on Calliope that lights up during significant moments, providing healing and restoration. It activated when she rolled natural 20s, granting her permanent hit point increases and temporary healing.   ### Barlo's Protective Tattoo A magical tattoo on Barlo that can provide protective energy to allies. It lit up to shield Bastion from psychic damage during the doppelganger's mental assault and can transfer 1d6 bonuses to allies' rolls.   ### Magical Necklace An item the doppelganger attempted to use to escape or communicate, but was prevented from activating by Barlo's intervention.   ### Clockwork Amulet A magical amulet worn by Shadow that can automatically turn a d20 roll into a 10 once per day, guaranteeing a successful hit on attacks. Used to ensure Lightning Arrow spells hit the dragon.   ### Fire Breath Vial A vial containing fire breath that Calliope planned to use in combination with her T-Rex transformation to create a fire-breathing dinosaur, though this proved ineffective against a fire-immune red dragon.   ### Dragon Treasure Hoard A massive collection of coins discovered in Almadine's lair, consisting of 16,543 gold pieces, 2,683 platinum pieces, and 6 electrum pieces per party member. The treasure represents the accumulated wealth of an adult dragon.   ### Four Precious Gems A collection of valuable gems including a ruby, two diamonds, and a black sapphire, all with excellent cuts and estimated to be worth about 5,000 gold pieces each.   ### Force Cage Spell Scroll A magical scroll containing the Force Cage spell, found among the dragon's treasures and potentially very valuable for magical combat situations.   ### Dragon's Crucible Contract A legal document signed by Almadine detailing her participation in a life-or-death dragon competition on one of the moons, where dragons compete for power and absorb abilities from those they defeat. This explains how she became so much stronger in just three years.   ### The Book of the World A draconic religious tome written on fine vellum and leather with wooden covers, protected by magical enchantments. It contains dragon creation myths and religious beliefs, transcribed from memory by an unnamed dragon who had read the original once.   ### Nesnar's Spellbook A spellbook written in high drow belonging to Nesnar (the doppelganger's brother), containing the Silvery Barbs spell among others. The book represents a connection to the party's previous encounters with doppelgangers.   ### Brass Ring of Invisible Finger A magical brass ring that renders invisible only the finger it is worn on when activated, creating an unusual and limited invisibility effect.   ### Levitating Gem Ring A gold ring with a gemstone that levitates slightly above its socket, creating a visually striking but purely cosmetic magical effect with no practical applications.   ### Broken Wand of Wonder A wand made from ivory and finely carved sequoia that was once a powerful Wand of Wonder, but now has a cracked gemstone at the end and no longer retains its magical properties.   ### Stylish Cap A piece of folded cloth that unfolds into a very stylish-looking cap or hat, found among the dragon's treasures though its purpose or magical properties are unclear.   ### Dragon Wings Two large wings harvested from Almadine's corpse, weighing 70 pounds total. These wings contain flesh that will rot within seven days but are valuable crafting materials worth 6,500 gold pieces each and can be used to create magical items.   ### Dragon Breath Glands Specialized glands that secrete the chemical mixture creating the dragon's fire breath, weighing 12 pounds. These are highly prized by alchemists and are worth 3,000 gold each, stored in the Bag of Colding to prevent decay.   ### Dragon Scales 40 pounds of scales harvested from Almadine's hide, worth 3,300 gold pieces. These scales can be used by skilled craftsmen to create dragon scale armor and other protective items.   ### Dragon Blood Vials Seven vials of dragon blood collected by Barlo, each worth 250 gold pieces. Dragon blood can be used to create potions of dragon strength and has various alchemical applications.   ### Supreme Healing Potion A powerful healing potion found in the dragon's hoard, providing maximum healing when consumed.   ### Potion of Invisibility A magical potion that grants invisibility to the drinker, identified when Barlo's mouth briefly disappeared during taste testing.   ### Potion of Vitality A bitter-tasting potion that removes exhaustion and disease, and for 24 hours causes the drinker to regain maximum hit points from any hit dice used.   ### Dragon Meat Fresh meat harvested from the dragon by Shadow to feed Artie, easily obtained due to the abundance of material.   ### Bag of Colding A magical storage container that can hold 100 pounds and preserves organic material as if under the gentle repose spell, preventing decay while items remain inside.   ### Portable Hole A magical storage device used by the party to carry heavy treasure and equipment, helping manage the weight of their dragon hoard.   ### Healing Potions Minor healing potions that restore 2d4+2 hit points when consumed as a bonus action (requiring a roll) or full healing when consumed as an action.