Session 5: Noshaan's Dungeon

Session 5: Noshaan’s Dungeon

The heroes began to explore Noshaan’s dungeon. Fourth-Knife and Twig improvised an alarm on the large wooden double doors of the exit using some javelins and a small bell.
Cordoch and Kruk explored a corridor to the east which ended in a three-cell jail. There were no living prisoners, but several bodies. They found an animated hand, stitched together or repaired from separate parts, attempting to hide. The hand — later known as Crawley — scuttled into one of the larger cells and seemed to be hiding a large, creepy book.
Cordoch kept vigilant watch, preventing Crawley from escaping notice. Suffering Succotash and Twig joined him while Kruk ran off to explore elsewhere. Twig attempted to pick the large padlock on the cell door but was unsuccessful. Succotash then summoned his mage hand and engaged the animated hand in a strange magical duel. Eventually, teamwork prevailed: Cordoch wrested the book away while Twig used Vicious Mockery to dispatch the creature.
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Meanwhile, Simon, Bosk, and Alaric went south, where the hallway ended in an east–west intersection. Simon and Bosk explored east into a two-cell jail room while Alaric took the corridor west.
Simon and Bosk discovered a ring of large heavy keys and noted that the dead prisoners had multiple injuries — with the tops of their skulls sawn off.
Alaric was joined by Fourth-Knife as they discovered a room containing a prison cell and a filthy surgical facility. Pressing further west, they encountered three gaunt, cadaverous humanoids with elongated lower limbs and oversized jaws, feasting on corpses.
The heroes regrouped and battle began. The creatures’ initial attacks were brutal, but the party’s superior tactics, numbers, and Kruk’s unmatched speed turned the tide. The fight ended decisively with a most impressive Divine Smite from Cordoch.
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Afterward, the party systematically searched the dungeon, opening each door with the keys they found. They uncovered a small chest of valuables and deduced grim details of Noshaan’s work: captives had been operated upon, their brains partially removed. From this and other evidence, the heroes concluded that Urki Noshaan was a Necrophage Mage — a necromancer who gains knowledge and power by consuming the flesh of others.
Despite their efforts, no alternate exits or secret doors were found.
When attempting to leave, the party discovered that the stairway mechanism had been raised while they were inside. After much effort, they finally emerged from the dungeon into the mansion — only to find Randal and Emerald missing. Any papers or notes had also been removed from Noshaan’s study.
---   The heroes returned to the village of Seny. Randal and Emerald were not there. Twig cast Identify upon the creepy book, learning it was the Libram of Souls and Flesh, and cursed. After discussion, they destroyed the tome with blade, hammer, and fire. As the ashes drifted away on an unnatural breeze, a strange voice whispered: “You’ll be sorry.”
With that grim omen, the heroes resolved to take a much-needed long rest.