Session Fourteen
General Summary
The Vault of Shadows
Our adventure resumes as our heroes take a short rest, while Cheyanne "Doc" Adkins identifies the magical items the party has gathered thus far:- Servile Shabti: Defender (Vault of Magic p173)
- Potion of Superior Healing
- Umbral Band (Vault of Magic p98)
- +1 hooded priest's robes of shadow (1 armor potency rune, 1 shadow property rune).
- Ring of Night's Solace (Vault of Magic p78)
- Elixir of Clear Mind (Vault of Magic p51)
- Draught of the Black Owl (Vault of Magic p50)
- +1 resilient leather armor of invisibility (1 armor potency rune, 1 armor resiliency rune, 1 invisibility property rune)
- Flask of Darkness (one use cast of darkness per the spell)
The Hall of Whispering Shadows
As the party steps into the Vault of Shadows, they enter a long, dimly lit hallway lined with ornate mirrors and shadowy alcoves. The moment they cross the threshold, the air grows thick with a sinister whispering—soft voices that echo off the walls, muttering in languages both familiar and unknown.
After Vaurvan had triggered the first trap, the party took a moment to re-evalute their approach. Lucor Briskbrand uses his boots of flying to carry Cheyanne through the hallway to detect traps, marking safe spaces with her chalk. Necrotic burst traps triggered by pressure plates, and mirror traps triggered by sound. Though several traps were indeed triggered, the party was able to make it to the next room mostly unscathed.
Adrian "Ace" Atterton did notice that one of the mirrors seemed more ominous than the others, but as everyone made it though safely, did not investigate further.
The Five Thieves
The room is a dimly lit, circular chamber with walls carved with intricate scenes. At the center, five shadowy orbs surround a runic circle. A cryptic plaque instructs the party to interact
with the scenes in the correct order:
"No prize finds rest without purpose;
Each shadow moves in service.
Seek the order that binds the threads,
Lest chaos claim the path ahead."
Planning: A scene depicting five hooded figures around what looks like a war table.
- A ghostly table materializes in the rune circle. Upon it is a glowing map of a vault with miniature figurines representing guards, traps, and obstacles.
- An inscription on the table reads: “The path unseen is the path untaken.”
- Challenge: The party must trace the correct path from the entrance to the treasure chamber on the map without triggering alarms.
- Puzzle Mechanics: The map has several visible routes, but only one avoids traps and guards. Subtle hints include faded footprints leading to false routes and shadowy symbols marking safe paths. A successful DC 15 Investigation check or Insight check reveals the correct route. Three successful search/solve checks needed.
- This challenge was solved by Harmony Moonweaver
- Shadows on the walls animate into patrolling guards, their shapes shifting and flickering. The room becomes a maze of light and shadow.
- The inscription on the rune circle reads: “Slip through the veil unseen.”
- Challenge: The party must navigate the area without being "spotted" by the shadows.
- This challenge was solved by Lucor Briskbrand, with the help of his new armor of invisibility.
- A spectral chest appears in the rune circle, surrounded by a faint shimmering field. As the party approaches, ghostly traps begin to flicker into view.
- The inscription on the rune reads: “Seize, but beware the unseen snare.”
- Challenge: The party must disable traps and unlock the chest without setting off alarms.
- This challenge was solved by Cheyanne "Doc" Adkins
- The room shifts as if struck by an earthquake, tilting the floor and creating the illusion of collapsing walls. Shadowy constructs rise from the floor, blocking the party’s way.
- The inscription on the rune reads: “Flee the jaws of capture, or be swallowed by the dark.”
- Challenge:The party must overcome the constructs and stabilize the room to "escape."
- This challenge was solved by Vaurvan, with the help (?) of his rage.
- A spectral banquet table materializes, adorned with five goblets.
- Each goblet has a cryptic inscription:“To the brilliance of light.” “To the triumph of the shadows.” “To the glory of the unseen.” “To the conqueror of all.” “To the unbroken.”
- The table radiates an aura of power, and the rune inscription reads: “Raise the glass that toasts the unseen victory.”
- Challenge: The party must choose the correct goblet to toast without drinking poison.
- This challenge was solved by Captain Blackfin "Ice Heart" Thornside.
Mural of the Three Servitors
The flickering torchlight reveals a vast mural carved into the stone wall, its figures etched in deep relief. A towering raven, its feathers streaked with glimmering obsidian, perches upon the outstretched arm of a shadowy figure, its beak parted as if whispering into the void. A hunched nothic kneels beside it, its singular eye wide with reverence, gazing into unseen truths only it can perceive. Between them, a shifting mirage-like form flickers in the dim light, its shape ever-changing, its outline dissolving into nothingness. At the mural’s center looms the shrouded goddess, veiled in swirling darkness, her presence more suggestion than form. The servitors bow before her, their devotion unquestioning, their offerings unseen but understood.
Temple of the Deepshadows
A long flight of stairs ends at gilded doors of shimmering black metal - the more you look at it the more unsettling it is - which open onto the Temple of the Deepshadow. A courtyard houses a 30-foot diameter round chasm ringed by a low stone curb. In the corners, elevated a few feet higher are spaces with pews abutted by enormous columns supporting the impossibly high ceiling. Mulberry silk sashes still adorn the columns of this temple, and the whole space is illuminated by a chandelier of black continual flame. A set of obsidian doors bears the inscription "Two can keep a secret..."
Two side passages hold hidden levers amidst stone carvings, and the phrases "Speak not to the darkness, for it knows your truths before your tongue wields them." to the north, and "Only in silence can the depths reveal their eternal song." to the south.
After some trial-and-error that ended up with Ace taking the long-way through the dungeons again, the party figured out how the lever-operated doors worked, and were able to open a secret passage leading further into the Vault.
Mural of the Abyssal Offerings
Chiseled into the stone with masterful precision, the mural spans the length of the hall, portraying robed figures standing at the precipice of an abyss. The abyss yawns before them, an endless pit that swallows light and sound alike. Each worshiper holds aloft an offering—ancient tomes, delicate scrolls, even the glimmering shape of something severed—casting them into the void below. Their faces are solemn, their eyes covered, as though to give is to lose even the knowledge of what was given. The shadows in the carving seem deeper than natural, as if something within the pit gazes back.
A single inscription lines the base of the mural: "To be known is to be undone. To be forgotten is to be free."
An older mural, obscured by the one previously described, was found with closer examination:
Beneath the carved worshipers, where the shadows deepen unnaturally, lies a portion of the mural long concealed beneath layers of dust and time. Faint traces of gold and silver leaf glint in the torchlight, outlining something—or someone—being swallowed by the abyss. Unlike the worshipers above, this figure is vast yet formless, its edges dissolving like ink in water. A thousand hands, or perhaps only one, reach out in silent desperation, their grasp falling short as the figure slips into the dark. The faint impression of an eye—shattered, weeping, or simply closed—lingers upon the stone, almost imperceptible. The surrounding figures kneel not in reverence, but in resignation, their heads bowed as if in mourning.
At the mural’s very edge, nearly erased by time, a fragment of text remains: "Even the nameless may be known, but the known may not remain."
The Obsidian Guardian
Obsidian doors bear the sentence, "The eyes of the shadow see all, though they remain forever unmarked." An obsidian golem guarded this room. As the party found out, the doors are actually convincing fakes, carvings in the stone wall, and cannot be opened. The party took a long rest in this room, protected by the Threads of Resilience, given by the Council of Matrons.Vault Door: The Eclipse Seal
"Nothing kept Secret is Forgotten" The final door to the inner sanctum of the Vault of Shadows is an enormous circular stone mechanism carved to resemble a solar eclipse. A blazing sun is etched at its center, partially obscured by a crescent moon, surrounded by rings engraved with myriad symbols and runes. The outermost ring features runes of concealment, the middle ring depicts astrological symbols for phases of the sun, moon and stars, and the innermost ring contains symbols of tools and offerings used in holy rituals (e.g., a dagger, an eye, a heart). At the base of the door are three shadowy braziers. When an appropriate sacrifice is made, they ignite with burning shadow.- First Brazier: "Whisper what you would never shout; only silence may light this flame."
- Second Brazier: "From the vessel flows life; only the willing wound may awaken the spark."
- Third Brazier: "Relinquish what you cherish most; only loss can kindle the fire."
Puzzle of the Eternal Guardians
Upon entering the final chamber of the Vault of Shadows, the party encountered a grand sword-shaped room, its far end dominated by an ornate obsidian obelisk rising from what appears to be a vast chasm of darkness. In the hilt-end of the room, a sealed tome, an inky leather hood, and an obsidian mirror lie atop an altar. Three large statues of hooded figures, one with a finger over its mouth, one in a deeply hooded robe, and one carved as if falling endlessly, stand in each of three alcoves, a short pedestal lying empty in front of each one. Hundreds of words across the ceiling in cryptic phrases, making the viewer dizzy trying to read them all. Some such as "Entrusted by Her Shadowed Grace to safeguard the balance of what lies hidden," and "To unbind the cube is to unmake the veils." Cheyanne's correct placement of the three items caused the obelisk at the far end of the room to begin to rotate and sink, the roiling shadows in the void at its base begin to froth and become corporeal.The Sentinel's Challenge
With the relic finally revealed, the party triggered the Vault's final defense mechanism: a powerful magical sentinel that guards the relic. The sentinel appears as an tall statue, as if carved of shadows, an entity bound to protect the vault. The sentinel speaks in Celestial as it fights, with such phrases as, "You come to violate Her sacred trust," "She who holds sway over secrets and shadows," "Her name was lost in the great wars, but her charge remains." The sentinel was formidable, using both physical and magical attacks to defend the relic. The party used their full range of abilities to defeat the sentinel. With the sentinel defeated, the relic was finally within the party’s grasp, and the vault’s protections began to deactivate, and the shadows clinging to the walls give way, revealing hundreds of reliquary notches, and the roiling shadows around the obelisk smoothed out into glossy onyx tiles, allowing the party to approach the artifact held at the obelisk's top.Mural of the Darkly Mirrored Lake
This mural depicts a darkly mirrored lake which seems to stretch into infinity, its glassy surface reflecting a sky devoid of stars. Black stone towers, their forms sharp and solemn, rise from the depths, their gothic spires adorned with faceless statues who seem to watch from the corners of perception. The goddess’ silhouette lingers at the lake’s edge, half-seen as if through warped glass, as though she is both present and absent, waiting just beyond the veil of reality. As the players move, their light sources cause the carving to shimmer, making the mural ripple like disturbed water.
The Genesis Cube
The Relic: The artifact is a cube, composed of a complex, multifaceted crystal that seems to hum with an almost palpable energy. Its surface displays an array of shimmering colors—deep purples, fiery reds, and electric blues—that swirl and shift in patterns reminiscent of celestial phenomena. The cube is translucent, revealing intricate internal patterns that seem to pulse with an inner light. When held, it radiates a subtle warmth and a faint vibration, suggesting that it is more than just a mere object. When Harmony touched the cube, all characters present receive the following Vision:The room fractures like a broken mirror, shards of light and shadow spinning around the Cube. Words hang in the air—half-formed, fleeting, dissolving before any sort of meaning can solidify. The Cube pulses, its rhythm echoing like the beating of a distant, chaotic heart, and the reflections twist—visions of yourself young, old, monstrous, divine—before vanishing into nothingness. In your hands, you each hold a shard of the cube, your grasp clutching beyond the point of pain, its mirrored raw edges slicing into your palms as your blood drips into the void below you.
A voice ripples through the storm, layered whispers entwining, writing themselves into the depths of your minds:
"I have left this echo in the dark, a breath that will last beyond my ending, bound in shadow and silence, a whisper of one who is destined to be unmade. Find the path, trace the fractures - for even the unmade may be woven anew.
"You hold the spark that was stolen, when the ink spilled to scribe the first lie. It holds the first breath, the final scream, and everything in-between. It does not obey—it remembers. Hold it, claim it if you must, but understand this, you will burn like paper in the face of what it knows.
"The knowledge you possess is but a crumb of ash, but what you seek is stolen fire, the truth that was never theirs to take. You possess a flicker in the darkness, a trail that leads deeper than you can fathom. Will you follow? Or will you let the ashes slip through your trembling, puny, mortal hands, leaving the truth to be devoured by the ending of all beginnings. Tell me, my little seekers, what will you choose to become?"
The visions swirl together into a single, searing pulse of light before collapsing into silence, fading back to the dim reality of the chamber.
Harmony took immediate ownership of the Cube, prompting much concern from the party. After a tense standoff, she revealed that she has a divine mission from her goddess, Viena, Goddess of Twilight and Magic. Swearing the party to secrecy, Harmony explained that Viena told her that she could not see within the Vault's walls, so Harmony believed it safe to reveal her mission to the party, to bring the artifact to Viena's shrine in Z'Veena, but asked that all reports to both the Council of Matrons and the Trill Society omit any mention of the Cube. The party agreed to the secrecy, and continued their investigation of the reliquary. Cheyanne put the Cube in one of her own artifices, a lockable Bag of Holding, and handed the bag to Harmony.
The Reliquary
Encircling the reliquary notches, the mural stretches across the cold stone walls, its ancient reliefs woven in silver and onyx. At its heart stand two figures—one wreathed in shadow, her form indistinct, as though the stone itself refuses to hold her shape. The shrouded figure looms with veiled countenance, her unseen lips whispering into the hollow void. Her cupped hands are stretched out to meet those of the other figure.
Opposite her, a three-eyed woman is carved in luminous moonstone, her milky gaze lifted skyward. A small cryptic smile plays at her closed lips, nearly wry, as if she knows something you don't. From her fingertips spill unraveling threads, tracing intricate constellations that flicker with the glimmer of magick, dripping into the shrouded figure's cupped hands.
At their feet, the abyss yawns.
There are hundreds, if not a thousand small notched alcoves carved into the walls of the Vault. About a third of the notches are empty, but the rest contain an assortment of scrolls, and small relics or treasures:
Scroll of the Veiled Eclipse - this scroll contains a cryptic prophecy about the Death of All Magicks.
Secretstealer - a magical war-sickle.
Mysterious Icons: Of the remaining relics, the party finds a variety of items - the following were brought back to the Council.
- The Shattered Veil. A circular disc not quite split fully into two halves—one polished silver and the other matte black, with a jagged, crack-like line dividing them. Tiny, almost invisible runes are inscribed along the edges of the black half.
- The Shadowed Key. A skeletal key with its shaft shaped like the edge of an eclipsed sun and its bow forming the outline of a stylized, hollowed eye. The eye appears to "follow" the observer from certain angles.
- The Eclipse Crown. A crown of jagged obsidian spikes set in gold, centered with a sun partially eclipsed by the shadowy orb of a large black pearl. Tiny stars twinkle within the shadowy pearl, suggesting hidden constellations.
- The Mirror of Night. A small, hand-held mirror shape, its reflective surface made of polished onyx. Around the edges are engraved intricate, serpentine patterns that seem to shift when touched.
- The Spiral Labyrinth. A spiral motif set within a rectangular frame, resembling an intricate maze. The paths of the labyrinth shimmer faintly with silver, leading to a black void at the center.
Return to Tarana
Returning to the over world from within Syxjia's wards felt nothing short of disconcerting to our heroes, as all external (divine or otherwise) influences come rushing back to the characters. Moreover, they each noticed that a corner of their soul is now shrouded in shadow, a tether that binds themselves together. The Shadow Matron's Thread is a party boon that allows one creature from among the party to cast pass without trace OR telepathic bond once per day. The casting creature may vary, but it can only be cast once daily among the six of them (including Ace). The party took a short rest outside the Vault, having locked it behind them, only to find those same shadows within their souls granting them the benefits of a long rest in the duration of only an hour - although that hour felt especially long as the weight of forgotten lore rested heavily on them. As those shadows caressed the heroes farewell, the party felt invigorated... and leveled up!The Mark of Chaos
As the party made their way back to the City of Trees, the once-serene Everwood began to feel heavier. The air became thick, the shadows unnaturally deep, and the distant calls of animals sound distorted. Along the forest path, they find a small clearing bathed in moonlight, the center marked by an unfamiliar, spiraling glyph burned into the ground.
Aadi, the mushroom hopper stopped abruptly as cloaked figures stepped out from the shadows of the trees. Their faces were obscured by deep hoods, but their voices carried a chilling certainty.
"You dare meddle in forces beyond your understanding. Give us what you carry so we may return it to its Creator."
As combat ensued, the cultists displayed bursts of chaotic energy, the type of damage shifting each round. However, our heroes were quite a match, especially after Harmony let loose a powerful fireball from her wand, eliminating half of the enemies in one burst.
As the cultists bodies dissolved into a strange mist, the leader's words lingered in the party's ears, "We are not the last you will see... the Cube must return to the True Creator... the True Creator will return once more." Upon examining the few items left from the cultists' remains, the party gathered the following items:
- A Shifting Amulet (common wondrous item): Once per day, the wearer can use it to cast Disguise Self. The amulet’s design is a swirl of tendrils - the tendrils are a sort of optical illusion as they appear to be moving but definitely are not. When the spell is cast, the wearer feels a sort of oily film across their body from the magic.
- A Potion of Clairvoyance
- A Potion of Vitality
- A +1 chaotic longsword (addl 2d6 chaos damage once per turn - roll a d8 for type). Requires attunement. Once attuned, you feel a strange sensation of being watched.
- Mundane weapons and armor as described in stat blocks (daggers, scimitars, robes, leather armor)
The Council of Matrons
The following items were left in the hands of the Council of Matrons. All other items are free for the party to use as they see fit as part of their reward.- The Scroll of Veiled Eclipse to be kept by the Council of Matrons
- Holy symbol of a mirror reflecting an eclipsed sun to be kept by the Council of Matrons
- the five relics from the reliquary (disc, key, crown, labyrinth, mirror) to be examined by the Council of Matrons, then split between the Trill Society.
- The eight obsidian keys to unlock the Vault are to be split between the Council of Matrons and the Trill Society.
The Lilac Inn
As the party returned to their Taranan lodgings for the night, Vaurvan recognized a familiar face in the dining room - Hester Kettell, a fellow dockworker from his time in Nova Excelsium. More to come next session!Quest Log
Race for the Rails
- Figure out who's behind the sabotage of the Rusty Rails rail line.
- High Noon Shootout: Survive the Vipers gang attack on Copper Ridge. Completed: Session One.
- Wanted: Dead or Alive: Hunt down Fang, the leader of the Vipers bandit gang. Completed: Session Three.
- The Big Bang: Survive the rockslide triggered by the explosion at The Cut, and save as many townsfolk as possible. Completed: Session Four - WIP.
- Under the Light of the Moon: Investigate the large object discovered at the blast site near the Cut. Completed: Session Five - WIP.
- "H.": Follow up on the lead in Z'Veena about the mysterious "H." who hired the Vipers to disrupt the Rusty Rails construction project. Letter found in Session Three.
The Vipers
- Find out where the money went. Get it back.
- Red Rock Ridge: Clear out the Vipers bandit gang from their hideout/stronghold near Copper Ridge. Completed: Session Three
- As the Crow Flies: Track down "Crow", the mage who sold Sage, the snake with a hundred mage hands to Fang, leader of the Vipers bandit gang. Completed:Session Eleven
- The Mysterious S.V.: Find where the stolen money went by tracking down "S.V.", per a letter from Fang's boot, received in Session Three.
- Sage, the Snake with a Hundred Mage Hands: Track down the snake used in the Copper Ridge heist. Calicrysta Byrch says it is probably seeking its mother - search for a large, darkly iridescent scale similar to the one Crysta used to create Sage. Perhaps in Z'Veena?
Uncovering the Past
- Work with the Trill Society to uncover and identify the mysterious object unearthed by the explosion outside Copper Ridge.
- The Trill Society: Visit the headquarters of the Trill Society, an archaeological guild. Completed: Session Nine Report
- The Vault of Shadows: Locate and explore the Vault of Shadows, returning to the Council of Matrons in Tarana when finished. Completed this session!
- Primordial Remains: Follow up with Field Crew Callithrix after they've had time to excavate the site near Copper Ridge.
A Curious Wreckage:
- Investigate the airship wreckage and learn what happened to the vehicle.
- Dearest Renegade: Investigate the crashed airship, Dear Renegade, its wreckage located outside of Copper Ridge. Completed: Session Two
- Repair the Black Box: Repair the glass orb recovered from the crashed airship. Lew's notes at Rainwood Hall indicate the Lascari twins in Nova Excelsium were the creators of the orb.
Other Missions:
- Assorted and unoffiliated missions (for now...)
- Restore Zeb's Memories: Zeb, who runs the Copper Tubs bathhouse in Copper Ridge appears to have serious amnesia.
- Haunting Blueprints: Follow up on the airship tower blueprints found at Lew's workshop at Rainwood Hall, as found in Session Nine Report.
- The Genesis Cube: Escort the Cube to the Pillars of the Aesnii, Viena's shrine in Z'Veena.
Cheyanne "Doc" Adkins
Chaotic Good Goblin (City Watch / Investigator)
Artificer 5
Artificer 5
38 / 38 HP
STR
12
12
DEX
16
16
CON
14
14
INT
17
17
WIS
8
8
CHA
12
12
Harmony Moonweaver
Lawful Good Aasimar (Far Traveler)
Cleric 6
Cleric 6
57 / 57 HP
STR
13
13
DEX
10
10
CON
18
18
INT
7
7
WIS
20
20
CHA
16
16
Vaurvan
Chaotic Good Goliath (Sky Pirate)
Barbarian 5
Barbarian 5
62 / 62 HP
STR
18
18
DEX
12
12
CON
16
16
INT
8
8
WIS
12
12
CHA
12
12
Captain Blackfin "Ice Heart" Thornside
Lawfull Evil Reborn (Pirate)
Fighter 3
Warlock 3
Fighter 3
Warlock 3
56 / 56 HP
STR
17
17
DEX
14
14
CON
14
14
INT
8
8
WIS
12
12
CHA
18
18
Lucor Briskbrand
Chaotic Good Rock Gnome (Folk Hero)
Bard 5
Bard 5
43 / 43 HP
STR
12
12
DEX
14
14
CON
16
16
INT
10
10
WIS
8
8
CHA
17
17
Report Date
22 Feb 2025
Secondary Location
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