The Sunless Six

The Glitterhame
Session 13

The adventurers decide to take a break in Burdug’s layer before moving on to their next course of action. They decide to head down the stairway into the Glitterhame, however, not being cautious, the group is bombarded by a flock of flying vermin known as stirges.
The group handles the threat, but as Xanath yells down to Ash, who has found himself already deep with the cavern, he attacks a second flock of stirges. The group rushes down to assist their ally, with varying success.

Once the stirges are turned away, the group head into the greater cave system. As Ash and Quinn scout ahead, they spot a few lizard-like creature. Unnoticed, the group is able to sneak up and kill the pair of troglodytes with ease.

Upon investigation a make-shift gate, the group is cannon-balled by a large brown bear, which runs past the group and into an adjacent tunnel. Ash stalks behind the bear, and finds that the tunnel reaches out to the surface.

The group investigate further into the cave system, and come upon the Glitterhame. A great cavern that is glimmering with faint phosphorescence. The cavern floor is covered with glowing fungus, that the group discover is harmless.

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The group follow a flight of carved stone stairs that lead up to the western ledge of the Glitterhame. Beyond the ledge they discover a large cave adorned with a couple dozen large stone sepulchers. They reason that these must be the final resting place for Durgeddin’s tribe. They loot the tombs and return to the Glitterhame.

As they venture along the northern edge of the large cave, they notice a creature lurking within a rockfall.

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Striking a Deal
Session 12

The adventurers make their way across the large crevasse via a sturdy rope bridge. Upon investigating the room, they see large, strong doors that are slightly ajar. Ash also notices 2 secret doors on either side of the room, and the group figures out how to open them.

Beyond the doors reveal defensive outposts that the orcs have set up as archery stations to fend off any intruders that may be entering in through the mountain doors. The guards are unaware of the group, as Anakis sprints up the stairs, spell ready. Anakis, however, trips on her way up, alerting the orcs. A melee insues, with the group handling the orcs relatively easy, the last remaining orc decides to try to plea with the group.

Redglain tells the group that he is unsatisfied with management in this tribe and agrees to turn on the leader, an Ogre named Great Ulfe. Redglain will then lead to the access deeper into the mountain, where all the true riches lie. The group agrees with the offer.

The group travel through the orc hideout, with Redglain bartering deals with the other orcs to stay out of this fight with the Ogre. The orcs, reluctantly agree.

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The group invade the Ogre’s room, under the roose of being captured prisoners. They get the jump on Great Ulfe, home was resting with his 2 pet direwolves. Redglain strikes the decisive blow onto the Ogre with his Great Axe. The group then loot the Ogre’s room and discover a finesse sword with the mark of Durgeddin as well as an interesting jewel stone.

True to his word, Redglain then leads the group through a secret passageway to Burdug, the Orc’s Shaman. The shaman has access into the caves below called the Glitterhame Redglain then tries to reason with the Shaman who is off put by the intruders. Burdug, not liking this decides to attack. Another battle ensues resulting in the adventurers slaying 3 more orcs.

During the battle, Burdug tries to escape through a door, but is thwarted by Ash. The group deduces that this must be the access to the the Glitterhame.

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Discovering Woopedu
Session 11

The adventurers regroup and head back to Red Larch to return the stolen cauldron and herbs. They bid farewell to their new friend Bjorn Urso and decide to make haste in finding Woopedu. They enter into a confusing trail system, but Anakis, seems to know the right way, and successfully navigates the group into the town.

They come upon a town filled with gnomes, halfling, dwarves and happiness. As they enter, they see Wilderem’s Workshop and decide to stop in. The shop is kept by a Goliath named Halwrick while Wilderem is off on his travels.

As the adventurers push further into the town, and a greeted by a kindness that is almost sickening to Quinn. Stubbs heads directly for the brewer’s of Arabad’s Ale. He’s regretfully informed that the Ale has run dry in the town, as the brewmaster hasn’t returned in nearly a tenday from collecting herbs in the forest. Stubbs, and Quinn (portraying as a married couple) agree to search for the brewmaster.

The group then decides to talk to the town mayor, Sir Miles TarklebeeSir Miles Tarkelbee. Tarklebee informs the group of the orc raiding problems they have been having in the surrounding farms, and offers a bounty per orc head. Sir relays the information and the orcs seem to have a stronghold near the Stonetooth, a hill named for its unique geography.

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The group then decides to head out into the wilderness and start their adventure. Sure enough, they discover the Stonetooth Sir Miles was alluding to. They notice a well worn trail, but also see a column of smoke nearby. They decide to investigate the smoke, which leads them to a natural chimney. Ash repels down into the chimney and discovers a large, crude cooking room. The rest of the group repel down with limited success.

The group then set to to investigate the cave system. They come to the conclusion that this must be the orc stronghold and that they may have found a backdoor entrance into it.
Upon further investigation, they find a gnomish prisoner. They free the gnome, whom they come to know as Phidljaer Fiddlefen, the lost brewmaster. They escort the gnome safely out through the chimney, as he assures the group, he’ll be fine making his way back to Woopedu.

The group then further investigate, and come upon a pair of orcs standing guard near a rope bridge that traverses a large chasm. Grisduin and Ash surprise attack the orcs, and the rest of the group follow in to easily dispose of the orcs.

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Hag Fight
Session 10

The adventurers find themselves within the thick of it. Surrounded by a coven of hags in a tight cabin. They are able to overthrown the threat, but as they are about to slay the final hag, she tosses a toad into the bubbling cauldron at the back of the room, and a Banderhobb appears!Barehobb_Img.jpg

The banderhobb swallows Grisduin, but the rest of the group and able to quickly take down the beast which regurgitated Grisduin. Upon searching the room, the group find the cauldron and herbs they have been set out to retrieve. They also find a few items of interest, a bag of bean, a broom with runes etched into the handle, a fancy looking ewer and an empty jar.
Ash decides to open the jar, and the group all individually experience a lucid tragic memory from their pasts. They shake off the thoughts, and now, sitting with Bjorn in the room, must decide their next course of action.

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On the Long Road
Session 9

The adventurers finally get a well earned rest. Kerowyn Faerwald puts everyone up for a week at her manor before they group decides to head out. Ash decides to return to his goblin clan, and tries to instill order before his departure.

After a few days of carousing, training, foot races and prostitution, the adventurers head south down the Long Road in search of riches that may lie in Durgedinn’s lost forge. They purchase 2 draft horses and carriage.

As they overnight in a hamlet named Red Larch, they notice the townsfolk a bit on edge. They visit the sheriff who informs them that an unknown old man came into town and stole some items from the market. He was chased into the nearby forest by the dept sheriff, but neither of them returned. The group agrees to look into this thievery and enlist a local tracker named Bjorn Urso to help on their pursuit.

Bjorn leads the group to an dilapidated cabin in the woods that he had recently noticed action around. Sure enough, there was smoke coming from the chimney. Ash moves in closer to the cabin and peaks through the windows. He notices no movement, but sees 3 dead bodies on the floor.witch.jpg

Not seeing any threat he calls for the group, and they enter the cabin to investigate. Anakis touched the dead body of a small girl, and as she does that all 3 bodies rise and reveal their true forms, the group is now surrounded by a coven of Hags!

Bjorn, still in hiding outside with Quin, starts sweating, looks at Quin and says, “I fuckin’ knew it” as he begins transformation into a Werebear.

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Burning of the Gulthias Tree
Session 8

The adventurers find themselves at the same campsite they stayed at just outside the entrance to the Citadel. They decide to stay the night here and make way to Oakhurst at first light. As the night progresses, they notice a single turkey skirting the periphery of the campsite. The group decides to let the turkey be, until it approaches too closely to Ash, who decides to take the nuisance fowl down. Upon killing the turkey and leaving it’s corpse as a reward besides Anakis, Ash notices a note neatly tied to the turkey’s neck. Ash soon recognizes that this is a pet of David, an ally of his within the monastery, and that the turkey was sent to him to deliver a message.

The group makes their way to Oakhurst, and regroup and restock. Anakis meets with Jakilmir who is staying at the Ole Boar Inn, and they converse.

After a short overnight and bath at the Inn, the group decide to head back into the citadel in the morning. Along the path they meet a cart being pulled by a stone golem. The group is then greeted by a few severed heads, before finally meeting Wilderem, a old gnomish shopkeeper within the wagon. The group does business with the gnome, but before the group leaves, the gnome propositions the group with a deal. He will give them a lead on a stronghold that contains many riches, but the group must return to him any weapons they find that bare the mark of Durgeddin the smith.

The group proceed back into the underground citadel, meeting only a small amount of resistance along the way to goblins that are loyal to Belak. The group kills all the goblins, save for one, that guides the group to the underground grove. As the adventurers wade through the thickets and brush, they notice a many twigs blights roaming about. They also notice a large, dead looking black tree hidden behind some ruined walls.
They are promptly greeted by Belak, the mad druid that Anakis has been looking for. The group also notice the Faerwald’s with Belak, but they appear diseased, their eyes blackened, and their skin, rough and woodlike.

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Belak explains to the group that the Faerwald’s are thralls of the Gulthias Tree, and the twig blights are the offspring of the tree. Belak exposes his plan to populate the area with the children of the Gulthias Tree in order to wipe out civilization. He once again asks Anakis to follow him. She refuses, and a battle ensues.

The group is bombarded by twig blights coming in from the grove, and a giant frog that was hidden in the tree. Belak is targeted and quickly falls unconscious. The group then coordinate to burn down the Gulthias tree. Quin doses the tree with oil, and Xanath proceeds to unleash fiery magic on the tree. The tree burns and a green mist rises from the ashes. The twig blights ignore the adventurers and converge on Belak’s body, thrashing and gnawing on the druid’s remains until there is nothing left of him.

In the burnt ashes of the tree sits a wooden stake, and a sword with a stone like crystalline blade. The Faerwald’s fall limp and lifeless, and it appears the disease is getting worse fast. Anakis tries to heal the Faerwald’s, but it does not seem to take effect. The group then decides to rush the Faerwald’s back to Oakhurst. They are met by Jakilmir and Reidoth, two druids from Anakis’ circle. The three druids converge as Anakis performs a difficult greater restoration spell on the diseased siblings. The spell is a success and the hold over the Faerwalds from the Gulthias Tree appears to be broken. The group, now in Oakhurst, are finally able to have a quick breath as it seems the threat of Belak the Outcast is no more.

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Searching for the Grove
Session 7

The adventurers set out in search for the fabled underground grove. They entered into a place that looked to be set-up as a Laboratory for the mad Druid Belak. The group surprised some goblins, killed a few then moved on.

The group then stumbled upon a large hall that the goblin seem to be using to garden the luminescent mushrooms that they have been encountering at this level. It seems that Belak had been using the light produced from the mushrooms to also grow some above ground plants. They met up with a gardener (a Bugbear). They group tried to deceive the Bugbear that they were also working with Belak, but quickly gave up on the roose and started to battle the Bugbear, eventually taking her down, along with a goblin that came from another room to help backup the bugbear.bugbear.jpg

Xanath came across a room with scorched mushroom, and proceeded to investigate a hollow that he saw underneath. A fire snake popped out and unleashed it fury on the dragonborn. Thinking quickly, Anakis transformed into a fire resistant giant badger to do battle with the snake. The group subdued the snake and Anakis, as a badger invested the fire snake’s burrows, finding 2 sapphires.

The group then proceeded, finding a room with a large carved statue of Ashardalon, the red dragon. Xanath stepped into a circle right in front of the statue and read some draconic runes. He was enveloped with a harmless spectral flame. The words also awoken a shadow that was lurking behind the statue. The shadow quickly descended upon Xanath, but the dragonborn cast magic missile and disenterated it.

They moved on from the room, rummaging a looting a connecting dragon library before heading out through a dark hallway. They followed the hallway and came upon a locked door. Quin was unsuccessful in picking the lock, so the group decided to try opening the door with fire and force. They were able to enter the room, with they found to be Belak’s study. Xanath’s attention was set upon a book written in draconic, but as the sorcerer open the book, he did not realize that it was protected by a glyph of warding. The book exploded, leaving the adventurers in poor shape. The blast alerted goblins in the next room that came in to attack. Anakis pushed into the middle of the group goblin and performed a well timed thunderwave, quelling the threat.

The group now looked out onto the vast underground grove, but noticed the clap of the spell alerted hoards to twig blights that inhabit the grove.

Feeling beaten and tired, the group decided to retreat, and quickly headed back through the Citadel, and out to the forest outside.

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Rumble in the Goblin Hall
Session 6

Durnn (the Chief of the Goblin Tribe) and his henchmen enter into the goblin hall. The parle quickly turns sour. During battle, Grisduin is felled, but revived once again by Anakis, only to be knocked unconscious once again by Durnn. Ash too is knocked unconscious, and things aren’t looking good the adventurer.

The remaining members are able to get rid of the threat, as Grisduin is able to will himself back into consciousness. Quin, seeing an allie in danger, raid the bodies of the hobgoblins and finds a potion on Durnn, Quin adminsters the potion to Ash, bring the Tabaxi back from unconsciousness.

King.cat.1.pngUpon revival, Ash, with the help of Quin’s translating, declares himself, once again, the Cat King! The remaining goblin commoners do not oppose, and seemingly accept Ash as their new leader.

After a well deserved rest, the group decides to investigate the room that the hobgoblins came from. They quickly dispose of a twig blight, and proceed to loot a chestful of electrum that Durnn was hoarding.

There is also a large 40’ hole in the center of the room that descends nearly 80’ below. Grisduin can deduce that there are skeletons gardening a phosphorescent fungus down below. The group repels themselves down some vines quietly and get the jump on the skeletons and a few twig blights that are roaming the garden.

Balsag, a bugbear, is alerted from the commotion, and enters the room with his 2 pet giant rats. The bugbear threatens to eat the group and a fight ensues. The adventures are able to handle the threat relatively easily and investigate the room Balsag came from. The room has access to the underdark and looks like the Bugbear was using this as a base to hunt prey in the underdark.

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Xanath's Vision
Session 5

After parting ways with Burt at the citadel entrance the group decides to use the key they obtained to open the dragon door. The key works and they gain access through the door into an area that looks to be untouched for a long time, possibly decades.

They enter into a room containing orbs, one orb starts to glow and emits brooding music. Anakis, Quin and Xanath cannot bear to be in the room with this music and escape back out of the citadel. Ash decides he will smash the orb, but ends up dropping it onto his foot. The music gets louder, and Ash cannot bear being in the room anymore. Grisduin, the only member left in the room decides to smash the orb with his katana. The orb cracks and the music stops.

The group proceed to a room containing a dragon sculpture that asks them a riddle. Quin solves the riddle and a secret door opens to a new area.

In the next room Ash is attacked by a quasit. Feeling threatened, the quasit tries to escape, but they are able to take him down before the tiny fiend can flee.

The group finally reach a room with a large sarcophagus. They open the sarcophagus and find an elf dressed in fine robes. Xanath sees a ornate dagger the elf is holding and decides to grab it. Upon grabbing the dagger, the elf’s body disappears and Xanath is hit by an invisible force. Tension grows in the room, and the group is assailed upon by an invisible force. Anakis sprays the room with holy water and rids the room of the unease.

The group raids the sarcophagus. Xanath is drawn to a golden pearl he find. Unable to resist, Xanath swallows the pearl. He finds himself displaced in a dragon’s lair. A gold dragon shows himself to Xanath and informs the dragonborn that Xanath is of his blood. The dragon also tells Xanath his name is Palarandusk.palarandusk.jpg

Shaken, but not stirred by the experience, the group decides to continue their mission to find the whereabouts of the Faerwalds.

They come upon a goblin colony. Ash decides to enter the colony and proclaim himself leader! The goblins, unable to understand the odd Tabaxi respond violently. During the battle Grisduin is felled by a particularly skilled goblin.

Once the group quels the threat, Ash, not with the assistance of Quin’s translation, tries again to win over the goblin colony. A goblin shaman appears from another room and interrupts. She is relaying information to a low voice from the other room. Displeased with this odd Tabaxi trying to overthrow his rule, the Goblin Chief comes out to confront the intruders.

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Catch and Release... A Dragon!?!
Session 4

Meepo steers the group to a room he believes Calcryx (white dragon) to be in. Quin successfully picks the lock on the door and Xanath and Grisduin enter to see a ransacked room. The Wyrmling reveals itself and pleas its case to Xanath that it is a prisoner of the kobolds. The dragon and Xanath make a deal, that the dragons will split it’s hoard as well as work with the group to get the dragon door key from Yusdrayl, in return the group must lead the dragon to the kobold colony and help destroy it.Calcryx.jpg

As a sign of good faith, Xanath leaves Meepo in the room with Calcryx to do what she will to her once capture.

The group leads Calcryx to Yusdrayl in the guise that they have trapped the dragon and are returning it to the colony. The trap works and Calcryx make short work of Yusdrayl, as well as Grisduin, with her frost breath. Anakis revives her fallen comrade. Calcryx destroys any kobold she can find before she leaves the Citadel.

Picking up new items, the group decides to try their luck once again at the locked door in the dragon fountain room. Xanath pulls a spell scroll and tries to perform a spell that it above his head. He fails, the scroll disintegrates and the door remains locked. The group brainstorm creative ideas to get through the door, some more extreme than other, but nothing works.

Dejected the group decide to investigate a dark hallway they bypassed earlier. They come upon a second dragon fountain, and Xanath confidently reads the words etched into the stone. He receives a faceful of poison mist for his troubles.

Quin notices footprints heading into a nearby room, Grisduin charges into the room to encounter 4 giant rats, one of which is bloated and poisoned. The group enters the room after Grisduin and do battle with the rats. A large man, half dead, rears himself up from the dark corner of the room and tries attacking the bloated rat, the rat counters and puts the man down. After the group dispose of the rat, the man is revived. It is Burt, the half-orc they just previously saved!

Embarrassed, Burt admits he lost his way trying to leave the citadel. The group decides to escort the half-orc to the entrance of the citadel.

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