The Sunless Six | Adventure Log

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.

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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DEC/2018

Striking a Deal

Session 12

mountain door

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.

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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DEC/2018

The Glitterhame

Session 13

glitterhame

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.

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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DEC/2018

Restrained Grick

Session 14

The adventurers are confronted by a pair of gricks hidden in a rockfall. Xanath quickly casts entangle, keeping the gricks immobile. The group then proceeds to hack, slash and thorn whip the gricks to death. The commotion garners the attention of 4 troglodytes that aggressively rush in to do battle with the adventurers.
The group take down the threat, but Ash is poisoned in the process. Anakis discovers she has an app for that, and rids Ash’s ailment with a jar of Melf’s Acid Arrow.
The group then investigate the Glitterhame and find a sturdy iron door with Durregedin’s Rune on it. They notice that there is a lock on the door and decide to see if they can recover the key. They explore toward a small cavern of rushing water. Ash investigates the cavern and notices the rushing river ends in a waterfall, that falls 60’ in to a pool below. Ash decides to dive into the pool, and Grisduin follows by repelling himself down with his rope. Grisduin’s grip fails and he falls into the pool. Both are starting to be swept away, but are able to recover and pull themselves out onto the river bank as the rest of the group meet them, using the much easier stairs they found.
Quin investigates some old storerooms of the dwarves that the orcs did not raid. Any supplies in these rooms have expired long ago. Just as Quin and Ash investigate the furthest room, the rest of the party start to notice movement in the center of the room they occupy.

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JAN/2019

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

Session 15

forge of fury

The adventurers do battle with an ooze hidden within the rotting supplies of the Dwarf stronghold. They quell the threat, and Anakis takes a few samples of the ooze.
A search of the storerooms finds nothing of value and Quin decides to adventure forth through a small cave. The cave opens up to a greater cave which houses a fast moving river.
Quin discovers more storerooms, but these are submerged in 5 feet of stagnant water. She wades through the water and discovers a corpse in a far corner. Lying near the corpse is a potion of water breathing and a potion of invisibility.
As Quin reports back, Ash decides to take point and crosses the river via a rough stairway in a cave that passes over the river. On the other side, Ash is distracted by a fish flopping on the shore of a small alcove across the river. Peeking his interest, Ash decides to lasso a rope around one of the larger stalagmites to create a crossing.
As he does, a single large eye opens in the center of the stalagmite, and a whip like appendage grapples the Tabaxi and pulls him across the river. The rest of the group rush in to do battle with what the group assume to be a Roper Monster. As the tendrils of the monster grab and throw the adventures about the cave and into the river, Ash finds himself in great peril as the Roper reveals it’s maw, full of jagged teeth.

The group struggle to free Ash from the Roper, and Ash is eventually consumed inside the the gullet of the monstrosity. The despair of loosing their friend angers the group, as they hack, slash and throw any and all magic they have at the enemy, until the Roper is eventually motionless, as it’s mouth sags and it’s single eye closes.
Grisduin, now distrait with grief, cuts through the stone-like skin of the roper, pulling out the limp, lifeless body of his compatriot. Ash lies, dead on the cold, wet cavern floor. Sadness sinks deep into the gut of the adventurers.
Grisduin sits cross legged in front of the body of the tabaxi, and enters a trance, searching his mind for what to do next. Suddenly, the familiar voice of his Goddess, Eilistraee speaks two words.
“Heal him.”
Gris snaps back into the present, and notices his chrysalis is now a caterpillar, glowing a vivid, but pale blue colour. Grisduin places the caterpillar on the corpse of his friend. Instantly, the caterpillar starts entombing the tabaxi in a silvery silk thread. The group sits back and watches in amazement as the body of Ashes of the Moon is eventually completely cocooned.
The group spend the next few hours standing vigil over cocoon, without much words spoken, or sleep taken. Until, Grisduin, notices a warm blue glow from within the cocoon. Then movement within, then a claw, cutting through the silken threads, as Ashes, clean and naked emerges from the cocoon, his eyes no longer dark and starry, but pale and blue, yet as lively as ever before.
The group retell the story of the fight to their resurrected friend, and ask questions to the Tabaxi.
With the events behind them, the group decide to push on, finding the key to the Dwarven Door on the corpse of a dwarf locked away in a prison cell.
They return to the Glitterhame, but decide to check a cave that they had missed previously before unlocking the door.
Quin enters a fungus filled room, and discovers 2 corpse riddled with fungus. Anakis identifies the fungus as highly toxic.
Xanath then enters the room, and unleashes a fiery fury onto the fungus, scorching the cave clelan. Quin then picks up 2 daggers that one of the corpse was gripping, The daggers are decorated with intricately carved vines, one of a rusty orange and the other a lively green. As Quin picks up the dagger, Grisduin notices his sword, Winter’s Chill, start to glow a cold blue on the back edge of the blade. The dagger’s are marked with Durgeddin’s Rune, the same mark as on Gris’ sword, the same mark given to them by Wilderem and the same mark emblazoned on the dwarven door in the Glitterhame.

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FEB/2019

Entering the Foundry

Session 16

forge of fury

The adventurers decide to open the dwarven door at the end of the Glitterhame. They try the key they found in the prison and the door opens to a hallway that leads to a flight of stairs. Upon climbing the stairs, the group find an octagonal room with 3 large statues of dwarves and 2 doors. Cautiously they investigate the room and find a secret door behind one of the statues. They open the door and Grisduin heads up the stairs, but triggers a Magic Mouth Alarm.
The group decide to press on and come into a great dwarven hall lined with intricately carved pillars, but the beauty if lost by the graffiti of the raiding orcs. Upon entering the room they see a cooking fire surrounded by bedrolls, as a threatening voice tells them to turn back.
Ash tries to reason with the voice, but the invisible assailants attack.
The group are now in combat with duergar that have established themselves in Durgeddin’s halls. They quickly take care of the threat, and decide to explore, starting with a chamber that is behind the Dias.
The chambers behind contain more duergar, that the group does battle with. They come upon what they assume to be Durgeddin’s personal chamber, but find nothing of value there.
The group returns to the great hall and decide to investigate the sound of metal work coming from the southern chambers. They enter the chambers and discover 3 duergar working on forges. They surprise attack the workers and easily dispose of the group.

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FEB/2019

The Desecrated Shrine

Session 17

forge of fury

The adventurers find themselves in what they can think is Durgeddin’s Forge. They follow the river and see that it ends in a large crevasse, with the water falling deep into the darkness below.
Xanath decides to swim upstream through an underwater river. He comes out in a large cavern to which he much later discerns to be the liar of the roper they defeated not long ago.
The group decides to head back into the main hall. Quin ventures down a set of stairs and discovers the kitchens of the dwarf tribe. As she investigates the room, she is assaulted by an animated table. The group rushes to Quin’s aid, and Gris and Ash hack and scratch the table to pieces.
The group then decide to investigate other rooms off of the main chamber. They enter into a shrine to the dwarven gods, a place of worship for Durgeddin’s clan. The chamber has been desecrated by the orcs. They notice the decomposing body of a dwarf in fine plate armor lying upon the alter. The dead body of an orc lies directly in front of the alter, and their is a large scattering of bones around the alter. As Grisduin approaches the alter, the orc corpse animates into a wight. The large remains reconstruct into skeletal forms of ogres. The group does battle with the undead, and eventually quell the threat. They find the orc wight’s longsword to bare the mark of the smith, as well as the dwarf’s plate armor.
They also discover the bodies of 2 adventurers that have fallen to the wight, and quickly loot them.
Feeling beaten, the group decide to barricade themselves in the shrine. Hours pass, but eventually Quin notices a duergar materialising in the corner of the room. He starts questioning the group.
The duergar tells the group that the body of the dwarf is Durgeddin’s, as this room was the place of his final stand. The duergar also tells the group of a dragon that lives underneath the Foundry, and guides them to his leader. The duergar quickly discovers that the adventurers have done away with the rest of his clan. The group then threatens the duergar to tell them how to best get to the dragon. He tells them of a way to get to the other side of the chasm, where a chain ladder will take you to the bottom of the hole. He warns the group that the halls are haunted by the ghost of the mage of Durgeddin’s clan.

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FEB/2019

The Dead Mage of Khundrukar

The adventurers regroup and decide to head forth into the dwarven quarters. Fin enters into a room with a large well in the center and hears a low distance voice mumbling curse. As he glances, he sees a faint apparition, and turns from the room. Xanath then decides to enter and talk to the ghost, but the parley quickly turns sour.
Ash rushes up to the ghost, swiping his claws at the phantom, until the entity overpowers his will and possesses the tabaxi. Ash, now possesses turns and starts attacking his allies. Using a tongues spell, Xanath is able to converse with the dwarven ghost, but is unable to convince the entity that they are not just looters.
Gris then decides to present his new weapon, ’winter’s chill’ to the ghost. Baring the mark of Durrgedin, the ghost’s interest is peaked. He asks Xanath where they found the weapon.
Unknowingly, Anakis enters into the room and decides to attack the possessed Ash. The possessed tabaxi’s turns and fights Anakis. Quin then rushes to the ghost and follows suit and lays 2 other weapons baring Durrgedin’s mark at the feat of the possessed Ash. The group finally persuade the ghost that they mean no harm and are not looters, as Anakis shows the ghost her trophy necklace of orc penises.
They convey to the ghost that they have broken the curse over Durgeddin, by defeating an orc wight guarding over his soul. The ghost then relays that he was Durgeddin’s high mage, named Anduril. He was the one responsible for the enchantment on the weapons. The group then lead Anduril to Durgeddin’s remains. Satisfied, Anduril’s ghost can now finally pass over. He thanks the group, and tells them that the threats he has put up in the halls are now gone. He does however warn the group of a succubus he had summoned that overpowered him that he thinks still lurks within the foundry. Anduril also explains that one weapon in the 4 season’s enchantment remains called Summer’s Rage.
The group then venture forth in the dwarven halls, clearing rooms and finding many traps that Anduril has disabled. They finally come upon a large open room with 3 doors leading off them. Quin investigates and finds a secret door. Behind the door is a narrow hallway that Ash and Quin head down to investigate. The hallway ends, but they can hear rushing water behind the door. They find another secret door in the wall and they are led to a great opening at the top of the waterfall. They find the chain ladder that leads down the side of the wall deep into the chasm.
Quin and Ash return to the group. Quin then enters into a room which looks like a library. A young, beautiful dark haired woman is sitting with her back to Quin, weaping. Quin leaves the room and relays to the group that she may hae found the succubus Andril warned them of. Xanath then decides to enter to room, but is quickly charmed by the succubus. She tells them that she is trapped here by a wizard that dwells deep below. She encourages the group to defeat the wizard, but pleas that Xanath stay with her, ‘to protect’ her. The group, except Xanath, see though this ruse and the succubus changes form and attacks the group in desperation. The group defeat the fiend, and decide to investigate the remaining chambers before heading down into the chasm.

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MAR/2019

What Lies in the Black Lake

After defeating the succubus, the adventurers further explore the library. They find a connecting bed chamber, and upon further investigation, they see a large figure lying in the bed, asleep. Xanath uses mage hand to gently pull the blanket off the slumbering entity, to discover it isn’t one, but 3 small humanoids fast asleep.
Xanath quickly recognises their friend Stubbs and his familiar Innis lying in the bed with Sir Miles Tarkelbee, mayor of Woopedu and adventurer extraordinaire.
They wake the halflings and Stubbs retells his story of him and Sir Miles drinking at the Unseen Protector, then in a drunken stupor decide to make their way back into Khundrukar in search of their allies. They luckily stumbled their way to the library, but were succumb by the charm of the succubus. Once the adventurers defeated the succubus the spell on the halflings was broken.
The group decide to rest within security of the library before they delve down into the chasm. As they rest, Ash and Grisduin hear a rustling in the chamber outside, the two investigate and find another familiar face in the sole surviving duergar.
He presents to the group the newly repaired sword. Although the workmanship is quite poor, Xanath accepts the sword and pays the duergar a small sum and sends him on his way.
Feeling refreshed, the adventurers head forth to the chasm. They begin climbing down the chain ladder. Ash perhaps feeling overconfident slips, but Quin, acting quickly, is able to grab the tabaxi before he can fall.
The group now stealthily venture forth in the depths of the cave system. They finally come upon a large underground lake. Grisduin’s drow eyes spot a large black dragon asleep atop her hoard of treasure on a island in the center of the lake. The group back off and discuss a plan.
Finally they approach the lake. Ash throws a rock embued with light towards the dragon, and as the image of the huge beast comes into view Anakis binds the great wyrm to the ground with a spell.
The dragon eventually breaks free of the magical restraints and dives into the water. The group relentlessly attack the dragon with magic and ranged weapons. The dragon then retreats to the back of it’s island and the fight turns into a stalemate, but with one final push the dragon beats it’s wings and flies towards the attackers. Submerged in the lake, Stubbs breaches his mug out of the water enough to deliver a powerful eldritch blast toward the black dragon. As Innis rides the magic towards the dragon. The quickling with dagger pointed outward pierces clean through the throat of the great black wyrm, killing the beast. The dragon falls from the air hitting the water hard creating a large wake outwards before finally sinking to the rocky bed of the lake floor.

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APR/2019

The Unbound Forge

forge of fury

After gathering their plunder from the dragon, the group decide they would like to harvest the dragon scales, but the dragon is now in 40 feet of water, at the bottom of the murky lake.
The adventurers decide to head back to Woopedu. The halflings run off ahead of the rest of the group, and are captured by Redglian, the new War Chief of the orc tribe.
Redglian stops the adventurers in the dwarven hall. He threatens the groups lives if they do no forfeit their plunder.

The group refuse and the orcs attack. Redglian, miscalculating the power of his former associates is easily slain, along with the remnants of his orc clan.
the adventurers find their way back to Woopedu. Ash resupplies at Tolm’s Outfitters before they head to Wilderem‘s shop.
The group present Wilderem with a longsword baring the mark of Durgeddin, and the gnome is pleased, but senses the group is holding back on him. Reluctantly, the group show the wizard the weapons of the four season. Wilderem is impressed by the quality of the weapons. He tells the group that these weapons are best held in the hands of warriors capable to welding the power and offers to buy the weapons should they ever want to sell them.
Wilderem also senses more magical items that the group is withholding.
Xanath presents the broom. Wilderem uncovers the glyphs and teaches the Dragonborn how to use the broom for flying and attacking.
Quin also presents the magical beans found in the hags cabin. Wilderem explains what the beans are and is excited to show the group their power. Quin plants a bean in the middle of a field and waters it. Within seconds the ground below starts to quake and a foreign temple nearly 60 feet wide and 40 feet high appears from the ground.
The group decide to leave the temple alone for the time and head back to Wilderem’s shop. Wilderem propositions the group. He will give them amulets of teleportation, that will allow the group to teleport back into his shop at anytime should they work together with the gnome.
The adventurers agree.
Finally, they lead Wilderem back into the forge. Wilderem is pleased to finally be able to enter into Khundrakar unthreatened, to be able to unlock the secrets of Durgeddin and his mage Anduril.
Halwreck, and accomplished blacksmith, heads into see the forge, and helps the group harvest what he can from the remains of the black dragon.

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APR/2019