(S037) Jacoby & Jeets at the Keep

Storming the Bloodhands keep, the party confronts a rejuvenated Jacoby, meets Jeets and the Misfortunate Mead Heroes, and uncovers a terrifying multiverse plot involving Gems of Tharizdun.

📝 Session Summary

The Wild Cards were called The Menagerie by some until they came up with the name The Wild Cards.

• Barlo: A grizzled tabaxi barbarian who has been doing some work for a network that one should be wary of.
• Bastion: An orphan human who spent his life studying magic and blades, even though his elder pushed him away from the sword. He replaced Reginald.
• Calliope: This bardic faun joined the party late when she needed to find help to save her homeland.
• Reginald: A leonin cleric who was off to show his family's royal background and would later find out there were secrets leading to him becoming a king.
• Sas: A tortle hermit was given an item of power and a quest.
• Shadow in the Snow: This tabaxi got a coin, and her curiosity set her on a path.

🎬 Scenes

• Scene 1: Barlo's Backstory — From The Bronze Canyon in Kampos. Gave up Tabaxi name, "Smiles". Help move people. On way to Eushia to help Black Road with a client. Currently on ship near Carrune.
• Scene 2: Bastion's Backstory — When Bastion Bladesinger was very young he lost both of his parents to a plague. He took care of himself as he taught himself how to use the rapier his father once wore. He lived in Dyrt and watched all of the great knights. He also had an interest in the ways of magic and he wished he could do both – use swords and excel in magic – like many elves he had heard about.
• Scene 3: Calliope's Backstory — Calliope was born into the nestled highlands of the Oraniad Mountains. The Skola Vale, wild and free, blessed by the gods and inhabited by whimsical Satyr and Faun. Deep within it among the lush valley, reside the Dawngreets, a long generational line of storytellers and lore keepers.
• Scene 4: Reginald's Backstory — He was born at home, a modest-sized mansion where his family lived a modest means – even though his father could never stop talking about how they were royalty and yet this was the only lands they currently possess. His childhood was generally a happy one full of several friends. He was an only child.
• Scene 5: Sas' Backstory — Sas was born on the continent of Oth'Mar – a content mostly inhabited by Tortles and is far to the south of the Carrune Isles.
• Scene 6: Shadow's Backstory — Deep in the snowy mountains high in the north, there lived a large group of Tabaxi, The Blinding Wild Clan.

📜 Missions & Quests

• Completed:
  • Established individual party origins and initial connections to the world of Dierde.
• Active / Discovered Threads:
  • Barlo's ties to the smuggling rings and the Black Road.
  • Bastion's mysterious past and fallout with Grognard.
  • Calliope's quest to save the Skola Vale.
  • Reginald's pursuit of his family's royal mint commission and claim in Neyer.
  • Sas's vision of the Cat Goddess Bast and journey to find her lost lands.
  • Shadow's golden coin and mystical calling from her clan shaman.

NPCs

S037: Jacoby & Jeets at the Keep

Date: 2022-09-10

Short

The party's investigation into Sas's missing father led them to an abandoned keep overrun by goblins and bugbears. When negotiations failed, combat erupted, and a rejuvenated Jacoby appeared on the ramparts—the villain they had previously killed, now returned in a younger body through his Arcane Order's cloning magic. He revealed that the party had unwittingly helped open a mysterious book his order sought and cryptically mentioned that the turtle was hiding something in Sas's mind. After the party refused to surrender the book, Jacoby summoned a horrifying flame skull and unleashed devastating fire magic. Barlo responded with incredible agility, leaping onto the ramparts and savagely mauling Jacoby with his claws before grappling him and jumping off the wall. However, Jacoby escaped at the last moment using teleportation magic and vanished, leaving the party to finish off the remaining goblin forces with the help of Shadow's spike growth spell and coordinated attacks.

During the battle, a halfling named Jeets appeared and introduced his crew, the "Misfortunate Mead Heroes," who had infiltrated the keep from another entrance. Jeets revealed staggering truths: his former companions had been killed by the lich Bargle, who possessed a Gem of Tharizdun—one of three hundred and thirty-three magical orbs containing entire worlds that the entity Tharizdun sought to collect to destroy all existence. Their current world of Dierde had been preserved as one such gem through ancient Netherese magic. Remington, one of Jeets' companions, revealed himself to be a bronze dragon in disguise and explained that the white dragon Canthenth was actually his damaged simulacrum. The party discovered that their enemies bore the markings of the Bloodhands organization, with red tattoos denoting rank. They then descended into a hidden tunnel beneath the keep, where they carefully disarmed traps and eliminated goblin guards, though one escaped to raise the alarm. The session ended with the party poised to delve deeper into the darkness, determined to find Sas's father and uncover the secrets hidden below.

Summary

The party stood before the abandoned keep, their investigation into Sas's missing father leading them to this crumbling fortress overrun by goblins and bugbears. Barlo attempted to negotiate with the goblin boss guarding the entrance, but his words fell on deaf ears. The goblin boss screamed for his forces to attack, and combat erupted as Shadow's keen eyes spotted movement on the ramparts above.

Shadow loosed an arrow at the figure on the wall, her shot striking true despite a shimmering magical barrier that appeared to deflect it. The figure stepped forward into view, revealing himself to be a much younger version of Jacoby—the villain they had defeated before—now appearing as a man in his prime with flowing hair, resembling a younger Jeremy Irons. He delivered a chilling monologue, thanking the party for killing his previous body and allowing him to return in this rejuvenated form, a "perk of the order" he served. He spoke cryptically of a book the party had helped open, of secrets his order had long sought, and of the turtle hiding something in "that shell of a brain of his," his gaze falling on Sas.

Jacoby offered the party a choice: surrender the book and flee, or face him in battle. When the party refused to yield, he attempted to magically compel them, though most resisted his influence. With a dramatic flourish, he summoned his "old skull"—a horrifying flame skull wreathed in green fire with purple tentacles protruding from its forehead. The skull materialized near the party, its tentacles lashing out at Barlo's magical headgear but failing to grasp it. Jacoby then unleashed a devastating explosion of flame behind Barlo and Shadow, the fiery blast scorching Barlo, Artie, and Shadow as they fought the goblin forces below.

Enraged by the attack, Barlo let out a roar and activated his feline agility. With incredible athleticism, he sprinted toward the wall and launched himself upward, soaring twenty-one feet into the air to land on the ramparts beside Jacoby. Before the wizard could react, Barlo's claws raked across his face in a vicious strike that left deep, grievous wounds. The slashing attack was so severe that Jacoby's movements became sluggish and his attacks grew wild and unfocused. Barlo followed up with another claw strike, tearing into the rejuvenated wizard as goblins scrambled up the walls to aid their master.

Below, Shadow conjured a field of magical spike growth, transforming the ground into a treacherous expanse of sharp, hidden thorns that tore at anyone who moved through it. She commanded Artie, her owl bear companion, to attack a bugbear, and the creature responded with a powerful strike that sent the enemy stumbling backward into the deadly spikes. Artie then let loose a unique battle cry—a deep, resonant hoot that echoed across the battlefield—and Shadow felt a surge of renewed strength flow through her. Meanwhile, Sas attempted to strike Jacoby's flame skull with necrotic magic, but the skull was protected by illusions or psychic duplicates that caused her attack to miss its mark.

Calliope tried to distract a bugbear with a cutting insult about chihuahuas, but the creature had no idea what she was talking about, and the mockery fell flat. She then attempted to magically command another bugbear to hop, but the creature shook off the enchantment with a snarl. Bastion abandoned his shadowy blade in favor of his rapier and frost magic, striking down a bugbear with a combination of precise swordplay and icy blasts. The goblins and bugbears continued their assault, but many fell to the party's coordinated attacks, with some dying as they stumbled into Shadow's spike growth and others being cut down by blade and spell.

On the ramparts, Barlo seized Jacoby in a powerful grapple and leaped off the wall, intending to slam the wizard into the brambles below. As they plummeted toward the ground, Jacoby took the impact and seemed to falter—but at the last moment, his body shimmered with a silver mist. Using some kind of magical reaction, he teleported out of Barlo's grasp and vanished from sight, leaving Barlo holding nothing but air. Frustrated but undeterred, Barlo called out a warning to his companions about movement he had spotted in the nearby bushes, though the figure had already disappeared.

As the battle raged on, a small halfling with ruffled hair and a three o'clock shadow appeared behind Calliope. He introduced himself as Jeets, a friend of the party's allies, and handed Calliope a crystalline dagger similar in style to the magical weapons the party had received from Lars and Ursa. He explained that he and his companions had been waiting for the party's arrival and had used the distraction of the frontal assault to infiltrate the keep from another entrance. His allies were already inside, fighting the enemy forces within the walls.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Barlo dragged a captured bugbear chief through the gate into the keep's courtyard. There, he encountered three new figures finishing off a pile of goblin and orc bodies: Remington, a red-skinned man with copper-toned hair; and two half-elves named Acira Neridithas and Arica Neridithas, one with dark black hair and a fierce demeanor, the other with blonde hair. Jeets joined them and introduced his new crew, the "Misfortunate Mead Heroes," explaining that his old companions Cellymas Villuhne and Talbron Tewn had been killed in battle against a warlock named Bargle, who had since become a lich.

Jeets revealed a staggering truth: Bargle had possessed an artifact called a Gem of Tharizdun, a magical orb containing an entire world within it. He explained that the entity known as Tharizdun sought to collect three hundred and thirty-three of these gems to bring about the destruction of all existence. The Netherese of the ancient world of Toril had made a dark bargain with Tharizdun, preserving their dying world as one such gem, and a similar spell had been cast on their current world of Dierde. Jeets' crew had recovered two of these gems—one from Bargle and one from Pradam's magical hat—and were working to prevent Tharizdun's apocalyptic plan.

Jeets also explained Jacoby's return: the Arcane Order to which he belonged used powerful magic to create clones of their members at the moment of their death, ensuring their longevity and allowing them to return in younger, stronger bodies. This was why Jacoby had reappeared as a much younger man despite the party having killed him before. Remington then revealed his own secret: he was actually a bronze dragon in humanoid form, and the white dragon Canthenth that the party had encountered at Outing Refuge was a polymorphed simulacrum he had created to protect the Arcane Forge from other dragons sent to destroy it. The simulacrum's mind had been damaged by a mind flayer's interference with magical crystals, which explained its erratic behavior.

The party looted the bodies of their fallen enemies, discovering coins, art objects, and a disturbing pattern: the goblins had red-stained fingertips, while the higher-ranking bugbears bore intricate red tattoos on their palms. Sas deduced that these markings were the insignia of the Bloodhands organization, with the tattoos signifying rank and the red fingertips marking those who had yet to earn their place. Remington pointed out a large pile of rubble in the corner of the courtyard, which turned out to be a painted tarp concealing a hidden tunnel entrance. The party decided to investigate while Remington and his companions stood guard above.

Descending into the dimly lit tunnel, the party found a roughly carved stone stairwell leading deeper beneath the keep. Shadow scouted ahead, discovering two bugbears in the passage and a door rigged with a tripwire trap connected to explosive charges and alarm bells. Barlo searched a defeated bugbear and found a key, which he used to carefully disarm the trap by triggering a hidden switch. Beyond the door, Shadow spotted two goblins conversing in a narrow hallway. The party devised a plan to lure them out: Barlo called out in the goblin tongue while Artie let out a low growl, and one of the goblins came to investigate.

As the goblin rounded the corner, Barlo shoved him to the ground and raked his claws across the creature's face. The goblin attempted to tumble past Barlo to escape, but Sas struck at him with her magically enhanced club, though her blow went wide. Bastion teleported into position and finished the goblin with a precise thrust of his rapier and a blast of freezing magic. Shadow moved forward and dispatched the remaining bugbear with a flurry of sword strikes and cold damage, her blades flashing in the dim torchlight. The party cleared the immediate area, dragging bodies back to the stairs to make room for further exploration.

As they prepared to venture deeper into the tunnel, the sounds of combat from within the keep began to fade. The party stood at the threshold of the unknown, knowing that one goblin had escaped to call for reinforcements and that Jacoby remained at large somewhere in the darkness. The session ended with the party poised to continue their investigation, determined to find Sas's father and uncover whatever secrets the Bloodhands and the Arcane Order were hiding in the depths beneath the abandoned keep.

Scenes

Session Recap and Keep Assault Begins

The DM recaps the party's recent adventures, including helping the School of Vale and investigating an abandoned fort where Sas believes her father is held.

• The DM provides a recap of the party's recent history, including the School of Vale's return from the Feywild and the rise of the Bloodhands orcs.
• The party arrived at an abandoned keep, which they are investigating due to Sas's belief that her lost father is being held there by the Bloodhands.
• Barlo attempts to persuade a goblin boss at the keep to allow the party entry, but the negotiation fails, and the goblin boss orders an attack.
• Shadow, with exceptional perception, notices movement on the keep's ramparts.
• Barlo also perceives movement on the walls, though less clearly.

Jacoby's Dramatic Return

Combat begins with Shadow attacking a figure on the ramparts, who is revealed to be a younger, rejuvenated Jacoby who delivers a dramatic monologue.

• Shadow fires an arrow at a figure on the ramparts, hitting them despite a magical shield.
• The figure is revealed to be a younger, Jeremy Irons-like version of Jacoby, who the party had previously encountered and defeated.
• Jacoby delivers a monologue, referencing the party's past actions, a 'book' they helped open, and his 'order'.
• He mentions being 'young again' and thanks the party for his previous body's demise.
• Jacoby challenges the party, offering them a chance to retreat or face him.
• Jacoby mentions the 'turtle' (Sas) and his interest in what she is 'hiding in that shell of a brain of his'.
• Jacoby summons his 'old skull,' a flame skull with green flames and purple tentacles on its forehead.
• The flame skull attempts to dislodge Barlo's headgear with its tentacles, but misses.
• Jacoby launches a fiery explosion behind Barlo and Shadow, catching Barlo, Artie, and Shadow in the blast.

Barlo's Rage and Grapple

Barlo, enraged by Jacoby's attack, uses his feline agility to leap onto the ramparts and grapple Jacoby, landing devastating claw attacks.

• Barlo rages and uses his feline agility to jump 21 feet up the wall and grapple Jacoby.
• Barlo critically strikes Jacoby with his claws, inflicting a grievous wound that reduces Jacoby's speed and gives his attacks disadvantage.
• Bugbears attack Shadow, Artie, and Bastion, but their attacks are largely ineffective or miss.
• Jacoby's Flame Skull attacks Barlo with fire rays, one of which connects.
• Barlo, holding Jacoby, leaps off the wall, intending to slam Jacoby into the brambles below.
• As Jacoby takes damage from the fall, he uses a reaction to shimmer into a silver mist and teleport away from Barlo's grasp, escaping capture.
• Barlo perceives movement in nearby bushes.

Rampart Battle Continues

The party continues their battle at the keep, engaging with goblins and bugbears while Jacoby escapes.

• Shadow casts Spike Growth, creating a hazardous area for the enemies, and commands Artie to attack a bugbear, pushing it into the spikes.
• Artie uses a unique battle cry, 'Give a hoot, don't pull up,' to invigorate Shadow, restoring some of her strength.
• Sas attempts to hit Jacoby's Flame Skull with Chill Touch, but it evades the attack due to illusions or psychic duplicates.
• Calliope uses Vicious Mockery on a bugbear, but the insult about 'Chihuahuas' is lost on the creature.
• Calliope attempts to command a bugbear to 'hop,' but the bugbear resists the magical effect.
• Bastion drops his Shadow Blade concentration, then uses his rapier and Ray of Frost to defeat a bugbear, shifting his Hex to another target.
• Goblins and bugbears engage the party, with some falling to the Spike Growth spell and others being defeated by the party's attacks.
• A goblin attempts to attack Barlo but is swatted away by his hand.
• Another goblin, damaged by Shadow's spike growth, is finished off by Barlo's maul.
• Barlo, after defeating a goblin, feels a surge of power from his maul, suggesting it might become more powerful if attuned to.

New Allies Emerge

A halfling named Jeets appears behind Calliope, hands her a crystalline dagger, and reveals that his allies are already inside the keep.

• A halfling named Jeets appears behind Calliope, hands her a crystalline dagger, and reveals that his allies are already inside the keep.
• Shadow attacks a bugbear with her Frostbrand sword, dealing a flurry of slashes and cold damage.
• Jeets swiftly eliminates the bugbear chief Barlo was grappling with a precise dagger strike to the throat.
• Barlo grapples a bugbear, then shoves it to the ground, knocking it prone.
• The prone bugbear attempts to tumble past Barlo but is still within reach.
• Sas attempts to strike the bugbear with Shillelagh but misses.
• Bastion teleports to flank the bugbear and strikes it down with his rapier and Ray of Frost.
• Shadow finishes off a severely wounded bugbear with a series of precise arrow shots and a final offhand strike.

Courtyard Encounter and Revelations

The party finishes combat and meets new allies in the courtyard, who reveal shocking truths about the Arcane Order, Jacoby, and the nature of their world.

• Barlo, hearing sounds of combat from within the keep, drags the captured bugbear chief through a gate into a courtyard.
• Inside the courtyard, Barlo encounters three new figures: Remington, a red-skinned man, and two half-elves (Acira Neridithas and Arica Neridithas), who are finishing off a group of goblins and orcs.
• Remington introduces himself and his companions, explaining they are 'misfortunate meat heroes' and were trying to catch up to the party.
• Jeets, the halfling, joins the group and explains that he and his new crew have been working for Lars and Ursa, and that Bargle killed two of their former companions (Cellymas Villuhne and Talbron Tewn).
• Jeets reveals that Bargle, now a lich, had an orb, a 'Gem of Tharizdun,' which holds an entire world within it, and that Tharizdun seeks 333 such gems to destroy everything.
• Jeets explains that the Netherese of Toril made a bargain with Tharizdun, preserving their world as a gem, and that a similar spell was cast on their current world of Dierde.
• Jeets informs the party that Jacoby is back because the Arcane Order uses clone spells as part of their initiation, allowing powerful wizards to return in younger bodies.
• Remington confirms that he is a bronze dragon, who created a simulacrum of himself (Canthenth, the white dragon) to protect the Arcane Forge at Outing Refuge from other dragons sent by the sleeping dragon within the planet.
• The party decides to investigate a hidden tunnel behind a painted tarp, which the new allies offer to guard the topside.

Looting and Insignia Discovery

The party loots the bodies of fallen enemies and identifies the Bloodhands insignia before preparing to enter the hidden tunnel.

• Barlo loots the bodies of fallen enemies, finding coins and art objects.
• The party observes red markings on the fingertips of goblins and intricate red tattoos on the palms of larger enemies, identifying them as the insignia of the 'Bloodhands' organization.
• Sas investigates the markings and deduces a hierarchy within the Bloodhands based on the tattoos.
• The party finds a camouflaged tunnel entrance, hidden by a painted tarp, leading to a roughly carved stone stairwell.
• Remington points out a fake rock pile concealing a hidden tunnel, suggesting it leads deeper into the enemy's lair.

Descent into the Tunnels

The party discovers a hidden tunnel leading beneath the keep, where they encounter bugbears in a dimly lit stairwell.

• The party enters the hidden tunnel, finding a roughly carved stone stairwell.
• The party sneaks down the dimly lit stairwell, observing small, candle-like torches providing soft light.
• They spot two bugbears ahead in the tunnel.
• Shadow listens at a door, hearing whispers and footsteps from beyond.
• Barlo investigates the door, discovering it's not locked but has a tripwire trap and explosive charges.
• The party loots a dead bugbear, finding five gold pieces and a key.
• Barlo successfully disarms the tripwire trap on the door using the key and a hidden switch.
• Shadow peeks around the corner, seeing two goblins talking and noting explosive charges and bells set as alarms in the hallway.

Ambush in the Narrow Passageway

The party lures goblins into a narrow hallway using deception and a growling Artie, leading to a quick combat where the enemies are swiftly defeated.

• Artie drags the bodies of defeated enemies back to the stairs to clear the area.
• Barlo and Artie use deception and growls to lure the goblins out.
• A goblin comes to investigate, and Barlo shoves him prone.
• Shadow whispers to Barlo, preparing for an ambush.
• Shadow activates her flame sword and attacks the first bugbear, striking it twice and decapitating it.
• Barlo activates his shield and attacks the second bugbear with his maul, dealing a powerful blow that leaves it severely wounded.
• Barlo shoves the approaching goblin, knocking it prone.
• Barlo attacks the prone goblin with his claws, critically wounding it and reducing its movement speed.
• The goblin uses its action to tumble past Barlo, attempting to escape.
• Sas attempts to attack the goblin with Shillelagh but misses.
• Bastion uses Misty Step to teleport past the dead bugbear and attacks the remaining bugbear with his rapier, killing it.
• Shadow attacks the final bugbear with her flame sword, dealing multiple blows and killing it.
• Calliope moves forward to get a better view but cannot see the enemy.
• Bastion attacks the prone goblin with his rapier and Ray of Frost, killing it.

Session Ends in the Tunnel

The party clears the immediate area of enemies and prepares to continue deeper into the tunnel, where they hear sounds of combat fading.

• The party finds themselves in a narrow passageway with another door, and the sounds of combat from deeper within the keep begin to fade.
• The party decides to continue investigating the tunnel, while Remington's crew stays to guard the courtyard.
• The DM notes that the session has run late and suggests ending for the night, leaving the party at the edge of the tunnel with one goblin having escaped to call for reinforcements.

Memorable Moments

"I want to thank you, since the last form got a bit too corrupted, and it is nice to be young again. Perk of the order, if you will."
— Jacoby

Jacoby reveals his return in a younger body after the party killed his previous form, taunting them from the ramparts

Barlo rages, leaps 21 feet up the wall using his feline agility, grapples Jacoby, and lands a critical claw strike that grievously wounds him.

Enraged by Jacoby's fiery attack, Barlo makes an incredible athletic feat to reach and wound the villain

Jacoby escapes Barlo's grapple by shimmering into a silver mist and teleporting away just as they hit the ground.

After Barlo leaps off the wall with Jacoby, the villain uses a reaction to escape at the last moment

Jeets reveals that Jacoby is a clone created by the Arcane Order, and that Gems of Tharizdun contain entire worlds, with Tharizdun seeking 333 to destroy everything.

After combat, Jeets provides crucial exposition about the campaign's overarching threats and mysteries

Remington is revealed to be a bronze dragon who created Canthenth, the white dragon simulacrum, to protect the Arcane Forge.

The party learns the true identity of their new ally and the deception at Outing Refuge

NPCs

Goblin Boss

A leader of the goblins and bugbears at the abandoned keep. He was unwilling to negotiate with Barlo and initiated combat against the party.

Jacoby Drexelhand

A magically rejuvenated, younger version of a character the party previously defeated, appearing as a much younger man resembling Jeremy Irons. He appears on the keep's ramparts and reveals his connection to an arcane order seeking ancient secrets. He mentions a 'book' the party helped open and expresses interest in Sas. He is immune to being grappled and can teleport away when damaged, using a reaction to shimmer into a silver mist. He commands a Flame Skull and casts powerful fire spells.

Flame Skull

Jacoby's reanimated skull, featuring green flames emanating from its back and two rubbery purple tentacles protruding from its forehead. It acts as a combatant under Jacoby's control, attempting to grapple Barlo and attacking with fire rays. It appears to be protected by illusions or psychic duplicates.

Bugbear

Several large, hairy goblinoid creatures encountered in combat at the keep and in the tunnels. They wield morning stars and javelins, engaging the party in close quarters and attempting to call for reinforcements. Some are affected by magical spike growth and spore damage.

Bugbear Chief

A more formidable bugbear leader, distinguished by an intricate red tattoo on its palm, signifying its rank within the Bloodhands. One was grappled by Barlo and then killed by Jeets. Another was encountered in the tunnels and defeated by the party.

Goblin

Small, numerous humanoids fighting alongside the bugbears. They wield scimitars and are easily dispatched by the party. They have red-tipped fingers as a sign of their allegiance to the Bloodhands.

Jeets

A short halfling with ruffled hair, a three o'clock shadow, and leather armor. He is a former acquaintance of Sas from Shipwreck Shore and now leads a new crew called the 'Misfortunate Mead Heroes.' He is pragmatic and decisive, swiftly killing a captured bugbear chief with a sneak attack. He provides crucial information about the Gems of Tharizdun, Bargle, Jacoby's connection to the Arcane Order, and Remington's true identity.

Remington

A red-skinned man with copper-toned complexion and hair, part of Jeets' new crew. He is revealed to be a bronze dragon in humanoid form, working to prevent the awakening of a powerful dragon within the planet. He created a simulacrum of himself (Canthenth, the white dragon) to protect the Arcane Forge at Outing Refuge. He helps the party by guarding the courtyard while they investigate the tunnels.

Acira Neridithas

A half-elf with dark black hair, part of Jeets' new crew. She appears ferocious and pale, and is related to Arica Neridithas. She is quiet and appears to have recently finished combat.

Arica Neridithas

A half-elf with blonde hair, part of Jeets' new crew. She is related to Acira Neridithas and is quiet, having just finished combat.

Bargle

A warlock who previously killed Cellymas Villuhne and Talbron Tewn, members of Jeets' old crew. He became a lich after his defeat, but his orb artifact (a Gem of Tharizdun) was recovered by Jeets' crew.

Cellymas Villuhne

A member of Jeets' old crew who was killed in battle against Bargle.

Talbron Tewn

A member of Jeets' old crew who was killed in battle against Bargle.

Pradam Estorich

A human wizard and former adventurer who possessed one of the Gems of Tharizdun in his hat. He is now retired and resides with Lars and Ursa at their academy, having given up adventuring.

Canthenth

A white dragon that was actually a polymorphed simulacrum created by Remington to protect the Arcane Forge at Outing Refuge. His mind was affected by a Mind Flayer messing with crystals.

Locations

River's Keep

An old, dilapidated fort that is currently overrun by goblins and bugbears. It features ramparts and walls approximately 20 feet high, a courtyard littered with goblin and orc bodies, and a hidden tunnel entrance beneath a camouflaged tarp.

Keep Ramparts

The elevated defensive walls of the abandoned keep, approximately 20 feet high, where Jacoby first appeared and engaged the party, providing a vantage point over the battleground.

Keep Courtyard

An area within the keep's walls where the party encounters new allies (Remington, Acira Neridithas, and Arica Neridithas) fighting off goblins and orcs. It contains a pile of goblin and orc bodies and a hidden tunnel entrance disguised as a rock pile.

Hidden Tunnel

A roughly carved stone stairwell leading down from the keep's courtyard, hastily built and dimly lit by small, candle-like torches. It features narrow passageways, explosive charges, and bells set as traps, and leads to further dungeon areas within the keep.

Narrow Hallway

A confined passage within the hidden tunnel, equipped with explosive charges and bells designed to alert others to intruders. It's barely wide enough for one person at a time.

Items

Illusionary Cape

A cape worn by Barlo that can create illusions. Barlo mentions still wearing it when he grapples Jacoby.

Maul

A two-handed bludgeoning weapon wielded by Barlo. After smashing a goblin's head with it, Barlo feels a surge of power, suggesting it might become more powerful if attuned to.

Crystalline Dagger

A small dagger with a crystalline, petrified wood-like appearance, similar in style to the weapons the party received from Outing Refuge. It is given to Calliope by Jeets, who says he will explain what it is later.

Weapons from Lars and Ursa

Magical weapons held by Sas, Bastion, and Shadow, originally given to them by Lars and Ursa. The party feels a latent power within them, suggesting they could become more powerful with attunement or further investigation.

Gems of Tharizdun

Magical orbs that each contain an entire world. Tharizdun seeks to collect 333 of these gems to bring about universal destruction. Jeets' crew has recovered two of them: one from Bargle and one from Pradam's hat. The Netherese of Toril made a bargain with Tharizdun, preserving their world as a gem, and a similar spell was cast on their current world of Dierde.

Coins

A collection of gold pieces found while looting the bodies of fallen enemies in the courtyard.

Art Objects

Small, decorative items found while looting the bodies of fallen enemies in the courtyard.

Key

A small, ordinary key found on a defeated bugbear chief, used by Barlo to disarm a trap on a door in the hidden tunnel.

Flame Sword

Shadow's sword that sheds bright light when activated. She temporarily sheathes it to maintain stealth in the tunnels.

Frostbrand

Shadow's sword that grants advantage on attacks. She uses it to strike down bugbears in the tunnels.

Shield

Barlo's shield, which he activates for defense during combat.

Spells

Shield

A quick defensive spell cast by Jacoby to deflect an incoming arrow from Shadow, though it was not entirely successful.

Hunter's Mark

A spell cast by Shadow on Jacoby, marking him as prey for increased damage. She later drops it to cast Spike Growth.

Spike Growth

A druid spell cast by Shadow, transforming an area into difficult terrain filled with sharp spikes that deal piercing damage to creatures moving through it. It is a concentration spell that Shadow later drops to allow Barlo to grapple the last bugbear.

Chill Touch

A necrotic damage-dealing cantrip cast by Sas, manifesting as a ghostly, skeletal hand that attempts to strike enemies and prevents healing. It was used against the Flame Skull but failed to connect due to the skull's defenses, and against bugbears in the tunnels.

Vicious Mockery

A bard cantrip cast by Calliope, using insults to distract and potentially harm enemies. It was ineffective against a bugbear unfamiliar with the term 'Chihuahua.'

Shadow Blade

A spell cast by Bastion that conjures a blade of shadowy force, used for melee attacks. He later drops concentration on it due to its perceived ineffectiveness.

Command

A spell cast by Calliope that compels a creature to follow a one-word command, such as 'hop' or 'run'. The bugbears successfully resisted its effects.

Ray of Frost

A cantrip cast by Bastion, dealing cold damage and reducing the target's speed. He uses it effectively to damage and kill bugbears and goblins in the tunnels.

Hex

A warlock spell that curses a creature, causing it to take extra necrotic damage. Bastion shifts it from a dying bugbear to another target. It is a concentration spell.

Misty Step

A bonus action teleportation spell used by Bastion to quickly move across the battlefield and gain a tactical advantage, allowing him to reposition himself in combat.

Shillelagh

A cantrip used by Sas to imbue her club with magical energy, making it a more potent weapon. She attempted to use it against a bugbear and a goblin in the tunnel but missed both attacks.

Darkvision

A spell or ability that grants the caster the ability to see in dim light or darkness. Bastion and Calliope activate it to improve visibility in the dimly lit keep.

Clone

A spell used by the Arcane Order as part of their initiation ritual to create backup bodies for powerful wizards, ensuring their longevity. Jacoby's current form is a result of this spell.

Simulacrum

A spell used by the Arcane Order as part of their initiation ritual to create duplicates of powerful wizards. Remington also used this spell to create Canthenth, a polymorphed white dragon.

Polymorph

A spell used by Remington to transform his simulacrum into a white dragon (Canthenth) to serve as a decoy and protector.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid party followed the trail of Sas's missing father to a crumbling fortress overrun by goblin forces. What began as a failed negotiation quickly erupted into chaos when a familiar face appeared on the ramparts—Jacoby, the villain they had slain before, now returned in a rejuvenated form thanks to the dark magic of his Arcane Order. The wizard taunted them with cryptic warnings about a book they had helped open and secrets hidden within Sas's mind, offering them a choice: surrender or face his wrath. When the party refused, Jacoby unleashed devastating magic, summoning a horrifying flame skull and scorching the battlefield with explosive fire. But Barlo's feline fury proved overwhelming—the tabaxi warrior launched himself onto the ramparts and savaged the wizard with vicious claw strikes, forcing Jacoby to teleport away in a shimmer of silver mist before Barlo could slam him into Shadow's deadly spike growth below.

As the battle raged, unexpected allies arrived: Jeets the halfling and his new crew, the Misfortunate Mead Heroes, who had infiltrated the keep from another entrance. Jeets brought dire news—his old companions had fallen to a lich named Bargle, who possessed a Gem of Tharizdun, one of three hundred and thirty-three artifacts that could bring about the end of all existence. He revealed that their world of Dierde itself had been preserved as one such gem by ancient Netherese magic, and that Jacoby's order used cloning magic to ensure their members' immortality. Among Jeets's companions was Remington, who confessed to being a bronze dragon in disguise and explained that the white dragon Canthenth they had encountered was actually his damaged simulacrum, created to protect the Arcane Forge.

With the courtyard secured and the goblins bearing the red-stained marks of the Bloodhands organization defeated, the party descended into a hidden tunnel beneath the keep. Shadow's scouting revealed trapped passages and goblin sentries, which the party systematically dismantled with coordinated strikes and careful trap disarmament. But as they cleared the immediate threats and prepared to venture deeper, they knew one goblin had escaped to raise the alarm, and Jacoby remained at large somewhere in the darkness. Now, with revelations of world-ending artifacts, immortal wizards, and the fate of Sas's father still unknown, the party stands at the threshold of the unknown, ready to face whatever horrors lurk in the depths beneath the abandoned keep...

Middle English

Harken well, ye brave and bold,
To tales of valour yet untold,
Where heroes five did venture forth,
To crumbling keep in distant north.
For Sas did seek her father dear,
And found but goblins, death, and fear.

When Barlo's words did fall on stone,
The goblin boss did scream and moan,
And from the wall a figure came,
Young Jacoby, reborn in flame!
With flowing locks like Irons fair,
He mocked their deeds with villain's air.

"My thanks," quoth he, "for death's sweet kiss,
That brought me back to youthful bliss!
Surrender now the book ye hold,
Or face my wrath, both fierce and cold!"
His flame skull rose with tentacles green,
The most horrid sight they'd ever seen.

Then Barlo leapt with feline grace,
And raked his claws 'cross wizard's face!
While Shadow's thorns did pierce and tear,
And Artie's hoot rang through the air.
But Jacoby fled in silver mist,
Leaving naught but empty fist.

Then came good Jeets with dagger bright,
And told of gems and Tharizdun's blight,
Of Bloodhand marks on goblin hands,
And secret tunnels 'neath the lands.
Now deeper still our heroes go,
To face what horrors wait below!

Snarky

Our intrepid party of adventurers stormed an abandoned keep to find Sas's missing father, only to discover that Jacoby—the villain they'd already killed—had respawned like a video game boss with a premium subscription plan, now rocking a "younger Jeremy Irons" aesthetic and cryptically monologuing about books, turtles, and the "perks" of his evil wizard order. When negotiations predictably failed (because Barlo's diplomacy stat remains a dumpster fire), Jacoby summoned a flaming skull with face-tentacles and tried to barbecue the party, which prompted Barlo to parkour twenty-one feet up a wall and absolutely shred the wizard's face with his claws before attempting to suplex him into magical spike brambles—except Jacoby teleported away at the last second, because of course he did.

BUT WAIT—a scrappy halfling named Jeets appeared mid-battle to casually drop the mother of all lore bombs: their entire world is trapped inside a magical gem, an eldritch entity named Tharizdun is collecting 333 of these world-gems to destroy all existence, Jacoby's evil order uses clone magic to cheat death, and also that white dragon Canthenth from earlier was actually a bronze dragon's brain-damaged simulacrum. The party then descended into the keep's tunnels where they disarmed traps, murdered goblins, and are now standing in a dark hallway knowing that one goblin escaped to sound the alarm and immortal face-slashed Jacoby is lurking somewhere nearby, which means their decision-making skills are about to be tested once again.

Limerick

The party reached the keep's old gate,
Where goblins and bugbears did wait.
Young Jacoby appeared,
His old death he'd cleared,
A clone brought him back to his fate!

He summoned a skull wreathed in flame,
And challenged the heroes by name.
But Barlo leapt high,
Clawed Jacoby's eye,
Then dragged him down into the game!

Through spike growth and magical frost,
The bugbears and goblins were tossed.
Jeets came with a crew,
Revealed secrets anew,
Of gems and worlds that were lost!

Three hundred and thirty-three spheres,
Could end all existence, their fears.
The Bloodhands' red mark,
Led down tunnels so dark,
Where Sas's father appears!

They disarmed the traps with a key,
Fought goblins as stealthy could be.
One escaped through the hall,
To give warning and call,
What dangers ahead will they see?

Exported from GMAssistant on 2026-08-16