(S041) At Jacoby's Hideout

Betrayed by a melting simulacrum disguised as Solec, the party loses the ancient book to Jacoby before navigating a treacherous dungeon gauntlet filled with ceiling gricks and acidic gelatinous cubes.

📝 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

S041: At Jacoby's Hideout

Date: 2022-11-26

Short

The party found themselves deceived in a devastating revelation after defeating what they believed was Jacoby and his construct. Solec, Sas's father, approached and revealed an ancient history: fifteen to seventeen thousand years ago, he and his adventuring party had stopped a dragon from awakening, then used chronomancy to travel forward through time to prevent its prophesied reawakening in the present era. He explained that Captain Meklan (Grognard) had written a book containing vital secrets to stop the dragon, which the party had successfully opened using musical notes. However, as Solec examined the book and placed his hand upon a specific page, his shell sparkled with otherworldly light and he looked at Bastion, declaring "I never underestimated you"—revealing himself to be Jacoby in disguise. Before the horrified party could react, Jacoby teleported away with both the precious book and the real Solec, leaving them shocked and determined to rescue Sas's father and reclaim the stolen tome.

Resolving to explore the keep for clues to Jacoby's whereabouts, the party encountered deadly traps and monsters throughout the chambers. They battled a massive grick that dropped from the ceiling, which Shadow killed with a devastating arrow shot, yielding a valuable three-pound pearl. In another room, they triggered a trap that released four gelatinous cubes, engaging in a fierce battle that forced them to tactically retreat and fight from the doorway. Shadow's ice arrows proved particularly effective, with her final frozen shot destroying the last cube in an explosion of ice and dissolving gelatin. After thoroughly searching the rooms and discovering magical treasures including a bag of holding, a winged skull brooch, and a gem-crusted chalice, the exhausted party settled into Calliope's protective dome for a much-needed rest, knowing they would need all their strength to pursue Jacoby and unravel the mysteries of the ancient dragon and the Arcane Order.

Summary

The party found themselves in a mysterious room, having just defeated what they believed to be Jacoby and his construct. As they caught their breath, Solec, Sas's father, shook off the dirt from being thrown around in the recent battle and approached his daughter. He thanked her for saving him twice in two days, revealing that he and Captain Meklan had set these events in motion long ago. The party listened intently as Solec began to unravel a tale that stretched back through the ages.

Solec explained that fifteen to seventeen thousand years ago, he had been part of an adventuring party that fought to stop a dragon from awakening beneath the ground. After successfully preventing the catastrophe, his group discovered through chronomancy that the dragon would awaken again in the distant future. Using a combination of magic and ancient technology, Solec and his companions traveled forward through time, though the journey had unintended consequences that sent them tumbling through the ages. They eventually arrived in the present era, where they established new lives and waited for the prophesied reawakening. Solec revealed that Captain Meklan, also known as Grognard, had written a book containing secrets vital to stopping the dragon once more, and that Solec had gone into hiding by allowing himself to be captured and enslaved by the Bloodhand orcs to protect those secrets.

The party confirmed they had opened the mysterious book using musical notes that Barlo had possessed and Calliope had played on her pan flute. However, the contents remained incomprehensible to them, written in languages they could not decipher. Solec warned that the Arcane Order desperately sought the book, hoping to manipulate its secrets for their own dark purposes. He explained that the Order might even welcome the dragon's awakening, as the destruction of the world would create another orb of power for them to exploit. The party grew increasingly wary, with Barlo and Calliope carefully observing Solec for signs of deception. While Calliope sensed he was mostly truthful, she also detected that he was withholding certain information.

As the party debated their next move, Bastion investigated the remains of the defeated Jacoby and made a startling discovery. The body was melting away, revealing itself to be nothing more than ice and water—a simulacrum, a magical duplicate. This revelation connected to what they had learned about the Arcane Order's practice of using chronomancy to bring their future selves back in time, creating ice duplicates to amplify their power. The party discussed the implications while Calliope used her magical glove to touch the book, experiencing vivid visions of its creation. She saw Meklan and Jeriah Chronos working together to write the tome, witnessed Solec's conversation with Meklan about going into hiding, and observed metal pieces being embedded into Solec's shell before it was deliberately damaged to conceal secrets within.

The party decided to allow Solec to examine the book while they explored the surrounding area, assigning Artie to watch over him. Calliope played her pan flute once more to reopen the book, and Solec found a specific page, placing his hand upon it. His shell began to sparkle with an otherworldly light, and he looked directly at Bastion, speaking words that chilled them all: "I never underestimated you." In that horrifying moment, the truth became clear—this was not Solec at all, but Jacoby in disguise. Calliope desperately attempted to counter the magic, but Jacoby was too quick. He snatched the book from Sas's hands and vanished in a flash of teleportation, taking the real Solec with him. The party stood in shocked silence, realizing they had been deceived and that both Sas's father and the precious book were now in enemy hands.

Shaking off their shock and anger, the party resolved to explore the keep thoroughly, hoping to find clues to Jacoby's whereabouts or a way to pursue him. Barlo worked to pick a locked door, successfully opening it to reveal a new chamber. Shadow cautiously investigated the room, noting glowing glass orbs mounted in the corners and an atmosphere that felt dank and cave-like, as if they were deep underground. A strong, unpleasant smell wafted from above, putting the party on alert. Barlo tested the room for traps by throwing rocks and dirt, then leaped onto a dresser to get a better vantage point. Using his maul, he carefully slid aside a rug on the floor, revealing a suspicious pressure plate beneath.

Without warning, a massive grick plummeted from the ceiling, its tentacled maw snapping at the party. Combat erupted as Barlo transformed in his rage, his draconic jaws emerging as he struck at the creature. Calliope hurled magical insults at the beast, her words causing psychic pain, while Bastion enhanced himself with arcane energy and stabbed at it with his blade. Sas reached out with necrotic magic, draining the creature's life force. Shadow took careful aim with her longbow and loosed two arrows in rapid succession, the second shot striking true with devastating precision, piercing the grick's vital organs and ending its threat. The party quickly searched the creature's remains, with Shadow discovering a valuable three-pound pearl hidden within its body.

Emboldened by their victory, the party continued their exploration. Barlo investigated another door and found it unlocked. Inside, they discovered a room containing more glowing plants, a dresser, and another rug. Barlo once again used his maul to slide the rug aside, revealing yet another pressure plate. Learning from their previous encounter, he summoned a spectral hand to activate the mechanism from a safe distance. The moment the plate was pressed, four gelatinous cubes dropped from the ceiling like translucent death traps, their acidic bodies quivering as they surrounded the party.

The battle was fierce and chaotic. Shadow marked one of the cubes and began firing arrows into its gelatinous mass, while Barlo raged and attacked with his maul, his crushing blows pushing the creatures back. Calliope unleashed devastating bursts of thunder that shook the room, and Bastion sent rays of scorching fire into the translucent monsters. Sas attempted to drain the moisture from one cube but found it surprisingly resilient. Shadow's ice arrows proved particularly effective, freezing portions of the cubes and shattering them with critical strikes. As the battle wore on and the party's resources dwindled, they made the tactical decision to retreat, closing the door behind them to contain the remaining cubes.

From the relative safety of the hallway, the party held their ground, ready to strike if the cubes managed to open the door. When the creatures began oozing through the doorway, the party unleashed a coordinated assault. Sas channeled necrotic energy, Shadow fired precise shots with her remaining ice arrows, Barlo loosed crossbow bolts, and Calliope hurled magical mockery at the translucent foes. Shadow's final ice arrow struck with perfect accuracy, the frozen projectile piercing deep into the last cube's core before exploding in a shower of ice and dissolving gelatin. With all the cubes defeated, the party took stock of their situation and decided it was time to rest.

The party thoroughly searched the room, finding a brooch shaped like a winged skull, a seemingly empty backpack that Shadow discovered was actually a magical bag of holding, and a gem-crusted silver chalice. Barlo even dragged a large stone pot containing a glowing fern into their resting area. Calliope began the ritual to create a protective dome for their rest, while Bastion used his magical knowledge to identify their newfound treasures. As the shimmering dome of safety formed around them, the party settled in for a much-needed long rest, knowing that when they awoke, they would need to find a way to rescue Sas's father and reclaim the stolen book from Jacoby's clutches. The mysteries of the ancient dragon, the Arcane Order, and the secrets hidden within the book would have to wait until they were restored and ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Scenes

Recap and Solec's Revelations

The DM recaps the previous session and Solec, Sas's father, reveals his ancient past and connection to the mysterious book.

• The DM recaps that the party searched for Sas's father, found the Bloodhand orcs at a keep, encountered Jacoby and a mind flayer, fought the Bloodhands, and met the Unfortunate Mead crew.
• The party cleared the dungeons, found Sas's father enslaved, and helped restore some of his memories.
• A Leonin grabbed Sas's father and blinked out with him, and Jacoby contacted the party to trade the book for Sas's father.
• The party used a teleportation mirror to reach Jacoby's room, fought him and his construct, and defeated them.
• Solec recovers and thanks Sas for saving him twice, revealing he and Captain Meklan set events in motion long ago.
• Solec explains he was part of a group that stopped a dragon from awakening fifteen to seventeen thousand years ago.
• He reveals they traveled to the future using magic and technology, arriving in the present time to await the dragon's next awakening.
• Solec states that Meklan wrote a book containing secrets to stop the dragon, and Solec went into hiding by getting captured by the Bloodhands.
• The party confirms they opened the book using musical notes played by Calliope, but cannot understand its contents.
• Solec warns that the Arcane Order seeks the book to manipulate its secrets for their own means, potentially allowing the dragon to destroy the world and turn it into an orb.

Investigating Jacoby's Remains and Discussing the Book

Bastion investigates Jacoby's defeated form and discovers it is a simulacrum, while the party debates trusting Solec and the book's purpose.

• Bastion investigates Jacoby's corpse and finds it is melting ice, realizing it is a simulacrum.
• Bastion casts Identify on the melting ice but gets no magical sense, then makes an Arcana check and recalls the Simulacrum spell.
• The party discusses the Arcane Order's use of simulacra and chronomancy to bring future selves back in time.
• Solec reiterates his plan to unlock the book's secrets to help the party fight the dragon, then return home.
• The party questions Solec about his plans and his trustworthiness, with Barlo and Calliope performing Insight checks.
• Calliope senses Solec is mostly truthful but withholding some information.
• The party discusses whether to let Solec read the book or explore the area first.
• Calliope touches the book with her glove, gaining visions of Meklan and Jeriah Chronos writing it, and Solec's past conversation with Meklan about going into hiding.
• Calliope sees metal pieces being embedded into Solec's shell, which is then damaged to hide secrets.
• The party clarifies past lore about Meklan (also known as Grognard), Jeriah Chronos, Bargle (a wizard who became a Lich), Pradam, and the Gems of Tharizdun.

Jacoby's Betrayal

Solec prepares to read the book, but Jacoby suddenly reappears, steals the book and Sas's father, and teleports away.

• The party decides to let Solec read the book while they explore, assigning Artie to watch him.
• Calliope plays her pan flute to reopen the book.
• Solec finds a page in the book and places his hand on it, causing his shell to sparkle with light.
• Solec looks at Bastion and says, 'I never underestimated you,' revealing himself to be Jacoby in disguise.
• Calliope attempts to counterspell, but Jacoby successfully steals the book from Sas and teleports away with Solec.
• The party realizes the 'Solec' they were interacting with was a simulacrum or Jacoby in disguise.
• The party is left shocked and angry, vowing to pursue Jacoby and rescue Sas's father.

Exploring the Keep and Grick Encounter

The party begins exploring the keep, investigating rooms and encountering a large grick that falls from the ceiling.

• The party decides to explore the keep and search for Jacoby or a way out.
• Barlo attempts to pick a locked door and successfully opens it.
• Shadow investigates the newly opened room, noting glowing glass orbs in the corners and a dank, cave-like atmosphere.
• Shadow perceives a strong smell coming from above, indicating a hidden threat.
• Barlo uses a rock and dirt to test the room for traps, then jumps onto a dresser.
• Barlo uses his maul to slide a rug, revealing a pressure plate on the floor.
• A large grick falls from the ceiling, initiating combat.
• The party engages the grick, with Barlo raging and attacking, Calliope using Vicious Mockery, Bastion using Bladesong and attacking, and Sas using Chill Touch.
• Shadow fires two arrows from her longbow, scoring a critical hit and killing the grick.

Looting the Grick and Triggering the Gelatinous Cube Trap

The party loots the defeated grick, finding a pearl, then triggers a pressure plate that releases four gelatinous cubes from the ceiling.

• Shadow and Barlo search the grick's remains, with Shadow finding a pearl inside.
• Bastion uses Identify on the pearl, confirming it is valuable.
• The party discusses sending the grick's cloak to Lars for the Soul Forge.
• The party confirms their recent earnings of 200 platinum coins each.
• Barlo investigates another door, finding it unlocked and untrapped.
• The party enters a new room containing glowing plants, a dresser, and a rug.
• Barlo uses his maul to slide the rug away, revealing a pressure plate.
• Barlo uses Mage Hand to activate the pressure plate from a distance.
• Four gelatinous cubes fall from the ceiling, initiating combat.

Gelatinous Cube Combat

The party fights the gelatinous cubes using various spells and attacks, eventually deciding to retreat and close the door.

• Shadow uses Hunter's Mark on one of the cubes and attacks it with her longbow.
• Barlo rages, transforms his jaws, and attacks a cube, pushing it back with his crushing ability.
• Calliope casts Vicious Mockery on a cube, causing it psychic damage and disadvantage on its next attack.
• Bastion uses Bladesong and stabs a cube twice with his sword.
• Sas uses Chill Touch on a cube, dealing necrotic damage.
• Shadow shoots two arrows at a cube, scoring a natural 20 on the first shot.
• Calliope casts Shatter, dealing thunder damage to three cubes.
• Bastion casts Scorching Ray, hitting a cube with fire damage.
• Sas attempts to cast Blight on a cube, but it resists the spell's full effect.
• Shadow uses ice arrows, landing critical hits and dealing massive damage.
• Barlo attacks a cube, destroying it.
• The party decides to retreat from the remaining cubes and close the door behind them.

Finishing Off the Cubes and Preparing for Rest

The party finishes off the remaining gelatinous cubes from a distance, then prepares to take a long rest.

• The party holds actions to see if the cubes can open the door.
• Sas uses Chill Touch on a cube through the doorway.
• Shadow shoots two arrows at a cube, hitting it twice.
• Barlo uses his crossbow to shoot a cube, dealing damage.
• Calliope casts Vicious Mockery on a cube, insulting it and causing psychic damage.
• Shadow shoots another cube with two arrows, one of which is an ice arrow, dealing cold and piercing damage.
• Sas casts Chill Touch on a cube, dealing necrotic damage.
• Shadow finishes off a cube with an ice arrow, dealing massive damage with a critical hit.
• Calliope casts Scorching Ray on the last remaining cube.
• Sas uses Chill Touch on the final cube, defeating it.
• The party decides to take a long rest and use a Tiny Hut spell for safety.

Looting and Item Identification

The party loots the room, finding a brooch, a bag of holding, and other items, then begins identifying them during their rest.

• Barlo and Shadow search the room for shiny objects.
• Shadow finds a brooch in the shape of a winged skull.
• Shadow plucks a glowing leaf from a plant in the room.
• Barlo drags a large stone potted plant into the area where the Tiny Hut will be cast.
• Calliope begins ritual casting Tiny Hut for a long rest.
• Bastion uses Identify on the winged skull brooch, finding it to be seven silver and three electrum.
• Bastion identifies a scroll of spells.
• Shadow checks an empty backpack and discovers it is a Bag of Holding when she finds coins inside.
• The party finds a gem-crusted silver chalice.
• Calliope decides to attune to a special pan flute during the rest.
• The party discusses identifying more items and taking a long rest.

Memorable Moments

"I never underestimated you."
— Jacoby (disguised as Solec)

Jacoby reveals his deception just before stealing the book and Sas's father, leaving the party shocked and betrayed.

Barlo uses Mage Hand to activate a pressure plate, causing four gelatinous cubes to fall from the ceiling and ambush the party.

The party's cautious exploration triggers a trap, leading to a chaotic combat encounter.

"Your mother was a triangle! Stop trying to fit in a round peg hole!"
— Calliope

Calliope insults a gelatinous cube with Vicious Mockery, mocking its shape during combat.

Shadow lands a critical hit with an ice arrow, dealing massive damage and finishing off a gelatinous cube in spectacular fashion.

Shadow's precise shot with a natural 20 turns the tide of battle, showcasing her ranger prowess.

NPCs

Solec

Sas's father, a Tortle who was enslaved by Bloodhand orcs and had his memories suppressed. He claims to have been part of an ancient group that fought a dragon fifteen to seventeen thousand years ago and traveled to the future to await its reawakening. He co-conspired with Meklan and Jeriah Chronos to hide secrets in a book to stop the dragon. However, the Solec the party interacted with was revealed to be Jacoby in disguise or a simulacrum, and the real Solec was taken by Jacoby.

Jacoby

A mind flayer who orchestrated the theft of the book and Sas's father. The party initially defeated what they believed was Jacoby, but it was revealed to be a melting ice simulacrum. Jacoby later reappeared, disguised as Solec, stole the book from Sas, and teleported away with the real Solec, demonstrating cunning and deceptive abilities.

Captain Meklan

Also known as Grognard, he is a chronomancer and co-author of the book with Jeriah Chronos. He set events in motion for the party to find the book, which contains secrets to fight a dragon. He is a friend of Solec and used chronomancy to manipulate time and prepare for the dragon's reawakening.

Jeriah Chronos

A chronomancer and co-author of the book with Meklan. He is a friend of Meklan and was involved in setting events in motion related to the dragon prophecy and the book's creation.

Bargle

A wizard and warlock mentioned as a 'bad guy' who sought orbs to resurrect Tharizdun. He was encountered by Jeets and Remington and eventually became a Lich.

Pradam Estorich

A character mentioned as possessing a gem in his hat and an orb obtained from Bargle.

Jeets

A character who, along with Remington, encountered Bargle and obtained one of the Gems of Tharizdun. He also provided information about the Arcane Order's use of simulacra.

Remington

A bronze dragon in human form who, along with Jeets, encountered Bargle and obtained one of the Gems of Tharizdun.

Lars Heyton

Mentioned as the recipient for the Grick's cloak, intended for the Soul Forge.

Locations

Jacoby's Room at Jacoby's Eushia Home houpetor skatuch

A mysterious room accessed via a teleportation mirror, where the party confronted and defeated what they believed was Jacoby and his construct. It is the location where Solec revealed his past and where Jacoby's simulacrum stole the book and Sas's father.

River's Keep

A keep where the Bloodhand orcs were hiding out. The party is exploring it after defeating Jacoby's simulacrum, searching for a way out and encountering traps and creatures.

Grick and Gelatinous Cube Room

A newly discovered room within the keep with glowing glass orbs in the corners and glowing plants. It has a dank, cave-like atmosphere and was the site of an ambush by a grick and later by gelatinous cubes that fell from the ceiling after a pressure plate was triggered.

Items

The Book

A powerful tome co-written by Meklan and Jeriah Chronos, containing secrets to stop a dragon's awakening. The party opened it using musical notes played by Calliope, but they cannot read its contents. Calliope gained visions of its creation and Solec's involvement when she touched it. It was stolen by Jacoby's simulacrum from Sas.

Musical Notes

A set of musical notes that Barlo possessed, which Calliope played on her pan flute to successfully open the powerful book.

Pearl

A three-pound pearl extracted from the body of a defeated grick. The party decided to keep it for later use.

Brooch of a Winged Skull

A brooch found in the room after defeating the gelatinous cubes, shaped like a winged skull. Bastion identified it as being made of seven silver and three electrum. Calliope decided to keep it for potential future use.

Scroll of Spells

A scroll found in the room, which Bastion identified as containing seven spells.

Bag of Holding

A magical bag found in the room that initially appeared empty. Shadow discovered it was a Bag of Holding when she found coins and snacks inside.

Gem-Crusted Silver Chalice

A chalice found in the room, described as gem-encrusted and silver, appearing expensive.

Pan Flute

A special magical pan flute used by Calliope to play the song that reopens the book. Calliope decided to attune to it during the long rest.

Glowing Leaf

A leaf plucked from a glowing plant found in the room where the gelatinous cubes were defeated. The party hopes to identify its properties later.

Stone Pot with Fern

A large, heavy stone pot containing a fern with glowing foliage, found in the gelatinous cube room. Barlo dragged it into the area for the Tiny Hut.

Critical Bolts

Special crossbow bolts used by Barlo that deal extra damage on a critical hit. He notes he has been firing these instead of regular bolts.

Ice Arrows

Special arrows used by Shadow that deal cold damage upon impact. She used them to land critical hits on the gelatinous cubes.

333 Gems of Tharizdun

Magical orbs mentioned in the party's discussion. Pradam possesses one in his hat, and another was obtained from Bargle. The party currently holds one, and collecting all three is believed to have dire consequences, potentially resurrecting Tharizdun.

Spells

Identify

A spell used by Bastion to investigate Jacoby's melting simulacrum and later to identify the winged skull brooch and scroll of spells found in the room.

Simulacrum

A spell recalled by Bastion when investigating Jacoby's melting corpse, realizing it creates an illusory duplicate of a creature made of ice or snow. It is also mentioned as a ritual used by the Arcane Order to gain power from future selves.

Counterspell

Calliope attempted to use this spell to stop Jacoby from stealing the book and teleporting away, but it was unsuccessful.

Vicious Mockery

A cantrip used by Calliope to insult enemies, dealing psychic damage and imposing disadvantage on their next attack. She used it against the grick and gelatinous cubes.

Bladesong

An ability used by Bastion that enhances his combat prowess, increasing his armor class and movement speed. He activated it during combat with the grick and gelatinous cubes.

Chill Touch

A cantrip used by Sas and Shadow to deal necrotic damage to enemies and prevent them from healing. It was used against the grick and gelatinous cubes.

Healing Spirit

A spell cast by Sas that conjures a spirit to provide minor healing to herself and her allies during combat with the grick.

Goodberry

A spell cast by Sas that creates magical berries capable of providing sustenance and minor healing. She offered them to Bastion and other party members.

Hunter's Mark

A spell used by Shadow to mark a target, allowing her to deal extra damage with weapon attacks against it. She used it during combat with the gelatinous cubes.

Shatter

A spell cast by Calliope that emits a loud, damaging burst of sound, dealing thunder damage to multiple gelatinous cubes.

Scorching Ray

A spell cast by Bastion that launches multiple rays of fire at a target, dealing fire damage. He used it against the gelatinous cubes.

Blight

A spell cast by Sas that attempts to drain the life force from a target, dealing necrotic damage. She used it against a gelatinous cube, but it was partially resisted.

Mage Hand

A cantrip used by Barlo to remotely manipulate objects, specifically used to activate a pressure plate from a safe distance.

Ice Knife

A spell used by Shadow that hurls a shard of ice, dealing piercing damage on impact and then exploding to deal cold damage to nearby creatures.

Ray of Frost

A cantrip held by a party member, ready to be cast, that deals cold damage and reduces the target's speed.

Tiny Hut

A ritual spell cast by Calliope that creates a protective, dome-shaped force field, providing a safe space for the party to take a long rest.

Detect Magic

A ritual spell that Bastion plans to cast to identify magical items during the long rest.

Classic

Last we left off, our party found themselves deep within a mysterious keep, having just defeated what they believed to be their nemesis Jacoby and his construct. As Sas's father Solec emerged from the chaos, he began to unravel an impossible tale—one that stretched back fifteen thousand years to when he and his adventuring companions first stopped a dragon from awakening beneath the earth. Through chronomancy and ancient magic, Solec's party had traveled forward through time to the present day, waiting for the prophesied moment when the dragon would stir once more. He revealed that Captain Meklan, also known as Grognard, had written a book containing the secrets to stopping this catastrophe, and that the Arcane Order desperately sought it for their own dark purposes. The party listened with growing unease as Calliope sensed deception lurking beneath his words.

Their suspicions proved horrifyingly justified when Solec placed his hand upon the opened book and looked directly at Bastion, speaking words that shattered their trust: "I never underestimated you." In that terrible moment, the disguise fell away—this was Jacoby, not Solec at all. Before anyone could react, he seized the book and vanished in a flash of teleportation, taking the real Solec with him. Shaking off their shock and fury, the party pressed deeper into the keep, battling a ceiling-dwelling grick and four deadly gelatinous cubes that dropped from hidden compartments above pressure-plate traps. Shadow's precision with her ice arrows proved devastating, shattering the translucent monsters with perfectly placed shots.

After claiming their hard-won treasures—including a magical bag of holding and a gem-crusted chalice—the exhausted party prepared for a long rest within Calliope's protective dome. As the shimmering barrier formed around them, they knew that when dawn came, they would need to find a way to rescue Sas's father and reclaim the stolen book from Jacoby's clutches. The fate of the world might very well depend on the secrets contained within those pages, and the ancient dragon's awakening drew ever closer with each passing moment.

Middle English

Harken well, ye brave and true,
Of heroes bold and trials they knew,
When Solec came with tale most grim,
Of dragons old and futures dim.

Fifteen thousand years before,
He fought a wyrm 'neath earthen floor,
Through time he leapt with magick's art,
To guard the world and play his part.
But lo! 'Twas Jacoby's cruel disguise,
Who stole the book with cunning lies!

The party ventured through the keep,
Where monsters lurked in shadows deep,
A grick fell down with tentacles wide,
But Shadow's arrow pierced its hide.
Four cubes of jelly, clear as glass,
Dropped from above to block their pass!

With thunder, fire, and arrows cold,
Our heroes fought with hearts so bold,
They struck the cubes with might and main,
Till naught but puddles did remain.
A pearl, a chalice, treasures bright,
They claimed as spoils from their fight.

Now resting in their magick dome,
They plot to bring lost Solec home,
The book is gone, the wyrm shall wake,
But these brave souls shall never break.
When dawn arrives they'll rise once more,
To face what fate has held in store!

Snarky

When last we left our heroes, they had just survived what they thought was the final showdown with Jacoby, only to discover they'd been bamboozled harder than a bard at a shell game. After Sas's dad Solec dropped some serious lore about time-traveling fifteen thousand years to stop a dragon apocalypse, the party thought they were finally getting answers. Spoiler alert: they weren't. Because surprise! "Solec" was actually Jacoby in the world's most devastating disguise, and he yeeted himself out of there with both the real Solec AND the mysterious book they'd worked so hard to open. Talk about a bad day at the office.

Not ones to wallow in their feelings (okay, maybe a little), the party decided to explore the rest of the keep, which turned out to be a death trap decorated by someone with a serious rug-and-pressure-plate fetish. After getting ambushed by a ceiling grick (because apparently monsters don't believe in personal space) and then four gelatinous cubes that dropped like the world's worst surprise party, our battered heroes managed to fight their way through with Shadow's ice arrows doing the heavy lifting. Now, surrounded by their hard-won loot—including a bag of holding, a fancy chalice, and Barlo's new pet glowing fern—they're hunkering down for a long rest, because nothing says "we'll save the world tomorrow" like a good nap after getting conned by an evil wizard.

Limerick

A father revealed ancient lore,
Of dragons and time from before.
But Jacoby's disguise
Fooled even sharp eyes,
And he stole both the book and Solec for sure!

A grick from the ceiling did fall,
With tentacles, hunger, and all.
But Shadow's keen aim
Put an end to its game,
And a pearl was their prize from the brawl.

Four cubes made of gelatin dropped,
Their acidic advance couldn't be stopped.
With arrows of ice
And tactics precise,
Shadow's last shot left them all flopped!

They found magic treasures galore,
A bag, brooch, and chalice to store.
Barlo dragged in a fern,
As they started to learn,
What dangers might wait through each door.

In Calliope's dome they could rest,
Though their hearts were all heavy, distressed.
For Jacoby had won,
Their work was undone,
But tomorrow they'd resume their quest!

Exported from GMAssistant on 2026-08-16