(S061) Back to the Crypt, Again

Exhuming Viggie Storr's grave yields a sentient Professor Orb and visions of a framed conspiracy, while a late-night descent into the church crypt leads the party past a doppelgänger-locked door and straight into a confrontation with a massive floating beholder skull.

📝 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

S061: Back to the Crypt, Again

Date: 2023-11-11

Short

The party confronted Ursa about her manipulation of events to protect her island nation, learning she had spent three years studying the Draconic Prophecy that foretold a dragon would awaken and destroy everything. She revealed the party had inadvertently caused a blight in the real world through their actions in the Feywild, and explained that Viggie Storr, a follower of Jergal, had attempted to assassinate her based on what he believed were divine messages. Despite their anger at being used, the party formed a tense truce with Ursa. Later, during dinner with Lars, they learned more about the city's magical regulation and governance structure, and Calliope used her magical glove to gain visions of Lars's life and responsibilities as mayor of the entire region.

The party decided to exhume Viggie Storr's grave to uncover the truth, discovering a Professor Orb—a sentient repository of knowledge about Vecna, Spellweavers, and the Draconic Prophecy—that had been placed there by this world's Meklan. Calliope's visions revealed that Viggie Storr had visions of Jergal and was executed for attempted assassination based on circumstantial evidence. The ghost of Kyleanna Heyton, wife of the island's founder, informed them that a powerful magical essence in the crystal chamber beneath the church was disrupting the ethereal plane. Investigating the chamber, the party bypassed a door with a doppelgänger handprint lock and descended into a transformed room featuring a cosmic pool and a black obelisk with red lines. There, they encountered a massive floating beholder skull nearly ten feet wide with a glowing red eye, surrounded by smaller lights, as they prepared for the confrontation ahead.

Summary

The party confronted Ursa about her involvement with the dragon, and she admitted to manipulating events behind the scenes to protect her growing island nation. For the past three years, she had been heavily invested in studying the Draconic Prophecy, which foretold that a dragon would awaken from the earth and destroy everything. The party was unhappy to learn they had been used as tools in her schemes, though Ursa explained she distrusted others and had been working to safeguard her people, especially since the forge had made them a major player on the world stage. She revealed that the party's actions in the Feywild, where they had helped a hag, had inadvertently planted a seed that caused a blight in the real world—a blight she hoped might be used to stop the soul war. When asked about Viggie Storr, Ursa explained that he had been a follower of Jergal and believed he was receiving divine messages that prompted him to attempt her assassination. Despite the revelations, a tense and untrusting truce was formed between the party and Ursa.

Later, the party had dinner with Lars, the mayor, discussing the mysterious orbs and the regulation of magic in the city. Lars warned them to be careful about using magic openly, as larger cities tended to regulate it out of fear. Calliope attempted to use her magical glove on Lars, gaining visions of his life and how he had taken over the crafting of weapons to allow himself to return to governing. The party also learned that Lars served as the mayor of the entire area, overseeing the floating city, the Nexus, and the surrounding settlements through different governing bodies. The White Tower functioned as a dormitory and research facility, while the Black and Red Towers were off-limits to most, reserved for special and highly secure magical projects.

The party decided to dig up Viggie Storr's grave to uncover the truth behind his actions. They located his burial site in a less respected section of the churchyard, marked with Jergal's symbol—a skull with a feather and scroll. Under the cover of night, Barlo and Artie began the arduous task of exhuming the coffin, while Shadow kept watch and entertained them with an endless stream of cat-themed dad jokes. Meanwhile, Calliope, Bastion, and Sas W.T. Rayce ventured into the church crypt, where they encountered the ghost of Kyleanna Heyton, the wife of the original Hayton who had founded the island. Kyleanna Heyton's ethereal form flickered in and out of existence, and she explained that it had become increasingly difficult for her to manifest on the material plane. She mentioned another ghost she had encountered a couple of years ago, one who was struggling even more to control its new ethereal state, and that whatever was affecting her seemed to be affecting the other ghost as well. Kyleanna Heyton agreed to search the ethereal plane for this other ghost and report back to the party.

When the digging party finally opened Viggie Storr's coffin, they discovered his relatively preserved body and, to their surprise, a Professor Orb floating up from within. The orb identified itself as Captain Meklan, explaining that the Meklan of this world had placed it there, certain the party would eventually find it. Bastion used magic to identify the orb, learning it was a sentient repository of knowledge, an expert on Vecna, Spellweavers, the Plane of Time, Dendar the Night Serpent, and the Draconic Prophecy. Calliope then used her glove on Viggie Storr's body, triggering visions of his past. She saw his sadness after losing the mayorship to Lars, the mayor, his visions of Jergal—a figure appearing as a humanoid praying mantis or mummy-like creature with an elongated skull—though Jergal did not instigate his actions. The visions revealed that Viggie Storr had been arrested, tried, and executed for attempted assassination based on circumstantial evidence of his intent, though he had not been physically present at the scene of the alleged crime. The final vision showed a younger Captain Meklan placing the Professor Orb into Viggie Storr's coffin after his death.

The party re-buried Viggie Storr and returned home, where they questioned the Professor Orb about the Draconic Prophecy. The orb explained that the prophecy was complex and vague, with many interpretations, and that similar prophecies existed in other worlds. It confirmed that worlds prophesied to end had indeed ended, lending credence to the dire warnings. At midnight, Kyleanna Heyton's ghost visited the party again, explaining that a powerful magical essence in the crystal chamber beneath the church was affecting the ethereal plane, trapping the other ghost and making it difficult for her to manifest. She urged the party to investigate the chamber, believing the source of the disturbance was located there.

The next morning, Bastion acquired a scroll from Helga's shop and inscribed the spell into his spellbook. The party returned to the church crypt, where Bastion used his newfound ability to sense a protective enchantment on the main Hayton sarcophagus. They proceeded deeper into the crypt, finding the secret door they had previously discovered. Beyond it, a large metal door with a handprint mold designed for a creature with very long fingers blocked their path. Bastion identified the handprint as potentially belonging to a doppelgänger, a shape-shifting creature capable of reading minds and assuming humanoid forms. The party discussed the implications of doppelgängers and the possibility that Viggie Storr or others might have been replaced by one. Calliope removed the magical lock on the door, and Barlo easily pushed it open.

The party descended into a transformed chamber, where a deactivated trap greeted them at the stairwell. The room beyond had been demolished and now featured a five-foot walkway around a pool of water that resembled the universe itself, swirling with cosmic colors and stars. A round platform with strange markings stood in the center, and atop it rose a black obelisk with red lines emanating from its surface. As the party took in the sight, a cluster of tiny lights appeared, and from behind the obelisk emerged a massive floating beholder skull, nearly ten feet wide, with a single glowing red eye and a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. The skull hovered ominously above the obelisk, surrounded by ten smaller glowing lights, as the party prepared for the confrontation that awaited them.

Memorable Moments:

• Shadow entertaining the digging party with an endless stream of cat-themed dad jokes.
• Discovering the Professor Orb of Captain Meklan inside Viggie Storr's exhumed coffin.
• The dramatic reveal of the massive floating beholder skull in the transformed chamber.

Scenes

Confrontation with Ursa

The party confronts Ursa about her involvement with the dragon and her manipulations, learning about her long-term investment in the Draconic Prophecy and her use of the party as tools.

• The party confronts Ursa about the dragon, and she admits her involvement.
• Ursa reveals she has been manipulating events to protect her growing island nation, especially with the forge making them a major player.
• Ursa explains her three-year investment in the Draconic Prophecy, which foretells a dragon awakening to destroy everything.
• The party expresses unhappiness about being used as tools by Ursa.
• A tense, untrusting truce is formed between the party and Ursa, who seems to distrust others as well.
• Ursa's knowledge of Bast's mission frightens Shadow, as it was information the party had not widely shared.
• Ursa mentions that the party's actions in the Feywild, helping a hag, led to a blight that she hopes might stop the soul war.
• The party asks Ursa about Viggie Storr, learning he was a follower of Jergal and believed he received messages prompting him to attack Karsus, though Jergal did not instigate his actions.
• Ursa expresses concern about the cracking orb and views it as a threat.

Dinner and Political Insights

The party has dinner with Lars, the mayor, discussing the orbs and magic regulation, and gaining insights into the political structure of the Nexus and the roles of the three towers.

• The party sells off some items to Helga.
• The party has dinner with Lars, the mayor, discussing the orbs and safety concerns about the one found in the Beholder Cave.
• Lars warns the party about regulated magic use in town.
• Calliope attempts to dispel magic on Lars, which has no effect.
• Calliope uses her glove on Lars, revealing parts of his life, including how he took over crafting to return to leadership.
• Lars warns the party not to try Calliope's glove on her.
• The party learns that Pradam in the tavern was actually Lars in disguise.
• The party learns Lars is the mayor of the entire area, overseeing the Nexus, the Crown, and the Thorp through different governing bodies.
• The White Tower is identified as a dormitory and research facility, while the Black and Red Towers are off-limits for special projects, with the Black Tower being more active for secure magical work and the Red Tower for highly specialized endeavors.

Planning Viggie Storr's Exhumation

The party discusses the logistics and reasons for digging up Viggie Storr's body, deciding to proceed with the exhumation to uncover the truth behind his actions.

• The party considers finding cargo for their ship but determines it wouldn't be very profitable for adventurers.
• The party discusses the possibility of using 'Speak with Dead' or Calliope's glove on Viggie Storr's body.
• Bastion plans to acquire a 'Detect Magic' scroll from Helga.
• The party decides to dig up Viggie Storr's body tonight to understand why he tried to assassinate Karsus.
• The party confirms they have a shovel at their house.

Digging Up Viggie Storr's Grave

The party locates Viggie Storr's grave in the churchyard, marked by Jergal's symbol, and begins the arduous task of exhuming his coffin under the cover of night.

• The party finds a shovel at their house and proceeds to the churchyard.
• Shadow performs a perception check, noting the empty church grounds and a guard tower to the north.
• They locate Viggie Storr's grave in a less respected section of the churchyard, marked with Jergal's symbol (a skull with a feather and scroll).
• Barlo and Artie begin digging the grave, while Shadow keeps a lookout and tells dad jokes.

Encountering Kyleanna Heyton's Ghost in the Crypt

While some party members dig, others explore the church crypt, where they encounter the unstable ghost of Kyleanna Heyton, who reveals her struggles with staying on the material plane and mentions another ghost she once knew.

• Calliope, Bastion, and Sas enter the church crypt, a well-kept familial crypt for the Hayton family.
• Calliope and Sas W.T. Rayce witness Kyleanna Heyton's ghost flickering into existence, appearing as a blue shimmer with a red tinge.
• Kyleanna Heyton explains that it's harder for her to manifest on the material plane than before, and she cannot access the lower regions of the crypt.
• She mentions another ghost she saw a couple of years ago, who was also struggling to manifest, and that whatever affects her now also seemed to affect the other ghost.
• Kyleanna Heyton recalls Viggie Storr's attack on Lars and his wife, noting it happened around the time her issues began.
• Calliope attempts to use her glove on Kyleanna Heyton, but it makes no contact due to her ethereal nature.
• Kyleanna Heyton agrees to try and find the other struggling ghost on the ethereal plane if given directions to the party's house.
• Kyleanna Heyton denies haunting the party's property, stating she primarily stays within the crypts.
• She describes the other ghost as filled with fear and regret, struggling to control its new ethereal state.
• Kyleanna Heyton explains that ghosts typically pass on by fulfilling a purpose or completing a leftover task, and she believes she is still attached to the island, trying to protect it.

Viggie Storr's Coffin and the Professor Orb

The party successfully unearths Viggie Storr's coffin, and upon opening it, discovers a Professor Orb containing the consciousness of Captain Meklan, who reveals he was placed there by his counterpart from another world.

• The digging party hits the wooden casket, and the rest of the party rejoins them.
• Barlo opens the coffin, revealing Viggie Storr's relatively preserved body and a familiar Professor Orb floating up.
• The orb speaks, identifying itself as Captain Meklan, and explains that the Meklan of this world placed him there, certain the party would find him.
• Bastion casts 'Identify' on the orb, learning it's a Professor Orb, a sentient knowledge base with a personality, and that this one is an expert on Vecna, Spellweavers, the Plane of Time, Dendar the Night Serpent, and the Draconic Prophecy.

Visions of Viggie Storr's Past

Calliope uses her glove on Viggie Storr's body, revealing visions of his life, his visions of Jergal, his surveillance of Ursa, and the circumstances of his arrest and death.

• Calliope uses her glove on Viggie Storr's body, triggering visions of his life.
• She sees Viggie Storr's sadness after losing the mayorship to Lars.
• Visions show Viggie Storr receiving messages from Jergal, who appears as a humanoid praying mantis or a mummy-like figure, though Jergal did not instigate his actions against Ursa.
• Viggie Storr is seen plotting against Ursa, taking notes on her activities.
• The vision shows Viggie Storr's arrest, trial, and execution, revealing he was not in Ursa's room the night of the alleged attack but was convicted based on circumstantial evidence of his intent.
• The vision concludes with Captain Meklan (younger) placing the Professor Orb into Viggie Storr's coffin after his death.

Discussion and Midnight Visit

The party re-buries Viggie Storr and returns home to discuss the day's revelations with the Professor Orb, later receiving another visit from Kyleanna Heyton's ghost who points them towards the crystal chamber beneath the church.

• The party re-buries Viggie Storr, using Artie and magic to conceal the disturbance.
• They return to their house and question the Professor Orb about the Draconic Prophecy, learning it's complex and vague, with many interpretations.
• The orb confirms that similar prophecies exist in other worlds, like Eberron, and that it was placed in Viggie Storr's coffin to help the party.
• Calliope shares her visions of Viggie Storr's past, including Jergal's appearance and Meklan's involvement with the orb.
• Kyleanna Heyton's ghost visits at midnight, explaining that a strong essence in the ethereal plane, possibly linked to the crystal chamber under the church, is trapping the other ghost and affecting her own manifestation.
• The party discusses the 'Soul Gem' spell, a lost spell needed for crafting magical jars, which Bastion had previously sought.
• The party discusses the legal implications of using magic as evidence in court, particularly regarding Calliope's vision of Viggie Storr's innocence, noting that magic can be problematic due to its potential for illusion and manipulation.
• The Orb is stored in a saddlebag for future questioning.

Return to the Crypt and Secret Door

After Bastion acquires a 'Detect Magic' scroll, the party returns to the church crypt, where they use magic to locate and open a magically sealed metal door, revealing a familiar passage.

• Bastion obtains and inscribes a 'Detect Magic' spell from Helga's shop.
• The party returns to the church crypt, where Bastion casts 'Detect Magic', sensing a protective enchantment on the main Hayton sarcophagus.
• They proceed deeper into the crypt, finding the secret door they previously discovered.
• The secret door now reveals a large, solid metal door with a handprint mold, designed for a creature with very long fingers.
• Bastion identifies the handprint as potentially belonging to a doppelgänger, noting their ability to read minds and assume humanoid forms.
• The party discusses how to identify doppelgängers and the implications of their shape-shifting abilities.
• The party discusses the possibility of Viggie Storr being a doppelgänger or being replaced by one.
• Calliope casts 'Dispel Magic' on the door, and Barlo easily pushes it open once the magic is gone.
• Kyleanna Heyton attempts to manifest and follow the party, flickering in and out of visibility.

The Beholder Skull Chamber

The party enters a newly revealed chamber beneath the crypt, finding a deactivated trap and a strange, cosmic-looking pool of water, guarded by a massive floating beholder skull.

• The party enters the newly opened passage, finding the previously trapped stairwell now deactivated.
• They descend into a large chamber, which has been demolished and now features a five-foot walkway around a pool of water that resembles the universe.
• A round platform with markings and a black obelisk stands in the center of the pool.
• A massive, floating beholder skull, nearly 10 feet wide with a single red eye and razor-sharp teeth, emerges from behind the obelisk, surrounded by 10 glowing lights.

Memorable Moments

Shadow entertained the digging party with an endless stream of cat-themed dad jokes

While Barlo and Artie exhumed Viggie Storr's coffin under the cover of night

A Professor Orb identifying itself as Captain Meklan floated up from Viggie Storr's coffin

Discovered after the party finally opened the exhumed coffin

A massive floating beholder skull with a glowing red eye emerged from behind the black obelisk

Encountered in the transformed cosmic chamber beneath the church crypt

NPCs

Ursa

A powerful figure who admitted to manipulating events for her island nation's growth and is heavily invested in the Draconic Prophecy. She uses the party as tools, causing distrust, but also seems to distrust others. Her knowledge of Bast's mission startled Shadow. She revealed that the party's actions in the Feywild led to a blight she hopes will stop the soul war. She believes Viggie Storr was a follower of Jergal and received messages prompting his actions. She is concerned about the cracking orb and views it as a threat. Her knowledge of the prophecy likely came from Jacoby's journals and other sources, starting around three years ago.

Viggie Storr

The deceased former mayor who lost his position to Lars. He was a follower of Jergal and received messages/visions that prompted him to attempt to assassinate Karsus and Ursa. His body was exhumed by the party, revealing his visions of Jergal, though Jergal did not instigate his plot against Ursa. He was arrested, tried, and executed for attempted assassination based on circumstantial evidence of his intent, though he was not physically present at the scene of the alleged crime. His grave is marked with Jergal's symbol (a skull with a feather and scroll) in a less respected section of the churchyard.

Helga

A shopkeeper who buys interesting items and provides scrolls. She was approached by the party to sell items and Bastion purchased a 'Detect Magic' scroll from her.

Jergal

The former god of death who relinquished his post and split his portfolio among evil adventurers. He is now an assistant to Kelemvor and is known as the god of fatalism and proper burial, the Lord of the End of Everything and the Scribe of the Doomed (lawful neutral). He appeared in Viggie Storr's visions as a humanoid/praying mantis hybrid with an elongated skull, sometimes with six arms, though Jergal did not instigate his actions against Ursa. His symbol is a skull with a feather and a scroll. Stories suggest he was scarier in ancient times before relinquishing his post.

Kelemvor

The current, more notable god of death, with Jergal serving as his assistant. Calliope previously encountered his priest.

Kyleanna Heyton

The ghost of the original Hayton's wife, who appears as a blue ghost with long, wavy black hair and tattered bright clothing. She is tethered to the island and its crypts, believing she must protect it. Her ethereal form is unstable, making it difficult for her to manifest and communicate, a problem that has worsened over time, particularly around the time of Viggie Storr's attack on Lars. She recalls past events on the island and other ghosts she has encountered. She believes a strong magical essence in the crystal chamber beneath the church is affecting her and trapping another ghost in the ethereal plane. She visits the party at midnight seeking their help to investigate.

Captain Meklan (Professor Orb)

A Professor Orb containing the consciousness and knowledge of a version of Captain Meklan from another world. This smooth, solid five-pound sphere of smoky gray quartz with pinpricks of silver light was placed in Viggie Storr's coffin by the Meklan of this world, who believed his knowledge would be helpful to the party. He is sentient, has the personality of a scholar, and is an expert on Vecna, Spellweavers, the Plane of Time, Dendar the Night Serpent, and the Draconic Prophecy. He can speak, read, and understand four languages, has an intelligence of 18, and can cast Mage Hand at will to move himself. He serves as a knowledge base but has no will of his own and cannot learn new things.

Lars

The current mayor who took over from Viggie Storr. He and his wife were the targets of Viggie Storr's assassination plot, though Jergal did not instigate the plot.

Beholder Skull

A massive, floating skull, nearly 10 feet wide, with a single large red glowing eye and a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. It appears in the transformed crystal chamber beneath the church crypt, emerging from behind a black obelisk and surrounded by ten smaller glowing lights.

Doppelgänger

Tall, elven, gray-skinned humanoids with thin, hairless, sexless bodies, bulbous heads, formless faces, bulging pale yellow eyes, and very long hands. They can assume the shape of any humanoid, read minds, and are highly feared for their ability to impersonate others, often killing the original or keeping them alive for information. The handprint on the secret metal door in the crypt is believed to belong to one.

Locations

White Tower

A round building with an obelisk-like point and a five-sided pyramid top, serving as a dormitory, lower-level research facility, and administrative hub for thousands of people.

Black Tower

One of three towers in the Netherreal Nexus, off-limits to most people and used for more secure, magical special projects.

Red Tower

One of three towers in the Netherreal Nexus, off-limits to most people and used for highly specialized projects, requiring a 'really special' clearance.

Harbor

The location where the party arrives via a portal from their house after dinner, serving as a hub for ships and potential cargo opportunities.

Churchyard

The outdoor grounds of the church, where Viggie Storr's grave is located in a less respected section. It is mostly empty at night, with a guard tower visible to the north.

Church Crypt

A well-kept familial crypt for the Hayton family, where generations of the island's founders are buried. It contains sarcophagi for prominent male family members and urns with ashes of others. The ghost of Kyleanna Heyton is tethered to this location. A protective abjuration spell is detected on the main sarcophagus.

Party's House

The residence of the player characters, where they discuss their plans, analyze new information, and receive a midnight visit from Kyleanna Heyton's ghost. It was previously owned by retired merchants.

Helga's Shop

A shop where the party sells items and Bastion acquires a 'Detect Magic' scroll.

Crystal Chamber (Beholder Skull Chamber)

A transformed underground chamber beneath the church crypt, previously containing will-o'-wisps and other creatures. Now features a cosmic-looking pool of water resembling the universe, a five-foot walkway, a round platform with markings, and a black obelisk with red lines. A massive floating beholder skull, nearly 10 feet wide with a single red eye and razor-sharp teeth, guards the chamber. Kyleanna Heyton's ghost believes a strong magical essence here is affecting the ethereal plane.

Items

Cracking Orb

An orb that Karsus is concerned about, viewing it as a threat that needs to be addressed before it causes problems for the party.

Calliope's Glove

A magical glove used by Calliope that allows her to gain insights into a person's life or the lore of an object. She used it on Karsus to learn about his past and on Viggie Storr's body to reveal visions of his life, motivations, and the circumstances of his death. It cannot make contact with ethereal beings like ghosts.

Shovel

A common tool found at the party's house, used by Barlo and Artie to dig up Viggie Storr's grave in the church cemetery.

Professor Orb (Captain Meklan)

A smooth, solid five-pound sphere of smoky gray quartz with pinpricks of silver light inside, sentient and containing the personality and extensive academic knowledge of Captain Meklan. This orb was found in Viggie Storr's coffin and is an expert on Vecna, Spellweavers, the Plane of Time, Dendar the Night Serpent, and the Draconic Prophecy. It can speak, read, and understand four languages, has an intelligence of 18, and can cast Mage Hand at will to move itself. It was placed there by the Captain Meklan of this world to aid the party.

Detect Magic Scroll

A magical scroll purchased by Bastion from Helga's shop, which allowed him to inscribe the 'Detect Magic' spell into his spellbook. Upon inscription, the scroll turned to ash.

Crowbar

A sturdy metal tool carried by Barlo, used to pry open Viggie Storr's casket and initially intended for forcing open the magically sealed metal door in the crypt, though ultimately not needed for that purpose after the magic was dispelled.

Metal Door with Handprint

A large, solid metal door found in a secret chamber beneath the church. It has a handprint-shaped indentation with unusually long fingers, suggesting it requires a doppelgänger's hand to unlock. It was magically locked but opened easily once the magic was dispelled by Calliope.

Black Obelisk

A prominent black obelisk with red lines emanating from it, located on a round platform in the center of the transformed crystal chamber below the crypt. The beholder skull emerges from behind it.

Spells

Dispel Magic

A spell attempted by Calliope on Karsus, which had no discernible effect, suggesting Karsus's magical defenses or nature. Later successfully cast by Calliope at fifth level to remove the magical locking mechanism on the large metal door in the church crypt, allowing the party to open it.

Detect Magic

A ritual spell that allows the caster to perceive the presence of magic within 30 feet. Bastion acquired this spell as a scroll from Helga and inscribed it into his spellbook. He used it to sense a protective abjuration spell on the main Hayton sarcophagus and to identify the magical locking mechanism on the hidden metal door in the crypt.

Speak with Dead

A spell considered by the party to communicate with Viggie Storr's deceased spirit, but ultimately not used in favor of Calliope's glove.

Identify

A spell cast by Bastion on the newly discovered Professor Orb to determine its magical properties and nature, revealing its areas of expertise and sentient nature.

Mage Hand

A cantrip that the Professor Orb can cast at will to move itself. It was also considered for assisting with digging Viggie Storr's grave, but ultimately deemed unnecessary.

Prestidigitation

A minor illusion spell suggested for tidying up Viggie Storr's grave after re-burial to make it appear undisturbed, though it was clarified that it doesn't cover that specific effect.

Mending

A minor spell suggested for repairing the disturbed ground of Viggie Storr's grave after re-burial, specifically the dirt and grass.

Plant Growth

A spell mentioned as one that could be used to make grass grow over the disturbed grave, but it would require a long rest to prepare.

Skill Empowerment

A spell cast by Calliope on Barlo to enhance his strength (doubling his proficiency bonus) for potentially forcing open the metal door, though the door opened without needing his enhanced strength after 'Dispel Magic' was cast.

Soul Gem

A lost spell mentioned as necessary for crafting magical jars, which Bastion had been seeking.

Zone of Truth

A spell mentioned in the context of legal proceedings, noting that while it compels truth, its use as evidence in court is problematic due to magic's potential for deception and the spell's potential to be circumvented.

Moonbeam

A spell mentioned as a way for druids to interact with doppelgängers, suggesting its effects might reveal their true form.

Classic

Last we left off, after uncovering Ursa's manipulations and her desperate attempts to prevent the Draconic Prophecy from destroying her island nation, the party found themselves caught in a web of secrets and lies. Their investigation into Viggie Storr's execution led them to exhume his grave, where they discovered a Professor Orb—placed there by Captain Meklan himself—containing knowledge of Vecna, the Draconic Prophecy, and other dark mysteries. Through Calliope's visions, they witnessed how Viggie Storr had visions of Jergal, appearing as a mummy-like creature with an elongated skull, and executed for an assassination attempt he never physically carried out. The orb's grim confirmation that prophesied worlds had indeed ended only deepened their concerns about the fate awaiting them.

Guided by the ghost of Kyleanna Heyton, who revealed that a powerful magical disturbance in the crystal chamber was affecting the ethereal plane, the party ventured deeper into the church crypt. Beyond a secret door sealed with a doppelgänger's handprint—raising troubling questions about shape-shifters among them—they discovered a transformed chamber. Where once stood a simple room, now a cosmic pool swirled with the colors of the universe itself, surrounding a central platform bearing a black obelisk pulsing with red energy.

Now, as a massive beholder skull nearly ten feet wide emerges from behind the obelisk, its single red eye blazing with malevolent intelligence and ten smaller lights dancing around it like sinister satellites, the party stands at the edge of the cosmic pool, weapons drawn and spells at the ready, facing whatever ancient horror has been lurking beneath the church all along...

Middle English

Harken well, ye brave and bold,
Of secrets dark and prophecies told!
Fair Ursa spake with cunning tongue,
Of dragon's wake and deeds ill-done.
Three years she studied ancient lore,
To save her isle from dragon's roar.

The Feywild's hag did plant a seed,
That blighted lands through party's deed.
Poor Viggie Storr, with mantis eyes,
Did plot 'gainst lords, though free of lies.
At Lars's table, feast and wine,
They learned of towers and magic's line.

To churchyard dark, they dug with spade,
Where Viggie Storr's corpse in coffin laid.
A Professor Orb did float on high,
Captain Meklan's gift, thereby!
Fair Kyleanna Heyton's ghost did flicker pale,
And told of spirits trapped in veil.

The crystal chamber called below,
Where cosmic waters swirl and flow.
A metal door with fingers long,
Of doppelgänger's hand so strong.
The lock removed, the path made clear,
They ventured forth despite their fear.

Behold! A skull of beholder's might,
Ten feet across with eye of light!
Above the obelisk it rose,
Black stone with crimson lines that glows.
The cosmic pool did swirl and shine,
As heroes faced this doom divine!

Snarky

When last we left our party, they'd gone from "trust issues" to "full-blown conspiracy theory board with red string," courtesy of Ursa's three-year masterclass in manipulation. Turns out, helping that hag in the Feywild? Yeah, that accidentally caused a blight in the real world. Oops. After an awkward dinner with Lars where Calliope definitely didn't creepily probe his memories with her magic glove (she totally did), the gang decided the best way to spend their evening was grave-robbing Viggie Storr's corpse for answers. Because nothing says "we're the good guys" like desecrating a burial site while Shadow tells cat puns.

But hey, at least they found a Professor Orb that knows everything about world-ending prophecies! And Viggie Storr's tragic backstory of having visions of a praying mantis death god and being executed on circumstantial evidence! After re-burying their friend and learning that yes, the Draconic Prophecy is real and worlds DO end, the party followed ghost-wife Kyleanna Heyton's tip into the church basement. There, behind a doppelgänger-sized door and past a cosmic pool that screams "bad idea," they found a giant floating beholder skull with a taste for dramatic entrances. So now they're staring down a ten-foot-wide nightmare with glowing red eyes, and honestly? Par for the course at this point.

Limerick

Ursa confessed to her schemes with care,
The Prophecy warned of a dragon's nightmare.
They'd been used as her tools,
Played for unwitting fools,
While she worked to protect her island fair.

They dined with Mayor Lars that night,
Discussed magic and towers of might.
The White was for learning,
Black and Red—most concerning—
Were locked away, hidden from sight.

To Viggie Storr's grave they crept in the dark,
Where Barlo and Artie embarked.
They found Captain Meklan,
A Professor Orb speckler,
With knowledge of prophecies stark.

Through Calliope's glove came the past,
Poor Viggie Storr by visions harassed.
The mantis god's guise,
Led to his demise,
Executed for plots unsurpassed.

A beholder skull, massive and dread,
Rose up with its eye glowing red.
By the obelisk black,
Prepared to attack,
The party stood firm, filled with dread.

Exported from GMAssistant on 2026-08-16