(S075) Wild Dreams of a Bard

Visiting the Weaver's Mark tattoo shop for Sas's striding ink, the party experiences shared lucid nightmares where the lich Vecna steals Grognar's book and Yggdra's arm, prompting warnings from the goddess Bast.

📝 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

S075: Wild Dreams of a Bard 8/17?

Date: 2024-08-31

Short

The party rested in the port town of Thornwood after investigating the theft of their passenger Yggdra's arm, which had led them to discover cultist activities involving a valuable artifact called the Benducron and a mysterious psych crystal connected to mind flayers. They visited the Weaver's Mark tattoo shop where Hannah Lane worked on magical tattoos for Sas while a suspicious halfling customer conducted secretive business behind privacy curtains. Shadow joined the local tattoo guild and assisted with the magical tattoo process, which successfully enhanced Sas's movement speed despite initial difficulties.

That night, each party member experienced disturbing dreams where a malevolent voice attempted to extract information about their companions and secrets. Sas's encounter with the goddess Bast proved most revealing, as Bast identified their tormentor as the ancient lich Vecna, who had been infiltrating their dreams to steal items and manipulate the party. Vecna had already successfully stolen Grognar's book and Yggdra's severed arm through dream manipulation and was attempting to pull them into his personal dream plane for a dangerous ritual. When the party awakened, they confirmed the physical thefts had occurred and that they all shared similar dream experiences, validating Bast's warnings about Vecna's supernatural abilities and the urgent need to develop their dream plane defenses.

Summary

The party found themselves in the port town of Thornwood, taking a well-deserved rest after their recent adventures. They had been investigating the theft of their passenger Yggdra's arm by Space Knight, which led them to discover a trade involving cultists and a valuable artifact called the Benducron. During their investigation, they had acquired a mysterious psych crystal from a cultist, learning it could be used to pilot Nautiloids and had connections to mind flayers.

As evening approached, the party decided to visit the Weaver's Mark tattoo shop to arrange for magical tattoos that would enhance Sas's speed. The shop was owned by Hannah Lane, a skilled but narcissistic human tattoo artist. When they arrived, they noticed Hannah was working on a mysterious halfling customer behind privacy curtains, conducting what appeared to be secretive business. The halfling was dressed entirely in black and seemed to be wearing a cowl similar to one Barlo had once owned. When Barlo stared too obviously at the client, Hannah became suspicious and closed the curtains more tightly.

Shadow decided to join the local tattoo guild to gain access to discounts and learn the craft herself. While she was away handling the membership paperwork, Hannah began working on Sas's first magical tattoo - a tattoo of striding that would permanently increase her movement speed. The process took several hours, with Hannah applying brown ink to match Sas's natural spores. Despite some initial difficulties with the magical aspects of the work, Shadow's assistance with a skill enhancement spell helped Hannah complete the tattoo successfully.

After returning to their ship for the night, each party member experienced vivid and disturbing dreams. Calliope found herself in a lucid dream at Skola Vale, where a sinister voice attempted to extract information about her companions. The voice seemed particularly interested in someone called "Merriphil" and tried to force answers from her, though she resisted. Bastion experienced his own nightmare, walking through childhood memories before encountering the same dark voice in a white void where spectral versions of Grognar appeared at different ages, warning him that they would need to figure things out themselves.

Shadow experienced her first fully lucid dream while walking with Artie in her homeland, but Artie suddenly disappeared as the malevolent voice contacted her as well. Barlo found himself in a dream bar fight where he defeated several opponents, including dragonborn and a monk who turned out to be familiar faces - Adrex Lhamboldennish, Yggdra, and Nisa. In Adrex Lhamboldennish's hand, he discovered a game cube he had been seeking. The voice compelled Barlo to reveal his deepest secret about feeling like a fraud despite his heroic dreams.

Sas's dream experience proved most revealing when she encountered the goddess Bast in a familiar desert realm. Bast examined Sas telepathically and revealed the true nature of their threat - an ancient lich named Vecna had been infiltrating their dreams. Bast explained that Vecna had already stolen Grognar's book and Yggdra's severed arm through dream manipulation and was attempting to pull the party into his personal dream plane to perform a dangerous ritual. The goddess taught Sas about dream plane mechanics, explaining concepts of Inner Strength and Mental Fortitude, and warned that only the professor orb remained protected from Vecna's influence due to divine intervention.

When the party awakened, they discovered that the physical theft had indeed occurred - both Grognar's book and Yggdra's arm were missing from the ship. Despite the captain's assurance that no one had been seen boarding or leaving the vessel, the items had vanished. The party realized they all shared similar dream experiences with the same threatening voice, confirming Bast's warnings about Vecna's supernatural abilities.

Over breakfast at the Captain's Coin tavern, the party discussed their newfound understanding of dream plane mechanics and the threat they faced. They learned that their abilities would be altered in dreamscapes, with strength based on wisdom and agility on intelligence. The group realized they would need to develop their dream abilities quickly to face Vecna's inevitable attempt to trap them in his domain.

Returning to the tattoo shop, the party completed Sas's magical tattoo despite some initial difficulties with the magical integration. Hannah's struggles were overcome with Shadow's magical assistance, leading to a successful completion and a reduced final payment. The party also purchased various magical inks and supplies, with Shadow visiting the guild hall to acquire specialized detection ink for aberrations. With their immediate business concluded, they prepared for the challenges ahead, knowing that Vecna's next attempt to ensnare them in his dream realm was likely imminent.

Scenes

Recap and Planning in Thornwood

The party discusses recent events and plans their next moves while staying in the port town.

• DM recaps previous session events including Garm's trade with cultists
• Party learned about the Benducron artifact and its connection to Bogan order knowledge
• Discussion of the psych crystal's abilities and connection to Nautiloids
• Party realizes connection between psych crystal and previous drawings found in Jacobi's bedroom
• Party discusses giving Artie the headband of intellect
• Decision made to get magical tattoos for Sas to increase her speed

Visit to the Weaver's Mark Tattoo Shop

The party visits Hannah Lane's tattoo shop to investigate suspicious activity and arrange for magical tattoos.

• Party arrives at the Weaver's Mark tattoo shop in the evening
• Hannah Lane is working on a halfling client behind privacy curtains
• Shadow recognizes Hannah from a previous visit
• Hannah appears to be hiding something about her current client
• Party observes the halfling client is dressed in black clothing
• Barlo notices the halfling might be wearing a cowl similar to one they previously encountered
• Barlo stares too obviously at the halfling, causing Hannah to notice and become more secretive
• Hannah whispers something to the halfling customer and closes the curtain
• Bastion sends his familiar to investigate but it's noticed by Hannah
• Shadow gets a clear view and sees the tattoo is being done on the halfling's hand/wrist area

Tattoo Negotiations and Guild Membership

The party negotiates for magical tattoos while Shadow joins the tattoo guild.

• Sas inquires about getting a tattoo of striding for permanent speed increase
• Hannah explains the tattoo would take 10 hours total and cost significant gold
• Shadow considers joining the tattoo guild to get discounts and learn tattoo techniques
• Hannah offers a 25% discount if Shadow joins the guild before the tattoo work
• The party discusses copying tattoo designs and the mechanics of magical ink
• Shadow decides to join the guild while Sas begins her first tattoo session
• Shadow leaves to join the Tattoo Guild of Dierde for 500 gold
• Hannah starts working on Sas's tattoo, planning to finish the next day

First Tattoo Session

Sas receives her first magical tattoo while the party observes suspicious activity.

• Sas chooses brown ink for her tattoo of striding to match her spores
• Hannah applies the tattoo over 3 hours, reaching the halfway point
• Sas passes constitution saves and avoids any complications
• Hannah applies a healing leaf with aloe-like substance over the tattoo
• Shadow returns as a guild member and negotiates a discount for tomorrow
• Barlo notices there are secret exits and hidden areas in the tattoo shop
• Hannah closes up shop as the party prepares to leave

Return to Ship and Rest Preparation

The party returns to their ship after investigating the tattoo shop and prepares for the night.

• Shadow checks on Artie who had been resting for about three hours
• The party decides to head back to the ship for the night
• Sas gets a tattoo that will be tender overnight but is soothed by a magical leaf treatment
• Barlo plans to stay up for a few more hours in his quarters
• Calliope practices interpretive dance before bed
• The party takes a long rest

Calliope's Dream Encounter

Calliope enters a lucid dream state and encounters a sinister voice trying to extract information.

• Calliope finds herself back at Skola Vale in a dream
• She realizes she's in a lucid dream and gains enhanced abilities on the dream plane
• Storm clouds appear at the edges of her dream vision
• A sinister voice asks about her secrets and tries to force answers
• Calliope resists the voice's attempts to extract information
• The voice asks about her companions, specifically mentioning 'Merriphil'
• Calliope calls out asking who is there and what they want to know
• The dream area begins stretching and separating her from the Elder and Skola Vale

Bastion's Dream Encounter

Bastion experiences a lucid dream where he encounters a malevolent voice and visions of Grognar.

• Bastion realizes he's in a dream while walking childhood streets as an adult
• His dream self has enhanced strength and extraordinary dexterity (25)
• A silver flame aura appears around his body, granting him inspiration
• A dark voice questions him and probes his mind
• When asked which friend he doesn't trust, Bastion thinks of Grognar
• The dream shifts to a white void where he sees spectral versions of Grognar at different ages
• Grognar tells him 'I can't help you. You guys need to figure out how to do it' before Bastion wakes up

Shadow's Dream Walking Experience

Shadow experiences her first fully lucid dream while walking with Artie in her homeland.

• Shadow dreams of walking with Artie toward her old home and the Highlander Elder
• Artie suddenly disappears from the dream
• Shadow becomes fully aware she's in a dream for the first time
• Her dream self has enhanced strength (21) but reduced dexterity (8)
• The same dark voice contacts her, calling her 'friend' and making cryptic comments
• The voice attempts to compel her to reveal secrets but she resists

Barlo's Dream Bar Fight

Barlo experiences a vivid dream where he engages in combat and discovers important items.

• Barlo experiences a dream bar fight where he defeats dragonborn and monk opponents
• In the dream, Barlo discovers Adrex Lhamboldennish has a game cube in his hand
• Barlo's fur begins glowing with silver wisps of flame
• The voice compels Barlo to reveal his deepest secret about feeling like a fraud
• Barlo notices the opponents in his dream were actually Adrex Lhamboldennish, Yggdra, and Nisa
• The voice attempts to extract more information from Barlo

Sas's Divine Dream Encounter

Sas experiences a lucid dream where she encounters the goddess Bast, who reveals crucial information about Vecna's threat.

• Sas finds herself in a familiar desert setting from previous divine communications
• Bast appears and examines Sas telepathically to understand the threat
• Bast reveals that Vecna, an ancient lich, has been infiltrating the party's dreams
• Bast explains that Vecna has stolen Grognar's book and Yggdra's severed arm
• Bast warns that Vecna is trying to pull the party into his dream plane to perform a ritual
• Bast teaches Sas about dream mechanics - strength based on wisdom, agility on intelligence
• Bast explains the concepts of Inner Strength and Mental Fortitude as dream abilities
• Bast reveals that Calliope holds key knowledge about erased species that Vecna wants
• Bast emphasizes the importance of the silver flame from Eberron as protection
• Bast warns that the professor orb is the only thing Vecna cannot steal due to divine protection

Awakening and Discovery

The party wakes from their shared dream experience and discovers missing items while learning about their new dream abilities.

• All party members wake up from their respective nightmares and dream encounters
• Sas discovers that Grognar's book and Yggdra's severed arm have been physically stolen
• The party realizes they all experienced supernatural dreams with the same threatening voice
• Characters discover they have new dream character sheets with altered abilities
• The party learns about Inner Strength (IS) and Mental Fortitude (MF) as new dream mechanics
• Sas shares Bast's warnings about Vecna and the impending threat
• Bastion investigates the teleportation room but finds no signs of magical intrusion
• The captain confirms no one was seen leaving or boarding the ship during the night

Breakfast and Planning Session

The party has breakfast at the Captain's Coin tavern and discusses their newfound knowledge about dream mechanics.

• The party goes to the Captain's Coin for breakfast and drinks
• They discuss dream plane mechanics and how their abilities change in dreamscapes
• The group learns about inner strength and mental fortitude as dream plane resources
• They plan to develop their dream abilities before facing Vecna again
• Party members earn 'inner strength' points for use in future dreamscapes

Completing the Magical Tattoo

The party returns to Hannah Lane's tattoo shop to complete Sas's magical tattoo of striding.

• Hannah Lane struggles with the magical tattoo work, having difficulty getting the magic to connect properly
• Shadow casts skill empowerment to help Hannah complete the tattoo successfully
• Hannah reduces the remaining balance from 761 gold to 500 gold due to Shadow's assistance
• The tattoo is completed and will grant Sas increased movement speed after a long rest
• Barlo inquires about detection ink for aberrations, specifically mind flayers
• Hannah offers detection ink for aberrations in general (50-foot range) rather than mind flayer-specific
• Shadow purchases various magical inks including metallic, prismatic, glow, and mood inks
• Barlo buys four ounces of three-dimensional ink for 700 gold
• Shadow plans to visit the tattoo guild hall to look for mind flayer-specific detection ink

Memorable Moments

Sas encounters the goddess Bast in a dream realm and learns that the ancient lich Vecna is infiltrating their dreams.

During a vivid dream sequence revealing the true nature of their unseen enemy

Barlo is compelled by a sinister voice to reveal his deepest secret about feeling like a fraud despite his heroic dreams.

After defeating familiar faces in a dream bar fight

A sinister voice attempts to extract information about someone called 'Merriphil' from Calliope during a lucid dream.

While experiencing a disturbing nightmare at Skola Vale

NPCs

Hannah Lane

A human narcissist who owns and operates The Weaver's Mark tattoo shop. She's skilled in creating magical tattoos but sometimes struggles with the magical aspects of the work. She provides discounts to guild members and uses special healing balms made from elven plants. She appears to conduct secretive business with certain clients behind privacy curtains.

Garm

A character who made a trade with cultists, giving them an arm in exchange for a Benducron artifact. He had hoped the party would follow and deal with the cultists afterward.

Halfling Customer, Garret

A mysterious halfling dressed head-to-toe in black clothing getting a tattoo on his hand/wrist area behind privacy curtains. He appears to be wearing a cowl similar to one Barlo used to own, and Hannah whispers to him when she notices the party's interest.

The Elder

A figure seen in Calliope's dream at Skola Vale, taking care of various tasks. The Elder becomes more distant as the sinister voice tries to separate Calliope from this familiar presence.

Grognar

An important figure from the party's past who appears in Bastion's dream as spectral versions at different ages. He tells Bastion that he can't help them and they need to figure things out themselves.

Highlander Elder

A figure from Shadow's homeland who appears in her dream, preparing for the next travel with other people.

Adrex Lhamboldennish

A dragonborn gentleman who appears in Barlo's dream. Previously made a deal with Barlo to find someone and something. Found unconscious in the dream bar fight with a game cube in his hand.

The Abbot Grok

Sas's spiritual mentor who appears in her dream alongside her parents. A figure of great importance to Sas who she seeks approval from and fears disappointing.

Bast

The feline goddess who serves as Sas's divine patron. She appears in her cat form but can morph into different versions of herself as shown to various followers. Bast possesses deep knowledge of planar mechanics and serves as a crucial source of information about the Vecna threat. She demonstrates the ability to examine minds telepathically and create magical constructs within the dream realm.

Vecna

An ancient and powerful lich from the world of Oerth who has been infiltrating the party's dreams through a sinister, raspy male voice. He has the ability to steal physical objects while the party sleeps and is attempting to pull them into his personal dream plane to perform a ritual. He seeks knowledge about erased species that Calliope possesses and has already stolen Grognar's book and Yggdra's severed arm.

Ship Captain

The captain of the party's vessel who confirmed that no one was seen leaving or boarding the ship during the night when the magical theft occurred.

Locations

Thornwood

A port town where the party is staying for a few days to give their crew time off after a difficult flight. The town has various districts and is populated mostly by humans and halflings.

The Weaver's Mark Tattoo Shop

Hannah Lane's tattoo shop in Thornwood, set up like a modern tattoo parlor with a front desk area, four tattoo stations, and privacy curtains on tracks for private work. Located near the port in the Bone Arch district and features secret exits and hidden areas.

Tattoo Guild of Dierde - Thornwinds Chapter

The local guild house for tattoo artists in Thornwood where Shadow joined as an adventuring journeyman, paying membership fees and gaining access to discounted supplies and templates.

The Ship, The Audacity

The party's vessel where they return to rest for the night. Artie sleeps on deck due to more space, while the party members sleep in their individual quarters. Contains a teleportation room that was investigated for signs of magical intrusion.

Skola Vale

A location that appears in Calliope's dream where she sees the Elder. The dream version has storm clouds gathering at the edges and the area stretches away as the sinister voice tries to separate her from the Elder.

Dream Bar

A tavern setting within Barlo's dream where he engages in combat with various opponents including dragonborn and a monk.

Desert Dream Realm

A familiar desert setting where Sas has previously communicated with the goddess Bast. This divine realm appears as a safe haven within the dream plane, featuring an elegant bed that materializes through Bast's magic.

Captain's Coin

A tavern in Thornwood where the party has breakfast and discusses their dream experiences and plans for dealing with Vecna.

Tattoo Guild Hall

The local chapter of the tattoo guild where Shadow goes to purchase specialized detection ink for mind flayers and other magical tattoo supplies.

Items

Benducron

A red six-sided pyramid gem with stippled layers that Garm obtained from cultists. This relic holds knowledge about the Bogan order, the Sith, and the Ashla, making it highly valuable to Garm.

Psych Crystal

A red, jagged-looking crystal obtained from a cultist. Can replace Professor Orb for casting flight spells, allows up to three characters to attune to it for psychic abilities, and has been used to pilot Nautiloids. Connected to mind flayers and previous drawings found in Jacobi's bedroom.

Headband of Intellect

A magical item the party is considering giving to Artie, though they're concerned it might affect his feral nature and make him less of a companion.

Cultist's Cloak

A cloak obtained from a cultist that the party could potentially use to disguise themselves when approaching the mind flayer Greset.

Cowl

A piece of clothing that Barlo used to wear around his neck but no longer has. The halfling customer appears to be wearing something very similar to what Barlo once owned.

Tattoo of Striding

A magical tattoo completed on Sas's leg that permanently increases her movement speed by 5 feet. Made with brown ink to complement her spores, it's a medium-sized tattoo that takes about 6 hours total to complete and requires a long rest to activate.

Healing Leaf

A large banana leaf-like plant with aloe vera-like substance on one side, obtained from elves up north. Applied over fresh tattoos to aid healing and prevent infection, it naturally falls off as the tattoo heals.

Guild Badge

A badge indicating membership in the Tattoo Guild of Dierde as an adventuring journeyman, providing access to discounted supplies and guild resources.

Game Cube

A small cube-shaped object found in Adrex Lhamboldennish's hand during Barlo's dream. Previously sought after and now recovered in the dream sequence.

Professor Orb

A magical orb that Vecna cannot steal due to divine protection from Bast. This orb appears to be crucial to preventing Vecna from completing his ritual and serves as the party's primary protection against the lich's influence.

Grognar's Book

A book belonging to Grognar that contained lost pages and important magical knowledge. It was mysteriously stolen by Vecna during the night while the party slept.

Yggdra's Severed Arm

The arm that was cut off from Yggdra by Space Knight and later recovered by the party. It was stolen along with Grognar's book by Vecna through dream manipulation.

Detection Ink (Aberrations)

Magical tattoo ink that will detect aberrations within 50 feet when applied as a tattoo. Less specific than mind flayer-only detection but covers all aberration-type creatures.

Three-Dimensional Ink

Specialized magical tattoo ink that creates three-dimensional visual effects in tattoos. Barlo purchased four ounces for future tattoo work.

Magical Tattoo Inks

Various types of specialized inks used for magical tattoos, including metallic, prismatic, glow, and mood inks. Each type has different costs and magical properties.

Elven Healing Balm

A healing compound made from elven plants mixed with aloe, applied to fresh magical tattoos to aid in healing and magical integration. Comes on a large leaf for application.

Spells

Detect Magic

A spell cast by Bastion to check the teleportation room for any magical residue or signs of intrusion, though no magical traces were found.

Skill Empowerment

Shadow cast this spell on Hannah Lane to help her complete the magical tattoo work. The spell doubles the proficiency bonus on ability checks for a chosen skill, allowing Hannah to successfully complete the difficult magical tattooing process.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid party had found themselves in the port town of Thornwood, seeking respite after their harrowing investigation into the theft of their passenger Iggy's arm. Their pursuit of the mysterious Space Knight had led them deep into a web of cultists and ancient artifacts, including the discovery of a psych crystal with disturbing connections to mind flayers and Nautiloids. What began as a simple quest for justice had unveiled something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface.

While visiting the Weaver's Mark tattoo shop to enhance Sas's abilities with magical ink, the party encountered strange signs - a mysterious halfling conducting secretive business, and Hannah Lane's suspicious behavior when her work was observed too closely. As Shadow joined the local tattoo guild and Sas underwent the lengthy process of receiving her tattoo of striding, none could have anticipated the nightmare that would unfold when they returned to their ship for what they believed would be a peaceful night's rest.

That evening, each member of the party was pulled into vivid, terrifying dreams where a malevolent voice probed their minds for information about someone called "Merriphil." Through Sas's divine connection to the goddess Bast, they learned the horrifying truth - the ancient lich Vecna had been manipulating their dreams, stealing both Grognar's precious book and Iggy's severed arm through supernatural means. Now, with their understanding of dream plane mechanics barely grasped and Vecna's ritual growing closer to completion, our heroes must prepare for a battle that will take place not in the waking world, but in the treacherous realm of dreams themselves...

Snarky

When last we left our intrepid adventurers, they thought they'd earned a nice, peaceful rest in the port town of Thornwood after dealing with some cultist shenanigans and mysterious psych crystals. You know, just your typical Tuesday involving mind flayer technology and stolen body parts. The gang decided to treat themselves to some magical tattoos at the Weaver's Mark, because nothing says "vacation" like permanently altering your body with mystical ink. While Sas was getting her speed-boosting tattoo of striding (with Shadow helpfully joining the local tattoo guild for those sweet, sweet discounts), they couldn't help but notice Hannah the narcissistic tattoo artist was being awfully secretive about her mysterious halfling client lurking behind the privacy curtains.

But as it turns out, their well-deserved R&R was about to be rudely interrupted by everyone's least favorite party crasher: an ancient lich named Vecna who apparently has nothing better to do than invade people's dreams and steal their stuff. Each party member found themselves trapped in increasingly disturbing nightmares, with a sinister voice trying to extract information and generally being a cosmic-level creep. Poor Sas got the full exposition dump from the goddess Bast herself, learning that Vecna had been playing dream-thief all along and had already made off with both Grognar's precious book and Iggy's severed arm through supernatural shenanigans.

Now our heroes find themselves facing the uncomfortable reality that their enemies can literally steal from them while they sleep, and they'll need to master dream plane mechanics faster than you can say "lucid nightmare." With their physical possessions mysteriously vanishing from their supposedly secure ship and the knowledge that Vecna is gearing up for some kind of dangerous ritual, the party realizes their next adventure might take place entirely in the realm of dreams. Because apparently, even in their sleep, these folks just can't catch a break.

Middle English

Harken well, ye gentle folke,
Of adventurers brave and bolde,
Who sailed unto fair Thornwood towne,
Their tale shall here be tolde!

In Thornwood's port they took their reste,
From quests both hard and longe,
For Iggy's arm by Space Knight stolne,
Had led them right and wronge.

The Benducron, that artifact,
With cultists did they finde,
And psych crystals mystical,
That bend the Nautiloid minde.

To Weaver's Mark they made their waye,
Where Hannah Lane doth dwelle,
A tattoo artist skilled but proude,
Her craft she worketh welle.

Behind the curtains, mystery deepe,
A halfling cloaked in blacke,
Like Barlo's cowl of days gone bye,
Did Hannah's attention lacke.

Fair Shadow joined the guild of inke,
To learn the sacred arte,
While Sas received her magick marke,
To quicken foot and harte.

But when the night did settle downe,
And sleep embraced them alle,
Dark Vecna's voice through dreams did creep,
And answered evil's calle.

In Calliope's dreaming minde,
At Skull of Elk she stode,
The voice sought secrets of her friendes,
And "Merriphil" it woode.

Through Bastion's memories of youthe,
The spectral voice did roame,
While Grognar's ghostly forms appeared,
To warn of troubles home.

Sweet Shadow walked with Artie deare,
In homeland's gentle light,
Till darkness stole her love awaye,
And filled her heart with fright.

In Barlo's dream, a tavern brawle,
With dragonborn and monke,
He fought with valor, won the daye,
But secrets from him shrunke.

Yet Sas, blessed by goddess Bast,
Did learn the truth most cleare,
That Vecna, lich of ancient dayes,
Through dreams doth interfere.

The goddess taught of Inner Strength,
And Mental Fortitude,
How dream plane workings change the soule,
In ways both strange and shrewd.

When morning's light did break the spell,
They found their treasures gone,
Both Grognar's book and Iggy's arm,
Had vanished with the dawn.

At Captain's Coin they broke their fast,
And spoke of dreams so dreare,
Of wisdom turned to strength of arm,
And intelligence to speare.

Back to the tattoo shop they went,
To finish Sas's marke,
With Shadow's magick lending aide,
They conquered Hannah's darke.

Now prepared for battles strange,
In realms of sleep and dreame,
They know that Vecna waits for them,
In his infernal scheme!

Limerick

In Thornwood they rested with care,
While investigating thefts everywhere.
A psych crystal they found,
From cultists around,
Connected to mind flayers' lair!

At Weaver's Mark shop they did go,
For magical tattoos to bestow.
Hannah worked with great skill,
On Sas with brown quill,
While a halfling lurked hidden below.

That night came dreams dark and deep,
Where Vecna disturbed their sleep.
He stole book and arm,
Through dream magic's charm,
While secrets he tried hard to reap.

Bast warned Sas of the threat,
An ancient lich they had met.
In dream planes they'd fight,
With wisdom and might,
As Vecna his trap had been set.

They woke to find items were gone,
The thefts had occurred before dawn.
With tattoos complete,
And guild skills to meet,
They prepared for the battle to come on!

Exported from GMAssistant on 2026-08-16