(S080) No Demons Today

Navigating the jungle dungeon's lava-filled halls, the party defeats animated stone guardians and uncovers a sentient clay tablet protected by an abjuring crystal dome.

📝 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

S080: No Demons Today

Date: 2025-02-01

Short

A party of adventurers explored a jungle-shrouded dungeon while investigating a prophecy connected to someone named Vector, who was searching for a specific book. As they navigated through challenges including lava-spewing statues and stone guardians, they discovered a significant find: a red crystalline dome with ancient abjuration magic atop a pedestal, along with a mysterious sentient clay tablet that produced magical effects when examined. Their expedition culminated in a heated battle near flowing lava against scimitar and bow-wielding enemies, where the party members Shadow, Barlo, Bastion, Sas, and Calliope fought together effectively, ultimately defeating their foes and claiming their equipment and a pouch of venom.

Summary

Deep within a jungle-shrouded dungeon, a brave party of adventurers found themselves facing extraordinary challenges. Ancient statues that spewed molten lava and stone guardians that moved with uncanny life stood in their path as they delved deeper into the mysterious complex. Their quest was intricately tied to an enigmatic prophecy and a figure known as Vector, who they learned was in pursuit of a specific book, while they had been advised to seek out protective herbs and magical items to guard their dreams.

As they ventured further, the party found themselves in a stone labyrinth where they engaged in fierce battles against animated stone creatures and snake-like enemies. Spells flew through the air and weapons clashed against stone as they fought their way forward. During this intense combat, they spotted something unusual - a red crystalline dome adorned with strange markings, sitting atop a pedestal.

Through magical investigation, they learned the dome had ancient abjuration magic designed to block evil and psychic influences. When Calliope attempted to examine the clay tablet beneath, they discovered it possessed some form of sentience, leading to a magical snap effect. The tension in the room grew palpable as they carefully studied the mysterious markings and tried to understand the nature of this potentially hazardous artifact.

The dungeon had one final challenge in store for the adventurers as they entered a chamber with flowing lava. Here, they found themselves ambushed by enemies wielding scimitars and bows, forcing them into another tactical combat situation. The party worked together effectively, with Shadow landing a particularly impressive shot through an enemy's chin, while Barlo, Bastion, Sas and Calliope contributed their own attacks. After defeating their foes, they discovered some basic equipment and a small pouch of venom among the enemies' possessions.

Scenes

Dungeon Entrance Battle

The party encounters statues throwing lava and must find their weak points to progress.

• Discovered statues had limited range of lava attacks
• Defeated the lava-throwing statues
• Navigated past a mechanism with a pedestal
• Found a wall of lava blocking one path
• Used jury-rigged mechanism to get past obstacles
• Calliope rolled dice to open an entry

Stone Creature Combat

The group fights against large animated stone statues and a snake-like creature in tight dungeon corridors.

• Barlo rushes ahead and engages enemies
• Multiple party members coordinate attacks on the stone statue
• Calliope successfully uses suggestion spell on snake creature
• Party defeats snake enemy blocking their path
• Stone creature uses lava-based attacks
• Barlo gains silver flame protection giving +2 AC
• Cloud of daggers spell used effectively

Crystal Dome Discovery

The party discovers and investigates a mysterious crystal dome protecting a clay tablet

• Found red crystalline dome on a pedestal
• Detected ancient abjuration magic on the dome
• Calliope used mage hand to lift the crystal dome
• Identified the tablet as sentient
• Experienced a magical snap effect when touching the tablet
• Attempted to investigate the pedestal beneath
• Heard movement and magma sounds while investigating
• Found strange markings and symbols on the dome

Final Ambush

The party faces an ambush from multiple enemies near doors

• Enemies attempt to surprise the party
• Shadow lands critical hit through enemy's chin
• Party coordinates effective attacks
• Defeated multiple armed opponents
• Found equipment and venom pouch on defeated enemies
• Door torn off hinges during combat
• Multiple enemies defeated with coordinated attacks

Memorable Moments

The party discovered a red crystalline dome with ancient abjuration magic designed to block evil and psychic influences.

Found during intense combat in the stone labyrinth

Calliope triggered a magical snap effect while examining a sentient clay tablet.

Attempting to examine the tablet beneath the red crystalline dome

Shadow landed an impressive shot through an enemy's chin.

During the ambush in the lava chamber

NPCs

Captain Meklan

An unofficial patriot and grognard who appears to be in trouble. Connected to a dragon prophecy that serves as a code and seems to be guiding the party's current mission.

Vecna

A supposedly long-dead individual whose essence is preserved through magic. Currently attempting to obtain a specific book and break or regain life and material form. Connected to the party's quest through some form of prophecy.

Stone Guardians

Animated stone creatures defending the dungeon, capable of using lava-based attacks and engaging in melee combat. Some wear black trousers and wield weapons.

Yuan-ti

A hostile creature encountered in the dungeon that was affected by Calliope's suggestion spell before being defeated.

Locations

Jungle Dungeon

A dungeon located in the middle of a jungle, featuring multiple chambers with dangerous animated statues, lava-based traps and obstacles, mysterious magical artifacts, and a complex system of doors and passages.

Crystal Dome Chamber

A significant room containing a pedestal with a red crystalline dome protecting a clay tablet, marked with strange symbols and radiating ancient magic. The room connects to other areas of the dungeon and contains defeated stone guardians.

Lava Chamber

A dangerous area featuring flowing lava, multiple doors, and a wall of lava blocking one path. This chamber served as a battleground against both stone creatures and armed enemies.

Items

Protective Herbs

Herbs that can be used to create a poultice allowing protection during dreams and rest periods for some time.

Mysterious Book

A physical item that Vector is attempting to obtain, significance currently unknown but seemingly important to the quest and prophecy.

Crystal Dome

An ancient magical artifact with abjuration properties, designed to block evil and psychic influences. Made of red crystal with intricate runes hidden inside the glass and strange markings on the surface.

Sentient Clay Tablet

A mysterious tablet protected by the crystal dome, featuring strange markings and possessing some form of sentience. Described as disc-shaped with frayed edges and bubbled center.

Enemy Equipment

Collection of low-quality weapons including scimitars, longbows, and arrows found on defeated enemies. Most items described as very low quality.

Venom Pouch

A small pouch containing venom found among the enemies' possessions, worth approximately 5 gold pieces.

Crowbar

Tool used by the party to force open a door during the final confrontation.

Spells

Suggestion

Successfully used by Calliope during combat to control the snake creature.

Chill Touch

Necromancy spell used multiple times in combat, causing damage by affecting enemies' bones and preventing healing.

True Strike

Combat enhancement spell used with radiant damage effects, providing advantage on attack rolls.

Shillelagh

Druid combat spell attempted by Calliope but blocked by enemy defenses.

Detect Magic

Utility spell used to investigate the crystal dome and tablet, revealing their magical properties and auras.

Identify

Used to examine the magical properties of the crystal dome and tablet, revealing the dome's protective nature and ancient origins.

Ray of Frost

Combat spell used against enemies during the final ambush, reducing target's movement speed.

Cloud of Daggers

Concentration spell used during combat encounters, creating a cloud of floating daggers that damage enemies.

Mage Hand

Spell used by Calliope to lift the crystal dome from the pedestal.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid adventurers found themselves delving deep into a jungle-shrouded dungeon, where ancient mechanisms and stone guardians tested their mettle at every turn. Their quest, intertwined with a mysterious prophecy and a figure known as Vector, led them through chambers of molten danger and stone sentinels, all while seeking protective herbs and magical items to safeguard their dreams.

As they navigated a treacherous stone labyrinth, the party encountered a fascinating discovery - a red crystalline dome bearing cryptic markings, positioned atop a pedestal. Their magical investigation revealed it to be an artifact of ancient abjuration magic, designed to ward against evil and psychic influences. However, when Calliope examined the clay tablet beneath, they discovered an unexpected sentience within, resulting in a magical backlash that left them all on edge.

The adventure reached its crescendo in a chamber where molten lava flowed freely, and the party found themselves ambushed by skilled warriors wielding scimitars and bows. In the ensuing battle, Shadow demonstrated exceptional marksmanship with a shot that found its mark through an enemy's chin, while Barlo, Bastion, Sas, and Calliope coordinated their attacks with practiced precision. Their victory yielded some basic equipment and a curious pouch of venom, though the true significance of their discoveries in this ancient place remains to be seen...

Snarky

When last we left our intrepid adventurers, they were knee-deep in what could only be described as an Indiana Jones fever dream meets a particularly spicy game of "The Floor is Lava." Deep within a jungle-shrouded dungeon, our heroes found themselves dodging actual lava-spewing statues and trading blows with stone guardians that apparently didn't get the memo about statues being supposed to stay still. All this while trying to piece together some cryptic prophecy and stay one step ahead of this mysterious Vector character who's apparently really into books – talk about an intense book club!

The party's dungeon delve took an even more interesting turn when they stumbled upon what might be the world's most dangerous snow globe – a red crystalline dome covered in mysterious markings. Calliope, ever the curious one, discovered the hard way that the clay tablet underneath had some attitude of its own, complete with a magical snap that probably wasn't in any of their guidebooks. Meanwhile, the dome itself was apparently designed to ward off evil and psychic influences, which in hindsight, might have been nice to know before poking at it.

Just when they thought they were getting the hang of things, the dungeon decided to spice things up with a lava-filled chamber and an impromptu welcome party of scimitar-wielding adversaries. Shadow stole the show with a particularly impressive chin-piercing shot that probably had their enemies reconsidering their career choices. The rest of the gang – Barlo, Bastion, Sas, and Calliope – weren't exactly slouching either, turning the ambush into more of a group exercise in enemy disposal. Their reward? Some basic equipment and a suspicious pouch of venom, because apparently, this dungeon believes in party favors.

Middle English

Harke ye all to tales of might,
Of heroes bold in dungeons deep,
Where ancient statues, fearsome sight,
Made molten lava freely seep.

Through jungle-shadowed halls they went,
In search of herbs and magick rare,
While Vector's quest, on tome intent,
Did make our party take great care.

In labyrinths of stone they fought,
'Gainst serpents fierce and creatures grim,
Till found they what they had not sought:
A crystal dome, blood-red and dim.

Upon its face strange runes did glow,
With power 'gainst the forces dark,
But when fair Calliope bent low,
The clay beneath did make its mark.

A final chamber lay ahead,
Where lava's rivers freely flowed,
And foes with curved blades saw blood shed,
As arrows swift through air did rode.

Brave Shadow's shaft struck true and clean,
Through foeman's chin it found its way,
While Barlo, Bastion, Sas were seen,
With Calliope to win the day.

Among the fallen did they find,
Some meager spoils and venom too,
Thus ends this tale I bring to mind,
Of adventures bold and true.

Limerick

In jungle depths dark and complete,
Where statues spewed lava with heat,
Through labyrinths stone,
And guardians prone,
Our heroes pressed on with quick feet!

A crystalline dome caught their eye,
With markings both ancient and sly.
When Calliope peered,
The clay tablet weird
Made magic snap back with a cry!

In chambers where hot lava flowed,
Their foes with curved blades surely showed.
But Shadow shot true,
While others fought too,
'Til victory finally glowed!

Exported from GMAssistant on 2026-08-16