(S081) That's my Snake Reggie

Delving deeper into the lava-veined Yuan-ti Dungeon, the party overcomes a terrifying six-headed anathema and its abominations, harvesting valuable remains and securing a captive for questioning.

📝 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

S081: That's my Snake Reggie

Date: 2025-02-15

Short

The party delved into the Yuan-tiDungeon, seeking a special plant to resist Vecna's dream-pulling powers and protect Sas's book. Their expedition, prompted by an incident with Captain Meklan, was aided by a simulacrum of the wizard Morden Canaan who guided them using draconic prophecies. After bypassing a dangerous demonic clay tablet protected by a crystal dome, they discovered a complex series of hallways leading to their most significant encounter: a battle with a formidable six-headed anathema snake and its yuan-ti abomination allies. Through the combined efforts of Shadow's archery, Barlo's claws, Bastion's swordplay, and Calliope's bardic magic, they emerged victorious, managing to capture one abomination for questioning and collecting valuable spoils, including a mysterious blue crystal from the anathema's forehead that matched one from their past encounters. Their rest was punctuated by sounds from the east, hinting at more challenges ahead.

Summary

The party ventured deep into the Yuan-ti Dungeon, a complex filled with lava features and mysterious rooms. They had been drawn there in search of a special plant that could help them resist being pulled into dreams by Vecna, who sought a book in Sas's possession. Their journey had been initiated after something happened to Captain Meklan, triggering a contingency plan that brought a simulacrum of the wizard Morden Canaan to assist them using draconic prophecies.

Earlier in their exploration, they had discovered a crystalline dome protecting a sentient demonic clay tablet that threatened to bring demons into their plane. After carefully navigating past this danger, they found themselves at a locked door. Through exceptional skill and magical guidance, they managed to pick an intricate lock, revealing a hallway with multiple branches and a curious dead end showing signs of abandoned construction.

The party's careful investigation led them to a room where they encountered a massive six-headed snake creature called an anathema, accompanied by yuan-ti abominations. The battle proved intense, with the anathema wielding powerful abilities including a fear-inducing aura and the ability to cast Divine Word, which left some party members deaf and blind. Shadow's archery skills, Barlo's fierce claw attacks, and Bastion's blade techniques gradually wore down their foes, while Calliope's bardic abilities helped counter the creatures' frightening presence.

The combat reached its climax when Shadow, using invisibility to their advantage, delivered a precise killing blow to the anathema. The party managed to subdue one of the abominations alive for questioning, while harvesting valuable parts from the defeated creatures including hearts worth thousands of gold pieces and a mysterious blue crystal from the anathema's forehead similar to one they had previously encountered. As they took a short rest to recover, they could hear occasional scuffling sounds from the eastern door, suggesting their dungeon exploration was far from over.

Scenes

Exploring the Yuan-ti Dungeon

The party explores a dungeon hallway after unlocking a door, investigating for secrets and signs of activity.

• Successfully picked a complex lock with guidance (roll 31)
• Discovered a dead end hallway with signs of unfinished construction
• Found evidence of regular traffic through the area
• Detected heat and lava sounds through the walls
• Located multiple doorways along the corridor

Combat with Snake Creatures

The party battles a large six-headed snake creature (anathema) and its yuan-ti minions in a dungeon room.

• Shadow listens at door and hears creatures discussing control crystals not working properly
• Party picks lock and enters room
• Shadow gets first strike with arrow
• Barlo rages and attacks with claws
• Large snake creature casts Divine Word, causing deafness and blindness
• Calliope uses Song of Counter Charm to give advantage against fear effects
• Barlo gets grappled and takes acid/bludgeoning damage
• Shadow turns invisible and delivers killing blow to anathema
• Party subdues one abomination non-lethally
• Group harvests valuable parts from corpses
• Party takes short rest while hearing scuffling from eastern door

Memorable Moments

Shadow, using invisibility to their advantage, delivered a precise killing blow to the massive six-headed anathema

The climax of an intense battle against the anathema and yuan-ti abominations

The party discovered a crystalline dome protecting a sentient demonic clay tablet that threatened to bring demons into their plane

Carefully navigating past this danger early in their exploration of the dungeon

The anathema cast Divine Word, leaving some party members deaf and blind

During the intense battle against the massive six-headed snake creature

NPCs

Vecna

A powerful entity trying to return from the dream plane who seeks a book held by Sas and other items.

Captain Meklan/Grognard

A figure whose situation triggered a contingency plan involving Morden Canaan's intervention.

Anathema

A massive six-headed snake creature with a blue crystal in its central head's forehead. Had powerful abilities including an ophidiophobia aura, constricting attacks, and could cast Divine Word.

Yuan-ti Abominations

Snake-like humanoid creatures with snake lower bodies, serving alongside the anathema. Armed with scimitars and longbows, capable of constricting enemies and using poison attacks.

Mordenkainen

A well-known wizard from another realm who sent a simulacrum to help the party using draconic prophecies.

Locations

Crystal Dome Room

A room containing a mysterious pedestal with a crystalline dome protecting a baked clay tablet that appears to be a sentient demon artifact.

Snake Creature Room

A room within the dungeon where the party fought the anathema and yuan-ti. Contains multiple doors including one to the east where scuffling sounds can be heard.

Yuan-ti Dungeon

A dungeon complex with lava features, including walls dripping lava and lava rivers. Contains multiple rooms and corridors with various doors to explore.

Items

Blue Crystal

A mysterious gem embedded in the anathema's central head, similar to one previously seen in Jacoby's hideout that was connected to animated bone creatures.

Anathema Heart

The valuable heart of the large snake creature, worth 750 gold for its dark arcane energies.

Abomination Hearts

Hearts from the yuan-ti abominations, valued at 3000 gold each.

Creature Parts

Various valuable parts harvested from defeated creatures including spines worth 2500 gold, venom worth 50 gold per vial, and blood worth 2 gold per vial.

Baked Clay Tablet

A sentient demonic artifact protected by a crystal dome that seeks to bring demons into this plane through whoever holds it.

Spells

Divine Word

A powerful 7th level spell cast by the anathema that could deafen, blind, or even kill targets depending on their current hit points.

Lightning Arrow

A spell used by Shadow that deals lightning damage and can affect nearby creatures with lightning energy.

Steel Wind Strike

A 5th level spell used by Bastion to make multiple melee attacks against different targets.

Vicious Mockery

A cantrip used by Calliope to insult and potentially damage enemies.

Invisibility

Used by Shadow to become unseen and avoid opportunity attacks while repositioning.

Song of Counter Charm

Used by Calliope to grant advantage on saving throws against frightened and charmed conditions.

Hex

Cast on enemies to deal extra damage and impose disadvantage on ability checks. Could be moved to new targets as previous ones fell.

Blade Song

A magical combat technique used by Bastion to enhance their fighting abilities.

Guidance

Cast by Sas to assist with picking a complex lock.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid adventurers delved into the treacherous depths of the Wantie Dungeon, driven by their quest to find a mystical plant that could shield them from Vecna's dream-walking abilities. Their path had been set in motion by events surrounding Mechlin, which had summoned forth a simulacrum of the wizard Morden Canaan, bearing cryptic draconic prophecies to guide their way. Along their journey, they encountered a malevolent demonic tablet sealed within a crystalline dome, a harbinger of potential planar invasion they wisely chose to circumvent.

Their exploration led them to a crucial confrontation in the depths of the dungeon, where they faced off against a terrifying six-headed anathema and its yuan-ti servants. The battle proved to be a magnificent display of their combined prowess, with Shadow's precise archery, Barlo's savage claws, Bastion's skilled bladework, and Calliope's inspiring bardic magic all working in concert to overcome the creature's frightening presence and divine abilities. Through clever tactics and determination, they emerged victorious, with Shadow delivering the killing blow from the shadows.

Now, as they catch their breath during a well-earned rest, our heroes find themselves with both valuable spoils - including precious monster hearts and a mysterious blue crystal - and a captive yuan-ti for questioning. But their respite is uneasy, as strange sounds emanate from the eastern door, hinting at further dangers that await them in the depths of this lava-filled labyrinth. The answers they seek about the protective plant, and perhaps the very nature of their connection to Vecna's schemes, may lie just beyond...

Snarky

When last we left our intrepid adventurers, they were delving deep into the Wantie Dungeon, a place where "watch your step" takes on a whole new meaning thanks to the abundance of lava features. Their quest? A special plant that could help them resist Vecna's dream-pulling shenanigans – because apparently, regular old coffee just wasn't going to cut it. They'd been set on this path after something happened to Mechlin, bringing a magical copy of Morden Canaan into their midst, speaking in cryptic draconic prophecies like some sort of fantasy fortune cookie.

The party's dungeon crawl had already served up plenty of spicy moments, including a run-in with a demonic clay tablet that had serious boundary issues about which plane it belonged in. But the real showstopper came when they stumbled into what could only be described as a snake convention gone wrong. There, they faced off against an anathema – think hydra meets nightmare fuel – and its yuan-ti groupies. The battle was intense, with the monster throwing around Divine Word like party favors, leaving some of our heroes temporarily cosplaying Helen Keller.

Through a combination of Shadow's sneaky archery, Barlo's fury-fueled claw attacks, and Bastion's blade work, all set to the soundtrack of Calliope's encouraging tunes, they managed to take down the big bad snake. The cherry on top? They nabbed some valuable loot, including hearts worth a small fortune and a mysterious blue crystal that's definitely not just for decoration. As they caught their breath during a short rest, mysterious scuffling sounds from the east suggested that the dungeon wasn't done with them yet. Because let's face it – when is it ever that easy?

Middle English

Harke ye all to tales most dire,
Of dungeons deep where lava's fire
Doth dance and gleam in Wantie's halls,
Where Vecna's dreaming shadow falls!

In search of plants most rare and strange,
Through caverns deep our heroes range.
With Morden's shade to guide their way,
By prophecies of dragons' say.

Past crystal dome and demon's clay,
Through locks most cunning made their way.
Down hallways branched with secrets deep,
Where ancient builders' work doth sleep.

Lo! What terror there they spied -
Six heads upon one serpent's hide!
An anathema fierce and fell,
With yuan-ti guard beneath its spell.

With fear divine and blinding might,
The creature gave them fearsome fight.
Yet Shadow's arrows swift and true,
And Barlo's claws struck fierce and new.

While Bastion's blade did flash and shine,
Fair Calliope's song divine
Did steel their hearts against their fear,
As battle's thunder echoed clear.

Then Shadow, cloaked in magic's veil,
Did strike the death blow to prevail!
One foe they kept for knowledge sought,
While treasures rare were dearly bought.

With crystal blue and serpent's heart,
Our heroes rest, their wounds to smart.
But hark! From eastern door there comes
The sound of more adventures' drums!

Limerick

In Wantie's depths, hot and profound,
Our heroes sought plants underground.
Through Vecna's dark schemes,
To resist pulling dreams,
While prophecies echoed around.

Past crystal domes, demons, and more,
They picked through a most stubborn door.
Then snake-heads times six
Tried deadly tricks,
Till Shadow's shot settled the score!

The anathema fell in its lair,
While yuan-ti fought in despair.
They questioned one foe,
Grabbed treasures to go,
While east-ward, more dangers declare!

Exported from GMAssistant on 2026-08-16