(S092) New Surprising Friends

Recovering in the portal chamber, the party investigates temporal obsidian daggers, adopts a hitchhiking myconid colony, discovers a chrome-entity voice inside Barlo, and allies with a stranded rival adventuring crew.

📝 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

S092: New Surprising Friends

Date: 2025-10-11

Short

The party recovered in the portal chamber after their encounters with the dragons, having been rescued by the cats of Ultharr through temporal flux when they died in battle. They discovered mysterious obsidian daggers in their possession, with Calliope's magical investigation revealing disturbing visions suggesting the artifacts were displaced through time and space, likely connected to Paradox being held hostage by Vecna. During their rest, they searched defeated enemies and found valuable treasures, while Sas's tiny myconid companion Feerus began establishing a spore colony throughout the chamber, revealing that myconids could communicate globally through spore networks.

As they prepared for their assault on the black dragon, Barlo experienced a startling development when a chrome entity from a black pudding began speaking through him. This entity, originally part of an experiment by the doppelganger Vyrith using the dragon's black oozes, provided crucial intelligence about their target, including the location of a protective orb on the dragon's ship and hidden archers throughout the cavern. The party then encountered three injured adventurers - Blink the gnome wizard, Zenthis the Aarakocra paladin, and Vorn the tiefling rogue who had lost half his leg in a teleportation accident - who had been hired by Ursa to steal a book from the dragon's ship. Recognizing mutual benefit, both groups agreed to work together, sharing resources and tactical information as they prepared to enter the dragon's acidic lair, planning to destroy the protective orb, deal with the archers, and potentially let Ursa and the dragon destroy each other while accomplishing their own objectives.

Summary

The party found themselves recovering in the portal chamber after their harrowing encounters with the dragons. The cats of Ultharr had previously helped them learn Dreamscape powers and rescued them when they died fighting the dragons, bringing them back through some temporal flux. They had successfully closed the portals in this chamber to prevent reinforcements from reaching the black dragon, and defeated the black puddings that had attacked from the ceiling. Now, as they completed their rest, they turned their attention to the mysterious obsidian daggers that had somehow appeared in each of their possession.

Calliope used her magical identification glove to investigate her dagger, experiencing a disturbing out-of-body vision. She found herself pulled into a realm of blackness surrounded by white horizons that multiplied and frayed at the edges. As she zoomed toward the light, she witnessed her own bag appearing and disappearing in what seemed like a temporal loop. The vision suggested these daggers were artifacts displaced through time and space, likely connected to the ongoing disruption caused by Paradox being held hostage by Vecna.

The party thoroughly searched the bodies of their defeated enemies, discovering twelve obsidian dragon pins shaped like dragon heads, valuable gems, gold and platinum pieces, and an immovable rod from one of the wizards. Bastion examined the portal ruins, finding intricate draconic runes inlaid with obsidian that had powered the magical gateways. The acidic air of the chamber continued to wear on them, causing gradual damage from prolonged exposure to the toxic environment.

During their investigations, Sas noticed her tiny myconid companion Feerus busily planting spores throughout the stonework of the chamber. The six-inch mushroom creature explained through telepathic communication that he wanted to establish a new colony here after the dragon was defeated. Feerus revealed that myconids could communicate across the globe through spore networks, and that Sas had been unknowingly spreading fungal spores across multiple realms during their travels. Sas affectionately gave him one of the dragon head pins to wear, and the tiny creature proudly made roaring sounds while wearing his new decoration.

As the party prepared for their assault on the black dragon, Barlo suddenly froze and grabbed Shadow and Calliope by the shoulders. He announced that something inside him was speaking - a gravelly voice that sounded like his own but with an eerie feedback quality. The voice claimed that the dragon had "made me who I am" and expressed hatred for the creature. Through careful questioning and insight, the party realized this was likely connected to their encounter with the metallic doppelgangers in the Feywild.

The voice revealed itself to be a chrome piece from the black pudding that had been absorbed into Barlo's skin during their previous battle. It explained that it was originally part of an experiment created by Vyrith, the doppelganger who had been tracking them. Vyrith had used black oozes supplied by the dragon to create these experimental creatures, but the chaotic magic of the Feywild had caused the experiment to go awry, resulting in this chrome entity bonding with Barlo instead of functioning as intended.

The entity provided crucial intelligence about their target, revealing that the black dragon was extremely evil with a large cult that had been used to attack Vyrith's island. The dragon possessed a ship where he tortured prisoners and hoarded treasure in acidic water, and there might be dragon eggs hidden in the lair. Most importantly, the voice warned them about a protective orb on the ship's mast that would need to be destroyed before they could seriously damage the dragon, and about hidden archers positioned throughout the cavern who served out of fear rather than loyalty.

The party began navigating the treacherous caverns leading to the dragon's lair, using their various skills to overcome the challenges. Barlo's internal companion served as a guide, helping them avoid hazards and find the safest routes through the narrow, winding passages filled with slime trails and scorch marks. Their careful progress was interrupted by blood-curdling screams from a side tunnel, where they discovered three injured adventurers in distress.

They found a gnome wizard named Blink, an Aarakocra paladin named Zenthis, and a tiefling rogue named Vorn who had lost half his leg in a catastrophic teleportation accident. Vorn's leg remained trapped inside solid rock while Zenthis used healing magic to extract him and Blink provided a magical brass prosthetic that created a spectral red glow where the missing limb should be. The three wore red obelisk pins instead of dragon pins and were clearly not allies of the dragon.

Through careful interrogation, the party learned that these adventurers had been hired by Ursa to steal a book from the black dragon's ship. Ursa's partnership with the dragon was deteriorating, and she wanted the book to enhance her crafting abilities using magical forges. The three revealed that Ursa's previous group, including the wizard Karsus, had been avoiding her since helping another wizard escape with important items, forcing her to hire less experienced adventurers who seemed set up to fail.

Recognizing an opportunity for mutual benefit, both groups agreed to work together against the dragon. The party shared their dragon pins to help the injured adventurers navigate the cave's magical wards, while Vorn's team provided flying potions and tactical information about the dragon's lair. They learned that the vast cavern was filled with acidic water, with a central landing containing a black obelisk fifty feet from the entrance, and the dragon's ship positioned in the northwest area where he kept his treasures and prisoners.

Shadow received a potion of flying and purple worm poison to coat her arrows, while the groups coordinated their strategy for the upcoming battle. They planned to destroy the protective orb on the ship's mast, deal with the hidden archers, and potentially steal both the book and any dragon eggs they might find. With Blink's teleportation magic as their escape route to the town of Thornwinds, they prepared to enter the dragon's lair, knowing they could potentially let Ursa and the dragon destroy each other while accomplishing their own goals. As Vorn's rogue companion went invisible and they approached the entrance to the dragon's domain, they realized they were returning to the same location where they had previously teleported, ready to face the ancient evil that awaited them in the acidic depths ahead.

Scenes

Recap and Recovery

The party recovers from their previous encounter and discusses their mysterious obsidian daggers while preparing to continue deeper into the dragon's lair.

• The cats of Ultharr had previously helped the party learn Dreamscape powers and brought them to fight dragons
• The party had died fighting dragons but were brought back by time flux
• They successfully closed portals in the portal chamber to prevent reinforcements for the dragon
• They defeated black puddings that had attacked them from the ceiling
• The party completed a short rest to recover hit points and spell slots
• They discussed the mysterious obsidian daggers that appeared in their possession
• Calliope used her magical glove to investigate the daggers, experiencing a vision of time and space distortion
• The party decided to loot the bodies of defeated enemies in the portal chamber

Looting the Portal Chamber

The party searches the bodies of defeated enemies in the portal chamber after their recent battle.

• Party investigates bodies of fallen lizardfolk and cultists
• Found 12 obsidian dragon pins, 4 gems worth 10 gold each, 150 gold pieces, 35 platinum pieces, 25 silver
• Discovered an immovable rod on one of the wizard enemies
• Bastion examines the portal ruins and finds draconic runes with obsidian inlays
• Barlo climbs to high points to survey the area
• Party takes 2 points of cumulative acid damage from prolonged exposure to the acidic air

The Mystery of the Obsidian Daggers

Calliope uses her magical glove to investigate the mysterious obsidian daggers that appeared in everyone's bags.

• Calliope uses her identification glove on her obsidian dagger
• Experiences an out-of-body vision showing white horizons and frayed light
• Sees her bag appearing and disappearing in a time loop effect
• Vision suggests the daggers are connected to time and space distortions
• Party tests if daggers react to each other but finds no magical properties
• Daggers appear to be well-crafted obsidian weapons that somehow displaced through time
• Bastion uses his researcher ability to analyze the dagger's craftsmanship and origin
• The party discovers the daggers are expertly crafted from a single piece of obsidian with leather-like texture carved into the hilt
• Bastion determines the daggers show elvish influence and likely come from a secluded island elf tribe
• The daggers are revealed to be magically tempered to prevent breaking while maintaining normal dagger damage

Feerus the Myconid's Colony Plans

Sas discovers her myconid companion is preparing to establish a new colony in the portal chamber.

• Sas notices Feerus planting spores in every nook and cranny of the stonework
• Feerus explains he wants to establish a new colony here after the dragon is defeated
• The myconid reveals he can communicate with spores across the globe and has been dropping fungus during their travels
• Feerus expresses hope that the magical energies in this place will help other myconids
• The party learns that Sas has been unintentionally spreading fungal spores across multiple realms during their journey
• Sas gives the small myconid companion one of the dragon head pins to wear
• The myconid says 'roar' when wearing the dragon pin
• Sas names the myconid 'Feerus'
• Feerus expresses gratitude for the journey and desire to establish a colony in the cave
• Feerus explains he can reconnect with Sas later through spore networks

Pre-Dragon Battle Preparations

The party prepares for the upcoming black dragon fight by distributing items and discussing spell preparations.

• Sas offers a fire breath vial to party members
• Barlo already has a fire breath vial so Sas gives hers to someone else
• Discussion about black dragons being resistant to acid, not fire
• Party confirms they have looted, investigated, and rested
• Party prepares to move toward the black dragon encounter

Barlo's Internal Voice Awakens

Barlo suddenly freezes and reveals that something inside him is speaking, leading to revelations about his connection to the Feywild doppelgangers.

• Barlo grabs Shadow and Calliope by the shoulders and announces something is talking to him
• The voice is gravelly and sounds like Barlo but with feedback-like distortion
• The voice claims the dragon 'made me who I am' and doesn't like the dragon either
• Shadow uses survival knowledge to recognize this as similar to spirit possession
• Party recalls fighting metallic versions of themselves in the Feywild
• Realization that Barlo's voice may be his doppelganger from the Feywild encounter
• The voice explains this is the first time it has reached out to communicate
• The voice reveals it was part of a chrome piece from the black pudding that got absorbed into Barlo's skin
• The voice reveals it was an experiment created by Vyrith (the doppelganger) using black oozes supplied by the dragon
• The experiment went wrong in the Feywild due to the plane's chaotic magic, causing the chrome piece to bond with Barlo instead

Intelligence Gathering About the Black Dragon

The voice in Barlo's head provides crucial information about the black dragon's lair, defenses, and connections to their enemies.

• The voice reveals the black dragon is very evil and has a large cult
• The dragon's cult was used to attack the island where Vyrith lives, explaining the sahuagin attacks they witnessed
• The voice warns that the dragon and Vyrith are planning to double-cross each other
• The dragon has a ship where he tortures prisoners and hides wealth in acidic water
• The voice suspects there may be dragon eggs in the lair
• The dragon prefers to stay airborne and has hidden archers in the rocks for protection
• There's a magical barrier preventing entry to the main cavern, but the obsidian dragon pins might help bypass it
• The voice offers to help guide them through the caverns as an internal compass
• The voice reveals that archers guard the dragon out of fear, not loyalty, and will flee if the dragon dies
• Barlo gains insight that his internal companion seeks connection and fears being alone
• The party learns about a protective orb on the dragon's ship that must be destroyed first

Dragon Combat Strategy Discussion

The party discusses tactics for fighting the black dragon, including spell choices and positioning.

• Party debates whether blindness/deafness spell would be effective against a dragon with blindsight
• Discussion of dragon's legendary resistances and the orb's role in negating them
• Calliope prepares to cast protection from energy on Barlo for acid resistance
• Shadow considers using Pass Without Trace for stealth approach
• Party plans marching order for entering the dragon's cavern
• Shadow tests the acidic water and takes damage, confirming the dragon pins only protect from airborne acid

Navigating the Dragon's Caverns

The party uses their skills to navigate through the dangerous caverns leading to the black dragon's lair, with Barlo's inner voice providing guidance.

• Shadow dismisses Artie into her swarm and redistributes his saddlebags
• Party establishes single-file marching order with Barlo leading
• Group performs stealth checks with Pass Without Trace bonus
• DM explains skill challenge mechanics requiring five successes before three failures
• Barlo uses athletics to clear hazardous terrain and find safe paths through the caverns
• Shadow uses perception to spot slime marks, scorch marks, and track signs from lizardfolk
• Calliope uses history knowledge to prevent the party from going in circles and identify correct routes
• Bastion scans for magical traps and residue to avoid dangers
• Sas uses animal handling to read the behavior of cave creatures for navigation clues
• The party gains hit points from successfully navigating the easier routes
• A blood-curdling scream is heard from a side tunnel

Discovering the Injured Adventurers

The party encounters three injured adventurers in a side cavern, with one having lost his leg in a teleportation accident.

• The party finds a gnome wizard named Blink, an Aarakocra paladin named Zenthis, and a Tiefling rogue named Vorn
• Vorn's leg is stuck inside solid rock from a failed teleportation spell
• Zenthis pulls Vorn free, but the leg remains trapped in the rock
• Blink provides a magical brass prosthetic that creates a spectral red glow where the missing leg should be
• The party observes the adventurers wearing red obelisk pins instead of dragon pins
• The injured group is trying to recover from the teleportation mishap
• Shadow and Barlo rush forward to confront the strangers
• Vorn draws a dagger but puts it away when surrounded
• Artie the owlbear investigates Vorn's spectral leg prosthetic

Interrogating the Rival Adventuring Party

The party questions three captured adventurers about their mission to steal a book from the black dragon for Ursa.

• Shadow performs an insight check on Vorn the tiefling rogue, determining he's a skilled liar but being mostly sincere
• Vorn reveals they were sent by Ursa to steal a book from the black dragon's ship
• The party learns about Ursa's partnership with the black dragon and her use of forges for crafting
• Vorn explains that Ursa's other group (including Karsus) has been avoiding her since helping a wizard escape with something important
• The party discovers the three adventurers wear red obelisk pins instead of dragon pins
• Calliope successfully identifies Zenthis the Aarakocra's religious symbol as belonging to Torm, god of duty and courage
• The party gives the three adventurers dragon pins to help them navigate the cave wards
• Both groups agree to work together against the dragon and potentially double-cross Ursa

Planning the Dragon Assault

The party and their new allies discuss strategy for infiltrating the black dragon's lair and coordinate their approach.

• Vorn's group explains the layout of the dragon's lair - mostly acidic water with a central landing containing a black obelisk
• They reveal the dragon has a ship in the northwest area where he keeps treasures and tortures prisoners
• The group learns about hidden archers positioned in the rocks throughout the cavern
• Vorn's team shares their flying potions and offers one to Shadow for aerial reconnaissance
• Barlo gives Shadow purple worm poison to coat three arrows with deadly venom
• The teams discuss the protective orb on the ship's mast that must be destroyed first
• They plan potential escape routes using Blink's teleportation spell to Thornwinds
• The group considers stealing dragon eggs and the book while letting Ursa and the dragon fight each other
• Shadow drinks a potion of flying, gaining flight speed equal to walking speed for one hour
• Party discusses using flying potions to transport members across the acidic water
• Shadow considers carrying Barlo 50 feet to the middle platform using her flying potion and feline agility
• Discussion of encumbrance rules and movement penalties when carrying other party members
• Barlo mentions storing his gold and platinum in a magical hole to reduce weight
• The rogue from the allied group goes invisible as they prepare to enter the dragon's lair
• Party realizes they are returning to the same location where they had previously teleported

Memorable Moments

Calliope experiences a disturbing out-of-body vision of a temporal loop while investigating her obsidian dagger

Using her magical identification glove on the mysterious artifact

Sas gives her tiny myconid companion Feerus a dragon head pin, prompting him to proudly make roaring sounds

While Feerus was planting spores to establish a new colony in the portal chamber

Barlo suddenly freezes as a gravelly voice from a chrome entity absorbed into his skin begins speaking to him

Preparing for the assault on the black dragon

The party discovers Vorn with half his leg trapped inside solid rock from a catastrophic teleportation accident

Investigating blood-curdling screams in a side tunnel

NPCs

Feerus

A tiny myconid (mushroom creature) about six inches tall who has been hitchhiking with Sas. He communicates telepathically through spores and is establishing a new colony in the portal chamber. He can connect with fungal networks globally and has been helping spread spores during the party's travels across realms. Sas gave him a dragon head pin which he wears proudly while making adorable 'roar' sounds.

Cats of Ultharr

Mystical feline entities who previously helped the party learn Dreamscape powers and transported them to fight the dragons. They had discussions with Paradox and understood the problems the party faces. They rescued the party when they died fighting the dragons.

The Voice/Chrome Entity

A chrome piece from a black pudding that merged with Barlo after their previous fight. Originally part of an experiment created by Vyrith using materials from the black dragon. Speaks in a gravelly version of Barlo's voice with feedback-like qualities. Seems childlike and desperate for connection, offering to help the party navigate the dragon's lair in exchange for companionship. Has been trying to reconnect with black ooze essence and can provide intelligence about the dragon's defenses.

Vyrith

The doppelganger who created experimental chrome creatures using black oozes supplied by the black dragon. She has been tracking and experimenting on the party, creating the metallic doppelgangers they fought in the Feywild. Currently planning to double-cross the black dragon she's been working with. Her experiments went awry in the Feywild due to the plane's chaotic magic.

Vorn Daggerhand

A muscular tiefling rogue with deep red skin and one small broken horn, wearing torn soft leather armor. A skilled liar who was hired by Ursa to steal a book from the black dragon. Recently lost half his leg in a teleportation accident and now has a spectral prosthetic. Wears a red obelisk pin and carries payment for the dragon. He's considering betraying Ursa and is opportunistic about working with the party.

Zenthis

A tall Aarakocra paladin with black and deep purple feathers, wearing dented and grime-covered plate armor. His holy symbol of Torm (a white gauntlet) has been scratched out and blackened. He's trying to redeem himself from past mistakes and has healing abilities, but struggles with being too honest for deceptive missions. He provided healing magic to help Vorn after the teleportation accident.

Barnaby 'Blink' Binkle

A tiny, fidgety gnome wizard with spectacles and patched robes who wears a small locket around his neck. He's responsible for teleportation magic but recently caused Vorn's leg injury with a failed spell. He can cast teleport one more time and knows the town of Thornwinds well. He provided a magical prosthetic leg to replace Vorn's lost limb and carries healing potions.

Ursa

A powerful figure who hired the three adventurers to steal a book from the black dragon. Has been working in partnership with the dragon using forges for crafting, but their relationship is deteriorating. Previously employed Karsus and his group, but they've been avoiding her since helping a wizard escape with important items. She appears to be setting up her hired groups to fail.

Paradox

Also known as Captain Meklan and Grognard, he is the god of time whose main essence is being held hostage by Vecna. This captivity is causing random temporal anomalies and timeline disruptions, explaining how the obsidian daggers appeared in the party's possession and other strange occurrences.

Karsus

A wizard who was previously working for Ursa but helped another wizard escape with important items. Since then, his group has been avoiding Ursa, contributing to her need to hire new, less experienced adventurers like Vorn's team.

Locations

Portal Chamber

A large chamber with acidic water, stone walkways, and two now-disabled side portals. Contains a central orb that was connected to the Shadowfell and powered the portals. The air is acidic and misty, causing gradual damage to those who linger. Features ancient stonework with draconic runes and obsidian inlays. This is where Feerus is establishing his myconid colony and where the party made their final preparations before confronting the black dragon.

Ultharr

A mystical location where the cats of Ultharr reside and helped the party learn Dreamscape powers. The party was previously dropped off here and received guidance about fighting Vecna and the dragons.

Dragon's Caverns

Narrow, winding caverns leading to the black dragon's lair with multiple branching paths, slime trails, scorch marks, and various hazards. The caverns are designed as natural protection for the dragon and contain acidic air that affects breathing. Features a side tunnel where the party encountered the injured adventurers.

Black Dragon's Lair

A vast cavern filled with acidic water, featuring a central landing with a black obelisk 50 feet from the entrance. The dragon's ship sits in the northwest area where he keeps treasures and prisoners. Hidden archers are positioned throughout the rocky walls, and the entire area is shrouded in mist and smoke.

Thornwinds

A safe town location that Blink the gnome wizard knows well and can teleport the group to as an escape route. The party has been there before and considers it a secure fallback position.

Items

Obsidian Daggers

Mysterious black obsidian daggers that appeared in each party member's possession with no memory of how they acquired them. Crafted from single pieces of obsidian by skilled elves, magically tempered to prevent breaking. They are artifacts from timeline disruptions caused by Paradox being held hostage by Vecna. Show elvish influence and likely come from a secluded island elf tribe.

Obsidian Dragon Pins

Twelve small black obsidian pins shaped like dragon heads, looted from defeated enemies. These pins provide protection from the acidic environment in the dragon's lair and serve as identification for the dragon's forces. They allow the wearer to see through mist more clearly and breathe easier in toxic environments.

Immovable Rod

A metallic rod with a button found on one of the defeated wizard enemies. When activated, the rod becomes completely immovable and cannot be moved by any force, making it useful for securing positions or creating anchor points.

Central Orb

A magical orb that was powering the portals in the chamber, connected to the Shadowfell. The party disrupted its power to close the side portals and prevent reinforcements from reaching the dragon.

Valuable Gems

Four gems worth approximately 10 gold pieces each, looted from the defeated enemies. While not extremely valuable to the party, they represent significant wealth for common workers.

Dragon Head Pin

A small obsidian pin shaped like a dragon head that Sas gave to Feerus as decoration. The tiny myconid wears it proudly and makes roaring sounds while wearing it, appearing fierce despite his small size.

Fire Breath Vial

A magical vial containing fire breath potion that Sas offered to distribute among party members. Barlo already possessed one, so Sas gave hers to another party member in preparation for the black dragon fight.

Protective Orb

A magical orb located on top of the mast of the black dragon's ship that provides protective shielding to the dragon. Must be destroyed before the dragon can take significant damage, similar to the orb that was in the portal chamber.

Red Obelisk Pins

Small pins worn by the injured adventurers, shaped like obelisks with three pieces - a diamond on top and two bars coming down, with one bar being a darker shade of red. These pins are different from the dragon skull pins and resemble buildings the party has seen before, allowing passage through certain magical wards in the cave system.

Magical Prosthetic Leg

A brass pole or stick that Blink inserted into Vorn's leg wound, creating a spectral red glow in the shape of the missing leg. The prosthetic allows Vorn to walk but he's still adjusting to putting weight on the ghostly limb and worries about his ability to sneak effectively.

Healing Potion

A potion that Zenthis gave to Vorn after the teleportation accident to help him recover from the trauma of losing his leg and being partially embedded in solid rock.

Mysterious Book

A book located somewhere on the black dragon's ship that Ursa desperately wants to steal. The book is supposed to help her craft even faster and has been held ransom by the dragon, contributing to the deterioration of their partnership.

Potion of Flying

A magical potion that grants flight speed equal to walking speed for one hour. Shadow received this from Vorn's group to provide aerial reconnaissance during the dragon fight. If the effect ends while flying, the user has one minute to land before falling.

Purple Worm Poison

A deadly venom in a small vial with swirling liquid that Barlo gave to Shadow. Enough to coat three arrows, it requires a DC 19 Constitution save and deals 12d6 poison damage on a failed save, half on success. The poison lasts one minute before losing potency.

Spells

Calliope's Magical Glove Investigation

Calliope used her magical glove to investigate the obsidian daggers, experiencing an out-of-body vision showing time and space distortion. The vision revealed white light horizons and showed her bag appearing and disappearing, indicating the daggers are artifacts from timeline disruptions.

Summon Elemental

Sas plans to cast this Tasha's spell to summon an air elemental spirit for aerial support in the dragon battle. The elemental can squeeze through spaces as narrow as one inch and will provide tactical advantages in the vast cavern.

Blindness/Deafness

Calliope intends to cast this spell as her opening move against the black dragon to impose disadvantage on its attacks, though the party discusses whether it will be effective against the dragon's blindsight ability.

Pass Without Trace

Shadow cast this spell to provide stealth bonuses to the entire party as they navigated through the dangerous caverns toward the dragon's lair.

Protection from Energy

Calliope prepared to cast this spell on Barlo to grant him resistance to acid damage before the upcoming dragon encounter.

Teleportation Spell

A teleportation spell cast by Blink that went catastrophically wrong, causing Vorn to become partially embedded in solid rock and lose half his leg. The spell was intended to transport the group but failed due to the wizard's inexperience or the challenging environment of the narrow cave tunnels.

Healing Magic

Divine healing magic used by Zenthis to help extract Vorn from the rock and treat his injuries. The aarakocra paladin's hands glowed as he used his healing abilities to stabilize Vorn after the teleportation accident.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid party found themselves recovering in the portal chamber after their harrowing encounters with dragons and black puddings. The mysterious cats of Ultharr had rescued them from death itself through temporal flux, and they had successfully sealed the portals to prevent reinforcements from reaching their draconic nemesis. As they caught their breath in the acidic air, they discovered obsidian daggers had mysteriously appeared in their possession - artifacts displaced through time and space, likely connected to Paradox being held hostage by Vecna himself.

Their investigations revealed valuable intelligence when Barlo suddenly froze, announcing that something inside him was speaking. A gravelly voice with an eerie feedback quality emerged - a chrome entity from the black pudding that had bonded with his skin during their previous battle. This entity, originally part of an experiment by the doppelganger Vyrith using oozes supplied by the black dragon, provided crucial information about their target: the dragon's protective orb, hidden archers throughout the cavern, and a ship where prisoners were tortured above acidic waters.

As they navigated the treacherous caverns toward the dragon's lair, guided by Barlo's internal companion and accompanied by tiny Feerus the myconid spreading spores for a new colony, they encountered three injured adventurers. A gnome wizard named Blink, an Aarakocra paladin named Zenthis, and a tiefling rogue named Vorn - who had lost half his leg in a teleportation accident - had been hired by Ursa to steal a book from the dragon's ship. Recognizing an opportunity for mutual benefit, both groups joined forces, sharing dragon pins and flying potions as they prepared to enter the dragon's domain. With their strategy coordinated and Blink's teleportation magic as their escape route, they now stand ready to face the ancient evil that awaits them in the acidic depths ahead...

Snarky

When last we left our intrepid adventurers, they had just finished playing the world's most dangerous game of "what's in my pocket?" after discovering mysterious obsidian daggers had somehow materialized in their possession. Because nothing says "totally normal Tuesday" like temporal artifacts appearing out of nowhere while you're trying to recover from getting absolutely wrecked by dragons. Calliope's magical investigation revealed these weren't your garden-variety pointy objects, but rather time-displaced artifacts courtesy of the ongoing cosmic mess that is Vecna holding Paradox hostage. Meanwhile, Sas's adorable mushroom buddy Feerus decided this toxic dragon lair would make a perfect vacation home and started spreading spores like he was decorating for the holidays.

But the real plot twist came when Barlo suddenly channeled his inner ventriloquist act, except instead of a cute puppet, he was hosting a chrome entity that used to be part of a black pudding experiment gone wrong. This delightfully chatty blob-turned-life-coach had some serious beef with the black dragon and was more than happy to spill all the tea about their target's weaknesses, hidden archers, and that pesky protective orb they'd need to destroy. Because apparently even ancient evil dragons need magical security systems these days.

Just when things couldn't get more complicated, our heroes stumbled upon three injured adventurers who had clearly been having an even worse day - one of them literally had half his leg stuck in solid rock after a teleportation mishap that would make any wizard reconsider their career choices. These red-pin-wearing treasure hunters turned out to be working for Ursa (because of course they were), trying to steal a book from the dragon while their boss's partnership with said dragon was falling apart faster than a house of cards in a hurricane. Now, with flying potions, purple worm poison, and a shaky alliance in hand, our party is ready to crash the dragon's acidic pool party and hopefully not become the main course.

Middle English

Harken well, ye noble folke,
Of adventurers brave and true,
Who in chambers dark did wake,
Where portal magicks once flew through.

The cats of Ultharr, wise and kind,
Had rescued them from dragon's wrath,
Through temporal flux their souls entwined,
And set them on a righteous path.

Fair Calliope with glove enchanted,
Did peer into her dagger's heart,
Where visions dark and strange were granted,
Of time and space torn apart.

In blackness deep with white horizons,
She saw her bag in endless dance,
While temporal loops like prison irons,
Held artifacts in circumstance.

Twelve dragon pins of obsidian wrought,
And gems and gold in plenty found,
An immovable rod the wizards brought,
Lay scattered on the chamber ground.

Young Feerus, mushroom small and bright,
Did plant his spores with purpose true,
To build a colony of might,
When dragon's reign at last was through.

But hark! What voice from Barlo came?
A chrome companion, strange and fell,
Who spoke of dragon's cruel game,
And secrets dark it longed to tell.

This entity of pudding born,
From Vyrith's failed experiment made,
Did warn of dangers yet to come,
And how the dragon's power stayed.

"Destroy the orb upon the mast,
Beware the archers hidden well,
The dragon's evil unsurpassed,
Keeps prisoners in watery hell."

Through caverns dark they made their way,
With chrome guide leading safe and sound,
Till screams of pain did break the day,
Where injured souls were to be found.

Three adventurers in distress,
Blink, Zenthis, and poor Vorn maimed,
By teleportation's cruel caress,
Their mission nearly left them shamed.

Red obelisk pins they proudly wore,
Not dragon's mark upon their breast,
Sent by Ursa to explore,
And steal a book at her behest.

"The dragon's ship holds treasure vast,
With acidic waters all around,
A black obelisk standing fast,
Where evil magicks can be found."

Alliance forged 'tween groups so brave,
With flying potions shared in trust,
To face the beast within his cave,
And see his tyranny turned to dust.

So forth they go with purpose clear,
To face the ancient evil's might,
With chrome companion ever near,
To guide them through the coming fight.

Limerick

In the portal chamber they stayed,
With obsidian daggers displayed.
Through visions so dark,
Time's temporal mark,
Showed artifacts strangely mislaid.

The myconid Feerus took root,
While spores spread through stone underfoot.
With dragon pin worn,
He roared like newborn,
A colony's fungal recruit.

Then Barlo froze up with a start,
A chrome voice spoke from his heart.
"The dragon," it said,
"Made me what I dread,
From black pudding's experimental part."

Three wounded adventurers found,
With Blink, Zenthis, Vorn around.
A leg trapped in stone,
Red spectral limb shown,
Their teleport mishap renowned.

For Ursa they'd come for a book,
From dragon's ship they would look.
With flying potions shared,
And strategies prepared,
They'd face the black beast in its nook.

Exported from GMAssistant on 2026-08-16