(S102) Shadow Fight

Managing their massive hoard and portable storage, the party obliterates the obelisk shadow demon through coordinated strikes and Shadow's precise pin. Venturing into secret tunnels with Venger and Willowbrush, they discover the cursed remains of an Arcanaloth warden, uncovering stunning cosmic connections between Pradam, Presto, and the hidden presence of Tiamat.

📝 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

S102: Shadow Fight

Date: 2026-03-14

Short

Before venturing deeper into the Prison of Agony, the party managed their considerable wealth and prepared for the dangers ahead. They faced a terrifying shadow demon released from the obelisk, which animated nearby shadows and restrained Barlo and Bastion with dark tendrils. Through coordinated effort — Bastion delivering precise rapier strikes, Barlo raging with acid-laced claws, and Shadow in the Snow hunting from above unseen — the demon was ultimately slain by a perfectly placed arrow from Shadow in the Snow that pinned it to the wall and dissolved it instantly. During the battle, both Barlo and Bastion discovered a new ability, Purifying Radiance, awakened through their Silver Flame and adventurer's marks. The grateful lizardfolk leader rewarded the party with gems, gold bars, a ring, and glowing potions, then revealed a secret passage into hidden tunnels beneath his territory.

Deep in the tunnels, the party discovered the skeleton of an Arcanaloth — a fox-skulled daemon — dressed in robes and carrying a satchel identified as belonging to Wardens of the Cobalt Soul, containing a nearly complete set of keys. When Bastion severed the skull, the creature's spirit briefly reanimated, cursed the party, and dissolved into black ichor before returning to Gehenna. Turning their attention to Venger, the party learned that he had been corrupted by an entity called the Nameless One and had once battled a group of children brought to the realm by his father, the Dungeon Master. Most shockingly, Calliope's sketch of their companion Pradam was recognized by Venger as Presto — one of those very children — revealing a stunning connection between their world and this one. Venger also warned that Tiamat herself walked this realm, a revelation that shook even the most hardened members of the group. With Willowbrush noting that Kelek might be found near the bullywugs, the party emerged from the tunnels into a fey-like landscape, burdened by cosmic revelations and pressing onward toward Uni's soul.

Summary

Before the party pressed deeper into the Prison of Agony, they took stock of their considerable fortune — a staggering wealth accumulated across their many adventures, including property, a flying ship, portable holes, and chests brimming with gems, art, and gold from a dragon's hoard. Barlo busied himself redistributing the contents of his enchanted chest, which had grown dangerously heavy, moving gold and valuables into his portable hole — a dimensional space he had quietly furnished into something resembling a personal retreat, complete with a weapons chest, a mannequin, a treasure chest, and a large plush pillow. The party noted that supreme healing potions and other magical gear remained safely stored aboard their ship, and that a number of mysterious items from the dragon's hoard had yet to be identified.

The shadow demon that had been released from the obelisk proved to be a terrifying foe. It reached out with tendrils of living darkness, animating the shadows of the nearby hook horrors and turning them against the party. Barlo found himself seized and restrained by the writhing dark appendages, while the creature pulsed with an eerie force that struck those who drew too close.

Shadow in the Snow took to the air above the fray, loosing an arrow at the shadow demon while remaining unseen. The creature, aware that something hunted it even without seeing her, stretched its darkness further across the chamber. Calliope positioned herself as best she could but found the demon lurking just around a corner, out of her line of sight, and held her enchantment in readiness. Sas moved through the hallway, navigating past allies and lizardfolk, but ran out of ground to cover before reaching the demon.

Bastion stepped forward and delivered a series of devastating strikes with his rapier, his blade guided by preternatural precision. The shadow demon hissed and groaned with each blow, its incorporeal form flickering under the assault. Barlo, shaking off the worst of the dark tendrils, threw himself into a rage and tore into the creature with claws and teeth, acid sizzling where he struck. In that moment of peril, both Barlo and Bastion felt something stir within them — their Silver Flame and marks of the adventurer flared to life, granting them a new ability called Purifying Radiance, a burst of cleansing light they could call upon even while incapacitated.

The killing blow came from above. Shadow in the Snow drew her bow and loosed a perfectly placed arrow that pierced the shadow demon's essence and pinned it against the wall — a sight that called to mind the old tale of Peter Pan sticking his shadow in place. The moment the arrow struck, every shadowy tendril restraining Barlo and Bastion instantly receded, and the demon dissolved into nothing. Shadow in the Snow descended and gave her restrained companions a few firm cheek slaps to snap them back to their senses.

The lizardfolk leader, true to his word, rewarded the party handsomely for eliminating the threat to his tribe. He presented them with a bag containing twelve gems and small one-pound gold bars, along with a ring and two vials of a potion that glowed with a soft golden light. He then pressed a hidden mechanism in the wall, revealing a secret passage that led into a series of dug-out tunnels beneath the territory. Venger, the weakened figure who had been accompanying the party since his release from the obelisk, followed them in alongside Hex Coda and the cautious sprite Willowbrush.

Deep within the tunnels, the party came upon a grim discovery — a skeleton dressed in simple brown robes, wearing a metallic choker around its neck and carrying an enormous satchel. Sas studied the remains carefully and recognized the skull as that of a large fox, identifying the creature as an Arcanaloth — a type of daemon that typically served as neutral advisors and power brokers to those who ruled. Bastion and Calliope drew on their knowledge of history to recognize the robes and satchel as belonging to Wardens from their own realm, an order connected to a group of monks known as the Cobalt Soul. The satchel, when opened, revealed a massive keyring that appeared to hold nearly a complete set of keys — a curious and unsettling find so far from home.

Barlo, never one to leave a trophy unclaimed, attempted to wrench the skeleton's head free with a crowbar, but the bones held fast. Bastion stepped in and delivered a precise strike with his rapier, cleanly severing the head — but the moment the blade connected, the red gemstone set into the creature's metallic collar burst open. The skeleton's essence began to pour back into the body, eyes flickering to life as the dying spirit of the Arcanaloth fixed its gaze on the party and cursed them before dissolving into black ichor that soaked through the simple brown robes. Sas attempted to interrupt the magical reaction, and Bastion tried to suppress the energy emanating from the severed head, but there was nothing to counter — the creature's spirit was simply returning to Gehenna to be reborn, as Arcanaloth spirits always do.

The party retrieved the metallic collar from the melted remains and turned their attention to Venger, pressing him with questions about the realm, the shadow demon, and the whereabouts of Kelek. Venger spoke haltingly of his past — of a corruption inflicted upon him by an entity known only as the Nameless One, and of a timeless battle he had been locked in with his own former self inside the obelisk. He described how a group of children — Hank, Sheila, Eric, Presto, Diana, and Bobby — had once been brought to this realm, and how his father, known to most here simply as the Dungeon Master, had orchestrated it all in hopes that the children could help break Venger's corruption. He described his father as a short, bald man in a red cloak, and admitted that he now suspected the man might be something far greater — perhaps an essence of a god that had no business being in this realm.

The most startling revelation came when Calliope sketched a likeness of the wizard Pradam, the companion who had sent the party on their quest to retrieve Uni the unicorn's soul. Venger studied the drawing and immediately recognized the face — it was the boy he had once known as Presto. The party exchanged stunned glances, the connection between their own world and this strange realm growing more tangled by the moment. Barlo's head began to swim as he tried to process the implications — if Pradam was Presto, and if beings from their realm had been here before, then what else connected these worlds?

Venger then dropped another revelation that left the party reeling. He spoke of Tiamat — the legendary five-headed dragon goddess of evil, believed in their own world to be locked away deep in the hells and unseen for ages — and said plainly that she was here, in this realm. The party had known Tiamat only as a figure of dark legend, an avatar of destruction spoken of in hushed tones, and the idea that she walked this world sent a chill through even the most battle-hardened among them. Barlo shook his head and ruffled his fur, his mind refusing to follow the thought any further. Willowbrush, for his part, quietly mentioned that Kelek might be found somewhere near the bullywugs — a small but useful piece of information amid the flood of cosmic dread.

The party made their way back through the tunnels, emerging after roughly fifteen minutes onto a dirt road in a fey-like landscape, the air alive with the sounds of nature and distant movement. The skeleton had melted entirely into ichor behind them, the collar and satchel safely in hand, and the weight of everything Venger had told them settled over the group like a fog. Somewhere ahead lay Kelek, the soul of Uni the unicorn, and answers to questions that were only growing more complicated with every step.

Scenes

Inventory Management and Wealth Assessment

The party reviews their accumulated wealth and manages their storage items before engaging in further combat.

• The DM provides a handout detailing the party's total wealth, estimated at 177,000 gold including property and a flying ship.
• Barlo manages his personal inventory, moving gold into his portable hole and treasure chest to prevent his 'Enderman chest' from becoming over-encumbered and exploding.
• The party discusses the contents of Barlo's portable hole, which he has furnished with a weapons chest, mannequin, treasure chest, and a large plush pillow.
• The group notes they have supreme healing potions and various art pieces from a previous dragon's hoard stored on their ship.

Skirmish in the Prison of Agony

The party engages a shadow demon that was released from an obelisk within the lizardfolk's territory.

• Shadow in the Snow flies above the fray and fires an arrow at the shadow demon, striking it while remaining invisible.
• The shadow demon causes the shadows of nearby hook horrors to animate and strike out at the party.
• Barlo is targeted by shadowy tendrils and becomes restrained and stunned by the creature's dark influence.
• Sas moves through the hallway, navigating past Bastion and the lizardfolk allies to get closer to the active combat zone, but runs out of movement before reaching the shadow demon.

Battle with the Shadow Demon

The party engages in a fierce combat against the shadow demon in the Prison of Agony, navigating difficult terrain and magical darkness.

• The shadow creature releases an essence of shadow that creates difficult terrain and attempts to restrain the party.
• Shadow in the Snow uses a reactive ability to discorporate and teleport 30 feet away from danger, remaining invisible.
• The shadow creature emits a pulse of force damage that strikes nearby adventurers.
• Calliope prepares to cast a mocking enchantment once the enemy is in her line of sight, but holds her action as she cannot see the shadow demon around the corner.
• Bastion delivers a series of powerful strikes with his rapier, enhanced by magical precision, dealing significant damage and causing the shadow demon to hiss and groan.
• Barlo enters a rage and attacks the shadow with claws and bites, dealing additional acid damage.
• The party members feel their Silver Flame and marks of the adventurer flare up, granting them a new ability called Purifying Radiance to act even while incapacitated.

The Shadow Demon's Defeat

The party concludes their battle with the shadow demon that was released from the obelisk.

• Shadow in the Snow delivers a critical strike with her bow, pinning the shadow demon's essence against the wall like Peter Pan sticking his shadow.
• The shadowy tendrils restraining Barlo and Bastion recede as the demon is defeated.
• Shadow in the Snow goes over to check on Barlo and Bastion, giving them cheek slaps to snap them out of their stunned state.
• The party discusses the nature of the shadow demon and its imprisonment within the obelisk, confirming it was a shadow demon that had been trapped there.

The Lizard Folk's Reward

The leader of the lizard folk rewards the party for eliminating the threat to his tribe and opens a secret passage.

• The lizard folk leader presents the party with a bag containing twelve various gems and small one-pound gold bars.
• The party also receives a ring and two vials of a potion with a light golden glow.
• A secret passageway is opened in the wall, leading the party into a series of tunnels toward a mysterious dead creature.

The Warden's Skeleton

Deep within the tunnels, the party discovers the remains of a fox-headed creature wearing a warden's collar and carrying a large satchel.

• Sas uses survival and religion knowledge to identify the skull as very reminiscent of a large fox skull, and recognizes the creature as an Arcanaloth — a type of daemon.
• The party notes the creature is wearing simple brown robes and a metal choker collar with a gemstone, and carries a large satchel.
• Bastion and Calliope use their history knowledge to recognize the attire as belonging to Wardens from their home realm, and identify the satchel as associated with an order of monks called the Cobalt Soul.
• The party discusses the anomaly of finding a creature from their realm's order in this strange dimension.
• Sas retrieves the Warden's satchel, which contains a large keyring with what appears to be a full set of keys.
• Venger accompanies the party into the tunnels along with Hex Coda and Willowbrush.

Interrogating Venger

The party questions Venger about his past, the nature of the realm, and the whereabouts of Kelek and Uni the unicorn.

• The party questions Venger about the Shadow Demon and his connection to the wizard Kelek.
• Venger reveals he was corrupted by an entity known as the 'Nameless One' and was trapped in a timeless battle with his own old version of himself.
• Venger discusses his history with a group of children — Hank, Sheila, Eric, Presto, Diana, and Bobby — whom he brought to this realm, and reveals his father, the 'Dungeon Master,' was behind sending them.
• Venger mentions the presence of Tiamat in this realm, shocking the party as she is a legendary figure of evil in their own world.
• The party discusses the possibility that this world is a pocket dimension or a specific realm simply called 'Dungeons and Dragons.'
• Barlo becomes overwhelmed by the metaphysical implications of multiple versions of beings across realms and shakes his head to clear it.
• Venger identifies the wizard Pradam as a boy he once knew named Presto, after Calliope sketches a likeness of Pradam.
• Venger describes his father, the Dungeon Master, as a short, bald man in a red cloak.
• Willowbrush mentions that Kelek might be found near the bullywugs.

The Warden's Remains — A Cursed End

The party investigates the fox-headed skeleton and inadvertently triggers a final curse when Bastion decapitates it.

• Barlo attempts to rip the head off the skeleton using a crowbar passed to him, but fails.
• Bastion uses a magically enhanced strike to decapitate the skeleton.
• A red gem on the skeleton's collar bursts open upon decapitation, and the creature's essence begins to melt into black ichor.
• Sas attempts to cast a counterspell to halt the magical reaction, but there is no spell to dispel — only the creature's dying essence returning to Gehenna.
• Bastion attempts to cast dispel magic on the head, but the creature's spirit fades regardless.
• The dying spirit of the Arcanaloth curses the party as it dissipates to be reborn in Gehenna.
• The skeletal body melts into black ichor, soaking the simple brown robes it wore.
• The party retrieves the metallic collar that previously bound the creature to this plane.
• The party travels through the tunnels for fifteen minutes, eventually emerging onto a dirt road in a fey-like environment filled with the sounds of nature.

Memorable Moments

Shadow in the Snow lands a critical arrow strike on the shadow demon, pinning its essence to the wall like Peter Pan sticking his shadow, causing all the shadowy tendrils restraining Barlo and Bastion to instantly recede.

The killing blow that ended the shadow demon fight, freeing her restrained allies in one dramatic shot.

Venger reveals that Tiamat — a legendary goddess of evil thought to be locked away in the hells — is physically present in this realm, leaving the party stunned.

A shocking lore revelation during the party's interrogation of Venger about the nature of this realm.

Calliope sketches a likeness of the wizard Pradam and Venger immediately recognizes him as a boy named Presto — one of the children he once brought to this realm from another world.

A stunning connection revealed between the party's wizard companion Pradam and the children of this realm's legend.

Barlo attempts to rip the head off the Arcanaloth skeleton with a crowbar and fails, prompting Bastion to step in with a magically enhanced rapier strike — only to accidentally trigger the creature's death curse.

What started as Barlo trying to collect a trophy quickly spiraled into an unexpected cursed encounter for the whole party.

NPCs

Lizardfolk Leader, Sleyvas

The head of the local lizardfolk tribe who struck a deal with the party to stop the killing of his people. He rewarded the party with gems, gold bars, a ring, and two golden potions after they eliminated the shadow demon threatening his tribe, and opened a secret passage into the tunnels.

Willowbrush

A small sprite companion who prefers reconnaissance over direct combat. He stayed behind during the fight with the shadow demon due to fear, then accompanied the party into the tunnels. He mentioned that Kelek might be found near the bullywugs.

Hex Coda

A non-combatant companion traveling with the party who accompanied them into the tunnels.

Shadow Demon

A malevolent incorporeal entity that was previously trapped within an obelisk in the Prison of Agony. It could animate the shadows of nearby creatures to restrain foes and emit pulses of force energy. It was defeated by a critical arrow strike from Shadow in the Snow.

Venger

A weakened figure accompanying the party who was previously trapped in an obelisk in a timeless battle with his own corrupted self. He reveals he was corrupted by an entity called the Nameless One, that his father is the Dungeon Master, and that he once brought a group of children — Hank, Sheila, Eric, Presto, Diana, and Bobby — to this realm. He identifies the wizard Pradam as the boy he knew as Presto, and warns the party that Tiamat is physically present in this realm.

The Dungeon Master

Venger's father, described as a short, bald man in a red cloak with a little hair on the sides. He is known by most in this realm as the Dungeon Master and is believed by Venger to possibly be an essence of a god that shouldn't be in this realm.

Kelek

An evil wizard mentioned by Venger who is believed to be holding the soul of Uni the unicorn. Venger admits to having made bad choices working with him in the past.

Tiamat

A legendary five-headed dragon goddess of evil. Venger claims she is physically present in this realm, which shocks the party as in their own world she is considered locked away in the hells and has not been seen directly in a very long time.

Arcanaloth Warden

A fox-headed fiendish creature whose skeletal remains were found in the tunnels. It wore simple brown robes, a magical metal collar with a red gemstone, and carried a large satchel of keys. When decapitated, its spirit cursed the party before returning to Gehenna to be reborn. Sas identified it as an Arcanaloth — a type of daemon that typically serves as neutral advisors to those in power.

Bahamut

Bahamut is a child of the dragon god Io. He is also referred to as the God of Dragons or the Lord of the North Wind.

Locations

Prison of Agony

A dangerous area where the party fought hook horrors, lizardfolk, gelatinous oozes, and a shadow demon. It contains an obelisk that previously imprisoned the shadow demon, and features difficult terrain throughout the combat areas.

The Tunnels

Dug-out passageways beneath the lizardfolk's territory, accessed through a secret door in the wall. The party discovered the skeletal remains of an Arcanaloth warden here before emerging onto a fey road.

Fey Road

A dirt road in a fey-like area filled with the sounds of nature and movement where the party emerged after leaving the tunnels, marking the end of the session.

Items

Portable Hole

A circular cloth that opens into a large dimensional space. Barlo uses it as a secondary living space and storage, having furnished it with a weapons chest, mannequin, treasure chest, and a large plush pillow. The party discussed its volume capacity during the session.

Enderbox

A magical storage chest that risks exploding if it becomes too heavy. It was noted during the session to be 82 pounds heavier than it should be, prompting Barlo to redistribute its contents.

Ring of Invisibility

A magical ring noted in the party's inventory. It was clarified that it is not a true ring of invisibility — when used, the ring itself also disappears along with the wearer.

Supreme Healing Potions

Potent restorative draughts currently stored on the party's flying ship, noted during the inventory review.

Warden's Satchel

A large, somewhat obnoxious pouch used by Wardens to signify their status, taken from the Arcanaloth skeleton in the tunnels. It contains a large keyring that appears to be a nearly full set of keys. Sas took possession of it.

Arcanaloth Choker

A metallic collar featuring a red gemstone found around the neck of the fox-headed Arcanaloth skeleton. The red gem pulsated before bursting when the skeleton was decapitated, releasing the creature's spirit. The collar itself was retrieved by the party after the body melted away.

Golden Potions

Two vials containing a liquid with a light golden glow, provided as part of the reward by the lizardfolk leader after the shadow demon was defeated.

Oily Black Sharpening Stone

A small sharpening stone made of a strange, oily black rock found among the possessions of the Arcanaloth skeleton in the tunnels.

Crowbar

A tool used in an attempt to pry the head off the Arcanaloth skeleton. It was passed between party members during the attempt but ultimately failed to remove the head.

Spells

True Strike

Used by Bastion to grant himself extreme magical precision for his rapier attacks against the shadow demon, contributing to a devastating series of strikes that caused the demon to hiss and groan. Later used again when Bastion decapitated the Arcanaloth skeleton.

Vicious Mockery

Calliope held this bardic enchantment in readiness to unleash upon the shadow demon, but was unable to use it as the creature remained around a corner and out of her line of sight.

Counterspell

Attempted by Sas to interrupt the magical reaction triggered when the red gem on the Arcanaloth's collar burst open upon decapitation. However, there was no spell to counter — only the creature's dying essence returning to Gehenna.

Dispel Magic

Cast by Bastion on the Arcanaloth's severed head in an attempt to neutralize the magical energy being released. The spell had no effect as the creature's spirit was simply fading back to its home plane rather than sustaining an active spell.

Minor Illusion

Used by Calliope to sketch or project a likeness of the wizard Pradam to show Venger, allowing him to identify Pradam as the boy he once knew as Presto.

Notes

Index of Factions

NEED!!!!

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid adventurers paused at the threshold of the Prison of Agony to take stock of their considerable fortune — a staggering wealth of property, a flying ship, portable holes, and chests brimming with gems and gold from a dragon's hoard. Barlo, ever the practical one, busied himself redistributing his enchanted chest's dangerously heavy contents into his portable hole — a dimensional space he had quietly furnished into something of a personal retreat. But the moment of respite was short-lived, for the shadow demon released from the obelisk proved a terrifying foe, stretching tendrils of living darkness across the chamber, animating the shadows of nearby hook horrors, and seizing Barlo in its writhing grip. Shadow in the Snow hunted it from above, unseen, while Calliope held her enchantment in readiness and Sas pressed through the hallway. It was Bastion whose rapier flickered with preternatural precision, and Barlo who tore into the creature in a frenzy of claws and sizzling acid — and in that crucible of peril, both felt something stir within them: the Silver Flame and their marks of the adventurer flaring to life, granting them the gift of Purifying Radiance. The killing blow, however, came from above — Shadow in the Snow loosed a perfectly placed arrow that pinned the demon's essence to the wall, and with a sound like a dying whisper, every tendril receded and the creature dissolved into nothing.

The lizardfolk leader, true to his word, rewarded the party handsomely — gems, gold bars, a ring, and two vials of softly glowing potion — before pressing a hidden mechanism that revealed a secret passage into tunnels beneath the territory. There, the party made a grim discovery: a skeleton in simple brown robes, a metallic choker at its neck, and an enormous satchel at its side. Sas identified the remains as an Arcanaloth — a daemon of neutral counsel and power brokerage — while Bastion and Calliope recognized the robes and satchel as belonging to Wardens of their own realm, connected to the monks of the Cobalt Soul. The satchel held a massive keyring, nearly complete. When Bastion's rapier cleanly severed the skull, the red gemstone in the collar burst open, and the Arcanaloth's dying spirit fixed its gaze upon the party and cursed them before dissolving into black ichor — its essence returning, as Arcanaloth spirits always do, to Gehenna to be reborn.

Then came the revelations. Venger, the weakened figure freed from the obelisk, spoke haltingly of his corruption at the hands of an entity known only as the Nameless One, of children once brought to this realm — Hank, Sheila, Eric, Presto, Diana, and Bobby — and of his father, the Dungeon Master, a short bald man in a red cloak whom Venger now suspected might be something far greater than any mortal. When Calliope sketched a likeness of the wizard Pradam — the very companion who had sent the party to retrieve Uni the unicorn's soul — Venger's eyes went wide. The face, he said, was the boy he had known as Presto. The party exchanged stunned glances, the threads between their world and this strange realm pulling taut. And then, as if the weight of that revelation were not enough, Venger spoke one final name: Tiamat — the five-headed dragon goddess of evil, believed locked away in the hells and unseen for ages — was here, in this realm, walking free. Barlo shook his head and ruffled his fur, his mind refusing to follow the thought any further. Somewhere ahead lay Kelek, the soul of Uni, and answers to questions that were only growing more dangerous with every step. And so, we continue...

Snarky

Before the party could press deeper into the Prison of Agony, they took a moment to do what any sensible adventurers would do after accumulating a dragon's worth of treasure: reorganize their portable holes. Barlo, in particular, has apparently converted his dimensional storage space into a cozy personal retreat complete with a weapons chest, a mannequin, and a large plush pillow — because nothing says "fearsome barbarian" like interior decorating between dungeon crawls. The shadow demon released from the obelisk then had the audacity to animate the shadows of nearby hook horrors and seize Barlo in writhing dark tendrils, which is a deeply rude thing to do to a man who just finished fluffing his pillow. Fortunately, Shadow in the Snow — invisible, airborne, and apparently the only one with her life together — put an arrow straight through the demon's essence and pinned it to the wall like a supernatural Pinterest board, instantly freeing her restrained companions, whom she then slapped back to consciousness with the tender care of a very disappointed mother.

The real chaos came when Barlo attempted to pry a skeleton's head off with a crowbar — a completely normal thing to do — and Bastion helpfully finished the job with his rapier, accidentally shattering a gem in the creature's collar and triggering the soul of an Arcanaloth daemon to briefly reanimate, curse the entire party, and melt into black ichor. Cool! Cool cool cool. Venger, the corrupted figure they'd freed from the obelisk, then proceeded to casually reveal that their quest-giver Pradam is actually a man named Presto who was transported to this realm as a child, that his own father might be a fragment of a god, AND that Tiamat — the five-headed dragon goddess of evil, supposedly locked away in the hells for eternity — is just... here, hanging out. Barlo reportedly responded by ruffling his fur and refusing to think about it further, which is honestly the most emotionally intelligent reaction anyone has had this entire campaign.

Middle English

Lythe and listin, gentilmen,
Of adventurers bold and true,
Who counted gold and gems and ships,
Before the dark they'd venture through!
Great Barlo stuffed his portable hole,
With pillow, chest, and mannequin fine,
While healing draughts aboard the ship,
And dragon's hoard did wait and shine.

Then rose the shadow demon dread,
From obelisk's cursed stone released,
It seized poor Barlo in the dark,
And turned the hook horrors' shades to beast!
Shadow in the Snow flew high above,
Her arrow loosed through darkened air,
While Calliope held her spell in wait,
And Sas pressed forth with urgent care.

Then Bastion struck with rapier keen,
His blade a flash of silver light,
The demon hissed and flickered dim,
As Barlo raged with claws and bite!
The Silver Flame within them stirred,
Purifying Radiance blazed anew,
And from on high the killing shaft,
Did pin the demon — straight and true!

Deep in the tunnels, grim they found,
A fox-skulled skeleton in brown,
An Arcanaloth of ancient days,
A Warden's satchel and renown!
When Bastion's blade did sever clean,
The red gem burst, the spirit fled,
It cursed the party, black as night,
Then melted into ichor spread.

Then Venger spoke of Nameless One,
Of children brought to realms afar,
Of Presto — Pradam! — the party gasped,
Their worlds entwined like moon and star!
And Tiamat, the dragon queen,
Walks free within this cursed land,
While Kelek lurks near bullywug fen,
And fate grows dark on every hand!

Limerick

They counted their gold, gems, and more,
A flying ship, holes, dragon's store.
Barlo stuffed his hole tight,
With a pillow just right,
And a mannequin guarding the floor!

The shadow demon rose with a shriek,
Its tendrils made Barlo look weak.
It seized him in dark,
Left Bastion to spark,
While Calliope hunted her peek!

Shadow in Snow loosed an arrow so true,
It pinned the dark demon right through.
Like Peter Pan's shade,
The tendrils all frayed,
And cheek slaps brought the party back, too!

A fox skull in robes gave them pause,
An Arcanaloth — broker of laws.
Barlo swung his crowbar,
Bastion's blade left a scar,
And the demon cursed them with its last claws!

Then Venger revealed with a sigh,
That Pradam was Presto — oh my!
And Tiamat roams free,
In this realm, you see,
While Barlo just ruffled his fur and asked why!

Exported from GMAssistant on 2026-08-16