We started with a debate on the loot we got last time. Even though we were short a player or two. When Dave showed up, Briscoe took the healing staff and the short sword with the intent of transferring the ruins onto the staff when Xeelie next plays. The staff and the sword went into storage until that could happen. He also took the eyes of the eagle since he’s one of the characters without low light vision. The rest was sold, I think. We took several long rests to recover from the drains and went down to the dungeons.
We noted the cages were repopulated making that pointless fight even more pointless. TerStegan tried to talk to the Chuul about how it got in there but it didn’t answer in a language we understood. We decided to sail around past the alcoves and down to the newly seen docks halfway to the mushroom room. The boats held 3 but with 2 small characters, we packed into one. That dock had an impressive door but it wasn’t locked. The small room beyond it was filled with mud. Oakwood poked at it with a stick and determined it was 2 feet deep. So difficult terrain. As he pondered building a bridge with parts of the docks, TerStegan suggested moving the small boat through the door and using that instead. Once in place, we started crossing to the door on the far side of the 20x20 room. When suddenly, 4 Children of Belcora came out of the mud and we rolled initiative.
First, someone somewhere cast something. And then a Dread Wraith passed through the far door. It grabbed TerStegan’s heart. 28 Will save. He used Orc Superstition and crit saved because it was a fear effect. So, 22 points. One of the children attacked Oakwood. It hit for 11. And then missed and missed again. It was then Oakwood’s turn but first… A Fort save for the stink which he made. And another save against the draining presence of the wraith. He couldn’t target a cone AOE without hitting TerStegan so he turned on his Nimbus and cast Heroism. Another child took 8 from the Nimbus and hit TerStegan for 7. Briscoe saved against the stink and the presence. He cast a 3 action Heal, getting the room. He rolled 18 and they were all undead. The wraith only took half. TerStegan made his save but missed the draining one. He didn’t want to be drained again so he used a hero point and saved. He crit with a Swipe and did 42 plus persistent fire and fear. Another one missed TerStegan and then burrowed over to get flanking. It took a Reactive Strike from TerStegan who crit again. That did 43 and 10 on the guy it was near when the reaction was triggered. That killed the would-be flanker. Clarisa still had all the conditions from last week. Once cleared, she made her saves. She cast Flurry of Claws. She hit one for 23. And cast Shield. The last one lived through the Nimbus damage and attacked TerStegan with flanking. It missed and missed twice more. And survived the persistent fire from his crit.
The wraith opened the door with a Mage Hand. And then wrapped its robes around TerStegan, attempting to turn him into a wraith. It was a 28 Will save which he crit failed. And he was out of hero points. He was blinded by the normal light but got Life Sense out 10 feet. He could sense the large snake with a human head that was revealed behind the door. Lastly it hit TerStegan for 21. Next was Vethris, the naga. It cast Black Tentacles, getting everyone. (A 5th level spell.) Clarisa was grabbed and took 17 points. But the rest were somehow missed. It also grabbed and killed the two children that were on the ropes. Oakwood started in the tentacles but first he did a Blazing Wave. The Naga crit saved for none and the wraith saved for half plus resistances so a net 5. He then turned his Nimbus back on. And the tentacles missed. The last child hit TerStegan for 11. And then missed twice. Briscoe cast Moonlight Ray on the Naga. He made the Blur flat check and crit on the hit. But it wasn’t a fiend or undead so no double damage. Only 21. He then moved into the room to get out of the tentacle area. But the wraith got a Reactive Strike as he went by. That was 23 points. TerStegan was blinded by the light. He argued a Swipe against the two big guys based on the fact that they hadn’t moved since he could see. He missed both of them without even trying the flat check. He then cast Shield. The tentacles missed him by one. Clarisa was grabbed, off guard and immobilized. She did the Claws again, hitting the last child for 19. And missed the Naga.
The wraith took 10 fire however it actually bounced. It did a Grip of Fear on Oakwood. He missed the 28 Will save and took 30 points. And then hit him for 19 more. The Naga took less than 10 fire and then targeted Clarisa with a spell. Paul asked if he could use Life Sense to get a Reactive Strike. After some rule looking up, Brian said yes but he missed the flat check regardless. Clarisa made the 23 Fort save for Sickened 1. She also started to turn into a snake. (It was a “limited” 8th level Baneful Polymorph.) And then it hit TerStegan for 15 plus a 28 Fort save against the poison. He failed the save for 5 poison damage and Stupefied 1. Oakwood missed the wraith and then hit for 12, resisted to 6. The tentacles hit him for 4 plus grabbed. The last child attacked Briscoe and did 9. He made the save. It then missed twice more. Briscoe attempted to use Cleanse Affliction to remove the curse on TerStegan. He missed the Nature roll and used a hero point to succeed. He then crit failed on a treat poison attempt. Clarisa went before TerStegan as he was AFK. She used her staff to cast Floating Flame. She placed it on the wraith and then used an action to move it on the naga. She made the flat check to cast while grappled. The wraith crit saved and took nothing as did the naga. TerStegan Swiped the two big guys. He crit the wraith for 42 but missed the flat check on the Naga. He then hit the last child for 26 and killed it. And then was grabbed by the tentacles. And then missed the poison save and reached stage 2. 5 points and Stupefied 2.
The wraith took none from the Nimbus. It tried to turn Oakwood into a wraith and he saved with a nat 20. It then grabbed his heart. He rolled a 1, used a hero point to merely fail. That did 38. The naga cast a spell near TerStegan. He hit it for 21. She cast Mirror Image and then crit TerStegan. That did 34. Oakwood crit with a nat 20 for 27 vitality damage on the wraith and then hit again for 14. Briscoe moved to do DV on Oakwood. The wraith’s Reactive Strike missed. He healed him 53 points. He then moved back and did DV on TerStegan for 49 points. And then did treat poison on TerStegan and only failed for no effect. Clarisa moved her fire onto the wraith so that they both had to make saves. The naga saved but it removed a mirror image. The wraith crit saved. She then cast Laughing Fit. The naga missed the save. Lastly Clarisa took 1 from the tentacles. TerStegan did Swipe again and missed them both. And then cast Shield and beat the Stupefied flat check. He then took 4 from the tentacles and saved against the poison. That reduced him to Stup 1 and took another 7 points.
The wraith did the robes on TerStegan again. He rolled a nat 20 and crit saved despite the Stupefied -2. It then took a step back and closed the door. Oakwood escaped, stepped and opened the door. The naga was still laughing. Oakwood was then grabbed again by the tentacles. Unfortunately, he ended in the Floating Flame square. Briscoe did a DV on Clarisa to treat her sickened state. And then missed with his trident. Clarisa released the flame but sustained the Laughing Fit. She cast a TK and beat the grab, mirror image and the blur. That did 21. TerStegan attacked the still prone naga and missed. The second swing hit but it only took out another image. He used his last action to use his helmet to get 3 manipulate actions. He pulled out his key and cast Unfettered Movement on himself. He made the Stup and grabbed checks to do so. He took 6 from the grab and failed against the poison. So back to stage 2 and another 10 damage.
The wraith delayed. The naga was slowed 1. She threatened Clarisa and cast a spell. TerStegan got another Reactive Strike and took out the last image. Clarisa missed the save, used a hero point and saved. Then the wraith went through the walls and closed the door again from our side. And then hit TerStegan for 9 points. Oakwood missed the wraith. And then did Dash of Herbs to give TerStegan 23 hit points and another poison save. He missed by 1 and Oakwood used his focus point to have him make it. And took another 4 from the grab. Briscoe cast a 3 action heal and made the flat check. He did 31 points and the wraith took it all. He then took 3 from the grab. Clarisa sustained her spell even though she couldn’t see the naga. She made the flat check and cast Vitality Lash. Half of 12 was enough to kill the wraith. TerStegan opened the door, regripped his axe and attacked the naga. And missed with a 2. And missed the conceal roll anyway. And took 2 points. And failed on the poison and was back to stage 2. And took another 2.
The naga stood up and took a Reactive Strike from TerStegan. He made the flat check and then hit. That did 32. She begged for mercy and closed the door. Oakwood opened the door and hit for a meager 10 points of cold damage. And took 1 from squeezing. Briscoe cast Frostbite but missed both flat checks. He then flung his trident and missed. And then took 3. Clarisa did another TK. She missed and missed a flat check to boot. TerStegan demoralized her for frightened 1. And then crit her for 51 and killed her. And then automatically escaped the tentacles. He saved on the poison so back to stage 1 and 7 more points. And was grabbed again.
Oakwood escaped the still present tentacles and moved into the mud and out of the AOE. Briscoe missed his escape roll twice but rolled a nat 20 to escape. But it reattacked at the end of his turn and grabbed him again. Clarisa failed to escape 3 times and took 5. TerStegan automatically escaped and moved into the naga’s room. He crit failed the poison roll, used a hero point to just fail. And used his last point to fail again. He took another 7 and the poison expired. Brian finally moved us out of combat.
While the room was searched, Oakwood did Herbs for all he could. Briscoe did detect magic and found nothing. The body had nothing. A search of the room found a door behind a tapestry. In that treasure room we found Bracers of Missile Deflection greater, 3 Murder’s Knot talisman, a Wand of Fireball level 3, a Potion of Quickness and a Javelin of Lightning. Plus, some cash stuff. We stopped there. We used some resources but should be able to press on. I think this area was a dead end so we’ll likely continue on to the giant mushroom cavern.
