Session 4: Circling The Outlands

The Outlands

Summary

TBD

XP Award

• 175 XP for surviving the Githyanki Training Session
• 50 XP for stealing the silver skiff
• 50 XP for escaping Viran -- and setting him in the wrong direction
• 100 XP for obliterating Gutterjaw and Slygrip.
• 50 XP for uncovering an impish murder victim
• 50 XP for acquiring a Monodrone companion.
• Total: 475 XP
• Current XP: 530 XP -> 1005 XP (Level 3)

Things That Happened

The Cleric of Twilight

• Date: 4th of Tarsakh (The Claw of the Storms, April), 1372 DR
• Diedric Doppleblough arrives at The Rebel Estate in Lirensk.
  • He was sent by his foster father, Azhar Al-Farid, to help Galdren Murendar with "his project" and to do whatever was asked of him.
  • The journey from Calimshan took months by horse and wagon.
  • He was greeted by Neribion and in the lead-lined reception room saw five linen-wrapped bodies in a circle being used as cat beds.
  • Galdren spoke briefly to Diedric, asking him to stand-by, and also inquiring as to Azhar's ring, asking how many gems it still bore.
  • Diedric answered truthfully that the ring bears a single red ruby and is missing two stones. Galdren looked relieved.
• Meanwhile...

Evening the Odds

• In the Astral Plane, as Kith'rak Gaath watched his apprentice charge the adventurers, he assessed that the odds needed to be evened.
• Using his telekinesis (reasonably accurate), he pulled Cove and Chai away from the party and impaled them both on his massive greatsword.

A Frantic Ritual

• Cove and Chai both awakened in the Prime Material Plane, their linen wrappings melting into water. Two cats leaped off in panic.
• Galdren asked Diedric if he was ready to help, and then to lie in one of the previously-occupied spaces.
• Galdren called for Neribion, and both prepared the ritual site.
• While Neribion held the scroll, Galdren read:
• Astrixxan solthorium "Star-souls awaken"
  • The candles began to flicker.
• Veldriikar kirinth "Journey to the void"
  • The air began to vibrate, the words becoming resonant and loud.
• Melikthar durnaara'an "Bind to distant echoes"
  • A roaring gale, the candle flames turned silver. Some began to float. Galdren maintained his footing, better prepared. Neribion knelt to brace himself.
• Thalxian'aar tiivak! "By astral winds, be carried."
• The scroll crumbled to ash as the Prime Material Plane was ripped away from Deidrick.

The Silver Skiff Heist

• Diedric materialized upside-down in the Astral Plane, immediately taking in:
  • The silent, silver void around him.
  • Learning to move by willing it instead of using muscles.
  • A turquoise swirling pool of color.
  • A silver oar-less boat with a strange man hovering above it while another charged at an owl person, the coldest elf he has ever seen, and a muscular human.
• Diedric decided the best course of action was to debate who was upside down and who wasn't.

Encounter 1: Githyanki Training Session

• Highlights:
  • Viran pretending to attack Glenn only to Misty Step and assault Octavius instead.
  • Viran resisting a Sleep spell.
  • Octavius fending off both Greatsword attacks.
  • Cedani scoring a blow with Eldritch Blast across Viran's face

• Glenn hopped into the silver skiff, and commandeered it, drifting it across the party, with each member grabbing a hold of it as it passed.
• Collectively willing the skiff to go faster, including Glenn dashing and using his action surge, it careened into the turquoise color pool before Viran or Gaath could react.
• All were enveloped in turquoise ink.

The Chase In The Outlands

• Eight feet above (and parallel to) the ground, the turquoise color pool opened up, the silver skiff and all party members hurtling to the ground, taking minor damage.
• After some introductions (and Diedric seeing Glenn's frog form), Viran began to slowly come out of the turquoise color pool.
• The party ran, hid successfully while Viran recovered from rapid-aging sickness, and Glenn successfully used a coin to lead him in the opposite direction.
• The party took in their surroundings, including scattered patches of different terrain, strange long-necked creatures, and an infinitely tall spire with Sigil floating above it.
• They ran in Viran's opposite direction, following a patchwork road.
• Eventually looting the silver chest, the party found hundreds of gold coins from various worlds and a full jar of illithid Keoghtom's Ointment].

Meeting the Bariaur

Kyrrex

• The party met with a kindly Bariaur, Kyrrex, who had just started his trek to circle every gatetown in The Outlands.
• He advised them to hide their astral cords.
• He explained heading toward the Spire would be folly, as it would take over one-hundred cycles.
• He explained the closer you get, the more magic wanes, until even life wanes near its base.
• Instead, he said you should go to a gate-town and seek passage to Sigil. The road will lead to the nearest one.
• He warned against venturing too far outward, lest you slip into an outer plane -- and to instead head spireward if needed.
• He gifted a waterskin and leapt away, showing off his 30 feet jumps.

Impish Thievery

• Date: 5th of Tarsakh (The Claw of the Storms, April), 1372 DR
• The party made camp for the night in a white sand desert with placid, flat mirror lakes, each reflecting an empty black sky.
• They set up a watch.
• Diedric woke up to whispering sounds, noted tiny footsteps leading away from Glenn's sleeping form and his backpack missing, and alerted the party.
• The party saw Glenn's backpack being poured into a larger sack by invisible hands. One of them was clumsy and clattered the silver chest on to the ground.
• Cursing at one another (Gutterjaw and Slygrip), the voices eventually spotted the party and flew off invisibly.

Encounter 2: The Imp Burglars

• Highlights:
  • The two imps launched their usual ambush -- fly in while invisible and gang up on a target.
  • One was grappled by Glenn.
  • The other was a victim to Faerie Fire.
  • Both exploded in an arcane onslaught -- one before acting at all (outside of the surprise round).

• There was additional scattered loot around the imp's [Bag of Holding].
  • The most notable was a vulpine, functional [Mimir].
  • The party experimentally tried drawing items out of the Bag of Holding.
    • They found a muddy boot.
    • They found the corpse of another imp, clearly murdered by the other two.
    • They harvested their stingers.

They Share Their Water Here

Waterbrook Village

• After finishing their rest, the party continued to navigate through varied terrain.
  • Mysterious bogs with multi-colored motes of light.
  • Arid deserts with sand dunes.
  • A dense, difficult-to-navigate jungle.
• Eventually the jungle cleared into an open prairie with a reed-lined river, and a small village of white tents and white clad villagers. Some were gathering reeds and tubers from the river for cooking.
• From the repeated intonations of "we share our water here" and unfocused, glassy stares, it became clear that these were Petitioners -- deceased souls living in their afterlives.
  • These particular petitioners appeared to worship no god, and instead just shared the true neutral value of sharing equally with others.
  • Species were varied, including Grakka, an elderly goblin woman, a hobgoblin, dwarves and humans.
• The party witnessed one of the villagers, a woman with red hair, removing the cowl of her white robes and dissipating into motes of orange light, which then spread over the land.
  • Grakka explained that she had become one with The Outlands and would be reborn, as is all their fates.
• The party shared tubers with the villagers, flavoring some pots to be spicy or savory.
  • A dwarf child witnessed Octavius spreading his wings.
• The party departed in peace.

The Modron Patrol

Unit 137

• Most of day passed, the terrain growing more blasted and blackened. A molten peak was visible in the distance, and clouds were now black.
• To the sounds of "One, two! One, two!", the party bore witness to ten monodrones being led by a single duodrone.
  • One of the monodrones was rolling instead of marching, and once it stood up, had one set of wings painted in many colors.
• The duodrone, Unit 1247, described that he was leading the troop to the gatetown of Automata for repairs and reassignment.
  • The group persuaded the duodrone to relinquish the monodrone to their care, as they could repair it faster.
  • The monodrone was removed from the Source. (It is now a Rogue Modron.)
• The troop proceeded on their march.
  • Once ordered to speak, the monodrone asked many questions about the nature of existence, its self, its purpose, and other topics.
  • The group assigned him the following aliases: Uni and Little Guy.
  • The group designated itself its superior.
  • In the case of conflicting commands, they authorized Unit 137 to select an option at random.
  • They asked it to perform a random action. It bounced up and down like a ball.
• The modron rolled, following the group.

Ribcage: The Spine of Baator

• Deciding they didn't want to camp in a blasted wasteland, the party continued through the encroaching night, following the patchwork road.
• A line of burning palm tree bordered the path.
• An orange glow was visible in the distance.
• The party then beheld a fortified town -- encircled by a moat of molten rock, two sets of iron walls, and two rows of dry, cracked spires of rock curling over its sides, like the earthen ribs of a long-dead beast.
• The Mimir confirmed the worst:
  • "Designation: Ribcage. Colloquially known as the Spine of Baator, gate-town to the Nine Hells. Constructed upon a forgotten battlefield. Divided into five districts, each ruled by a senator, with the Citadel of Cinders at its center, ruled by — [gear sounds, new data coming in] Duchess Zelza Zurkbane. Previous duke, Paracs, status unknown. Infested by Baatezu — previously disallowed. Main exports: souls, information, secrets. Prolonged exposure risks corruption. Entry to Nine Hells is ill-advised."
• A [red abishai] flew overhead, into the town.

Maps

TBD -- insert that cool planar map.

NPCs Encountered (or mentioned)

• Kith'rak Gaath, the Githyanki Elder
• Viran, the Githyanki Student
• Kyrrex, The Welcoming Bariaur
• Gutterjaw and Slygrip, The Imp Burglars
• Grakka, The Sharer of Water
• Unit 1247, the Marching Duodrone
• Unit 137, the Rolling Monodrone
• Azhar Al-Farid, The Calimshite Prince

Memes

• Ahoy hoy is canon Feywild speech.
• Multiattack?! [head lies on table in defeat]]

DM Thoughts

• The PCs are more powerful than I anticipate during encounters.
• [Mimirs] are a great convenience for planar campaigns. Instead of being at the mercy of Arcana checks, the party now has reliable basic information about the planes, being educated as they go.
• Marti has deciphered the Alaundo Prophecy given to Cove, out of character.