Session 12: The Grove of Stars

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The Monolith of Stars

Summary

Taporan at Night
A Message In Ice
The Wolf Lodge
Aila
Thenn at Peace
The Telthor of Stars

The party's journey took them to Taporan, a stone-built riverside town where a sudden snowfall brought a message from Cedani's patron, urging her to part ways with the group to save her bard. She took Uchu and Diedric and promptly stole a barge. Meanwhile, the others ventured to the Wolf Lodge, a Rashemi stronghold where they encountered Lilia, a starry-eyed witch seeking her missing sister. Lilia joined the group as they uncovered secrets about the adventurers staying at the lodge, including a halfling dragonslayer harboring mysterious vials of dragon blood.

Taking flight the next morning on their carpet, the party was ambushed by a wyvern emerging from the fog. In a cinematic aerial battle, Glenn decapitated the beast mid-air, and the group harvested its remains. Their journey continued to Urlingwood, where three masked witches guided them to the Grove of Stars, a tranquil yet otherworldly sanctuary bathed in eternal twilight. They tried and failed to cure Glenn's curse, saying it needed to be done where it was originally cast. In the center of the glade, the Monolith of Stars revealed the Telthor of Stars, who discussed divination and revealed visions of potential futures. He confirmed that Lilia's sister was taken east by goblins.

The final vision revealed an ogre charging through the forest. Shouts of alarm and the clash of arrows followed, heralding an imminent assault.

XP Award

  • 250 XP for discovering the halfling's blood storage
  • 767 XP for defeating the wyvern
  • 500 XP for reaching the Grove of Stars, where this conflict began
  • Total: 1517 XP
  • Current XP: 11813 XP -> 13330 XP (Level 5)
  • (Required for next level: 14000 XP)

Things That Happened

Galdren's Letter

  • Date: 12th of Tarsakh (The Claw of the Storms, April), evening, 1372 DR
  • Unknown to the party, Galdren Murendar summarized the last session's events in his letter to [Azhar Al-Farid]].

While these adventurers are oft alien to me, their strangeness may belie their efficacy. Their construct and my apprentice have formed an unlikely friendship, and it has been most forthcoming about their planar travels.

Azhar, they’ve been to a gate of the Nine Hells. They outwitted a fiend into binding itself into their servitude. They’ve walked the City of Doors. They’ve passed through a village of souls long dead. And if the construct is to be believed, they were guests of a djinn stronghold in the Plane of Air and rescued their prince when they felled the avatar of an elemental god.

Gods, how it recalls our youth, the three of us cavorting in the sands of Calimshan. Yet how small too, how mundane, our travels seem now compared to theirs. For the most part.

Their owlin aids in my research of the stone and memory, but is largely motivated by wealth. More gold is needed. Your coffers run deep, but know I would not ask this if it were not vital.

The eladrin is their soul, driving them forward with icy determination. Your ward is their conscience — my thanks for sending Diedric with them. The lord of the fallen house grows grim as his curse worsens. The wychlarans of Urlingwood have allowed them passage to cure him of his affliction. May Tymora allow for them to not be too late. The Telthor, like our foe, has taken an interest in the owlin.

The simian, while a psionic wonder, puts me at ill-ease. He may carry an affliction of the mind.

The party has been at rest, preparing for their journey north, sheltering in safety from divination, although I cannot stay his gaze from them forever. The paladin of vengeance has reached her order in the Endless Wastes, beseeching their aid. The bard of names travels west, making for the Sword Coast and Evermeet beyond. Ulmokina and her beasts still scout Surthay for where the rest of the captives from Ironjaw’s Mirth were taken.

Should Mystra smile upon us, by Mirtul or Kythorn, we will soon know what Navarra knew. I dare not hope, but you know what I must try again.

Your friend, Galdren.

Approaching Taporan

  • The party walked from their landing site toward the town of Taporan.
  • They followed the River Tir, the terrain less forested than before.
  • Ahead, they could see the small town, unusual for its stone construction and cobbled streets.
  • It's a major hub for barge building and river trade. A lone bargeman was working late at night.

A Message in Ice

  • The air grew cold and snow started to fall... even though no clouds were present.
  • The sound of ice freezing and crackling on water was heard.
  • Cedani knew this was a message from her patron.
  • She proceeded to a nearby pond and found the message freezing into place in a delicate Sylvan:

Take the barge and journey south;
Your bard is bound near a troll's foul mouth.
The signs I leave shall guide your flight;
Bring him to me ere wanes his night.
The seasons converge where the Seelie reign;
Bid your companions farewell, their paths remain.

  • After a pause:

Bring the selunite.

  • After a even more hesitant pause:

And the simian.

  • The last message seemed apologetic.
  • Sugarplum, the pixie, flitted around and said:

To the south, your bard is stewed,
Troll soup's on, and he's the food!

  • And to Glenn:

I borrowed your name, I’ll make it right,
Forgive me, Glenn, it’s yours tonight!

  • Sugarplum made a releasing motion, returning Glenn's name to him.
  • Smokescale waved bye to Cedani, Diedric, and Uchu as they, in the distance, hopped into a barge.
    • Uchu began paddling with his paws.
    • The bargemaster screamed and chased after them. Diedric was seen taking out a coin pouch and paying the man.
  • Cedani has left the party.
  • Smokescale made himself invisible.
  • Unit 137 asked if he were allowed to remain visible, and attempted to stealth by crouching low and walking in slow motion.

The Witch of Stars

  • The party approached a large structure -- the Wolf Lodge. A large stone building with a wolf banner.
  • It was surrounded by a pack of wolves.
  • They witnessed a Rashemi Wychlaran woman and a berserker leaving the lodge. The woman donned her wooden mask, knelt to all fours, and shapeshifted into a wolf, leading the back out and through the forest. The berserker ran to follow.
  • Sitting on the steps was a Lilia, a young witch belonging to a coven of the moon and stars. She had a witch's broom in her lap, which she demonstrated during the conversation.
  • She informed the party that she knew they were on the way to Urlingwood and needed to join them to find a missing sister.
    • The sister was seeking entry into Urlingwood as well.
  • The party deliberated, but allowed her to join them.
  • Lilia has joined the party.
  • She let them know that they were allowed to rest in the Wolf Lodge for free, and all entered.

The Wolf Lodge

  • The interior wasn't too different from an inn -- a large central hearth, blankets in a circle, sleeping alcoves in the walls, and trestle tables.
  • Seated at a table were a group of Rashemi berserkers and a woman with milk-white skin and hair, with pebbles making up a good portion of her arms.
    • Aila, a spiritfolk, descendant of a Telthor spirit and a mortal. Her mother is the Telthor of Boulders.
    • She easily defeated a berserker (Tiam) at arm wrestling, who then headed to a table of well-dressed adventurers.
    • The party inquired about the Grove of Stars -- Aila confirmed they were all welcome there, although she was curious about the missing simian.
    • She walked away, little pebbles following her on the floor.
    • Octavius asked if she would tell him if she found out how they did that. She said she wouldn't.
  • The party approached the group of adventurers.
    • A halfling woman in dark robes, Qualm, sat on the table, stabbing a map of northern Rashemen with her dagger.
    • A gruff human man (Erik) wearing an eye patch with no fewer than three crossbows strapped to his back, with a fourth on the table. Bandoliers with crossbow bolts were strapped to his torso, arms, and even legs.
    • A grim half-orc man (Turim) with a massive, oversized greatsword on his back. He wore very long teeth on a necklace.
    • Tiam, the Rashemi berserker, was their newest member.
  • Octavius offended the halfling by calling her little one, with attempts by Lilia to diffuse the tension.
  • After some defensiveness about his intelligence and an alleged doctorate degree, they managed to draw from the adventurers that they were dragonslayers.
    • They had previously slain a blue, black, and green dragon. As per their map, they were planning a journey to slay Kissethkashaan, a white dragon, in his lair.
    • They said that dragon did not harry Rashemi lands, but was nested between goblin and kobold tribes. They were concerned about avoiding them.
      • Erik is doing it for the coin, this being his last job.
      • Qualm did not want to discuss her reasons.
      • For Turim, it was personal for his orc tribe, who lived to the east of the mountains, in the Endless Wastes.
      • Tiam was shy and did not speak.
    • Octavius brought up the concern of what would happen if they failed and the dragon grew angry with the Rashemi people.
    • Glenn suggested creating a distraction.
  • The party settled for the night.
  • Octavius used Detect Thoughts to glean:
    • A random patron thought of a striped elk he had seen.
    • Qualm has vials and jugs full of dragon blood she has been collecting, in a wagon at the rear of the lodge.
      • Images of her hovering in the air, striking dragons down with lightning bolts.
    • Erik was half-jokingly considering robbing Qualm and fleeing before the job.
      • Images of Erik dual-wielding crossbows, descending from the ceiling with a rope.
    • Turim thought of his tribe harried by a black dragon.
      • Images of him decapitating dragons with his massive sword.
  • Octavius scouted the stables behind the lodge, a lone wolf watching him, only to find a locked halfling-sized wagon.
  • Octavius, scuffed at the halfling's past rudeness, confronted her about dragon blood.
    • She hissed at him to be silent, the tension building, until the half-orc diffused it and said he didn't care.
    • She eventually "relented" and shared that she bathed in the blood as a skincare routine. Octavius believed her.
    • She offered to sell a small vial for 3000gp. Octavius refused.
  • He retreated for the night.

Flight of the Wyvern

  • Date: 13th of Tarsakh (The Claw of the Storms, April), morning, 1372 DR
  • On the way out of the lodge, the party donated copper coins to a bowl depicting Tymora, Lady Luck.
  • The party departed in a cool, crisp morning, taking flight just 40 feet above the ground on their carpet.
    • Smokescale volunteered to fly.
  • Low fog was still visible in the morning.
  • Cedani used her astrolabe to measure the sun's position.
  • With no warhammer of warning in hand, the party was beset by a wyvern descending from within the fog.

Encounter 1: Wyvern

  • Highlights:
    • Cedani leading the damage with repeated guiding bolts, searing off wounds in its wings.
    • Octavius narrowly escaping an attempt to pick him up and a tail lash.
    • Glenn leaping on to the wyvern as an unwilling mount, using a javelin and his invisible sword to hold on.
    • Glenn evading multiple attempts to grapple, although suffering a cruel poisoned wound to his face.
    • The wyvern flying higher in the air, the party in pursuit on a flying carpet and witch's broom.
    • Glenn decapitating the wyvern mid-air, effortlessly landing back on the carpet as it tried to catch him high in the sky.
    • Unit 137 performing barrel rolls as evasive maneuvers.
  • The party proceeded to butcher the creature for its stinger, its teeth, and its blood.
  • Octavius rubbed its blood on his feathers for skincare purposes.

Urlingwood Welcomes

  • The party took flight for several more hours before reaching the edge of Urlingwood.
  • There they were greeted by three identical witches in black masks and cloaks with silver swirls (Sorina, Velka, and Nyssra.)
    • All three walked in synchrony and spoke one after the other, completing the next sentence in a statement.
  • They welcomed the party to Urlingwood, saying a visit from outsiders was rare, and told them not to stray from the path.
  • As they walked, they would disable protective wards by whispering to stones and branches.
  • On the walk, the party spotted Temuur, the striped elk from the sleepy man's memories. He's the Telthor of the Path.
  • The canopy was thick, trees close, and the air felt of static and ancient power.

The Grove of Stars

  • The party reached the edge of the forest and entered the Grove of Stars, bright noon-time daylight immediately turning to twilight, stars visible overhead.
    • The grove was peaceful, with unarmed rashemi men, unmasked witches, tents, and children at play.
    • At its center was an inner copse of trees, with a silver light coming from within.
    • Lilia recognized none of the constellations. They felt like they were from another world.
  • The three witches said they were going to commune with the Telthor of Stars and bid the party wait.
  • Lilia took measurements of the stars with her astrolabe.
  • Octavius sketched the brightest stars.

The Charmed Guard

  • The party was spotted by Thenn, the charmed guard who was spared during the conflict with the Red Wizards.
  • He hailed them, still wearing some manacles, ornamentally. A gruff woman watched him work a pot of soup, arms folded.
  • He asked after Chai, and wished her well. The Telthor was treating him well.
  • He explained that the Telthor showed him that Haga was his future wife, even though she hated him, and that she had already named their four children.
  • Lilia asked a random wychlaran woman (in the middle of whittling) if she had seen her missing sister. She said she was chased off for tresspassing, nearly killed, but then beset by goblins. This was ten days ago.
    • She also asked if they ever left the grove to get sunlight. She explained that they did, but liked to raise children here, and that it had been twilight ever since the Monolith arrived in this place.

Three Wychlarans and a Frog Walk Into a Grove

  • The three witches returned, asking Glenn to kneel for his affliction to be removed.
  • They cast a spell using circle magic, encircling him, speaking in Druidic (which Octavius could not translate.)
  • They were knocked backwards by the spell, and in a rare moment, spoke of out sync.
  • They explained that "the barbs were still attached", but not in Glenn, but "at a place" -- and that he would need return to where the curse began to break it.
    • They told Lilia to invoke her magic there, and that they could do no more for him here.
    • Glenn announced "We're going to Cormyr?"
  • The witches said the Telthor would see "Bloodfeather" now.

The Monolith of Stars

  • The party squeezed through tightly packed trees into the inner grove, and beheld The Monolith of Stars -- made of a strange stone with starry markings and with moving, glowing constellations overhead.
  • The sky and plant life continued to look alien, not native of Faerun.
  • Above the monolith, the stars coalesced into the shape of an owl, the Telthor of Stars.
  • It spoke mostly in cryptic statements:

"The quill that writes upon tomorrow's page arrives. Your presence ripples across unformed days."
"Speak of the prism through which you fracture the light of what-may-be."
"Celestial eddies glide through the tapestry of existence, their courses fixed yet roiling. A frog leaps into the stream, a feather falls in the wind - perturbations birth new confluences, unseen tributaries flow anew."
"When two stones are cast into a still pond – ripples collide, patterns shatter. When many hands stir the cosmic waters, which ripples persist? Which truths endure? What guides the hands? More ripples, or more stones?"
"Roots of a dead tree drink from wells yet to be dug. In the dry riverbeds of tomorrow, seeds of ancient forests sprout."
"This shard of eternity sings. Let its song resonate within your hollow spaces."
"The eclipse foretold casts its shadow soon. In its umbra, new stars are born."

  • Octavius responded to some of it, understanding that it touched on the nature of his research -- if the Netherese had divination, how could they not prevent their own end? And how multiple diviners interacting and clashing may have the most influencial / most powerful one have the winning effect.
  • He responded with just "Ok" sometimes. (^_^)

Bloodfeather's Visions

  • When prompted, Octavius touched the Monolith by pressing his ear against it and saw an onslaught of mixed, fragmented, differing-strength images, many sequentially and some with alternate versions:
    • The sun rising and setting rapidly, each heartbeat bringing a new day.
    • Trees growing, flowers sprouting, dying.
    • Cedani and three other eladrin, Summer, Spring, and Autumn, navigating a bog as dark shapes surround them.
    • Blue fire crisscrossing the sky, lines burning as Faerûn screams.
    • Diedric wielding Selune in his left arm.
    • A colossal brain hovering over a city on the Sword Coast, many tendrils hanging down.
    • Images of swords, arrows, and slings. Of future wounds and near misses. (one portend die permanently gained by Octavius)
    • Uchu, resolute, placing a silver helmet on his head (looks like Magneto’s helmet with silver cables attached) as neon explosions appear behind him.
    • A colossal axe parting the clouds.
    • Unit 137 wearing a crown of daggers as a legion of devils cheer.
    • Devil wings melting in water.
    • A frog riding a falcon over foggy green hills.
    • A flame burning Octavius from within.
    • The obelisk lying on its side in the sunlight.
    • Lilia throwing her arms to the side as the stars in the sky drift apart, following her command.
    • Tharos Orakul’s eyes staring at Octavius in surprise, then amusement as he touches the monolith inside of a grand tower.
    • Diedric struggling to breathe as his throat is crushed by a clawed hand bearing a strange gauntlet — five rings, joined by golden chains, terminating in a golden nail on each finger.
    • Undead shuffling in great masses, Thaymount exploding in the background.
    • An ogre crashing through the trees, charging at Octavius as he turns from facing the monolith… ten seconds from now.

The Assault Begins

  • Screaming and the sounds of "They came from underground!" and arrows firing were heard in the distance.
  • As the Telthor disappeared, he confirmed for Lilia that her sister was taken east, into the icy mountains.
  • The session came to an end.

Maps

  • Nothing worth uploading a map for.

NPCs Encountered (or mentioned)

Memes

  • "Defund the Rashemi!"
  • Telthor: "Roots of a dead tree drink from wells yet to be dug. In the dry riverbeds of tomorrow, seeds of ancient forests sprout."
    • Octavius: "Ok"
  • Nick: "Ah, I see, Neribion isn't a self-insert, but rather just an experiment in having a character's backstory depend on the actions of players in a campaign. That's super based and creative. Apologies for seeing it otherwise. Just because the character likes cats and has a big [bleep] doesn't mean he's you. I wish I had a [bleep] as big as Neribion's [bleep]. It's been a major issue in my relationships. Don't tell Lydia I said that. I wish I were as cool as you."

DM Thoughts

  • People really latched on to the Uchu vision.
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