Session 4: Circling The Outlands

The Outlands

Summary

Diedric Doppleblough arrived at The Rebel Estate just in time to serve as a replacement for Cove and Chai, who had both been annihilated in the Astral Plane by Kith'rak Gaath (and returned to the Prime Material Plane) in order to even the odds for his student, Viran.

The party immediately fought bravely stole a silver skiff full of treasure and ran from the encounter through the turquoise color pool, arriving in The Outlands.

Evading Viran with a tossed coin, they circled The Great Wheel clockwise, passing by a friendly Bariaur, being attacked by burglar imps in the night, visiting a village of friendly water-sharing petitioners, adopting an addled Modron from a patrolling squadron, and finally seeing the gate-town of Ribcage, also known as The Spine of Baator, entrance to the Nine Hells, looming before them.

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

Azhar Al-Farid

• 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. This ended their Astral Projection spell.
  • DM Note: This is because these two players left the D&D campaign.

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
  • Octavius's mouse Alaundo slow-motion missing Viran and orbiting back into Octavius's pocket.

• 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.
  • The party does not know if this color pool is one way or two way.
• 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 gate-town 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.
    • Glenn discovered he could breathe underwater here.
  • 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 the 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 gate-town 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.
  • It can't remember much of its past -- but it recalls awakening injured in Limbo.
• The modron rolled, following the group.

Ribcage: The Spine of Baator

Ribcage - Gate-town of The Nine Hells

• 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 trees 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

Map - Session 4

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.
• For over 20 years, I thought Bags of Holding linked to the Ethereal Plane. They actually use the Astral Plane. Go figure.
  • It's strange, since demiplanes are on the Ethereal Plane. Having a Bag of Holding be a miniature demiplane makes sense.
  • But then the Astral Plane is connected to both the Prime Material Plane and the Outer Planes -- so that must be the correct plane.