Dungeon of the Mad Mage: ...and all of your heads explode

The party regrouped in Waterdeep, and spent some time selling off loot, shopping for magic items and high quality diamonds. They actually found nothing of interest after rolling poorly on the merchant tables, so they used their old teleport network to take a detour through Neverwinter. Here they bought some gear and a diamond to resurrect Szivem. Initially Groin began the ritual on the high street in front of the temple of Lliira, but on rolling a 1, he had to retreat inside before a procession of nobles. Still many people gathered to witness the miracle[1] and the temple gained new followers.

After a well deserved long rest, the adventurers once again descended into the Dungeon. They explored the rest of the mansion, going through the chambers of a noble couple, abandoned in a hurry. They saw and heard signs of being watched. Twice they encountered Star Spawn Larva Mages materializing from thin air. They fought the first one, to general disgust at all the worm-related happenings.

Descent into Avernus: The defense of High Hall

I technically missed a session but there was only some fighting on the road in Elturel on route to High Hall. And that's where we started now: at the entrance to the ruined fort, ambushed by giant crabs and a bearded devil riding one of them.

Descent into Avernus: A stroll through Elturel

The session started with a giant lore dump, first regarding our Candlekeep research, then about harvesting the body parts of devils. 

D&D 5.5: Descent into Avernus

We quickly wrapped up the ghost story by getting a reward: two Candles of Tomorrow. Then we were off to continue our serious adventure involving devils and stuff. Oh, and we also got an infernal puzzle box from the DM. This marvelous 3d printed contraption kept attention off the main happenings for a long while, and we somehow opened it to find M&Ms inside.

D&D 5.5: Candlekeep ghost story

We concluded our journey preparations by visiting Satiir Thione-Hhune, the matriarch we had previously rescued from the Vanthampurs. I presented myself as concerned about her health and all, hoping for a monetary reward, but she promised a favor instead. Good enough.

Once outside Baldur's Gate, Rheia went about her charity work among the Elturel refugees. We also met another Hellrider called Bran, who told us about their order's history and his desire to rebuild it. He was also heading to Candlekeep, so we let him tag along.

Speaking of...

Dungeon of the Mad Mage: ...and your head explodes

Still riding the high of defeating the Angel, the adventurers rested among their duergar allies, then descended into the next level of the dungeon. At least it looked nice, much like a noble manor up in Waterdeep. But it obviously contained horrors - the party was immediately beset by several grells. Being fully rested, high level spells and divine smites flew all around, from fireballs to fire storms.

D&D 5.5: Keeping up with the Vanthampurs

After another round of shopping and things, we decided on a long rest back at the Flaming Fist headquarters, before assaulting the scion of a noble house. Our captain was easy to convince that the investigation was on track. Rheia left us to talk to her own people, but Mortlock accompanied us to the Low Tavern, a ship converted into a, well, tavern, the usual haunt of Amrik Vanthampur.

D&D 5.5: Big Baldur's Gate 3 energy

We were actually meant to play something else, but life happened, so we jumped into this D&D 2024 adventure instead. Excuse our hastily drawn maps and lack of miniatures. Except me, I had the pool of Lucys to draw from.

Silka the halfling rogue and Daramin the elf paladin already played the first part, where they hunted down cultists for the Flaming Fist, just before Elturel was swallowed by the Hells. Big Baldur's Gate 3 energy. I jumped in as Triss Merigold, human sorcerer - a tribute to my Baldur's Gate 3 character. 

Dungeon of the Mad Mage: Angel of Death

Having allied with Ezzat, the adventurers descended to level 21, into a maze of caverns, with tracks lining the floor. Taking a direction at random, they reached a duergar forge. Groin stepped in first, and the duergar greeted him in Dwarfish, telling him where to find the boss. After talking to a guard, then a captain, the party was led to a duergar prince. Valtagar told the story of his people slaughtered and enslaved by a mad angel dwelling here, and enlisted the adventurers against it.

Dungeon of the Mad Mage: Mushrooms vs rock giants

Reconvening after a long time, the party found its way back to the dungeon, descending to level 20. Right at the entrance, there was a death trap; after that, smooth sailing for a while. They skipped a deep chasm and ran into a myconid colony. The Sovereign, a nice lady called Floot, offered them some potions in exchange for destroying the rock giants and rock demons plaguing the level. While still in the telepathic range, Szivem started debating whether to kill her for her fancy glowing hat. Understandably, the myconids asked them to leave the colony.

Dungeon of the Mad Mage: Into the slime (again)

After last session's tough fight against the vampires, the adventurers collected all their loot and travelled back to Waterdeep to sell their treasures and upgrade their gear. While they did not find all the magic items they were looking for[1], the frontline fighters got armor and shields, better weapons and so on. With some time spent on the surface while the armorers fitted their gear, I finally had the occasion to throw some sidequests and roleplay at them.

Dungeon of the Mad Mage: Vampire endgame

The adventurers, along with Billy Butcher, pursued the dragon into the next room. There, they were greeted by whatever mobs fled along with the dragon, a vampire mistress and her bodyguard. Unwilling to join the vampires, the adventurers attacked, and on the vampire's prompting, Billy turned against them.

Golden Vault: Flame on! Reloaded

For our final mission, we must steal the Book of Vile Darkness from an efreeti called Vrakir. What, no killing gods? I was expecting that after all that ramp up. All our upgrades and the rumor mill did exactly nothing, so we flew up north to the Brimstone Hold, a fortress built on the side of an active volcano. The area was patrolled by a red dragon, so we waited until it went away to possibly sleep. This coincided with the arrival of a merchant caravan. I stashed the guys in my Bag, and flew in invisibly. Not even the truesighted devil guards spotted me, as I zoomed in through a giant efreeti statue's mouth spitting lava into the port. 

Right up front, there were some guards, including a Beholder, but I threw some coins to distract them, and sneaked in through a door. I found myself face to face with Nebukath, our informant: an antropomorphic fox. I managed to convince him of my good intentions, then sneaked on through a secret corridor into the guest room. There was just one more corridor, which opened into both Jarazoun's office[1] and Vrakir's quarters, which supposedly held the book. I flew through the corridor to avoid any traps, but upon opening the door to Vrakir's quarters, efreeti statues animated. Sigh. I really did try to finish this in the leftover time after the previous mission. Guess not.

Dungeon of the Mad Mage: Back to the shadows and out again

After some discussions regarding difficulty level, the adventurers got a break and successfully rested beneath a Tiny Hunt, but only after me explaining several different ways the vampires could have thwarted them. Anyway, moving on to a hitherto unexplored corridor, at the end of which strange cultists were chanting something. Cue Fireball.

Dungeon of the Mad Mage: Out of the shadows and back again

After last session's combat, the adventurers sensibly decided to... again try long resting in the same room. Sigh. Not even blocking a door with Stella[1] could hold back the tide of vampires, cultists and bat swarms. The ambush was pretty slick, and a dark mage paralyzed Szivem. She spent most of the time being scratched by bats.

Golden Vault: Dimensional rescue

Our next mission was to investigate a retired adventurer, the archmage Zorhana Adular. She changed completely after trying on a diamond necklace housing a dimensional rift. And so we enter the level range where somebody taking a shower triggers a 3-season epic storyline.

Anyway, the concerned husband, a man called Eliphas[1] sent us a satyr called Fifel Umberhoof with the plan of us joining a ball held for the winter equinox in the Feywild, in their charming palace called Paliset Hall, gifted to them by the prince of frost. The ball was in a couple of days, so sure, let's begin preparations. As usual, we were provided with a map of the premises.

Dungeon of the Mad Mage: Into the shadows

New year, new beginnings. We started off very slowly, due to all the smalltalk, but the players have done their homework, and quickly resurrected the remaining dead and bought their equipment.

They descended into the dungeon once again, first meeting up with the githyanki and learning about what happened while they were recuperating. The gith pounced on the weakened mind flayer colony, slaughtering everything and selling their loot to a gnomish space faring trader. Disappointed, the adventurers poked at this a bit more, but concluded that their fabled magic gear is well and truly gone. Oh well.

The party descended to the next level, immediately feeling the shadows creeping in, concluding that this place is unnaturally evil. They bypassed a wall of darkness, after trying out what happens if you shoot it with arrows, fire, push an arrow in by hand, etc. In a small chamber, they found some coffins, which they immediately proceeded to open. Obviously, vampires. Level 15 adventurers are no joke, even without magic gear, so one vampire spawn died, and the other two fled.

Wreck of the Minnow: a D&D 5E one-shot

In honor of an old time player/returning guest, we held a one shot, a bit reskinned for the occasion. The adventuring party:

• Éowyn, human fighter
• Felgrin, fairy wizard
• Tom Solo, human rogue
• Lou Fes, human ranger
• Vagda Lock, shadar-kai hexblade warlock
• Umber Taker, human cleric

embarked on an expedition to an unexplored island in search of treasure.

Golden Vault: Dimensional train ride

Our goals ever escalate! We need to talk to some guy who knows the true names of 3 leaders of the Lower Planes. He is being transported on an interplanar train ride to be judged in Mechanus, the plane of lawfullness. And a modron called Glitch is helping us with info.

Golden Vault: Flame on

Our newest assignment is once again increased in scope: the saving of the accursed city of Ghalasine. Some evil wizard is using the king's heart for a dark ritual[1] and we need to remove the heart from the city. Further details to be found from Naevys, captain of the royal guard. And of course, some confirmed rumors: there's a huge ball hovering above Ghalasine, and it's vacuuming the city upwards. Locals cannot enter due to a magical barrier.

On to our newly acquired brooms of flying! We flew into the city of Uluvin, neighboring Ghalasine, to meet up with the captain, apparently an elf woman whom 50 tried to seduce, repeatedly, unsuccessfully.