Trobriant
Session 14 July 2024
Farryn looks over at Morph and says, “Biro has fled. Do you want to get him back?”
Morph hesitates, then nods. “Yes, but we need to be careful. The flameskulls might have attacked him.”
Jaf’ar closes his eyes, concentrating, and sends Manny, his manifest mind, out to scout for Biro. A moment later, he grimly reports, “The wall has closed. We can’t go back to where the flameskulls were.”
My eyes widen in shock. “Holy smokes! The hallway and passage… they’re really gone!”
We take a moment to heal, tending to our wounds from the last fight. Jaf’ar then moves to a door to the south and opens it. Inside, we see a portal—an ancient stone arc with a fresco on the wall. The fresco depicts a dwarf locked in battle with an enemy on a stone bridge, majestic mountains looming in the background.
Jaf’ar and Farryn start investigating the walls, searching for any hidden mechanisms or secrets, but after a thorough search, they find nothing. With no other options, we exit the room and head to the door in the north, the one I had previously listened at.
Taking cover, we cautiously open the door. Behind it is another laboratory, this one containing a Scaladar under development on a table. The air is thick with the scent of oil and metal, the lab filled with tools and notes scribbled in Trobriant’s precise hand.
Morph, weariness evident in his voice, mutters, “Shouldn’t we kill this thing first, before we approach it?”
“Fine,” Farryn replies, agreeing that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Without hesitation, Morph unleashes four Eldritch Blasts at the Scaladar. The blasts hit, but they don’t seem to harm the construct at all. Farryn, never one to back down, steps forward and starts bashing the Scaladar with his hammer, reducing it to a pile of scrap metal.
Satisfied that the threat is neutralized, Farryn starts rummaging through the lab, searching for anything of value. He finds a trove of notes from Trobriant, detailed schematics, and plans that could be valuable. However, his bag is already overloaded, so he starts dumping copper and silver coins onto the floor to make room for the books. Morph, ever the opportunist, scoops up some of the discarded silver.
As Farryn is busy with the notes, Jaf’ar opens another door, only to be immediately greeted by two Scaladar, their stingers striking out at him. He grunts in pain as they hit him, but he quickly rallies.
Reacting on instinct, I draw my bow and shoot three arrows at the Scaladar in front of the door. The arrows find their mark, but the creature is tough, and it barely seems to notice the hits.
Farryn, thinking quickly, summons a brown bear from his ring of spell storing. The massive beast roars and lunges at the nearest Scaladar, adding its own strength to the fight.
Jaf’ar, in a bold move, steps between the Scaladar and calls out, “Can you kill them?”
I hear a strange zooming sound, and my heart sinks as I see Grond starting to shake again. He’s looking around with that same vial, evil expression as before. “Shit! We’ve lost him again!” I exclaim.
Quickly analyzing the situation, I realize there’s an antenna in the back of the room that’s controlling Grond. Without wasting a second, I aim and shoot it to bits, hoping to free Grond from its influence.
I turn my focus back to the Scaladar and shoot, but my magic-infused arrows aren’t working as well as they should. The Scaladar seems to shrug off most of the damage. Farryn, seeing Grond under the golem’s control again, shoves him into the anti-magic field created by Jaf’ar. Thankfully, Grond stops moving.
I grit my teeth, shooting three more arrows at the Scaladar. The first shot misses, but the second and third strike true. It’s a slow process, but we’re chipping away at the creature’s defenses.
It takes time, but eventually, we find the rhythm of the battle. We know how to kill these Scaladar now. Working together, we focus our attacks, and after what feels like an eternity, the Scaladar fall. The room falls silent, the only sound being our heavy breathing and the distant hum of arcane machinery still running in the lab.
As we catch our breath and regroup, I take a moment to investigate the room where the antenna was destroyed. I sift through various knickknacks, but nothing of immediate value catches my eye. However, in the northern corner of the room, I find a small chest. My heart skips a beat as I carefully open it, expecting something significant. Inside, there’s only a single gold piece. I pocket it, feeling a bit disappointed.
I turn my attention back to the broken antenna. It’s a mess of shattered glass, delicate wires, and small mechanical components. Despite its condition, it looks like it was an intricate piece of technology—perhaps it was controlling more than just Grond.
Farryn, always one step ahead, discovers what appears to be a secret door, but upon closer inspection, it’s actually a fake wall. He laughs and makes a playful jab at me for only finding one coin, telling me to always check beyond the obvious. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I approach the wall and try to push it, but it doesn’t budge.
Farryn gives it a try himself, but no luck. Morph looks skeptical, and I quietly ask him how to open it. He suggests that it might just need a bit more force, maybe it’s locked. Farryn, ever resourceful, decides to use Stone Shape to create a small opening. I ready my bow, prepared to shoot if there’s anything hostile on the other side.
As soon as the opening is made, a lightning bolt zaps out, hitting Farryn and then splitting to strike Morph, the bear, and me. The pain is intense. I gasp as the electricity courses through my body. In the gap, I see a strange wizard with tattered robes—Trobriant himself.
“SHIT, THAT HURTS!” I shout as I instinctively fire two arrows in rapid succession. Both hit their mark, sinking into Trobriant’s flesh. But before I can celebrate, he retaliates with a fireball that explodes in the confined space.
“HAHAHA! I WILL TEACH YOU NOT TO MESS WITH OTHER PEOPLE’S BUSINESS!” Trobriant cackles.
The fireball leaves us reeling. Farryn and I are bloodied, and Morph collapses to the ground, unconscious. Farryn, quick to act, casts Haste on himself, enhancing his speed and reflexes. With his newfound agility, he hurls his hammer at Trobriant and then rushes over to heal Morph.
Morph, regaining consciousness, staggers to his feet and casts Eldritch Blast at Trobriant. The blasts slam into the wizard, but he manages to shield himself from the final hit, laughing maniacally. However, I can see the wear and tear on him—he’s bloodied and barely holding on.
Jaf’ar, done with Trobriant’s games, strides into the room with a cold determination. Trobriant, busy with his spell components, is caught off guard. Jaf’ar swings his staff, bashing Trobriant repeatedly.
“Now, Gwen!” Jaf’ar shouts.
I take a deep breath and let loose an arrow. It flies true, striking Trobriant square in the chest. The force of the combined attacks is too much for him, and he collapses to the ground, dead.
Jaf’ar wastes no time and begins looting Trobriant’s body. He finds a ring on the wizard’s pinkie and slides it off. Farryn joins in, searching the body and the surrounding area. He finds another ring, while I, going the extra mile, check Trobriant’s pockets and under his robes. It’s not a pleasant sight, but Farryn praises my thoroughness.
We move to investigate the desk next. Farryn discovers a small buzzing rod. It’s likely connected to the antenna and possibly the other constructs scattered throughout the area. He begins identifying it while I continue to search the room. However, I find no other doors or hidden compartments.
Meanwhile, Morph opens another door, and I follow. To my surprise, we’re greeted by Halaster himself, who stands there with his thumb up. The hallway has shifted again, with doors to the left and right. “Well done! One spot opened up!” Halaster says, seemingly pleased.
“For someone with a ring, right?” Morph asks.
“No, no,” Halaster replies, waving a hand dismissively. “The student needs to apply and come to the tower.”
Morph, a bit startled, calls out, “HELLOOO! Halaster is here!”
“You don’t have to shout, you know,” I whisper to him, trying to keep things calm. He jumps, not realizing I was there.
Farryn and Jaf’ar soon join us, and we follow Halaster down the hallway. Morph stops to listen at one of the doors, hearing something chewing and breaking inside. None of us can quite figure out what it might be.
With the recent battles taking their toll, we decide it’s time to rest. We set up a Tiny Hut to keep us safe. During the rest, we discuss the ring that could allow us to teleport in and out of Undermountain. It’s an incredible find, but the party is unsure of its immediate usefulness.
As we settle down to rest, I suggest, “Maybe we should put the gold with Aurinax?”
It’s something to consider, but for now, we focus on recovery. We’re battered, bruised, but still standing.
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