Session 4: Starpeaks Observatory

Frederick ATTACKS!!!

 * He’s some kind of ice monster (bit by a wendigo).
 * Vanesse cuts his arm off and it looks like ice?!? He uses a breath attack. Then she crits and cuts him in half.
 * Vikrit takes Frederick’s +1 shortbow of distance (double range) and masterwork shortsword (+1 atk) both medium. Sarienne takes Frederick’s armor.
 * Ice is embedded in parts of his body. His bones have been turned to ice. Puncture wound looks like something bit him.
 * They burn his body. The storm seems to have died down, so the gang set off.

Entering the Observatory

 * They find a path marked with flagstones, not covered in snow. They find cart marks and a number of tracks. THE OBSERVATORY. Then they enter a hallway with dancing glowing lights? Then they find a heavy wood/iron door with [Walid = Tork Shadman, human sorcerer] trapped behind it asking for help.
 * The gang try to force the door open and mainly hurt themselves with a crowbar, then manage to knock the door in.
 * Tork tells them he saw the hooded figures (one with a tail) and that he accidentally trapped himself here.
 * They stock up with 2 days’ worth of food from the magic larder (salmon jerky!!)
 * Vikrit is very suspicious of him since he’s human and thinks he may be with the cultists.
 * They find a study in the next room. They find some fancy looking scrolls. 1 scroll of searing light (divine), 1 scroll of slow, 1 scroll of wall of ice.
 * Then they find a door made of solid metal that they can’t open. They continue to a gigantic dome with tons of lenses and mirrors. There is a huge sphere in the middle, with 13 spheres around it. There is 1 not moving but is shimmering/shifting/morphing.
 * They find an alcove with a square room off to the side. There’s a brass sculpture: dragon, rakshasa, giant, and goblin on pillars, posed. There’s a circle engraved in floor: sun setting, rising, midday, moon.
 * It looks like there is a spot for the fancy obsidian peg in the middle of the circle.
 * They call Yanger and try to tell him about the observatory. He says it’s probably fine to unlock with the peg.
 * Cornerio turns it and they hear stone on stone, but the door doesn’t unlock. They see that the gemstones (warm to the touch) fit in as well. - Sunrise - dragon - Midday - rakshasa - Sunset - giant - Night - goblin

Oh Shit

 * C turns the key. High-pitched humming in the room - the 4 (not Eberron) dragonshards start to glow. The stone drops down - shimmering liquid is released and fills up the hole. It looks like stairs going downwards through the liquid. Tork sticks his head through, so does Vanesse with a candle - nothing visible.
 * They lower Vik down. He sees rocks, and can’t get up the rope or tug for help. Gravity feels lighter down there. Sarienne follows and lights her lantern. Everyone but Cornerio goes in.
 * C sees that the big door opened. There’s a mural showing history (dragons, rakshasa, giants, goblins). There’s a small silk bag sitting on an alter with a shimmering silver dust (invisibility powder).
 * There is a narrow cavern with - giant mouth on 6 legs scuttling around. It starts swimming toward Vanesse to attack.
 * Vik shoots at it but his arrows disappear. Everyone misses until Vanesse gets it with her axe, then Tork casts a spell and everyone falls to the ceiling.
 * Sarienne tears its mouth open. Then they get halfway across the lake on the ceiling, then gravity resets and they end up floating over the lake.
 * They split up and all the paths converge. They drop into a trophy room. There are stuffed beasts (griffon, hydra, bugbear) that smell like wildflowers. James slices into the bugbear - glowing white light. Vik looks into a hydra’s mouth and sees a pastoral scene.
 * The front of the bugbear drops away and Sarienne pokes her head through and awakens 3 bugbears.
 * Tork cuts off gryphon leg.
 * Head 2: dark forest with fireflies?. Head 3: ocean with a boat. Head 4: Desert landscape. Head: Rolling steppes with some dinos.
 * S cuts off the bugbear’s head, then checks - the 3 bugbears are decapitated. They also behead the gryphon.
 * C + Vanesse = Hydra, T &amp; Vesun = gryphon, S + Vik = Bugbear room.
 * Skeletal version of monsters around the corner!
 * The bugbears have been defeated, everyone else runs. The 4 of them run the way they came but can’t find the trophy room, still converge. There is nowhere to go in the bugbear room so Vik &amp; S come back.
 * They head down the griffon pathway and defeat it, but Vanesse passes out after raging, so the gang make a bone sled to drag her. They find a mouse hole that they stretch: C goes first, there’s a ledge into Khyber, cavern with magma, and a brass tower.
 * They head up the stairs of the tower, can’t see an exit.
 * They head down - see an alter with a dais, with a huge hole behind it. Humanoid figure hanging on a cross that looks like it’s been pried open - it’s a warforged that mouths “help me”.
 * There’s a beholder sleeping in front with its eyes closed.
 * Vesun lets the warforged down, but they wake up the beholder, and Vik shoots at it but arrows glance off. It flies away.
 * Then two things made of two eyes attached by an eyestalk attack. It scares Vesun, Cornerio falls asleep, and Vik is terrified and runs back the way they came. Tork uses Magehand to tie the eyes to the cross. The other one chokes out Vanesse.
 * we kill them
 * The Warforged says he is Vigilance and was sent by the Lord of Blades presumably to stop Xoriat from leaking into Khyber. He was caught and tortured by the hooded figures.
 * It was early spring when we went under - it’s now been 2 months and it’s summer.
 * Vesun starts talking about dismantling the state and the Warforged says he has the same goal of dismantling the kingdoms and offers its friendship.

Some Dumb Vikrit Shit

 * Lizardfolk religion - upholding seals to prevent another invasion (from Overlords/their servants in Demon Age or daelkyr in Goblin Age invasion–do not know the difference). Doesn’t know what Khyber is but suspect’s it’s where “demons” are sealed (doesn’t know anything about planes or where any invaders came from). Vikrit is terrified.