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• Adrian Silverstrength (Human Paladin)
• Morsus Firebeard (Hill Dwarf Cleric)
• Sephrenia (High Elf Cleric)
• Ragnaroc (Aasimar Warlock)
• Don Kannin (Half-Elf Ranger)

Continued from last session.

• As the party listen to Rex Flamehammer, all of them except Adrian, who seems very caught up in the Dwarf’s tale of twisted chaos and conspiracies, notices the female Drow elf that Rex was standing over, wasn’t dead; but dying – and as a last ditch effort triggered a magical spell they’d been preparing when the Dwarves discovered them, that triggered an explosion, collapsing the entrance/exit out of the mountain (the Drow had done so to prevent the Dwarves from escaping and asking for help)
• Most of them manage to avoid the collapsing cavern and avoid damage from the falling rocks
• Rex explains that things are dire, but the party can be a manage force in settings things right.
  • Rex explains that he’s got some ore that he can briefly enchant to specifically cause elves additional damage (casting a glance of “Sorry” towards Sephrenia, hoping not to insult her). He explains the enchantment only lasts a few hours, but it can make a difference when leading an assault against the Drow. The problem is, during one of the attacks, Drow (having learned of  Rex Flamehammer‘s ability to make these enchanted weapons) stole his hammer. The plus side, however, is there’s a crazy goblin much further down – below in the Shadowvale – whose aligned himself (supposedly) with the Dwarves (against the Drow and Illithid and all the other vile humanoids) named Nor’orn Greenskin.
  • He goes on to explain that Nor’orn supposedly has a cure for the poison that’s been injected into the water, which is also the same poison used on the black oak arrows. However, gathering the components needed is “complicated” is how Nor’orn phrased it. Rex Flamehammer knows that several dwarves were sent down to speak with Nor’orn but have not yet returned.
  • He adds to this, that he’s heard of a tribe of Azer, who are dwarf looking humanoids with bronze skin and fiery hair who live even further down; near the lava for which they’re used to (coming from the Plane of Fire) who have made their home there – however, the Drow have led an assault against them and giving them trouble. Rumor has it, if the Azer are helped, they will align themselves with the Dwarves against the Drow and having them on their side would be greatly beneficial.
  • Rex proceeds to give the party a map of the area known as “The Shadow Realm” or Shadowvale.
• The party decides looking for Nor’orn to put an end to the poison is going to be the priority mission.
• After a few hours of traveling downward through a marked cavern, the party enters what is marked as “The Shadow Realm.” The mushrooms here are towering trees with trunks more than 10 to 15 feet in size. Many of the “smaller” mushrooms (standing between 10 to 20 feet) have luminous bottoms that are either neon pink, green, red, blue, purple, yellow, or shimmer and alter. The odd mushrooms provide unusual lightning like nothing that’s ever been seen before.
• As the party progresses, they come into a large, swampy area, where both Morsus and Adrian, walking in the front spot what appear to be humanoid fish like creatures in the lake. Choosing to try and avoid them, unfortunately Morsus fails his Stealth check and falls, making a loud noise and drawing the attention of the humanoid fish like creatures. Adrian recognizes the creatures as Kuo-Toa and knows the following about them:
  • These fish like humoids were one of the first worshipers of the Kraken creatures. The Kuo-Toa live in caves along the shore, able to breathe both air and water, effortlessly. They discovered a Kraken and began to worship it as one of it’s gods. As the Kuo-Toa expanded, their gods continue to spread to various other ocean creatures, such as the aboleth. The Kuo-Toa are primitive and their clans are ruled by the eldest priest, who is the one that communes with their chosen gods. Some factions of Kuo-Toa who have not found an oceanic creature to worship often derive and create their own deity; and somehow, though their linked consciousness can form an astral version of their god or goddess during a ceremony called ‘The Dark Tide’ – when the moon is gone from the sky and the tide has receded from the shore. How this summoning is done, remains unknown. The Kuo-Toa weapons are often geared towards capturing rather than immediately killing, since they would rather capture other humanoids to appease their gods.
• The party attempts to hide from the approaching Kuo-Toa, but several party members are not quick enough to hide from them. As a fight breaks out the Kuo-Toa first try to spear a few members of the party – while the party returns fire killing one of them very quickly. The other three resort to trying to net the party but fail to do so.
• Morsus calls upon his god – bringing down a beam of bursting light which kills another one and severely injures another; but the fourth one seems unaffected.
• The surviving few begin chanting and Sephrenia quickly exerts magic to cast Silence over them.
• Adrian charges into the water and attacks the wounded one, killing it. Sephrenia tries to cast Sacred Flame, but again the last Kuo-Toa seems to be agile and avoid damage. Another attack from Sephrenia kills the last one. Adrian manages to grab the one he killed while Don grabs another using a net. The fourth one, Morsus tries to grab with a net and misses (critical fail) pushing it towards the other Kuo-Toa on their small island. The party takes two of the nets.
• The party, knowing that Nor’orn needs unusual components for the poison cure decides to cut out the eyes (messes up on one; getting three out of four eyes), also cutting off a fin and a tongue and storing it all in their bag.
• The party proceeds and eventually comes into a small cavern where they discover more dead dwarves; and upon closer examination – also arrow inflicted wounds, but the arrows have been pulled, but the distinct black ring of the lethal poison is present. That’s when Ragnaroc notices a creature in the shadows.
• The party considers what to do to deal with the unusual creature; and eventually decide to use Sacred Weapon from the Paladin to ignite his blade and keep the creature at bay as they proceed to the other side of the cavern exit.
• Making their way down the path; crossing over several rivers, skirting around lakes and swamps; they finally arrive at Nor’orn’s cave; but he’s not there (though there’s evidence he lives there with bubbling potions, tables and books scattered everywhere). The party calls for him, and they hear an unusual roar of a monster, which makes itself known, as well as an unusual looking goblin on its back.
• The goblin in unusual purple attire introduces himself as Nor’orn Greenskin. He introduces his “mount” as “Glider.” He explains that Glider is a Cloaker that he found, when it was an infant and wounded (undoubtedly by Drow or Illithid – all the more reason to hate them, if you ask him) and nursed it back to health with his potions and Glider has ever since then been Nor’orn’s best (and really only) friend. Despite the evil intent of most Cloakers, much like Nor’orn, Glider is an exception to the rule.
• Nor’orn then asks why they’re looking for him. The party explains that Rex had sent them and that there was a rumor he could cure the poison that the Drow were using.
• Nor’orn (while a genius is also slightly crazy), spoke in an unusual voice and explained:
  • I will need The Heart of a Troll to regenerate the wounds;
  • The Heart of a Basilisk to make them strong as stone!
  • Two Eyes of Carrion Crawlers to see the death on which they feed!
  • Five Shrieker Caps for the potent toxins that will cleans the poison’s base;
  • The Tongue of a Hook Horror to taste that which is lethal;
  • Four Kuo-Toa Eyes to summon the power of a god to cleanse the lakes;
  • Ash of a Magimen to crush into powder
  • The Pacify Spores of a Myconid; good luck with that; good people, but gathering the spores only typically generated in defense to being attacked!
  • And finally, one last thing – The Beak of an Owlbear to consume the concoction when it’s all done!
• The party is excited to report they have 3 of the 4 Kuo-Toa eyes
• They ask Nor’orn where the other things can be found; to which he asks, “How did you find me?”
• Andrian shows him the map given to him by Rex; and Nor’orn immediately begins scribbling corrections all over the map (grumbling how the Dwarves need to come down; because the Shadow Realm changes; Drow have blocked off rivers; collapsed caves, all of which the maps states are still valid passage ways. He also notes where to find the beasts; trolls that live in the caves to the far west of where they are; basilisks that dwell in a swamp of “glowing gemstones” a few hours away; carrion crawls could also be found in that same swamp. Shrikers – an entire colony of shriekers, seen for miles on top of a massive hill. Unfortunately the Hook Horrors live near there too; the Magimen live much further down near the lava; and the Myconid live near the shriekers as well; and the owlbear – well that kind of just walks around everywhere. Chances are the party can just run into one on pure accident.
• The party tries to take rest in Nor’orn’s cave, but his giggling and explosive experiments and his constant taking to himself in the small, enclosed map, make getting rest here impossible.
• The party makes their way back to the Kuo-Toa, which are the closest on the map; after examining the room that the Grell is in; they discover it’s gone. Morsus realizes (after having talked to Nor’orn about the Grell) that it’d been wounded and the piercers were removed. So it appeared that the Drow ambushed these dwarves and killed them, then used a Grell they captured to make it look like the Illithid had sent the Grell to kill the dwarves.
• The party searches the dwarves, realizing these had probably been the dwarves Rex mentioned that had been sent down to speak to Nor’orn and never returned, to see if they had any of the spell components; but a searched revealed they did not. So chances are they were on their way to see Nor’orn when they were ambushed and killed.
• The party proceed to the Kuo-Toa and realize things have gotten worse; the forth Kuo-Toa that had been slain and unintentionally pushed towards the small Kuo-Toa village was discovered and it seemed they were doing some kind of ritual. The party spots two Kuo-Toa near the initial entrance they had come in (from the Dwarven entrance) and manage to surprise the Kuo-Toa. They focus their fire on one, but Ragnaroc incinerates one with Eldritch Blast (Natural 20!) so the party focuses on taking down the second one. They quickly cut out the eyes and notice the ritual seems to be turning the slain Kuo-Toa that had avoided most of the magical attacks into some kind of energy serpent. The party quickly left and returned to the room where they’d seen the Grell and dead dwarves.
• And just then – they’re attacked – a blackoak arrow with red feather tips barely misses Adrian. He shouts to take cover. The party discovers five Drow have come back to see if their trap has been sprung with the Grell, and surprised to see creatures that are neither Dwarf nor Illithid in the room. The party goes out to fight them – and when the Drow see a Dwarf (they can’t tell the difference between Mountain and Hill Dwarf) and also that the Dwarf is wearing a symbol of Florasena – the goddess of Life; the Drow focus their fire on him and manage to land several strikes (thankfully the arrow tips are not poisoned).
• Adrian uses Command to beckon one to his side, then has Don use a net to capture the Drow; Adrian then begins dragging the Drow back to the cavern for cover fire while his comrades continue the fight. The last remaining Drow seeing his comrade captured and the others killed, decides to apparently flee.
• The Drow that’s captured bites down on the poison tablet; but Adrian uses his Lay On Hands, and expends all the points to keep the Drow from killing himself!
• And this is where we stopped for this week!

Side Note: The party gained inspiration for figuring out who Nor’orn was based off by his appearance. He’s dressed in purple (and is a goblin, with green skin) and rides on a Cloaker; this was an intentional nod to Marvel’s The Green Goblin (Spider-Man’s greatest and original enemy!) The Cloaker represents the glider he rode and is even named “Glider” by Nor’orn. And Nor’orn is the first three letters of Normon and last three letters of Osborn; with Normon Osborn being the original Green Goblin in Marvel Comics. The original goblin image looks like this. I took and changed the color of the clothes to make it look like Marvel’s Green Goblin costume. If someone knows who the original artist is, please let me know; I’d love to give them credit for the original piece.