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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)

Connected Adventures: Adventure 14, Adventure 15, and Adventure 16.

• Adrian attempts to wrestle the Drow prisoner in the nets and tie him up, however as Adrian attempts to get a firmer grasp (Natural 1 on Athletics), the Drow seizes the opportunity to get free (however, doesn’t quite do it – only rolled an 8), leaving half his body in the net, half of it out.
• Adrian calls for assistance since the sounds of battle seem to be over
• Sephrenia tries to cast Command but the Drow saves against the spell
• The others try to help hold the Drow down until Don arrives
• Don shoves Adrian aside and hog ties the Drow before the Drow even realizes what’s happened (Natural 20 on Athetic check for Don Kannin)
• They search the captured Drow along with the three dead ones in the field and find each of them an unusual dagger that bares a Black Widow on the hilt, whose blade has runes of a spider-web with what appears to be tortured souls entwined within the webbing

• Morsus Firebeard attempts to do a Religion check and determines that it’s some form of goddess; but he doesn’t recognize the runes or etchings or what they might mean
• Even Sephrenia, despite being a High Elf, is unsure of the symbol and who it is that it’s supposed to represent – but agrees that it appears to bear some religious orientation
• Don Kannin finds a piece of wood so that they can carry their prisoner between two people to help bare the weight
• The marching order down the path back to the goblin, Nor’orn Greenskin is Morsus Firebeard, Sephrenia, Don (carrying one half of the stick with the Drow on it), Adrian (carrying the second half) and Ragnaroc in the back.
• Morsus spots what appears to be two Drow hiding in the brush ahead (about 60′)
• Morsus steps another 10 feet (fails a Perception check) and triggers a trap that snares him and has him swinging upside down by his ankle!
• Another fight against the Drow begins; Morsus attempts (while hanging upside down) to cast Flaming Sphere however the Drow is able to make their Savings Throw (Natural 20!)
• Sephrenia manages to cast Hold Person on the other Drow
• Adrian moves to cut Morsus down from the trap; which causes Ragnaroc to miss as Morsus gets swung in the way of the Eldrich Blast and takes a slight scorch (Natural 1 on to Hit by Ragnaroc)
• Don Kannin begins firing on the Drow attackers and hitting relentlessly with his arrows
• One of the Drow can be heard saying something in their dark language; but it’s unknown if he’s barking a command or whispering words of magic
• Unbeknownst to Adrian, who has hung back, the Drow prisoner’s body begins to glow (Rolled a 2 on Perception Check)
• Don Kannin manages to kill the one that Morsus continues to burn with a Critical Hit (Natural 20!)
• The rest of the party focuses on the one being held who attempts to attack, but is killed before he can do anything
• The party determines that it’s too much trouble to carry the Drow prisoner and that they should probably just deal with him now because the Drow are going to keep coming after him
• That’s when Morsus realizes that their prisoner is glowing – as if faerie fire were on him (a spell Morsus has used before) – but if it were the two ambushers the spell would be over
• That’s when they hear a whistle; followed by another one – and suddenly, they hear an animal rushing through the brush and an Owlbear emerges!
  • The exact origin of these fascinating creatures remains unknown. Some stories say that they were the experiment of a wizard gone mad; while others claim that Owlbears existed in the Shadow Stone realm for eons; and only came to the surface world when the Shadow Stone cracked, and gave passage to the world above. Regardless of their origin, there is one thing that all people agree on; these beasts are ferocious hunters and extremely lethal. They have an uncanny sense of smell and sight; able to see great distances and track just as far. These creatures are the size of grizzly bears, with a face that resembles that of a giant owl (and thus their name). An Owlbear typically makes a cavern or rock den their home; and if you listen closely and know the difference between the screech of an owl and that of an owlbear; you might easily understand when you have wandered into an Owlbear’s territory. Those that wander into their territory are best to turn around before spotted or smelled by the owlbear’s keen senses.
• Surprisingly – or perhaps – not surprising – the Owlbear does not go after anyone in the party; but rather the prisoner. The party realizes whoever is keeping the faerie fire going is probably also who is commanding the Owlbear to attack the prisoner.
• Morsus runs out into the brush towards the whistle that undoubtedly summoned the Owlbear to attack and finds a female Drow crouched down (Natural 20 on Survival Check!)
• The Owlbear in the meantime uses it’s beak and claws to hit the Drow prisoner (who is considered prone, due to being tied up!) and rakes him for a significant amount of damage!
• Morsus in the meantime attempts to use Spiritual Weapon on the female Drow but fails, and is spun around and hit for slight damage upon himself (Natural 1 on the To Hit!)
• The Owlbear again rakes at the prisoner, but this time Adrian manages to deflect it’s claw attacks; but the beak still rips into the prisoner, who is now no longer screaming
• Sephrenia uses her Spare the Dying on the Drow prisoner in hopes of keeping him stable
• Don Kannin finally spots what Morsus is fighting and begins launching arrows at her, and lands several hits; as does Ragnaroc with Eldrich Blast
• Sephrenia tries to spot what they’re shooting at but does not see it as the Owlbear towers in front of her (Natural 1 on Survival Check), she instead attacks the Owlbear
• Adrian comes up with an idea – and uses Compel Duel against the Owlbear who saves to fight the effects and now feels compelled to fight only Adrian, hopefully sparing their Drow prisoner from future attacks
• Adrian warns his party members not to attack the Owlbear, or it will break his hold on it
• Don Kannin fires another arrow at the Drow elf, but the Owlbear strikes his arm during it’s attack on Adrian, spinning his arm – sending the arrow to strike Ragnaroc (Natural 1 on Attack Roll)
• The Owlbear rakes Adrian for some heavy damage, which causes Sephrenia to attack the Owlbear – which, she realizes too late – breaks the Compel Duel – the Owlbear then focuses it’s next attack on the Drow prisoner, delivering fatal blows to the prone prisoner
• Next to Morsus, the female Drow casts the Darkness spell which envelopes a 15 foot sphere; Morsus uses his turn to back out of it and uses his Spiritual Weapon to strike at her (at Disadvantage) and it appears to miss – after the Darkness dissipates, it’s clear she’s used something like Pass Without Trace or Misty Step to quickly leave the area once her objective was done (ensuring the prisoner is either freed; or if that’s not an option, killed).
• The Owlbear, with the Drow gone, seems to come to its own senses and flee as well; but the party (Ragnaroc) kills it with an Eldrich Blast.
• The party sighs at the fact that the Drow had managed to kill their prisoner; they however, realize that the Owlbear’s beak was one of the spell components needed for the cure to the poison and Don Kannin successfully removes the Owlbear’s beak.
• The party returns to Nor’orn Greenskin’s cave and finds he’s not there; so the party takes this opportunity to get some much needed sleep with Sephrenia keeping guard (though most humanoids avoid the cave, due to Nor’orn’s Cloaker pet) and they recover full hit points and spells.
• Upon the “morning” (hard to tell since there’s no sun, moon, or stars to track time), Nor’orn and Glider (his Cloaker pet) arrive and are excited to see the party – which Don Kannin gives the other missing Kuo-Toa eyes needed and the Owlbear beak.
• The party learns also that there’s so many Owlbears down below; because the Drow breed them and use them for hunting (due to their keen sense of smell and sight)
• Looking at the map the party sees the closest thing that’s on the list next is the Shrieker caps and the Mychoid spores – both of which are in the same area. The party sets for that direction.
• They know they’re close as the translucent “lights” from the mushrooms turn the cavern a deep purple and shades of blue

• Ragnaroc accidentally brushes against a mushroom, whose spores upon contact, immediately burrow into the skin and cause intense hallucinations. He begins shouting and walking into things, unable to tell reality from the hallucinations.
• Sephrenia expends a spell slot by using Protection from Poison which removes the spores effects.
• The party makes it to the top of the hill where the Shriekers are and Morsus grabs one; which the causes it to shriek – and that one touches another – and another – and another – essentially causing over 60 Shriekers to all begin shrieking at the same time

• This draws the attention of several gnolls passing by in the area, hoping to find something easy to kill; the gnolls attack – and the party quickly makes short work of them with the boss fleeing – but killed before he can escape.
• Searching the bodies, Adrian located an unusual map on the leader of this small band of marauding gnolls – there’s no writing on it – but it bears the mark of a Black Widow in the upper right hand corner

• The party proceeded to get the rest of the Shrieker caps without incident; though the other 55 Shriekers continued to “scream”
• The party decides since the Myconoids are in the same area; they would continue to follow the notes on the map made by Nor’orn Greenskin, as each of them took a Shrieker cap (slightly larger than the size of one or two footballs) and put them in their backpack

And this is where we stopped for the night!