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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)
• Korra (Air Genasi Rogue)

Connected Adventures: Adventure 14, Adventure 15, Adventure 16, Adventure 17 and Adventure 18.

• The party awakens after a long rest among the Myconoid village.

• Adrian speaks with Arum (the Paladin and leader of the Myconoid people)
  • He inquires about how Arum became a Paladin
  • Arum explains that roughly around “50 seasons” ago, Drow activity began to spike in the area. Drow were very common in the Shadowvale, but they typically only dealt with their war against the Dwarves of Thoridun and the Illithyd
  • However, the Drow were being far more vicious in their attacks (which is saying something) and they ramped up their interests in obtaining slaves
  • Suddenly, he and several other Myconoids felt the calling of Tavara (Goddess of Weather, Rain and Thunder)
• Meanwhile, Morsus spends time speaking with Zrenn (the Wizard Myconoid)
  • Despite finding other religions as heathens, Morsus takes an interest in how Zrenn learned how to wield magic spontaneously, guided by Tavara’s beckoning

• Through spending an entire night morning with Zrenn, Morsus learns Ritual Casting (the feat he has chosen to take)
  • Through his Ritual Casting he’s able to summon a familiar, which is a bat
• Arum then tells the party that there’s someone they should meet whose own goals seem to be aligned with the party’s if they seek to put a stop to the Drow.
• Srist (the Myconoid Rogue) brings out an unusual looking female, whose skin is light blue and hair is white.

• The woman introduces herself Korra, explaining that she’s an Air Genasi sent here to investigate what the Drow are up to
  • She reveals that the Drow have been making incursions into the Elemental Plane of Air looking for something. Several raiding parties of Drow have been found in the Elemental Plane of Air, all led by Drow Priestesses.
  • She goes on to say that she was assigned to stealth and try to discover what it is the Drow are up to – and what it is they’re looking for in the Elemental Plane of Air. She explains how she’d fought several Drow in the Shadow Vale when she was ambushed by a second wave, and thankfully had been near the Myconoid village – so that the Myconoids were able to descend on the Drow and turn the tide of battle and helped Korra. She sustained wound and was being tended to by Dormm (the Head Cleric of the Myconoids).
• The party accepts Korra into the group

• Pren Flintrock sighs that the party keeps getting stranger and stranger (pretty much considering himself a core member of the party)
• The party explains their situation to Korra that they’re also trying to stop the Drow, and that the Drow have poisoned the water supply and that their “friend” has them gathering ingredients to put an end to the poisoned water which now has seeped into the food supply in Thoridun, the Dwarven Kingdom – which is currently in a state of Civil War
  • Pren attempts to interject some of the more important details about the kingdom
• Adrian also tells Korra that he’s heard of “fire people” from the Elemental Plane of Fire that are down here in the Shadow Vale that are at war with the Drow as well.
  • Though he’s not clear on remembering what they’re called, being an Air Genasi, she’s familiar with several beings from various Planes – and knows by the description, that Adrian is speaking of the Azer.
• Adrian pulls Arum aside and shows him the map that he got off the gnoll leader, and Arum explains that it looks like a map of Thoridun, the Dwarven Kingdom – and the mark of the “black widow” means that the Drow have targeted the city.
• Adrian then asks about the unusual metal seen while sailing down Bone River in the ceiling and walls. Arum explains that it’s a metal found only deep down in the ground – in the Shadow Vale called adamantine. It’s a very special metal that the Dwarves harvest to make special weapons and armor.
• The party decides to head for Nor’Orn Greenskin with their Pacify Spores and five Shrieker caps
• Despite the distance (roughly sixty miles) the party decides to push themselves to get to Nor’Orn’s cave sooner than later
• The party hears moaning coming from the bogs to the west of them.
• Morsus asks his bat to flutter to where the sounds are coming from to try and determine if there’s danger; and it reports through shared vision of a body laying face down in the mud that’s small
• Adrian asks Korra to stealth into the bog and see if it’s some form of trap
• Korra stealths into the bog and spots the body about 20′ from where she is; and while she sees no traps, something makes her feel uneasy
• She returns saying that there appears to be a dwarf laying in the mud which catches Pren’s attention, who begins saying that they need to go out there and see who it is – unless they have the charcoal skin – because that means they’re duergar – and in such a case it can stay there and die
• Both Korra and Morsus can verify it doesn’t have the charcoal colored skin
• Sephrenia casts Detect Good and Evil to see if she senses an aberration, celestial, fey, fiend, or undead – which does not trigger
• Morsus decides to go out there and see for himself it’s indeed a dwarf
• He casts Cure Light Wounds healing the dwarf for 10 points
• The dwarf sits up and thanks Morsus, and at that point Pren can see the dwarf and shouts, “Grendel? Grendel Brightforge? Is that you! How the blazes did you survive the attack! I thought I was the only one who survived the ambush!”

• Grendel pauses, thinks for a moment, and explains that when the Drow ambushed them; one of the Drow had tried to stab him with a dagger, just as he drew his sword and stabbed him in the neck, and he fell. He shows Morsus and the others of the nick across his throat which seems to collaborate his story.
• Sephrenia is suspicious (as she seems to be of all Dwarves; after all those High Elves don’t really trust anyone) and casts Zone of Truth around Grendel (who, before being questioned actually makes his Savings Throw, landing an unnatural 20)
• The party asks him again to explain how he escaped, and once again, he explains that one of the Drow stabbed him in the throat (or tried to) just as he was drawing his sword, and he fell to the ground unconscious.
• Sephrenia knows that Grendel may be fighting the effects of her spell, which doesn’t put her at ease
• The party presses on, keeping Pren (who is busy talking Grendel’s ear off, about how he’d been captured by the “Snake People” – but had the situation well in hand and was just about to unleash his vengeance on the “Snake People” when this group found him; he goes on to say that he singled handled killed at least twenty or thirty of these Snake People)
• Sephrenia marching behind them notices that Grendel seems to keep looking to his left (towards the East and is only half listening to what Pren is telling him)
• Upon finally reaching Nor’Orn’s cave, Sephrenia expresses her concern to the others, and also explains that Grendel may have been resisting her Zone of Truth spell.
• Morsus decides to cast Zone of Truth and knows that Grendel is under its influence
• Morsus asks again, how Grendel survived, and Grendel explains that just as he drew his axe, a Drow stabbed him in the neck and he fell.
• Sephrenia explains that Drow are not sloppy and would not have left him alive
• Grendel looks at Pren and then the others and explains that perhaps when Pren fled, the Drow fled after him and assumed Grendel had died from the wound
• Morsus asks what happened next – and Grendel explains he was captured by three gnolls – no, four gnolls – the leader was there too – and that they had him drink the “Shrieker Poison” which is brew the gnolls in the Shadow Vale consume to release their mind and become more primal. But mixing the Shrieker caps with other components it essentially breaks the mind from having any form of conscious and the person becomes more animistic – but during the consumption for hours later, the victim will suffer a number of wild hallucinations, should they even survive. Grendel explains this is why he can’t think clearly. He wasn’t even sure how long he was a prisoner of the gnolls or if this is all still a part of the hallucination
• Adrian tells Morsus to ask if he has any weapons concealed, to which Grendel explains he does not
• However, after being patted down, the party finds a dagger in his left boot
• Adrian gets in Grendel’s face, threatening to stab him in the throat if he tries anything
• Grendel apologizes and explains that he does not consider a dagger a weapon the way he would his axe which he lost during his escape
• Adrian can’t piece together what’s happening but keeps catching Grendel looking at Pren frequently before asking and pulls Pren aside
  • While being pulled aside Pren clarifies, “Lissen lad, I recognize that symbol on yer chest and know which goddess ye be followin’ – and if this is a ‘romantic moment’ yer goin’ for, I don’t go that way.”
  • Adrian sighs and assures him that it has nothing to do with that. Adrian extends his hand and says, “Isn’t the swamp great?”
  • To which Pren replies, “If you like mud seepin’ into yer shoes, it’s fine, I suppose. But what’s this about?”
  • Adrian begins to retell a story he once heard, “Everything the sunlight touches is your kingdom.”
  • To which Pren replies, “The sun don’t shine down here, lad.”
  • Adrian shouts, “Shut up and listen to the story!”
• Meanwhile, Morsus casts Lesser Restoration to try and help with Grendel’s mind, but it doesn’t seem to do much – other than a few scant memories of how he and Pren knew each other
• Korra asks how Grendel and Pren know one another, and Grendel explains that they grew up together. Pren’s father is one of the most respected stone mason’s while Grendel’s father is one of the most respected tanners. Together Pren and Grendel often wanted to do something other than “the family business” so when Pren heard about the mission to gather ingredients, he pulled in Grendel.
• Morsus knows that Adrian’s Lay On Hands had been helpful is saving the Drow from allowing the poison to kill him and calls for Adrian to come over. Adrian switches places with Korra and Sephrenia.
  • Pren looks at both women and says, “Lissen. Yer both very fine lasses. Beautiful an’ all. But me, I enjoy a good, stout dwarven woman. Not to say I am not flattered that you both would want to spend time with me. Your other friend is odd. Brought me over here then told me about how everything the sun touches down here is a part of my kingdom. I am not a king… and also, the sun doesn’t show up… we’re under a mountain. May want to have his head examined, that one…”
• Adrian keeps extending a few points of Lay On Hands on Grendel and while some of his memories return, they’re clearly still fractured.
• Adrian goes back to speaking with Pren and asks if there’s anything Pren has noticed that’s been “off” about his friend
• Pren notes there’s a few things… one being that while Pren was talking about how he saved the party from the Snake People single-handedly (not exactly an accurate version of the events, but it’s expected from Pren) that Grendel didn’t pay attention; and usually he and Grendel would always up each other’s stories. He also noticed how when Pren had first been questioned, he mentioned he drew his sword – but outside of the goblin cave, he mentioned he’d drawn his ax; so he’d changed his story.
• Korra mentions that if Nor’Orn is an alchemist he may have something to help. Nor’Orn explains that once a mind is fractured (while tapping the side of his own skull) that minds don’t get fixed. He uses the example of a broken vial (one he dropped due to the party coming in and out of his cave) and scoops the shards of glass in his hand and says, “Imagine trying to put this vial back together. Even if you could, it would take a very long time. Some pieces are so tiny, they’re lost forever. And the contents of what was inside have already spilled out and been lost.” (Despite his insanity, Nor’Orn is clearly quite intelligent and wise!)
• But Nor’Orn does have a potion that can try to cleanse any remnants of the toxins in Grendel’s veins.
• Sephrenia takes the potion and tries to politely pursued Grendel to take the potion, but Grendel declines to “drink some random potion from a mad goblin” (Natural 1 on the Persuasion check!)
• Adrian tells Grendel to take the potion “or else” (already fed up with this unusual dwarf, and trying to figure out why he’s giving everyone a weird vibe)
• Grendel finally does, and when doing so bows his head down, choking on the less than pleasant tasting potion – but Morsus, Adrian, and Korra all noticed that when Grendel swallowed the potion, his eyes flashed green

• Morsus and Adrian take the potion bottle and go back into Nor’Orn’s cave (where, due to their unexpected entrance, he drops another vial)
• Adrian explains that they saw Grendel’s eyes green and wonder if that’s a side effect of the potion cleansing out the toxins
• However, Nor’Orn seems a bit shocked – almost frightened – as he says, “No. Green eyes. The green eyes – that means those who snatch bodies! They take the body! The mind! Sneak into society! One by one. Take all the bodies! All the minds!”
• Adrian and Morsus casually walk out and tell everyone (except Grendel and Pren) that Grendel has had his “body snatched”
• However, Grendel seems to catch the gig that they’re talking to one another in hushed whispers (15 Insight roll!) and decides that the jig is up – and switches to his – no, actually her true form and runs.

• Morsus casts Hold Person and the “Body Snatcher” fails (Natural 1 on the Savings Throw)
• Korra threw daggers, striking the “Body Snatcher” in the back, dealing “sneak attack” damage
• Sephrenia in her haste quickly pulled out her bow and tried to launch an arrow, but in her haste broke her bow string (Natural 1 on the To Hit)
• Don landed a hit with an arrow while Ragnaroc hit with Eldrich Blast
• Adrian, knowing that something was up with “Grendel”, ran up – grabbed the “Body Snatcher” but the hair and severed her head (doing all critical damage, and also expending divine smite, dealing 39 points of damage in total.
• Pren suddenly realizes; if that “Body Snatcher” was imitating Grendel – how long had it been imitating Grendel? What if Grendel hasn’t been Grendel for a year? Five years? Ten years? Longer? An what if there other “Body Snatchers” in the Kingdom? Pren feels lost; feeling as though he found his best friend, whom he thought dead; and discovers they have to “kill” him; but he’s not even himself… and he has no idea how long his best friend hasn’t been him.
• Feeling worn down, the party opts to try to rest – but they know they can’t rest in Nor’Orn’s cave as long as he’s in there (since they’d tried before, but due to his constant cackling and talking to himself and exploding potion, rest in the cave is impossible)
• The party opts to set up a small camp to the right of Nor’Orn’s cave entrance and Morsus and Sephrenia decided to take watch
• Three hours into their watch they both catch a glint of steel about 40′ ahead of them (Morsus with a Natural 20 on his Perception and Sephrenia with 19)
• Morsus opts to wake the others before they can get a full (or short) rest and explains that there appears to be a Drow tracking party ahead which seems to be moving from East to West (2 archers in the front, 20′ behind them two warrior types, and 10′ behind them 2 more archers)

• Sephrenia quickly does a Mending cantrip on her bow to repair it while Korra goes to stealth behind the Drow and Adrian goes to the front – the plan is to subdue one and take it prisoner.
• While Korra blends into the shadows, unfortunately Adrian’s sword clanks against his armor, alerting the Drow scouting party – who now easily spot Adrian
• Morsus casts Faerie Fire which lands on the back two archers, and the others save against its effects – but now become aware of the party by Nor’Orn’s cavern

• The two archers in the front shoot at Adrian, missing with all of their shots
• The two commanders in the center spot Sephrenia (A High Elf) and charge her
• The two in the back fire at Adrian, however, the bottom one misfires and hits the archer in the lower left front. The struck archer begins to scream.
• Adrian notices that the archer that was struck is beginning to look sickly, so he knows that the arrows are laced with the lethal poison (or some of the arrows are).
• Don launches an arrow and hits one of the ones in the back glowing with Faerie Fire
• Korra steps out of the shadows and eviscerates the same Drow that Don had hit before leaping back into the shadows again

• Ragnaroc casts Eldrich Blast on the other Drow with Faerie Fire on him and manages to kill him with one shot of his spell

• Adrian attempts to Compel Duel one of the remaining archers but they resist (Natural 20!) so Adrian opts to attack instead, missing however, due to being frustrated that the Drow had somehow resisted his Compel Duel
• Adrian then sees the archer that had been hit by his own companion’s arrow, falls down dead, his body decomposing rapidly.

• The two Drow warriors reach Sephrenia and begin relentlessly striking at her, hitting her several times, cutting her deep, so that blood pours out of her wounds
• Don is forced to step back due to the warriors begin too close and fires a shot and hits the one attacking Adrian
• Korra stabs the one attacking Adrian, but misses as does Ragnaroc’s Eldrich Blast
• Meanwhile, Sephrenia attempts to use Shocking Grasp, but one of the Drow commanders bats her arm away so she ends up shocking Ragnaroc (Natural 1 on the To Hit!)
• The Drow commanders continue to pummel at Sephrenia, with no regard to how the others are doing
• Don launches a reckless attack and manages to take down the most injured commander

• The remaining Commander keeps hitting Sephrenia with his sword
• Don notices that Nor’Orn comes flying out of his cave, riding on Glider, holding a potion in his hand and cackling madly – he knows this can’t go well – pretty much for anyone
• Pren jumps in the battle, trying to help Sephrenia after seeing her get bloody; he finally gets some courage, however, misses with his dagger (sighing wistfully, all the while complaining “Had this been a dwarven made dagger I would have plunged it through that Drow’s heart! But the hilt – it’s all off balance! It’s throwin’ me off, lass!”)
• Korra and Ragnaroc finish off the last archer
• Morsus decides to grapple the Drow commander, who manages to hit Morsus with his weapon dealing some damage; but the Commander seems to have paused before attacking for some reason

• Just then, Nor’Orn throws his potion down at the ground where the Drow commander is – with explosive results. The resulting explosion catches the Drow commander, but neither Sephrenia, Ragnaroc or Morsus – who were all in the radius of the explosion successfully make their savings throw – all of them taking 14 points of damage – the plus side is the Commander had exactly 14 hit points – putting him at 0, so not dead, just unconscious
• Morsus sees the Commander paling quickly and realizes that he must have bit down on the poison pack – Morsus quickly casts Lesser Restoration which seems to slow down the poison but not cure it due to its unique nature – so Morsus does a quick Medicine check and spots the poison packet in the Drow commander’s mouth and washes it out.
• On each of them, they find the same “black widow dagger” while the two commanders both possess long sword versions of the weapon:
  

• Adrian goes to Nor’Orn and asks about interigating a Drow in Nor’Orn’s cave – however, Nor’Orn is all too happy to help the party against the Drow and find a cure for the poison – but Nor’Orn explains he suffered too much at the Drow’s hands and that, while he abhors violence himself, he would kill every Drow he ever saw if he could (Persusasion 1 roll from Adrian but saves the roll with Inspiration and getting an unnatural 20) when he decides it’s better not to let Nor’Orn know that the Commander is still alive and that the party plans to question him
• And this is where tonight’s session ended!