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• Adrian Silverstrength (Human Paladin)
• Buppido Diinkarazan (Rock Gnome Cleric/Wizard)
• Sephrenia (High Elf Cleric) – Not Present This Session
• Ragnaroc (Aasimar Warlock) 
• Don Kannin (Half-Elf Ranger)
• Korra (Air Genasi Rogue) 

• The party approaches the small hamlet, but tell the Cyclops (Tor’Kon Kin’stic) to remain behind so they can go confront the inn keeper, Shen Fahr
• Tor’Kon awaited outside the hamlet, down a hill
• As the adventurers approach Shen Fahr’s inn, Shen Fahr comes out, smiling broadly at first – sees the party is with Lilli Sandmeadow, and his smile quickly goes away. He looks among the adventurers and doesn’t see a severed cyclops head and smiles again, though it’s clear it’s a forced smile (Adrian and Korra are able to successfully Insight him) and he says, “Well, it looks like there’s no severed cyclops head – and it’s… great… that you saved Lilli, but the deal was for the cyclops head, so it looks like I don’t have to pay you after all.”
• Buppido, who is riding on Adrian’s back, uses Guidance on Adrian who tries to use Performance to hide the fact he’s casting Zone of Truth on Shen Fahr
• Meanwhile, Korra asks Lilli why the Shen Far seems to have a strong dislike for Lilli, and learns that Shen’s hatred (maybe hatred is a strong word… dislike) goes to Lilli’s foster parents, but Shen does not seem to have a problem with anyone else
• Lilli has heard, over the years, when Shen has approached her foster parents, about how Lilli attracts trouble, her abilities are unnatural, etc.
• Meanwhile, Shen Fahr fails against the Zone of Truth, and Shen doesn’t seem to hide his frustration. He jabs a finger in Lilli’s direction and growls, “She brings trouble, if you must know! She spends time up in the mountain caves over there – with the Cyclops folk – who are filthy, primitive, and a danger to this hamlet! They’re savages! The Ettins came for the girl. She’s a danger to us all!”
• Korra asks, “So how does the Ettins coming for her relate to your dislike of Cyclops?” And Shen Fahr explains that he believes that all the time Lilli spends with the Cyclops, and that the Ettins undoubtedly dragged Lilli away to discover whatever secrets she may have shared with the Cyclops. After a little more discussion, it becomes very clear to the party that there’s nothing they can say that will change his mind.
• Lilli places her hand on Adrian’s shoulder, and says, “Forget about it. Nothing will change his mind. My foster parents have tried to change his mind, but he’s never going to change. But I’d like to thank you all for the help against the Ettin and the Lamia.”
• Korra asks Lilli about the abduction and the Ettin and the Lamia
• Lilli explains that they’d wanted to use her as a honing device, having heard of her powers, to find some kind of sphere. That’s when a dragon-man creature showed up, also demanding the sphere for his master named Mordak. But the Ettin said, his chief wanted the sphere, and that the Lamia had promised it to him and his kin if he brought the girl to her. The Lamia was clearly playing both sides, seeing which would benefit her the most.
• Buppido asks Lilli, “So you have the power to find things?”
• Lilli explains, “Yes, at the age of 12 – something awoke inside me. When I concentrate – I can physically see the ripples of magic all throughout these lands – like pink and purple, thin, spider-webs, all around, pulsating with magic.”
• Buppido uses Minor Illusion to make a specific gem
• Lilli looks and nods, “Yes. I’ve dreamed of such a gem. It is to the west.”
• Buppido looks at her, “Is there anything else to the dream?”
• Lilli shakes her head, “Unfortunately, not. It’s a dream… so sometimes it doesn’t make sense… I’ve had visions of a sphere… and a golden hammer…” She shakes her head again, “The way I feel the magic… even when Sand Sharks swim beneath my feet – I can feel them moving…”
• The party goes with Lilli and meets her foster parents, Grell Sandmeadow and Nella Sandmeadow and have dinner with them
• Grell explains that Lilli’s father came to the town, and asked them to watch over his daughter – and that he was about to do something dangerous and needed someone to watch her – and that he would hopefully come back for her. That was eighteen years ago. They’ve waited for her father, Orius Silverstrength, to return – but he has not and they’re unsure of what had happened to him. Lilli’s mother was a dryad, whom he’d fallen in love with, named Danela.
  • DM Note – Danela was the dryad bound to guard the “Spear Tree.” The cleric, Phalen had a vision of the tree. That party is sent to go rescue the dryad before she’s sacrificed – otherwise a great evil is released, but the party is sidetracked by discovering the hideout of some bandits. The party arrives too late, and the Dryad, Danela has been sacrificed. This leads to this group being tricked by a green hag that had been drawn to the area due to the great travesty that happened.
• The party learns that Dryads who fall in love with mortals are cast out from the Fey, and appointed something to guard on the mortal plane. Danela had fallen in love with the kind and virtuous knight, Orius and bore his daughter, Lilli.
• Adrian – after a moment – says, “Orius… is like my… father figure… an adoptive father… and he…. rescued me and my people… and inspired me to become a Paladin.”
• Lilli explains that a few years ago, she had sensed her mother’s death
  • DM Note – It was fun, because the player who controls Korra also happens to be the player who played Phalen that had the vision for the other game to go save the Dryad
• When Lilli explains that she’d sensed her mother’s demise a few years ago, Adrian recalls that Danela had been the name of the dryad that died – and that’s why they’d ended up fighting a green hag.
• Adrian sits there – silent – absorbing all of this
• Lilli says that if the party is headed for Drastor, she’s willing to go with the party
• Lilli says before they leave – there is something she could use their help with
• She explains that the Ettins here are a danger… and more so, recently after a new “Chief” claimed leadership over the Ettin. But this new chief is not an Ettin himself, though he appears to be a giant of some kind. Since he took over as their Chief, the Ettins have become more organized. Prior to his arrival, the Ettins often bickered among themselves, even with their ownself, because of the dual heads, often times having different personalities… this new Chief, not being an Ettin, does not have that problem and has made them a lethal striking force.
• Lilli explains that she’s used her own powers to spy on the Ettins, and discovered a passage that will bypass the main entrance of the caverns the Ettins call home; and a more direct route to the Ettin Chief chambers – however, the passage there is small, and will be uncomfortable
• She explains that the Cyclops have often fought against the Ettins, and stopped the Ettins from raiding the town for slaves, food, and water; despite what Shen Fahr believes
• The party takes a long rest in the home of Lilli’s foster parents, but all agree to help her, to take down the Ettin’s new “Chief”
• The following morning, the party gets ready. Sephrenia explains she will stay at the wagon and keep an eye on their belongings, because she’s seen those two troublesome Tabaxi twins, Gaagii and Gaarwine Talonhawk hanging around.
  • DM Note – This was because Sephrenia wasn’t present for the session, so this provided an easy out as to why she wouldn’t be traveling with the party to take down the Ettin “Chief.”
• Korra goes to the Potion Maker from the caravan who offers the normal potions for 125 gold
• Korra explains that it seems it’s very expensive; and he explains that it’s because there isn’t much resources to find the plants that are required to make the healing potions. And all the other guards on the caravan keep buying them from him, especially after the sand shark attacks
• Ragnaroc approaches the man and barters, for two greater healing potions for 597 gold to which the man agrees, which happens to be all the money Ragnaroc has
  • DM Note – It’s funny because during the session, Ragnaroc claims to show he can cast Mage Armor whenever he wants he talks about casting Mage Armor on the wild life around him, until I reminded him that Mage Armor has a cost associated to it – and he then realized he was out of gold. See the Spell Cost page for more.
• Korra asks the vendor about what components are used for a healing potion, and he explains that Whistling Leaf is one of the main components – and it requires either a forested area, or a cave with moisture
  • DM Note – I was waiting for the party to do a Nature check while they were in the mountains, but spoiler alert, they never did.
• With Adrian’s help (and Buppido touching Adrian’s rump and casting Guidance) allows Adrian to strike a better deal – rather than full price, he offers them at 25% off his current price (112 gold), so that Korra buys one
• Adrian asks the potion vendor for non metallic armor, and the vendor gets offended and tells him to go ask an armor vendor
• The party discusses how Mage Armor is actually better than just standard Leather Armor
• Adrian pays Ragnaroc 50 gold for Mage Armor for life
• The party follows Lilli – making their way through the desert
  • First round of Constitution saves against the sun’s intense heat, DC 13, passes
  • The second round of Constitution saves raises to DC 15, as they proceed, and both Buppido and Korra suffer one level of exhaustion
• The party reaches the base of the mountain and she shows them the entrance which is a small nook which they must all squeeze through, with their arms almost to their sides providing little room for movement which they’re forced to shimmy their way through

• Despite living underground, the claustrophobia of everyone being so closely wedged together as they make their way through the small cave entrance, crawling on their stomachs, like snakes, gets to Buppido
• When they get to a place where the party can stand again, Buppido complains about his companions odor from sweating, swearing all he can smell at his height is their crotch or their rumps

• Ragnaroc hears sounds up ahead; but none of them recognize the language being spoken
• Buppido tells the party, being familiar with underground life, he’s convinced it’s Troglodytes
• Korra, not believing him, can tell (Insight) that Buppido may be making it up
• Adrian turns to Lilli and asks her, and Lilli confirms, while she can’t understand what’s being said, it definitely sounds like Ettins
• Adrian, however – as they proceed, clanks his armor against the wall (failed Stealth check) which alerts the creatures ahead of his presence and it goes quiet
• Up ahead the tunnel opens up to a larger room – but they all remain inside the tunnel

• Adrian casts Shield of Faith on himself and decides to go out into the room – and is unfortunately, surprised by an Ettin’s attack which brings both a battle ax and a morningstar crushing down on Adrian, doing a lot of damage since he’s not yet changed into his armor

• Despite two massive hits, Adrian does manage to keep his concentration spell going for his Shield of Faith, while from inside the tunnel, Buppido can heard shouting, “By the gods! That’s the biggest troglodyte I’ve ever seen!”
• The others, still in the tunnel, seeing just one Ettin realize that the Ettin had either been talking – or more than likely – arguing with itself when they’d heard it
• Initiative begins – and Lilli manages to cast Faerie Fire on the Ettin
• Due to the cramped tunnel (and Don had been covering the back), he’s not able to clearly see the Ettin, giving it cover since it was striking from the side – so Don decides to hold his action
• Buppido, being short is able to get a Firebolt off which hits the Ettin’s loincloth and catches it on fire
• Ragnaroc steps into the room casting Hex then landing two Eldritch Blasts on the Ettin
• Adrian follows up with two hits against the Ettin
• Korra casts Phantasmal Force, which remarkably the Ettin somehow passes despite its low intelligence
• The Ettin peers at all the targets before him…
  • DM Note – I had Adrian offer the choice as to who he would like to use Protection Stance for – Bupiddo, Ragnaroc or Korra – all of whom were in melee range of the Ettin and standing near Adrian, and he picked Korra…
• … having been hit twice, hard, by the Warlock, the Ettin brings his dual attack down – striking hard with his battle ax but missing with his morningstar
• Ragnaroc hits him with Hellish Rebuke which delivers the killing blow and whispers the word, “Belaros” as his eyes roll to the back of his head
  • DM Note – After hitting the Ettin the player had to step away so I did the thing where he enters the trance where he constantly mutters the name “Belaros”
• Buppido takes the credit for the kill, proclaiming his Firebolt did him in
• The dying Ettin falls on top of Adrian who isn’t able to dodge out of the way but crawls free of the smelly Ettin’s corpse
• Once free of the Ettin’s corpse, Adrian begins putting on his armor and uses his Lay on Hands to heal himself
• The party moves to examine the large stone door
• They see that there’s a large key hole in the stone door about 15 feet up
  • DM Note – There was a key on the Ettin they’d just slain. I was expecting them to Mage Hand the key up into the lock and turn the lock. But that’s not what they did…
• The party tells Lilli to take raven form, and Korra uses Mage Hand to levitate Lilli into the lock. She climbs into the lock and peers through – watching for a moment before returning back to the side the party was and being lifted back down to the ground

• Lilli resumes her human form and explains that it’s a passage way ahead, and that there’s an Ettin – but he seems to be a guard that’s pacing back and forth at another intersection ahead and we may be able to pass him
• After a number of attempts – including climbing one another’s shoulders to try and reach the height of the key hole – which crumbles
• The party creates a convoluted plan finally to use a mixture of Mage Hand and Levitation to get some members up with a rope, to climb down the other side, and hold the rope tight
• There’s a number of complications from that plan as well
• But the party eventually makes it through to the other side – and as the party watches the Ettin patrolling ahead – they’re able to count and figure out how long it will take before he passes back through
• The party turns to Don to do Pass Without Trace and passes the Ettin
• As the party draws closer to the Chief’s chamber – Lilli tells the party that the Chief is different looking and does not have two heads
• To confirm, Korra asks if it’s a Cyclops and she explains he’s not – he definitely has two eyes
• Lilli explains that there’s something… different… about this chief. When she saw him when she was in her serpent form – meeting his gaze, even when he wasn’t aware of her presence, she felt a darkness in him… and she goes on to explain he’s greatly disfigured
• The party approaches the Chief’s chambers – and see an Ettin speaking to a larger figure sitting on a stone throne – and despite the Ettin’s ability for Wakefulness, it fails to take notice to the heroes approaching – this gives the party a chance for surprise attack
• Adrian uses his Channel Divinity for Sacred Weapon
• Bupiddo launches a Flaming Sphere at the Chief – the Chief critically fails
• Korra launches a Fire Bolt at the Chief and also hits for some hard damage
• Don draws his energy bow and whispers, “My wrath, my fury” which triggers the bow’s enhancement for extra damage but fires a shot that misses
• Lilli casts Faerie Fire which the Chief avoids and the Ettin critically fails – so the Ettin illuminates
• Normal initiative begins – and Bupiddo continues to focus the Flaming Sphere on the Chief, while firing off a Fire Bolt on the glowing Ettin
• Korra fires Fire Bolt at the glowing Ettin hitting him for a little damage
• The Chief stands – and invokes his Evil Eye (the chief actually being a Fomarian)
• Bupiddo manages to save against Evil Eye but still takes half damage, which is still significant damage
• The Chief rushes up to Bupiddo since he continued to ram the flame sphere against him slams once with his great club but misses thanks to Adrian offering the protection stance and putting the Chief at disadvantage
• The Ettin seeing Adrian being a problem for his chief, slams Adrian once with the battle ax, and once with the morning star – both hitting – and hitting hard
• Lilli uses Thornwhip against the Ettin since it was going after Adrian (also because the Ettin had Faerie Fire on it)
• Don fires one shot at the Chief that misses, then a second shot – that manages to hit – and remembers too late he should have also cast Hunter’s Mark on the first attack – and does so now as a bonus action
• Adrian uses all of his Lay On Hands on himself and follows up with Shield of Faith
• Bupiddo keeps his Flame Sphere on the Chief, who can’t seem to avoid it and fires a Fire Bolt against the Ettin and hits
• Korra casts Mirror Image on herself
• The Chief swings at Bupiddo – who uses his blasting rays to disadvantage the attack – but it still hits for some heavy damage; and follows up with a second hit, that lands another hit and critical damage, which downs Bupiddo and dismisses the Flame Sphere
• The Ettin feeling charged, slams Adrian with a battle ax and hits for some heavy damage, but misses his second attack
• Lilli runs to Bupiddo’s side, and does a Medicine check but fails to succeed (DC 10, she rolled 5)
• Don fires his energy bow at the Chief, knowing he won’t be much help in reviving Bupiddo – and lands massive damage
• Don fires a second shot, landing even more massive damage – this time, delivering the killing blow – as the Chief is raising his club in victory over Bupiddo going down – and about to deliver a blow to Lilli – Don’s energy arrow pierces the Chief’s heart, sending it exploding from his chest, his innards spilling all over Bupiddo (and Lilli)
  • DM Note – I often ask players how they want a creature’s demise to go about and welcome flavored endings, and this is how Don wanted it to happen!
• Adrian hits the surviving Ettin – and then extends a Divine Smite as well; followed by a second hit, and another Divine Smite which leaves the Ettin barely hanging on
• Korra casts Fire Bolt and with the help of Faerie Fire lands a critical hit (Natural 20!) and finishes off the Ettin who crumbles to the ground, dead
• With the Chief now dead, Lilli explains the Ettins will resume their arguing and their organized raids will cease to be functional
• Lilli revives Bupiddo who looks around and sees the two dead large beings and says, “Well, I must have done this.”
• The party makes their way back down through the key hole, into the small tunnel, and and make their way to the small town
• And the Captain of the Caravan announces that tomorrow the caravan will reach Drastor!