Want to help? Consider becoming a Patreon.

• Arhian Vos – Human Monk
• Hartmut Helmsworth – Elf Monk
• Sindri Waggletop – (Forest) Gnome Wizard
• Rettniss Kulvith – Water Genasi Druid
• Avacyn “Jolyne” Uloth the Merciless – Half-Orc Paladin
• Twilight Skybane – Tiefling Bard – Not Present This Session

• When the party awakens, they see that Nikalos has left (Nikalos offered to watch over them last session)
• The party is not surprised – but beginning to get worried – that Twilight hasn’t returned yet. She’d gone ahead to locate the hobgoblins that the party had been pursuing (beginning in Session 14, through 15, and also 16 and into this session!)
• Sindri tugs on Avacyn’s leg and asks for her to lift him on her shoulder, since the depth of the swamp water was nearly equal to Sindri’s height
• Avacyn growls, “We are not going to make this a habit,” as she picks up Sindri and places Sindri on the shoulder and marches at the front of the party
• Despite the rest, after marching through the swamp after some time, Arhian gains a level of exhaustion as the swamp seems to try and hold and pull the party into the sands
• Eventually Sindri, Hartmut and Arhian hear something whispering, “So many spirits… so many spirits…”
• Without Twilight, Hartmut offers to stealth ahead and check what’s going on –
• And he sees a creature like no other he’s seen before

• Hartmut sees this creature throwing bones on a dry mound, whispering, “Yes! Yes! The spirits call me. Some others are coming! Help me they will!”
• Hartmut tries to identify the creature – but after a moment, he’s certain that he’s never seen it before – and is pretty sure it’s a goblin with wings
• He stealths back to the party and describes what he’s seen
• Sindri, still on Avacyn’s shoulder, shakes his head, “I’ve seen a lot of goblins – but I’ve never heard of any goblins with wings!” (Nature Check – Critical Fail)
• Arhian recalls that Kobolds have worn mechanical wings, especially those who worshiped dragons
• Hartmut thinks about it and explains that he’s unusually tall for a goblin or a kobold
• Sindri confirms that there’s only one; it should be fine
• Hartmut mutters, “Last time we fought something with wings, it didn’t go well.”
• Rettniss shakes her head, “Let’s go talk to this thing – it’s not like we’re known for making the right choice, anyway.”
• The party stealths towards the creature, and as they peer through the shrubbery, Sindri sees the creature – and has no idea what it is (Critical Fail on Arcana now) and believes it just might be a goblin with wings!
• The creature thrusts his face through the brush, “Oh! Adventurers! Here to help me you are! Here for the spirits, yes? Yes!”
• Arhian doesn’t recall anything about the “deer birds” – but he’d read up about Berbalangs – and knew that these creatures were often used by Demon Lords as messengers or gatherers of secrets – usually prying information from the dead
• “That makes much more sense than a goblin,” Sindri nods
  • “Here to help free the spirits, yes?” the berbalang asks
  • “What spirits?” Sindri asks
  • “The bound spirits! Cursed hobglins! Bound them, they did! Screaming, won’t talk!” the odd creature responded
  • “What spirits do you speak of?” Sindri asked
  • “Spirits of the monks, guardians of the temple,” the barbalang shrugged, as if it was obvious
  • “Oh, Hell,” Rettniss mutters, “now we’re in it.”
• Hartmut questions the berbalang about the hobgoblins; who says there was five of them; two of which were stronger in magic
• Arhian asks if he knows where the hobgoblins are
• The berbalang nods, and points – “Entered the temple they have! Bound the spirits before entering! Guard against all.”
• Sindri asks, “How do we free the spirits?”
• The berbalang explains, “Inside the temple – a magic chamber with a table – sacrifice a magic item – the burst of magic will shatter the spell from within it, will!” it explains as it excitedly wrings its hands
• The party looks around – and wonders who has a spare magic item that can be sacrificed when the time comes
• Arhian and Hartmut know that they must free the spirits
  • From what they know, the Monks have sent powerful items that should not be in the hands of mortals into other dimensions – guarded by Spirit Monks at the temple – to prevent anyone from gaining access to them. Items can be taken here to also unlock the true potential of a magic item, in the safety of a dimension – among spirits, rather than on the mortal plane, should things go wrong
  • However, the Binding of the Spirits as the Hobgoblins have done is indication that they’ve gotten a hold of some ancient, powerful magic already
• Sindri asks, whispering, “What do we do with the berbalang?”
• When Sindri sees the berbalang trying to listen, he uses Minor Illusion to create a static sound in its ear
• It begins itching at its ear, muttering, “Spirits making weird sounds now…”
• Arhian says, “We may be able to use this creature to aid us – help us speak to spirits.”
• Hartmut looks at Arhian, startled, “Are we sure we want something in the thrall of a demon lord with us?”
• Arhian nods, “We could use him with the spirits – and against the hobgoblins.”
• The party agrees
• Sindri dispels the Minor Illusion
• And Arhian asks, “Do you have a name, berbalang?”
• He nods and as he wrings his hangs, “My name is Burlap.“
  • DM Note – Originally the player controlling Twilight was going to make this session – and I’d thrown in Burlap because she, as a person, would have recognized the name from another game I run which she is a part of – Burlap appears in Servants of the Wizard Session 3, Session 4 and Session 5. Ironically, one of the characters there also believed Burlap to be a goblin with wings, which is where the reference came from…
• Arhian asks, “Will you help us?”
• Burlap nods, “I help. Yes. But I not fight. Not made for fighting. But I fly. Tell you if things come. Speak with spirits, yes?”
• Arhian nods, “Yes.”
• Sindri asks, “Quick question – who do you work for?”
• Burlap smiles. “Big secret. Can’t say.” And with that, he takes to the skies.
• As the party continues to march forward, the berbalang comes spiraling down and lands on the branch and says, “Creatures. Small. They’ve seen you.”
• “That’s all you know?” Sindri asks
• “Well, I sense evil,” Burlap says. Then after a moment laughs, “Oh, maybe that’s me?”
• Hartmut shakes his head and sighs, “Who knew you were such a jokester?”
• Burlap laughs, eerily then says, “Well, creatures ahead – they small. Small. No problem for all of you. Especially with that one,” as he jabs his jaunty finger towards Avacyn.
• The party proceeds with caution and takes to the air
  • The party rolls Perception with Advantage because of being warned by Burlap
• The party manages to spot several, small, humanoid creatures, hidden in the swamp, clearly in positions of ambush – so, at least, for an admittedly evil creature, Burlap was at least honest

• Sindri, since he was one of the three who could spot them (Sindri, Avacyn, and Hartmut) is able to recognize them as vile fey creatures known as Meazel – who use stealth and shadow teleporting to attacking their victims – and any whom they teleport with – are infected with a disease that draws the undead to them
• Arhian places her hand on Sindri’s shoulder and says, “I know we’ve talked about not burning down trees, being a Forest Gnome and all… but… this might be the best idea.”
• Knowing that Meazels flee from light, Sindri uses Fire Bolt to keep the creatures at bay, and they’re able to avoid combat with them – but shining light in their direction
• Sindri then casts Light on Arhian’s quarterstaff
  • Fun Note – during this, the joke came up that Arhian’s staff name would be “Vaccine” since it was keeping the meazels away…
• After a short while, Burlap descends onto a branch again and says, “Something like spirits ahead. My eyes see – yours may not.”
• Sindri asks, “What do you mean?”
• Burlap shrugs, “Five – me see – you no see – walk in pattern – look lost. Not evil.” He observes the party to see if he can judge them – and asks, “None of you know what a Skulk is.”
• Sindri shakes his head, “I know what a Skulk is. They’re travelers, who die during travels, who are like ghosts. And they are visible – if we have a mirror – or a candle made from corpse fat.” Sindri digs in his pouch to see if he has a candle, but Hartmut pulls out a mirror and hands it to Sindri.
• Sindri positions himself so he’s sitting backwards on Avacyn’s shoulder so that he can see them in the mirror
• The party tries to stealth around where the Skulks were, however – Hartmut slips into the murky swamp water (Critical Fail on Stealth)
• Sindri turns the mirror – and sees that the four skulks seem to be moving in a specific pattern
• Sindri is curious about the pattern that they’re walking in – but it’s difficult to keep track using the mirror

• Hearing Sindri and Rettniss – the Skulks turn and point to the party, uttering words, though no sound leaves their lips
• Hartmut is unnerved
• Sindri keeps reading their lips and finally says, “They’re repeating the words… free the spirits… free the spirits… free the spirits…”
  • DM Note – This was a fun use of the Observant feat
• Sindri tells the party that they should press on, after observing that the pattern that the Skulks are walking is in the “eternity” symbol
• The party discovers – after nearly eleven hours – Burlap finally flies down and asks what the party is doing – that they’ve been walking in circle for an hour not eleven hours – and points out that the party is walking in a pattern – and he draws it on the ground – drawing a symbol eight
• “We’re stuck in the same pattern,” Sindri growls. “We’re stuck in a curse of binding – there’s something that when we reach – it teleports us back and forces us to walk the same steps again. Burlap, you’ve been watching us – there’s an item that’s on the path – just before we repeat. Do you know where it’s at?”
• Burlap flies up – looks and flies back down – and stops at a large tree with vines.
• The party moves towards the tree and looks around the tree but doesn’t see anything
• The entire time Burlap shakes his head and taunts the party member about how he’s so much smarter he is than the rest of the party and finally reveals the marking is behind the vines
• Arhian takes one of her darts – and scratches the symbol out – and it’s clear the Hobgoblins had done this – and this now frees the Skulks are free of their pattern as well; three of which look like they were merchants in a previous life, while one of them looks like it might have been a monk
• After speaking with the Skulk, Sindri using his Observant feat to “hear” what’s being said – they manage to recruit the Skulk that appeared to be a Monk previously
• The party eventually reaches the temple – and there, hands bound together – monk spirits seem entwined with one another, standing, backs arched forward, heads tilted back, mouths agape as if screaming – just as Burlap had said
• The party throws a rock through the spirits and sees the algae on it disappear as it passes through the spirits; they then toss a stick through, which crumples; and they determine passing through the spirits will age them greatly – so they need another way
• Burlap flies and lands on the other side, staring at the party and grinning – all too happy to approve he’s superior to the party
• They find a large boulder and all successfully climb it and jump over, with Avacyn going last as she throws Sindri over the spirit wall
• The Monk Skulk appears and mouths that there are hobgoblins hidden in the doorway in the hallway inside the main hall

• The party moves forward and pounds through the two hobgoblins who could not take advantage of their ambush due to the Monk Skulk’s warning
• Party makes their way to the main chamber where they fight the two Hobgoblin Mages who are casting a spell on two pair of cestus gloves
• After defeating the pair of Hobgoblin mages, Arhian dons the Cestus of Seikaku-sa while Hartmut takes the Cestus of Kyoaku-sei
• To free the bound spirit monks, the party decides to sacrifice Rettniss’ extra magical Quarterstaff (+1) – and as she lays the quarterstaff down – runes appear on each side of the table
• Arhian walks to one side where the runes are – and suddenly her body floats up, her eyes turn blank, her back arched and arms extended – appearing to mimic the chained spirits
• Sindri looks in the mirror and looks at the Monk Skulk who is nodding and pointing to Hartmut
• Hartmut approaches the other side, and the same thing
• For Arhian and Hartmut, they see a world in space, with stars streaking by, planets created, and planets destroyed, all passing through their eyes
• All the runes light up – Rettniss quickly dives against the pillar and shouts, “Duck!”
• And a massive wave of force slams everyone else who is thrown against the wall for ten points of damage
• And Arhian and Hartmut drift to the ground – and both feel a sense of calm – and the spirit monks suddenly appear, doing what they’d always do
  • And the party stops here for now!