Trixshade's Realm 20-07-2024 [[Session 16|<- Previous Session]] ### Recap Before their nights rest, the party gets blasted by the breaking of a scrying bond, causing some weird side effects. The next morning, the party sets up their ambush and deals with the stragglers of the Iron Wolves. Leaving Braxian behind, they venture onwards south. On their journey, the grasslands suddenly turn grey and dead, as less and less birds, plants, and insects are to be found. At a certain point they spot a campsite in the distance. Reconnaissance proves it to be a pillager outpost. The party rushes into the camp ready to fight the bandits, but are soon surprised to see a Martial Captain there. Though eventually felling Captain Dwight, they don't do so without suffering a heavy loss. Flynn dies at the hand of the Martial Captain. Allen broken by the loss goes catatonic, as the rest of the party searches the camp and sets up a farewell for Flynn. That night at camp, the party gets pestered by Ribbin, a frog fairy cursing the party members for fun. Nibiru stops Ribbin from cursing Allen, instead getting the curse herself. In his dreams, the professor goes and visits Flynn in the necropolis and relays his final message to Allen. The next day, the party is contacted by Nyx to help him retrieve a relic he needs from a nest of Mind Goblins. He isn't very pleased with the loss of the souls of Snigg Snogg, Isembard, and now Flynn. The party reluctantly agrees on his quest and sets out towards the Mind Goblin nest. After a perilous encounter with the relics awesome psychic powers the party retrieves the item and head back to Nyx. However, distrust under Drildo and her dragon over Nyx's intentions lead her to withhold the relic. After a short but intense stare down, Drildo finally relents and gives Nyx his relic. Further on in their travels, the party encounter two rootlings which take them deep underground, to the court of Shrubbert. Shrubbert asks the party for their help in disabling the evil emanating from the Ivory Tor. In return Shrubbert grants the party their own beekeeper? Weird... The party is set back on the overworld in close proximity of the Ivory Tor. ### Summary Night sets as the party prepares for their foray into the Ivory Tor. They decide to set up camp and sleep before heading into the fray. The night seems calm enough... The first guard is kept by Bradley and the professor. While keeping watch, the professor approaches Bradley and informs him about what he had done for Allen with Flynn. The professor asks Bradley if he would want him to do the same for Bradleys family. Taken aback by the proposition, Bradley is at a loss for words, though eventually decides against it. He thanks the professor for the suggestion. The following silence is soon disturbed by a screech of pain echoing through the minds of the party, as the party is shaken awake by Nyx screaming "NOOOOO!". In an instant the party is surrounded by a swirling mass of black smoke. The professor swiftly spots a giant claw darting out of the smoke, heading towards the still prone Nibiru. Trying to save his teammate the professor dives out to save Nibiru, leading to both tumbling into the smoke and disappearing. The rest of the party, confused and still half-asleep look around in horror as the smoke thickens around them and starts to move in. Allen tries to dispel the magic, but to no avail. In similar ilk Majibili and Bradley try to break or disturb the smoke from enclosing them. However, none succeed. Suddenly, the grass below their feet fades away into a swirling vortex, and the party slowly starts to descent into the portal. Falling and tumbling down the wormhole, the party lands with a thud into a dark and shadowed plane. Left in complete darkness, the party can't see hand over eye. The only guide they have is Drildo with her darkvision, but it doesn't reveal much either. Stranded in a monochrome field of grass, the party is thoroughly lost. The only thing Drildo sees are four equally spaced lumps in the grass around the party. Akhen calls upon a bat familiar to help him identify the lumps through his echolocation. Using the bat, Akhen identifies the lumps as four creatures, slowly encircling the party. Bradley ignites a torch while Drildo ignites herself so the party can see their surroundings. In reaction the four creatures stand up and reveal themselves to be a kind of monstrous humanoid frog. The party tries to commune with the creatures, hoping to avoid combat. However, one of the creatures leaps towards the party and attacks. The combat with the banderhobbs is tense and difficult, as they blink in and out of the shadows, attacking and retreating. The fighting is fierce, and one of the banderhobbs almost makes off with Allen, but eventually all the enemeis are felled. Taking a moment to breathe after the battle, the healing magic of the party attracts a twisted creature of the Shadowfell known as the Hungry. Locked in at Bradley for his smell of healing magic, the Hungry starts to charge at the warlock. Majibili and Bradley take care of the Hungry. However, as the tides turn the Hungry tries to flee, only to be hunted down and butchered by the two party members. Shocked by the callous violence on display, Akhen deliberates with Allen, unsure if the party is a group Akhen wants to travel and associate with. The party journeys onwards trying to find any sign of where the professor and Nibiru have disappeared to. Suddenly, flashes of light in the pitch black surroundings pull the attention of the party. In the distance, the party sees sprays of fire shooting into the sky. Following the flashes as a beacon, the party finds themselves close to a mountain range, were a large stone arena has been carved out from the rock. Using the bat and blue to scout ahead, the party learns that the arena is mid combat between two adventurers and a large dragon. The party deliberates what their best plan of action is. However, while talking the fighting suddenly stops and the party is interrupted by the sound of large wings taking flight. Trying to hide from the dragon the party tries to blend into the rocks, but to no avail. Before the party a large red shadow dragon hits landfall and threatens the party. Introducing himself as the mighty Shadowfax, the dragon demands explanation of the party's proximity to its lair. In an attempt to not be burned alive, Bradley steps forward and bows. Playing into the dragons vanity, Bradley says they are here to worship and admire the great dragon. In return Shadowfax asks which tribute they have brought for him. Weaselling out of their predicament Bradley informs Shadowfax that their great offer was stolen before their arrival. Enraged by this information, Shadowfax demands a name of the thief who dares steal his tribute. In a panic, Blue answers in draconic and says the name 'Nyx'. Filled with glee at this information the dragon thanks the party. He informs them that Trixshade has been waiting to find a proper Casus Belli against the court of betrayal and the time has finally come to go to war. Shadowfax quickly flies off to informs Trixshade of this news. In his absence, the party quickly infiltrates the lair. The arena stands are filled with magical slabs containing adventurers in stasis. Among the slabs the party find both the professor and Nibiru. Breaking the magical seal, the missing party members are finally reunited with the group. Inspecting the dead adventurers that Shadowfax was fighting, the party determines they were a pupil of High Archmage Strigr and a high level warrior from the savannah. Both burned to crisps. Still stuck in the Shadowfell, the party deliberates calling on Nyx for help, while Majibili, Drildo, and Blue deliberate clearing out the hoard of Shadowfax. Allen eventually decided to summon Nyx. However, a pressing force of arcane suppresses the summoning. Suddenly, the heavy sound of the beating wings of Shadowfax are heard. In desperation, the party tries to hide, but not before taking some of the magic items from the hoard. Shadowfax lands in his lair and is furious. Immediately seeing most of the party members, he asks who dared to summon Nyx in his home and how fast they would like to die. Trying to persuade and deceive their way out, Shadowfax is having none of it. Just before releasing a large blast of black fire, a large rift breaks behind the dragon and out steps a gargantuan Nyx. The two fey and dragon fight fiercely, while the party looks in awe at the power on display. Unsure if to help Nyx, to just observe, or to take this chance to take out their unwilling patron the party all acts on their own desires. Majibili changes into a large ape and starts helping Nyx fight Shadowfax, both the professor and Nibiru decide to run through the rift and observe from their and Allen and Akhen follows suit. Unsure if to fight Nyx or not Bradley and Drildo deliberate for a second, but seeing the difference in power they decide to stay out of it. After a mighty final blow, Nyx kills Shadowfax. Drildo and Majibili take as much as they can from the hoard before leaving through the rift with Nyx and escaping the Shadowfell. After a short debrief, Nyx explains that he was poisoned by a substance that suppresses his power. This in turn made it possible for Trixshade to find the party and abduct them. Apologising for what happened, Nyx sends the party back to the overworld, readying them for their upcoming delve into the Ivory Tor. As the party returns to the Vivarium, they prepare and set out towards the Tor, finding it to be an obelisk from Al'Rimal... ### NPCs * **Shadowfax.** A Red Shadow Dragon residing in the Shadowfell. Runs his own arena for fun. Killed by the hand of Nyx. ### Loot * Tymirite Armor * Staff of Swarming Insects [[Session 18|Next Session ->]]