Old friends, Rescues and Decisions

 Dungeon's and Dragon's campaign log for in-person game since 2017

Location: City of Fax on the Wildcoast.

Date:  7th day, month of Sunsebb, Winter [reference from our calendar it is December]

Year: 582

Current Status:

The heroes now are located in the Blackrune controlled city of Fax on the Wildcoast.

The Redwater Fellowship's "Fistful of Dollars" ploy has yielded a bloody harvest. By manipulating a captured guard into believing he was tortured by the Warden’s men, ignited a civil war that appears to have decimated the Blackrune command structure and forces. The Warden has fallen, and Fax waits to see if its liberators will seize the moment or be consumed by the madness of Commander Floodlick.

The field was won, the forces of Commander Floodlick dispersed or dead! And after venturing through the mind-realm of the mad Commander Floodlick, the party emerge victorious. Bruised, battered physically and mentally, and one of the party dead.

Resting the party discussed next steps, rest, gather some allies - possible mercenary companies in the city, check on the Doctor Kleinus supposedly at a first-aid station - converted temple, who may be able to assist the party. Lt. Spears was able to gather some intel before the party arrived on the mercenary companies

A welcome sight over the water: The Redwater Fellowship's Flying Tower is hovering there! It seems a week had passed for the heroes while they were in the mind of Commander Floodlick. Many things could have changed in Fax in a week..

The RedWater Fellowship [Player Characters]

Lieutenant Spears - Male 1/2 elf | Phantom Rogue/Echo Knight - an operative assigned by Lady Cowl's secretive organization - under Overlord Romack - to assist [played by Connor]

Nenwin Albion - Male Aasimar | Paladin of the god: Heironeous [played by Jake]

Graxxuzzaz - Male Lizard-folk | Sorcerer/Warlock of the Great Old One - the King in Yellow [played by Braydin]

Aeldred -  Male Red Dragon-born | Barbarian/Paladin/Ranger of the god: Pelor [played by Campbell]

Thogra - Male 1/2 Orc | Rogue/Cleric of the Egyptian god: Set. | currently: DEAD [played by the DM: Dave]

Dungeon Master: Dave

---

Other Non-player characters of note:

Robin - formerly the undead ruler of Darkreach and a servant to Orcus, now once again: Male aarakocra | Ranger

Doc Sigmund Holliday - Male 1/2 orc | Gunslinger/Paladin of the goddess: The Raven Queen [former close friend of Robin [played by Connor]

Tibaltuous - Male 1/2 elf | Bard/Paladin [Bounty hunter] - currently under cover and scouting along the Wild Coast - South near the Pomarj. [DM: more details: Blogpost: https://sleet-dnd2.blogspot.com/2025/10/interlude-tibaltuous-espionage-travels.html] [played by Campbell]

Gothi - Female foreclaimer | Ranger | At town of DragonKeep. Former member of the Fellowship [played by Jake].

Lars - Male elf [VAMPIRE] | wizard | At town of DragonKeep [looks like a pale, very young 15 year old]

Skrit - Male kobold | Priest of Istus. Former member of the Fellowship. Acting Mayor of the town of DragonKeep [until elections take place - next month]

Current quests or options for the party to look into:

Flying tower: hovering above the bay near city of Fax

City of FAX quests:

• Request from Greyskulls [a mercenary company] commander and mate - save son in Fax?
• A Doctor in Fax - potential contact and ally against Blackrunes? Doctor Kleinus.
• Portal to Sea of Dust (Blackrune expedition) look into or not?

Personal quests:

• Aeldred - Paladin's oath to find and save family of dwarf smith who repaired Aeldred's heirloom sword [also Doc and Nenwin have agreed as paladins to assist if possible]
• Doc Holliday - Elves are now East across sea in Bright desert (Doc personal potential quest)? The "Great Deliverance" a spell cast to take all the Elves to a secret location in the desert.
• Graxxuzzaz's circus (he was circus master and has heard rumours they are near Fax now - potential personal quest)?
• Tibaltuous' collect bounty for drow [he has the head of the drow] - Contact is in city of Fax
• Map to secret Blackrune base/island off Wildcoast - Fax area (Kantif - a rogue, former ally from the Redwater Fellowship has this)

Post-Psycho-sphere Awakening & the Flying Tower 

It is the morning of the 7th of Sunsebb, a sunny day in the burning and besieged city of Fax. The party emerges back into reality from Floodlick's mind-realm among the smoking ruins of Commander’s former HQ garage in the city. The heroes discover that while their minds were trapped inside the psycho-sphere, a full week has passed in the real world. It appears the siege by the the undead has gone well.. for the undead. Walls breached in multiple areas, gates torn down, rampaging undead swarm and flow down streets, mobs of flesh-eating monsters hunting anything alive.

The heroes are each offered a minor boon from the soul or spirit of the fading Commander Floodlick or is it form the mindflayers?? Some party members take the boon and get a minor power added to their primary magic item. Will this be a positive influence in the future or did the heroes just accept a gift from the hive mind of the illithids? Only time will tell...

XP & Level Drain Adjustments: The party is awarded 3,800 XP for surviving the mind-realm. Aeldred is focused on somehow restoring the 4 levels lost to the vampire, while Graxxuzzaz not in as bad a condition is eager to restore 1 level.

Tower Contact & Boarding: The party sees with GREAT relief their flying tower hovering over the bay. Nenwin sprouts his angelic wings -with angelic chorus as always singing as they spread out - and flies over to the tower. and hammers on the main doors at the base of the flying tower them with his gauntleted fist. Lukkan a wizard ally who works with the Fellowship opens the double doors and commands F.E.R.A. - the intelligence controlling the flying tower -  (Fera) to notify Gothi, who is up in the control centre to bring the tower down closer to the ruined docks to pick up the rest of the party!

Identification & Bionic Experiments: Graxxuzzaz used his ritual capabilities to cast identify on some

loot

Stone Fist Gauntlets: Equipped by Aeldred, setting his Strength score to 23 [also able to throw boulders and cast stoneshape spell]

Psionic Circlets Test: Aeldred and Nenwin equip a paired set of non-magical psionic circlets

. To test the shared-damage mechanic (+1 AC, charm immunity, shared resistance), Aeldred punches Nenwin for 8 damage; the link splits the blow, dealing 4 damage to Aeldred and 4 damage to Nenwin

Power of Light Boon: Aeldred rolls an 85 percentile check on his heirloom sword (BloodDrinker), gaining the Power of Light

This causes the pommel to glow like a candle whenever another light source is within 50 feet—even through solid walls

[DM: Out-of-game, the table jokes that his sword is a "glorified glow stick" and teases that entering a room with "way too many candles" will cause sensory overload]

Love Enhancement: Lt. Spears accepts a minor charm capability onto his Bracers of Daggers

The party are able to rest and recuperate for a little, then decide to look for Doctor Kleinus a contact in the city.

Sanctuary of St. Cuthbert (Temple Aid Station)

Reconnaissance & Catnap: Lt. Spears stealthily scouts the northern district and locates the historic temple of St. Cuthbert, now serving as a makeshift first-aid station completely besieged by a surging mob of undead.

To prepare, Lukkan casts Catnap, granting the party a 10-minute short rest while Gothi flys the tower into position

Executing the Chokepoint Combo: the heroes land the flying tower directly in front of the temple entrance, crushing a mob of undead skeletons, zombies ghouls and more, while having the tower

entrance face the temple doors!

The party go into tactical battle mode when Aeldred uses his Staff of Fire to cast Wall of Fire, creating a U-shaped barrier of flame across one flank [DM: that deals 15d8 (61 fire damage) to swarming zombies], while Graxxuzzaz casts Hunger of Hadar on the opposing flank, placing a 20-foot radius sphere of darkness and freezing cold that deals 2d6 (24 cold damage) and grasping tentacles to pull down the undead and crush them.

Knocking on the door politely and calling out, Nenwin and Aeldred await the occupants. A nurse attendants crack open the temple door 

Aeldred:"Hello, we are here to save you". The occupants are delighted at this! Allowing the party to evacuate 21 severely wounded civilians, 4 nurses, and 4 attendants into the tower's bunkhouse and stables area for now.

Inside, Dr. Kleinus (a Githyanki priest of St. Cuthbert) is performing an emergency amputation on a young half-orc Blackrune soldier whose arm is blackened by a necrotic curse. Lacking sedatives "all used up so zis boy will need to rezzt.", Dr. Kleinus touches the boy's forehead, utters "Sleep," the young soldier falls into a deep sleep and the Doctor expertly saws off the limb while the paladins, Aeldred holds the convulsing boys arms and Nenwin holds his legs. Even in slumber it seems there is some

pain.. The paladin grips the boy's wrist with a stone gauntlet while attempting Cleansing Touch / Lay on Hands, but the rotting skin sloughs off, [DM: requiring a DC 25 Strength check] to keep hold as the claw snaps at Aledred's face!

The Scuttling Hand Hunt:

The severed hand animates, scuttles out a window, and scales the tower's stone exterior

Aeldred activates Divine Sense and rolls an 18 Perception check with advantage, detecting the hand hiding in a crevice near the base of the hovering tower. Flying beneath the tower, Aeldred strikes [DM: with an attack roll of 22, dealing 46 damage] and slicing the scuttling hand in half as it tumbles into the city streets, finally still and destroyed. The masses of undead continue to try and assault the tower as the heroes and Dr. Kleinus vacate into the tower. During this time, Lt. Spears and Lars the Wizard/warlock have been busy throwing daggers with deadly accuracy and casting firebolt to take down zombies and other undead.

The Moat & Steam Tank Rescue

Lt.s Spears mentions that a steam tank - originally from Commander Floodlick's base - was trying to escape the town and had got stuck and mired in the mud of the partially dug moat. The heroes agreed to save the folks trying to escape. 

Navigating toward the city's defensive moat, the party spots the disabled steam tank lying on its side 20 feet down in a mud morass, with a 6-wheeled wagon teetering precariously on the crumbling embankment above it. Mud zombies and mud skeletons are swarming the crew and passengers

The Fellowship prepare multiple Grappling ropes and lower from the flying tower to the wagon.

Flying down to the teetering wreck, Nenwin swings at the heavy iron chains connecting the wagon to
the tank, dealing 61 damage across two strikes (30 + 31) to sever the bindings instantly, while Lt. Spears hurls daggers to cover the ground retreat

Two teenage camp followers— [DM: 3rd-level Echo Knights/ Monk and wizard] Sandin and Sadreeya—join the fray. Sandin (wizard twin) fires Magic Missile / Flaming Sphere into the horde. When zombies close in on Sandin, Sadreeya (monk twin) uses her Twin Resonance reaction to swap places with him, wielding a staff and executing a Flurry of Blows to smash two zombies and knock back a skeleton with the aid of Lt. Spears accurate and deadly dagger throwing.

The Fellowship hoists Captain Valerius "The Sun-King" Thorne (still wearing gold-lacquered plate armour that somehow stays spotlessly clean!), 2 steam tank crew members, heavy infantry, and over 15 civilians aboard. 

"The Flying tower is getting close to maximum occupancy!" Gothi advises!

With deft skill and strength the wagon and its load of boxes, trunks and civilians are brought up and loaded into the stable area of the Flying Tower. Inspecting the wagon, the party finds strongboxes, silk trunks, and gold belonging to the wealthy aristocrat, A Lord Wumblebottom, who paid bribes to escape, and took multiple civilians places with all his trunks and boxes!

Approaching the Docks: Navigating toward Woolly Bay, the party locates the galley of the Red Harbour Irregulars, led by a hobbit Captain T. Tooley - Tootley wears a hat wide then he is tall. 

As the ship's crew (two orcs, a lizardfolk, and a hobbit captain with a giant hat) pivots a deck cannon toward the tower, Gothi deploys the tower's Fog Cloud feature [DM: at a cost of 100 gp in power] enveloping the area in a 50-foot heavily obscured cloud

Aledred jumsp down out of the fog, onto the deck: "Salutations gentlemen... Do you have time for a chat?"

Captain Tooely explains that the Blackrunes abandoned his crew without payment! They were preparing to vacate with undead continuing to come up from the depths. 

The party negotiate a NEW agreement with the Irregulars for them to take on all the civilians that are not hurt - Dr. Kleinus advises some need to stay put and are up in the bunkhouse level of the tower. Without Lord Wumblebottom's awareness, the party use the Lord's gold to pay the mercenaries to transport the civilians to safety.

The Fellowship checks nearby sewer channels, rescuing 11 additional camp followers and 14 townspeople who were trapped by shades, spectres, and wraiths and finally leave Fax.

Dr. Kleinus' Revelations, Thogra's Resurrection & Strategic Decisions

Dr. Kleinus a githyanki - reveals his past formerly a scientist and doctor in the employ of the Blackrunes, after his clan was betrayed and exterminated by the Blackrunes and their true leaders - see below - once he became a follower of St. Cuthbert acted as a secret operative of St. Cuthbert smuggling

slaves out of Blackrune chains and death. He warns that the Blackrunes and Scarlet Brotherhood are puppets controlled by an Elder Brain collective (~11 Elder Brains remain active - one killed by the heroes!). 

Mindflayers. 

Illithids.

He discloses that Lady Blackthorn, an illithid agent and dark scientist - escaped Fax aboard a swift sloop sailing North toward the city of Greyhawk and possibly on to the the Nyr Div, carrying two trunks of psionic goggles and psychic weapons that infect users with mindflayer parasites. He identifies the true heart of Blackrune power as the Iron Gate at Dunad Bay near the Iron Hills, South and East down near the rumoured lands of the Scarlet Brotherhood.

Tactical Bait for Faction Leaders: High-ranking officers and commanders within the Blackrunes and the Scarlet Brotherhood actively clamour to acquire these goggles. They mistakenly believe the goggles are cutting-edge psionic technology that will secure them a decisive tactical advantage in their military and geopolitical campaigns

How They Affect the Wearer: Grant Intoxicating Powers: Upon donning the goggles, the wearer immediately gains formidable psionic abilities and intoxicating mental power

Parasitic Infection: The goggles are a trap. The moment they are put on, the wearer becomes infected by an Illithid parasite. The infection enables the Elder Brain collective to completely dominate the host's thoughts, memories, and actions.

Unconscious Loss of Free Will: The host loses all free will without ever realising it. They continue to believe they are independently executing strategic plans, but every move, advice, and command is actually manipulated by the Mind Flayers to gather slaves, build infrastructure, and prepare a "master feast of bodies and minds"

For all the great work the heroes did, Dr. Kleinus is  quite grateful. Using his god-given powers from St. Cuthbert, the doctor  casts Greater Restoration on the party to remove level exhaustion as well asrestores Aeldred's and Graxxuzzaz's experience levels!

Using his sole diamond, Dr. Kleinus casts Raise Dead on Thogra (the half-orc Rogue/Cleric of Set played by the DM, Dave), restoring him to life.

Thogra declines the parasitic blade graft and but takes a magic cloak found amongst the loot as the party bring the key party member back up to speed on recent activity.

Leaving Fax & Unfinished Quests:

To intercept Lady Blackthorn, the Fellowship makes the hard choice to depart Fax immediately, leaving six major local quests/leads unfinished:

• 
  Greyskulls Rescue: Rescuing the mercenary commander's son in Fax
• Graxxuzzaz's Circus: Searching for rumors of Graxxuzzaz's missing circus near Fax
• Aeldred's Oath: Locating the dwarf smith family who repaired Aeldred's heirloom sword
• Kantif's Base Map: Tracking down rogue Kantif for his map to the secret Blackrune island base
• Sea of Dust Portal: Investigating the Blackrune expedition portal to the Sea of Dust

Refugees and mercenaries are transferred onto Captain Tooley's galley to sail for safety or disembark near Cantana, while  Lord Wumblebottom remains aboard the tower bunkhouse, with a number of seriously injured civilians, and 2 nurses. Lady Blackthorn's sloop has a 7-day head start (~350 miles out traveling at ~50 miles per day). The flying tower can travel at 25 mph indefinitely without any risk of engine overheating, so the party calculates catching her in 14 hours!

Battle Plan: Fly full speed North to the mouth of the river leading to river to city of Greyhawk and then the Nyr Div, activate the tower's Fog Cloud to wait in ambush above the river channel. One plan proposed is to drop the flying tower directly down onto Lady Blackthorn's sloop to destroy her and the trunks of psionic goggles before her dark experiments spread further!

Meanwhile, Lt. Spears disembarks to use the DragonKeep teleportation circle, intending to report the Illithid plot directly to Lady Cowl, 

Aledred and possibly Nenwin stay in Fax and fulfil Aeldred's oat quest and battle the hordes of undead!

Fond farewells and the heroes know they will once again be re-united once the threat of the Blackrunes,
the illithids and more are defeated!

What next for the Redwater Fellowship..?

Redwater Fellowship's Flying Tower - Details

 The Flying Tower

Tower update:

All previous damage is repaired.

 

Once the tower arrives at Fax, energy level is at: 1850 GP

[Gothi had it going full speed to arrive there]

 

 

Tower capabilities:

• Travel is 10 GP per 10 Miles per hour.
•     MAX Speed: 50 MPH [max speed is 50 GP/hour]. Can be maintained up to 12 hours before engine requires a 1 hour rest or % chance of over heating and possible issues.
• Standard function to maintain tower capabilities, magical lights, hovering, and all other functionality is 10GP per day. 
• The tower can be set into a dormant "shutdown" state, all capabilities are off.  To re-activate, takes 10 minutes to become operational to fly etc.
• Types of treasure can be fed to the Dragon heart engine: gold, platinum, gems and magical items.
• Ground floor - is still setup as a stables, storage and smithy
• 
  Top floor - is now a bunk house for troops and inhabitants, as well as setup with a enclosed compartment for a cannon or ballista once built on tracks with 360 degree coverage
• Former dimensional level and portal to Abyss - is now a storage and secure vault for treasure and the CUBE
• The turret - there is only one - is where the Lady Sadra [DM: blogpost for more details] - who is cursed for over 238 years now to stay in her rooms - located in the tower

 

Tower capabilities:

• F.E.R.A. [Fera] is now the "intelligence" of the tower. Controlled telepathically by Gothi. Others can be designated with some control of various features or capabilities:
• Steer tower's movement
• Access all areas - or not [including vault]
• Only Gothi has telepathic communication - within 100 yards of the tower - other party members need to speak aloud to Fera.
• No longer any offensive capabilities - these were tied to abyssal power and drained souls to use
• Defensive power: Emit Fog cloud - see below- similar to spell with following changes. The command centre level can see outside. All other views are obscured - from arrow slits, gin ports, main gate etc.

Fog Cloud

Source: Player's Handbook

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 0 feet

Components: V

Casting Cost: 100GP in power PER usage

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour [Fera concentrates on this to invoke]

You create a 50-foot-radius billowing natural looking sphere of fog/cloud outside the walls of the flying tower.. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for the duration or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it. [NOTE: if tower moves faster than 10 miles per hour, it will be dispersed.]

From <https://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:fog-cloud>

The Mind-Realm of the Mad Commander Floodlick

  

Dungeon's and Dragon's campaign log for in-person game since 2017

Location: City of Fax on the Wildcoast.

Date:  1st day, month of Sunsebb, Winter [reference from our calendar it is December]

Year: 582

Current Status:

The heroes now are located in the Blackrune controlled city of Fax on the Wildcoast.

The Redwater Fellowship's "Fistful of Dollars" ploy was a success, then their infiltration of Commander Floodlick's HQ was complete. But it appeared that Floodlick - even dead? - was not finished with the heroes!

The Fellowship stand in the garage of Floodlick's HQ. The commander's head recently removed from

the body after the commander was killed by the blades of Lt. Spears. Now held by his hair in Aeldred's

grip as the Fellowship prepare to confront or avoid the BR patrol, coming up to the HQ. no doubt

attracted to the recent explosions and more from on top and inside the HQ.

_________________________

The RedWater Fellowship [Player Characters]

• Lieutenant Spears Male 1/2 elf | Phantom Rogue/Echo Knight - an operative assigned by Lady Cowl's secretive organization - under Overlord Romack - to assist [played by Connor]
• Nenwin Albion - Male Aasimar | Paladin of the god: Heironeous [played by Jake]
• Graxxuzzaz - Male Lizard-folk | Sorcerer/Warlock of the Great Old One - the King in Yellow [played by Braydin]
• Aeldred - Male Red Dragon-born | Barbarian/Paladin/Ranger of the god: Pelor [played by Campbell]
• Thogra - Male 1/2 Orc - CURRENTLY DEAD | Rogue/Cleric of the Egyptian god: Set. | [played by the DM: Dave]

 Dungeon Master: Dave

---

Other Non-player characters of note:

• Robin - formerly the undead ruler of Darkreach and a servant to Orcus, now once again: Male aarakocra | Ranger
• Doc Sigmund Holliday - Male 1/2 orc | Gunslinger/Paladin of the goddess: The Raven Queen [former close friend of Robin [played by Connor]
• Tibaltuous Male 1/2 elf | Bard/Paladin [Bounty hunter] - currently under cover and scouting along the Wild Coast - South near the Pomarj. [DM: more details: Blogpost: https://sleet-dnd2.blogspot.com/2025/10/interlude-tibaltuous-espionage-travels.html] [played by Campbell]
• Gothi - Female foreclaimer | Ranger | At town of DragonKeep. Former member of the Fellowship [played by Jake].
• Lars - Male elf [VAMPIRE] | wizard | At town of DragonKeep [looks like a pale, very young 15 year old]
• Skrit - Male kobold | Priest of Istus. Former member of the Fellowship. Acting Mayor of the town of DragonKeep [until elections take place - next month]
• Hester - Male Tabaxi | Cleric of Celestian | At town of DragonKeep. Former member of the Fellowship.

 

Current quests or options for the party to look into:

Flying tower: upgrades complete! And is flying to Fax by Gothi with some other members of the Fellowship.

 City of FAX

• Request from Greyskulls [a mercenary company] commander and mate - save son in Fax?
  
• Doctor Kleinus in Fax - potential contact and ally against Blackrunes?
• Portal to Sea of Dust (Blackrune expedition) look into or not?

 Personal quests:

•  ·                  Aeldred - oath to find and save family of dwarf smith who repaired Aeldred's heirloom sword [also Doc and Nenwin have agreed to assist]
• ·                  Doc Holliday - Elves are now East across sea in Bright desert (Doc personal potential quest)? The "Great Deliverance" a spell cast to take all the Elves to a secret location in the desert.
• ·                  Graxxuzzaz's circus (he was circus master and has heard rumours they are near Fax now - potential personal quest)?
• ·                  Tibaltuous' collect bounty for drow [he has the head of the drow] - Contact is in city of Fax
• ·                  Map to secret Blackrune base/island off Wildcoast - Fax area (Kantif - a rogue, former ally from the Redwater Fellowship has this)

***************

Lt. Spears walks out through the shield around the HQ and immediately appears walking back in. "Hmm not good." 

The Blackrune patrol that had approached stay a safe distance from the shield. All with weapons at the ready. Aeldred tries to talk to patrol Blackrune patrol, but no sounds pass through Floodlick’s shield around the HQ. The dragonborn gets the impression no one is now in charge of the forces in Fax or the defense.. Aeldred says 5 minutes and holds up 5 fingers. The patrol commander shrugs and salutes.  Says something..

Floodlick’s Head disappears as Flood talks again – telling the party “There is no escape..” the patrol then retreats quickly. Aeldred does not think they may stay around.. the defense of Fax? The party needs to get out there and take over!

Then all the characters items [DM: well nearly all - see below] and clothing down to a loincloth disappear except:

The Paradox of Will: Wisdom Saving Throw Mechanics

As the Fellowship’s forms are transcribed into the Psychosphere, they attempt a DC 20 Wisdom Saving Throw. This represents the struggle to maintain a coherent self amidst psionic turbulence.

Roll Result (DC 20 Wisdom)	Psychic Manifestation [DM: you want to FAIL this roll or you truly understand and cannot retain as much physical manifestations of your valued items
Success	Ascendance: The character manifests clad only in a loincloth, but may retain one magical or non-magical item. The mind recognizes that material anchors are illusions; only the spirit endures.
Failure	Tethering: The character manifests in a loincloth but desperately clings to two items before the blastwave strips the rest. This failure represents a mind too weak to let go, desperately anchoring itself to the physical world.

 

Players choose items:

• Nenwin fails – choose his adamite armour and Holy Avenger two-handed sword
• Aeldred passes – chooses his sword, Blood drinker
• Graxxuzazz passes – chooses his Amulet of Darkness
• Lt. Spears – Shroud cloak and Braces of Daggers

The Three Floodlicks:

Floodlick’s mind is not just a prison for him, but a probe for the Fellowship. The anchors reflect his mockery of their specific vulnerabilities:

• Child Floodlick: A duegar boy. An ignorant, malnourished slave-child. He weeps for a "dwarf smith family who had started to raise him as one of their own but in the end he was sold into slavery" (touching on Aeldred’s quest and perhaps the duegar's fascination on that ), his ignorance a tragic shield against the monster he becomes.
• Current Floodlick: Hyper-aware and fueled by panic. He mocks the Fellowship’s "Fistful of Dollars" ploy, whispering that their victory was merely "pruning the weeds while the garden rots."
• Future Floodlick: A broken shell paralyzed by his status as a "grain of sand." He points to Graxxuzzaz, screaming in psychic frustration about a "void of pale yellow and tattered rags"—the King in Yellow—that he cannot comprehend or taste.

This turbulent current eventually drags the Fellowship toward the first major anchor of trauma: The Obsidian Abyss.

Into the Slave Child's Mind

 The party “awake” in an obsidian cavern, all chained by hands. There are others also in rags and chains as well as a small duegar dwarf boy whimpering and crying. Aeldred tries to comfort the boy, but the 8’ tall dragonborn is an imposing figure and not built for comforting a child. The party focus on the area, then at the small cave’s entrance, a drow elf in black and silver chainmail, carrying a whip, shortsword
and hand crossbow, enters and calls out to the one female slave – a human or possibly ½ elf. That “Ignis wants you – NOW.” The female cringes at first and then gets up slowly walking to the cave entrance. Both Nenwin and Aeldred bristle at this their paladin-honour coming to forefront – a woman and also slave.. AND also a drow-elf slaver!

Nenwin jumps into action and his sword cuts into the drow taking the elf down with a gurgle. Then escape or preparing for more. Nenwin with a ringing cuts the chains for Aledred, his two-handed sword coming down on the rusty chains held over a rock. The echo rings out through the caverns. If the inhabitants did not know something was amiss.. they did now!

With a 2^nd chop, the Aasimar cuts the chains of Lt. Spears.

Aeldred heads out into a central area with multiple passages off it. One a wave of heat comes from what appears to be a river of lava. Then for some reason he remembers – perhaps Floodlick’s memories.. the slavers mined obsidian from the bank of the river of lava.

Aeldred came into 2nd cave sword at the ready, where another group of slaves clamoured to him to save them. He assured them he would, then heard behind him movement of a larger foe. The slavers boss, “Igniss-Blight” a massive goliath wielding a maul made for two hands, but she was strong enough to swing with one. The goliath’s face appeared to be ½ melted, one eye covered over and hair gone on the one side. Perhaps by lava burns. She towered over the 8’ tall dragonborn. Meanwhile Lt. Spears skirted the area and finding a spot at the goliath’s rear activated his bracers of the blades and threw 4 daggers all hitting, one critical and with his sneak attack did a massive amount of damage! Her melted face grimaced and she roared in pain. Bringing the maul down on Aeldred for a massive two hits.  

Two more drow slavers appeared and Nenwin cut down one with a stroke of his Holy Avenger as the drow fired his crossbow ineffectually and the paladin shrugged off the sleeping poison. Graxxuzazz was not idle, taking the other with multiple eldritch blasts to crumple the female drow to the ground.

Aeldred cut into Igniss with his sword and then with a combat maneuver dug the claws of his offhand into the goliath’s inside arm making her drop the massive maul! Dropping his sword, the paladin grinned and picked up the maul with two hands. Swinging it around to get is balance.

Igniss growled and swung out with a massive fist connecting with Aeldred’s head doing hefty

damage and then caught the paladin in a bearhug. “I will crush you draconian!” she growled even as she got hit with more daggers from Lt. Spears. Saying he was fine, Nenwin shrugged and headed into the lava mining chamber. The heat was intense to the point of pain, but the paladin concentrated and moved forward. The large cavern was filled with mist and on the other side of the river, he saw an insectoid type creature, somewhat spider-like, but shiny and with more legs. It looked to be coming closer, so Nenwin with wings sprouting from his shoulders – and the chorus of music as always any time he activated the wings sang out - flew up and hovered over the river of lava.

Meanwhile Graxxuzazz – now invisible - came upon another door off the central chamber. Opening it to look inside he quickly closed it again. A massive black scorpion over 10 feet in length. It appeared to sense the door but may not have seen the invisible sorcerer. Hiding around the corner, he saw as Aeldred and Lt. Spears fought on with Igniss the goliath.

While the battle with the goliath was ongoing,  Nenwin prepared to swoop down upon the bug but was surprised as a black goopy webbing. This wrapped up the Aasimar and he fell INTO the lava.
Burning from the lava, he swam and crawled out. Even as the insect headed into some tunnels. Nenwin was able to finish off another drow slaver the hit activated the power of his Holy avenger sword, taking the magical power from his enemy and healing the paladin!

Graxxuzazz cast enlarge on Aeldred and the 8’ tall dragonborn increased in size to 15 feet tall! Even the maul enlarged as well.

Aeldred still in the bearhug watched as Lt. Spears not appearing to be worried his blades might hit Aeldred, the phantom rogue/echo knight flung all four blades again, scoring hit upon hit all very close to the paladin!

Aeldred broke free and swung the maul connecting with the shoulder of the goliath knocking her back. Then the blades of the rogue once again cut into her and Igniss-Blight fell dead.

In the end the goliath went down as the door burst open and the black scorpion attacked. Taking the pincer attack on Lt. Spears even as Aeldred brought the maul down onto the bug killing it while the rogue’s blades cut into the black scorpion.

Aeldred wanting to finish off the enemies invoked his protection form fire started to scoop up lava and toss it down each of the four tunnels. After doing 2 large – for a 15’ tall giant – the giant insect scuttled out of the 3 hole and tried to evade the paladin. Aeldred was having none of that and brought the hammer down on the bug – flattening it.

The Fellowship re-group and search the area. In the goliath’s chamber they find a locked chest that Lt. Spears makes quick work of -after Nenwin finds a pouch of keys on Igniss – inside the party find a rag doll of a horse, 4 jars with red liquid and what appear to be fruit or vegetables floating in them and a diary?

Nenwin tries tasting the red liquid and quickly spits it out sputtering. Acid. No one can read the diary, so those items are put in Nenwin’s fingernail of holding – as that was part of Nenwin – it did not appear to be taken from him in this mind world of Floodlick. The party surmises that the rag doll is the young boy’s. They ask him his name and between muffled whimpers he replies, “Floudechshtein”

Nodding sagely all the party start to discuss next steps. Passages out of the area end in mist and when walked through Nenwin finds himself another passage walking back INTO the area..

 

The Corrupted Present – the Hall of Monstrosities

 The heat of the mine shatters into a cold, necrotic fog, transitioning the Fellowship into the urban ruin of the present.

The party blink and are now on the partially sunken ship – their former hideout while in Fax. It is colder now than before and a constant whispering can be heard in their heads? Or is it all around them?

Then the see the skeletal claws and hands coming out of the water in the hole in the ships hull. The party realize there are hundreds of these skeletal hands. Racing up onto the main deck they look down, the whole bay is teeming with the abominations.

Nenwin again activates his wings – the chorus sing but here as if the evil presence and whispering muffle the angelic sounds – and flies all three heroes to the dock. It is covered in blood slippery and appears to be fresh.

The party discuss options – into the HQ or up on top or..? The warehouse roof is mostly gone in this

mind realm of Floodlick. Only the massive portal still visible and part of the roof around it still there. The voice of Floodlick is back now a combined version of the present dwarf and the boy dwarf. Taunting them at one point and then crying out to them to help save him.

The Fellowship then decide. Up to the portal. Again Nenwin uses his wings and takes all three of his comrades up to the massive swirling portal on the roof. The 2 paladins at first are going to just jump in, but Graxxuzazz suggests taking a look first? Better safe than sorry? The lizardfolk sticks his head into the portal and Nenwin.. pushes him through and then jumps in after!

Aeldred shrugs and looks at Lt. Spears and jumps in as well! The rogue sighs, shakes his head and jumps in after the other three.

After what seemed like an eternity of flashing lights swirling patterns, screams and shouts and more, all four heroes appear in a vast chamber. The walls are black stone filled with veins of some purple like rock in weird and at times logical patters then if one blinked the pattern was gone and it was a chaos of purple. Spaced around the large chamber were statues of alien beings from another cosmos. Ranging from 15’ to 30’ in height. The most common feature of the eight? No ten.. no eight? – the most common feature of the multitude of statues was tentacles, eyes, and massive bloated bodies covered in eyes and mouths.  

Then the voice of Floodlick is back, the child’s voice louder, the older Floodlick whining and crying. The child’s voice tells them to hide to “Hide and avoid Him! Don’t let Him find you!” Then it was gone. The party have a moment. Three of the heroes take the heeded warning and hide. The fourth, the dragonborn paladin – Aeldred, grips his sword and looks about quizzically and sighs. Awaiting whatever is coming. Graxxuzazz, Lt. Spears and Nenwin hide behind a different statue each. The cold alien presence of the statues somehow making their skin crawl.

Then.. He appears. A tall human man. Walks as if not a care in the world. He is strange clothing, a suit

in black, a whit shirt with a blood red tie at his neck. The very handsome pale skinned man smiled at Aeldred. Thick black hair slicked back to a widow’s peak. He courteously calls out to the paladin.

Aeldred moves forward [DM: failed saving throw versus some type of charm effect]. As the paladin gets close to the tall stranger, the man moves up beside him, Graxxuzazz about to act and then.. the bite.

The vampire – as the party assume – bits the neck of Aeldred and sucks his life blood. Graxxuzazz uses a mind spike spell on the vampire, to some effect. Nenwin flies forward to engage and Lt. Spears throws daggers that hit the undead.

The dragonborn visibly withers [DM: 4 levels drained] and then Aeldred moves off to attack – still charmed – Graxxuzazz! The vampire disappears from view.

After shaking off the charm, the two paladins see one of the massive alien statues animate? Or come to life and start to bear down on them. The voices of Floodlick sound in their mind, not as strong as if coming through some type of interference. “ignore it.. focus on Him!”.

Taking a chance.. they ignore the massive alien tentacled monstrosity and await a chance to attack the vampire. A massive tentacle swings down to connect with both paladins.. and passes right through them. Floodlick is helping them..?

Graxxuazazz invisible,  awaits a chance to fire off a spell at the vampire, but feels a presence at his back. The lizardfolk sorcerer and warlock follower of the King in Yellow feels the teeth in his neck and his life blood being drained as well! [DM: 1 level lost].

 The vampire tries to escape, “The coffin! It must be here somewhere.” Lt. Spears gets an inkling – “4 arms or tentacles” – perhaps from Floodlick and approaches one statue with 4 massive tentacles. The faces is a mass of eyes all watching the ½ elf. He shakes off the dreadful feeling and investigates the massive throne the alien sits in. At the back is a compartment where a coffin is found the body forming.

The party focus their attacks on the undead and are able to finally defeat the powerful foe. The

vampire fallen has his head chopped off even as the body tries to crawl towards it, while Nenwin kicks it away.

The vampire is destroyed in the end by the holy power of the two paladins, the power of the patron of Graxxuzazz through the lizardfolk and the blades of the rogue, Lt. Spears.

 

The future - Floodlick's curse

The cold of the alien chamber shatters into a warm, and wet sensation of floating in an alien liquid. transitioning the Fellowship into A circular room, walls pulsate and glow with a purple and blue light. It is as if the walls are alive. The floor is spongy and the bare feet of the loin-clothed heroes stick slightly to the membranous type flooring. They can feel fluid running through the floor which makes them shudder a little to try and get used to it.

In the circular chamber are rows of flashy pods all facing the centre of the room. In each is a humanoid – humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, dragonborn, and more. Races and aliens as well float eyes closed in these fleshy pods.

As the party try to understand where and what is going on the voice of Floodlick is again in their mind. “No it seems broken, raspy beyond ancient. The combined voice is gone, the child and the taunting voice of the present Floodlick.. now it is strained, tired, “help me.. I did everything They asked.. but I realize I.. we.. are nothing to them.. grains of sand.. less.. food nothing.. help..” Then nothing.

The party prepare and head for the one exit, injured, nearly all resources spent, spells nearly all gone.

They come into a larger chamber where there are four large vats, filled with red fluid and swirling patterns as if something or many somethings are moving around. 2 large spiral staircases exit the room on the far side. Then they see the small creatures.. look like alien tadpoles.. but with a long-spiked tail and a sphincter mouth full of sharp teeth – they slather and gurgle as if longing to embrace each of the heroes

All avoid the vats even as a tall, robed figure.. its tentacles showing from under the hood. Lt. Spears had held back as the party moved forward guarding the rear. The illithid carrying a large pole with a strange netting on one end a glaive like blade on the other, motioned to the rogue to come closer.. Not liking that at all, Lt. Spears quickly caught up to the party.

They came out onto what appears to be the central bridge of a ship! They somehow knew there were flying over the astral sea. In a nautiloid. Perhaps the connected mind of Floodlick passed this on. In

the center of the bridge chamber was a massive glass-like bowl with a brain the size of a table floating in that same red liquid. An uncountable number of tendrils and veins spread out from the brain and went into the floor through the glass bowl, into the ceiling as well. The glass bowl was cracked and leaking fluid onto the deck. The ship also appeared to be damaged, some walls blown away and wreckage on both sides and front. Across from the party – on the other side of the massive brain was the withered form of a dwarf.

Floodlick. His withered and beyond ancient body was held up by a number of tendrils that were in all part of his body. Draining him of what little life he still had. His voice came to them again. “The Elder brain.. the bowl..” They realized then that he had been protecting them up until this point blocking them from the Elder Brain’s senses. They attack. Hacking into the brain as well as the glass vessel they also try to release Floodlick from his multitude of veiny alien tendrils that drain him. He shakes his head weakly. “No.. the elder brain.. the bowl.”

At that moment a massive psionic blast hit all the party and both Aeldred and Nenwin take the full force.  

Confused, Nenwin sees his ally Graxxuzazz as an enemy illithid and swings his blade twice into the lizardfolk! Graxxuzazz low on health falls and then hit again by Nenwin’s 2^nd attack, suffers two death saves!

Meanwhile the other two heroes continue to attack the bowl and the elder brain.

Nenwin shakes off the confusion [just in time for Graxxuzazz to make his third  - and critical need to save – rolling a 5! No! But not dead as he is in range of the protective zone of Nenwin the paladin and get +5.. so the sorcerer does not die! He gets 1 success and 2 fails.]

The party shake off the effects of the elder brain just as multiple mind flayers appear converging on the party! A final strike on the massive bowl and with a scream of “Yes!” from Floodlick.. “I can now die.”

The mind world swirls back and the party are once again in the smoking ruin of the former Commander Floodlick’s HQ. The smell of oil, from the garage is a welcome relief. The sun shines on the harbour outside.

Both Nenwin and Aeldred lay on hands on Graxxuzazz and rescue the lizardfolk from a near death!

The vision of Floodlick appears to them once last time. “Watch out for her.. She is the true power“. The party somehow realized a week has passed. Also, a parting gift they can take. On one item that each had taken into the mind-realm of Floodlick has been given a minor boon – if the hero so agrees to it. [DM: that will be determined next session!]

The Blackrune Commander slowly fades from view. The voice of Floodlick is no longer in their minds. They had freed him from his slave-like patronage to the Illithids it appears.

As the dust clears and Graxxuzzaz stands up from near death, the form of Floodlick slowly fades away. Through the smashed sliding doors of the former HQ, the heroes see a familiar and wonderful vision floating over the water.

The Redwater Fellowship’s flying tower in the clouds over the bay. Gothi and crew have arrived. Rest and recuperation.

What next Redwater Fellowship?