The Dead Mage Inn

[The Redwater Fellowship, a long-running D&D5e campaign in person since 2018]

Location: Dead Mage Inn - Lortmiill Mountains

Date: 7th of Patchwall - [Autumn]

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The RedWater Fellowship [Player Characters]

Lieutenant Spears - Male 1/2 elf | Phantom rogue/Echo Knight - an operative assigned by Lady Cowl's secretive organization 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 Yellow King [played by Braydin]

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

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Non-player characters of note:

NPC: Thogra | Male 1/2 Orc | Rogue/Cleric of the Egyptian god: Set [with the party at this time]

NPC: Gothi | Female foreclaimer | Ranger [At town of Dragonkeep]

NPC: Lars | Male elf [VAMPIRE] | wizard [At town of Dragonkeep]

NPC Hester - Male Tabaxi | Cleric of Celestian [At town of Dragonkeep]

Tibaltuous - Male half elf | Bard [on mission South near the Pomarj in the Wildcoast [DM: more details: Blogpost]

Doc Holliday - Male 1/2 Orc | Gunslinger/Paladin of the goddess: Raven Queen [played by Connor] [At town of Dragonkeep]

Dungeon Master: Sleet [blogging since 2018]

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Summary

The Redwater Fellowship's plan was to travel overland to the city of Fax, on the Wildcoast still under BlackRune control [the Fellowship's longtime enemy a powerful group of dwarven slavers] where there were a number of quests and tasks of interest to the Fellowship. On the way, they decided to visit Darkreach the realm of the Dreadking - a former member of the Fellowship, who hard turned away to follow Orcus a demon Price of undead - who ruled over all the former elvish lands now - an undead wasteland.

The Fellowship thought they knew the Lortmill Mountains. For three days, the peaks were their old, miserable selves—cold, wet, and relentlessly slow going. The Fellowship was trekking toward the high pass, to the site of a frozen lake where they had once fought within the metal shell of an entombed colossus named FERA. But nothing could have prepared them for what was found where that lake should have been. The ice was gone. The water was gone. In its place was a vast, mist-filled crater that had swallowed the landscape whole. And perched precariously on its edge, defying all logic, was a multi-story establishment named "The Dead Mage Inn." As they stared into that swirling abyss, some wondered: what strange new challenges awaited the Fellowship in a land now bordering the domain of an undead king?

There's a Tourist Trap on the Edge of an Undead-Infested Crater

Against all reason, the Dead Mage Inn is a thriving tourist spot. The innkeeper, Tharivol "Ashcloak" Elenion, explained that the rich, the learned, religious [cultists the innkeeper thinks] and curious scholars now make excursions to his remote outpost to gawk at the abyss. Imagine sipping warm honeyed ale, the scent of roasting venison in the air, while a 30-foot-tall specter of a woman drifts silently past the panoramic window, her form a pale stain against the eternal twilight. That’s the Dead Mage Inn.

The place is a marvel of unsettling comfort, filled with arcane relics, faded maps, and a massive fireplace burning with an ethereal blue flame. 

This light, Tharivol warned us, is crucial. Blue lanterns placed around the inn are the only things that ward off the undead and unnatural creatures from the mist. The guest rooms on the upper floors, each secured with enchanted locks, have their own smaller versions for protection. The sheer absurdity of it all is staggering—a commercial enterprise thriving on the very border of Darkreach, a land now ruled by the undead Dreadking. 

Tharivol’s concern for the RedWater Fellowship's plan to cross the mountains was palpable.

"None travel the pass now.. only death and destruction await you!"

The Naked and the Dead

Lt. Spears, ever the vigilant, was on watch when he started from a daze. Multiple dark figures had come out of the foggy mist. A massive figure mounted on a heavy warhorse, clad in full black plate armor, and radiating "waves of just evil" even from this distance. He was supported by approximately six or seven spectral figures. Blasts of black energy lanced out to hit the glowing blue lanterns. It appeared they were attempting to deactivate the inn's protective blue lanterns using the energy blasts or dispel magic.

Lt. Spears activated - fortunately - a silent horn of warning that only the Fellowship could hear. The Fellowship, caught in their sleeping quarters on the fourth floor, responded with a series of daring—and unarmored—maneuvers:

• Lieutenant Spears manifested his echo outside the fourth-floor window to throw magical daggers at the attackers from a distance. His attacks were quite effective even against the heavily armoured dark knight.

• Nenwin Albion, the paladin of Heironeous, jumped directly out of the fourth-floor window. Although he manifested his celestial wings to slow his descent, he landed roughly, taking minor damage, and engaged the knight - which they now realized was an anti-paladin while completely unarmored (DM: AC 13).

• Aeldred followed suit, leaping from the window and using his natural athleticism to tuck and roll into a standing position, ready for combat.

The conflict was characterized by brutal exchanges of physical and magical power:

• Nenwin’s Assault: Despite being unarmored, Nenwin struck the anti-paladin with a "holy adventure" blast, cutting deep into the villain's leg for 45 points of damage.

• The Anti-Paladin’s Retaliation: The anti-paladin countered fiercely, striking Nenwin for heavy damage and allowing his warhorse to trample the paladin for an additional damage. Nenwin was also targeted by the lances of surrounding shades, forcing him to eventually retreat and take flight to survive.

• Aeldred’s Rage: Aeldred entered a Rage and utilized his Dragonborn heritage to exhale a 30-foot line of fire, scorching three of the spectral figures. He then engaged the anti-paladin with his flame tongue sword, dealing significant damage, though his attempt to use a Divine Smite failed due to the unpredictable nature of the local magic.

• Graxxuzazz’s Support: From the safety of the fourth-floor window, the lizard-folk sorcerer/warlock fired Eldritch Blasts—modified to deal psychic damage—at the figures on the ground.

The "Destructive Wave" and Retreat

As the battle reached its climax, the anti-paladin, nearly falling from his horse due to the Fellowship’s combined attacks, unleashed a "destructive wave" of energy. This wave washed out in a circle, blasting the Fellowship members back and dealing 31 points of damage to those caught in the radius.

Following this final display of power, the anti-paladin and his remaining forces disappeared into the mist toward the edge of the crater.

• Black Spheres: At the locations where the shades were defeated, the party found six black spheres, roughly three inches in diameter. These were later identified as artifacts belonging to "shade summoners," capable of summoning spectral support. Possibly useful, by inherently evil.. Thogra was willing to take these. Each allowing the user to summon a spectral shade to serve them once per day.

A Caged Heart Pulses in a Ruined Tower

The next morning, the adventurers decided to investigate the ruined tower out in the crater. The ruined signal tower perched on a rock mound roughly 200 feet from the path bordering the massive crater. This tower was a focal point of the Fellowship's investigation because it emitted a flickering light synchronized with a mysterious "heartbeat" that shone out through the region. 

The crossing was perilous. As Nenwin flew toward the tower on his magical steed, the anti-magic field struck again. The horse began to disappear from under him, a more insidious failure than the instant vanishing from before. With only a moment to react, he and his passenger were sent crashing into the tower wall. At least safe but bruised.

After navigating the anti-magic field and breaking through the tower's front doors, the Fellowship ascended a circular stairwell toward the upper levels. As they climbed, they noted a strong metallic smell of fresh blood and heard the sounds of a crying child. On the fourth level, they entered a room where a massive skeletal hand at least 10 feet across protruded from the center of the floor, its clawed fingers pointing out a window toward the Dead-Mage Inn. A pool of swirling black and red blood surrounded the hand, and huddled against the wall within this pool was a girl approximately 14 years old with long hair and luminescent purple eyes.

Chained against the far wall the young girl whimpered out her name, Ryhanna. She revealed the terrible truth: a necromancer had summoned her here, and her life force was being drained by the skeletal claw "to keep the undead flowing in this area." Her own terrified heartbeat was the source of the pulsing light.

Lt. Spear's using his throwing daggers was able to destroy the chains holding the celestial being. Once freed, Nenwin carried her out as she was extremely weak. She explained that without her energy being siphoned, the undead would be pulled back toward Darkreach.

Aftermath and Blessing

Nenwin directed Rihanna to travel northwest toward the Fellowship's base at DragonKeep, where she might find sanctuary. Before departing, she placed a hand on Nenwin, granting him a powerful celestial inspiration [DM: that provided a +10 bonus to all his saving throws]

Following her rescue, the tower began to shake and collapse, as the removal of its celestial "power source" seemingly destabilized the magical foundations of the structure. The party observed that the blood began to pour down into the lower levels of the tower as the fourth floor cracked under the strain of the shifting energy.

Nenwin was flying over as the party decided to either head down into the depths following a winding stairwell or retreat back to the safety of the path along the crater.