Session 21

📍 Location

The ravines southwest of Shadukar, then the tunnels beneath the city.

⏪ Previously

During Session 20, the party found a possible entrance southwest of Shadukar: a web of ravines where one of Kaelvhen’s sensed tendrils ended.

🦴 The Pterodactyl’s Ambush

The party approached the ravines across the swamp, but their attempt at stealth failed completely. A huge skeletal pterodactyl with purple eyes ambushed them from above.

They fled into the ravines and reached the dark opening beneath them. The creature did not pursue them underground. It circled back toward Shadukar.

🕳️ Beneath Shadukar

About fifteen minutes into the tunnels, the party heard a vast horde of undead rushing toward them from the depths. They dug into a ditch and hid beneath the earth until the horde passed.

Back in the main tunnels, the party quietly picked off zombie soldiers one at a time.

⚙️ The Last Warforged

The party found a warforged band slaughtered in a side tunnel. Only one soldier remained alive. The others stayed hidden while M.A.77 spoke with the survivor.

The soldier told M.A.77 that the Lord of Blades had sent many scouting bands and an elite team into Shadukar. He believed they were searching for something far more powerful than loot. He also spoke bitterly of the Lord of Blades as another slaver: trash, like those who came before.

The dying soldier asked M.A.77 for a swift death to free him from the Lord of Blades’ influence. M.A.77 stayed with him and granted his request.

🦉 The Zombie Owlbear

Soon afterward, a zombie owlbear roared through the tunnels. The party defeated it quickly.

🧪 The Black Ichor

After the fight, the party searched the dead warforged. They found eight ornate glass flasks filled with black ichor streaked with faintly glowing purple. Each flask has a skeleton-shaped cap.

The party believes that drinking one will make its drinker register as undead for 24 hours. They will decide next session whether to use the flasks to pass among the undead.

🏃 TL;DR

• A skeletal pterodactyl ambushed the party near the ravines, but they escaped into the tunnels.
• The party hid from a massive undead horde and quietly eliminated zombie soldiers afterward.
• M.A.77 comforted and euthanized a dying warforged survivor, who warned that the Lord of Blades seeks a powerful prize in Shadukar.
• The party defeated a zombie owlbear and found eight flasks that can make a drinker register as undead for 24 hours.