Wardens of Heroes Gate

The Deal with Rey Ko Toh

] Recap: You are in an anceint mining complex searching for your friend from the the Treyvigg Monastery – Olilrasi. Yesterday forenight, Joloobo and Rasi were out behind the monastery (the “Backyard” of the grounds) when a female deep gnome came running towards you… mysteriously out of a storage shed along the northern cliff wall of the grounds. She attacked Joloobo with a massive milky-colored staff, nearly killing you. When you awoke, Rasi was missing along with the staff. The deep gnome was later questioned and claims to not remember anything after having come into contact with the staff while mining in a secret location under the monastery. You assumed Rasi may have been possessed of the staff, as was the miner, and then followed her the trail thru the Vale of Soxolone and into the crevasse opening on the far northern side of the valley.

] After some exploring and tracking, you encountered a large circular chasm inside a cavern area. There is a floating platform in the middle of the hole. Three Gloom Goblins (which can transform into hideous beast-like spiders) began to attack you. The combat did not go well – two escaped down a tunnel on the NW side of the chasm leaving you restrained in webs. Joloobo, who was not able to catch up in time to engage in the combat finally arrives to find you struggling with the webbing.

Joloobo] “Welll…. Looks like that could have gone better… are either of you hurt?”

Yisi] “Just embarrassed Joloobo. Could you lend a hand here?”

] With some help from Joloobo, you are both freed of the spider webbing.

Yisi] “Chances are they will return with reinforcements… we should march. Any idea which of these tunnels Rasi went thru?”

Joloobo] “I saw nothing at the other 3 tunnels, so it would seem we are following the spiders.”

Valea] “Great! This one has tiny urge to make spider paste.”

] You follow the tunnel leading North-Northwest away from the chasm. The tunnel slopes down fairly steeply and the footing is loose and difficult terrain. The tunnel begins to wind around to the left, limiting your visibility. Shortly you begin to hear someone coming up the tunnel from below… a large number of someones to be more precise.

Yisi] “Aha, my fears have arrived… they found their reinforcements quickly did they not? Shall we retreat?”

Valea] “Valea has no room to fight in this rock tube.”

Joloobo] “I agree… retreat!”

] The three of you race back to the landing that circles the chasm. To your right is the rock slide blocking your way. To your left the pathway circles and there are three other tunnels breaking off to the left of the pathway.

Joloobo] “In here, quickly!” I whisper “before they see us”

Yisi] We duck into the first tunnel on the left and race to find a spot to hide.

] There is only a short stretch of tunnel before you have to duck through ancient support beams. Beyond the supports, you enter into a large chamber. The space feels like the inside of a globe as there is no clear difference between wall and floor and ceiling. Joloobo – you get the sense of the space being familiar as the three of you step all the way into the room.

Joloobo] “Wait! Stop!” I go back to the entrance support beams and feel for a force wall.

] You cannot reach beyond the beams – an invisible force wall is preventing your exit.

Joloobo] “Ogre balls! We’re trapped!”

] You notice a few of the goblin sort of folk just standing out at the tunnel entrance with their backs to you as if standing guard.

Yisi] “You mean this room is like the one you were trapped in before?” I go to feel the entrance as well.

] You have the same experience – you cannot exit the chamber.

Valea] “What now? Maybe we can find another way out?”

Joloobo] “We can try, but I suspect the force wall is actually some sort of sphere. Look at the shape of the room… even if we could dig into the walls further, I don’t think we would get very far. Look out there… we are being guarded by those creepy gobbies. We fell right into their trap.”

Yisi] “We are not the only ones… look at all the corpses in here!”

Joloobo] “Yeah… the other trap has some corpses… but no where near this many. What does that mean?”

Yisi] “More traffic in this area?”

Joloobo] I inspect the bones.

1d20 Investigation 9 +6 = 15

] Many of the bones are cracked and broken – like the ones in the other chamber. This time you notice that many of them are much fresher. You see teeth marks on the bones as if something was eating the flesh right off of them.

Joloobo] “This is not good. Look here… these poor folk were eaten. That is what kind of trap this is… it is a source of food for something.”

Yisi] “Perhaps there is something here which will help us face whatever arrives.”

Valea] “Nothing helped these that fell here before us no?”

Joloobo] “I’m with Yisi… search the place.”

] Scattered around the large chamber are the remains of at least 30 or more bodies. Over half were geared for adventure. You find a few suits of plate and of several chain mail armor. There are various swords, staffs, and axes along with a large hammer. Joloobo – you find a pack stuffed full with smaller treasure, including:

1,300 pp

Black opal (translucent dark green with black mottling and golden flecks),

Blue sapphire (transparent blue-white to medium blue)

Emerald (transparent deep bright green), ×2

Star sapphire (translucent blue sapphire with white star-shaped center), ×3

Gold ring set with bloodstones (250gp)

Gold locket with a painted portrait inside (50gp)

Carved bone statuette (20gp)

Embroidered silk handkerchief (25gp)

Pair of engraved bone dice (25gp)

A decorative mithril bracelet (??gp)

A dagger of pure silver (Dagger of Warning)

A polished agate (Stone of Good Luck)

Necklace – Bead of Force x6

In another pack you find several potions:
Potion of Superior Healing x5

Potion of Frost Giant Strength

Potion of Heroism x3

Potion of Fire Breath

Joloobo] “We have to get out of here now… we just hit a treasure trove! Look at this… someone already collected all the good stuff into a single pack for us!”

Valea] “This one is sure the last person thought the same… but yes… we have to get out of here.”

Joloobo] “Valea, I think this mithral bracer will look just lovely on that furry forearm of yours.”

] The bracer is made of looslely linked ovals made of mithral. It appears to be oa mastercrafted item and gives off a faint glow.

Yisi] “My moon… that is quite beautiful Valea. I’m no wizard, but that surely has some enchantment within it.”

Valea] “Lovely indeed. Valea is pleased with the gnomes gift.”

Joloob] “And for Yisi… this manly necklace of black beads. Careful… I’ve heard of necklaces like this which contain magic spells…. Throw a bead and it becomes a fireball or something.”

Yisi] “That could come in handy. Looking at these weapons, I’d say from base instinct that several of them are enchanted. Look at this beautiful double scimitar…” I unsheathe one of the blades.

] The metal of the double-bladed glows with the intensity of a full moon.

Yisi] “Makes me wish I had practiced more in blade lessons…”

] “Perhaps there will still be time for practice.” you all hear a voice say from the entrance of the chamber. Looking, you see a small figure with long black hair and a long pointy hat. He is relaxed backwards as if sitting in an invisible lounging chair. With his hands he is lighting a long pipe.

Yisi] I take a ready stance with the blade in my hands. “Who are you?”

] “A friend. Yes indeed… and you look to need a friend right now.”

Joloobo] “We need a way out of this trap. Since you are in here with us… what help can you be?”

] The smoke of the pipe fills the room with a sweet aroma. The man chuckles. “We have more difficult problems than that.” and he disappears and reappears in the tunnel beyond the force wall for a moment and then returns to his invisible lounge chair. “Getting to other places is not the problem. You have a friend in trouble. The blind one with a sword in her walking cane… she is fighting for her life even at this moment. I also have a friend who is, at this moment, fighting for her life in another place.”

Valea] “What does pointy hat want?”

] “Call me Rey Ko Toh. Of course… “pointy hat” works too… I have a deal for you. I help you help your friend and then you help me help my friend. Of course, both tasks shall be quite dangerous but it better than sitting here waiting to have the flesh ripped from your bones. Have we a deal?”

Yisi] “We don’t know you… and so far, we have no reason to trust you… but… Anything is better than waiting to have my flesh ripped from my bones… You say you can help our friend?”

] Rey Ko Toh “To be specific… I can get you to the place where you can help your friend. The rest of the saving will be on you. Should you succeed… I will need to get you to the place where you can help my friend.”

Valea] “Why we pointy-hat?”

Yisi]  “What Valea means is… out of all of the adventurers in the Sword Coast… why are you talking to us in particular?”

] Rey Ko Toh “I have a very good reason why you… but not very good words for it. Let me say this… my friend is very important to me and my instinct tells me that – out of all of the adventurers in the Sword Coast – my friend will become very important to you as well. Save her once and she will save you many times over. But we have spent too much time talking. Even now your friend is well-outnumbered and in great need of allies… Have we a deal?”

Valea] “Deal.”

Yisi] “Yes. Deal. Joloobo?”

Joloobo] “Anything to help Rasi. Deal”

] “Then come together.” Rey Ko Toh stands and joins you in a circle. Suddenly, as if you blinked, you are in a much larger chamber. The ceiling is thick with spider webbing. A fire burns hot beside consuming the aged wood of crates and carts and anything it can reach. Rey Ko Toh is not in the room with you. You see Rasi with the large staff in her hands in combat with a male drow and several of the Gloom Goblins you encountered earlier. The drow is fighting with a rapier and appears to be toying with Rasi at the moment. A boyish grin across his dark purple face. Rasi is flanked by two beastly spider goblin things.

Joloobo] I drop the packs I’m carrying and go straight for the beasts (GG01, GG02) flanking Rasi. I use psychic blades from the back

2d20a Attack 17 +6 = 23  [Hit] Dmg (1d6 + 2d6 Sneak) 11 +4 = 15

2d20a Attack 12 +6 = 18 [Hit] Dmg  (1d4 +2d6 Sneak) 11 +4 = 15

] Your psychic blades spin into the vunerable blind spots of the werespiders flanking Rasi. The room echoes with their unnatural screeching before they drop to the ground.

Valea] I flank and attack the Drow

2d20a Attack 9 +7 = 16 [Miss]

2d20a Attack (Flurry) 16 +7 = 23 [Hit] Dmg (1d4) 1 +7 = 8

2d20a Attack (Flurry) 17 +7 = 24 [Hit] Dmg (1d4) 2 +7 = 9 +3 +7 = 19

] You deliver a series of devasting blows to the Drow with your Basto Sticks. You hear him grunt and groan under the assault. As you are attacking, you happen to notice under the leather bracer on his right arm, a few oval links made of mithril. You cannot see the entir bracelet but your half-a-second’s worth of impression is that he is wearing the match to the bracelet Joloobo just gave you in the trap chamber.

Yisi] I cast Haste using the sash around my torso to prepare for this battle. I hear the words from Rey Ko Toh sort of echo in my head… Rasi needs an ally. I’m not sure that Rasi is aware of any of this… but I do know she is going to be needing her body once we get the spirit that possessed her to leave. It feels a bit reckless to turn my back on that spirit but… I use my movement to take a defense position directly between Rasi and the Drow. I push Rasi back a little and use Dodge. “Let us help!” I say to her, or it, or whatever.

] You had the double-scimitar in your hands before Rey Ko Toh transported you here. Is it still in your hands? Still one blade unsheathed?

Yisi] Yes. I hold it similar to how I saw Guide Dawndra use her Ice Pike when teaching us the defender skills.

] As the light coming off of the magical scimitar blade hits the Drow, it begins to tremble and shake… and transform. Huge hairy legs sprout out of its back. Similar to how the Gloom Goblins shifted into spider like beasts, the Drow is transforming into a giant spider except that it seems uncontrollable and extremely painful.

] Rasi/Sharpfangs turns her sightless attention to one of the spider minions circling her (GG03). [()] With two quick slashes of her blade she drops one of the grotesque creatures. Another attacks her [()] its beastly teeth sinking into her white hide.

] Another (GG05) attacks Joloobo [()] you feel the spider jaws clamp down on you (5 piercing damage)  CON Saving Throw

Joloobo]

1d20 CON Save 9 +1 = 10 [Fail]

] You feel venom seeping into your skin where the teeth raked. (8 poison damage). [Joloobo does not know it yet… but he was just cursed with werespider lycanthropy] The remaining Gloom Goblin spiderbeast ()GG06) has taken high ground and attempts to restrain you (Joloobo) with a web attack [()] but misses.

Joloobo] “Oww! That hurt! And so will this!” With psychic blades, I attack the spider gobbie that just bit me.

1d20 Attack 13 +6 = 19 [Hit] Dmg (1d6) 5 +4 = 9

1d20 Attack 18 +6 = 24 [Hit] Dmg (1d4) 2 +4 = 6

] Shimmering blades appear in your hands and you deftly plunge them into the Gloom Goblin where they disappear. The pitiful creature wretches and dies.

] The Drow is still in process of transforming. The armor he had been wearing broke away and fell to the ground along with his rapier. Valea, you notice that one of the spider legs still has mithril bracelet on it – it appears to be unbreakable as the limb within it shifts into a large hairy spider leg.

Valea] I take advantage of the situation and attack after charging Furious Force.

2d20a Attack 16 +7 = 23 [Hit] Dmg (2d4) 7 +7 = 14 +6 Force = 20

] Your Basto Sticks gleam with deep green arcane light. As the strike, the mutating creature is electrified with the same color for a split second. [()] The giant werespider is pushed 10 feet away from you – directly towards the fire that is seeking more food [()] but it does not get close enough to the fire to take damage. The creature seems to be nearly fully transformed now.

Yisi]  The giant spider seems the greatest threat in the room… I drop the double-scimitar and charge in to attack with my Trisula.

2d20a Attack 9 +7 = 16 [Miss]

2d20a Attack (xtra Haste) 18 +7 = 25 [Hit] Dmg (2d4) 5 +7 = 12

2d20a Attack (Flurry) 17 +7 = 24 [Hit] Dmg (1d4) 4 +6 = 10

2d20a Attack (Flurry) 20 Crit 4 +6 = 10 +10 +12 = 32

] While the creature is still incapacited by the transformation process, you slide under the massive spider and find vital points to plunge your daggers into. You see a weak spot and drive your foot into it and the drow werespider lets out an unholy screech that pierces all ears in the large cavern. CON Save everyone

Yisi]

1d20 CON 17 +2 = 19 [Save]

Valea]

1d20 CON 20 [Save]

Jolooo]

1d20 CON 12 +1 [Save… barely…]

] Rasi [()]

] Rasi drops the staff and her sword and grabs at her ears. The giant werespider senses an opportunity and jumps towards the blind dragonborn. [Yisi opp attack]

Yisi] As the spider exits my range, I attempt another jab

1d20 Attack 4 + 7 = 11 [Miss]

] The werespider tramples Rasi to the ground. There is a brief flash of brilliant white that blots out the entire room. It takes your eyes a second to recover. When they do… you see Rasi wrestling with Rasi… the giant spider creature is no longer visible and instead you see an exact duplicate of Rasi.

] One of the transformed Gloom Goblins (GG04) attacks Yisi [()] but fails to bite into you. The other (GG06) seems intent on spraying Joloobo with restraining goop from the thick webs on the ceiling [()] but is unsuccessful. It drops down on you and tries to bite you [()] successfully. You take 4 piercing damage… CON Save against werespider venom

Joloobo] “Oooh….Hagteeth!”

1d20 CON 16 +1 = 17 [Save]

Joloobo] “You will not be biting me again! Foul beastie!” I attack

1d20 Attack 17 +6 = 23 [Hit] Dmg (1d6) 2 +4 = 6

1d20 Attack 12 +6 = 18 [Hit] Dmg (1d4) 4 +4 = 8 +6 = 14

] The Gloom Goblin takes massive damage from your psychic blades. [()]

Valea] “Which Rasi does Valea whack with stick?” I look around the room to evaluate my options here…

] Aside from the two different Rasi’s fighting each other…. You see one Gloom Spider attacking Yisi and another fighting with Joloobo and appears to be staggering from Joloobo’s last attack. All of the others have returned to their original goblin-ish form and lie still as death on the cavern ground.

Valea] “Valea help Yisi first… then figure out which Rasi is Rasi.” I flank the spider engaged with Yisi [GG04].

2d20a Attack 12 +7 = 19 [Hit] Dmg (2d4) 4 +5 = 9

2d20a Attack 9 +7 = 16 [Hit] Dmg (1d4) 1 +5 = 6  Total 15

] A couple of well-placed strikes bring stillness to the creature. It falls and slowly begins to transform back into its goblin shape.

Valea] “Now what Yisi? Look! How to help Rasi?”

Yisi] “Not sure… maybe we just stop them from fighting any more?” I attempt a grapple on one of the Rasi’s I see.

1d20 Strength 9 +2 = 11

[()]

]] How to do this? Random? Orn is Odd, Rasi is Even? 1d4 = 2… Yisi attempts to grapple Rasi with an 11. Rasi Ath check 14 +3 = 17

] You pull one of the Rasi’s back and try to restrain the white dragonborn but you are unsuccessful. Rasi wrestles away from you and dives towards the 8ft long staff still lying on the ground. [()] She rolls and snatches the staff up and then charges the other Rasi. Rather than using the staff as a weapon, she runs up to the other Rasi and forces the staff sideways into the jaws of the other Rasi and then collapses to the ground.

] The illusion is broken and you see the giant werespider holding the staff in its teeth. It scurries up the wall and into the massive nest of webbing on the ceiling you see movement in the web but only briefly. The remaining transformed Gloom Goblin follows quickly behind the retreating giant.

Yisi] “What just happened?”

Joloobo] “Rasi!” I race to see if she is ok.

] Rasi is alive but unconscious. She appears badly injured.

Valea] “This one is so confused… This is real Rasi now? Real-real Rasi? Not spooky Rasi or Spider Rasi? Oh so confusing…”

Yisi] “Here, see if you can give her a potion Joloobo.” I had one of the 4d4 healing potions to him.

] Rasi regains 9 HP but remains unconscious

Joloobo] “We have to get her back to the monastery. Elder Ysthorn can help her I’m sure.”

] “We will get her to help, to home.” You hear the voice of Rey Ko Toh and suddenly he is standing among you. “Well done heroes, you saved your friend. Now gather your things… I will be right back.” He touches the shoulder of the unconscious Rasi and they both disappear.

Yisi] I gather my pack and the double-scimitar.

Valea] I also grab my pack and then glance around the room for the mithril bracelet I saw the drow wearing.

] You do not find the bracelet. The rapier which he was using lies on the floor, as does Rasi’s cane sword.

Valea] “Rasi may want this back.” I pick up both the Rapier and the cane sword.

Joloobo] I gather my things as well.