Out of the Abyss is a Dungeons and Dragons (DnD 5e) game set in the Underdark. Play takes place every Friday night at Dragons Keep Roleplay Club in Chislehurst South East London. The Dungeon Master is Joshua. Cast of Characters
Janek Boone - Human Champion (Tony)
Targonis - Wood Elf Ranger (Steve)
Aur - Aarakocra Rogue (Suresh)
Selya Skag - Vedalken Alchemist Artificer (Daniel)
Sunna Mortas - Tiefling Sorceror (Jo)
The Battle Ensues
In a cave in the Whorlstone Tunnels The Butcher Bupido and his Ghoulish minions stand off against our heroes.
Sunna breathes fire on one Ghoul as Aur wrestles the magical flail from Bupido and flies to the other side of the cave. He is not strong enough to wield the flail himself or to hang onto it when Bupido summons it back to his hand and smashes it down on Janek.
Skagg’s knowledge of the Arcane suggests that the corpse spiral is in some way fuelling Bupido's demonic possession and disrupting the spiral may weaken The Butcher. In agreement Nug spews a little of himself at Bupido.
Wounded but undaunted, Janek grabs at the flail but Bupido in his changed form is too strong. The Ghouls attack but engage with Sunna, Targonis and Skagg and the alchemist is struck.
Enraged Targonis singles out one Ghoul and furiously attacks with both his shortswords cutting it down and as if an echo of his past battle with the dark horde, he turns his rage upon its companion and stabs it. Sunna casts a bonfire under a ghoul and moves to aid her comrades. The burning ghoul opportunistically attacks and slashes a deep wound in her arm and she falls to the ground succumbing to its paralysing touch. Aur attacks the spiral and Bupido falters but strikes Janek with his flail.
Skagg uncorks a vial and magically steps to the back of the cave hurling a firebolt which is wide of the mark. Janek valiantly but futilely flurries blows at Bupido and swigs a vial of healing potion. One of the Ghouls succeeds in repairing the damage to the spiral as the rest attack the heroes. Nug is hit and drops to the ground with an audible splat which echoes around the cave. Targonis slaughters another zombie and sets his hunters gaze upon another slamming his blade deep into its chest. Aur pulls at the corpse which rests at the head of the shrine and manages to drag it 5 feet away. The ominous red glow from the spiral sputters and fades. Bupido looks tired but he swings his heavy flail at Janek smashing into the champion.
The Ghoul which brought down Nug turns its attention to Skagg and the alchemist throws a firebolt at it but misses. Janek senses that Bupido is weakened and redoubles his attack, slashing him twice. The wounds inflicted do not immediately heal and hope of a victory returns, Janek swigs another healing vial. The Ghouls press their attack and Targonis is struck but Jim Jar dodges his attacker. Aur swoops in and attacks Bupido twice, clawing at his former cellmate. Bupido ignores this new attacker and slams his flail down on Janek knocking him unconscious. The weaponless Jim Jar rolls up his sleeves and dances like a trained slave pit fighter, punching a ghoul in the kidneys.
Skagg drags a corpse away from the spiral and uses the Lady's Gift to Shroomstride across the cave into the tunnel. Janek groans audibly on the floor as he succumbs to his wounds attracting the attention of a Ghoul. Jim Jar is struck by his opponent and Skagg and Targonis are both attacked by Ghouls but dodge. Retaliating Targonis chops off the head of the Ghoul and immediately turns his attention to Bupido stabbing him viciously. Bupido drops to one knee and looks at the Half-Elf Ranger,
"Strike me down and I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine"
Aur Strikes but misses and Bupido slams his flail into the Aarakocra.
Skag uncorks a vial and a healing green mist wends its way across the battlefield and right up Janek's nose. Wide eyed, the champion leaps to his feet and slashes the distracted Bupido twice across the chest and frantically downs a third healing potion. Against three opponents Bupido's odds are rapidly diminished and Targonis stabs him through the heart. The Derro's body slumps on his blade and in his mind's eye he sees a horrific vision of a creature on a throne of skulls a dark voice calls to him
"Congratulations, my new champion"
As the words echo through his mind he feels a burning pain sear the flesh of his shoulder as whatever this abomination is brands him with the symbol of a 3 headed flail. Targonis then turns his attention to the remaining Ghoul and sends it back to the forbidden realm from whence it came.
As the heroes catch their breath a glowing blue spirit materialises from the shadows. He introduces himself as Pelek, one of The Butcher's victims. He cannot rest until his bones are returned to his family in Blindenstone. One of his hands has become animated by the Demonic magic and has wandered off carrying a ring, a gift from his parents. He asks if the heroes could do him this favour so he can move on to the afterlife.
Aur searches Bupido's corpse and finds a bag of coin (10GP and 11SP) and a foul smelling lizard skin parchment which reads in Dwarvish "Worship The Butcher" and appears to be scrawled in viscera. Tired from the battle the heroes rest awhile. Skagg is visited in his dreams by a vision of The Lady and when they wake Skagg is entranced and briefly begins to dance just like the Myconids. He blissfully entreats his friends to join him and partage of "The Lady's Gift". None accept his kind offer.
Aur summons a third owl familiar who he names Cornowlius and sends him off down the tunnels looking for the hand. Janek searches near the exit of this cave and spots tiny fingerprints in the dusty dirt floor. He tracks them as far as the reeking foetid pool which was once Roland's home and beyond.
They follow the tracks until their progress is barred by two iron gates. Aur deftly picks the lock and they emerge into a large cave. Massive iron cages containing 3 huge brown bears dominate the room but at it's centre is a spiral path lined with 9 pyramidal marker stones. Two derro stand guard. Aur ovehears their conversation, one mutters about the treatment he receives from The Master and the other about a great fish he once caught in the Darklake.
Impatient, Janek runs through the cave following the tracks of the Pelek's hand provoking the guards to attack...