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)
Skag and Aur, left the heroes resting in the inn and ventured into the Blade Bazaar in search of medical assistance for Sarith. They asked a Duergar, rushing home with groceries, for directions and he pointed them in the direction of the nearby medical facility. As if to say thank you, Sarith vomited all over him.
The Medical Facility
On reaching the facility, they asked a nurse who, upon seeing Sarith, quickly locked down the area and sounded an alarm. Doctors and nurses arrived on the scene and proceded to disinfect the two adventurers and Sarith. A Dr Mullet, who appeared to be in charge, informed them that a mysterious infectious disease had taken hold in a few of the cities citizens. Skag revealed his "medical" expertise and Dr Mullet ushered them into a room with a glass window overlooking a row of beds containing unconcious patients tended by nurses in full protective gear. The patients looked to be suffering with the same illness that had befallen Sarith.
Aur and Skag pushed for more information but Dr Mullet was reluctant to reveal the details of the final stage of the infection. Dr Mullet left the pair to find his supervisor to see if he would be allowed to permit the two to witness the final stage. It was then that they noticed the heavily reinforced door at the end of the treatment room. Aur decided to don a suit of the same protective gear that the nurses were wearing and made her way into the quarantined treatment room. Skag, realising the folly of their partner in crime, made their way back into the reception for some coffee.
The protective suits were clearly not made with the Aarakocra physique in mind and Aur's beak and wings made odd looking bulges within the protective gear. She was caught out immediately upon entering the treatment room and a frantic nurse scrambled outside to fetch security. Aur seized the moment and rushed to the reinforced door, hearing repeated thuds against the walls, almost as if something or someone was throwing themselves against the door/wall.
A security detail arrived and escorted Aur into the reception area to await the Stone Guard’s arrival. Not wishing to also be caught, Skag left clutching their coffee and took up watch in an alley opposite the hospital entrance. After a few minutes, they felt a small hand tug on their curtain. it was a dishevelled, starving Derro child who was begging for some gold or food, Skag offered a potion of flight in exchange for some information.
The Stone Guard arrived and took charge of the chained and manacled Aarakocra. She was led through the streets towards Overlake Hold, the Stone Guard barracks and prison. Skag, decided to make their way back to the inn.
In the middle of their room at Gholbrorn’s Lair lay Eldeth dead on the floor, her eyes and tongue having been gouged out and a strange rune carved into her chest. The rest of the heroes were all fast asleep. Skag concluded that they were likely poisoned and also noticed that Buppido was missing. They did a few tests and confirming that it was a Drow poison and decided to wait for them to regain consciousness.
Targonis was the first to wake, his time in the Underdark having strengthened his body against the various toxins that exist there. He quickly set to work tending to the rest of the party, making sure that they were all stable and healthy.
Overlake Hold
After some time in a prison cell, Aur was escorted to the Commander’s office and thrown upon the mercy of the Stone Guard Commander, a stern female Duergar named Errde Blackskull. Errde explained that she had been keeping her eye on the adventurers and had need of them for a mission. She told Aur to fetch the rest of her comrades and bring them to the Overlake Hold. Aur agreed and escorted by eight Stone Guard, made her way back to the Inn.
Reunited with the group, she told them of the Commander’s request which the party agreed to fulfill. Before leaving, Skag pointed out Eldeth’s body to a nearby guard who, surprisingly, didn’t seem phased by the macabre scene. After some insistence, the guard examined the body and Skag noticed that for a brief second the guard seemed to regain some clarity of thought as if recognizing the rune, before falling back into their characteristically stoic demeanor.
Back at Errde’s office, the Duergar informed them of rumoured conspiracy by the Council of Savants, a Derro radicalist group, that she believed were behind the corruption and madness spreading throughout the city. She showed them a sketch of a behatted Derro named Droki person of interest in this case and her only clue to finding the secretive Council of Savants.
Skag recognized the Derro as the one they saw in the Blade Bazaar the day before. The group agreed to Errde’s request, and were presented with thin metal badges that would let the the Stone Guard know that they were working for Errde and would grant them access to all sections of the city.
Soon after the party left Overlake Hold they were approached by a young Duergar female name Kartokkar Xundorn, a member of the Keepers of the Flame, a religious order who served their Themberchaud the Wyrmsmith. The dragon had requested their presence and she gave them directions to the Temple which was the dragon’s lair, warning them not to keep Themberchaud waiting.
The party continued on to the Blade Bazaar, looking to buy supplies and gear. Errde had given them a small sum of gold and they spent 30g buying buying clothing to replace their slave rags which would help them to blend in with the locals. Aur tried her luck going into a fine jewelry seller and found out that Kaythra, the Duragar who Aur stole the rings from was a benefactor. As Aur asked further questions, a strange effect occurred. The shopkeeper seemed to speak in circles, forgetting who came to speak with her and starting the interaction again. Some magic was clearly at work here.
The Derro Kids
The party decided that going to a seedier market would be better cover but decided to ask for information at the inn. On their way they spotted some malnourished Dero children and Aur went to talk to them. Using mime, gold and a friendly demeanor, she managed to convince them to wait while she got her food from the inn.
Once inside the Tavern, Aur asked Stool to emit its spores so she could communicate telepathically with the innkeeper. With a poof the little fungus emitted a cloud of spores. The drunken crowd reacted badly to this and surged out of the inn. Aur found food and bowls and went to feed the Dero with Skag and the others following on. Acting as interpreters, Skag and Targonis put Aur and their own questions to the Dero kids and learnt that 2 kids had disappeared recently. One was a white haired Dero called Tenetra.
They learned that the symbol left on Eldreth's body is the hallmark of the killer known as "The Butcher". They described Bupido to them but his wasn't a person they recognised. The derro told them about a cruel person known as The Master who forced these Dero to beg and steal for them. The heroes asked if the Dero knew of anything more about the strange behaviour of the guards. They informed us that oddly, the guards would attack those with flashier clothing and jewelry...