Session — May 20, 2026

Session — May 20, 2026: The Chains of Halver & The Spike of Memnor

Party Members Present

Absent: Silus (Ryley), Zolat (Rebecca). Groak was NPC'd by the DM in Ryley's absence.

Session Summary

The party sailed aboard The Rolling Thunder into the heart of the Stormhorns, descending through ice storms and ballista-lined canyons to reach Halver — a dwarven cliffside city carved into a canyon wall, ruled by Lord Halver II and populated by isolationist Duergar-like dwarves. Captain Groak's reunion with Lord Halver — who called the Grung captain "son" — earned the party the designation of "friends this day," granting them hospitality and shelter. But the welcome came with a bitter sight: cloud giants and other non-dwarven peoples laboring in chain gangs throughout the city, tilling terraced farmland and hanging off cliffs in shackles. For Vindvenford, who saw his mother and grandmother superimposed over the enslaved giants, Halver's prosperity was built on the bones of his distant relatives.

Vindvenford's spiritual pilgrimage to the volcanic peaks above the city became the session's emotional centerpiece. He sprinted through the cloud line to pray to Annam the All-Father at the summit, then descended to a sacred hot springs grotto to commune with Memnor, the cloud giant patron. There, a mysterious bald old man with golden dragons floating around him sat in the pool — and vanished without a trace. Vindvenford emerged from a psychedelic vision of family violence and childhood memories to find his pike upgraded to a +3 weapon: Memnor's Spike, inscribed "To penetrate the darkness and release the evil," with steam effects and Air Bubble at will. The divine gift came with a divine warning — Dambastra's massive snake visage hissed down at the party from the steam, pools turned black with echoing laughter, and a dwarf messenger walked on water to deliver the serpent god's directive: "Release it." A priest of Draxxus appeared moments later collecting donations, revealing hidden jungle temples and an upcoming sermon at Nallerman's Rest — confirming the link between Dambastra and the silver-tongued dragonborn's growing cult.

Morning brought departure — and disaster. A nacelle failed mid-flight toward the bug cave, forcing an emergency squirrel-suit disembarkation. Tao landed hard on his shell, re-cracking the wound patched in a previous session, black ichor oozing from the fracture. The party touched down on a crumbling, lichen-covered temple spire bearing the Osrin Family Crest with a key at its center and the inscription "Osrin-Rall" in Dwarven and Common. Bug-controlled humanoids challenged them — and exploded into clouds of toxic, green-glowing arcanic beetles when killed. The session ended mid-combat, the party surrounded by swarming Ignasil Abertil with spore clouds choking the platforms and more bugs pouring from the tower above.

Key Events

• Airship approach to Halver — Descent through ice storms (DEX saves; 7 bludgeoning from ice crystals), ballistas tracking the vessel, constitution saves for altitude sickness; Vindvenford casts Air Bubble on three party members
• Arrival in Halver — Groak reunites with Lord Halver II ("Son!"); party designated "friends this day"; quartered in Lord Halver's hall with candles, blankets, and robes
• Cloud giant chain gangs — Vindvenford sees his heritage in chains: cloud giants tilling, farming lichen, hanging off cliffs in shackles; vision of his mother and grandmother superimposed over the laborers
• Vindvenford's pilgrimage — Climbs to the summit above Halver; prays to Annam the All-Father; descends to hot springs grotto to commune with Memnor
• Mysterious old man — Bald figure with golden dragons floating around him, sitting in the hot springs pool; vanishes without a trace when the rest of the party arrives
• Memnor's Spike upgraded — Vindvenford's pike becomes +3 with steam effects and Air Bubble at will; inscribed "To penetrate the darkness and release the evil"
• Psychedelic vision — Memories of family violence: holding his brother by the throat, his father doing the same; consciousness shifts and childhood memories
• Dambastra's manifestation — Massive snake head hisses from the steam; pools turn black; dwarf messenger walks on water delivering the directive: "Release it"; echoing laughter: "So... many... secrets!"
• Draxxus cult discovery — A priest of Draxxus appears at the hot springs collecting donations for "the silver town of Draxxus"; reveals hidden jungle temples and a sermon planned at Nallerman's Rest; confirms Draxxus carries "the secrets of the Serpent"
• Evening festivities — Experimental dirigible test flight, fireworks, celebration; Groak gets drunk with Lord Halver; party long rests with bonus temp HP from the rejuvenating hot springs
• Airship crash — Nacelle fails en route to the bug cave; emergency squirrel-suit disembarkation; Tao takes 15 damage on landing, re-cracking his shell
• Bug temple arrival — Crumbling temple spire bearing the Osrin Family Crest with key motif; "Osrin-Rall" inscription; map-like etchings on a stone platform
• Combat begins — Bug-controlled humanoids explode into toxic spore clouds; arcanic beetles (Ignasil Abertil) swarm; session ends mid-fight as a cliffhanger

Characters Appearing

Party Members

• Tao — Tortle Shadow Monk (Andrew)
• Vindvenford — Half Cloud Giant Ranger, Hunter (Taylor)
• Hop — Grung Monk (Jordan)

NPCs

• Groak — Grung captain of The Rolling Thunder; NPC'd by DM this session; reunites with Lord Halver as "son"
• Lord Halver II — Dwarven lord of Halver; welcomes the party as "friends this day"
• The Mysterious Old Man — Bald, dome-headed figure with triangular white beard and golden dragons; appeared in the hot springs pool; possibly a divine avatar of Memnor or Annam
• Dambastra — The black snake god, God of Secrets; manifests as a massive serpent visage, black-scaled elf reflection, and inky pool transformation
• The Dwarf Messenger — Young dwarf in bright blue robes sent by Dambastra; walks on water; transitions into a Draxxus recruiter
• Pezlor Elish / The Draxxus Priest — Older balding humanoid with pointed ears; collector for "the silver town of Draxxus"; distributes sealed invitations and potpourri
• The Old Dwarf (Hot Springs) — Elderly local who shares family history and knowledge of the Ignasil Abertil beetles; demonstrates bug-shampoo technique
• Myrkh — Referenced; active in the Stormhorns, hostile former party member

Locations

• Halver — Dwarven cliffside city in a Stormhorns canyon (~1.5–2 km wide); Duergar-like population, cloud giant chain gangs, experimental engineering programs, ballista defenses, volcanic steam microclimate
• The Hot Springs Grotto — Sacred volcanic springs above Halver with altar, candles, and an inscription in Dwarven: "In family we find friends, and then friends we find family"; site of Vindvenford's communion and Dambastra's manifestation
• The Peak Above Halver — Mountain summit above the cloud/steam line; panoramic vista of Cormyr, the Farsea Swamps, and the cave entrance glowing with golden tendrils
• The Bug Temple — Towering spire (~300 ft) with cliff-hugging temple structure; bears the Osrin Family Crest with a key motif; infested by Ignasil Abertil (arcanic beetles); "Osrin-Rall" inscription and map etchings on a stone platform
• Nallerman's Rest — Settlement near Halver where Draxxus plans to deliver a sermon; visible from the hot springs area
• Stormhorns — Mountain range; primary setting for this session
• Farsea Swamps — Visible from the mountain peaks as "the massive green expanse"
• Elden's Crossing — Party hometown (referenced)

Factions & Organizations

• Halver Duergar — Isolationist surface-adapted Duergar ruling the cliffside city; maintain cloud giant chain gangs, red-robed mages with black sigils, experimental engineering programs, and a treaty with Draxxus's followers
• House Osrin — Osrin Family Crest and "Osrin-Rall" inscription found at the bug temple; connection to the key masters and the ancient tomb complex
• Draxxus's Cult — "The Silver Town of Draxxus"; hidden temples in the jungles below the Stormhorns; sealed invitations; connected to Dambastra's "secrets of the Serpent"; treaty-limited presence in Halver
• Oshitzu Clan — Vindvenford's clan by marriage (referenced; his wives and compound mentioned)
• Covenant of Silver — Original builders of The Rolling Thunder (referenced)

Items of Note

• Memnor's Spike — Vindvenford's pike, upgraded from +2 to +3 this session during the hot springs communion; steams at will; grants Air Bubble at will; inscribed "To penetrate the darkness and release the evil" in the language of Memnor's people; trident-headed, heavy, two-handed
• Magic Carpet — Vindvenford's one-man flying rug (250 lb capacity); used for aerial descent to the bug temple
• Crystal Ball of True Seeing — In Vindvenford's inventory (not used this session)
• Squirrel Suits — Emergency gliding/parachute suits from The Rolling Thunder's closet; cockroach-infested; includes an oversized ogre-sized suit used by Vindvenford
• Invitation to Draxxus's Sermon — Sealed parchment with silver wax seal; invites the party to Nallerman's Rest
• Bug Shampoo — Arcanic beetle secretion that lathers pleasantly when the bugs are crushed; discovered by the old dwarf at the hot springs

Lore Revealed

• Stormhorns Political History: Vindvenford's history check revealed that the cloud giants/goliaths of the Sunset Peaks once allied with storm giants to dominate the Stormhorns. The dwarves eventually broke through via divine intervention. Now Halver's dwarves enslave cloud giants — inverting the old power dynamic entirely.
• Giant Heritage & Religion: Annam the All-Father sits atop the giant pantheon as father of all giants. His son Memnor is patron of cloud giants specifically. Vindvenford's prayers, offerings, and carvings are part of this spiritual tradition — physical worship at elevated locations, connection to steam and clouds.
• Dambastra's Status: Previously captured by Sigma Irungarten ("stuck in some canisters... screaming to be let loose"), yet still manifesting and exerting influence — visions, messengers, golden tendrils, inky transformations. Actively directs the party toward the cave: "Release it."
• Draxxus's Growing Movement: Former PC turned NPC, now called "Pezlor Elish, the silver-tongued scale Lord of the South." Operating hidden temples in the jungles, building followers through sermons and recruitment. His priest explicitly carries "the secrets of the Serpent" — directly linking him to Dambastra. Vindvenford theorizes: Sigma captured Dambastra → Draxxus is Dambastra's tool → Draxxus may now be Sigma's tool.
• Ignasil Abertil (Arcanic Beetles): Canonical name for the green-glowing, six-legged mandible creatures. Infest and control humanoid hosts. Explode into toxic spore clouds on death (3d6 damage, con save or Slow). Their excrement is the purest arcanic effuse — the substance Donovon needs to restore Tao's petrified family. Connected to Eadaz's research.
• Osrin-Rall: Inscription found at the bug temple in Dwarven and Common glyphs alongside map-like etchings showing lines between locations. Connected to the House Osrin family crest and the ancient key master tomb complex.
• Hot Springs Inscription: "In family we find friends, and then friends we find family" — carved in Dwarven, surrounded by images of dwarves and spectral beings.

Combat Encounters

1. Bug Temple Entrance Fight (Ongoing — Cliffhanger)

Enemies: Arcanic beetles (Ignasil Abertil) — AC 16+, 3 attacks/round at 2d6+4, toxic spore cloud on death (3d6 + Slow); bug-controlled humanoids as hosts | Outcome: Ongoing

• Initiative: Hop 21, Vindvenford 20, Tao 19, Bugs 7+
• Hop: Push attack on first humanoid (15 + 5 damage, pushed toward edge; target saved with nat 20); Flurry of Blows on second humanoid (41 damage total); killed the hanging humanoid with 33 damage follow-up
• Tao: Field-goal kicked the hanging humanoid (25 to hit, 7 damage + Stunning Strike — target saved DC 16); killed it with 33 damage total; entered spore cloud (failed con save 13, took 9 damage, gained disadvantage); shadow-stepped to a platform, discovered the Osrin-Rall map etchings; killed a bug with 31 damage
• Vindvenford: Descended on magic carpet; cast Firebolt for 13 fire damage
• Bug mechanics: Hosts explode into spore clouds when killed; bugs can stun on hit; multiple bugs swarm single targets; 52+ damage dealt to party across the montage sequence
• Tao's damage taken: 15 (landing) + 16 (bug cloud) + 33 (bug swarm) = 64+ total this session
• Session ended mid-combat with the party surrounded and more bugs pouring from the tower

Notable Moments

• 🫂 "Son." — Lord Halver II opened his arms to Groak at the gangway. The grizzled Grung airship captain walked into the embrace of the dwarven lord. Family is found in strange places.
• ⛓️ Black and white — Vindvenford's vision desaturated as he watched cloud giants in chain gangs. His mother. His grandmother. Her sisters. Standing in chains. His heritage reduced to slave labor for dwarven prosperity.
• 🏔️ Sprinting through the clouds — Vindvenford sprinted through thick steam for half an hour to reach the summit above Halver. Constitution save 24+. At the top: the whole of Cormyr spread before him, and the cave entrance glowing gold on the horizon.
• 👴 Golden dragons and a vanishing man — A mysterious bald old man with a triangular white beard sat in the hot springs. Golden dragons floated around him. When the party arrived, he was gone. No trace. No clothes. Just lit candles that no one lit.
• ⚔️ "To penetrate the darkness and release the evil" — Vindvenford emerged from his communion to find his pike upgraded: +3, steaming, new etchings. Memnor's Spike was reborn.
• 🐍 "So... many... secrets!" — Dambastra's massive snake visage hissed down from the steam. The pool turned black and inky. Echoing laughter filled the hot springs. The golden tendrils pointed toward the cave. The serpent god is captured — but far from contained.
• 🎭 "You, directionless, clueless, mountain-dwelling hick" — Dambastra's messenger, a young dwarf walking on water, delivered the insult to Vindvenford with supernatural calm. Then added: "But you'll find your way in due course."
• 🛁 Bug shampoo — The old dwarf at the hot springs cracked open a beetle, squeezed it, and rubbed the froth into his hair. "It smells very nice while you're dying... if you had hair, it would be in incredible shape right now."
• 🐢 Shell cracked — again — Tao failed his acrobatics check during the squirrel-suit landing (needed 21+), slammed onto his shell for 15 damage. The epoxy patch from a previous session came loose. Black ichor oozed from the wound. A strange lump forming inside.
• 🐸 "Tonight I die on frog's legs." — Hop's one-liner to the bug-controlled humanoid who called him "Froggie." Then he pushed it off a cliff.

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