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Message: <blockquote data-quote="THEMNGMNT" data-source="post: 8028714" data-attributes="member: 6809274">The 15th level players characters continued their fight against Manshoon and his army of hivemind clones. Having teleported inside Blackstaff Tower, they have two goals: 1) Rescue Vajra Safahr from captivity 2) Destroy Manshoon before he can attune to the Blackstaff and control its power.Ascending the tower, the characters enter a study and confront three shadar-kai, which they easily dispatch. They've previously encountered shadar-kai mercenaries in the employ of the Zhentarim -- these are just more of the same. There are two doors in the study...and the characters quickly ascertain that Vajra is through one door -- and Manshoon is through the other. The tactically sound thing would be for all the characters to go through the same door...but at this point the players choose to roleplay their differences in motivation. In reward, I freely handed out inspiration.The tiefling shadow sorcerer and the human life cleric (an NPC ally that one player took control of for this session) bust into Vajra's chambers. But the three shadar-kai torturers are ready -- the first thing they do is cut Vajra's throat. The life cleric heals Vajra, and the sorcerer polymorphs her into a giant ape. In the battle that follows, the lead shadar-kai is grievously wounded and flees. But the remaining shadar-kai drop the life cleric and target him until he is dead.In the other room are two Manshoon clones and a frail, ancient man who looks like his lifespan has been unnaturally extended. This is the true Manshoon. And he has the Blackstaff in his clutches. The air around the staff is distorted as Manshoon tries to bend the staff to his will. The aasimar vengeance paladin bypasses the clones to strike directly at Manshoon. As his weapon hits (for what would have been 150hp of damage!) he suddenly vanishes. The human beastmaster ranger also attacks the true Manshoon...and also vanishes. The halfling bard, seemingly not getting the hint, attacks the true Manshoon with his staff of thunder and lightning. And he vanishes, too.The vanished characters find themselves teleported across Waterdeep, each one appearing at the feet of a different Walking Statue. Suddenly, the Statues come to life. They begin to flatten the surrounding buildings, wreaking havoc across Waterdeep. Rather than stay and fight, each character moves as quickly as they can to Blackstaff Tower.Meanwhile, the sorcerer is the only character left standing in the tower. Which is exactly as Manshoon planned. See, he is the sorcerer's biological father. His plan is to transfer his consciousness into the Blackstaff, then have the sorcerer destroy his physical body. With that done, the good guys will think the threat is gone. In truth, through the sorcerer he will secretly control both the Zhentarim and Blackstaff Tower.As the sorcerer approaches the true Manshoon for their final reckoning, we ended the session.It was tons of fun.At least for me.Ha!</blockquote>

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