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Message: <blockquote data-quote="lykkenthrope" data-source="post: 9459471" data-attributes="member: 7045440">Session 13: Cruelpigs party do not read upon pain of toadSession started with a very debilitated Reshi being aided by Torrent and Grom as they walked down the Elf Road. Thankfully, after an uneventful 1/2 mile, Sorian pointed out a bridge looming before them and the bridge was a way to cross a surprisingly still-running river. A fort type tower on the bridge could barely be seen from their vantage point and Sorian had a distant memory spring to his mind that this was the "Tower of the Unicorn", a place for Clerics of Meilikki to tend to weary travelers.Before they could get close to the bridge though, Crystin had a vision and shouted to Sorian that “Danger followed his footsteps”. Fearing for everyone’s safety Sorian rushed away from the group closer to the bridge. Crystin seemed to faint after coming to from her vision, Vic caught her before she fell and Grom left Torrent in charge of Reshi and swooped her up into his arms. Then, 3 things occurred near simultaneously: first, a spear of fire lanced out from the woods, hitting the space Sorian had just been standing and second, an explosion rocked the woods before them collapsing multiple huge trees blocking their way towards the bridge and third a wall of fire sprang up behind those in the rear of the group (Grom, Vic, and Christin). Everyone held firm for a moment, trying to make sense of what had just occurred, until 3 burning stags walked out of the woods, stomping the ground and getting ready to charge.Initially the heroes looked for a spell caster hiding in the flames who must be controlling these elemental stags, but with the fire encroaching them from behind and the stags seeming near impossible to hit with physical attacks, [SPOILER="DM Note"]My PCs were just rolling really really poorly, I kept the AC 13, after two PCs rolled <13 the whole group decided the stags must be incoporeal [/SPOILER] the group tried to run for the bridge.   Sorian came running back to the group, meeting them in the middle. He passed off the Scroll of Fireball given to the group by Rantle to Vic shouting that perhaps the spell could blast apart the trees blocking the path.Sorian then steeled himself to distract the stags, he did attempt to shout at the stags in Sylvan, thinking they might be corrupted protector spirits of the forest. They did not respond to the call. Crystin finally came too and Grom was able to put her down and help Sorian. Torrent healed Reshi a bit more and also came to join the two barbarians so the other 4 could try and make it to the bridge.  The voice in Grom's head spoke a strangle langauge to him that he did not recognize, but then told Grom that "this was just thier unknown word showing off.  Let loose and show them real power."   Grom activated his Frenzied rage and when he did so,  glowing symbols appeared on his face (they did not hurt, so Grom himself was unaware).  Reshi did recognize the words for being an ancient Draconic language that meant "Propriety".  With Grom and Sorian raging and Torrent channeling her divinity, the three of them finally found purchase in beating the stags down.[SPOILER="DM Note: Mechanics"]I am using Dovazhul from Skyrim to be my trillith language. I am having this not be true in-world Draconic, but an ancient form.  English to Old English would be a good example.  Reshi can read it and mostly understand it from his training to be the next village leader. [/SPOILER]Right as the last stag fell a supernatural voice echoed throughout the area and soon a draconic face emerged from the fire in the trees blocking the path to the bridge. This demonic, draconic face soon morphed into a burning figure of a woman with a sword impaled through her body.The spirit offered safe passage for the group in exchange for freeing it from being trapped. For a moment, Sorian felt that this might be a vengeful spirit of Innenotdar, driven mad by the destruction decades ago. In a haze, he asked directly if this entity was Timbre, but the spirit laughed and instead claimed to be "Indomitability," a being "larger than any forest."Vic and Grom asked the next questions - where the spirit was and how to free it, respectfully: They  learned it was trapped beneath the lake at the end of the river flowing before them and to free them, they must stop the curseded song that is keeping it trapped. Ze called for a quick huddle to discuss their last question, but Sorian having too many memories of his early life whizzing through his mind and stepped forward and asked the spirit why they were trapped in the first place.Indomitability explained that "small-minded Fey" had trapped her near 90 years ago.  Sorian, who later explained that he had asked his question thinking this was some demon the Ragesians had summoned to set the fires, but this answer made Sorian remember the great hero Arielle (cause I paniked and couldn't figure out how to say Anyariel) and how she died felling a great fire beast a few years before the fires......though before Sorian could put together the implications of this memory and Indomitability plight, Indomitability offed to imbue everyone in the group with its power: granting them the ability to safely cross through the forest without a time limit. The only caveat, was they needed to agree and take actions to free them.[SPOILER="DM Note: Mechanics, Story Spoilers"]My games are going to be heavy trillith, I really like thier concept and the dyamnicness they bring as both potential allys to recruit  and the ability to be both smaller and larger BBEGs, I have decided that you can only have one trillith boon at a time.  I'll probably "fatten" some of the boons as we get to them.  [/SPOILER]Some like Vic and Reshi, immediatly told Indomitablity that they would help free them.  While the other were discussing the pro and cons, the voice in Groms head explained that if he accepted Indomitabilies boon then he would not have access to his Rectitude and Arms of Rightousness for the time being, most likely until they left the forest.  Grom did ask his voice if the fire lady could be trustsed, to which the voice just tactfully said "Oh, my dear Great Warrior....this forest is filled with anger and subterfuge; Deception’s playground. Misunderstanding was, is, and could be its downfall. Things need to be righted. Curses could still be remembered as a blessing, perhaps purgatory was better than hell".  Which left alot for poor Grom to think about, and some big words to look up what they mean. (lol).   After ensuring that the voice wouldn't leave him if he accepted, he decided it was better to not be under a time constraint and have this spirit be on their side.With Grom accepting the boon, this lead Sorian and the rest to agree.  They view Grom as a litmus test for good, given his knack for interacting calmly with things that should be near impossible (ie. the Celestial badgers and the hellhouse).  After being filled with the boon, the heroes--who could not be much  wearier--pushed on to the bridge.  They noticed the fort did not have much flame damage on it, so they figured it would be a good place to rest: safe from the fire and potentially any ability Indomitability had to eavesdrop through the flames while they discussed their next moves.The heroes approached the tower door and saw a small blue rune on the door.  Vic and Torrent approached to inspect it, while Grom and Sorian called out for Ze and her theieves tools to come forward and get ready for her time to shine.  In a tired, confused haste, Ze did not stop to let the two ladies inspect the door and instead she sent her shadow under the door of the tower.  The shadow got blasted backwards and this triggered the rune on the door and a spiritual weapon appeared and began attacking the shadow and Ze (and after a brief: this isnt BG3, spirit weapons don't have HP in 5e).  As everyone was near delirious from fighting the stags to the point of exhaustion, all the heroes decided to attack and literally obliterate the door rather than investigate the glowing rune.  Finally though, they destroyed the door and were able to enter the tower.[SPOILER="DM Note."]I recognize now my group does better with our normal 2-3 hour sessions.  We could all play later this night so we went for 4 and there was definetly major mental fatigue happening on everyones parts.  It was a learning experience for what works well with our group!  [/SPOILER]</blockquote>

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