Session C16 — Restless Camp

Summary

The party establishes camp in the Underdark caverns to recover from the harrowing escape from the Tarrasque. Roland remains critically exhausted and benefits from downtime recovery. While examining the party's collection of 20 dragon shards, Kefkas makes unexpected contact with an extraplanar entity called The Traveler — a mysterious being from another plane entirely. Through extended conversations, The Traveler reveals that dragon shards are remnants from a catastrophic planar merge, warns the party against accumulating more shards (as they create metaphysical instability), and offers cryptic guidance on understanding the merge. Meanwhile, Othorion remains restrained and unconscious with Blackrazor still in hand, Selene manages her permanent magical wound, and the party grapples with managing cursed artifacts and possessed allies.

Key Events

Camp Recovery and Downtime Preparations

The party established a relatively secure camp deep in the Underdark caverns, grateful to have escaped the Tarrasque with their lives. The immediate priority was rest and recovery — several characters were in critical condition and needed immediate attention. Rations were managed and distributed, with long rest confirmed for the party and those who could sleep.

Roland remained at the center of concern. She arrived at camp with six levels of exhaustion still affecting her, having started the session at eight from the previous session's harrowing climb. After the first long rest, one level of exhaustion faded naturally. Through additional downtime activities — a massage and a constitution save — one additional level was removed. However, the party recognized she remained in critical danger. They debated potential recovery options, including seeking out nearby hot springs that Kefkas mentioned could provide healing. The decision was made: rest for another full day to further reduce her exhaustion before resuming the journey toward Neverlight Grove.

Dragon Shards and Unexpected Contact

As the party organized their gear and tended to the wounded, Kefkas found himself drawn to the party's collection of dragon shards — twenty crystalline formations that hung in the air with an otherworldly quality. He showed them to Selene, who had researched them previously using magical identify spells. The shards were definitely not from this plane.

As Kefkas held the shards, something changed. A presence touched his mind.

A voice began speaking directly in his consciousness, claiming to be The Traveler from "very far away." The contact had triggered because the shards acted as a planar conduit — a bridge between worlds. What began as one-way communication would soon become a two-way conversation that consumed much of the session.

The Traveler's Revelation

The Traveler described itself as "something or someone, depending on your persuasion" — an entity of unclear nature from an extremely distant plane. It had become interested in the consequences of cosmic merging when an unnamed "friend" had collapsed two entire cosmologies into each other. The exact timeline of this event remained unclear — the being spoke vaguely of "four" without specifying whether it meant days, weeks, or years.

Since that catastrophic moment, The Traveler had been monitoring the consequences of the planar merge, and the dragon shards called to it like beacons. Each shard was, in the entity's words, "a data point" about merge stability — a piece of physical evidence showing where the world had been touched by foreign planes. The shards revealed "seams" where the boundaries between worlds had fractured.

But here was the warning: "Every shard is a piece of my plane's metaphysical framework, sitting inside of yours." They didn't cancel each other out. Instead, they created "tension against one another." The entity offered a stark metaphor: "Have you ever seen what happens when you drive too many nails into the same board? It splits."

The party's collection of 20 shards sat at an acceptable threshold. But any further gathering was strongly advised against. Continued accumulation risked destabilizing the entire world.

Shard Weaponization and Selene's Warning

Before the contact with The Traveler, Kefkas had approached Selene during the day's activities to discuss the shards. He had wondered whether they might be enhanced into arrows or other weapons. Selene, ever the scholar, advised caution. The shards were dangerous — not meant for killing but for "unmaking." Their true purpose, she suggested, might be in artifacts, wards, barriers, or structures. Weaponizing them could be catastrophic.

This conversation lingered in Kefkas's mind, even as The Traveler reinforced the warning. The entity was clear: it did not want the shards turned into weapons. Instead, it needed someone who "genuinely understands both of our points... not just one or the other" to hold and study the shards, to examine what the merge had actually done. The Traveler proposed a working relationship: "I will simply step in occasionally to help you not accidentally unmake something important."

The Moment of Realization

Kefkas only realized partway through the conversation that he had been speaking aloud the entire time.

The party watched him arguing with nothing, their expressions shifting from curiosity to concern as he responded to a voice only he could hear. When he finally explained the situation to Selene and the others, most party members accepted it with the weary resignation of adventurers who had already encountered far stranger supernatural phenomena. Kefkas noted with dark humor: "I haven't been with them very long either, neither has Haldak. It's only a matter of time before you get a voice in your head, too."

Lireal made a sarcastic comment about Message cantrips and eavesdropping, but the concern was real. A voice in Kefkas's head — especially one tied to dragon shards and cosmic forces — was not a development anyone could ignore.

The Spellforge Reference

At one point, Kefkas asked Kavu and Roland if they had any information about something called "The Spellforge." Neither had readily available knowledge about it, and the discussion was interrupted before it could develop further. The reference lingered — a mystery that The Traveler had mentioned in passing, hinting at its significance but offering no explanation.

Haldak's Confusion Flower Incident

While Lireal kept watch over the still-unconscious Othorion, Haldak approached with what he thought was a helpful solution: a confusion flower. The flower, if its spores were inhaled, would cause confusion — a non-violent way to intervene if Othorion suddenly acted dangerous while his mind was still struggling against the influence of Blackrazor.

The execution, however, was flawed. Haldak handed the flower to Lireal without explanation. Lireal's natural instinct was to sniff it immediately.

Lireal managed to succeed on the Wisdom saving throw, resisting the confusion effect entirely. But the reaction was swift and pointed: why would Haldak give someone a confusion flower without explaining what it was? The awkward moment prompted Haldak to reflect: "Maybe we should tie up Haldak 2 for our safety." The group dissolved into laughter despite the serious intent behind the attempt.

Othorion's Restraint and Blackrazor's Defiance

Othorion woke to find himself restrained, his hands bound behind his back. But Blackrazor — the accursed blade that had claimed him — was not so easily contained. The sword lay on the ground nearby, yet it seemed to hover and move back toward his hands of its own volition.

The party had attempted to separate Othorion from the weapon by commanding him to drop it. Kavu's Command spell had ordered him to release the blade, but Blackrazor resisted the save with its own supernatural will. Even with hands restrained behind his back, the sword remained tantalizingly within reach, hovering in defiance of both magical coercion and physical binding.

The Trust Dilemma

The party faced an uncomfortable question: could they trust Othorion not to harm anyone with Blackrazor if given the chance? The debate was genuine and necessary. Arguments for continued restraints were practical — the sword still had demonstrable influence over its wielder, and they couldn't trust him fully yet. Arguments for allowing more freedom were emotional — Othorion had already suffered tremendous pain from the possession, and he appeared to be fighting the influence rather than surrendering to it.

The compromise was to keep watch but allow some freedom of movement. Kefkas and Lireal were designated as watchers. Lireal's threat was characteristically to-the-point: "I'll just look at him funnily" if he did anything wrong while in the process of healing.

Selene's Magical Wound

Selene herself remained gravely injured. The wound from Blackrazor had pierced through her chest and out her back, left of her heart and through one of her lungs — an injury that magical darkness prevented from healing through conventional means. Non-magical healing, even through long rests, was ineffective against a magical wound of this severity.

The party's immediate concern was finding magical healing powerful enough to close the wound before it became life-threatening. For now, Selene drew upon her ranger abilities — specifically the Fortifying Soul feature — to heal herself and distribute healing to other party members, including Kefkas. The wound remained dangerous and required magical intervention, but immediate crisis management had been achieved.

The Blackrazor Containment Problem

The party debated how to keep Blackrazor contained safely. Several options were proposed: putting the sword in a bag of holding (though Kavu noted skeptically, "It could just be telling you that" about its apparent will and preferences), leaving it behind in the Tarrasque (which clearly wouldn't work given the sword's demonstrated ability to follow), or attempting some other form of restraint or separation.

The decision, after much discussion, was to attempt placing the sword in a bag of holding as temporary containment. Roland, still exhausted but maintaining her dry humor, offered: "This is not the time to be messing with magic items." Her point was well taken.

Camp Atmosphere and Morale

The session was dominated by roleplay and downtime conversation rather than combat. Much of it was party members managing emergencies, discussing options, and processing the emotional and practical weight of their situation. There was an ongoing effort to shield Stool's innocence from the traumatic implications of their circumstances — though the GM dryly noted that "Stool doesn't have eyes and can see everything anyway."

Despite the serious nature of their predicament — exhausted allies, magical wounds, possessed companions, and cosmic threats — the party maintained morale through consistent banter and humor. Campfire conversations ranged from practical problem-solving to meta-discussions of various topics. The group's resilience and camaraderie remained intact.

NPCs Encountered

Loot / Discoveries

Party Notes

• Roland: 6 levels of exhaustion remaining (needs additional recovery); helped manage items despite exhaustion; relatively quiet during downtime; still affected by infernal hammer connection
• Othorion: Unconscious through most of session; wakes to find himself restrained; attempting to manage Blackrazor influence; may be improving slightly; emotional pain from possession experience
• Kefkas: New contact with The Traveler; becomes information coordinator for planar entity; initially unaware he was speaking aloud; pragmatic acceptance of supernatural contact; designated as watcher for Othorion; expresses frustration but adapts
• Selene: Dealing with permanent magical wound; uses ranger abilities to heal self and others; research-focused on magical items and dragon shards; warns about dangers of shard weaponization; acts as magical expert
• Kavu: Managing bag of holding with multiple dangerous magical items; concerned about party management; cautious about Blackrazor's claimed will/intent
• Haldak: Very inattentive during downtime; creates confusion flower incident; tries to be helpful but misjudges approaches; comic relief in interaction with The Traveler (rank insistence)
• Lireal: Designated watcher for Othorion; suspicious; threatens to "look funny" if anything happens; successfully resists confusion flower's effect; sarcastic about supernatural events
• Stool: Minimally involved; party tries to protect innocence from traumatic situations; GM notes "doesn't have eyes and can see everything anyway"

Threads Opened / Advanced

NEW THREADS OPENED

• The Traveler and Planar Merge: Who is "the friend" who collapsed cosmologies? When exactly did this occur (four days/weeks/years)? What are full consequences of the merge? How many planes were involved? What does "genuinely understand both" mean? Who could qualify?

• Dragon Shard Danger: What happens if too many shards accumulate? How many shards equal critical threshold? Are there other shards party doesn't know about? What precisely does "unmake" mean in this context?

• The Spellforge Mystery: What is The Spellforge? How does it relate to dragon shards? Why did The Traveler reference it? Is it a threat or a resource?

• Kefkas's Mental Voice Connection: Will The Traveler remain in contact? Can other party members contact The Traveler through shards? Is this a permanent connection? What does The Traveler want long-term from Kefkas?

ADVANCED THREADS

• Othorion's Possession and Recovery: How long until fully recovered from possession trauma? Can Blackrazor be removed/separated? Will he ever fully trust his own mind again? Sword still has demonstrable influence

• Selene's Magical Wound: Must find magical healing for permanent chest-to-back piercing wound; cannot heal via non-magical means; affects combat effectiveness

• Roland's Exhaustion Crisis: Still at 6 levels despite recovery; needs additional day or magical recovery methods; performance significantly impacted in combat

• Neverlight Grove Journey: Party racing against timeline; drow lady awaiting party at destination; must move forward after recovery completes

• Blackrazor Curse Removal: How can sword be permanently separated from Othorion? What is the nature of the attunement? Can it be broken? Is there a way to destroy the sword?

Threads Unexplored / Pending Information

• The Spellforge nature and location
• Identity of planar merge trigger ("the friend")
• Exact timeline of cosmology collapse
• Current location and status of Tarrasque (still alive and sleeping in Underdark)
• Nature of "unmaking" that shards could cause
• How many shards exist beyond party's 20

Session Summary

A transitional session focusing on recovery, research, and mysterious new contact. The party rests and regroups in an Underdark camp while Roland recovers from exhaustion incurred during the previous session's harrowing escape. The major discovery occurs when dragon shards in the party's possession act as a conduit for planar contact, resulting in Kefkas being contacted by The Traveler — a mysterious being from an alternate plane with vested interest in the recent planar merge. Through extended conversations, The Traveler reveals that dragon shards are remnants of a catastrophic cosmology collapse, warns against accumulating more shards (as they create metaphysical instability), and offers cryptic guidance on understanding the merge and preventing accidental destruction of important structures.

Meanwhile, Othorion remains restrained and unconscious with Blackrazor still in hand despite attempts to separate them; Selene's magical wound from the previous session prevents natural healing and requires magical intervention; and the party grapples with managing cursed artifacts and possessed allies during recovery. The session establishes new plot hooks around planar mechanics, cosmic consequences, and introduces a recurring NPC contact that will likely prove significant in future sessions. Despite serious circumstances, party morale remains high through humor and camaraderie.

Key Introduction: The Traveler (planar contact, mysterious guide, dragon shard-based communication)
Key Discovery: Dragon shards are remnants of planar merge; accumulation is dangerous to world stability
Key Challenge: Managing possessed ally with cursed sword, permanent magical wound requiring healing, critical exhaustion, and understanding cosmic-scale planar consequences
Status Heading Forward: Party rested and recovered somewhat; Othorion still unconscious/restrained; Blackrazor still present and influential; Roland reduced to 6 exhaustion levels (still critical); ready to resume journey toward Neverlight Grove after additional recovery day