Abomination Vaults – Session 4: Bards, Battles, and Ballads

Sunday, 30th of Lamashan, 4722 AR

• The group decided to continue their exploration of the Gauntlight.
• From the arrow slits in the outer wall of Area A13, they had spotted more buildings to the west of the Gauntlight, some of them on a small island beyond the island on which the ruined keep stood.
• They still had not seen the “swamp dragon” from the mitflit’s tales but the Gauntlight had already taught them to be wary.
• After much discussion, they decided to explore the buildings they spotted and climbed over the wall in Area A13.
• They quickly approached a small bridge connecting the two islands and were surprised to see the water level was actually 15-20 feet below them and the edge of each island was sheer cliffs.
• A quick examination determined the bridge was structurally sound but the group choose to cross one at a time to be safe.
• A set of double doors, swollen shut, barred the group’s entry into the closest of the small buildings but Trulk was able to break them loose (on the third attempt).
• Inside was a study in disarray and Trulk was quickly assaulted by a “will-o-wisp” which tried to scare them, calling itself “Spookywisp.”
• Needless to say, no one was scared by the display and Trulk began to look around for the source of the display.
• Eventually, Konnor Klapton coaxed a brownie named Tangletop came out of hiding.

• Tangletop explained she had only been there a few days and was frustrated because she had found a “shiny thing” in another room in the building.
• When she tried to claim it, a bird-thing attacked her and drove her away,
• She asked the group to retrieve the shiny thing for her and offered valuable information as a reward.
• The group opened a set of doors and found four strange paintings in the hallway beyond.
• The first depicted Absalom in flames with ghosts rising from burning buildings.
• The second depicted the Gauntlight as it appeared before the upper floors collapsed.
• The third was shredded and the group could not determine what it had depicted.
• The fourth depicted Belcorra in all her “Strahd-vibes” glory.
• At the end of the hallway, double doors opened to a ruined workshop whose floor was covered in glass and they spotted a bejeweled spyglass on the far side of the room.
• As they entered the room, Mister Beak came out of hiding and asked if they were with Master Azrinae.

• Their answer did not please the construct and he attacked the them.
• The battle was brutal; while Mister Beak could fly above the thick layer of broken glass covering the floor, the PCs were forced to fight to even keep their footing.
• Trulk and Jorne took the brunt of the beating but eventually, the party managed to bring the construct down.
• Jorne claimed the bejeweled spyglass, Konnor examined the glass/goo stuff, and Jorne and ShaiLu saw to the group’s wounds.
• Trulk found the soul gem powering Mister Beak and removed it.
• The group returned to Tangletop and after a brief, failed attempt to trick her, turned over the bejeweled spyglass.
• The brownie informed them the person who lived in this building was Volluk Azrinae and he was a mean man (but not as bad as Belcorra).
• With resources low and having earned enough experience points to level up, the group returned to Otari.
• Wounds were healed, general goods sold, and Jorne took a long tour of Otari looking for a buyer for the soul gem (eventually selling it to Wrin Sivinxi).
• Konnor went to Maggs to identify the elixirs she found (lesser darkvision elixir, lesser comprehension elixir, and the skeptic’s elixir.
• This time, Konnor decided to keep the elixirs as he thought they might be useful.
• Konnor performed a new song for Maggs, one he had been writing about the things they were seeing in the Gauntlight.
• Sung to the tune of “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music:

Mitflits and maggots and corpses of light.
Large deadly scorpions are tougher to fight.
Half-eaten frogs and fly pox disease.
These are a few of the Gauntlight things.

Rumors of dragons and blue-glowing ghosts.
Mushroom Head men living deeper below.
Brownies obsessed with small shiny rings.
These are a few of the Gauntlight things.

• Maggs offered to start teaching him crafting/alchemy if Konnor was interested.
• The group rested for the evening and everyone leveled up to 2!
• Spent the remainder of the evening leveling up characters and discussing options.
  END OF SESSION