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Dunmari Frontier - Session 109

Asssault on Apollyon’s Tower: in which the party confronts dark secrets

Featuring: Seeker, Delwath, Kenzo, Wellby
In Taelgar: May 19, 1749 DR
On Earth: Friday Sep 27, 2024
*Apollyon’s Tower on the Circular Island *

The Dunmar Fellowship infiltrates Apollyon’s tower, uncovers its secrets, and returns with valuable treasures and knowledge.

Session Info

Find Apollyon’s Tower Treasure

Summary

  • The party transforms into ospreys to reach Apollyon’s tower covertly.
  • Upon arrival, they face defensive statues and enter the tower through a trapdoor.
  • Inside, they defeat magical constructs and explore decaying workshops and libraries.
  • They discover Apollyon’s ritual room and learn about his lich transformation.
  • The group clears undead in the throne room and subdues a void sword in the basement.
  • They gather treasures and return to Dimitaur, who destroys the necromancy book.

Timeline

  • May 19, 1749 DR, morning: Depart west for Apollyon’s tower across the Circular Island
  • May 19, 1749 DR, noon: Reach Apollyon’s tower as ospreys; fight constructs
  • May 19, 1749 DR, afternoon: Explore Apollyon’s tower; find lich chamber; destroy undead in the grand hall
  • May 19, 1749 DR, evening: Find Apollyon’s forge, destroy void sword protecting it. Load Apollyon’s throne into Portable Hole, along with Apollyon’s Tower Treasure. Teleport back to Dimitaur at the summit of the mountain.

Mirror of the Past

Narrative

The party begins their journey at dawn, observing the black marble tower on the coast from a mountain peak. They weigh different approaches, ultimately transforming into ospreys using Seeker’s Animal Shapes spell to covertly navigate the terrain. As they fly westward, they cross over forests and rocky plains, reaching the tower.

Upon arriving near the top of Apollyon’s tower, they encounter unexpected defenses in the form of large statues that fire darts. After being forced out of their animal forms, they attempt to assess the area while under continued attack. Kenzo and Seeker dive through a trapdoor to escape, while Delwath faces off against the statues.

Inside the tower, the group finds themselves in a ritual space and is soon pursued by magical constructs. They use strategic positioning on the narrow stairs to hold back the advancing constructs. Kenzo showcases his defensive skills, Delwath casts Sanctuary to protect them, and Wellby blinds the constructs repeatedly. Eventually, the group manages to bring down the constructs, securing a moment of calm.

After the battle, the party heals and continues exploring the tower, first exploring what appears to be Apollyon’s lich transformation room, seeing a vision of Apollyon’s Soulbinding Manacles Vision. Descending, the discoverworkshops, libraries, and living quarters in various states of decay. They find magical books related to necromancy and divination, as well as scraps of Adamantine and other valuable items. They collect a variety of treasures, including gold rings, a gold platter, and Drankorian coins, before moving further down into the tower.

The party descends to the ground floor of the tower and enters a grand entrance hall, where they discover a throne room with a throne adorned with gemstones. They encounter a group of animated skeletons and use Sickening Radiance to clear them out. During this process, Seeker is briefly affected by a curse, attacking Delwath, but the influence is subdued. After neutralizing the threat, they decide to leave the throne behind for now and continue exploring.

In the basement, the party finds a locked door protected by a magical rune. Upon opening it, they are immediately attacked by a void sword and animated fists of force. They use spells and positioning to overcome the threats, with Wellby landing significant attacks and Kenzo and Seeker providing support. After a fierce battle, they manage to subdue both the void sword and the animated fists.

After securing the basement, they find the forge chamber with a large circular pedestal and etched silver threads. They explore adjacent rooms, discovering rare metals, alchemical supplies, and a hidden chest containing a silver rod, mysterious powders, and braided gold rings set with gemstones. They take what they can carry, ensuring the area is secure.

In the aftermath, Seeker creates a lead box to contain the necromancy book and prevent its influence. They debate whether to take Apollyon’s throne as a bargaining chip, ultimately deciding to do so. Wellby opens the locked book using the Chime of Opening and resists a Befuddlement spell, discovering notes about the forge and lich transformations. The party learns that using the forge requires sacrificing their highest-level spell slot for a week or more. They teleport back to Dimitaur, where the necromancy book is destroyed, and rest to prepare for their next steps.

Detailed Summary

Approach to Apollyon’s Tower

The group plans their approach to Apollyon’s tower, deciding how to best navigate the treacherous terrain.
- The party observes the landscape from the mountain peak at dawn, noting the distinctive black marble tower on the coast, smooth and imposing in the distance.
- They discuss potential methods to reach the tower, weighing the use of magical flight versus other travel options.
- Kenzo uses his aura sense to scout the area and confirms there are no living creatures detected near the tower, but there may be magical constructs or corporeal undead.
- The party decides to transform into ospreys to fly across the challenging terrain covertly, using Seeker’s Animal Shapes spell.
- They begin their journey westward, flying over the forest and rocky plains towards the tower.

Defenses at Apollyon’s Tower

The group encounters resistance as they approach the top of Apollyon’s tower, facing unexpected defenses.
- The party approaches the tower after flying over the rocky terrain, noting an increasingly oppressive atmosphere around the structure.
- Seeker briefly lands to animate a rope ladder, transforming it into an osprey to follow him in bird form.
- Upon nearing the top, they observe two large statues on a mid-level platform, which suddenly become active, firing darts at the party.
- Several members are hit, forcing them out of their animal forms and causing them to land at the top of the tower.
- They notice a trapdoor at the top with no obvious way to open it, and debate using a chime of opening versus maintaining silence.
- As they attempt to assess their surroundings, the statues continue their assault, forcing Kenzo to grab Seeker and dive into the tower through the trapdoor, while Delwath faces off against the statues.

Battling the Constructs

The party faces off against the magical constructs as they descend into Apollyon’s tower.
- The group finds themselves in a small, dark room with manacles and an anvil, indicating a ritual space tied to necromancy.
- Seeker identifies the manacles as part of a ritual used to rip souls from victims and feed a lich’s phylactery, hinting at Apollyon’s dark past.
- The constructs pursue the party, entering the tower from the doors below and coming up the spiral stairs. The party fights to hold them back, using the narrow stairs and strategic positioning to their advantage.
- Kenzo uses his deflection abilities to mitigate damage from the constructs’ attacks, showcasing impressive defensive skills.
- Delwath casts Sanctuary on the animated rope ladder to help block the constructs, effectively using the environment to their advantage.
- Wellby consistently targets the constructs’ eyes, successfully blinding them multiple times to gain the upper hand.
- The party uses a combination of melee attacks and defensive spells, with Wellby effectively blinding the constructs to slow their advance, despite the constructs seeming immunity to many spells. 
- After a prolonged battle, Kenzo and Delwath deliver the final blows, bringing the constructs down and securing a moment of calm.

Descending the Tower

The party explores the tower further, discovering remnants of its dark past and valuable treasures.
- After the battle, the party takes a moment to recover and heal, with Delwath and Seeker providing much-needed healing to the group.
- They search the remains of the constructs, finding strange metallic shards that appear to be inert but once held magical power, along with two intact metallic flies that Wellby adds to his collection.
- Descending through several floors, they pass rooms that were once workshops, libraries, and living quarters, all in various states of decay from exposure to sea air.
- The group finds two magical books—one related to necromancy, bound in crimson leather, and the other seemingly tied to divination, clasped shut with metal hands. They carefully store both books in their Portable Hole for later examination.
- They also find scraps of adamantium in the ritual room, confirming their origin as part of Apollyon’s phylactery, as well as a silver water pitcher, Drancorian coins, and other small valuable items.
- Moving through the lower levels, the party comes across three relatively unadorned gold rings, a gold platter, and additional Drancorian coins.
The treasure found includes: two magical books (one necromancy, one divination), two intact metallic flies, scraps of adamantium, a silver water pitcher, Drancorian gold and silver coins, three gold rings, and a gold platter.

The Grand Entrance and Audience Chamber

The party descends to the ground floor of the tower, entering what appears to be a grand entrance hall.
- The ground floor is spacious, with ceilings about 20 feet tall. The stairs descend along one side of the room, opening near a set of large double doors leading outside.
- A series of carved arches, made of light gray stone, frame the room, forming a corridor leading to another set of large interior double doors. The corridor is about 20 feet long, with pillars along the walls.
- There is also a small door directly across from where the stairs descend. Kenzo investigates the small door, finding a lookout area with a peephole to observe anyone approaching the tower from inland.
- The party decides to open the interior double doors, revealing a grand audience chamber with a throne decorated with gemstones and stone seating arranged for an audience.
- Approximately 40 skeletons are present in the chamber, including one seated on the throne. As the group observes, several skeletons begin to animate, prompting Wellby to quickly close the doors and lock them with the Immovable Rod. 
- The party decides to clear out the skeletons using Sickening Radiance, casting it through the windows of the audience chamber. They hear the sounds of skeletons collapsing as the radiant energy fills the room.
- During this process, Seeker suddenly turns on Delwath, striking him with a catapulted stone while under the influence of a dark curse. Seeker appears confused and disoriented after the attack, but the party manages to subdue the influence.
- After ensuring the threat is neutralized, they discuss the throne and its potential value as a bargaining chip.
- Deciding not to engage further immediately, the party moves toward exploring the basement, searching for anything that might reveal more about Apollyon’s secrets.
The party found a throne decorated with gemstones in the audience chamber, though they opted to explore further before deciding whether to take it.

Combat in the Forge

The party continues their exploration, descending further into the basement, where they encounter a fierce battle.
- The party explores the basement, finding a locked door protected by a magical rune. Delwath uses Ghostly Gaze to assess the room, spotting the magical threats before they act.
- Wellby opens the door, causing the rune to explode. The group finds themselves facing a black void sword hovering over a pedestal, flanked by two animated fists of force.
- As the door is opened, the void sword strikes immediately, dealing force damage and revealing its aggressive nature. The fists also begin to attack whoever enters.
- The party uses a combination of spells and careful positioning to fight back. Wellby manages to land a sneak attack on the void sword, inflicting significant damage.
- Kenzo utilizes his Lengau’s Claw to attack from a distance, while Seeker supports the group with healing and strategic use of spells like Slow, which affects one of the animated fists.
- The Ladder manages to keep the animated fists contained for much of the battle in Delwath’s Sickening Radiance spell. 
- After an intense battle, Delwath delivers the final blow to the void sword, which shatters into multiple shards, and the party collectively manages to subdue both of the animated fists, ensuring the basement is clear.

The Forge Chambers

The party continues exploring the newly cleared area of the basement.
- After the battle, the party dismisses Delwath’s Sickening Radiance and begins cautiously searching the basement area. The forge is a large stone circular pedestal in the center of the room, with silver threads etched into the sides that run in a chaotic network of lines to a silver panel on the wall. There are four evenly spaced openings in the pedestal. 
- They find two smaller rooms branching off from the main basement hall, each filled with different materials and artifacts.
- One room contains hundreds of metal bars—some mundane, others quite rare, like silver and mithril. The party takes as many of the rare metals as they can carry.
- In another room, they discover a stone basin filled with various chemicals, glass vials, and fine metal shavings, hinting at a workshop for alchemical or magical crafting.
- Seeker uses Tremor Sense to ensure that no hidden threats remain, confirming that the area is secure.
- The group discovers a large stone chest, cleverly concealed in one of the rooms. Wellby checks for traps, finding none, and successfully unlocks the chest.
- Inside the chest, they find three items: a silver rod with a spiraling motif holding an orb, twenty small boxes each marked with different sigils and containing mysterious powders, and three braided gold rings set with different gemstones—an emerald, a sapphire, and a ruby.

Aftermath

The party prepares to leave Apollyon’s tower, making important decisions about the items they found and how to proceed.
- Seeker uses Performance of Creation to forge a lead box, providing a safe container for the necromancy book to prevent any lingering magical influence from affecting the party.
- They discuss whether to take Apollyon’s throne as a bargaining chip with the dragon, ultimately turning into elephants with Seeker’s Animal Shapes spell to drag it into the Portable Hole. 
- Wellby uses the Chime of Opening to open the locked book, and is hit with a Befuddlement spell. Resisting the worst effects of the spell, he turns the book over to Seeker, who learns it contains notes about the use of the forge and about lich transformations, though much of it is written in cipher.
- The party takes some time to decipher parts of the notes, discovering that using the forge requires giving up their highest-level spell slot for a week or more, with the quality of the item created depending on the power sacrificed.
- The group decides to teleport back to Dimitaur, who immediately uses a Wand of Fireballs to destroy the necromancy book. 
- The party rests, preparing to plan their approach to Ra’ghemdros in the morning. 

Raw Notes

  • Kenzo senses area again; party decides to go west to Apollyon’s Tower
  • use Animals Shapes to turn into ospreys
  • fly to tower; attacked by constructs at the top, fall out of osprey form
  • land at top of tower; constructs surprise, wellby + kenzo still get the jump; party flees into lich chamber
  • fight constructs on stairs
  • find two tiny mechanical flies and the cracked hearts of the constructs
  • explore lich chamber, identify on manacles, mirror vision; learn about Apollyon’s lich transformation process and phylactery
  • descend stairs; enter study, find nothing
  • enter library, find books (spellbook + lich book)
  • Seeker possessed by lich spirit briefly (gets too close to lich book)
  • Continue down; find some coins and metal stuff in living quarters
  • Enter grand hall, see 40 skeletons; immovable rod block the door from opening
  • Delwath sickening radiance; seeker attacks Delwath with catapult as the lich spirit leaves; skeletons die
  • Descend to forge; trigger explosive rune
  • void sword attacks
  • fight with many criticals from the party as the sword slices through the door and people; party kills everything
  • explore the forge, find elven rod, three rings, powders for etching, lots of metal bars
  • unlock apollyon’s notebook with chime of opening, wellby hit with befuddlement but makes the save
  • read notes, learn how forge works (sacrifice highest level slot for some extended period of time)
  • teleport back to mountain
  • dimitaur destroys lich book with wand of fireballs