Greetings, fellow adventurers, and welcome back to the thrilling recap of our ongoing delve into the treacherous Undermountain, guided by the ever-scheming GM Wintermute! Following their initial foray that saw them battle bugbears and discover mysterious mirrors, our heroes returned to the depths, eager to uncover more secrets and, of course, those valuable magic items for the priestess of Waukeen.
Session two began with some familiar faces and a slight shift in the party composition. Anna clarified her character had changed classes to a rogue forest gnome, but was essentially the same character. We also learned more about Gala Door, an alpha (high) elf illusionist wizard who is the brother of Orbs (a character not yet met) and enjoys the idea of playing tricks with illusions. Kasev Grim, the devotion paladin and distant relative of Damon, was also present, explaining he was in Waterdeep to assist Damon.
Before descending once more, a mechanical ruling was addressed: the use of a spear with polearm master. GM Wintermute, in his characteristic “yes, you can do that” style, generally allowed the players' creative ideas.
With those details ironed out, the party discussed their previous findings, specifically the message behind the broken shield: “beyond the pillar forest the mad mage Waits casting spells behind magic gates”. They were still in the hallway with the magical mirrors, having found a non-magical bronze mask behind one.
The session saw a lot of interaction with these illusionary mirrors. Testing them further, they confirmed the magical aura and the deceptive nature of the reflections. Anna, putting on the bronze mask, stepped in front of two mirrors but noticed nothing special. However, as Evoru moved past, shadowy duplicates of Anna emerged from each of the magical mirrors.
This unexpected development led to the first combat encounter of the session! Initiative was rolled, and Kasev was first up. These “dark exaggerations” of Anna proved to be dangerous foes. Despite some initial targeting issues on the virtual tabletop, the party engaged the shadow creatures.
Anna managed to destroy one of the mirrors, and as she did, the magical aura surrounding it began to fade. Deciding it was best to be safe, Anna also destroyed the second mirror that had spawned a shadow.
Just as the immediate threat seemed to have passed, GM Wintermute introduced a new danger. As Evoru and Fanus moved further down the hallway, they heard something approaching rapidly from behind. Two faceless creatures were revealed, prompting another initiative roll.
These creatures launched a psionic attack, targeting Gala Door and Fanus's minds. Gala Door managed to resist the mental assault, but Kasev was not so lucky. He failed his saving throw against a psychic attack that reduced his intelligence score to zero, stunning him.
The party quickly dispatched one of the faceless creatures. However, with Kasev incapacitated, they faced a dilemma. They debated whether to take a long rest in the potentially dangerous hallway or attempt to bring their fallen comrade back to the Yawning Portal. The debilitating nature of the intelligence drain, potentially requiring a greater restoration spell, made their situation precarious.
Ultimately, they decided to return to Waterdeep to seek help for Kasev. This led to discussions about pooling their gold, potentially selling the bronze mask, and even exploring whether Gala Door's acolyte background could allow him to request a favor at a temple.
The party then spent some time acquiring new gear and resources in Waterdeep using their accumulated wealth. This included purchasing plus one armor and a plus one shield for Anna, and a wand of magic missiles and scrolls of greater restoration for the group. Gala Door also looked into getting a necklace of prayer beads with a greater restoration function.
With Kasev restored to health, the party, now better equipped, descended back into Undermountain, paying another gold piece each. They opted to return to the same path they had been exploring.
Scouting ahead with Anna's bat familiar, they found the corridor leading to a larger room appeared clear. This room contained burnt torch stubs and discarded potion bottles, suggesting it had been used as a resting spot before. A search revealed nothing of significant value.
Continuing south, they discovered a corridor branching east and a large stone door at the end of the hall. The bat familiar scouted the eastern corridor, finding no immediate danger. Anna then checked the large stone doors for traps. The southern door was clear of traps, but noises indicating multiple creatures could be heard from the other side.
After a brief discussion and Kasev preparing a true strike cantrip, they cautiously opened the southern door. They were met with a bizarre sight: six goblins using a human skeleton as a marionette, chanting in Goblin.
Combat erupted! The goblins, though initially surprised, quickly reacted. Gala Door started with a ray of frost, and Anna used true strike to gain advantage on her attack. Anna then cast sleep, putting two of the goblins unconscious.
The fight continued with the party making quick work of the remaining goblins. However, as they were dealing with the goblins, a new threat emerged! A bugbear was heard opening a door nearby.
This led to a chaotic multi-front battle. While some party members focused on the remaining goblins, others engaged the bugbear. As one bugbear fell, its head grotesquely expanded and exploded, revealing an intellect devourer!
The party fought valiantly against the new wave of enemies, including the intellect devourer. Gala Door used snowball swarm to great effect against the goblins, and Anna continued her attacks. Kasev, now back in the action, also joined the fray.
Despite their efforts, the sheer number of enemies proved challenging. Another bugbear entered the room, and the intellect devourer posed a significant mental threat. The party managed to defeat the immediate wave of goblins and bugbears, but the intellect devourer remained a dangerous foe.
After the intense combat, they briefly searched the area, finding a broken shield with Common and Goblin words etched on it, which, when mended by Gala Door, seemed to form a family name. They also found the marionette skeleton, which Evoru collected to bury later.
Exploring a larger room nearby, they discovered the remains of a shattered statue of three human warriors, which the bugbears seemed to have been trying to reassemble. After piecing it back together, they determined it was likely just a carved statue.
Returning to the hallway, they heard more goblin voices behind another door. Kasev attempted to create an illusionary wall, but it was ineffective as the door opened outwards. Upon opening this door, they found nine more goblins, who were aware of the previous fighting.
The session ended as another combat encounter with these new goblins was about to begin.
Session two was a whirlwind of exploration, intense combat, and the terrifying introduction of intellect devourers! Our adventurers faced both physical and mental threats, made strategic decisions about retreating and re-arming, and delved deeper into the mysteries of Undermountain. What dangers await them in the next session as they face this new group of goblins and continue their descent? Stay tuned to find out!
GM Wintermute revealed that this first level of Undermountain contains a staggering 41 rooms, highlighting the vastness of the adventure ahead. He also hinted at the interconnected nature of the dungeon, with shortcuts to lower levels and distinct subplots on each level. The journey into the Mad Mage's domain has only just begun!