Session 7 Player Notes — Escape from Highpoint

These are the players’ own session notes, preserved from the party’s game document. They capture the table’s perspective – what the players saw, did, and said.

Key Events

Lux brings Khaial to Azir to examine the shadow orb embedded in Khaial’s chest; Azir recoils and warns it is the workings of a lich
The party raids the Arcane Tower Secret Services (ASS), fighting invisible assassins and discovering the Heirloom Library with stat-boosting tomes
Reeny obtains a book of Highpoint lineage showing her as the crowned heir, with her sisters struck out
The party escapes through a teleportation circle into the Astral Sea, where Clifton the Righteous pursues them with charges of regicide
Reeny confesses under Zone of Truth – she did not kill her family but confesses to other misdeeds
Nemesis fights Clifton and flees through the Mistwatch portal; the woman on the other side severs Clifton’s arm closing the gate

Session Notes

Azir and the Shadow Orb

Lux brings Khaial to [[Azir]]. “I don’t blame you for leaving, my boy,” Azir says. Lux tells Khaial aside: “If anyone knows what you’re going through it will be this piece of shit.”

Lux starts to usher Khaial towards Azir. This connection between them is new. “You might need to reveal your chest.”

Khaial removes his breastplate. Embedded in his rib cage is a dark ball – like the one the party saw in Silverton. It has an eye that looks like it is waking up for the day. You can almost see into his rib cage, and Khaial looks almost hollow. Lux asks him to cover it for a minute.

Lux asks Azir what he knows of the orb that created the darkness over Silverton and let the scourge into the city. Azir says it is unusual – a Shadow Stone transmuted by necromancy. He has only heard stories about small parts like this, not something of that scale.

Lux explains how they banished the orb into a bag of holding, how it was brought back, and how it now resides in Khaial. He does not explain how it got into him.

Azir offers to examine it. The eye looks back at Azir and begins spinning. A tendril whips out of the eye onto Azir’s head. Another lashes out at Ash, who suddenly disappears. Azir clenches and shakes it off. “Take that thing away from me. Whatever that thing can do, I don’t want to attempt that again.” The wisps of darkness creep back into Khaial’s chest, the eye closes and retreats. Khaial tenses and has a small nosebleed.

Azir’s parting words: “All of this, I’ll place my wealth on it, is the workings of a lich. Not that I have heard of it, or ever researched into it.”

Prime Gerald and the Library

The party speaks to Prime Gerald, who is aware of Azir and his motivations. Lux warns: “Giving a man access to power like this will more than likely end badly.” Prime Gerald replies: “The good thing about a lion is that you know he is dangerous…”

While in the library, Lyra starts looking around for books to steal. She picks up a book with the word Ilmater on it for [[Alora Amathur Elora]]. There is also a second book with the word Khelliara (deity – Lady of the Forest, prayed to by those who live off the woods), stolen from the arcane tower.

Jesse Mildspear

Leaving the palace, the party sees a little boy standing in the middle of the street. Tubby, ratty clothing, physically shaking with anger, holding a shoe and a little box. Lyra recognises him from the fight at Moomoo’s during Reeny’s resurrection.

He throws a rock at the party. “Fuck you.” Then: “My daddy – I know he wasn’t the best man but…” He bursts into tears. Khaial asks what is wrong. “You burnt my house down.”

Khaial, reflecting on what happened to his own family: “Hard times fall on opportunity, mate. Use that. When you’re ready, come and find me.”

Lux suggests the boy commit to becoming a high-level cleric so he can bring his family back. The boy replies: “The church has been killing people.” The rain intensifies. “When I’m older I’m going to find you and kill you.” Lightning crackles. “I swear I’m going to get my vengeance on you all.” He throws his shoe at Lyra, falls over, drops the box, and runs off.

Lyra tries to shoot him in the back. Khaial raises his hand to her bow and lowers it.

Lyra picks up the box. The shoe has an extra compartment with letters – instructions and correspondence between Jesse Mildspear and his dad (the house owner). There are instructions about people arriving and goods to bring in, and instructions to change the spelling of Fork Inn to its correct version. (“It’s not the fucking Forks Inn.”) The letters are signed TLB. There is talk of payment and mention of an item coming to Highpoint that must get to the thieves’ guild. Lyra realises this is the thing she delivered. She keeps that quiet. Lyra burns the letters in an alley.

Raiding the Arcane Tower Secret Services (ASS)

The party heads to the ASS. Lux notices lots of ants. Elora mentions a strange smell.

Lyra checks the small door for traps. It is locked, but Lyra “remembers” she stole a key last time. The key works.

The Lab (first door, right): Exactly as Lyra left it, though the head of the body in the corner is gone. Lyra steals a decanter (one litre capacity) and four vials.

The Office (second door, right): Paperwork from Prime Gerald requesting investigation of the stone found in Silverton. Professional – proper governmental processes. They outline suspicions that it is connected to the Shadowfell and the Shadow Void. They reference a name connected to the history of Highpoint and the closing of a crossing 200-300 years ago – a passage to the Shadowfell they need to reopen. They are seeking permission to send arcane wizards to do this. Paperwork signed by Chathum, the Steward of War (the man at the council of stewards doing Zone of Truth on people).

The Store Room (first door, left): Petri dishes with glowing tadpoles. Research documentation about frogs that can eat light to help bring down the shadow crossing.

The Test Room (third door, right): Everything blackened and destroyed. The party finds a metallic arm – an Arcane Propulsion Arm (magical arm strike 1d8, can detach for grapple/pull, potential once-a-day Chromatic Orb). Also found: a bow (+1) and a crossbow (+2). Lyra takes the crossbow and gives her +1 longbow to Elora. Arawn takes the +1 bow.

The Heirloom Library

The corridor ends at a wall emitting abjuration and evocation magic. A voice demands: “State your name to proceed.”

“Lux Armiger” – nothing happens. “Touch the wall to proceed.” Lux dispels the evocation. Lyra tries her key on the arcane lock – the wall breaks, revealing another wall. Guts speaks his name and touches it – another wall opens. Elora and Lyra both speak their names and touch the wall.

Hail’s eyes are glazed and creepy. He grabs at invisible air. Two invisible magical assassins are present.

Combat – Invisible Assassins:

Round 1: Lux scorching rays the male assassin (24 damage). Elora spiritual weapons and war hammers the female (27 damage). Lyra green flame blades the female (31 damage) – “As it turns out, their blood is not invisible. It is also red.” Arawn drops two arrows into the male. The male strikes Guts for 30 damage. The female tries to grapple Khaial but fails. Khaial bars the door. Guts crits the male (18 damage), sawing through the body.

Round 2: Lux toll the deads the male for 25 damage. In thieves’ cant the male says “Mildspear,” then dies. The female, invisible and bleeding, moves toward the bookshelf. Lyra spots blood on the ground: “The fancy shelf! The eye!” The female strikes the bookshelf, dealing fire damage to Arawn (28) and Guts (14), then dissolves into flames. The bookshelf survives but the books are ablaze.

The Eye on the Shelf

A globe in the centre of the room glows, unscathed. Through a side door, Lyra finds a room with 8 beds and a manual – they have 8 minutes before they must leave. They are in the Heirloom Library.

Surviving books on the shelf:

Tome of Clear Thought – Lux reaches for it; it is stuck
Tome of Understanding – Elora’s interest
Manual of Gainful Exercise
Manual of Quickness of Action

A giant eye opens on the shelf and addresses each party member by name:

“Lux Armiger. What knowledge do you seek?” – “Knowledge.”
“Elora Amather. What do you seek?” – “I seek understanding.” Her book releases.
“Lyra Mildspear. What do you seek?” – “I want to be a fast mother-fucker.” Her book releases.
“Guts. What do you seek?” – “I seek strength.” Aside: “…and flips.”
“Arawn Arryn.” – His book is thrown at him. He catches it.
“Reeny Wilford, Crown of Highpoint.” – “I ask for what is mine.” A hard-to-see book creeps forward. It is a book of lineage of Highpoint. The ink writes itself as she flicks through. On the last page: a line from her father down to her, sisters struck out, a little crown above Reeny’s name.

Khaial’s response: “This is some dope shit. Happy holidays to you all. I’m going to stay away from that.”

The Pensive Globe

As the walls close in, Arawn looks into the globe. It glows brighter, and on the ceiling the party sees a forest – Lake Hydra. A woman and a small boy sit by the lake collecting berries. A hydra emerges and the woman scratches its head. “Not all beasts are dangerous. Some can be tamed – some can be made friends.”

Arawn tries to bag-of-holding the globe. The eye opens and stares at him. He slowly withdraws the bag.

Lux explains the tomes: 48 hours of study within 6 days grants +2 to Strength (Guts), Dexterity (Lyra), Wisdom (Elora), Intelligence (Lux). Arawn’s book is written in Sylvan, a story that writes as it is read, with pages upon pages empty and breaks in the lineage.

Escape Through the Portal

The party escapes through the closing rooms. Lyra’s key opens the Northern Alliance Embassy Suite. Bodies everywhere. A self-writing registry of people who came through the portal – regular names, then 20-30 names arrive at once. Tea carts and rotted snacks. It has been some time since the event.

The room is immaculate with four bodies on the floor. Lyra collects items. Lux finds two Daggers of Venom with symbols of the guild “The End.” Lyra collects 5 vials of blood. A 30-foot-high teleportation ring stands at the end of the room with an altar before it. Lyra also finds the codec to the letter from the Shadow Hall.

Lux enters the runes, the circle lights up, and the party jumps through into the Astral Sea – purple and silver wisps, asteroids, destroyed floating statues, a distant black hole. Intelligence determines flight speed (x3). The rock branches out into portals: Mistwatch, Boulder’s Gate, and others. Some portals could handle thousands; this is the path for kings, queens, and the privileged.

Clifton the Righteous

As the party approaches the Mistwatch gate, the Highpoint portal reopens. Reeny becomes agitated: “Just get out of my head – fuck off! This is bullshit! Don’t you know who I am?” Clifton the Righteous descends twenty feet in front of them.

In his best ocker accent: “I, Clifton the Righteous, formally charge you with two counts of regicide for your father and mother, seven counts of sororicide, and one count of fratricide.” Reeny points her hand cannon at him: “Don’t take one step closer. You weren’t there. You don’t know what happened.”

Clifton casts Command and deploys a hexagonal prism that spreads into floating lights, sticking to those nearby.

Round 1: Arawn casts Zone of Truth (3rd level), capturing everyone including Clifton. “Reeny, are these accusations correct?” Reeny: “I’ll wait my turn.” Arawn places Slayer’s Prey on Reeny. She looks at him with fear – this is her first time outside Highpoint.

Lux moves to Reeny, holding his action. He knows a paladin’s oath cannot be lightly ignored. “Just deny the accusation and we will believe you.”

Elora holds her war hammer divine strike if anyone harms the group.

Khaial looks at both: “It’s been a while. I don’t know what’s going on here but I’ve always been with Nemesis.” He casts Moonlight across the group and tells Clifton: “You can try your luck but I will not let you pass through this.”

Lyra body-shields Reeny. “Stabby stabby.”

Reeny’s Confession: “I confess to breaking and entering at Moomoo’s, sending an army to the battle that ended their lives, confess that I am wicked, my father’s distaste led me to dream of their demise. Before I met Lyra I felt I might die without a friend. I do not confess to killing my family. If I could have, I would have died with them.”

Clifton flicks a marble of energy at Lyra – a small black sphere that erupts and envelopes Lyra, Reeny, and Arawn in a ball of force. They are trapped and pulled to the centre.

Clifton: “I took an oath to the crown. My jurisdiction is Highpoint. If you leave, I will find you.”

Lux and Elora refute: Reeny IS the crown. Lux runs forward, picks up the ball of force (containing Lyra, Reeny, Arawn, and Elora), throws it behind him, then dispels it at 4th level. Everyone pops out.

Round 2: Arawn holds attacks, sets Slayer’s Prey on Clifton. Elora asks Clifton: “What is your oath? Your oath is to protect the crown, but Reeny IS the crown.” She requests Reeny show the family tree. Khaial asks Clifton to answer about his oath, sun blade shining. Lyra holds to protect Reeny.

Reeny walks up to Clifton, shaking, holding the book. “I don’t know what this means, but I think it says I’m the Queen of Highpoint.”

Clifton: “She destroyed the crown.” He looks at the book. “I don’t know what this is. Illusions? Fucking writing on a page?” He casts Destructive Wave –

Lux counterspells at 4th level. Khaial casts Slippery Barbs. Clifton screams, and for a moment his face changes – that different demeanour. He yells out: “Run!”

Round 3: Arawn dashes through the portal. Lux calls: “Through the portal – now! We’ll do this another time.” Elora rushes to the gate. Khaial grabs Reeny and Lyra, throws them out of range, then walks up to Clifton and puts his hand on his chest. “I am sure there is something wrong…” He casts Lesser Restoration.

Clifton whispers: “Run.”

Clifton takes an opportunity attack on Khaial – Shimmering Smite ignites the sky, but at the last moment Clifton manages to miss, hitting the ground instead. The ground cracks and shatters.

Lyra and Reeny run hand in hand through the portal, ushered by Nemesis.

Lux stays behind, the last one left. He looks at Clifton, knowing this is his last chance. He tries to cast a spell but fails.

A woman on the other side counts them through: “1, 2, 3, 4… 7. That’s it!” Clifton is reaching through the portal. She turns it off, severing Clifton’s arm. Lyra gathers Clifton’s magical blood.

“There are rules, Princess Reeny,” says the woman. An old man offers tea and cakes. The lady reels off names that are not their own – the party says nothing. “We will head to Forks in the morning.”

Mistwatch

The place is darker than Highpoint, with many shadows. They sit in an embassy overlooking a bay.

Reeny mutters constantly to herself. Khaial casts See Invisibility and notices many balls of light floating around her. Reeny is distraught, convinced people are checking in and trying to find her – Elora corroborates this. Reeny requests the two items stolen from Moomoo’s: Proof Against Detection and Location, and the Medallion of Thoughts. She attunes to both and instantly feels less stressed.

Khaial removes all his armour to rest. The eye sits closed in his chest.

Long rest.

Travel to Fork

There is a seedy underbelly in Mistwatch controlling items of value rather than magic stores. The party leaves, travelling for half the day with a crew of people. The forest gives way to sand – in the last month it has been very dry. Crops are failing; anything grown is sent to Fork. Everything else is wilting.

They arrive at a “sea dock” in the desert. People are building sand skiffs. A group of grease monkeys introduces them to Danny.

“You guys are the guys coming into Fork, hey? You might be used to your fancy cupcakes, but here we have a selection of sand skiffs.” Three levels: 2,000 / 3,500 / 5,000 gold to rent. The high-end one has a crew like canaries. The journey to Fork takes 4-5 hours.

They load onto the good boat – metallic structure on the back, metallic chamber on the front. The boat levitates, a little shaky, and scoots over the sand. Four smaller skiffs with sidecarts fly off into the distance. Heading into Fork.

Items & Loot

Decanter (1 litre capacity) and 4 vials – Lyra
Arcane Propulsion Arm (1d8 magical arm strike, detach/grapple, Chromatic Orb 1/day)
Bow (+1) – Arawn
Crossbow (+2) – Lyra
2x Daggers of Venom (symbols of “The End”) – Lux
5 vials of blood – Lyra
Codec to Shadow Hall letter – Lyra
Clifton’s magical blood – Lyra
Tome of Clear Thought (Int +2) – Lux
Tome of Understanding (Wis +2) – Elora
Manual of Gainful Exercise (Str +2) – Guts
Manual of Quickness of Action (Dex +2) – Lyra
Arawn’s Sylvan lineage book
Reeny’s Highpoint lineage book (with crown above her name)
Book with “Ilmater” – for Elora
Book with “Khelliara” – stolen from arcane tower
Proof Against Detection and Location – Reeny (attuned)
Medallion of Thoughts – Reeny (attuned)

NPCs Encountered

Azir – Necromancer/scholar in Highpoint, studying the Shadow Stone. Warns it is the workings of a lich.
Prime Gerald – Aware of Azir. “The good thing about a lion is that you know he is dangerous.”
Jesse Mildspear – Tubby boy whose house the party burned down. Swears vengeance. Connected to TLB via letters.
Clifton the Righteous – Paladin who charges Reeny with regicide. Appears to be under some compulsion – yells “Run!” at the party before attacking.
Chathum – Steward of War, signed off on Shadow Void investigation.
Danny – Sand skiff operator at the desert dock.
The Embassy Woman – Unnamed, manages the Mistwatch portal. Severs Clifton’s arm closing the gate.

Notable Quotes

Azir: “All of this, I’ll place my wealth on it, is the workings of a lich.”
Reeny: “I do not confess to killing my family. If I could have, I would have died with them.”
Lyra (to the eye): “I want to be a fast mother-fucker.”
Guts (to the eye): “I seek strength.” Aside: “…and flips.”
Khaial: “This is some dope shit. Happy holidays to you all.”
Clifton (whispering): “Run.”
Jesse Mildspear: “When I’m older I’m going to find you and kill you.”
Lux: “Through the portal – now! We’ll do this another time.”