Session 8 Player Notes — The Purple Worm and the Pyramid

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

• Party encounters a purple worm while crossing the desert on a sand skiff; Arawn lands the killing blow
• A sandstorm reveals a buried pyramid – the tomb of Al-Sadhari, Priestess of Akadi
• Inside the pyramid’s mirror room, Lux discovers Kelemvor (god of death) trapped in his mortal body by Al-Sadhari’s ritual
• The party destroys the pillars to free Kelemvor, receives his blessing (Bane 4x), then fights Al-Sadhari’s summoned undead
• Three months have passed outside during the pyramid delve; Danny waited for them
• Party arrives in Fork to find Reaghl fighting as “Rebelliatus” in the gladiator arena
• Titus Brachiatus seizes Reeny and Khaial; Nemesis is taken to the Ludis as captive gladiators

Session Notes

Book Reading Progress

During the skiff journey:

• Lyra – 16 hours of reading
• Lux – 12 hours of reading
• Guts – 12 hours
• Elora – 16 hours

Sand Skiff Journey

The harpoon at the front of the skiff does 6d10. As they travel, the life has been sucked out of the land. They see another sand skiff in the distance – a driver with no passengers named Raki, who chats with Danny before cruising off. The gnomish tinker in the back works away on the skiff. The day feels extremely odd, moving through the desert. A dust storm is flaring up in the distance.

Purple Worm Encounter

Lyra notices something in the distance. Danny yells they have company and turns to the gnomish guy: “Come on Master Dazzlebelt – kick it up a notch!”

The boat accelerates, but the giant worm still closes the distance. It is about 180 feet away. Its mouth alone has a 40-foot diameter – the boat is 35 feet wide. They recognise it as a purple worm.

Lux casts Scorching Ray at the worm. Elora casts Guiding Bolt for 19 damage. The worm dashes forward to 60 feet away. Lux hits again – 45 total damage from Scorching Ray. As it opens its mouth they see rows of teeth in the rows of its gullet. Guts calls for the boat to be turned so they can use the harpoon. As the boat turns, Guts and Elora are flung off onto the sand. As Guts falls, he yells: “The release is at the bottom!”

Round 1: The sandstorm picks up; things are slightly obscured. Lux throws two bolts for 16 damage, then crits for a total of 53. The worm screams, looking worse for wear. Guts, spitting sand from his mouth, rages toward the worm. Lyra shoots her crossbow into its head – 30 damage. Lupin dashes off the boat and lunges at the worm but swings harmlessly. Elora casts Guiding Bolt for 10 damage. When she stands, she stubs her toe on something triangular and black in the sand. Arawn tries Grasping Vines but the worm shakes them off. Lux does serious damage. Guts drives forward as the worm burrows into the earth – it looks about 120 feet long.

Round 2: The boat moves toward where the worm went underground. Guts and Elora jump back on. Lyra, Elora, and Lux all hold their actions. The sandstorm brings darkness. As they race away, the boat shakes and capsizes as the worm erupts from underneath.

Round 3: In the storm, massive skulls form and disappear. Lyra holds. Elora casts Bless on Lyra, Lux, and Guts. Lupin lunges at the worm and thrashes it for 10 damage. Lyra fires her crossbow but misses. Arawn stands up in a crater of sand. He unleashes two arrows at the beast, both landing at the back of its skull – 13 damage, 9 damage. The worm falls to the ground. It does not get up.

Aftermath and the Pyramid

The wind howls. They flip the skiff back over. The gnomish man says about an hour to repair it. Lyra harvests purple blood. Lux casts Tiny Hut and they sit near the dead worm chatting.

As the wind moves the sand, a pyramid and 4 obelisks appear. There are many symbols on the plinths – strong undead vibes.

Purple worm poison: can be used on weapons that do piercing/slashing damage. Remains potent until delivered through a wound or washed off. 12d6 poison damage. Lyra collects 8 doses.

Inside the Pyramid

Lyra checks for traps – none, though they see one that has already been set off. Guts sees a sarcophagus in the middle of the room and notices a massive block of stone hanging above. He stops tapping the floor with his sword and stands still. On the back wall is a rectangular shape where something has been removed. There is a dais on top of the sarcophagus.

Khaial casts Bless on everyone (adding d4 to saves and attacks) and Divine Sense – no fiends or undead detected.

Lyra crawls up the walls and finds a wire heading into the roof block. Clearly a trap. Lux investigates the sarcophagus. The runes on the wall match the floating spire in Silverton. Lux casts Comprehend Languages as a ritual: “Here lies the last resting ground of Al-Sadhari. Priestess of Akadi, Goddess of the Wind. May the gods guide her in her ascension.”

The dais has a fresh-looking scratch mark. Pressure plates on the floor are connected to the wire and stone block. Arawn casts Mould Earth to create an escape tunnel through the block. Guts says: “Let’s all pick a plate and jump on it.” The block drops and the sarcophagus slides aside, revealing a hole – 15-foot drop to a 45-foot-wide room lined with sarcophagi.

The sarcophagus has been there about 3,000 years. Someone has recently stolen something, but the sarcophagus itself was not moved recently.

They lower themselves in. Guts jumps down and the floor collapses. Lux casts Feather Fall as a reaction – Guts has fallen about 60 feet.

Hedwig, Lux’s familiar, lands on his sword and casts Light. Guts sees someone holding a huge sword of light – in a mirror above his head. The mirror shows a chest full of gold and jewels, but there is nothing above when he looks.

Everyone shimmies down on ropes. They all see the same things in the mirror. Lux walks up and someone mirrors him, but it is not Lux. A stream of water gushes from a channel etched in the corner.

The Mirror Room and Kelemvor

Lux pushes his hand through the mirror – it feels like liquid. He passes through and another version of Lux pushes out from the other side. New Lux seems panicked. Old Lux finds himself in a place of magic older than the books he has read. He sees pillars of glowing rooms and a golden symbolic ring with a body lying face down in the centre, being physically pushed into the ground.

New Lux is pulled back toward the mirror. Lyra pushes him in, propelling Old Lux back. Lux swaps back into the mirror again to look at the face of the body.

Guts and Lyra also enter the mirror room. New Guts comes out: “Those fucking dragons. Where are those dragons?” New Lyra touches the walls – no spider climb. Khaial maintains telepathic bond with Guts since they could not hear Lux knocking on the barrier.

Lyra searches the room – no traps. As Lux approaches the body, he hears it address someone called Titus.

The body has black wispy tendrils coming from its eyes, copper shoulder pads, emaciated. Horns of the smoothest onyx, with golden flesh at the base. The creature does not look offensive.

The creature explains: he is Kelemvor, the God of Death. Al-Sadhari, a priestess whose husband Calim died, constructed this room to dethrone Kelemvor’s position and take over his deity of death to bring her dead husband back. She deceived Kelemvor through that process and summoned a vestige of his mortal body. He runs the Fugue Plain but has been trapped in this mortal form. He has been there for two months – in that time there has been a backlog of people unable to reach their proper afterlife. Everyone in that room has been waiting for 3,000 years.

Kelemvor explains they need to destroy the pillars to release him. Lux casts Detect Good and Evil: the entire room is evil, but the creature has a faint glow of good. Kelemvor mentions gods who have tried to bring him back, including Ilmater. Lux tells Guts to signal for Elora.

Elora pushes through into the room. She feels a hand guiding her and a red thread slide along her tunic. Guts swings his hammer at the pillar – it slowly cracks, and the creatures turn to look. As the pillar falls, part of the circle around the body breaks away.

Kelemvor holds out an arm to Lux and conjures a cube with gems on each side: “This is Calim’s Cubic Gate. This is how they got me here. If you press this side and say her name, and she is not a god, she will be brought back here for justice.”

Elora hacks at the pillars too. Two have fallen; stones erupt from the floor in the other room. Kelemvor looks at them, then disappears. The party all receives the Blessing of Kelemvor: 4 uses of Bane on an opponent.

Battle of the Pyramid

As they break the final pillar, all the bodies in the room come for them.

Round 1: Elora casts Spirit Guardians – takes down all five surrounding creatures, then Spiritual Weapon smashes a nearby body into sand. Arawn hits one that disintegrates to dust; crits his second for 24 damage, and a third for 32. The remaining dead rush toward Arawn. Lux throws a Fireball into the fray – kills 5, destroys the throne and statue. The statue splits open revealing gold, jewels, and a small chest. Guts kills the enemy at his feet and jumps to the dais next to Elora.

Lux whispers: “Something tells me that this will be only the beginning.”

Khaial watches from the other side of the mirror.

Lyra kills her enemy instantly.

Summoning Al-Sadhari: Lux casts his stone construct and presses the cube, speaking her name. Energy erupts. Red and black energy fires off. A female priestess form appears 25 feet above the floor.

“Who dares to summon the lord of death?”

Guts: “He did it!” Pointing at Lux.

All the sand piles reform into robed humanoids. A skeletal paladin knight is summoned. At the end of the room, remaining sand swarms into a body 20 times the size. The dripping increases. All food and living matter on the party immediately begins to rot.

Round 1 vs Al-Sadhari:

Lyra – NAT 20. She jumps off the wall and slashes with Green Flame Blade, tearing through the middle of the mummy. 100 damage. She takes 14 falling damage and lands beside the Spiritual Weapon. Everyone’s vision is heavily obscured.

Lux – clay golem strikes. Lux follows with Scorching Ray at the skeletal knight, 17 fire damage. The skeletal knight swings at Lux but misses (Shield reaction). He moves out of Spirit Guardian range, taking opportunity attacks and 13 damage.

Red creature moves toward Arawn, takes 18 from Spirit Guardians. Lunges twice but Arawn dodges.

Arawn sets Slayer’s Prey on the red creature. Two arrows sink deep – 30 and 26 damage (56 total). Still alive but looking poorly.

The giant figure takes 7 from Spirit Guardians. Throws sand at Elora, entombing her (half movement, saved on STR check). She maintains concentration on Spirit Guardians.

Elora – Guiding Bolt plus Spiritual Weapon. 30 damage.

Orange and purple rush in, taking 25 each from Spirit Guardians. Purple crits Elora – Spirit Guardians drops. Maggots drop from the roof and burrow into skin. Arawn takes 25 damage. Lyra and Guts are blinded. Elora pulls 13 necrotic from Arawn and holds it within her.

Guts runs at the giant figure. Purple opportunity attacks for 16. Elora takes half (8 damage, 21 total held).

Round 2:

The Goddess casts Insect Plague. Arawn takes 47 necrotic. She floods the room with dark energy.

Lyra – blinded but fires her crossbow. The bolt hits the middle of the Goddess’s head. She disintegrates to dust. 14 damage.

Lux attacks the skeletal knight – 16 damage. Knight strikes Lyra for 21 necrotic. She feels cold.

Arawn switches Slayer’s Prey to the knight. Both arrows hit – 37 then 42 damage. Knight falls: “It wasn’t supposed to end like this.” Radiant fire erupts and he reforms. Swings at Arawn, misses, his sword shatters. He Misty Steps away.

Elora’s Spiritual Weapon misses the knight but shatters the box. A beating heart falls out.

Round 3:

Lyra strikes with Green Flame Blade, slicing into his eye, killing him.

Arawn shoots the beating heart. The walls close in and the room starts shrinking.

180 platinum for Elora. They run. Khaial pushes and shoves bodies back through the room to help them escape.

Escape and Time Lost

In the middle of the room is now a black pyramid. On top: the chest from the mirror. The chest itself is worth 5,000 gold pieces. Inside: the cube with shattered gems. The water stops. The pyramid unfolds upward, taking them to the top room, the floor reforming beneath. They exit at the top of the desert. The boat is not there –

A moment later the skiff reappears.

Danny: “Where have you been? It’s been 3 months! I never thought I’d see you again. I’ve been waiting a while, but we can call it even.”

The representative they were travelling with has been communicating with people in Fork, doing trips back and forth looking for them.

Arrival in Fork

Fork is full of growth. A statue of a man holding a globe up to the heavens. A pyramid in the city. A raised flat-top mountain with a palace on top. Billboards advertise the Magnus Arena Games: “See the great Rebelliatus defeating the challengers of the arena.”

The Mistwatch lady recognises them: “We’ve had to delay everything. Where have you been? This is not the agreement that we had.” She takes them to accommodation. “We have a battle with Rebelliatus in 4 days. It would be great if we could get you all prepared for the challenge.”

They rest and restore. Elora casts Greater Restoration for herself, Arawn, and Guts, restoring max HP. They all read their books.

Town crier: “King Wilfred of Highpoint lives! The armies have marched on Orly and taken it.”

The Arena – Rebelliatus Revealed

Walking through the city on the morning of the grand event, they hear the name Rebelliatus in the streets. Titus Brachiatus owns a large ludis – he is the Titus that Kelemvor mentioned.

Gladiators cross the street near the arena, chained. An impressive group. One guy in front is massive – enormous traps, spiked gauntlets. He looks up at the party. Guts feels a push in his back; a guy eyes him before walking past. Their escort leads them to good seats overlooking the arena.

The initial gladiators are quite weak and fall in brutal fashion. Reeny and Lyra enjoy this. Elora is very unimpressed. The crowd begins chanting: “Rebelliatus!”

The sand parts. The strong gladiator (traps and gauntlet man) emerges, turning to the crowd. Beneath the emperor’s seat: another group of gladiators and an enormous Chimera with its wings sliced. It rushes toward the gladiator who sprints forward, leaps, and cracks the goat’s head open with one strike. Shockwaves of impact. The crowd calls his name. The dragon head breathes fire at him. An aura explodes, protecting him. They see the shield of Reaghl striking into the goat’s head before ripping it off.

The dragon fires again – energy erupts from the gladiator again. The crowd is in awe. He whips his sword up through the lion’s head, then down through the dragon’s head, lopping it off.

He stands, raising his arms. The crowd explodes.

The group is confused. If this is Reaghl, it is not the man they left behind. The lady offers to take them to meet the champion.

They enter the bottom of the arena. Reaghl is 30-40 feet away, at death’s door. Elora casts Channel Divinity – 45 HP restored. Khaial bear-hugs him and gives 55 Lay on Hands, bringing him to full. “You’re looking great.”

From behind: a slow clap.

“What a beautiful sight. Reunited with your friends once again. I know who each of you are.” Lyra puts her hat of disguise back on.

Reaghl: “Fuck you, Brachiatus. That thing could have killed me.”

“But the show. And spectatorship.”

25 guards step in behind Brachiatus, along with 4 wizards. “Let’s not taint such a beautiful reunion with a negative shit show. I’ll take what I need, and you’ll compete.” At spearpoint they try to drag Reeny from the room. Lyra is still connected to Reeny: “We’ll get you out of this.”

Titus takes Reeny and Khaial. Some arena decorations mimic those in the pyramid.

The party is surrounded by a new group of guards, many familiar to Reaghl.

Reaghl: “We need to bide our time. We have more support than you think. He thinks he is protected but he isn’t as safe as he thinks.”

They are taken to the Ludis. Guts looks out: “This city is going to burn.”

They meet a monk named Silver. “He looks like the skinny black dude from Spartacus.”

Items & Loot

• Purple Worm Poison – 8 doses (12d6 poison damage each, piercing/slashing weapons, potent until delivered or washed off) – Lyra
• Calim’s Cubic Gate – shattered gems, now inert (in chest)
• Chest – worth 5,000 gold pieces
• Gold and jewels – from the shattered statue in the pyramid
• 180 platinum pieces – Elora

NPCs Encountered

• Danny – Sand skiff captain. Waited 3 months for the party to return from the pyramid.
• Master Dazzlebelt – Gnomish tinker who maintains and drives the sand skiff.
• Raki – Another sand skiff driver, no passengers, chats with Danny.
• Kelemvor – God of Death, trapped in mortal form by Al-Sadhari’s ritual. Freed by the party. Grants them his blessing.
• Al-Sadhari – Priestess of Akadi, Goddess of the Wind. Constructed the pyramid 3,000 years ago to usurp Kelemvor’s domain and resurrect her husband Calim. Summoned and destroyed by the party.
• Reaghl / Rebelliatus – Party member, fighting as a gladiator champion in the Fork arena. Nearly dead after killing a Chimera.
• Titus Brachiatus – Owner of the Ludis. Seizes Reeny and Khaial. The Titus mentioned by Kelemvor.
• The Mistwatch Lady – Escort/handler. Upset about the 3-month delay.
• Silver – A monk in the Ludis. “Looks like the skinny black dude from Spartacus.”

Notable Quotes

• Danny: “Where have you been? It’s been 3 months! I never thought I’d see you again.”
• Reaghl: “Fuck you, Brachiatus. That thing could have killed me.”
• Brachiatus: “But the show. And spectatorship.”
• Guts: “This city is going to burn.”
• Lux: “Something tells me that this will be only the beginning.”
• Guts (summoning Al-Sadhari): “He did it!” (pointing at Lux)
• New Guts (from mirror): “Those fucking dragons. Where are those dragons?”