Session 10 Player Notes — Arena of Blood

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

• Nemesis fought through six waves of arena monsters to win Reaghl’s freedom
• Lux’s Hypnotic Pattern locked down an entire wave of enemies in a clutch moment
• A pair of silvery metallic panthers emerged from a portal, hunting Guts specifically
• An “Anti-Guts” — a dark copy wearing berserker armour and a metallic arm — erupted from the arena floor
• Guts was knocked down twice and polymorphed into a Cloud Giant to survive
• The Hydra from the lake recognised Arawn and spoke to him, asking for help
• Messages arrived mid-combat: Highpoint suffered a coup, and Arch Bishop Barnett was retreating to his basilica

Session Notes

The Arena Shifts

The sand of the arena shifts and it feels like the plates under the sand are moving. Reaghl yells, “Spread out!”

Lux detects an anti-magic dome over the top of the arena. Physical things pass through the barrier, but magic will not. Reaghl has seen someone try to attack the emperor before, but there is a separate magical shield protecting him. There are 100 guards on the outside of the arena.

The party spreads out. Elora casts Spirit Guardians. Guts’ sword mentions Lady Polaris to him — the sword identified Lux as a magic user and said “Lady Polaris will like you.” Lux casts Haste on Guts. Lyra and Arawn go stealth. Arawn casts Mould Earth and creates terrain to hide behind.

A frog that crawled out when Arawn moulded earth tells him that all his cousins from the sewers have been killed. He has been running for months from a big red glowing thing that they are pulling monstrosities from.

Round 1 — The Behirs

Four men bring in a chained creature — a Behir. Arawn warns the group it will constrict, grapple, and swallow. There is also a cart with a half man, half scorpion (Tlincalli) holding a whip and yelling commands at the Behir in Draconic. Arawn’s armour twinges for a moment. Is there a black dragon nearby?

Arawn puts Slayer’s Prey on the Behir and holds his action for Lyra. Lyra strikes the Behir with her crossbow — 37 damage. The bolt strikes into its neck. Arawn follows up with two bow shots — 26 damage.

Reaghl advances into battle. Two sword strikes (18 + 11 damage), blue energy bursting off his sword, then 9 damage with his shield. 38 damage total. A second Behir walks into the arena. Reaghl turns to Guts: “Mother pus bucket.”

Guts attacks with his sword — 51 damage on three attacks, then frenzies for another 21 damage.

Behir 1 strikes at Reaghl and Lupin. The Dire Wolf takes 33 damage. Reaghl redirects energy at the Behir but takes 33 damage himself. Two chicken raptors (Cockatrices) fly towards Reaghl. Neither hits him, and he kicks them off. “Fuck off.”

Elora’s Spiritual Weapon kills Behir 1. Lupin lunges forward and rips the wings off the first cockatrice — alive, but can’t fly.

Lux casts Hypnotic Pattern on Behir 2, two cockatrices, the Tlincalli, and one gladiator. Everyone fails their saving throw. The arena floor shifts again and two basilisks appear with two more cockatrices. Reaghl looks at Guts: “I feel the need. The need for Speed!” Guts loses his Haste as Lux needs concentration for the Hypnotic Pattern. Haste takes away his next action, but his sword makes him immune to the effects of lethargy.

The Tlincalli takes 12 damage from Spirit Guardians and hits Lux for 10 damage. Lupin is restrained. Basilisk 2 heads towards Guts — he is unable to move, and stone starts coming up his calves.

Lux receives a message that Highpoint has suffered a coup. Elora receives a message from Arch Bishop Barnett that he is retreating to his basilica.

Round 2 — Basilisks and Fire

Arawn casts Bonfire on Basilisk 2 and a cockatrice. The bonfire prevents the basilisk’s petrifying gaze. Lyra (hidden) sneak-attacks Basilisk 2 with her crossbow — 36 damage. The basilisk falls, blood spurting from the bolt in its neck. Lyra slides between guards, disguising herself as one of them.

Reaghl stabs his sword into the ground and throws a wave of blue energy at two cockatrices and Basilisk 1. All fail. Basilisk 1 is smashed through a pillar. All creatures take 15 damage, one cockatrice takes 30. All cockatrices except one are killed. The crowd goes wild!

Guts kills the remaining cockatrice, then grapples a chicken raptor with his propulsion arm, dragging it through the bonfire and Spirit Guardians. Dead on arrival. He fails his petrification save — stone moves up towards his waist.

A giant centipedal cobra emerges from the back of the arena — a Remorhaz, flames glowing on its back. It takes 18 from Spirit Guardians and tries to bite Guts. He raises his magic metal hand and evades the whole attack.

Lux pulls out a dagger and casts Steel Wind Strike — appearing next to the scorpion man, the basilisk, the remorhaz, and the chicken raptor in sequence. 37 force damage on each. The chicken raptor is dead. Everything looks worse for wear except the remorhaz.

The scorpion man is killed by Spirit Guardians, but Elora sees the Tlincalli handler as a secret ally and the guardians swoop past him.

The basilisk bites Reaghl for 35 damage. He shields it down to 22 as a blue sphere surrounds his body.

Reeny is going crazy in the stands. They have a lot of guards on her, keeping her in place. The crowd is screaming. The emperor looks very nervous. He signals his guards and they grab Reeny and take her away.

Round 3 — The Hydra Returns

Lyra (still disguised as a guard) shoots the Remorhaz — 38 damage. The bolt wedges deep in the creature. She perches on top of the wall near the audience. We hear a familiar screech from the centre of the arena. The hydra’s heads poke up through the floor.

Reaghl cleaves the basilisk’s stony head from its body and heals himself for 15 HP.

The Hydra emerges with 12 men chaining it. Every head is muzzled except one. It takes 11 from Spirit Guardians. The Remorhaz misses Guts and moves towards Lux. Reaghl, Arawn, and Guts all get opportunity attacks — 18, 19, and 17 damage respectively (54 total).

A silvery cut through the air appears — a doorway. Two metallic panthers emerge, sniffing. They focus on Guts.

Guts saves his petrification throw. Stone and dust shudder off his legs. He attacks the Remorhaz, taking 19 damage back but delivering 38 and 19 damage.

The Hydra turns towards Arawn with a look of recognition. As it screeches, Arawn understands it: “Arawn, what is happening?” It is the Hydra from the lake.

Elora’s Spirit Guardians deal 17 damage to both panthers. Lux casts Rime’s Binding Ice — the Remorhaz fails and is bound to the ground. Both creatures take 25 damage. Silver Panther 2 deals 11 lightning damage to Guts.

Round 4 — Lyra’s Moment

Arawn holds his action, then launches onto the Hydra’s back. They have an understanding — the Hydra does not want to be here. He strikes the Remorhaz with 2 arrows for 25 damage. The soldier friend is creeping towards the wall. Tension rising in the guards.

Lyra jumps across to the Remorhaz — triple backflip, high-fiving the kid that wanted her autograph, winking at the audience before landing on its head. On a Nat 20, she does 85 damage. She drives the dagger through its head, sticking her feet in its eyes for footholds, the blade piercing its brain. It falls to the ground. She rolls off and takes 14 fire damage for her theatrical shenanigans. Hides behind Arawn’s mould earth.

Reaghl hits Silver Panther 1 twice (37 damage) and drives it down with his shield (6 more). Guts hits SP1 for 52 damage. SP1 releases an energy burst — Elora dodges. Guts takes 26 back. SP1 is stunned for one minute, disappears and reappears looking confused.

Elora channels Guts’ stored damage, smashing 54 damage into SP2. Lux follows up with Scorching Ray for 44 fire damage. SP2 strikes Guts for 76 total damage. Elora absorbs 14 of it. Guts falls to the ground, dead.

Reaghl screams at him: “Get up!” Something shakes Guts to consciousness. He receives 13 temporary hit points.

The arena sand glows red-hot. Lava spews out and a version of Guts emerges — wearing a metallic arm and black berserker armour. Anti-Guts charges through, taking 20 from Spirit Guardians, running straight at Guts.

Round 5 — Desperate Measures

Arawn fires a healing arrow at Guts (3rd level) — 10 HP. Lyra shoots from a pillar for 30 damage. Anti-Guts closes in on the real Guts. Spirit Guardians deal 16 damage, plus damage from Guts himself. Guts gives himself Second Wind for 11 HP, swings at Anti-Guts, but falls after a counter-attack.

Elora uses her Staff of Healing — 45 HP to Guts. Lux polymorphs Guts into a Cloud Giant. SP2 uses a stunning roar, hitting Elora who loses Spirit Guardians and is stunned. The Guts clone is also stunned but saves.

The Hydra attacks SP2 and kills it, then turns on the Guts clone — 18 piercing, 14 piercing.

Round 6 — Cleanup

Arawn hides behind a hydra head and deals 30 damage. Lyra’s crossbow bolt hits for 33 damage. As the Guts clone moves forward, Lyra’s bolt knocks him to the ground. His flesh becomes silvery and starts to flow out from behind his armour. Left behind: a two-handed sword and some plate mail.

The group finishes off the remaining monsters still held under Hypnotic Pattern.

Items & Loot

• Two-handed sword — dropped by the defeated Anti-Guts (silvery flesh flowed away, leaving the weapon)
• Plate mail — dropped by Anti-Guts
• Berserker armour — previously worn by Anti-Guts (Reaghl later gives this to the real Guts)

NPCs Encountered

• Reaghl — fighting for his freedom in the arena, leading the party through the gauntlet
• Reeny — watching from the stands, going crazy, forcibly removed by the emperor’s guards
• The Emperor (Petronius) — watching from behind his magical shield, growing nervous
• The Hydra — the same hydra from the lake, chained and muzzled, recognises Arawn and speaks to him
• Lady Polaris — mentioned by Guts’ sword as someone who “will like” Lux

Notable Quotes

• Reaghl, when the second Behir appears: “Mother pus bucket.”
• Reaghl, kicking off cockatrices: “Fuck off.”
• Reaghl to Guts: “I feel the need. The need for Speed!”
• Reaghl, screaming at a dying Guts: “Get up!”