Session 15: Play It Again Charlotte

Date: Apr 30th, 2025

Summary

Deep in the basement of the Black Ivory Inn, the party encountered a horrific Rodian abomination - a massive mound of flesh with multiple eyes and mouths, featuring a feminine face with glowing octarine eyes. The creature, with sticky tendrils clinging to walls and surfaces, had a grand piano embedded within its mass. The battle began intensely as the abomination attacked with necrotic tendrils and javelins, managing to engulf Tark, leaving him restrained and blinded within its mass. The party fought valiantly, with Syndle using draconic cry to grant advantage on attacks while others cast powerful spells including twilight evocation and dragon's breath. Though they eventually split the creature open, scattering piano keys across the floor, it quickly reformed to full health. This revelation led them to understand they needed to destroy both the piano upstairs and the creature simultaneously, prompting them to collect piano pieces in their bag of holding. Upstairs, they confronted Charlotte at her piano, executing a coordinated attack. Tark launched a surprise bugbear attack on the piano while Syndle attempted to keep bystanders at bay. The situation escalated quickly as Open Mike fell in battle, and Annika joined the fray with her greatsword. An enchanter wizard emerged from the bar, unleashing powerful arcane burst spells that dealt devastating psychic damage. The battle took an unexpected turn when Charlotte revealed her true nature, sprouting tentacles from her mouth and using spider climb to scale the walls. The party managed to charm the enchanter wizard, turning the tide in their favor. As the battle intensified, they executed a strategic retreat to the basement, where they would make their final stand against the abomination. In a desperate gambit, Ned used delirium fragments to enhance his Scorching Ray spell from inside the creature, dealing massive damage. Though several party members fell unconscious during the fierce battle, they persevered. The abomination finally dissolved, revealing a 35-pound piece of meteoric iron containing five delirium fragments, and the inn's true form as a ruin from a meteor impact fifteen years ago was exposed. In the aftermath, the party discovered several survivors in the debris, including Osiric, Anikka, a priest, and the ranger. They recovered not only the meteoric iron but also a detailed map of Drakkenheim showing five gates and various significant locations. The valuable bottles of dwarven and elvish wine they had collected from the cellar remained safe in their bag of holding, and they managed to escape the area without any random encounters.

Scenes

Initial Battle with the Protean Abomination

The party encounters and fights a horrific flesh abomination with a piano embedded in it and a feminine face with glowing octarine eyes in the basement.

Piano Battle Strategy

The party realizes they need a new strategy after the abomination reforms when destroyed.

Upstairs Piano Confrontation

The party confronts Charlotte at her piano upstairs, leading to combat with her defenders.

Charlotte's Transformation

Charlotte reveals her true form and the battle intensifies.

Final Battle with the Abomination

The party regroups in the basement for a final confrontation with the abomination.

Discovery and Aftermath

The party discovers valuable items and survivors in the ruins.

Npcs

Charlotte

A piano player who reveals her true form as a creature able to transform into a spider-like being with tentacles. Can climb walls and attack with tentacle strikes, appears connected to the basement abomination.

Protean Abomination

A massive mound of flesh with multiple eyes and mouths, featuring a feminine face with glowing octarine eyes. Has tentacles and ability to engulf creatures. Contains remnants of a grand piano embedded within it and can reform when destroyed.

Enchanter Wizard

A powerful spellcaster at the bar who can cast multiple arcane burst spells dealing psychic damage and has an instinctive charm ability as a reaction. Later charmed by the party.

Annika Patel

A knight wielding a greatsword who initially fights against the party when the piano is threatened, later found among the survivors in the debris.

Osiric

A survivor found in the debris of the Black Ivory Inn after the battle, previously encountered during the conflict.

Grint

A ranger found among the survivors in the debris, previously seen by the campfire before the battle.

Locations

Black Ivory Inn Basement

A basement chamber with thick wooden doors locked with a padlock, containing the protean abomination that has spread across walls and surfaces. Features evidence of meteor impact from 15 years ago and blocked access to smuggler's tunnel doors.

Black Ivory Inn Upper Floor

The main performance area featuring a stage with Charlotte's piano, a bar area, and gathering spaces for patrons. After the battle, revealed to be an illusion hiding the inn's true ruined state.

Black Ivory Inn Ruins

The true form of the inn revealed after the battle - a collapsed building with a hole in the ceiling leading directly to the basement, essentially at ground level with debris scattered throughout but intact doors.

Spells

Scorching Ray

Cast by Ned while inside the abomination, enhanced by delirium fragments to deal triple damage, proving crucial in destroying the creature.

Arcane Burst

A powerful spell cast by the enchanter that can be used as both melee and ranged attacks, dealing significant psychic damage in multiple bursts.

Healing Word

Used multiple times by various party members to revive fallen companions during the battle, proving crucial for survival.

Dragon's Breath

Lightning-based breath attack used by Xakarium against the abomination.

Charm Person

Successfully used against the enchanter in a magical duel, turning him to the party's side.

Spider Climb

Used by Charlotte to climb and move along walls during combat after her transformation.

Items

Magical Piano

A grand piano magically connected to the basement creature, requiring simultaneous destruction. Can reform quickly when destroyed, eventually broken into pieces and collected in the bag of holding.

Meteoric Iron

A 35-pound piece of meteoric iron discovered after defeating the abomination, containing five fragments of delirium. Potentially useful for crafting weapons.

Map of Drakkenheim

A detailed map showing the layout of Drakkenheim, including five gates and various numbered locations with a corresponding legend. More detailed than their previous map.

Bottles of Wine

Several bottles of valuable dwarven and elvish wine stored in the bag of holding, taken from the inn's cellar.