Session 21: Queen's Grotto

Date: Jul 15th, 2025

Summary

The party discovered that seven statue representations of the ancient Coven of the Seven Veils, mystical advisors who had served the monarchs of all realms with their unique arcane disciplines. As they explored the musty cave system, Xakarium made perception checks detecting earthy smells while the group debated whether to proceed north or south through the winding passages. Their exploration was suddenly interrupted when Syndle bumped into what they thought was a statue, breaking an illusion that had concealed hostile undead guardians. A wightcaptain and wightwarlock materialized, declaring that the party was not allowed in this sacred space. Initiative was rolled with advantage for those within range of their warning ally, and combat erupted immediately. Ned opened the battle by casting a firebolt that struck one of the undead with full fire damage, while Tark entered a rage and attacked with his rapier, dealing devastating blows of 27 and 23 damage to the undead creature. The wightwight retaliated by attacking Xakarium with its longsword, dealing 11 damage and forcing a constitution save due to its life-draining properties. Oiroa quickly responded by casting Bless as a bonus action, enhancing Syndle, Xakarium, and Tark with divine protection. The battle intensified when the wightwarlock crushed a black pearl in its hand and blew the resulting dust toward the party, creating a sphere of negative energy that rippled outward. The devastating Circle of Death spell forced everyone to make constitution saves, and all but Syndle failed, taking 29 points of necrotic damage that brought several party members to single-digit hit points. As if this weren't dire enough, two more wightguardians burst through doors behind them, trapping the party between multiple undead threats. Recognizing the desperate situation, Xakarium attempted to defuse the conflict by shouting that they just wanted to talk, while simultaneously casting a Shatter spell. The party quickly claimed that the queen's handmaidens had given them permission for an audience, and Dave used his knowledge of the royal family to persuade the wightcaptain of their legitimacy. They mentioned having a gift for the queen - Katarina's hairpin - which seemed to give the undead guardians pause. The wightchampion ordered his fellow guardians to hold their weapons, acknowledging that the party appeared to have a proper invitation for an audience with Queen Leonora. One guard departed to check with the queen about accepting visitors, while the party took advantage of the lull to drink healing potions and recover from the devastating necrotic assault. When the guard returned with news that the queen would not accept an audience, the party's hopes seemed dashed. However, Oiroa began performing a Prayer of Healing ritual, and the undead champion respectfully waited for the divine ceremony to complete, showing their adherence to proper protocol. The healing spell restored 13 hit points to each party member, providing much-needed recovery from their earlier injuries. After the prayer concluded, the wightchampion agreed to escort them to the queen's chambers, leading them down a narrow hallway where they could only proceed two by two. The champion gestured for them to enter through double doors but remained outside himself, closing the doors behind them and leaving the party alone to face whatever awaited within. They found themselves in an artificial cavern dominated by an underground pond filled with prismatic light, where 35 purple-pink eldritch lilies floated on the glowing water's surface. Great tree roots had broken through the ceiling to drink from the luminescent water, while elegant furnishings including a velvet chaise lounge and mahogany chest filled the opulent chamber. The room overflowed with royal treasures - gowns, jewelry, gems, and coins scattered in containers throughout the space. Portraits and paintings decorated the walls, but disturbingly, each one had the faces torn out, suggesting some deep psychological trauma. The party called out respectfully and moved forward cautiously, unsure where the queen might be hiding in this underground paradise. Queen Leonora finally appeared in the water, her appearance shocking and otherworldly. Her skin was chalky wightand cracked like stone or ceramic, while her hair resembled thick wet tendrils more like vines or snakes than human hair. She stood six feet tall in a black ball gown, wearing the famous emerald necklace set with 11 emeralds that was worth over 10,000 gold pieces. When she spoke, her voice carried a disturbing sing-songy quality that hinted at her fractured mental state. The party bowed respectfully as she greeted them with apparent delight at having visitors. Xakarium carefully used mage hand to present Katarina's ivory hairpin to the queen, explaining they had found it by the waterfall with the beautiful trees. The queen's mood brightened as she examined the gift, and she began to recognize it as belonging to her beloved daughter Katarina, her eyes starting to show the first signs of the emotional breakdown to come. When Xakarium mentioned finding the hairpin by the weeping willow and tried to distract her by asking about the Prince of Caspia, the queen's demeanor changed dramatically. Upon hearing her daughter's name, her eyes, nose, and neck began glowing with an ominous green light that grew brighter and more intense. She cried out in anguish that they were torturing her by mentioning Katarina, and her eyes began rolling back in her head as magical energy built within her. The queen's grief and rage manifested as a devastating radiant blast that erupted from her transformed form. The party attempted to make constitution saves, but Tark, Syndle, and Yazzy failed and took the full 24 points of radiant damage while also gaining levels of contamination from the magical corruption. The others managed to take only half damage, but the attack left several party members bloodied and desperate. Combat initiative was rolled as Queen Leonora entered an enraged fury, her maternal grief transformed into deadly magical violence. Faced with this overwhelming threat, the party's tactical coordination began to break down. Xakarium cast a healing word on Yazzy and used his magical flight ability to escape toward the exit, while Yazzy cast invisibility to disappear from sight. Syndle became confused about the party's sudden retreat strategy, having expected them to stand and fight as they always had before. The situation grew more chaotic when Ned attempted to use Thunderstep to teleport himself and Syndle to safety, but Syndle refused to be a willing target, not understanding the desperate need to escape. The retreat became even more complicated when additional undead guardians emerged from doors behind them, cutting off their escape route. Ned successfully used Thunderstep to transport himself through the doorway, dealing thunder damage to Queen Leonora, though she saved for half damage. The narrow hallway became a battlefield as the party found themselves caught between the enraged queen and her undead protectors, forcing them to fight their way out rather than flee cleanly. Oiroa proved instrumental in turning the tide by channeling her divine power through Order's Demand, forcing multiple undead within 30 feet to make wisdom saving throws. Three of the undead guardians failed their saves and became charmed, dropping their weapons and standing idle as temporary allies. This divine intervention provided crucial breathing room, though a new handmaiden appeared and attempted to grapple Ned, though she failed to restrain the nimble spellcaster. The battle's momentum shifted dramatically when Ned uncapped his delirium shard and unleashed a devastating fireball enhanced by the corrupted crystal. The spell dealt 32 points of damage to both Queen Leonora and a wightchampion, finally bloodying the undead monarch and proving that she could be defeated. However, a handmaiden retaliated by casting Entangle, creating a 20-foot square of difficult terrain that successfully grappled Yazzy, Oiroa, and others who failed their strength saves. Oiroa continued her divine assault by casting Order's Demand again, this time affecting even more enemies within her 30-foot range. All the targeted creatures - including the queen, handmaidens, and remaining guardians - failed their wisdom saves and became charmed, dropping their weapons and regarding Oiroa as a trusted friend. This mass charm effect essentially removed most of the enemy forces from combat, though the effect would only last one round. Ned positioned himself for an optimal lightning bolt that could target five enemies in the narrow hallway. The spell proved devastatingly effective, dealing 34 damage to those who failed their saves and 17 to those who succeeded. Queen Leonora was caught in the electrical assault and killed instantly, her undead form finally destroyed by the concentrated magical firepower. One of the handmaidens was also slain by the lightning, significantly reducing the remaining threats. The charmed enemies lost their enchantment after taking damage, but Oiroa quickly cast a Slow spell in a 40-foot cube that affected six creatures. All the targeted enemies failed their wisdom saves and became severely hampered - their AC and movement were reduced, they could only take one action per turn, and spellcasters had to roll a d20 to successfully cast spells. This crowd control effect essentially crippled the remaining opposition's combat effectiveness. Despite the tactical advantage, complications arose when a handmaiden successfully used her fey charm ability on Oiroa. The charmed cleric regarded the dryad as a trusted friend and agreed to release the slow spell when asked, though the enemies still had to make saving throws to break free. Most of the slowed creatures failed their saves and remained hampered, but the charm effect on Oiroa created ongoing tactical problems for the party. The battle reached its climax when the wightwarlock began casting what the spellcasters recognized as Finger of Death, a devastating 7th-level spell that would deal 78 damage to a single target. Ned quickly responded with Magic Missile, targeting the warlock multiple times with automatic-hitting projectiles. His quick thinking proved crucial as the magical missiles successfully interrupted the deadly spell before it could be completed, potentially saving Oiroa's life. Oiroa broke free from the charm effect and immediately cast Healing Word on the fallen Yazzy while announcing that Queen Leonora was dead. Upon hearing this news, the surviving handmaidens fled through the tree roots, disappearing into the natural passages that connected to the surface. The final wightchampion continued fighting desperately, attacking Xakarium with life-draining strikes that dealt 22 damage and reduced his maximum hit points by 10, ultimately causing him to fall unconscious. The last enemy warlock attempted to retreat while casting Cone of Cold, but Ned and Oiroa were positioned to make attacks of opportunity. Their combined assault killed the spellcaster before he could complete the devastating area spell, preventing massive cold damage to multiple party members. Tark finished the encounter by killing the final wightchampion with his meteorite battle axe, ending the combat with the party victorious but severely wounded. With all enemies defeated, the party began assessing their situation and collecting the substantial treasure scattered throughout Queen Leonora's chamber. Syndle gained another level of contamination from jumping into the corrupted water during combat, bringing his total to a dangerous level three. Using detect magic, he scanned the chamber and discovered five delirium crystals and five delirium shards - the highest grades of the magical substance that corrupted the city. The treasure haul was impressive: Queen Leonora's enormous emerald necklace worth over 10,000 gold pieces, a magical diamond ring bearing the royal seal, 35 eldritch lilies with purifying properties, three salvageable royal outfits worth hundreds of gold each, and 156 gold pieces in coin. They also found paintings of the royal family with faces torn out, suggesting the queen's psychological trauma over her lost family members. A letter discovered on one of the wightchampions proved particularly intriguing. Written by Johan Eisner to Queen Leonora, it warned her to flee the castle immediately via a garden passage, suggesting he had foreknowledge of some impending danger. The letter connected to earlier mentions of Johan and the stained glass window prophecy of the meteor, hinting at larger conspiracies surrounding Drakenheim's fall. The party reverently placed Queen Leonora's body in their bag of holding, though they were unable to recover Katarina's hairpin from the corrupted water. They assessed their contamination levels - Syndle at the dangerous level three, Xakarium at level two, and the others at level one - and planned their recovery strategy. Oiroa cast another Prayer of Healing, restoring 13 hit points to each party member and preparing them for the journey ahead. As they prepared to leave the underground chamber, the party discussed their next moves. They planned to return to a cleaner area for proper rest, as their contamination levels would affect their ability to recover from short rests. Some members jokingly threatened to burn the trees on their way out and whispered menacing messages into the roots about finding the escaped handmaidens. With their mission complete and substantial treasure secured, they prepared to face whatever challenges awaited them in the corrupted city above, having successfully eliminated one of Drakenheim's most dangerous undead threats.

Scenes

Discovery of the Seven Veils Statues

The party discovers that the statues they thought were the royal family are actually the Coven of the Seven Veils, an ancient group that served the monarch.

Ambush by Hidden Wights

The party discovers that enemies were using illusions to appear as statues and combat erupts when Syndle bumps into one.

Circle of Death and Reinforcements

The wightwarlock unleashes a devastating Circle of Death spell as more undead guardians arrive.

Negotiation with Royal Guards

The party attempts to talk their way out of combat by claiming they have an invitation to see the queen.

Prayer of Healing and Escort

Oiroa performs a healing ritual while the undead guards wait respectfully, then the party is escorted to the queen's chamber.

The Queen's Underground Garden

The party enters Queen Leonora's opulent underground chamber filled with treasure and eldritch lilies.

Meeting Queen Leonora

The party encounters the undead Queen Leonora and presents her with Katarina's hairpin as a gift.

The Queen's Radiant Fury

Queen Leonora becomes enraged when reminded of her daughter Katarina and unleashes a devastating radiant attack.

Strategic Retreat Attempt

The party attempts to flee the queen's chamber while being pursued by undead guardians, leading to confusion about tactics.

Hallway Combat and Divine Intervention

The battle continues in the hallway with Oiroa using divine magic to turn the tide.

Fireball and Lightning Assault

Ned unleashes devastating area spells while Oiroa provides battlefield control.

Mass Charm and Spell Bombardment

Oiroa's divine magic charms multiple enemies while the party unleashes devastating spells.

Entanglement and Tactical Maneuvering

The party deals with magical entanglement while finishing off the remaining enemies.

Slow Spell Dominance

Oiroa casts a powerful slow spell that severely limits the remaining enemies' combat effectiveness.

Charm Complications and Final Assault

A handmaiden charms Oiroa while the party prepares for the final push against remaining enemies.

Final Combat Resolution

The party finishes their battle against the remaining undead guardians with decisive magical attacks.

Victory and Treasure Collection

The party defeats all enemies and begins collecting valuable treasure from Queen Leonora's chamber.

Planning Recovery and Rest

The party assesses their condition, contamination levels, and plans for rest while preparing to leave.

Npcs

White Captain/Champion

An undead wight guardian who serves as protector of the queen. Initially hostile but becomes willing to negotiate when the party claims to have an invitation. Shows respect for religious ceremonies and waits during prayer. Wields a longsword and can deal necrotic damage. Eventually escorts the party to the queen's chamber.

White Warlock

A powerful undead spellcaster who can cast devastating spells like Circle of Death and Finger of Death. Serves as one of Queen Leonora's magical guardians and poses a significant threat with high-level necromantic magic. Crushes black pearls to cast spells and was ultimately killed before completing a Finger of Death spell.

Queen Leonora

The undead queen of Drakenheim with chalky wightcracked skin like stone or ceramic and hair like thick wet tendrils resembling vines or snakes. Stands six feet tall wearing a black ball gown and the famous emerald necklace worth over 10,000 gold pieces. Speaks in a sing-songy voice but becomes violently enraged when her daughter Katarina is mentioned, unleashing devastating radiant damage attacks. She was ultimately killed by the party's lightning bolt.

Handmaidens

Dryad-like servants of Queen Leonora who can cast entangle spells and charm effects. They serve the queen faithfully and can disappear into tree roots when the queen is defeated. Capable of both nature magic and fey charm abilities. They had been bringing eldritch lilies to the grotto and fled through tree roots when informed of the queen's death.

Johan Eisner

A person who wrote a warning letter to Queen Leonora advising her to flee the castle immediately via a garden passage. The letter suggests he had foreknowledge of some impending danger, and the handmaidens had mentioned him earlier in their ramblings. Connected to the stained glass window prophecy of the meteor.

Locations

Cave System with Seven Veils Statues

An underground cave system containing seven statues representing the ancient Coven of the Seven Veils. The area has musty, earthy smells and multiple passages leading north and south. The statues were being used by enemies as cover through illusion magic.

Royal Guardian Hallway

A narrow stone corridor leading to the queen's chamber, where undead guardians initially confronted the party before being convinced they had proper invitation for an audience. The hallway is narrow enough that the party can only proceed two by two.

Queen Leonora's Underground Chamber

An artificial cavern with an underground pond filled with prismatic light and 35 purple-pink eldritch lilies. Features elegant furnishings including a velvet chaise lounge, mahogany chest of drawers overflowing with royal garments, jewelry, and treasure. Tree roots break through the ceiling to drink from the glowing water. Contains paintings of the royal family with faces torn out. The chamber serves as Queen Leonora's luxurious living space beneath the garden.

Spells

Firebolt

Cast by Ned as a cantrip attack against the undead guardians, dealing fire damage with no resistance encountered. Used multiple times throughout the combat encounters.

Bless

Cast by Oiroa as a bonus action to enhance Syndle, Tark, and Xakarium with divine blessing, providing bonuses to their attack rolls and saving throws during the initial combat.

Toll the Dead

Cast by Syndle as a necromancy cantrip requiring the target to make a wisdom saving throw or take psychic damage. Used as part of his combat rotation.

Vicious Mockery

Attempted by Yazzy against an enemy but failed to have effect. The target was described as 'unmocked' after successfully resisting the bardic spell.

Circle of Death

A devastating 6th-level necromancy spell cast by the wightwarlock using a crushed black pearl. Created a sphere of negative energy that dealt 29 necrotic damage to all party members who failed their constitution saves, nearly killing several party members.

Shatter

Cast by Xakarium during the negotiation phase as part of his attempt to communicate with the undead guardians while also demonstrating magical capability.

Prayer of Healing

A powerful healing spell ritual performed by Oiroa that restored 13 hit points to each party member. The undead guards respectfully waited for the prayer to complete, showing their adherence to protocol.

Mage Hand

Cast by Xakarium to safely present Katarina's hairpin to Queen Leonora, floating it through the air to her hands rather than approaching directly. This spell inadvertently triggered the queen's violent reaction.

Healing Word

A bonus action healing spell cast multiple times by Xakarium and Oiroa to restore hit points to fallen party members. Proved crucial in keeping the party conscious during dangerous encounters.

Invisibility

A spell cast by Yazzy to become invisible during combat, allowing her to move unseen and avoid enemy attacks. The invisibility provided tactical advantage during the chaotic battle until she cast another spell.

Thunderstep

A teleportation spell cast by Ned that allows him to transport himself and one willing creature 90 feet away while dealing thunder damage to nearby enemies. Used to escape the queen's chamber with Syndle.

Order's Demand

A channel divinity ability used by Oiroa that forced multiple undead enemies within 30 feet to make wisdom saving throws. Those who failed dropped their weapons and became charmed, turning the tide of battle significantly by converting enemies into temporary allies.

Lightning Bolt

Powerful lightning spells cast by Oiroa and Ned that dealt significant damage to multiple enemies in the narrow hallway. The spell's line effect was particularly effective in the confined space, ultimately killing Queen Leonora.

Fireball

Multiple fireball spells cast by Ned using delirium shards to enhance their power. One notable fireball dealt 32 damage and was enhanced by a delirium shard, devastating multiple enemies including Queen Leonora and proving crucial to victory.

Entangle

Cast by a handmaiden, this spell created a 20-foot square area of difficult terrain that grappled creatures within it. Successfully entangled Yazzy, Oiroa, and others who failed strength saves, complicating the party's movement.

Enemies Abound

A third-level spell cast by Yazzy that targets a creature's ability to distinguish friends from foes. The target succeeded on their intelligence save, so the spell had no effect on the battlefield.

Draconic Cry

Syndle's ability that grants advantage on attacks to all allies targeting a specific enemy, enhancing the party's combat effectiveness through tactical coordination and proving valuable in focused fire tactics.

Slow

Oiroa's powerful battlefield control spell affecting six creatures in a 40-foot cube. Reduced enemies' AC, movement, and actions while forcing spellcasters to roll for spell success. This crowd control effect severely hampered the enemy's combat effectiveness.

Fey Charm

A handmaiden's supernatural ability that successfully charmed Oiroa, causing her to regard the dryad as a trusted friend and comply with requests to release other spells, creating tactical complications.

Magic Missile

Cast by Ned to target enemies with multiple automatic-hitting projectiles. Proved crucial in interrupting the warlock's Finger of Death spell before it could be completed, potentially saving Oiroa's life.

Finger of Death

A devastating 7th-level necromancy spell attempted by the wightwarlock that would have dealt 78 damage to a single target. The spell was interrupted when the party killed the caster before it could complete, preventing massive damage to Oiroa.

Cone of Cold

Another powerful spell attempted by the warlock as he retreated, but the party's attacks of opportunity killed him before the spell could be completed, preventing massive cold damage to multiple party members.

Detect Magic

Cast by Syndle to scan the queen's chamber for magical items within 60 feet. Revealed the locations of magical objects and helped the party locate valuable magical treasure among the mundane valuables.

Items

Katarina's Hairpin

An ivory or discolored jade hairpin that belonged to Princess Katarina. The party found it earlier and presented it as a gift to Queen Leonora using mage hand, which triggered her emotional breakdown and violent rage when she recognized it as her daughter's.

Black Pearl

A magical component crushed by the wightwarlock to cast Circle of Death spell. When crushed and the dust blown, it creates a sphere of negative energy that deals devastating necrotic damage to multiple targets.

Meteorite Battle Axe

Tark's weapon used in combat against the undead guardians. Deals significant damage and is described as having finesse properties despite being a battle axe. Used in reckless attacks throughout the battle.

Delirium Shard

A magical crystal component housed in Ned's staff that enhances spellcasting. When uncapped, it adds extra damage dice to spells cast through it. Ned specifically used it to enhance his fireball spells, adding 2d6 extra damage and allowing for additional d6s based on rolls.

Emerald Necklace of Queen Leonora

An enormous and famous royal necklace set with 11 emeralds, worth over 10,000 gold pieces. Highly recognizable as belonging to the royal family and worn by Queen Leonora in many portraits. Non-magical but extremely valuable and potentially difficult to sell discretely due to its fame.

Royal Seal Diamond Ring

A magical diamond ring bearing the royal seal, worn by Queen Leonora. Glows with magical energy and represents royal authority of the Drakenheim monarchy.

Delirium Crystals

Five delirium crystals found in the queen's chamber, representing the highest grade of the magical substance that corrupts the city. More potent than chips, fragments, or shards and extremely valuable for magical purposes.

Delirium Shards

Five delirium shards discovered alongside the crystals, representing a mid-level grade of the corrupting magical substance used to enhance spellcasting.

Eldritch Lilies

35 purple-pink magical flowers that grew in the queen's pond, glowing with prismatic light. These flowers have properties that can help remove contamination and were influenced by the queen's radiant magic. Highly sought after for their purifying properties.

Johan Eisner's Warning Letter

A letter carried by one of the wightchampions, written by Johan Eisner to Queen Leonora. Warns her to flee the castle immediately via a garden passage, suggesting foreknowledge of danger and mentioning the stained glass window prophecy of the meteor.

Royal Garments

Three salvageable outfits from Queen Leonora's wardrobe, each worth hundreds of gold pieces. Includes pompous gowns, fashionable dresses, multicolored wigs, oversized hats, and fantastically impractical shoes.