Session 32: Mage Eaters

Date: Nov 18th, 2025

Summary

The party discovered a haunting market square where a meteorite had transformed all the fruits and vegetables into porcelain replicas, creating an eerie tableau of frozen commerce. After taking shelter in a partially roofed house for a brief rest, Syndle climbed into the rafters and spotted a terrifying sight approaching—a massive insectoid creature with legs stretching twenty-five feet high, its knees towering above its head. All the magic users in the party felt a strange tingling sensation as the creature's magical radar swept over them, detecting their presence.

The battle that followed proved frustrating and desperate. The creature's chitinous exoskeleton seemed to repel every magical assault the party threw at it, bouncing spells back at their casters and shrugging off enchanted weapons as if they were nothing. Regular weapons barely scratched its armored hide. Just when the situation seemed dire, Yazzy transformed herself into a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex, her powerful jaws and claws finally finding purchase against the creature's defenses. Syndle leaped onto one of the creature's impossibly long legs, creating an opening that allowed the transformed Yazzy to tear the monster apart. After the battle, Oiroa used a mystical ability to restore some of the party's depleted magical reserves, though the effort only recovered minor spell slots for those who needed them.

The party debated taking another rest but ultimately decided to press on toward their destination, St. Vitruvio Cathedral. However, as they prepared to move, another powerful pulse of magical detection washed over them. Two more of the insectoid mage eaters emerged from the haze, their long legs carrying them swiftly toward the party. The creatures attacked with writhing tentacles that not only dealt crushing blows but also seemed to drain magical energy from those they struck. Tark took to the air, raining arrows down from above, while Ned sought cover inside the shell of the first defeated creature, discovering that its exoskeleton somehow blocked the magical radar pulses. One of the mage eaters focused its attention on Yazzy and successfully disrupted her transformation, forcing her back into her natural form.

The battle raged on with the party struggling to overcome the creatures' formidable defenses. Xakarium unleashed a devastating burst of dark energy from his hands—a gift from his resurrection—that manifested as writhing tendrils dealing both lightning and necrotic damage. The attack proved effective, preventing one of the creatures from defending itself properly. Syndle fought with reckless abandon, his daggers finding gaps in the creature's armor as he shouted insults and threats at the monster. Yazzy discovered that her natural ability to exhale clouds of poisonous gas was one of the few attacks that could harm these magic-resistant abominations, and she used it to devastating effect, killing the first of the two creatures.

The party focused all their remaining strength on the final mage eater. Syndle's brutal assault with his enchanted boots and daggers left the creature reeling and bloodied, while he screamed at it to leave his friend Ned alone. Tark continued his aerial bombardment with non-magical arrows, and Oiroa worked tirelessly to keep everyone alive with healing magic. Finally, Yazzy opened her mouth once more and released another cloud of toxic vapor, the poison overwhelming the creature's defenses and bringing it crashing to the ground.

In the aftermath, the party tended to their wounds and examined the fallen creatures. Syndle's arcane knowledge allowed him to identify a strange globular organ within each beast that seemed to be the source of their magical detection abilities. More importantly, they realized the creatures' shells possessed powerful anti-magical properties that could prove invaluable. The party harvested six large pieces of the chitinous armor, planning to bring them back to the academy for study and potentially craft them into shields that could protect against magical attacks. They also discussed equipping their allies with such protection for the inevitable confrontation with the paladins.

As they prepared to depart, the party faced a difficult decision. They could attempt to reach St. Vitruvio Cathedral despite their depleted resources, or they could retreat to safety and return another day. The deep haze of Drakkenheim surrounded them, and they knew that whatever path they chose, more dangers likely awaited them in the corrupted city. The discovery of the mage eaters and their unique properties had given them valuable resources, but at a significant cost to their magical reserves and stamina.

Scenes

Market Square Mage Eater Battle

The party discovers a market square transformed by a meteorite and faces their first mage eater, a massive insectoid creature highly resistant to magic.

The party finds a market square where a meteorite has turned fruits and vegetables into porcelain replicas.
They hide in a partially roofed house for a short rest.
Syndle climbs to the rafters and spots an approaching insectoid creature with 25-foot legs.
All magic users feel a magic radar ping.
The creature attacks and proves immune to magic weapons, resistant to regular weapons, and reflects spells back at casters.
The party struggles against the creature's defenses.
Yazzy transforms into a T-Rex using Polymorph.
Syndle jumps onto the creature's leg, giving everyone advantage on attacks.
The combined assault with Yazzy's T-Rex form destroys the creature.
Oiroa uses an ability to restore expended spell slots to party members, rolling for first-level slots.
The party debates taking a short rest but decides to continue toward St. Vitruvio Cathedral.

Two More Mage Eaters Emerge

As the party prepares to move toward the cathedral, two more mage eaters detect them and attack, forcing another desperate battle.

The party feels another strong magic radar pulse as they prepare to leave.
Two more mage eaters appear, creeping into view.
New initiative is rolled for the encounter.
The northern mage eater attacks Ned and Xakarium with tentacles, hitting Ned despite his Shield spell being ineffective due to the creature's immunity.
Ned takes bludgeoning damage but saves against losing a spell slot.
Tark rages and flies 40 feet into the air, shooting at a mage eater with his non-magical bow.
Ned shoots with his light crossbow, appearing to hit but dealing no damage.
The southern mage eater successfully dispels Yazzy's Polymorph, turning her back into her Yuan-Ti form.
Oiroa maintains his aura, heals Tark, and shoots with a non-magical bow.
Xakarium shoots with his bow, dealing minimal damage and attempting a ring strike that fails to push the creature.
Syndle attempts a bolt of light that bounces off, then kicks with his boots and throws javelins, dealing reduced damage.

Desperate Combat Against Magic-Resistant Foes

The party continues their grueling fight against two mage eaters, struggling to overcome their magical defenses while the creatures drain spell slots.

A mage eater attacks Oiroa and Yazzy, hitting Yazzy who takes reduced damage from Tark's protection but loses her highest spell slot.
Tark shoots the northern mage eater twice with his bow, dealing non-magical damage.
Ned hides inside the dead mage eater's shell and shoots with his crossbow, dealing minimal damage.
A mage eater attacks Xakarium and Ned, hitting Ned despite his cover but Ned saves against losing a spell slot.
Oiroa heals Yazzy and grants her a weapon attack, but her attack is ineffective.
Xakarium uses Arms of Hadar, a special ability dealing lightning and necrotic damage, causing the mage eater to fail its save and preventing it from taking reactions.
Syndle attempts bolt of light which bounces off, kicks with his boots which the creature saves against, then uses reckless attacks with his dagger, landing multiple hits and making the creature bloody.
Yazzy opens her mouth and releases a cloud of poisonous gas, dealing massive poison damage to the northern mage eater, killing it.
Tark shoots the remaining southern mage eater with his bow.
Ned attempts to disengage and hide, drinking a Sunpetal Bloom-infused healing potion that restores significant hit points.

Final Mage Eater Falls

The party focuses all their efforts on the remaining mage eater, with Syndle's brutal melee attacks and Yazzy's poison breath proving decisive.

The remaining mage eater attacks Ned and Xakarium, hitting Ned for reduced damage.
Oiroa heals Syndle and attempts attacks that miss.
Xakarium shoots with his bow, dealing minimal damage and failing another ring strike attempt.
Syndle kicks the mage eater with his boots, knocking it prone and dealing damage, then follows with dagger attacks that leave it severely wounded and bloody.
Syndle yells at the creature to leave his friend Ned alone.
Yazzy uses her poisonous spray again, dealing damage but the creature saves.
Tark shoots the prone mage eater with his bow.
Ned attempts to hit with his staff but misses.
The mage eater attacks but misses both Ned and Xakarium.
Oiroa heals Ned.
Xakarium deals minimal damage with his bow.
Syndle kicks the mage eater again, dealing damage, then attacks with daggers.
Yazzy uses poisonous spray one final time, dealing the killing blow to the second mage eater.

Aftermath and Looting

With both mage eaters defeated, the party tends to their wounds, harvests valuable components from the creatures, and debates their next move.

Oiroa distributes healing to party members over multiple rounds.
The party confirms an hour has passed since the previous fight, allowing natural regeneration.
The party debates whether to return home to recover or continue to St. Vitruvio Cathedral.
They discuss the risks of random encounters either way, with flying potentially changing encounter types.
The party decides to harvest the mage eater bodies, taking six pieces of chitin shell to sell or give to the academy.
Syndle performs an Arcana check and identifies a globular organ as the source of the creatures' magic-sensing radar ability.
The party confirms the shells have anti-magic properties that could be used for shields.
They plan to give at least one piece to the academy for study and potentially sell others or equip allies fighting paladins.
The session ends with the party preparing to decide whether to head home or continue to the cathedral.

NPCs

Mage Eater

A massive insectoid creature with 25-foot legs and knees above its head. Possesses a hard chitinous exoskeleton with anti-magic properties that makes it immune to magic weapons, resistant to regular weapons, and able to reflect spells back at casters. Attacks with tentacles that deal bludgeoning damage and can drain spell slots from targets who fail a DC 16 spellcasting ability save. Has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects. Emits a magic radar pulse that pings nearby magic users. Contains a globular organ that serves as its magic-sensing ability. Three of these creatures were encountered and defeated by the party.

Locations

Market Square

A market square where a meteorite has transformed all the fruits and vegetables into porcelain replicas. The party took shelter in a partially roofed house here before being attacked by mage eaters.

St. Vitruvio Cathedral

The party's intended destination, mentioned as their next objective after dealing with the mage eaters. They debate whether to continue there or return home to recover.

Items

Porcelain Replicas

Fruits and vegetables in the market square that were transformed into porcelain by the meteorite's influence, creating an eerie scene of preserved produce.

Mage Eater Chitin Shell

The hard, anti-magic exoskeleton of the defeated mage eaters. The party harvested six pieces, planning to sell some and give at least one to the academy for study. The shells block magic-sensing abilities and could potentially be crafted into shields or armor with anti-magic properties.

Mage Eater Eye

A globular organ identified by Syndle as the source of the mage eater's magic radar ability. The party plans to harvest these for study or potential use.

Sunpetal Bloom

A magical flower from the bag of holding that Ned combined with a healing potion to enhance its effects, restoring 21 hit points when consumed.

Spells

Polymorph

A fourth-level spell used by Yazzy to transform into a T-Rex during the first mage eater battle. The transformation proved devastating against the creature. In the second battle, a mage eater successfully dispelled the effect by rolling against DC 14, turning Yazzy back into her Yuan-Ti form.

Shield

A defensive spell cast by Ned when attacked by a mage eater's tentacle. However, the creature's special ability allowed it to ignore the AC bonus provided by Shield and Mage Armor, rendering the spell ineffective.

Arms of Hadar

A special modified spell ability gained by Xakarium after his resurrection. Manifests as tendrils of dark energy that deal half lightning and half necrotic damage. Cast as a third-level spell for free once per long rest. Requires a DC 14 strength saving throw, and on a failed save prevents the target from taking reactions until its next turn. Despite the mage eater's magic resistance, it proved effective in the battle.

Bolt of Light

A wild magic ability used by Syndle that shoots a bolt of light from his chest. Requires a DC 16 constitution saving throw and can blind targets on a failed save. When used against the mage eaters, the bolts bounced off harmlessly due to their magic resistance.

Poisonous Spray

A devastating attack used by Yazzy where she opens her mouth and releases a cloud of poisonous gas. Requires a DC 16 constitution saving throw. This ability proved highly effective against the mage eaters, dealing significant poison damage that they were not resistant to, ultimately killing both creatures in the second battle.