Session 24, Arc III

Secrets Beneath

Played 8 June 2025 Watch the session

The party awoke in their tavern in Arakcadia, with everyone present except for their missing companion Cyrran, who had been kidnapped by the Ironclad criminal organization. After discussing their dual objectives of warning the city about an impending war and rescuing Cyrran, they retreated to their room for privacy. Bones cast a locate object spell on Cyrran's dagger, creating a magical compass that pointed directly to their right, indicating their friend was approximately twenty meters away.

Meanwhile, Cyrran found himself imprisoned in a dark, damp stone cell surrounded by iron bars. His hands were bound behind him with steel manacles that had no visible keyholes or release mechanisms. The cage was firmly drilled into the ground, and despite his attempts to examine his surroundings and find an escape route, he remained trapped. A half-orc guard eventually arrived and led him out of the cell through bars that his hand could somehow pass through.

Following the magical tracking signal, the party moved through the streets of Arakcadia, passing through various districts including Silverleaf, the temple district, and eventually reaching the Gilded Plaza. The locate object spell led them to Blackwine Alley, where they had previously encountered scouts, but the signal became erratic, switching directions and moving away as if Cyrran was being transported to different locations. The tracking eventually pointed to a mysterious brick building in the Gilded Plaza that had no doors, windows, or visible entrances.

The party discovered that this solid brick structure appeared to be completely sealed, with only the shape of a house and a pitched roof visible. When Bones attempted to use mold earth to create an opening, the spell failed to affect the stone. Kailyn cast detect magic and sensed magical energy nearby, though not directly on the wall itself. They found a note on their map indicating this location couldn't be mapped by the cartographer Nemara Forge Winds, marking it as an area of mystery.

Through experimentation with draconic phrases, Bones commanded his skeleton to speak the words "open chance," which revealed a moving mural on the wall showing two men sitting at a table. When the skeleton said "tell me a secret" in draconic, an archway shimmered and revealed a hidden street that extended impossibly long - over 500 meters, far longer than the physical block should allow. This secret street appeared to be a magical district where spellcasting was legal, as evidenced by a tiefling woman openly casting guidance spells.

The party followed the tracking signal down this hidden street to a wooden door at the end of an alley. After attempting stealth with mixed results, Bones transformed into a fly to scout ahead but was caught by a large half-orc guard who invited the party inside. They entered what appeared to be a criminal hideout - a bar and dining area with two levels, numerous chairs and tables, and multiple rooms where members of the Ironclad organization gathered.

Inside the establishment, they found Cyrran sitting at the opposite end of the bar with his hands still bound. The party met Graffea, a half-orc gentleman larger than typical half-orcs who led the local Ironclad operations. Graffea revealed he possessed a red orb and offered a trade - Cyrran's freedom in exchange for the party's cooperation in performing favors for the criminal organization. During negotiations, Yomidrogo attempted to poison Graffea's drink with drugs but failed his sleight of hand check, though the half-orc didn't seem to notice.

The party realized these were the same criminals responsible for terrorist attacks they had encountered previously, as Yomidrogo recognized the Ironclad symbols from when he had been kidnapped. Despite the dangerous situation and Yomidrogo's threats of violence, they agreed to Graffea's terms. As insurance, Graffea collected hair samples from each party member for tracking purposes, storing them in a vial. Bones briefly teleported away as a blink dog, causing some chaos before returning with Kailyn, and the party eventually left the hideout with Cyrran, though they were now bound to serve the Ironclad.

Once outside, they examined the magical symbol that had been carved into Cyrran's forehead during his capture. Yomidrogo identified it as a symbol spell with a death condition - a dangerous magical marking that could kill the bearer under certain circumstances. The party realized they were now tracked by the Ironclad crime syndicate and discussed the serious implications of their deal with Graffea.

Curious about the abilities of Kailyn's orb, the party decided to test its powers through controlled combat. Yomidrogo punched Kailyn for minor damage, then cast eldritch blast twice, hitting her for twelve points of force damage total. Bones cast vampiric touch, dealing nine points of necrotic damage while healing himself, and Yomidrogo followed with frostbite for additional cold damage. Finally, Yomidrogo cast ice knife at third level, and while the initial attack missed, the explosion dealt seven points of cold damage, knocking Kailyn unconscious. During these attacks, the orb activated, glowing red and appearing to enhance the magical damage being dealt. Bones quickly healed Kailyn back to consciousness with cure wounds.

The party then explored the magical shops in the secret street, seeking useful equipment and items. Yomidrogo visited a magic shop where he inquired about expensive items like scrying spells, which cost 25,000 gold pieces, and eventually traded his control water, detect magic, and lesser restoration scrolls plus 600 gold for an all-or-nothing coin, ring of tracking, and paired scrolls. Bones purchased a staff of flowers for 25 gold pieces, while Arraphesu visited a potion shop and traded water breathing potions for a potion of haste.

During their shopping, Yomidrogo attempted an elaborate theft of magical bracers worth 3,000 gold pieces. He used his Tide of Chaos ability to gain advantage on a persuasion check, rolling an impressive 28 to distract the shopkeeper while wild magic caused his emotions to be visually projected around him. While he created this distraction, Kailyn successfully stole the magical gloves with a sleight of hand check of 24. The theft was successful, and the party quickly left the area before the merchant could discover what had happened.

The party took a riverboat back through the various districts of Arakcadia, observing the bustling nightlife and cultural activities throughout the city. During the journey, they discussed trust issues regarding magical items, particularly when it was discovered that Bones somehow had possession of the orb, though no one could remember how it had transferred to him. Kailyn gave the stolen magical gloves to Dexter and later attuned to them herself, gaining additional armor class and saving throw bonuses.

Back at their tavern, Yomidrogo and Bones engaged in a high-stakes drinking contest with the bartender using extremely potent Applestone liquor at 75% alcohol content. They bet 100 gold that they could drink without getting drunk, drawing a crowd of spectators. Yomidrogo used sleight of hand to secretly dispose of some alcohol while pretending to drink, and even used his all-or-nothing coin during constitution saves. Bones actually consumed the alcohol and suffered from increasing exhaustion and intoxication, eventually vomiting and falling unconscious. Despite Bones's condition, the party won the bet and earned 80 gold plus tips from the entertained crowd.

After the drinking contest, the party settled in for the night with various individual activities. Arraphesu created grey flowers in the windowsill dirt using her new staff of flowers, while Kailyn attuned to her stolen bracers of defense. Bones tested the carpet of flying to verify it wasn't booby-trapped and used his telepathic abilities to gently enter Muscle's mind, experiencing visions of the jackal's tragic past - including his life in fields, a violent attack that left him scarred, his death alone in the desert, and his resurrection with black eyes by a dark entity. This shared experience of death and return to life strengthened the bond between Bones and his loyal companion.

The next morning, Yomidrogo woke up with exhaustion from the drinking but was no longer intoxicated. When he asked Kailyn for healing or lesser restoration for his hangover, she refused, saying it was his own fault. The party discussed their plans to earn money through gladiatorial fighting, learning about different venues including the Amphitheater for professional gladiators and the Muses district for common fighting. They decided to head to the Dome in the Muses district, described as the entertainment district featuring fighting, temples, nightlife, drugs, and live music. Yomidrogo planned to pray at a temple for inspiration before participating in the fighting matches, setting the stage for their next adventure in this vibrant and dangerous city.