The tunnels beneath Waterdeep bore the scars and tremors of a recent earthquake. Their once-sturdy walls were now riddled with cracks and debris, creating an ominous labyrinthine network that threatened collapse. The city had tasked the adventurers with clearing these tunnels of hazards and making them safe for inspection. However, their mission had a secret, more pressing objective—confirm the status of the Orbum Vitalis, a powerful artifact rumored to have been destroyed. If it still existed, they were to annihilate it and bring back proof.

As the party descended into the depths, they were joined by an enigmatic goblin named Gorko and Dabshaba, a very young dragon whose scales shimmered with untapped potential. Communication with Gorko was challenging, but Dabshaba’s youthful curiosity provided a strange sense of comfort amidst the peril.

The air grew thick with chaotic magical energies, making their skin tingle and hair stand on end. They had also been tasked with locating Sergeant Teeshe and Constable Boot. Sadly, they had already found Constable Boot’s lifeless body, but Teeshe remained missing. The sense of urgency was palpable.

Before them loomed a massive door, swirling with necromantic and enchanting energies. Thalmiir, ever cautious, halted the group. His sharp eyes, aided by divine guidance, scanned the area. Boot prints, a scrape, and dried blood on the door frame suggested recent activity. He peered inside, revealing a rectangular chamber marred by earthquake damage. A partially collapsed wall obscured an altar, and above it, a robust mechanism with gears and chains loomed ominously. This magical construct, though damaged, pulsed with a malevolent glow. Thalmiir muttered about the construct possibly causing the earthquake.

Hat, ever impulsive, darted into the room, spotting a well-muscled female in City Watch attire—Sergeant Teeshe—and the magical construct. The rest of the party surged forward. Hat’s quick study identified the construct as a masterwork mechanism designed for entropic destruction, now malfunctioning. A dwarf’s corpse lay among the rubble, a grim testament to its power.

Waer’dara held her position, protecting Dabshaba. Pebblesong moved forward, ready to swing her staff if danger approached. Thalmiir followed, his gaze fixed on Teeshe, who seemed eerily unresponsive. He drew his weapon, prepared to defend himself. Hat narrowly avoided a mechanism that smashed into the wall above him.

Bartholemeow turned the corner, assessing the situation swiftly. His inspiring words bolstered Thalmiir’s resolve. Suddenly, Teeshe, her eyes glazed with a strange light, pulled her mace and attacked Hat, but Bartholemeow’s vicious mockery made her falter.

Bhakris hurled a javelin, striking Teeshe and urging her to yield. Waer’dara, whip in hand, moved cautiously, ready to strike. Pebblesong cast Entangle, vines erupting from the ground, but Teeshe broke free, making the area treacherous.

Thalmiir, now in a rage, attempted to grapple Teeshe but was pushed back. Her maul swung wildly, hitting Thalmiir with a bone-crunching impact. Bartholemeow’s mocking words again caused her to miss her next strike. Bhakris, undeterred, smote her, blood gushing from her arm.

Hat considered targeting the construct, its arm mechanism a potential weak point. Pebblesong joined the fray, her staff striking Teeshe’s helmet to no avail. Thalmiir, abandoning his grappling attempt, swung his battleaxe, aiming for subdual damage, his blow connecting with Teeshe’s chin.

The construct’s maul surged to life, striking multiple members within its deadly reach. Bartholemeow cast Sleep, strategically placing the spell to avoid Pebblesong but affecting Bhakris and Teeshe, sending them into unconsciousness.

Hat seized Bhakris’ javelin, using a catapult spell to launch it at the construct’s arm, dealing significant damage. Waer’dara, frustrated by her Eldritch Blasts’ ineffectiveness, switched tactics but ultimately stuck with her arcane assault, landing a critical hit that destroyed the construct’s arm, sending shrapnel flying.

With combat intensifying, the group scrambled for survival. Bartholemeow fell, a deathly pallor overtaking him. Hat, realizing the dire situation, used a healer’s kit to stabilize him. Pebblesong, revived by a healing potion, lay prone to avoid further harm.

Thalmiir’s dramatic leap through the air, interacting with the shrapnel, added a chaotic ballet to the battle’s crescendo. The construct, despite being damaged, continued its relentless assault, but Thalmiir’s inspired strike caused a large piece to fall off. The maul’s final attack reduced Bartholemeow to zero hit points, but quick thinking and teamwork kept the party afloat.

With Sergeant Teeshe and Bhakris unconscious, the group began tying up the sergeant, ensuring the knots were secure. When Teeshe woke, she was disoriented, her last memories a jumbled haze. Bartholemeow introduced himself, and the group explained their mission and the dangers they faced to rescue her.

In the aftermath, Thalmiir directed Hat and Waer’dara to search for the Orbum Vitalis. Bhakris found ceramic shards among the rubble, experiencing a disconcerting sensation of lost memory upon touching them. Hat confirmed the shards held different magic, hinting at the artifact’s remnants.

As the session closed, the adventurers contemplated the consequences of their actions and prepared for the next steps in their perilous journey. The tunnels, though temporarily subdued, still whispered of dangers yet to come.

Session Notes
  • The party is in Waterdeep to clear tunnels of damage and danger caused by a recent earthquake, allowing an engineering team to assess structural problems.
  • They are also tasked with finding Sergeant Teeshe and Constable Boot. They found Constable Boot dead, but Teeshe remains missing.
  • Secretly, they need to confirm if a powerful artifact, the Orbum Vitalis, was destroyed. If not, they must destroy it and bring back evidence.
  • The party had some combat and downtime. Chaotic magical energies are being released.
  • They are joined by Gorko, a difficult-to-communicate goblin, and Dabshaba, a very young dragon.
  • The door ahead is swirling with various magical energies, including necromancy and enchantment.
  • Thalmiir stops the party before they charge through the door, noting the danger.
  • Thalmiir performs a perception check, aided by guidance, and rolls a 19.
  • Thalmiir notices boot prints, a scrape, and dried blood on the door frame, indicating someone has been through recently and another set of older footprints.
  • Thalmiir peeks through the door and sees a rectangular chamber with significant earthquake damage, including a partially collapsed wall and an altar buried in rubble.
  • A robust mechanism with gears, chains, and a hammer head made of dark stone and metal is above the altar, clearly a magical construct.
  • The construct appears damaged, with some brass plating fallen away, revealing a pulsing, glowing core.
  • Thalmiir mutters about the possibility of the construct causing the earthquake.
  • Hat runs into the room, seeing a well-muscled female human in City Watch garb and the magical construct.
  • The party rolls for initiative.
  • Hat approaches the altar, noticing the figure stirring and the construct raising its arm.
  • Hat uses an arcana check to study the construct, rolling high and learning it is a masterwork magical contraption, now damaged.
  • The construct is designed for smashing and hastening entropic destruction.
  • Hat notices a dwarf corpse among the rubble, likely smashed.
  • Hat circles the construct, ending up near the altar.
  • Waer’dara holds her action, staying in front of Dabshaba to protect her, and does not rush in to trigger an attack.
  • The party discusses the psychic damage they took earlier.
  • Gorka and Dabshaba offer to watch the party’s back and secure their retreat.
  • Pebblesong moves forward, observing Hat and holding an action to swing with his staff if something dangerous approaches.
  • Thalmiir follows Pebblesong, trying to stop Hat and Pebblesong from getting into trouble. He recognizes Sergeant Teeshe and attempts a perception check to find the source of the roiling magic.
  • Thalmiir notices that Teeshe does not react as expected and slowly draws his weapon, ready to defend himself if necessary.
  • Hat observes a mechanism that smashes into the wall above his head but avoids the backswing.
  • Bartholemeow turns the corner, sees the situation, and gives Thalmiir bardic inspiration. He readies an action to viciously mock Teeshe if she acts aggressively.
  • Teeshe walks towards Hat with purpose, pulls her mace, and attacks but fails. Bartholemeow’s vicious mockery causes her to miss.
  • Bhakris joins the game, moves forward, and throws a javelin at Teeshe, suggesting they subdue her to help her regain her faculties.
  • Bhakris hits Teeshe with the javelin but does not cause significant damage.
  • Waer’dara considers using her whip to snag Teeshe’s ankles but decides to move forward and ready an action to whip if Teeshe gets near.
  • Pebblesong casts Entangle, but Teeshe breaks free. The area becomes difficult terrain.
  • Thalmiir rages and attempts to grapple Teeshe but fails as she pushes him away.
  • Teeshe’s maul swings at Thalmiir, missing the first attack but hitting with the second, causing bludgeoning damage.
  • Bartholemeow uses vicious mockery on Teeshe, causing her to have disadvantage on her next attack. He gives Thalmiir another bardic inspiration.
  • Teeshe attacks Thalmiir again but misses due to disadvantage.
  • Bhakris moves forward, smites Teeshe, and yells for her to yield, causing a gout of blood to erupt from her arm.
  • Hat considers targeting the magic arm mechanism.
  • The session begins with a player asking if their fireball cantrip would be effective against a target, given their high arcana check.
  • The GM explains that under normal circumstances, the fireball would not be effective, but the target is broken.
  • The player decides to attack the target, and the attack hits, but they have no damage to roll.
  • Another player, Waer’dara, attempts to use their whip but finds no one close enough to target.
  • Waer’dara then decides to throw an Eldritch Blast at a ghostly figure, but it hits an intact part of the target, having no effect due to its magical cladding.
  • Pebblesong runs up to join the fight, attempting to rescue a peace officer in the room. They hit the officer’s helmet, but it has no effect.
  • Thalmiir gives up on wrestling and uses a battleaxe to deal subdual damage to the officer, hitting her in the chin.
  • The GM reminds the players of the campaign name, “Urn of Chauntea.”
  • The Maul in the room attacks, hitting multiple characters in a 15-foot area.
  • Bartholemeow casts Sleep, targeting a point to avoid hitting Pebblesong but affecting Bhakris and Teeshe, putting them to sleep.
  • Another player picks up Bhakris’ javelin and uses a catapult to launch it at the mechanical arm, dealing significant damage.
  • Waer’dara attempts another Eldritch Blast, but it again hits an armored part and has no effect.
  • Pebblesong, feeling injured, decides to disengage and run away.
  • Thalmiir moves to attack the hammer, using inspiration to ensure a hit, dealing significant damage and causing a large piece to fall off.
  • The Maul, despite being damaged, continues to attack, hitting Bartholemeow and reducing them to zero hit points.
  • Bartholemeow makes a death save and fails.
  • Both Sergeant Teeshe and Bhakris remain unconscious.
  • Hat, another player, realizes the dire situation as two party members are down and considers their next move.
  • The GM notes that the players with healing spells are down, but Hat has a healer’s kit.
  • The group discusses the mechanics of stabilizing a character and using a healing potion.
  • A healing potion is administered to Pebblesong, reviving them with more hit points than before but leaving them prone.
  • Pebblesong jokes about staying prone to avoid being targeted.
  • A character yells about too much magic and hides again.
  • Discussion about the duration and effects of the Sleep spell occurs.
  • Waer’dara decides to switch from Eldritch Blast to a crossbow but is advised to stick with Eldritch Blast.
  • Waer’dara rolls a critical hit with Eldritch Blast, destroying a construct arm, causing it to explode into shrapnel.
  • Thalmiir dramatically leaps through the air, interacting with the shrapnel.
  • Thalmiir expresses interest in taking the oversized maul from the construct.
  • Combat ends, and the group discusses healing and resting.
  • Thalmiir scrambles for a rope to tie up a character who might wake up.
  • Bartholemeow slaps Bhakris awake and takes a rope from his pack.
  • Waer’dara offers another rope, and the group ties up the character.
  • A survival check is made to ensure the knots are secure.
  • The tied-up character wakes up, claiming to be a sergeant of the City Watch and demanding to know their business.
  • Bartholemeow realizes the character seems different and introduces himself.
  • The sergeant, Teeshe, is confused and disoriented, piecing together her last memories.
  • The group explains their mission and the dangers they faced to rescue her.
  • Thalmiir asks Hat and Waer’dara to look for an orb in the room.
  • A perception check is made to search for the orb.
  • Bhakris finds several pieces of ceramic among the rubble and points them out.
  • Bhakris experiences a sensation of losing a memory upon touching the ceramic pieces.
  • Hat confirms the shards have a different kind of magic.
  • The session ends with the group contemplating the consequences of their actions and preparing for the next steps.