Shadowdark Session Recap: 12/21/2024 – New Moon Bay Trading Company – Gongaii Games

Summary

The adventure began when a dancer named Zabibi approached the party seeking help for her lover Alafdhal, who had allegedly been cursed by Totrasmek, the high priest of the Temple of the Monkey God. The party decided to investigate by splitting into two groups—one entering through the front entrance while the other took the back door. Upon entering, they discovered a grand main chamber dominated by a 20-foot-tall black marble monkey statue, along with disturbing evidence of dark rituals, including a charnel pit filled with dismembered remains.

As they explored deeper into the temple, the groups became separated by locked doors, with Khemsa’s group trapped. The other group encountered temple cultists but avoided immediate conflict by pretending to be potential converts. They met The Strangler, who served as Totrasmek’s right hand. While one group worked to unlock doors and reunite with their companions, they couldn’t help but notice the large ruby gems gleaming in the monkey statue’s eyes.

The situation escalated when Kitty, a daring halfling, seized an opportunity during a discussion about combat techniques to climb the monkey idol and steal one of its ruby eyes. This theft awakened the Monkey Spirit Guardian, triggering an intense battle. The party fought against the spirit, temple priests, The Strangler, and other followers, with spells and weapons clashing throughout the chamber.

The combat grew fierce as the party employed various tactics, including Khemsa’s unusual acid vomit ability and Ragnar’s crucial healing spells. While they defeated several opponents, including The Strangler, an elf wizard managed to escape. After the battle, they collected 52 gold pieces and two golf ball-sized rubies from the statue’s eye socket. They also discovered an intriguing magnetic table that attracted metal weapons and explored various chambers, including a bathroom and a room filled with scrolls.

Their exploration led them to a hidden chamber concealed behind a secret door, which they accessed using a scroll tube mechanism. Inside, they found three chests: an iron-banded oak chest that proved to be trapped, a brass sailor’s chest, and a cedar chest. However, their investigation triggered a dangerous magical brass monkey statue whose deafening chime nearly proved fatal, forcing several party members to make death saves before receiving healing. Despite this close call, they recovered valuable treasures, including gold, silver, clerical vestments, a vial containing demon names and finger bones, and a mysterious red liquid that might have been the elixir they had initially sought.

Scenes

Meeting with Zabibi

• Dancer Zabibi approaches party asking for help
• Explains her lover Alafdhal was cursed by Monkey God’s priest
• Offers reward from lover’s wealth for retrieving cure
• Provides information about temple layout and access points
• Agrees to meet party later at the Dancing Pig tavern

Temple of the Monkey God Initial Infiltration

• Party splits into two groups
• Front door group enters and doors seal behind them
• Back door group finds altar with lotus flowers
• Front group encounters giant monkey statue and makes offering
• Discovery of locked doors and charnel pit with dismembered remains
• Multiple failed attempts to break down or unlock barred doors
• Party members separated by locked doors
• Kitty successfully picks a lock

Encounters with Temple Inhabitants

• Five armed followers of the Monkey God break down a door
• Party members claim to be potential converts to avoid conflict
• Hostile group leads some party members deeper into temple
• Encounter with The Strangler, massive temple guardian
• Guardian monologues about his history of strangling victims
• PCs distract temple followers with conversation about strangling techniques

Major Temple Combat

• Kitty climbs monkey statue and steals ruby eye gem
• Monkey Spirit Guardian manifests
• Ragnar uses smite on monkey spirit
• Khemsa casts burning hands, killing one priest
• Kitty falls from statue after taking magic missile damage
• The Strangler attacks and strangles Jermaine
• Multiple temple followers defeated in combat
• Pilar defeats the cleric with a sword strike
• Khemsa uses acid vomit ability multiple times
• Elf wizard flee the battle
• Jermaine delivers killing blow to The Strangler
• Khemsa’s acid vomit finally destroys the Monkey Spirit Guardian

Temple Exploration and Treasure Discovery

• Party finds 52 gold pieces on defeated enemies
• Kitty retrieves a ruby eye from monkey statue
• Jermaine discovers magnetic table that attracts metal weapons
• Party explores surrounding rooms including a bathroom
• Find temple library with scrolls and documents
• Party finds a metal scroll tube with hidden lever
• Secret door opens revealing three chests
• Kitty successfully disarms poison needle trap on first chest
• Opening brass sailor’s chest triggers magical brass monkey statue
• Deafening chime causes most party members to fall unconscious
• Party members make death saves
• Some party members use cure wounds to save others
• All party members survive but lose their luck tokens
• Party discovers 225 gold and 600 silver pieces
• Find collection of silk robes and holy symbols
• Discover vial with demon names and finger bones
• Secure the brass monkey by tying its cymbals

NPCs

Monkey Spirit Guardian

A 10-foot tall ethereal gossamer ape spirit with four arms and tusks, summoned when the statue’s eye was stolen. Capable of powerful attacks and magical abilities. Bleeds luminescent white ichor.

The Strangler

Nine-foot-tall muscular temple guardian wearing only a loincloth, serves as right hand to Totrasmek. Known for fighting by strangling his opponents and boasts about his history of victims from babies to elderly. Skilled in hand-to-hand combat.

Alafdhal

Zabibi’s wealthy lover who has been cursed to speak nonsense and lose his sanity.

Totrasmek

High priest of the Monkey God’s temple who allegedly cursed Zabibi’s lover. Described as deranged and leads a hostile group from the temple.

Zabibi

A dancer who seeks help to cure her lover Alafdhal. Claims to have been wronged by the temple’s high priest after being invited to dance there.

Locations

Temple of the Monkey God

A squat temple with marble steps, pillared portico, and bronze doors. Contains a 20-foot black marble statue of a grimacing ape with ruby eyes, offering bowls, and various locked chambers including a gruesome butcher’s room. Features multiple rooms including white marble halls with divans, where monkey god worshippers gather and houses a powerful Monkey Spirit Guardian.

Dancing Pig

A tavern known for its owner who hates wizards and refuses to serve them.

Temple Altar Room

Room with monkey statues, an altar, and a magnetic table that attracts metal weapons. Contains offerings including silver vases and ivory monkeys.

Temple Library

Room with wall-to-wall shelves filled with vellum rolls, brass scroll tubes, and piles of paper

Hidden Chamber

Small secret room behind eastern wall, accessed via scroll tube mechanism, containing three distinct chests

Spells

Cure Wounds

Healing spell used multiple times by party members to recover from injuries after the Monkey Spirit Guardian incident.

Magic Missile

Spell cast by the Wizard that knocked Kitty off the statue, dealing 4 points of damage.

Burning Hands

Area effect spell that dealt fire damage to multiple enemies, killing one priest and badly injuring others.

Protection from Evil

Cast by Ragnar invoking their god St. Terragnis for divine protection within the temple.

Items

Dragon Hide Scroll

A scroll written on dragon hide with magical runes, possibly containing a fireball spell

Brass Monkey Statue

Small brass wind-up statue (2-3 inches tall) that produces a dangerous magical chiming effect when activated

Ruby Eyes

Golf ball-sized ruby gemstones serving as the eyes of a monkey statue in lotus position

Butcher’s Cleaver

A short broad-bladed iron cleaver found embedded in a blood-stained butcher’s block, could be used as a short sword.

Elixir

A cure sought by Zabibi to restore her lover’s Alafdhal’s sanity, located somewhere in the Monkey God’s temple.