Dragonbane: Secret of the Dragon Emperor, Ep. 6

The Toad-Killers spent a few days in Outskirt, where the housekeeper Annabelle continued her search for the statuette pieces. Their relative peace was interrupted by Nagi, a grimy halfling treasure hunter, who offered to lead them to a treasure-filled location marked by the dark arts in exchange for a share of the loot. The party agreed, and after a difficult journey through the bogs that saw their cart nearly get stuck, they arrived at a hillside ravine housing the entrance to a place Nagi called ‘The Gullet.’

The entrance was flanked by two squat toad carvings. After prying a cursed ruby from one statue’s forehead, they deciphered a demonic hymn to a being called Gozu on the stone door. Opening it unleashed a terrifying croak that sent their dog and donkey into a panic. Inside, they found a purging altar where zealots once cleansed themselves, and a second chamber containing sarcophagi and vats of bubbling liquid. Four skeletons with fleshy, wax-covered heads animated and attacked. The fight was brutal; Andromone’s fireball set three ablaze, but both he and Ladrick were cut down by vicious axe blows. The timely healing of Lacey and Goldweir brought them back from the brink, allowing the party to destroy the undead remnants.

Pressing deeper, they discovered the sanctuary of the toad-demon Gozu. A hulking lead idol of the creature stood in the center of the room, and as Ladrick stepped across a ring of runes, an ectoplasmic copy of the idol manifested to attack. The toad spirit proved a terrifying foe, lashing out with its tongue and swallowing Ladrick whole. While trapped inside, Ladrick was crushed into unconsciousness. The spirit’s baffling croak and hundred-eyed stare dazed and terrified the adventurers, even killing Nagi with pure fright. Through a combination of powerful banishment magic from Goldweir and a pillar spell from Andromone that launched the unconscious Ladrick high into the air, the party defeated the entity. After a daring mid-air catch and some healing, they looted the temple of its strange treasures and returned to Outskirt to bury their short-lived companion and sell their bizarre haul.

OUTLINE:

Tavern Business and a Shady Offer

The party learned Annabelle is still searching for the statuette pieces.
Eric questioned some mallards about ‘Sothmog’ and noticed they had the cult’s triangular brand.
A grimy halfling named Nagi approached the party with a map to a treasure-filled ruin, offering to guide them for a share of the loot.
The party agreed to Nagi’s terms and prepared to set out.

Journey to the Gullet

The party traveled with Nagi through a swampy, difficult terrain.
Lacey successfully navigated the party’s cart through the bog with a successful Bushcraft check.
They arrived at a hillside ravine featuring a stone door flanked by two large toad statues.

Breaching the Toad Temple

The party pried a faintly magical, malicious ruby from one of the toad statues.
They deciphered demonic writing on the door, identifying it as a hymn to a being named ‘Gozu’.
Upon breaking the lead seal and opening the door, a terrifying croak echoed out, frightening the party and causing their animals to panic.

The Wax-Headed Skeleton Ambush

The party explored the antechamber, discovering a ‘purging altar’.
In the next room, four skeletons with heads preserved in yellow wax animated and attacked.
Andromone’s fireball set three skeletons on fire, but he and Ladrick were quickly downed by axe attacks.
Lacey and Goldweir healed their fallen companions, allowing the party to regroup and destroy the remaining skeletons.

Confronting the Spirit of Gozu

The party entered the final sanctuary containing a lead idol of a many-eyed toad.
Ladrick triggered a trap, summoning an ectoplasmic copy of the idol.
The toad spirit swallowed Ladrick, knocking him unconscious, and killed Nagi with a psychic attack.
Goldweir cast a powerful banishment spell, severely damaging the spirit.
Andromone’s pillar spell blasted Ladrick out of the creature and into the air.
After rescuing Ladrick, the party destroyed the spirit and looted the room of eyeballs, urns of dust, and silver collars.

NPCs:

Annabelle: The housekeeper at the Three Stags Tavern. She is helping the party find pieces of a mysterious statuette, offering to buy them for a handsome price.
Drenath: The priest in Outskirt who performed the last rites for Nagi in exchange for the party doing some manual labor around the chapel.
Gozu: A demonic, toad-like entity known as ‘the bile of a hundred gazes’. Its ectoplasmic spirit manifested from a lead idol to defend its temple.
Nagi: A grimy, oily halfling treasure hunter who led the party to the Toad Temple. He died of sheer fright after witnessing the terrifying power of the Gozu spirit.
Quasimund: The nefarious leader of a black mallard gang. He is also seeking the statuette pieces, making him a rival to the party. He was mentioned but did not appear in the session.
Theobald: A traveling merchant who frequents Outskirt. He purchased the party’s cursed rubies, much to his immediate regret.

ITEMS:

Cursed Rubies: Two thumb-sized, oval-shaped rubies pried from the foreheads of toad statues. They radiate a faint, malicious magical aura.
Eric’s Cart: A sturdy, donkey-drawn cart that serves as the party’s primary means of transporting goods, loot, and occasionally, halflings.
Lead Idol Eyes: Glass balls filled with oil, resembling fishing net weights, that served as the eyes of the Gozu idol. The party recovered several dozen.
Silver Collars: Four black-lacquered silver collars taken from the wax-headed skeletons, engraved with a hymn to Gozu.
Urns of Bone Meal & Silver Dust: Six large clay urns from the temple’s sanctuary, filled with a mixture of powdered bone and valuable silver dust.

LOCATIONS:

Outskirt: A small settlement that serves as the party’s current base of operations. It contains the Three Stags Tavern and a small chapel.
The Gullet (Toad Temple): An ancient, hidden temple in the swamps dedicated to the demon Gozu. It was sealed with lead and guarded by undead skeletons and a powerful ectoplasmic spirit.
The Three Stags Tavern: A lively inn in Outskirt where the party rests, gathers information, and meets new contacts.

FACTIONS:

Quasimund’s Gang: A gang of nefarious black mallards led by Quasimund. They are rivals to the party, also seeking the pieces of the statuette.

QUESTS:

Nagi’s Treasure Hunt: Follow the halfling Nagi to a hidden ruin called ‘The Gullet’ and claim the treasure within.
The Statuette Pieces: Find the four scattered pieces of a mysterious statuette for Annabelle, the housekeeper of the Three Stags Tavern.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Andromone Stormhand: An elven elementalist with a penchant for boasting and a flair for the dramatic. He truly believes he is the greatest adventurer in the world and has the powerful fire magic to back it up, though his arrogance sometimes gets him into trouble. He is also surprisingly persuasive, rallying others to his cause (and ego).
Eric Redbeard: A Dwarven mariner finding his footing on land. He is the proud owner of a cart, a donkey named Mrs. Brown, and a guard dog. He is practical and observant, taking note of suspicious symbols on NPCs.
Goldweir: A young elven animist who shares a touch of vanity common among his kin. He is a powerful magic-user, capable of both healing and banishing demonic entities. He is willing to step into melee with his staff when needed.
Lacey Goodwine: A halfling who prefers the open sky to a roof over her head. She is a capable healer, using what appears to be a bag of dirt to mend wounds, and is also handy with a shortbow. Despite her ‘granny’ persona, she can be pragmatic and ruthless.
Ladrick: A haughty Dwarven artisan who believes himself, and by extension the group he is in, to be the best. He wields a handaxe with deadly efficiency and is not afraid to charge headfirst into danger. His confidence was shaken slightly when a blow knocked his teeth out.