This session the DM added the rule of Inspiration. The DM will grant the party members Inspiration if they roleplay exceptionally well. The Inspiration can be used to give advantage on any role. We haven’t done this yet because Cordelia wasn’t comfortable with role playing, but we hope by introducing the extra incentive she will be more eager to roleplay.
The previous session ended with the party arriving at the meteor site to find the comet gone. Lysithea had felt the remnants of a magical presence that had left about a day before. They were able to find human, jackal, and Jackalwere footprints heading west and decided to follow them.
The party rolls investigation to follow the footprints (Octavia 5, Surina 2, K’un-Lun 15, Lysithea 13, Professor 10). They are able to trace the footprints another ½ day’s journey. 3 days of supplies have been used, 3 days are left.
DM: Surina, roll a d8 (5) and a d12 (1). It’s getting close to dusk and there’s a lot of dead desert ferns. (Nature check Lysithea 13, Surina 18, Octavia 21). This used to look more lush, like there used to be a lot of life growing here. K’un-Lun, roll history with advantage (11). You recognize this place. It used to be a lot greener. There was more oasis here. Octavia, you feel like all the bracket, thorns and brush around isn’t right.
K’un-Lun: This place sure has changed in the last 1000 years.
Octavia: You’re right. This doesn’t feel right.
DM: Lysithea, roll a d8 (7) and a d12 (10). What do you do? It’s getting close to dark. (Lysithea rolls arcana 16). There is nothing extraordinarily magical. In fact, nothing about this is magical.
K’un-Lun: Looks like we may have to stay here the night.
Octavia: It looks like we are going to have to set up camp for the night. It is getting dark and we don’t know all the facts in the area yet. I’m going to set up a perimeter in case we need to protect ourselves from things in the night.
DM: You all took a short rest while traveling, so you can roll your hit die to regain HP.
The party sets up Surina’s giant tent and starts a fire. K’un-Lun stays outside the tent to meditate and keep watch. Octavia chooses to stay outside the tent with Onoca, her panther (the animal companion Octavia chose when reaching Level 3 and choosing Beast Master), to hunt and keep watch. Onoca goes out prowling. Dust starts blowing a little harder.
Octavia: Are we looking at a dust storm (rolls survival, 12)?
DM: This doesn’t feel like dust storm type of dust.
Octavia and K’un-Lun roll perception (K’un-Lun 18, Octavia, 13).
DM: The dust has a pattern. It’s going around the compass. It comes in bursts every few minutes, blowing North to South, then West to East, then South to North, and then East to West.
K’un-Lun: *appears deep in meditation*
Octavia: *kicks K’un-Lun to wake him up* I think we’re being surrounded. Do you feel it? Do you see it?
K’un-Lun: They must be wind beasts.
Surina: *peaks her head out of the tent* What’s going on?
Octavia: I’m not quite sure, Surina. I feel wind coming from all directions, like we’re being surrounded. I can’t sense anything, though, except for the wind.
DM: Roll perception (Octavia 11, K’un-Lun adjusted 20, Surina Nat 20). You hear giggling as the brushes and thorns begin to spread out, closing the party in. Octavia, roll a dexterity check for your panther (20). It makes it inside. Surina, with your Nat 20, you know there are 6 distinct giggles.
Surina: *goes back inside tent* We are closed in by thorns and I heard giggling.
Professor has a tiny tent that goes over his belly that he sleeps under.
DM: The fire goes out.
Octavia: Oh, lovely…
DM: It’s not fully dark, but the fire is out. The moon is out, and it’s not quite midnight.
Lysithea: *knocks over Professor’s tiny tent* Hey, get up, there’s giggling (rolls attack, 19).
Professor: *jumps up awake, aggressively knocking over his tent*
DM: Everyone roll initiative (Surina 19, K’un-Lun 13, Professor 15, Octavia 5, Lysithea 19, Draggy 10).
Since Cordelia and I tied for initiative we had to discuss who would go first. We decided to do Rock Paper Scissors, best 2 out of 3, to determine who gets the first move. Cordelia won.
Begin Dust Fight
Surina tries to knock out the thorns with her sword. She makes a perception roll (10) when she arrives at the thorns to the west. She rolls to break the thorns and hits with a 10, but as her sword slices through the thorns reform. Lysithea exits the tent and rolls arcana (17). This is all definitely magic. The giggling clues her in that something or someone magical is playing tricks on them.
Octavia: Magic thorns and giggling, I don’t like this one bit.
Lysithea: It feels like someone is trying to play a trick on us.
Professor reaches in his bag of goodies, grabs his crossbow, attaches it to his arm, exits the tent, and readies an action to hit.
Professor: WHO GOES THERE?
As if in reply another small burst of wind kicks up from the east. Everyone outside the tent makes athletic check. Everyone passes so no one got knocked over, but the giggling persisted. K’un-Lun goes up to a bush and karate chops it. Rolls perception (8). He rolls to attack the bush and hits with a 14, but since he attacks the bush unarmed he takes 1 point of damage from the thorns.
K’un-Lun: I don’t think there’s anything in these bushes.
Octavia: Then what would explain the giggling?
K’un-Lun rolls arcana (Nat 20). Someone about 10 feet away just tried to cast a magic sleep spell on him. He cannot react to it, but Professor can.
K’un-Lun: He tried to get me from the bush over there!
Professor: BAH!
Professor shoots his crossbow in response, hitting something with a 14, doing 5 damage. An impish figure swirling with dust appears.
K’un-Lun: One of those impish dust beings I’ve heard so much about.
Another imp appears. Octavia and K’un-Lun have to make dexterity saving throws as another gust of dust exhales from the creature’s mouth (K’un-Lun 14, Octavia 19). Both succeed and are safe.
K’un-Lun: Put a mask on!
Another imp appears and attacks, but Professor and Lysithea both pass their dexterity saving throws. All 4 party members outside the tent, save Surina, make another saving throw. Octavia and Professor both fail and are blinded by the dust (the dust is magic so it goes through Professor’s goggles).
Octavia: *screams*
Professor: My eyes!
The last one attacks Professor with its claws, hits with an adjusted 20 and does 3 damage. Draggy exits the tent and swings his ax, hitting an imp with a 14, doing 11 damage. Octavia is blinded, so any attack she makes gets disadvantage. She sends her panther to attack the creature by Surina. It bites with a 16…
Professor: I guess you could say another one bites the dust.
Octavia: Shut up Professor.
K’un-Lun: *rolls his eyes really hard*
…and does 7 damage. Octavia fails her dexterity saving throw so she will remain blinded. Surina attacks the same imp with her longsword, but misses with a 7. Lysithea shoots Fire Bolt at an imp, hits with a 15 and does 4 damage. The fire looks like it did a lot of damage to it. Professor is blinded, so he gets disadvantage. He shoots Fire Bolt but he can’t see so he misses. To recover from his blindness he makes another dexterity check (with advantage cause of his goggles), and recovers his sight with a roll of 18.
Octavia: Lucky!
K’un-Lun approaches the creature that hit him and goes to kick it, but critically fails. The imp giggles and the dust swarms over K’un-Lun, blinding him. K’un-Lun kicks again with his bonus action, hits with a 21, and does 7 damage. The imp attacks K’un-Lun back with a 24, doing 3 damage. Another imp hits Draggy with a 19 and does 3 damage. An imp moves towards Lysithea to attack, hits with a 13 and does 2 damage. Professor is attacked, hit with a 20 and takes 3 damage. Octavia is attacked and is hit with a 16, taking 3 damage. Surina is attacked but the imp misses. Draggy attacks the imp that attacked him, but he critically fails. Dust swarms around him and he is blinded. Draggy attacks again with his bonus action, hits with a 13 and does 7 damage, defeating the imp. When the imp was defeated it burst in to a cloud of dust. Draggy rolls a dexterity saving throw and regains his sight. Octavia sends her panther to claw at the imp it was attacking, hits with an 18 and does 3 damage. Octavia makes a dexterity saving throw and is no longer blinded! Surina swings her sword at the imp, rolls a Nat. 20, and does 11 damage total. The imp bursts into a cloud of dust and sand. Surina and the panther make a constitution saving throw (Octavia 17, Surina Nat. 20). Lysithea steps out of melee and shoots Fire Bolt, hitting with a 24 and doing 6 damage. The imp blows up in a burst of dust and sand. Professor steps out of melee, shoots Fire Bolt at his imp and does 5 fire damage.
Octavia: I think they don’t like fire since they put out my fire.
K’un-Lun punches and misses, swings again with his bonus and hits, doing 7 damage. The imp poofs into a cloud of dust. K’un-Lun uses Grab of Death. He grabs the imp by the throat, pop him in to dust, and absorbs his life energy.
K’un-Lun: That’s what you get for making me blind!… *looks around* I’m a good guy. I’m a goood guy…
He rolls a constitution saving throw and dexterity throw, passing both and recovering is sight. The first of the 2 remaining imps attacks, causing Lysithea, Octavia, and Professor to make a dexterity saving throw. Professor rolls with advantage, but only rolls a 3, so he is blinded again. He gets to attack the creature right back and attempt to hit the creature over the head with his crossbow, but misses. The other imp moves and attacks Professor, hits with a 21 and does 3 damage. Draggy tries to attack but misses. Octavia can now see, so she shoots the imp that Draggy just missed, hits with an 18 and does 4 damage. Surina moves to hit the other imp.
Cordelia speaks up and asks if she can Searing Smite one of them.
She casts Searing Smite, rolls with advantage because she’s flanking, and hits with a 15. Her attack does 4 regular damage, and 3 fire damage. The imp bursts in to cloud and sand. Surina, Professor, and Lysithea make constitution saving throws. Surina and Lysithea both succeed, and Professor was already blind so it didn’t matter. Lysithea’s Fire Bolt attack misses. K’un-Lun moves in to flank the last imp, hits with an adjusted 20, and 7 damage. To finish off the imp he uses Flurry of Blows. His first punch lands with a Nat. 20 and does 6 damage. His final punch hits again with another Nat. 20! K’un-Lun karate chops its head in half, and it poofs in to a dust cloud.
Everything is Dust in the Wind…
Lysithea knows these were Dust Mephits. They are capricious, imp-like creatures native to the elemental plains.
Lysithea: These are Dust Mephits, or were… they usually work for something or someone bigger or more powerful than them. They find death fascinating and entertaining.
K’un-Lun: I bet they find it real fascinating now.
Octavia: Morbid little boys.
DM: The thorns dissipate. The whole area remains as this deathly brush, but the thorns are gone.
Octavia: Can we finally get some rest?
Party takes a long rest, K’un-Lun just short rests.
Professor borrows K’un-Lun’s mask, destroys the Goggles of Night he made previously and puts the night vision in to his mask. He now has a superhero mask that functions as Goggles of Night.
The party wakes up in the morning to find the footprints are still visible, so they follow.
DM: You see a giant, lush city, with very tall walls. K’un-Lun 100% recognizes it. It looks just like it did in his time.
K’un-Lun: Woah, it’s that big place…my memory, it’s so cloudy… it was 1000 years ago…
Professor: Get a hold of yourself! *grabs K’un-Lun by his collar and starts slapping him*
K’un-Lun: I remember what it’s called now! It’s Ma’at! (DM awards Professor and K’un-Lun an Inspiration for acting)
DM: Octavia does not recognize this place at all.
Octavia: I don’t remember this place here. K’un-Lun you said you knew it?
K’un-Lun: Yes, it’s a temple city. It looks way more populated now I think.
DM: And it’s green. There’s a lot of life.
Octavia: I know this desert like the back of my hand, and I’ve never seen this before.
Lysithea: You seem to not recognize a lot of places in this desert since you’ve joined up with us, huh?
Octavia: Yes and I’m very upset out it! How can I be a guide? I’m so upset! But I still get half!
DM: In front of the city walls are 2 jackal-hybrid statues that resemble Inubus, holding spears (Octavia rolls perception, 14). The city is vibrant, like there’s a lot going on inside. You cannot see past the walls, but it looks like people are around.
Lysithea: We need to be careful here.
Octavia: Yeah, I’m a little cautious.
Lysithea: *several theories swirling in her mind* Surina, how should we go in?
Cordelia and I had a conversation about our options. Should the party go charging in? Should we try to sneak in? Should we casually stroll inside like visitors? Dad explained to her that it looks like a lively city and there doesn’t seem to be anything bad happening. With this information Cordelia decides that we should carefully walk in.
DM: When you walk in you see this town is an oasis with a huge temple at the back. Professor knows all of this material is sandstone, the same kind as the previous temples.
Professor: This place is… it’s… It’s built of the same thing that those creepy places were made from, with the mummies.
Octavia: We may want to find whoever’s in charge here to ask some questions.
DM: There’s people moving about, they don’t seem to be paying you any mind.
Lysithea: What kind of people (perception, 16)?
DM: Humanoids, various races. You do see some of the jackal-hybrid that you’ve seen before. You can’t quite put your finger on something, but something doesn’t seem right about the people you’re seeing. Something is connecting them, but you can’t quite figure it out. (Lysithea rolls arcana, adjusted 20). There’s magic everywhere, there are definitely Jackalweres.
Lysithea: What happens if we approach one of these people? I’m curious to see if they will respond.
Octavia approaches a citizen: Excuse me, how long have you been here?
Citizen: I’ve only been here a few weeks, but I’m here serving my duty. *continues on*
Lysithea: Ask someone what the date is.
Professor: You there, boy! What day is it?
Citizen: *gives present day date*
Lysithea: I’m really confused. Something is not right.
K’un-Lun: *pushes Professor out of the way* Who do you serve? What duty are you doing?
Citizen: We serve the temple and Queen Themaphila.
Octavia: That is a name. *nods*
K’un-Lun rolls history with advantage (14). He recognizes the name, but not anything else. Professor rolls religion (23) and recognizes the religion as worshipping the god Inubus. Surina and Octavia both know that this should be an ancient ruin site. Dalvok was digging up these ruins. These are also the first ruins that appeared, creating the hype for ruin discovery.
Octavia: I knew that there were ruins here, that it was not an active city.
Lysithea: Should we check out the temple?
Surina: Yes, let’s go to the temple!
K’un-Lun rolls investigation (11). Something is off about the people around here, and he’s not quite sure what. The rest of the party rolls investigation, but no one rolls well. Lysithea rolls 19 nature on the oasis. It looks new, and the green doesn’t quite feel natural. She passes this info to Octavia, who rolls nature (13). She can’t quite put her finger on all of this. Surina wants to go to the temple.
DM: There’s more guards around closer to the temple. Most of the guards are Jackalweres. This whole place is built around the temple. There are smaller buildings at the base, and statues of the god Inubus everywhere. The theme of the architecture is Inubus.
Professor goes in front of a statue, folds his cloak out in front of the statue and starts peddling all of his bric-a-brac. No one pays him any notice. There’s no other shops or merchants.
K’un-Lun: Good wares for sale! Cheap!
Surina heads up the stairs of the temple. The guards let her pass, but at the doors they stop her.
Guard: Why are you here? Who are you seeking an audience with?
Surina: To see the temple.
Guard: You may enter but touch nothing.
Surina, Lysithea and Octavia enter the building. Professor and K’un-Lun remain outside and try to sell things, with Onoca keeping guard.
DM: The atrium of the temple has very ornate columns. There are paintings throughout the entire inside, all depicting trials and the weighing of the scales. There statues of Inubus everywhere, and guards spaced around the room. (Lysithea rolls perception, 18; Surina rolls perception, 19). It looks vibrant, like it was just made yesterday, or hasn’t been touched in forever. It’s beautiful and pristine. You make your way to the grand hall, where there is a giant statue of Inubus. There is also a giant raised seat area for a judge, and pews. It looks like an elaborate courtroom. Standing at the front is a man all dressed in white wearing a vibrant headdress of a jackal that covers his entire head. He speaks with a loud, booming voice.
Priest: Greetings travelers. What brings you to our great temple?
We wanted Cordelia to answer this question since she is the leader of our party. Her character believes in telling the truth and condemns lying. We took this time to teach her one of the sneakier aspects of D&D: telling the truth does not mean you have to tell the whole truth. We didn’t know where we were or what was going on, and providing too much information could be dangerous. Which truth could she provide the priest with that wouldn’t cause trouble for the party?
Surina: We came to check out the temple of Inubus (rolls persuasion, 16).
This was completely true. Was that the only reason were here? No. But it was one of the reasons, so she still told the truth. We then made sure to tell her the difference between fantasy and reality – tell the truth in real life.
Priest: Well here it is, our grand, giant design. This is our great temple where we judge those who do wrong in the eyes of Inubus, those who do wrong in the eyes of our queen.
Octavia: Excuse me, but can you tell me how long you have been here?
Priest: Inubus has been here since time immemorial. We have judged here forever, for far longer than I’ve been here.
Lysithea can tell he’s dodging the question.
Octavia: Maybe I was not clear. How long has this city been erected?
Priest: For as long as I’ve been here.
Lysithea: How long have you been here?
Priest: For as long as my service to Inubus and the queen has allowed me to be here.
Octavia: Lysithea, I don’t think he wants to answer our questions.
Priest: If you wish you see our temple you are in luck! A trial will be held here soon. You can wait outside the temple and may reenter when the trial beings.
The three reconvene with Professor and K’un-Lun.
Outside the temple, no one has paid Professor or his wares any mind whatsoever.
K’un-Lun: What a bunch of prudes!
Professor packs his stuff up. They both roll perception (K’un-Lun 13, Professor 9). K’un-Lun sees a mixture of people wearing clothes that he recognizes from his time, along with more modern clothes. The panther comforts Professor since no one was buying his stuff.
K’un-Lun relays his discovery to the party once they are reunited.
Octavia: You’re very fashionable now.
Lysithea: I don’t like this. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on.
Bells start ringing, and all of the town’s people enter the temple. The party enters as well, but hang in the back. Everyone again rolls investigation (Surina rolls a Nat 20). The town is full of men. There are no women to be seen except for Lysithea, Octavia, and Surina.
Surina: There’s only men here.
Lysithea: I don’t like this.
Everyone is sitting in the pews and there are 2 new chairs set up in front of the judge stand. The priest is standing in front. Sitting in one chair is a goblin fellow that you all recognize (see Sessions 3 and 4).
Lysithea: *mumbles* I need to light his hair on fire… *continues mumbling angrily*
Octavia: *tries to calm Lysithea*
Everyone then stands and bows as a 7 ft. tall, golden haired woman wearing a vibrant red toga dress and a pointed diadem crown walks up to the podium and sits. K’un-Lun recognizes this as the vision he believes is Queen Themaphila.
K’un-Lun: *gasps*
K’un-Lun and Professor feel this is the most beautiful woman they have ever seen.
K’un-Lun: How could I have forgotten about such a vision?!
Professor: *eyes grow to the size of his goggles*
Her face is scowling in anger and as she sits she slams her hand on the podium yelling.
Queen: I want my statue back!
Priest: The creature on trial is being accused of stealing a statue. Does the being in question have anything to say before the trial begins?
Slogoth is in the defendant’s seat wearing a suit like a used car salesman from New Jersey.
Slogoth: Well, you see, if I wanted to steal something I would be gone by now, and I’m telling you I did not steal anything… this time.
Party rolls insight (Lysithea 16, Surina 15). It doesn’t sound like he’s lying at all. But the queen starts throwing a temper tantrum, slamming her hands on her desk in front other.
Queen: I know you took it, I know you stole it, and I want it back!
Octavia: *whispers to Lysithea* That was attractive…
What is the Party about to get in to? End session…
Octavia and Professor each get 2 Inspiration for next session, and K’un-Lun and Lysithea each get one. Surina was not granted any, which leads to my analysis of her progress in this session…
Analysis: I believe I’ve stated before about our playing this with Cordelia to boost her confidence level. When she has control she is incredibly creative and spontaneous. She creates characters, writes stories about them, draws them, acts as them, and sometimes tells us how one of her made up characters would react to something happening in real life. But put the control in someone else’s hands (Dad the DM, her school teacher, writing prompts, etc.) and her confidence diminishes greatly. Cordelia was, once again, very reserved when it came to roleplaying. During combat she is active and decisive (she really likes to use Searing Smite), which is wonderful in itself, but those actions are less open ended and more concrete. She seems to have an idea about what her character would say, and we can see her begin to fidget when she wants to contribute, but she won’t speak up, and she holds back and waits for approval before acting. At the end of the session Dad talked with her about why her character didn’t earn any Inspiration, and gave examples of why the other players did. The Inspiration didn’t seem to motivate her too much, but talking about the other character acting did. We will continue to use Inspiration for excellent roleplay because it is fun, and we are going to experiment with different elements until we can find the right confidence boost for Cordelia.