The group splits up to discuss various things. A revelation brings everyone back together… and may drive everyone apart.

In these Campaign Diary posts, I discuss the long-running campaign I play in and our most recent session!

About SBotLL

SBotLL is the campaign I play in that has been running for over five years now. There are two parties: one mostly good-aligned party that started on the surface, and one mostly evil-aligned party that started in the Underdark.

The good-aligned party includes these characters:

  • Finnith (me), high elf bard/rune scribe
  • Nala, dragonborn rogue
  • Allora, tiefling/elf ranger

It also includes Allora’s animal companion, Frikka the bear, plus the NPCs Amuulqalo and Rupert.

The evil-aligned party includes these characters:

  • Eliera, dark elf/high elf ranger/warlock
  • Cipher, changeling rogue/mystic (currently operating as a human named Albion)
  • Baala’rug, tiefling monk

This group also includes Eliera’s animal companion, Artemis the dire wolf, plus the NPCs Naivara, Ivellios, and Daear (played by me).

Recap

Last session, the group learned about the Void and Thoren Amakiir’s plan to destroy the world and create it anew. The Raven Queen, also known as the Host, asked the party—the chosen ones—to complete any unfinished business they had. The chosen may also select confidants to help them deal with the coming apocalypse.

In this session…

The group splits off to get rest and have conversations with other characters. They are in the Host’s mansion, which is fairly comfortable for being in the Shadowfell.

Baala’rug talks to Daear about what has happened. He catches Daear up on events that transpired while Daear and Finnith were in the Shadowfell and the rest of the group on the Material Plane. Daear also mentions that he has regained his memories from when he had died and spent time in the Shadowfell previously.

Daear has searched for the truth behind the murder of Dayereth Iriador, his adoptive father. In the Shadowfell, he found him and got to speak with him. This revealed several things about the situation that Daear did not know previously. Dayereth’s murder was related to Daear, not the followers of Lolth. Dayereth deduced that Dayereth’s biological father wanted Daear dead, so he sent an assassin to their home. Dayereth would not tell the assassin where Daear was, so the assassin murdered him. The assassin’s features were concealed. But, Dayereth did notice a brand with the intials “B” and “M” above one of his eyes.

Additionally, now that Thoren Amakiir has made himself a significant threat, Ivellios’ prior connection to Thoren makes him even more suspicious. Eliera might choose Ivellios as a confidant, which may cause issues if he has ulterior motives.

Thus the two meet up with Eliera to discuss their concerns. It takes a turn when Ivellios appears, and the situation conspires such that he removes his eyepatch and reveals a particular brand above his eye.

At Daear’s questioning, Ivellios reveals that he did, in fact, kill Dayereth Iriador years and years ago. Ivellios and Daear are brothers, though Ivellios grew up in their biological father’s household. They are both illegitimate children of a cruel governor in the Underdark who was killed some time ago. When Daear was born, he was thrown out, and their mother died soon after. Ivellios blamed Daear for their mother’s death when he was a child. Thus, when he was sent to Dayereth and Daear’s home, he took the opportunity to inflict the same pain on Daear.

He doesn’t resist as he is restrained. Daear is ready to end Ivellios’ life, but Eliera raises the alarm, and Baala’rug has them all wait until the rest of the group has arrived on the scene.

Ivellios does not beg for his life and waits for Daear to kill him. This is why Ivellios has remained with the group this long. Eliera and Allora attempt to stop this—Allora uses her power over emotions to attempt to sway things, while Eliera attacks Daear with a spell. Baala’rug intends to help Daear. No one else feels like they can stop what is happening.

And so Daear casts power word kill. Ivellios dies. And Eliera captures the spell with her power. She hesitates for a moment, and then she kills Daear with it. Then she summons her power as the avatar of suffering and transforms, attacking Baala’rug.  

How will the other character intervene? We won’t find out until 2022! We’re all very excited to see what will happen.