RECAP: War of the Burning Sky, 5-31-26

The recap of the previous session reveals that the players had recently defeated a large group of Sargavans near the Mwangi village of Eresh. They interacted with monks who reported that individuals named Pilus and Longinus, along with Caela and other monks, had journeyed east towards a location that serves as Pilus’s philosophical laboratory, where meditation and discussions occur. Three Weeping Ravens was spirited away by air creatures in the same direction, so the party quickly decided to go east to seek them all out. Directions were provided for the players to follow, eastward into a dense jungle.

Upon traveling through jungle terrain, the party discovers the overgrown stone ruins of an ancient building or village. The environment contains multiple stone domes reminiscent of charcoal kilns, though their use is uncertain. The area is cleared of foliage, suggesting occasional maintenance or usage.

• Key discovery: A lizardfolk creature tied to an ancient stone plinth, appearing dazed, possibly drugged or injured.
• The creature shows no recognition or response to the party’s presence.
• This sight recalls information about a figure named Irisk of the Reed, a heavily scarred lizardfolk druid noted by an NPC named Erul in Eresh.

The bindings rely on woven vines rather than typical rope. Below the room lies a cracked floor revealing a second subterranean level. Over these cracks are several roughly constructed wooden bridges made from saplings woven together, some leading atop the stone domes.

• The spiked ball trap mechanism is identified by Wraith: a large (approx. 8 ft) spiked ball tethered by rope in a tree, designed to swing across paths if triggered.
• The trap’s trajectory is expected to strike areas about 4.5 to 5 ft high, posing a lethal hazard.

The group performs perception checks to survey the surroundings:

Character	Perception Roll	Flying Status	Observation
Titus	27	Flying above canopy	Witnessed faint movement nearby to the east
Ono	26	On ground	Spotted a person hiding in bushes
Po	20	On ground	Confirmed hidden creature presence
Vondrum	13	On ground	Less detail, cautious auditory awareness

Titus communicates sightings to others using the message cantrip. But Po and Ono detect a small, crouching humanoid figure (~3 to 3.5 feet tall), partially concealed amidst shrubbery. This creature is characterized by:

• Green, woolly skin with luminescent eyes.
• A tongue resembling that of a snake.
• Wearing talons or stones as adornments.
• It is not undead but appears wild and hostile.

This figure may be related or similar to hostile “cannibal-like” entities previously encountered.

As Wraith stealthily approaches the tied lizardfolk, he uncovers key hazards:

• A concealed tripwire trap crafted from natural materials, perfectly camouflaged by the jungle environment.
• The previously identified spiked ball trap, suspended like a pendulum to strike intruders crossing the area.

Wraith successfully leaps a 6-8 ft gap using an acrobatics check and moves closer without breaking stealth. The lizardfolk prisoner displays signs of heavy sedation or poisoning:

• Eyes glossy yellow and unresponsive.
• Breathing is labored; no visible wounds.
• The prisoner is gagged with a sack stuffed with wet foliage, likely to prevent speech or spellcasting (as he is a druid).
• This incapacitation supports the theory of poisoning or drugging designed to neutralize him.

Po spots the feral green-skinned hobbit-like creature bearing a flintnapped stone weapon, and it immediately becomes hostile on approach. The creature launches a preemptive melee attack at Ono; however, Ono reacts non-lethally (having previously declared his intention not to kill unless forced to) with a stunning punch to subdue it. The foe’s eyes remain luminous and pupil-less prior to being knocked unconscious. But the attack coupled with verbal warnings sparks a wider reaction from similar creatures making animal-like hooting noises—a form of animal communication recognized by Titus under a Comprehend languages spell. “Danger”, “food”, “attack” and similar alert messages constitute the bulk of the creatures’ communications.

To the east, turkey-sized velociraptor-like creatures are spotted moving towards the party:

• They move cautiously, investigating but not charging outright.
• These are small theropods, not the larger dinosaurs popularized in media, about the size of wild turkeys (~4 feet length).
• They are aggressive and dangerous, similar in temperament to aggressive wild geese.

Titus attempts diplomacy by hailing the approaching small velociraptors in draconic and common languages. Their reaction is a curious fascination mixed with confusion, but they do not attack immediately. Without a response, Titus follows up with a web spell is cast on the creatures to entangle them. Vondram then uses Fire Snake, a continuous flame-shaped spell, against the velociraptors caught in the web:

• The flame snake reaches about nine squares (approximately 45 feet).
• Creatures trapped take full damage (10d6 including evoker bonus).
• The smell of scorched flesh and spiderwebs permeates the jungle area.

Elsewhere, combat escalates as hobbit-sized plant-based enemies, described as vegetative “green dudes,” close in:

• Armed with crude flintnapped stone weapons.
• Their physiology resembles vines and leaves rather than typical animal anatomy.
• Multiple hostile creatures emerge from the underbrush and converge on party members.
• Descriptions suggest these enemies could be native jungle entities or magically animated plant creatures.

Inside the ruins, Lorelei attempts to use Color Spray, a cone-shaped (15 ft) Will save effect, on groups near Wraith, who has unbound the lizardman and is fireman-carrying him away from his stelae. Successful saves mean no effect; failures result in blindness and stunning for 1d4 rounds. The effect successfully incapacitates several plant creatures, temporarily neutralizing their threat, and two plant hobbits react to Lorelei’s bardic performance with fascination, halting attacks and swaying as if entranced.

Titus, growing impatient, casts a powerful Fireball (20 ft radius sphere) on a cluster of enemies:

• Total damage dealt is approximately 96 points, annihilating all affected targets.
• The blast lights large portions of the jungle ablaze, with smoke and flames lingering.

Wraith successfully crosses the shaky wooden bridge carrying the heavy lizardfolk prisoner (estimated weight: 240 lbs, plus Wraith’s own 150 lbs). A Dexterity check of 31 avoids falling into cracks or the pit beneath, but the bridge collapses after his passage.

The party faces consequences and minor setbacks, including Ono incurring a “hangnail” condition, preventing him from engaging Flurry of Blows for several rounds. Titus observes and reports multiple small lizard-like bipedal creatures underneath the floor cracks:

• These resemble kobolds (humanoid lizards) armed with spears and short swords.
• Attempts at communication in both Common and Draconic prompt the kobolds (if that is what they are) to scatter without response.
• Titus follows up with a fireball targeting the underground foes, successfully torching and killing some of them.

The aftermath of fireballs and magic reveals:

• The floor in parts has disintegrated revealing a pit spiked at the bottom.
• The spiked ball trap my have been designed in such a way as to knock victims into this lethal pit.
• Wraith successfully maneuvers and drops the rescued lizardman safely.
• Bow attacks from Wraith efficiently eliminate several plant-type foes.

Concentration checks become critical for spellcasters like Vondram maintaining damaging effects like Fire Stream amid opportunity attacks, and the party continues to struggle against the plant hobbit mobs with mixed success. But Magic Missiles and melee attacks efficiently reduce enemy numbers, with many foes counted as verms (four total for the evening)

After sustained combat, the session concludes with players coordinating defensive position and dealing with the presence of multiple ongoing threats: missing poison cures for the lizardfolk prisoner, continuing waves of plant creatures, and uncertain movement below ground

Key Insights

• The interplay between environmental hazards and enemy ambushes greatly influences player tactics.
• The captured lizardfolk NPC, possibly a party ally or valuable informant, suffering from poisoning/poison-like effects, is a critical element driving cautious behavior and urgency.
• The plant hobbit creatures exhibit unusual physiology (vine/leaves composition) classifying many as vermin, affecting combat tactics and damage outcomes.
• Use of area-effect magic, particularly fire-based spells, proves decisive against groups of enemies but at risk of environmental consequences.
• Party members maintain good communication for situational awareness, utilizing magical messaging and perception-based coordination.
• Status afflictions like hangnail affect party martial capabilities and introduce risk in melee combat.
• Social/diplomatic attempts to communicate with unknown or hostile creatures may influence encounter development but have limited success so far.