Here’s the write up for our 18th Scarlet Citadel session. Hopefully these write ups will prove useful to others running the adventure.
You can read earlier posts here. This post contains spoilers for Scarlet Citadel.
Last session we ended with the PCs about to launch a surprise attack on Danaska Maksilov in the Alchemist’s Furnace. Clairmont and Farthrum were both absent this week so we drafted in a guest player and brought back Barrett, aka the Red Hart, as back up. Cauldvyr the bearfolk druid was also back.
Barrett, quite understandably, asks his companions why they are about to attack the alchemist, who is at that moment absorbed in studying the weird machine at the centre of the chamber. “Because no one in this place is up to any good!” is the (fair) answer. Initiative is rolled and the characters charge in.
Maksilov takes to the air with her potion of flying, while her quasit sidekick Bastron drinks his special potion. This is supposed to give him giant strength and temporary hp but I promptly forgot about it. Oh well.
The four ooze mephits use their breath weapons to great effect on the characters and Maksilov throws the first of her concoctions, a grey melter, at Barrett, degrading his weapons and armour. She follows up on the next round with bootblack pudding but Barrett climbs onto the barrels to avoid being snared. The fighter kills Bastron, angering Maksilov and ending any chance of a peaceful outcome. Cauldvyr casts moonbeam, wipes out one mephit, then uses it to kill Maksilov. Then, Tunde, Maya and Barrett finish off the surviving mephits.
The characters search the alchemist’s body, finding more concoctions, potions, and a key, then take a short rest to recuperate. Without really knowing what they are doing, the party then start to mess around with the furnace until Maya disconnects a tube and releases a cloud of toxic gas. Struggling to breathe, they run through the opening in the SW corner and into the Arcane Scriptorium.
After Barrett quaffs the potion of superior healing they found on Maksilov to recover from the poison gas, the characters examine the part-finished books on the shelves, then make their way gradually through the ruined library. Caudlvyr tells the others about the time construct and the gnome that attacked him.
Barrett tries to break down the door to Cagoth-Ze’s quarters but the door is magically locked and holds firm. Deciding not to risk entering the room with the conjuration circle in just yet, Cauldvyr casts pass without trace on the group so they can sneak past Cagoth-Ze in his study without being spotted. Tunde casts disguise self to appear as Maksilov and the group return to the furnace with the intention of heading through the east door next session.
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Richard Green | Game Designer 