2024-05-22 - Baldur is Defeated!!!

 2024-05-22 - Session Notes

Today, we did the impossible, we beat the odds and defeated our arch-nemesis Baldur and his allies went down to defeat. Though there were several points in the Battle that could have gone either way and only by the luck of the dice did our heroes prevail. This if you put it in computer game terms would be the end of a chapter Boss fight. Our heros are now 14th level and pushing the envelope on what they can accomplish. The recounting of the Battle was hectic and I do believe that the Sentient Journal had a difficult time keeping up with all the action, so things may be disjointed and out of actual order of events, but his writing does give an idea of the battle that was won.

Characters

Sebastian - DM

Harold - Cain

Alex - Mathandrial

Wes - Varrin

Stanley - Garoche

Holden - Donkey

Important NPCs This Session

Baldur - BBEG

• 3-Annis Hags
• Giant Scorpion
• Giant Leech
• Moonscarred Dryad

Roland

• Miwa
• Scathact
• Magini

Raccoons with a NY accent and attitude

Battle Initiation: Confrontation with Baldur and Minions

The clash began under a foreboding sky, with Baldur and his vile minions arrayed against our heroes. 

Garoche, standing resolute at the forefront, fell prey to a hag’s petrification spell, his form beginning to harden into immovable rock. Baldur, wielding his spells and legendary actions with ruthless precision, quickly tipped the scales in his and his allies favor. Our party faced grim odds. Though Verrin, seizing the opportunity after Baldur’s first attacks, cast a spell that ensnared our enemies, pinning them under its crushing force. Donkey, embracing his polymorphed draconic form, unleashed a torrent of fury upon Baldur, delivering a massive blows that shook the battlefield and Baldur. 

Chaotic Struggles and Shifting Fortunes

A hag, intent on stifling Donkey’s rampage, attempted to grapple with him, but vanished into thin air upon failing. Cain, with unmatched ferocity, struck Baldur five times, then starlight stepped away, creating a brief respite for himself. The scorpion's vicious strikes badly bloodied Donkey, while Mathandrial’s disease spells seemed futile against Baldur’s formidable defenses. The leech, ever loyal, restored some of Baldur’s wounds, undoing the party's hard-won damage. 

Garoche, locked in avoiding petrification, failed another saving throw, edging closer to becoming a stone statue. Baldur, ever the opportunist, cast a barrage of spells before shoving Donkey 60 feet towards a door that had mysteriously appeared. This door, with a grotesque mouth, loomed ominously awaiting one of the party to come closer.

Verrin’s Desperate Spellcasting

Verrin, undeterred, cast a devastating spell that injured Baldur, the leech, scorpion, and hags alike. One hag’s spell seemed to fizzle against the party, while the other grappled with Verrin, and both vanished. Cain’s attempt to cast Hold Person on Baldur failed, adding to the mounting tension. Donkey’s assault on the monstrous door which upon his striking it, turned out to be a disguised trap, that dispelled his dragon form, and left him severely weakened in his Minotaur shape. The scorpion’s attacks on Cain proved fruitless. Mathandrial, breaking through, inflicted severe damage on Baldur with a sword spell. The leech's assault on Garoche left him gravely wounded. While the Moonscarred Dryad enveloped Mathandrial.

Critical Moments and Dire Consequences

Garoche successfully saved against the petrification and randomly plane-shifted away, escaping his petrification fate and certain death at the leech’s bite. He ended up on a destroyed world, and had no idea of his whereabouts. Baldur’s critical hit and devastating attacks on Cain left the warrior teetering on the brink of death. Suddenly Verrin reappeared with the corpse of a hag and summoned a wall of fire that engulfed their enemies. 

Cain attacked Baldur, but knowing with Baldur’s legendary action ability that he could not survive another onslaught, so with a final act of defiance, shattered his Staff of Power knowing that in all likelihood it would result in his death. Creating a retributive strike, killing the leech and scorpion and severely wounding Baldur. Somehow he survived shattering the staff and was whisked away randomly to another plane. He landed severely wounded in a park-like area filled with peculiar, bickering raccoons that sounded like New York Cabbies arguing over who would get the fare. He was glad to be alive, but quickly wearied of their verbal onslaught and bickering when all he wanted was some quiet and a place to recover from his wounds.

Turning the Tide: Final Assault on Baldur

Donkey quickly eliminated the Dryad enveloping Mathandrial.

Now being able to focus only on Baldur and Mathandril continued attacking with the sword spell. Verrin narrowly escaped death from Baldur’s laser-like beam. Donkey delivered devastating blows to Baldur and Mathandrial again cast a spell toward the beast.

Suddenly, Baldur began to transform, a shadow emerged behind him, recognized by Donkey and Verrin as Moonscar. Reminded and bound by Natasha’s current Peace Pax by Verrin, she refrained from attacking Verrin directly, uttering a grim “So be it.” and disappeared, not wanting to inadvertently break the pact. Thus leaving Baldur to his fate.

Moonscarred Madness and Final Victory

Baldur, now completely transformed by the Moonscarring disease into a hulking, enraged beast, unleashed a series of spells that infected Donkey, Mathandrial, and Verrin with the Moonscarring disease as well. Baldur's horrific transformation continued as he tore off his central arms, now twisted into deadly blades, but his attacks on Verrin missed. In a final, desperate struggle, Donkey and Verrin’s combined efforts brought Baldur down. However, Mathandrial, too far under the Moonscarring’s influence, attacked Donkey, causing further harm. Thankfully, they all made their saving throws and were able to distance themselves from one another, which gave them the opportunity to not attack one another, though Donkey continued to take damage from the disease that he had been infected with from Mathandrial.

Miwa's Timely Intervention

As the battle’s dust settled, Miwa appeared in her spider form, ensuring Baldur’s permanent demise by piercing his heart, with enough poison to ensure he would never rise again as it went throughout his body. She then shifted to her normal form, extracting the Moonscarring from each hero. Donkey’s attempt at a hug was met with a chuckle and a gentle push away, while Mathandrial gazed at her in awe. Verrin exchanged a few words of gratitude with her.

Aftermath: Loot, Recovery, and New Dilemmas

Mathandrial scavenged reagents from the fallen foes. Among Baldur’s possessions, an Elven Moonblade and a Black and White Shard were discovered. Verrin obliterated what remained of Baldur’s body entirely. 

Suddenly, a gate opened, and Roland beckoned them back to the Stargazer.

Reunion and Respite

Aboard the Stargazer, they find out that Garoche and Cain both survived and will be retrieved shortly. Then Mathandrial asks for the Moonblade and Verrin gives it to  him. They discussed what to do with the shard, but no consensus was made at that moment.

On a different plane, a crewmember finds Garoche on the desolate rock that was the remains of a planet that was destroyed and brings him back to the Stargazer

Another crew member finds Cain, who is tired of the Raccoons and their constant bickering and leaves them gratefully Though as he begins to walk through the gate he turns and points his finger at them, then says Fireball. Cain chuckles as he watches them scatter, but doesn’t cast any spell and walks through the portal back to the Stargazer, still badly injured. They might have been pain in the arses, but they didn’t kill him when they could have.

Once the party is all there they see Scathact walking and talking with an obviously high ranking person, both Mathandrial and Cain recognize him as one of the Crown Princes of the Magini from Dalazon and bow their heads as he passes by. He acknowledges their show of respect and greets them. Donkey rushes over and shakes his hand. The party members all chuckle and just tell the crown prince who was looking confused and dismayed at first until told “that is Donkey being Donkey, he means no disrespect your majesty.” At that the crown prince relaxed and Scathact was almost laughing. But she looked sad and did not speak when Cain asked of Jeanine, who was not there.

At that point Roland clears his throat and talks for a moment telling them the party they had done well and threw a bag of gold on the floor in front of them with the bounty that had been on Baldur. 

There is a lot of talking about what had happened though many in the party were still injured and needed to be healed. 

Cain reminded the others that they had promised to help him defeat the Merchant’s son within the next 48 hours, but Roland spoke up and told the party they needed to rest and recuperate from the Battle with Baldur and his allies. He told the party they would have time before they needed to go off on that mission and get more intel on what needed to be done and how to accomplish it.

Mathandrial did get the Elven Moonblade, though Cain felt a certain pull towards it that he didn’t understand, almost as though it might hold some answers to his past. However, in the name of party unity, he doesn’t plan to force the issue of who possesses the Moonblade. Mathandrial was a big part of how the party killed Baldur and had the right to claim the sword for himself. However, perhaps if Mathandrial is unable to attune to it, Cain might try and see what does happen. If not, he has two powerful swords that are comparable to the Moon sword, so he won't be very unhappy about the outcome.

Then there is the question of what to do with the shard that Baldur held?

The Merchant will be very interested to know that this party will be hunting his son soon and might forewarn him of their imminent action against him. Depending how the boy has been behaving lately.

I wonder though, what mischief that Theren has been up to while the party has been busy dealing with Baldur? Is he still in The Merchant’s labyrinth or is he free to roam?

What is Moonscar's next move and how will the Witching Hour get in the way of everyone's plans. Are all the characters comfortable with Verrin becoming the winner?

Time will tell.