Background: The Masquerade Challenge (Previous Session)#
The Call for Help#
About a month prior, the party was contacted in their dreams by Toonlock, a fae spirit whose realm is being ransacked by Crowley. Using the totem the party had given him months earlier, Crowley has gained direct access to Toonlock’s domain and is systematically destroying it. The party agreed to help by completing three challenges to restore balance to the realm.
Initial Combat#
The party’s arrival was met with immediate resistance - they fought off dodos and a walrus that were part of Crowley’s chaotic invasion before proceeding to the first challenge.
The Masquerade Challenge#
The first trial took place at an elaborate fae masquerade ball, where the party needed to collect specific masks to complete a theatrical performance.
The Invisible Maitre d'#
The party encountered an invisible maitre d’ at the masquerade - they could see his formal attire (tuxedo, cufflinks, white mask) but not the figure himself. He proved to be quite rude, particularly toward one party member, creating what became an ongoing antagonistic relationship.
Following the Guiding Light#
The maitre d’ provided a magical light that would lead them to the masks they needed. The light served as their guide throughout the various locations within the masquerade realm.
The Crying Spirits#
Following sounds of distress, the party discovered:
- A child ghost crying under a table, searching for its mother and letting out painful screeches
- The mother spirit weeping in a nearby pond
- When reunited, both spirits embraced and disappeared into the water, leaving behind the Maiden Mask
The Princess Mask Effect#
Bru was chosen to wear the Maiden Mask, which compelled him to feel and act like a “pretty princess” for the remainder of the evening. While his appearance remained unchanged, his behavior and mindset were magically altered.
The Amphitheater Performance#
The guiding light led the party to an abandoned amphitheater where Bru was spotlighted on stage. They discovered they needed to collect four additional masks to complete a theatrical performance, with specific roles assigned to each party member.
The Mask Collection Trials#
The Fawn Mask - Dance Battle:
- A mask spotted in trees fled to the band area
- The party faced off against a group of fawn performers in an epic dance battle
- The crowd was won over, chanting “Taco Cat” (the party’s band name)
- Victory earned them the Fawn Mask
The Devil Mask - Treasure Cave:
- A cave marked “Take What You Need” filled with gold and treasure
- Three masks on pedestals: black, red (pit fiend), and white
- The challenge required selecting the correct devil mask “wreathed in flame”
- Choosing the wrong mask (black) triggered a mimic attack
- All the gold in the cave was revealed to be mimics (earning the phrase “Oops, all mimics”)
- Silas was handcuffed to prevent theft, showing unusual restraint
The Knight Mask - Pond Retrieval:
- A mask lay at the bottom of a pond
- Olivia volunteered to retrieve it, tied to a rope for safety
- The mask was guarded by an ooze creature
- The party successfully extracted Olivia and retreated rather than fight the ooze
The Jester Mask - Musical Monkey:
- A field of flowers contained a monkey wearing a jester mask
- The creature constantly jumped around, frustrating the party
- Helisanna used her musical abilities to entrance the monkey
- While it danced to her music, they stole the mask without violence
The Final Performance#
Returning to the amphitheater with all five masks, the party performed assigned roles:
The performance was successful, with ghostly audience members joining the show. They were awarded their prize mask.
The Maitre d’s Parting Words#
The invisible maitre d’ made pointed comments about identity and transformation:
- “You can be anybody you want to be”
- References to “fall from grace”
- Implications about wanting to reclaim one’s true self
These comments particularly stung one party member who felt they were being attacked for past events, and also resonated with Silas , whose identity constantly shifts as part of his nature.
Current Session: The Convent Challenge#
Pre-Session Preparation#
The party takes a long rest in the astral tree village, where they’re celebrated as heroes for ending the nightly monster attacks. The grateful villagers, including the newly reunited couple Rowan and Isla, provide food and shelter. Red , Bru , and Elspeth receive heroic inspiration, feeling particularly pumped for the challenges ahead.
The Gothic Convent#
Arriving through a portal, the party finds themselves on a bleak forest path leading to an imposing gothic structure. The convent is built from sepulchre black stone with a wrought iron fence, giving off a profoundly unwelcoming atmosphere. Torch-lit and clearly inhabited, the building looms ominously under a grotesque red moon in a starless sky.
First Contact: The Gardening Nun#
The party encounters their first vampire nun tending a garden of nightshade and orchids with an unnatural purplish hue. She hums off-key while watering the plants with blood from a watering can. When approached about the priest’s stole, she reveals her withered, corpse-like face and fangs, explaining that the stole is kept “under lock and key” and that they all have their needs - gesturing to her blood-soaked garden.
Combat: The Vampire Nuns#
Garden Battle#
The initial confrontation erupts when the gardening nun reveals her true nature. The combat showcases effective teamwork:
- Jasper leads the assault with his greatsword, using reckless attacks to great effect
- Olivia delivers devastating blows with her battle axe, using weapon mastery to knock enemies prone and following up with Divine Smite
- Silas strikes from stealth with precision psychic daggers
- Bru provides tactical support with his eldritch cannon’s protective mode, granting temporary hit points
- Elspeth coordinates attacks with BoxBox while using her magical gun
- Red attempts to maintain Spirit Guardians but loses concentration after taking damage
The party successfully eliminates the nuns outside the convent, with additional vampire spawn joining the fray from various directions.
The Courtyard Investigation#
Scaling the Walls#
Olivia successfully climbs a 15-foot wall to scout the inner courtyard, discovering:
- A pedestal statue of a supplicant figure holding a silver key shaped like a heart
- A canopy of dead trees with blood-dripping purple leaves
- Angel statues covering their faces around the courtyard’s perimeter
The rest of the party eventually joins her atop the wall, with various degrees of success in their climbing attempts.
The Angel Statues Threat#
Bru ’s exceptional perception reveals the true danger: the angel statues move when not being observed directly, positioning themselves to attack. These creatures prove to be weeping angel-like entities that strike with stone fists and attempt to grapple party members.
The Courtyard Battle#
Angel Assault#
The encounter with the angels becomes a test of tactical awareness and creative problem-solving:
- Helisanna successfully uses Tasha’s Hideous Laughter to make one vampire fall from the trees
- Red casts Spirit Guardians, creating protective Goliath warriors with tomahawks
- Elspeth and Olivia become grappled by stone hands, taking significant damage
- Bru discovers the angels’ weakness to thunder damage, using Shatter spell to devastating effect
Creative Solutions#
The party demonstrates excellent problem-solving:
- Red uses his Large Form ability to break free from a stone grip, though taking damage in the process
- Bru ’s insight about the Shatter spell’s effectiveness against stone creatures turns the tide
- Kevin (Bru ’s minion) helps by maintaining line of sight on statues
- The group forms a defensive circle to maintain visual contact with all remaining angels
Key Discoveries and Rewards#
Items Acquired#
- Silver heart-shaped key from the courtyard pedestal
- Bloody purple orchid collected by Bru from the garden
- Stone angel hand choker fashioned from a destroyed statue for Helisanna
- Devil mask and various other accessories from previous challenges
Tactical Lessons#
The session demonstrates the party’s growing tactical sophistication, particularly their ability to:
- Coordinate complex positioning and sight-lines
- Adapt to enemies with unusual mechanics (observation-based movement)
- Use creative spell applications (Shatter vs. stone creatures)
- Maintain team cohesion under pressure
Character Development#
Combat Roles Solidifying#
- Jasper emerges as a reliable frontline damage dealer with his barbarian abilities
- Olivia proves devastatingly effective against undead with her paladin smites
- Bru shows tactical brilliance with his spell selection and environmental awareness
- Elspeth continues to be a versatile combatant with gun and BoxBox coordination
- Red serves as the team’s backbone with healing and support magic
- Silas maintains his role as the precision striker from stealth
Team Dynamics#
The session showcases excellent communication and mutual support, with party members covering for each other’s weaknesses and building on each other’s strengths.
Session Conclusion#
The party successfully navigates both vampire and angel threats to secure the mysterious key, presumably needed to access the priest’s stole within the convent proper. The session ends at a natural stopping point, with the party having cleared the courtyard and ready to proceed into the convent interior.
Ongoing Mysteries#
- The purpose of the heart-shaped silver key
- The location and nature of the priest’s stole
- What additional challenges await inside the convent
This session effectively balanced horror elements with tactical combat, showcasing both the party’s growing capabilities and the creative challenges that Toonlock’s realm presents. The gothic vampire convent setting provided an atmospheric backdrop for memorable encounters that tested both combat skills and problem-solving abilities.