Session Overview#
The party continues their mission to help Toonlock defend his realm from Crowley’s assault by retrieving the third and final item needed: a mystical dagger held by the mysterious Wichita Sisters deep in a dangerous swamp called The Hollow.
Pre-Session Recovery#
After successfully freeing the tortured angel from the vampire convent and obtaining the priest’s stole, the party returns to Lakeshore Vale (the astral tree village) where they are celebrated as heroes for ending the nightly monster attacks.
Jasper ’s Healing: Red uses his prepared Remove Curse spell to heal Jasper of the mummy rot that had been slowly killing him, though the barbarian still needs additional rest to fully recover his health. Red delivers a brief monologue about redemption and second chances while performing the healing.
The party takes a long rest, with everyone except Jasper receiving the full benefits. Helisanna performs music for the grateful villagers, providing heroic inspiration to several party members.
Entering The Hollow#
The Portal Transition#
The party uses Toonlock’s magic to travel to The Hollow, emerging through a moss-covered portal on the astral tree into a classic haunted swamp environment reminiscent of old Scooby-Doo cartoons.
Environmental Details:
- Ankle-deep boggy water immediately upon arrival
- Dense fog rolling over different areas
- Red casts Light to illuminate their surroundings
- A naturally formed earthen path leading away from their arrival point
The Frog Village#
Following the path, the party discovers a swamp village built on stilts with wooden walkways connecting elevated homes. The settlement is populated entirely by frog people who initially ignore the party’s presence.
Meeting the Banjo Player#
The party encounters a human musician on his front porch playing banjo poorly. Key details about him:
- Wears a wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his eyes
- Has cataracts covering his eyes
- Smokes a corncob pipe
- Plays with only two strings on his banjo
Helisanna is openly critical of his musical abilities, while the others attempt to gather information about their quest.
Information Gathering#
The banjo player provides crucial intelligence about their destination:
- The Wichita Sisters do indeed possess the dagger they seek
- The sisters live deep in the heart of the swamp
- The journey is extremely dangerous - most who visit them for “non-social calls” end up dead
- Two possible routes: an overland path through magical fog, or travel by boat
- The swamp itself is sentient and changes paths to confuse travelers
- However, following any fork in the main path will eventually lead to the sisters
Strategic Decision: The party chooses the overland route rather than risk boat combat, despite concerns about the magical fog.
The Bog of the Dead#
Discovery of the Corpses#
As the party travels deeper into the swamp, Bru (with his high passive perception) notices disturbing shapes in the water around the path. Investigation reveals:
The Dead in the Water:
- Dozens of bodies scattered throughout the bog water
- All wearing armor and carrying adventuring gear from different time periods
- Bodies appear to be from various locations and eras
- All corpses have had their hearts ripped out
- Everything in the water (seaweed, algae, debris) is completely motionless
Olivia ’s investigation (rolling 23) reveals that the water itself appears to be magically stagnant - nothing moves within it, as if frozen in time.
The Peryton Ambush#
Initial Contact#
As the party continues along the path surrounded by the eerie still water and corpses, they encounter flying creatures moving through the trees. Silas spots them first with his high perception, identifying them as humanoid-sized winged creatures positioning themselves for an attack.
Creature Description:
- Perytons: Eagle-like creatures with antlers protruding from their heads
- Despite their avian appearance, they cast human-shaped shadows
- Six creatures total, all diving from the trees
Combat Begins#
The perytons launch a coordinated assault, with most party members being targeted by diving attacks designed to knock them off the path and into the deadly bog water.
Opening Round Attacks:
- Olivia : Successfully deflects an attack with her AC 20
- Bru : Manages to duck out of the way
- Helisanna : Takes 18 damage and fails her strength save, getting knocked into the bog
- Red : Takes 23 damage and is also knocked into the bog water
- Silas : Avoids being targeted
- Jasper : Avoids the attack
The Bog Awakens#
As soon as Helisanna and Red land in the bog water, the previously motionless environment springs to life:
Undead Emergence: The corpses in the water begin moving, with eyes opening and heads turning toward the living intruders. These wights attempt to drain life force from anyone in the water while wielding ancient weapons.
Environmental Horror: The seaweed, algae, and other bog matter all begin flowing and moving in unnatural ways, creating an atmosphere of supernatural dread.
Multi-Front Battle#
Party Coordination#
The combat becomes a desperate fight on multiple fronts:
Ranged Assault:
- Bru uses Scorching Ray to target three different perytons, dealing significant damage with his Arcane Firearm
- Elspeth provides covering fire with her magical gun while BoxBox positions for support
- Helisanna attempts to escape the water using Misty Step but struggles with concentration underwater
Rescue Operations:
- Jasper extends his shovel to help Red escape the bog
- Red successfully grabs the shovel (insight check of 24) and gets pulled out (Jasper ’s athletics check of 21)
- Olivia later performs a heroic rescue of Silas when he gets knocked into the bog
Tactical Spellcasting#
Red ’s Support: Uses Emboldening Bond to connect allies and later Balm of Peace to heal multiple party members while moving around the battlefield.
Helisanna ’s Creative Strategy: Successfully uses Command (upcasted to target two creatures) to make a peryton “grovel,” causing it to fall into the bog where the wights tear it apart.
Bru ’s Protection: His Eldritch Cannon provides temporary hit points to the party, which proves crucial for survival.
Combat Escalation#
Silas Nearly Dies: Takes a critical hit for 36 damage, reducing him to only 10 HP and knocking him into the bog alongside Olivia .
Heroic Rescue: Olivia grabs Silas and pulls both of them out of the water with a successful athletics check (21), then uses Lay on Hands to heal him 10 points, giving him a Werther’s candy as flavor.
Elspeth ’s Precision: Delivers devastating attacks with her magical gun enhanced by Branding Smite, killing multiple perytons with precise headshots.
Victory and Resolution#
Final Eliminations#
Team Coordination: The party systematically eliminates the remaining perytons through coordinated attacks:
- Red ’s Spiritual Weapon scores a critical hit for 17 damage
- Silas gets revenge with sneak attacks, including a dramatic finishing move
- Elspeth and BoxBox provide consistent damage output
- Jasper contributes with crossbow attacks
Strategic Retreat: The final surviving peryton, realizing the ambush has completely failed, flees back into the woods rather than face certain death.
Post-Combat Analysis#
Creature Identification: Olivia ’s Arcana check (17) identifies the creatures as perytons - unnatural monsters shaped by fel magic that consume human hearts. Their strategy involved knocking victims into the bog to let the wights kill them, making heart extraction easier.
Loot Collection: The party gathers trophies from the defeated perytons:
- Helisanna takes antlers for stage decorations and potential mask-making
- Bru collects various bones and skulls for props
- Elspeth acquires feathers for her hair decoration project
Session Themes and Development#
Environmental Storytelling#
The bog serves as an excellent example of environmental horror, with the still water hiding ancient dangers and the corpses of previous adventurers serving as both warning and threat. The juxtaposition of the peaceful frog village against the deadly swamp creates effective tension.
Tactical Growth#
The party demonstrates improved tactical coordination, with members supporting each other through rescue operations, strategic positioning, and creative spell usage. The multi-front nature of the combat (flying enemies + underwater undead) tests their adaptability.
Character Moments#
Red ’s Pacifist Struggles: His reluctance to heal Jasper due to his Eldoran background shows ongoing character development around his beliefs versus practical necessity.
Olivia ’s Heroism: Her decision to rescue Silas rather than save herself demonstrates her protective nature and police background.
Helisanna ’s Creativity: Her use of Command to tactical advantage shows growing sophistication in spell usage.
Team Bonding: The various rescue operations and mutual support reinforce the party’s growing trust and coordination.
Ongoing Plot Threads#
- The Wichita Sisters: The party must still reach these mysterious figures to obtain the dagger
- Swamp Navigation: The sentient, path-changing nature of the swamp presents ongoing challenges
- Toonlock’s War: Time pressure remains as Crowley continues his assault
- The Final Challenge: This dagger represents the last item needed to help Toonlock
Session Conclusion#
The session ends with the party having successfully survived their first major encounter in The Hollow, but still facing the dangerous journey deeper into the swamp to reach the Wichita Sisters. The combination of environmental hazards, strategic enemies, and time pressure creates mounting tension as they approach the climax of their mission to help Toonlock.
The early ending allows for proper rest before tackling what promises to be an even more challenging encounter with the mysterious sisters who possess the final item needed to complete their quest.