Session Overview#
The party continues their journey through The Hollow swamp, pursuing the final item needed to help Toonlock against Crowley’s assault on his realm. Their destination: the Wichita Sisters, who possess a mystical dagger required to complete their mission.
The Fork in the Road#
After surviving the peryton attack and bog wights from the previous session, the party encounters a crucial decision point where the path splits:
- Option 1: Several boats tied to trees at the edge of a deep body of water, offering a direct route across
- Option 2: A path leading into thick, magically opaque fog
Helisanna’s Deception#
Elspeth investigates the boats (rolling 14) and determines they appear seaworthy with no obvious holes or damage. However, Helisanna immediately claims the boats are “obviously sinking” and rolls an impressive 26 on deception, convincing most of the party that the boats are unsafe.
Silas attempts to see through the deception with insight but fails to beat Helisanna ’s roll. Bru , with his high perception, can clearly see the boats are floating perfectly fine, but the party trusts Helisanna ’s dramatic assessment over his technical expertise.
Journey Through the Magical Fog#
Rope Safety Measures#
The party decides to enter the fog despite Bru ’s reservations. Silas provides 50 feet of rope, and they tie themselves together in a line with about 15 feet between each person:
Marching Order: Jasper → Olivia → Bru → Red → Silas → Elspeth → Helisanna
Silas ties the knots using his survival skills, creating what the DM describes as “boy scout quality” knots - reliable but not perfect.
The Fear Effect#
As the party enters the fog, they experience an eerie silence - no animals, no wind, complete opacity even for those with darkvision. The fog creates a supernatural dread that forces wisdom saving throws:
Failed Saves (overcome by terror and compulsion to flee):
- Bru : Attempts to run back down the path
- Silas : Also tries to escape, dragging Red behind him
- Jasper : Becomes disoriented and tries to run into the swamp
Successful Saves: Red , Helisanna , Olivia , and Elspeth maintain their composure.
The Grappling Sequence#
What follows is an extended grappling sequence as the unaffected party members try to restrain their panicked companions:
Red ’s Struggle: Despite being a large Goliath, Red gets pulled along by Silas and Bru due to their coordinated panic (they’re both pulling in the same direction). Red eventually manages to get to his feet with a dirty 20 athletics roll.
Olivia ’s Wrestling Mastery: Olivia demonstrates exceptional wrestling skills, repeatedly defeating Jasper in opposed athletics checks with rolls including a natural 20. She maintains control throughout the encounter using what the party jokes are her “water aerobics” training benefits.
Creative Solutions:
- Elspeth and BoxBox successfully capture Bru through coordinated grappling
- Helisanna attempts multiple grapples on Silas but fails repeatedly as he proves too slippery
- Red tries slapping Silas to snap him out of it (dealing 2 damage) but this only makes Silas more panicked
Breaking the Compulsion#
Elspeth uses Message to telepathically contact Silas , telling him “Silas , you’re being charmed. Come back.” Her persuasion roll of 21 allows Silas another wisdom save, which he passes, returning to normal.
Silas then uses his Psychic Phone to contact Bru , rolling persuasion with a psychic die to reach 20 total. This grants Bru another wisdom save, which he initially fails (rolling 4) but uses inspiration to reroll, achieving 21 and breaking free of the effect.
The Cliff Challenge#
The Boiling Waters#
The party encounters another obstacle: a 30-foot wide stretch of bubbling, steaming water that proves to be highly acidic. When they throw a rock into it, it violently sizzles and dissolves, confirming the water is too dangerous to cross.
Elspeth’s Climb#
The only option is scaling a 50-foot cliff face. Elspeth volunteers to climb first, using her daggers as climbing aids for advantage on athletics checks. Her climbing progress:
- First check (Dirty 20): Climbs 10 feet successfully
- Second check (19): Reaches 20 feet when spiders emerge from crevices
- Combat interruption: Six giant spiders attack her position
- Post-combat: Uses Enhance Ability on her strength and continues climbing
- Final stretch: Reaches the top safely
Spider Combat Encounter#
The Ambush#
Six giant spiders emerge from crevices in the cliff face, converging on Elspeth while she’s vulnerable mid-climb. The encounter tests the party’s ability to protect a teammate at range.
Combat Highlights#
Helisanna ’s Tactical Blasting: Uses Eldritch Blast with Repelling Blast to knock spiders away from Elspeth , buying time and creating space.
Red ’s Projectile Mastery: Throws his tomahawk at the spiders, rolling a natural 20 for a devastating critical hit (25 damage total), cleanly bisecting one spider. The axe returns to his hand thanks to Bru ’s recent Returning weapon infusion.
Olivia ’s Ranged Red emption: After previous sessions of poor marksmanship, Olivia has an excellent showing:
- Natural 20 with her gun, eliminating one spider
- Follow-up shot for 8 damage to another spider
- Demonstrates her detective training is finally paying off
Silas ’s Precision Strikes: Uses his psychic daggers to eliminate multiple spiders with sneak attacks, including dramatic finishing moves like daggers “right up its ass.”
Bru ’s Artillery Support: Deploys his Eldritch Cannon in Force Ballista mode, providing consistent damage and tactical positioning with push effects.
Combat Resolution#
The party successfully eliminates all six spiders through coordinated ranged attacks, with the final spider attempting to flee but being gunned down before escape. Elspeth successfully reaches the top of the cliff without taking significant damage.
The Rope Bridge Crossing#
Establishing the Route#
Elspeth secures a rope to a bridge post at the top of the cliff and throws it down for the others to climb. Her survival check of 17 (after using inspiration to reroll) creates a solid “boy scout quality” knot.
Group Climbing Sequence#
The 50-foot rope hangs about 3 feet above ground, requiring jumping for shorter party members:
Climbing Results:
- Bru : Dirty 20 - climbs easily despite his small size
- Olivia : 18 - solid performance
- Jasper : Dirty 20 - excellent technique
- Helisanna : Dirty 20 - smooth ascent
- Red : Natural 20 first roll, 13 second (takes 13) - clumsy spinning climb that embarrasses him
- Silas : Rolls poorly (around 3) and decides to tie the rope around his waist for the others to pull him up
Testing the Returning Axe#
Bru tests his new infusion by having Red throw his axe over the cliff edge. The axe successfully returns to Red ’s hand, though they discover an important limitation: the returning property only works for the attuned wielder, not just anyone who throws it.
Bridge Crossing#
The party examines the rope bridge carefully with perception checks. Silas and Bru both roll well (23 and high teens) and determine the bridge is structurally sound with no obvious traps or deterioration.
Bru volunteers to cross first, strutting confidently across without incident. The rest of the party follows successfully, with the bridge easily supporting even Red ’s considerable weight.
Arrival at the Hollow#
The Cave of Ominous Portents#
The party finally reaches their destination: a depression in the ground containing a cave entrance. The area is appropriately ominous:
Environmental Details:
- Large gnarled trees and boulders scattered around
- Misty, swampy atmosphere with limited visibility
- Torches lit at the cave entrance
- A canopy of crossing branches overhead
Goblin Skull Decorations: Most disturbing to Bru , the cave entrance is lined with goblin skulls that somehow appear to be frowning rather than showing the typical skull “grin.” The skulls look genuinely unhappy, suggesting these goblins died in distress.
Bru ’s Reaction: Despite the macabre display of his own species’ remains, Bru finds the cave entrance “cozier than that mansion we were in,” showing his chaotic goblin sensibilities.
Pre-Cave Preparations#
Party Status Check#
The party assesses their readiness before entering:
- Elspeth : Down 11 HP but functional
- Jasper : Near full health
- Olivia : Full health
- Others: Generally in good condition
- Decision: Proceed without a short rest
Red’s Emboldening Bond#
Red attempts to cast Emboldening Bond on three party members but encounters an unexpected problem: the spell requires the targets to be “willing creatures at peace with one another.”
The Friendship Test: When asked mechanically whether she considers Bru and Silas friends, Helisanna reveals she views them as “employees” rather than friends, maintaining professional distance despite their shared dangers.
Emotional Impact: Bru is visibly hurt by this revelation, showing teary eyes at not being considered a friend. Helisanna maintains that she needs to “keep it professional.”
Spell Resolution: Red ends up connecting only Silas and Bru with the bond, as Helisanna ’s refusal to consider them friends prevents her from benefiting.
The Guardian Awakens#
The Hinox Revelation#
As the party approaches within 30 feet of the cave entrance, what appeared to be a moss-covered boulder begins to stir. A massive ogre-like creature - described as similar to a Hinox from Breath of the Wild but with two eyes - slowly stands up.
Physical Description:
- Colossal size, covered in moss and dirt
- Two eyes (unlike the typical one-eyed Hinox)
- Vegetation and debris falling off as it moves
- Reaches over to uproot an entire tree to use as a club
Cliffhanger Ending: The session ends just as initiative is about to be rolled, with this massive guardian blocking their path to the Wichita Sisters and the dagger they desperately need.
Character Development and Themes#
Trust and Deception#
Helisanna ’s successful deception about the boats highlights ongoing trust issues within the party. Her willingness to mislead her companions for unknown reasons raises questions about her reliability and decision-making.
Professional vs. Personal Relationships#
The revelation that Helisanna views her bandmates as employees rather than friends creates tension and hurt feelings, particularly affecting Bru who clearly desires closer relationships with his companions.
Individual Competencies#
The session showcases each character’s growing expertise:
- Olivia ’s wrestling and shooting skills
- Silas ’s stealth and precision combat abilities
- Elspeth ’s climbing and technical problem-solving
- Red ’s weapon throwing and supportive magic
- Bru ’s artillery and magical engineering
Team Coordination#
Despite interpersonal tensions, the party demonstrates excellent tactical coordination during the spider encounter, showing their growth as a combat unit even when personal relationships remain complicated.
Ongoing Plot Threads#
- The Wichita Sisters: The party must still reach and negotiate with these mysterious figures for the dagger
- The Massive Guardian: A significant combat encounter awaits before they can enter the cave
- Toonlock’s War: Time pressure continues as Crowley maintains his assault
- Party Dynamics: Helisanna ’s emotional distance creates ongoing interpersonal challenges
- Crowley’s Master Plan: The completion of this third trial will determine their ability to help Toonlock
Session Conclusion#
This session effectively builds tension through environmental challenges, interpersonal drama, and escalating threats. The progression from deception through teamwork to revelation of deeper character issues creates a strong narrative arc, while the cliffhanger ending with the massive guardian promises an epic confrontation to begin the next session.
The party’s journey through The Hollow demonstrates both their growing tactical sophistication and their ongoing struggles with trust and communication, setting up compelling conflicts both external (the guardian) and internal (friendship vs. professionalism) for future sessions.