Expedition 25: Beating a Dead Roc

### Summary

We return to the Shadowfell and rescue Calliope's brother, Basil, as we face the threat of an undead Roc.

### Detailed Writeup

When we left, it was early. 4? 5? I don’t remember. We stopped by Delphi’s because she told Marzipan and Calliope she wanted to talk to them. Well, she wanted to do more than talk, she wanted to come along. We filed out into the rain, abated somewhat by Delphi’s magical umbrella, and walked to the church. Under the benefits of the water breathing spell, we picked up the boat that I rented. The boat man gave me a scowl when I paid yesterday. I hope he isn’t still mad about the rowboat.

We set out into the rain; the going was tough. The waves were three times as high as I am tall, though that’s not saying much. I’m not hand at boatcraft, though I suppose none of us were. Marzipan took the tiller. Aided by Uzmir and Tolyr we found our bearing. Marzipan’s magical gust of wind bore us to our destination. We swam down. The tower Calliope described was there, with a new riddle. As Tolyr and Calliope tried to open the door, the crab that threated the group before began to reemerge. It was close, but we made it inside. Up the stairs we went, and after Delphi secured our exit, some kind of magical rug?, we followed Calliope into the portal. There was another gnome there, he looked like Calliope, he said his name was Basil.

We quickly learned Basil could not see the same portal out that we could. Calliope hypothesized that his portal was destroyed when Old Ovats was. We determined that Delphi would need to cast her portal to punch us out of the Shadowfell, but there wasn’t enough space in the tower to do so. We would need to go out, and face the undead Roc patrolling the skies. After assessing our magical resources, we asked Uzmir to wait in the tower, and under cover of magic, ran for the scorch, an area beyond the Roc’s purview. I was quiet, not like with the mantises. That made me happy. However, our group was too large, we could not avoid detection. And before long the Roc’s baleful cry informed us that we would need to fight. I split off from the group, but as the thing’s claws tore up the earth like so many plows, I had an idea. I ran to Calliope and fed her the Angelbloom Oil. She began to glow a bright, white light, infused with the power of the everglow liquid. We ran from the thing, shooting and striking as we could, but its creeping shadow assailed us unerringly. We were weakened by claw, wing, beak, and bile, but a decisive blow from Calliope carried the day.

As the creature fell to the ground however, it became clear that the unholy aura around the thing would prevent it from truly dying. At this point the oil’s effects ended on Calliope and she went blind. I hope she doesn’t resent me for giving it to her. We struck at the creature to slow its regeneration as Delphi prepared her circle. After a time, we separated the thing’s head from its body. The vermin within it attempted to rejoin the two. We were able to stall long enough for Calliope, blinded but undaunted, to enter the thing’s gullet in search of magical treasure. She began to call for help, just as Delphi told us it was time to go. Tolyr went in after her. They emerged soon after with two swords and a rod. Basil claimed one sword, a rapier, as his own.

We recongregated in the circle, and dropped back into the material plane. Basil collapsed, dead. Marzipan quickly revivified him, and the healers staunched his bleeding. We swam to the surface and headed back home. The going was tougher. We got lost, and returned to Port Vrall as the sun began to rise.