Under a Darkened Sky

"Under a Darkened Sky" is the 101st episode of the Materia D&D Crass Menagerie campaign. Having completed one of the tasks to help rid Dregnar of his nasty curse, harvesting the eye of a cloud-touched basilisk, the Menagerie sets out to an area of blistering heat atop the Graykraul Mountains to a peak known as "The Choke". Here, they aim to retrieve parts of a hell hound to complete the set of components required to heal Dregnar.

## Synopsis

### Recap

The Menagerie traveled with Morgan, a blacksmith from Vulpine who served as their guide, through the Foxwoods and into the Graykraul mountains where they met a few of the mostly-Goliath tribes that reside there. Through the Vashlands and eventually into the lands of the Huln, the Menagerie were then led to a Huln settlement. There, they learned of their expertise and proficiency with utilizing the basilisk's stone-turning ability in their craft and architecture, being able to fabricate a "stone brew" that can petrify materials making them much hardier. The elder healer here confirms that Joel had appropriately diagnosed Dregnar in Whitlaw, only to clarify that the basilisk eye needed must come from a "cloud-touched" basilisk. The tribe helped out by sending Gauvek and Vairma, two basilisk hunters, with the Menagerie to seek one of these basilisks out. After a brief trek to a canyon where the basilisks nest, the group were able to dispatch a few basilisks including one of these "cloud-touched" basilisks, and they were able to harvest the needed materials.

### Part 1

As his rage subsides after the fight, Dregnar begins to feel sickened from his worsening curse and he once again begins vomiting and hacking. Gauvek and Vairma let the Menagerie know that they are forbidden to go to The Choke but they will lead the group there, and they will take the basilisk materials back to their encampment. They also explain that the area surrounding The Choke is an oppressively hot area that is difficult to breathe in, hence the name. As the group approaches, they notice that nature and all greenery keeps diminishing until it eventually fully gives way. The guides take them as far as they are willing to go, then they leave the Menagerie to proceed. After a short trek into the fiery wastelands, the group takes a respite to recover a little bit. The group discusses tactics on how to approach the hell hounds. Roque offers Dregnar the chance to stab him to draw blood to lure in the hell hounds. Sej mentions that his magical pants can produce a pit for them to use to their advantage, which he does much to the surprise of some of the rest of the group. As this is happening, the group begins to hear that there are some creatures approaching.

Several packs begin closing in and they howl in unison, instilling fear in Khaaros, Loon Lune, and Dregnar. In a panic, the three of them bolt toward the mountain as quickly as possible with the rest of the group in pursuit. Roque attempts to plunk Dregnar with a rock using *Catapult* only for Dregnar to deflect it with little effort. Al takes Sej through a *Dimension Door* 150 feet in front of Dregnar. Khaaros, Roque, and Davis keep pursuit. The rest of the hell hound packs appear to be corralling the group up the mountain. As they exit the *Dimension Door*, Al notices a colorful covering over a large horned beast of burden on the ground, a riding yak, that has been dead for quite some time. In a panic, Dregnar pulls a Taming Brew out of his pack and downs it as he keeps fleeing. Sej then casts *Calm Emotions* on Dregnar and Loon Lune, subsiding their fear for the moment. After a brief discussion on how to deal with being driven up the mountainside, Sej casts *Protection from Energy* (fire) on Khaaros and Davis. Meanwhile, Roque begins constructing a base using *Galder's Tower*. Khaaros examines the nearby yak corpse and finds three different vials and a ring with two fists meeting at the knuckles on it, as well as a scroll with a broken seal.

The first vial is a round glass flask which contains a fluid of "synth colors ranging from deep blues, aquas, silvers, and whites". The second is a neon yellow and plum coloration in a glass vial. The last is a potion with three distinct layers: one brown, one silver, one gray. The vellum parchment has a symbol on the outside that looks familiar to Khaaros, reminding him of an organization called "The Unveilers". The blanket on the yak seems to match this symbol as well. The parchment, written in Common, reads:

> Knight Davus,
> Venture to the choking mountain.
> Atop it the houndmaster waits.
> Confirm that the tale is true.
> Do what you can to seal the gate.
> - Headmaster
>
>

Sej puts a *Guardian of Faith* outside the front door of the tower that Roque is building. Al reminds Davis that he has a *Potion of Fire Resistance* and that Dregnar could use it. Davis tosses it to Dregnar, who has begun the transformation thanks to his Taming Brew, so he rejects it thinking it wouldn't work. Al uses his *Tiny Hut* to provide an airlock-style barricade for the door just inside the tower. He then provides *Bardic Inspirations* for Davis, Khaaros, and Dregnar. Roque chucks a rock at a hell hound within range using *Catapult*. Roque proposes that Davis go to "challenge their leader", but the proposition of discussing things with magical non-human creatures greatly confuses him. Roque then proposes Dregnar do it, which he rejects as he's "the one dying". Frustrated, Roque starts to jump down off the tower but Dregnar attempts to use his *Stunning Strike* ability to keep him in place, but Roque casts *Shield* deflecting the blow and landing on the ground below. He approaches the surrounding hell hounds and begins greeting them in every language that he knows to see if they recognize anything. At this gesture, the hounds close in on all sides, snarling as they close the distance. Roque asks Al if he speaks a language they might understand, and he uses *Thaumaturgy* to say "Take us to the houndmaster" in Infernal. This causes the approaching hounds to stop in place and sit. After beseeching them again to no avail, Al tries to command them to "Sit?", causing a few of them to leap forward and breathe fire. Taking heed to a suggestion from Dregnar earlier, Sej takes another patch off of his pants and places a pit directly under his *Guardian of Faith* outside the tower, above which it hovers. This upsets five of the nearby hounds and they leap at Roque and breathe fire again, singeing him badly and causing him to react by putting himself in a *Resilient Sphere,* which the hounds reflexively start attacking, with a few hounds falling into the pit in their frenzied attacks.

Dregnar and Davis plan a hit and run strategy on the brink of the Tiny Hut. Khaaros begins shooting at the nearby hounds with his composite bow. Sej follows suit with his light crossbow. Al nervously continues imploring to the hell hounds to calm down. As two of the hounds that fell in the pit are scrambling up the sides, Roque rolls over to them to slow their escape. Dregnar chucks three ninja stars at one of the hell hounds now contending with Roque preventing its escape, causing it to fall limp and slide back into the pit. Roque dismisses his sphere, floats down into the pit, grabs the hell hound corpse, *Misty Step*s to the lip of the pit and then with Davis's help drags the hell hound corpse into the tower.

Having seemingly got what they needed, Al once again uses *Thaumaturgy* to threaten the remaining hell hounds in the hopes that they will leave. They do back off and maintain their distance but they do not abandon their hunt.

### Part 2

Huddled in the tower some time passes, Dregnar's beast form fades, as does *Protection from Energy*. Eventually, the hounds begin an unceasing coordinated howl. The group begins discussing escape plans when the sky begins to darken as if covered in a cloud of some ash-like substance. Feeling a creeping sense of urgency, Dregnar helps Davis to decapitate the head from the hell hound corpse only for the dagger to be completely consumed by the intense heat. Davis instead uses his glaive and successfully removes the had. Al, prompted by Loon Loon, examines the falling substance and realizes it has a sticky tar-like feel and is coating the ground. The party attempts to begin running out of the tower only to find themselves unable to maintain their footing along the ash-covered ground. After some discussion, experimentation, and investigation, the group determines that the ash cloud is not just troublesome for traveling on the ground but also in the air, but that it is of a limited range and height.

After a little more time passes, the howling dies down and the cloud starts to thin out. Al resummons Loon Loon as a spiritual giant eagle-like steed atop the tower as well as transforming Davis into a giant eagle as well. Davis, bolstered by his Twisted Totem's Bull Strenght carries Dregnar, Khaaros, and Roque while Loon Loon carries Al and Sej. Together they fly off back to the settlements within the Graykrauls.

## Featured Characters

### Adventuring Party

* Allegretto
	+ Loon Loon (Al's steed spirit from *Find Greater Steed*)
* Davis Cantrell
* Dregnar Bearkin
* Khaaros
* Roque
	+ Pebble
* Sej Ivesaach

### Returning

* Vairma
* Gauvek
* Morgan

## Notes

* This episode is the first to feature the rolling "stat cards" for each character.

## Trivia

* This is the first episode we learn Loon Loon's name
* In this episode, Loon Loon's second appearance, she changes appearance from a dire wolf to a giant eagle