Session 50-B: Key Change

## Key Plot Developments

Glyn is alone, but not lonely. Proud of the work that he has done for all goblinkind , he stands at the dawn of a new day and stares into the still-burning wreckage of what was once a peaceful gnome village. He killed the goblin racist, the perpetrator of goblin genocide, this true tormentor of the goblin people, and one of the villains who broke his family apart. Grampus is no more!

Glyn takes a moment to take in the landscape and figure out exactly where he is. He’s trying to make his way back to Baldur’s Gate. He decides to see if he can run into anyone who can give him directions. He also had about 100 GP in his pocket, courtesy of Grampus’s estate. He sees a few individuals coming out of the town before him. He learns that they are traveling from Berdusk, the Jewel of the Veil. He’s all cloaked in shadows, but they have no issue giving directions to where he wants to go. He realizes that they are members of the Harper and they know Misu! They exchange pleasantries about seeing Misu and trust Glyn (because he’s just so darn charismatic). They tell him to avoid all the places where fey hang out because a demon has been laying waste to places like that.

They go their separate ways. Glyn knows it will take him roughly 20 days to reach Baldur’s Gate. He considers his options and decides to try and make a stop in Berdusk. It’s a bustling place. He blends in with some people who are entering.

While he’s in there, Glyn seeks out the town square to listen in on the latest gossip. He also wants to go around some temples. He’s still curious about being a paladin, but what is a paladin without a deity to guide him? He finds three very different temples with different methods of prayer.

* The first temple holds the symbol of a blank scroll. It is related to someone called the Lord of Knowledge. Prayers are being offered through music, inspiration, and invention. Glyn is reminded of Misu and Pix when he hears their chants. He sees the cleric that is leading prayers there. He has a necklace with a scroll symbol on it.
* The second temple seems to be focused on musical performances. Glyn can hear beautiful songs, poetry, eloquence, creativity and inspiration. There is a symbol of a five-stringed harp with leaves at the end of it on the temple.
* The third temple is totally different. Here, Prayers are offered up to He of the Unsleeping Eyes, God of Guardians, The Watcher. The symbol he can see is an aye staring at him on an upright left gauntlet. Glyn thinks that these prayers are offered to dedication, respect, consistency--to being a sentinel.

Glyn loiters around the third temple to get a good look at who goes in and out of it. Glyn is wearing armor, so he blends in seamlessly with the other paladins around. They are offering prayers to the church of Helm. This group is steadfastly pledging themselves to be defenders of the innocent. They are likely getting ready to send out peasant militias to help other cities during a demonic incursion. Glyn waits until they are done swearing their oaths. Then he tries to chat them up. The priest seems to be a gaunt, extremely serious-looking young man, in his early twenties.  Glyn approaches him and they speak about the darkness that has plagued the lands. Notably, he mentions Grampus's village would often come down each day to trade goods. They have not come down this morning. Glyn looks at the cleric with charisma pouring our of his ears and asks if he’s worried about the village. They start talking about being righteous and lawful and Glyn begins to tune out. Glyn’s had enough lawfulness for one day and takes his leave.

He heads toward the old stone temple of knowledge. People are engaged in a little tome book club. No one is speaking. They are all scholarly people, bards, cartographers, and lore masters. One wears the silver scroll on a necklace. Glyn walks over to the cleric. They get into a discussion about what’s going on with the demon prince. These clerics are completely clueless and have not been keeping up with the news. One of them takes a guess that Glyn might be talking about Yeenoghu and goes on a long ramble all about the goodest boi and his bloodlust. Glyn just…stands there. They get into a tangent about the Ghoul King being one Yeenoghu's followers, which leads to another tangent about Orcus Then he asks to talk about Baphomet.

Next, the conversation turns to Demogorgon and how he could easily take over the world were it not for him fighting with himself. This cleric does mention a former assistant of Demogorgon--Shami-Amourae, the demon lord of succubi--who's written of his weaknesses, primarily that he has two reactions to every stimulant, which puts him at odds with himself. Glyn then asks if the clerics of the church of Oghma would heed the call of one who asked them to distract the Demogorgon in an epic battle--but these folks are just weak scholars.

There is pleasant music playing from inside the final temple. Glyn comes to a place of the guardian--of singers--of troubadours. Humans, elves, and half elves are performing in every corner, combining their melodies. The group is attractive, sensual, and fully focused on music. Glyn thinks this is more of his vibe. A priestess approaches him and they speak; he’s in the temple of the lord of all songs, Milil. They talk about the value of such talents. Glyn then starts interrogating this bard about recent demonic events. These people don’t really concern themselves with such things--they let heroes take care of that.

He asks her if she knows much about the fey and why the demons are attacking them. They speak of how it’s possible that demons are envious of the fey-they enyy their ability to be kind and nurturing. The resonates with Glyn as he thinks back on how he spared Drigglezub’s soul from being taken in a soul coin--but he does not like the idea that demons are envious or don’t build things. Glyn himself built an entire army specifically to kill things. But it also makes him think of what he was like as a child. He remembers finding a cool rock and showing it to Pyrite, sharing a meal with the rest of his clan, dancing and playing the drums with his friends.

He asks the priestess how he can communicate with fey creatures. She tells him about the pockets called crossroads that can be used--nexus points, where the fey build their groves. Before he goes, she asks if he would like to stay and play a while. Filled with confidence, he plays the drumbperfectly. He incorporates beats from all the different places he’s been--the hammers in the forges of Gracklstugh, the goblin drums as they danced around a fire in the dark dungeons, the consuming rhythm of the DJs of Azzagrat, and something else that is uniquely Glyn. He’s becoming the star of the show as they stop playing to listen to him. They are in all awe. He thanks them for letting him express himself. The priestess asks him what he is. He has no answer for her.

Then, Glyn receives a sending from Rule of Three: he’s being called back. There is news from the Green Hand of Vengeance. ROT tells him he can get back immediately if he gets himself killed; he will reform in Azzagrat. Alternatively, he can do enough slaughter in Graz’zt’s name to open a summoning circle.

Rather than finding someone who will kill him, Glyn decides to find a bunch of people to kill. Before he leaves, Glyn learns the preistess's name: Alustriel. Glyn does not desire to kill any of the people in this town. Maybe the Oghma priests just for fun? He also considers drinking himself to death as a quick way to get back to Azzagrat, but decides to learn the town.

He stops some travelers to ask them about each city. Iriaebor is a large city in the western heartlands. It’s economically influential and densely populated, about a half day away. Glyn makes his way to there. He thinks he might be contracted there by some shady nobles to kill someone.

Ask he’s walking, Glyn is not able to hear the arrows being notched and whistling toward him until it’s too late. Bandits! They want to rob him and then ransom him. He drops all his 100 GP to try and bribe them into letting him go. They see through his ruse and move to knock him out.

Glyn throws back his hood and pulls out his glaive, anime-style. Glyn slices the first bandit’s arm and head clean off with one swipe. He whips around and slices off the legs of the next bandit, killing him. The bandit captain and another bandit’s eyes are bulging from the sight of this insta-slaughter. They run away. Glyn makes it look like he’s going to start running after then, but then pushes off the ground and begins flying at them full speed. Glyn hits the bandit and murders him. The captain, in a last ditch effort to beg for his life, pledges himself to the Demogorgon as a guess. This amuses Glyn, who was going to murder this man regardless of who he serves. He banters with the Bandit King like a cat batting around a toy mouse. The Bandit king tries to get away from Glyn, but Glyn grabs him by the scruff and hosts him into the air with one arm.

The Bandit King, desperate to have his life spared, tells Glyn that some bandits in the woods are being turned into things with two heads (likely the Demogorgon's work) The Bandit King suggests that Glyn give him an hour head start, and then send him a sending to learn where the other bandits are hiding out. Glyn says he can keep all his limbs if he sells them out now. The Bandit King accepts this and tells him that half of them are hiding in the star mountains. Since he’s been so helpful, Glyn benevolently decides to release the Bandit King….from a thirty-foot drop.

He TANKS it, but plays dead for Glyn. Glyn floats back down, gathers up his gold, and loots the bodies of all the bandits. He finds a bone on one of them that looks unique. It has lots of gnaw marks on it. He also finds 50 gold.

Glyn dedicates this slaughter to the Dark Prince. Glyn knows how to make a desecrated circle so he can properly offer up these deaths to his lord. He braids all the bandits’ entrails, stick their heads on their own weapons to turn them into gruesome little sock puppets, and write a few phrases in Abyssal in blood. He walks over to the (still breathing) Bandit King, takes some of the blood off him, and freaks him out. Glyn then uses a spare soul coin to steal the Bandit King's soul. He grabs the king, makes him look Glyn in the eye, and claims his soul as his own. The light fades from his eye and the soul shoots into his pocket. Though he was planning on more murder, four seems to be enough.

In Azzagrat, Rule of Three is waiting for Glyn. They joke about all the death. Rule of Three takes the soul coin so he can torture it later; the bandit screams from within.

One of the goblins Glyn has been training in his new army, One Ear, tells Glyn that in the process of killing all the gnolls, they found one that smells like him--like a goblin of the Underdark. They were going to interrogate him, but a blast of magic stopped them. This gnoll had an arrow wound on his eye.

There was one gnoll that Glyn remembers was shot by Tremble who got away. Glyn’s glaive hisses each time this gnoll is mentioned.

He speaks to Rule of Three about Drigglezub and learns she is acclimating perfectly. He asks to speak with her. She’s in the middle of negotiating with some locals and taking things while people are not looking--just normal goblin survival stuff. Glyn walks to the demonic shopkeep and purposefully knocks things on the ground to give Drigglezub more distractions so she can keep pilfering. She seems hyped up on coffee.

He tells her that he killed Grampus, the one who was responsible for her death. He tells her that she can be strong, just like him. Glyn tells her a basic idea of how the process will work and she asks how she can start. He takes her to Rule of Three, who warns them that this process is irreversible. If it goes wrong, then her soul will just become part of the Abyss with no consciousness. Glyn tries to buff her up with some protection spells before putting Drigglezub into the infernal crock pot.

Unfortunately, the demon princeing’s luck has run out. Drigglezub’s soul is mangled beyond recognition. Glyn desperately tries a Lay on Hands. Nothing works. Drigglezub is gone. All that remains intact is a shriveled little goblin-child’s hand. Glyn takes it and casts Gentle Repose on it.

He keeps it and thinks on all the people who have looked upon him and not recognized him. He laments for a moment, but his sadness then turns to anger.

Drigglezub was weak.

## New NPCs

1. Alustriel, Cleric of Milil
2. One Ear, captain of the Green Hand of Vengeance

## Memorable Quotes

* **Traveler:** We are traveling due east. Business of the Harpers!
* **Glyn:** Oh, the Harpers! I had a good friend who’s a member!
* **Traveler**: You did! Who was that friend?
* **Glyn:** Misupheles! Any word for her that I can deliver when I see her next?
* **Traveler:** Uh, it’s not really in our pay grade. She’s sort of in a separate faction. I mean, I guess...“Good work in the Underdark? Uh…How you doing? Uh…stop by Berdusk if you ever have the time?” I dunno, we don’t really know each other. We’re just sort of like distant co-workers.

* **Glyn:** The world’s smaller than you think.
* **Traveler:** Indeed it is!

* **Glyn:** Oh, one more thing! I heard tell of a demonic presence in the area. Have you heard anything about that? Should I be watching out for anything?
* **Traveler:** Well, you do seem like the reliable sort, someone Misupheles trusted. This is official Harper business, so, as a civilian, I ask you not to get involved in this for your own safety. But we have reason to believe there is a demon prince who is active along the higher coastline. Some of his forces have gone into a series of glades and forests. Places like the Lurkwood, the High Forest, the High Peaks. Crypt Garden up in the Sword Mountains. We believe it might have something to do with the presence of fey that are inside these areas. The demon has avoided settlements like Baldur’s Gate. We lack the resources to fully put this beast down, but we are brokering important alliances to defend these areas. As goodly folk, it is our duty to try and make sure that our forests are preserved against demonic incursions and to thwart their plans wherever we may.
* **Glyn**: Indeed.

**Chants of the Lord of Knowledge:** An Idea has no heft but it can move mountains. An idea has no authority but it can dominate people. An idea has no strength, but it can push aside empires. Knowledge is the greatest tool of the mortal mind, outweighing things made by mortal hands. Before anything can exist, the idea must exist.

* **Cleric:** Have you come here to worship? I don’t recognize your face.
* **Glyn:** No, I’m just a visitor. I’ve come to gain more knowledge of the dark things plaguing this land.
* **Cleric:** Indeed--here is darkness around every corner, my child. We must be sure to be vigilant.

* **Cleric:** Be you a follower of the Vigilant One?
* **Glyn:** To be honest…this is the first I’ve interacted with someone who is a follower.
* **Cleric:** You are in the house of Helm, the eternal Sentry. I see that you’re wearing a full suit of armor. So, too, does our Lord. It represents the weight of his heavy responsibility to get the job DONE without complaint. He is humble. He is reassuring. You have found yourself in the house of one who would preserve life--who would channel the radiance of the dawn, worshiped by guards, fighters like yourself, paladins, clerics, mercenaries.
* **Glyn:** All very noble pursuits. Does Helm accept all kinds of people?
* **Cleric**: Helm accepts those who would dedicate themselves to life, to light, but also to twilight. Those on the border between what is good and what is evil. Helm is of the law. Helm is of neutrality. But for us to make any determination as to what is good or evil or neutral, we must be preserved. There must not be wanton destruction. There must not be chaos. That is Helm’s way.

* **Cleric:** We normally expect the gnomes of the surrounding village… I think they call themselves Grampus-town or Grampus-ville? They would often come down and trade goods. They have not come this morning.
* **Glyn:** Are you worried that something may have happened to the village?

* **Cleric:** May you walk a righteous and lawful life.
* **Glyn:** ………..Thanks.

* **Knowledge Cleric:** Hello, can I help you?
* **Glyn:** Hello…yes, I’ve come seeking….knowledge…
* **Knowledge Cleric:** Well, you’ve come to the right place. We’re just finished with this particular chapter.
* **Glyn:** Oh good! Um…I was wondering if you might possess any knowledge about the darkness that’s started to come over this land.
* **Knowledge Cleric:** You’re referring to night time?
* **Glyn:** No…to demons?
* **Knowledge Cleric:** Oh! To demonic incursions, yes! Well we are very familiar with the subject! Do you know that demons are weak to silver?
* **Glyn**: I…I did not know that…
* **Knowledge Cleric:** Well we have lots of tidbits like that. They live on the abyss. People think there’s 666 layers, but others theorize that there’s actually more than that. There’s lots of crazy things in there, like a maze that eats you.
* **Glyn**: Gosh…that sounds terrible.
* **Knowledge Cleric:** Yes it’s really monstrous, it’s a terrible place to be. Luckily, being under the protection of our Lord Oghma means that we’ll never have to spend any time in such a place.
* **Glyn:** Do you have any information about what’s going on in the area?
* **Knowledge Cleric:** You must be more specific, there’s many areas--there’s an infinite number of layers.
* **Glyn:** Oh, I wasn’t talking about the infinite abyss, I mean up here currently. I’ve heard tell that there’s a demon prince even. Any idea of what his motivations might be of why they’re attacking these places?
* **Knowledge Cleric #2:** Ah, yes! we are familiar with this information! We are very up to date with the current news! Demon prince, demon prince, ah yes. Clearly, you mean…let’s say the name of the demon prince together!! You mean Bapham…wuuuu….yes we al know the demon prince you’re talking about! But just so I know that you know the demon prince, which demon prince are we talking about here?

* **Knowledge Cleric #2:** Yeenoghu, as the legend goes, is actually worshiped by the gnolls. He seeks the collapse of civilization and would brutally butcher all that stand in the way of him and his rabid slaughter!
* **Glyn:** So basically he slaughters people on his way to slaughter more people.
* **Knowledge Cleric #2:** Yeenoghu would like to preside over a wasteland of decaying corpses in a ruined world.

* **Glyn:** Orcus? Do you know of Orcus?
* **Knowledge Cleric #2:** Do we EVER know of Orcus! Here, Let me tell YOU!
* **Knowledge Cleric #3:** You know, I'm the Owcus sthpecialisth!
* **Knowledge Cleric #2: O**f course, you are, Kevin!

* **Knowledge Cleric #3:** It is said he resides on the 113th level of the Abyss, Thanatos. A frigid and frozen place infested with the undead.
* **Glyn:** This isn’t the maze that eats you, right?
* **Knowledge Cleric #3:** No! That’s probably a Baphomet thing!
* **Glyn**: Oh, is there a Baphomet specialist?

* **Glyn:** Do you know anything of the Demogorgon?
* **Knowledge Cleric #4:** Demogorgon? Yes….. you know they say he has two heads.
* **Glyn:** Really?
* **Knowledge Cleric #4:** Yes, the one on the right is supposedly more impulsive and feral. And the one on the left is supposedly more charismatic and calculated. This is why knowledge is power, you see. We could easily stop the Demogorgon with our superior wits and wiles. Yes, let me tell you! If ever he was around here… we’d give him some for!
* **Glyn:** So you would head off to slay him?
* **Knowledge Cleric #4:** Oh, we would, distract him! We would play to each different head! He wouldn’t know what to do! He’d be flummoxed!
* **Glyn**: So if someone called on you to distract the Demogorgon, you’d heed the call?
* **Knowledge Cleric #4:** Well, you know, we’d have to pencil it in. The Demogorgon’s nowhere around here, so it doesn't…it’s neither here nor there!
* Glyn: But it’s SOMEwhere!

* **Glyn:** Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and granting me the power that comes with it.
* **Knowledge Cleric #4:** Yes! Indeed! We are quite powerful!
* **Glyn:** I’ll be on my way then.
* **Knowledge Cleric #4:** Okay! This is normal!

* **Alustriel:** There is value in book learning, but…
* **Glyn:** Where else might one find value?
* **Alustriel:**  In the musical arts. In performance. In eloquence, in creativity, in inspiration. To be a consummate performer, you need to be confident, constantly inspired. You need an impeccable memory of broad knowledge of musicianship.

**Alustriel:** In times of troubles, heroes will find their way. We don;t concern ourselves much with demonic incursions.

**Alustriel:**  Stay and play a while?

* **Glyn**: Thank you… I, um… It’s been some time since I’ve been able to express myself like that.
* **Alustriel**: You’re welcome….what…are you?
* **Glyn:** I’m still figuring that out myself.

* **Rule of Three’s Sending:** News from the Green Hand of Vengeance. Come back soon.
* **Glyn’s Reply: O**h hey good to hear from you! Yeah, um. How do I do that?
* **Rule of Three’s Sending:** Sheep’s entrails lol. (then something along the lines of “Enough slaughter in Graz’zt’s name. A desperate circle. Let someone kill you, but you’ve gotta have fun with it.”)
* **Glyn’s Reply:** How much is enough?
* **Rule of Three’s Sending:** [It's never enough.]
* **Glyn’s Reply:** Got it! 😉🤘

* **Bandit #1:** Oy! Stop movin’! Give up you weapons! You ‘ave now stumbled into the hideout of Da Bandit King! ✌️
* **Glyn (to himself):** This is great! I was just looking for a bunch of people to kill!
* **Bandit #1:** Right! You look like you got a pretty penny on ya! We’re gonna take that, and THEN we might ransom you!
* **Bandit #2:** Oooooh, oiginally form PHANdaLiN! HeHeHeHeHeee! Allroit! We know that Halia Thornton has that big trading post there! I’ll bet they’d trade a lot of your pretty little scalp!
* **Glyn:** Oh you think it’s pretty?
* **Other bandits:** Yeah, I think so, it’s kinda pretty, sure.
* **Bandit #2: Y**eeeeah, we think it’s is!
* **Glyn**: So I guess you want gold?
* **Bandit #2:** Yeah, that’s why we’re gonna ransom you!

* **Glyn:** Oh, no! Looks like I’ve made quite a mess here, haven’t I? And look at that, oh, my gold all bloody, what a shame!
* **Bandit King:** : Okay! We’ve heard that there’s demons! I..I…I pledge myself the the, uuuh, Demogorgon! Don’t kill me!
* **Glyn:** Oh. Well, if you pledge yourself to the Demogorgon, then we can talk!
* **Bandit King:** Yeah yeah yeah! Um, your boss’ heads are so…consistent! We really LOVE what you’re doin’ with the place!
* **Glyn:** Are you the Bandit King?
* **Bandit King:**  Yeah, yeah! I’m Da Bandit King ✌️, at your service, yeah!
* **Glyn: T**hat’s pretty impressive. See, I serve a prince but if you’re a king, then I should probably listen to you, right?
* **Bandit King**: ….I’m gonna go now.

* **Bandit King:** I will gladly sell out all of the rest of them, and I mean ALL of the rest, if it means I live.
* **Glyn:** Why would I trust you, someone who just tried to slit my throat and steal all my coins?
* **Bandit Kin**g: Honor among thieves.
* **Glyn:** What am I stealing?
* **Bandit King:** Well, I guess the wealth and the lives of the people that I’m selling out?

* **Glyn:** How about you get to keep both your legs if you tell me right now?
* **Bandit King:** ..how ‘bout all of my limbs?

**Glyn:** You’ve been very helpful! …..you have one good leg, right? (PLOP.) Aw shoot. I actually kinda liked that one.

* **Glyn:** Oh hey! You’re awake!
* **Bandit King:** AH! FUCK!
* **Glyn:** We already did this! I gave you a chance, now you’re hitting me again!
* **Bandit King:** WHY are you trying to stick your FINGERS in my WOUNDS?! You’re the fucking WORST!
* **Glyn:** I’m making a circle!
* **Bandit King:** WHAT THE FUCK?
* **Glyn:** What do you expect?
* **Bandit Kin**g: NOT THIS!

**Glyn:** You’re mine.

**Glyn:** Huh, I was really planning on doing some more, but if four’s enough, then four’s enough! See you soon, material plane!

* **Glyn: I** think this might have been you, Rule of Three! Did you slip this in my pocket?
* **Rule of Three:** Did Iiiiii do that?

* **Glyn:** Well, I got their little leader! Maybe you can beat him!
* **One Ear:** Lord Glyn. We're in the process of killing all the gnolls.
* **Glyn:** Not all of them! There’s one good boi!
* **One Ear:** One of them smelled like you… of a goblin of the underdark.
* **Glyn:** Well, One Ear, you definitely should keep an eye out for that one.

* **Drigglezub**: Looks like all the goblins have that green hand thing going on..
* **Glyn:** Yep, just getting the clan back together, ya know?

* **Glyn: Y**ou know how I look a little different?
* **Drigglezub:** Yeah, you don’t look like a goblin…at all.
* **Glyn:** Well, with the change some a lot of other benefits… and you, Drigglezub. I think you’re someone who can do what I’m doing. To help more goblins. You could look a bit more like me.
* **Drigglezub:** I guess… I mean, the clan’s blood is my blood and if this is where the clan’s gonna be, I guess I should get as ready as possible for them to come, right?

* **Glyn:** I just got back from the surface. I killed the adventurer who was responsible for you dying.
* **Drigglezub:** Why would you do that? That’s so dangerous! They must have been really strong?
* **Glyn:** I’m much stronger now, Drigglezub. Strong enough to ensure that something like that never happens again… and you could be too.

* **Drigglezub:** Would that make you happy?
* **Glyn:** It would.
* **Drigglezub:** And the others too?
* **Glyn**: Yes.
* **Drigglezub: T**hen I’ll do it.

* **Rule of Three:** Just so you know, this is all or nothing.
* **Glyn:** How do you mean?
* **Rule of Three:** Well, uh…most souls can’t handle the transformation.
* **Glyn: What** about this soul?
* **Rule of Three:** If you have faith in her, Lord Glyn. and you know her best and you think she can do it, perhaps she can.
* **Glyn:** If it doesn’t work, remind me of what happens?
* Rule of Three: The souls is permanently a part of the Abyss. No consciousness.

* **Glyn:** I’ll be here when you get out.
* **Drigglezub:** Okay, I trust you. The clan’s blood is my blood.

**Glyn:** Drigglezub…come on. Don’t do this to me again! Come on…COME ON!!! How do I get it open?

**Glyn**: FUCK! …fuck... why couldn’t she be stonger. Why did she have to be so WEAK?!