Thirty-Fourth Session - Until It Sleeps

The session picks up with the Keepers leaving the Rift, escaping the nightmare realm and returning to the cavern where they battled the Dream Devourers. Ishaq is first, bleeding from every orifice above the neck and very close to collapse. Markoris is with him, and he offers the battered sorceror some water while telling about Alice's rescue. Ishaq tries to comfort him in turn, as the rogue is badly rattled after seeing Alice suffer.

The Keepers are leaving the Rift and back into the cavern where they battled the Dream Devourers. Ishaq is bleeding from every orifice above the neck. Markoris offers a thoroughly battered Ishaq

Celia arrives, looking like a mouldy, slimy mushroom - she's had a rough time of it too. They discuss the fact that Squidward is still out there, and despite Celia's thirst for offense they are in no condition for a further encounter. The three of them decide to wait for the rest of the party.

The rest of the party emerges after another couple of minutes. Ishaq makes straight for Alana. Most of them are various shades of battered and exhausted, but Fin is generally okay. Alana casts Cure Wounds on Ishaq, healing him for 18 HP. Max checks for Squidward footprints before remembering they can FLY, which limits his plan to track invisible enemies in the sand.

Fin uses his Blood in the Water Shark Totem feature to track the injured Squidward. He catches a scent of them in the passageway leading back to the caravan. At this time important new lore is established: Raithverse Twilight is called 'Dusk'

It's decided that Fin will scout back toward the caravan to check things out and ensure their safety, while the rest of the party takes ten minutes to receive Prayer of Healing from Celia. However, before they can embark on this plan, a thunderclap is heard from down the tunnel. Fin and Markoris can recognize it as coming from the caravan. The Keepers realize they are out of time and have to head out if they're not going to abandon the caravan to their doom. Alice casts Cure Wounds on Markoris, healing for 10 HP. Max gives a Greater Healing Potion to Celia and equips his net weapon.

Marching order:

* Fin Alice
* Max Ishaq
* Alana Markoris
* Celia

Fin runs on ahead with his superior speed. Due to a good Perception check, a surprise round is granted to Ishaq as they emerge back into the canyon and see the Dream Devourer fighting Kiwi and Raul, with half the caravan already asleep from a spell. Ishaq hurls Magic Missile Level 2, 13 force damage to Squidward. Then he moves 15 feet backward, and the party ROLLS INITIATIVE

ROUND ONE (Markoris, Celia, and Alana don't go, still stuck in tunnel)

1. Markoris - X
2. Celia - X
3. Raul and Kiwi - Raul looks relieved upon seeing the party. Kiwi casts Wild Shape into Giant Spider, and attempts Web attack on Squidward. The attack misses and Kiwi moves away. Raul backs up as well, makes bow attack, misses
4. Ishaq - advances forward again, casts Magic Missile level 2, 14 damage. He then uses Sorcery Point to cast again for 19 damage, then moves backward again. Squidward already looks quite hurt.
5. Alice - Moves forward and casts Command on Squidward, command is to Halt. Target doesn't move, takes no action.
6. Max - moves into combat range, shoves Squidward prone, then tosses a net over them. The creature is now halted, prone, and restrained.
7. Fishboy - goes into a rage, moves into combat range, attacks with trident. He hits twice, crits once, 25 damage, creature looks very rough now.
8. Dream Devourer - can't move or act due to Alice's spell. Halt effect fades.
9. Alana - X

ROUND TWO

1. Markoris - moves closer, attacks with bow, misses
2. Celia - casts Guidance on Alana
3. Raul and Kiwi - Kiwi joins the dogpile and makes Bite attack on Squidward, miss. Raul makes bow attack, misses as well.
4. Ishaq - moves up again and casts Magic Missile at level 1, 11 damage. He's low on spells.
5. Alice - joins dogpile and takes two sword attacks at advantage, 21 damage. Alice takes the monster's head right off, destroying Max's net in the process. The Dream Devourer disintegrates into a rift.

END OF INITIATIVE

The party reports with Raul, who says that they were ambushed, half the caravan fell asleep, and Squidward consumed a merchant woman named Rashkha, who disappeared into purple energy as Alice did.

While discussing what to do, Max borrows Ishaq's prestidigitized scope and checks out the portal. As before, there's a hall with doors and a light on behind one door. The party divides on whether to attempt rescuing Rashkha from her worst nightmare. Raul and Fin are willing to go in, but the rest of the party feels it's a doomed mission while they're all so weakened from their last ordeal. Celia, Markoris and Ishaq all attempt to persuade Raul not to go. Raul is swayed, and after a traumatic war story from Max, Fin agrees to a rest before a rescue attempt.

A long rest is taken, with watch kept on the portal. The portal remains stable, and no new horrors emerge from the desert. Ishaq speaks to Alana during his watch shift, who doesn't divulge his role in her nightmare. The long rest passes uneventfully.

They awaken in late afternoon, and the party has finally had a chance to heal and replenish their abilities. Ishaq makes an inspiring speech, granting 13 temporary HP to Alana, Celia, Max, Ishaq, Markoris, Raul. It's decided that Max, Ishaq, and Celia while stay behind while the rest of the party goes into the portal to rescue Rashkha, tying ropes behind them for the others to hold, to signal for reinforcements via yanking if need be. Alice casts Bless on Fin, Raul, and Markoris.

The rescue expedition begins with INT saving throws as they enter the portal, boosted by Alice's blessing and aura. This time everyone passes! They move swiftly down the hallway and Raul holds Rashkha's door open as the party goes in for the rescue. Before they go, Fin draws some blood from Raul to aid in his tracking, so he can better find the exit from the dream.

They find themselves in a city square, built of sandstone. A gallows, with corpses on the ground, and Rashkha is about to be executed with a bag over her head. Her four executioners wear stars on their chests. And then the INT saves begin. Markoris spots the door out on the far side of the square. Aside from Alice, all the rescuers take 9 damage from the INT save.

The rescuers start to get attention from the nightmare-executioners, but also start to break through to Rashkha, who speaks to them in a language they don't recognize. One of the four nightmares starts preparing a flame spell. One of them disappears in response to a Dispel Magic by Alana, but the others attack, and the session ends as it's time to once again ROLL INITIATIVE.