Against the Idol of the Sun: A 5e high-level campaign log

[J-H]

Session 32, 9/17/22

This was a more exploratory session, with not much serious combat. The party starts heading towards a yuan-ti city, but they are all far away and will require a circuitous route. There is discussion of using True Polymorph to travel via dragonback, but it’s ultimately decided against. They decide to search the hexes they travel through along the way. They get lucky, and only one random encounter gets rolled across several days…and that encounter is a pair of Air Elementals! The Ring of Air Elemental command is now fully powered up. We didn’t bother rolling for 4 19th level characters vs 2x CR 5 elementals.

The group heads southwest to 05.05, where they spot an abandoned rock quarry with 5 stone huts down at the bottom. They descend; Saqwam uses Ghostly Gaze to look through the stone huts, and sees 5 translucent, ghostly figures, which he (Nat 20 religion) identifies as Banshees. There’s no obvious treasure to his x-ray vision, but Teador the Paladin wants to smite undead anyway.

The party lands and passes all their saves, wiping out the Banshees in about 1.5 turns. The 30’ +5 Paladin aura is very helpful.
Investigating afterwards, they notice runes of imprisonment and warding carved around the edges of the quarry; the banshees are apparently trapped there, and have been for who knows how long.

The group departs, heading southwest, where in the next hex they find some chewed up petrified people (none in raisable condition) with a bit of gold. The basilisk or whatever did it does not seem to be around.

Somewhere around this time, a running discussion that lasts the rest of the session off and on begins. I think it started with Saqwam collect a rock from the quarry, and it went through him possibly eating them, the party being in Roc territory, Teador being as dumb as rocks, what rocks taste like, etc.

Heading further southwest to 03.06, they find a large opening in a cliff-face over a waterfall. Troudar notices signs of traffic in and out. They fly in, then walk back in the cave. It forks, and they follow the right fork back, where it terminates in a large room. Teador and Ratel walk in, and both pass their saves against a Zone of Truth. In the room is a Quetzal sitting on a nest (snake/bird creature with prismatic stuff, serves Quetzalcoatl). It interrogates them briefly, and asks if they brought tribute?
PC: “What would be acceptable tribute?”
Q: “Valuable gems… oh, or the heads of those people that have been giving the Aaracokra fits. I’ve heard the bounty is immense!”
PCs: “We’ll just be leaving now.”
They depart in peace from the Quetzal nesting grounds. Troudar’s good Perception rolls let him realize that an invisible Quetzal is following them out.
Saqwam picks up a rock on his way out to serve as an anchor to teleport back in the future if needed.


Southwards, they find an abandoned cliffside dwelling possibly occupied by Gargoyles at one point in the past. Ratel takes a 150# stone stool and stuffs it in a Bag of Holding. More rocks.

In the next hex to the south, they find a cave that has an overgrown but clear opening coming up to it. Entering it, it appears to be an abandoned mine. They explore and find an elevator going down. Checking the rest of the floor they are on, they end up going down a hall with four short halls to the right prior to the end. The first short hall contains a headless zombie and a 50’ silk rope. The second, third, and fourth halls all each contain a headless zombie, and a healing potion, 34 gp, and a +2 crossbow bolt. The zombies are dispatched without bothering to roll.

The passage continues with a couple of side exits, one containing a non-magical steel shield, and a room that appears to have had something dig through the rock in the past.

The party then doubles back to the elevator (fits 3), and take it down while Teador floats down above it. The group makes an Intelligence save, and detects a psychic aura that makes them feel bad…except Teador. He got an 11 and didn’t notice anything.

When reaching the next floor down, they find 3 brains with legs waiting for them. Ratel beats them in initiative and kills one, damaging another. He passes his intelligence saves, then Troudar picks up the injured brain with legs and uses it as a weapon (Tavern Brawler) to kill it and nearly kill the other living one. Saqwam uses his crossbow but misses, then Teador skewers the last one.

We left off there and will presumably continue exploration next time.

DM note: Yes, Intellect Devourers. Saqwam’s player specifically said “I feel like this is someone leaving candy out to bait a path for a kid, so they can then come along and kidnap the kid, and we’re the kid.” That is exactly what this abandoned mine is.
Nobody has tried to make an Arcana check to identify them yet.

If they go deep enough, the encounter as currently written is:
If the party proceeds to the third level and engages with any intellect devourers there, they will have come within the proximity zone for an Illithid Colony. In this case, 3 Mind Flayers (MM pg. 222) will teleport in, accompanied by two enthralled Gladiators (MM pg. 346) and two enthralled Assassins (MM pg. 343). They will either come down behind the party if they can do so stealthily, or will ambush the party when they come back up. 1d4+1 intellect devourers will accompany them, setting up in a flanking or rear-attack position.

I don't feel like this will be a huge challenge, as the thralls only have around +7 to hit, but they may be able to meat-shield long enough for the psionic attacks to add up. I may give them +1 or +2 to hit.
Teador's failed save means he spends his time on the lower floors with disadvantage on his mental saves.