Dragons & Vampires campaign

The red mage lets out an unholy screech - everyone in range loses a quarter of their health except Merla and Lucia who lose half their health, while the red mage heals for 24HP. The Dragonborn moves closer and hits almost everyone with their fire breath for 23 damage, downing Cassian, and calling out ‘This is for you, Lady Athena’ in draconic.

Rupen summons a water elemental to slam one guy, and another guy hits Jhin for 10 damage, knocking him down to 1HP, then throws a dagger at Onyx hitting for 8 damage. Lysandra Cure Wounds Jhin for 19HP and uses Unsettling Words on the guy who hit him.

Onyx pours a potion of Greater Healing down Cassian’s throat for 15HP and Jhin uses Flurry of Steel for 10 damage, then swings twice more for 20 damage. Cassian shoots with his crossbow for 10 damage, then Altarian shoots the red mage twice for 21 damage while Lucia Magic Missiles her for 14 damage.

Merla Healing Words Onyx and gives Bardic Inspiration to Jhin. The red mage tries to do their screech attack, but Lucia burns two Inspirations to Counterspell it - the red mage heals her friend for 15HP. Rupen Calls Lightning on one of the guys for 26 damage, killing him, and his water elemental moves toward the red mage. Onyx swings their greatsword and Divine Smites for 15 damage, then swings again for another 13 damage and gives Shield of Faith to Cassian. Lysandra bites the dragonborn for 6 damage, healing at the same time, then swings with her shortsword for 12 damage. Jhin hits the red mage with Flurry of Steel for 16 damage while Altarian shoots the dragonborn, killing him, and Lucia fireballs the red mage, killing her and taking us out of combat.

As the group starts investigating some of the many bodies around us, Altarian heads over to Rupen and Cure Wounds him for 13HP. Rupen asks him how he does it, how he keeps going with the knowledge that he could die in the next couple of days, and Altarian just tells him that he’s got too much on his back to have a broken spirit now. Rupen tells him he’s a good person, and starts talking about character sheets, making Altarian think he’s maybe got a concussion and healing Rupen for a second time for 16 HP. Altarian then heads over to talk to Lysandra, making sure she’s okay - Cassian hears this and makes a point of telling Lysandra he’s glad she’s okay and glaring at Altarian.

Merla investigates a group of bodies that all turn out to be giants - they’ve got wounds, burns and whip marks, so it looks like they’ve been killed by the group that fought us. She also finds a war axe and studded leather armour.

Onyx checks one of the other bodies and finds 20GP and an axe, studded leather armour and two daggers. Lucia investigates the wizard whose markings match those of a Salabana cultist, and given the dragonborn called out to Athena, it seems the whole group might have been cultists of Salabana. She also finds 50GP and a black Staff of Spiderclimb. Jhin checks the red mage in the meantime - she appears to have been the leader of the group, and Jhin finds 200GP and +1 studded armour.

We meet back up and Rupen starts asking Lysandra about how she knows Cassian. Lysandra is very cagey with her answers and is saved by Altarian pointing out that the stone statues are just up ahead, and that we’re just reaching the edge of an area of thick mist swirling above icy ground . Jhin speaks up, telling us that he recognises the area from his vision of his brother, so Guan could be nearby. We swap weapons and armour around and Rupen starts considering using his barrel of gunpowder to block the entrance to the cave, but gets shot down by the rest of the group who’d like to be able to leave the cave. The nom nom chatters to Lucia, who looks at the mist and recognises that it’s magical (and will give us disadvantage on attacks etc while in it).

The party discusses the best way forward, with some considering a short rest and Onyx urging us forward straight away, concerned about Medusa’s will to hold out. We ultimately decide to head straight forward, Lucia drinking a potion of Greater Healing for 9HP - the nom nom sees this and also Cure Wounds her for another 11HP.

Merla calls to Lord Valgore, letting him know that we’re in front of Medusa’s mist and he’s going to check in after - he’s concerned and tells her to be wise, and that few people have come back out of that mist. Merla opens her eyes and suggests to the group that we tie ourselves to the rope in a line to keep us safe traversing the terrain and stop us losing each other. She also hands out the heavy winter cloaks from the Bag of Holding as we all tie ourselves on. Onyx goes first, with Jhin directly behind them - the casters and Illusius stay in the middle, while Altarian right at the back has a mini crisis and eventually settles on having Lysandra in between him and Cassian. Merla hands out one Dispelling Stone to Onyx and one to Lysandra, handing out help actions and Bardic Inspiration trying to make sure we’re all tied on securely.

We start to move forward, moving out of the forest and away from the bodies, and onto an open icy mountain top, everyone but Jhin feeling the cold bite into them beneath their heavy cloaks. Onyx feels the ground beneath their feet is frozen solid and icicles start forming on the edges of their wings. We keep moving forward and the water elemental walking alongside Rupen freezes and shatters, dissipating.

Altarian calls out that he sees the mountain and a lot of statues. Lucia peers forward with truesight and sees a blue tail slip into the shadows of the cave and warns everyone that Medusa appears to be home. Jhin tears some strips of cloth for blindfolds, blindfolding himself and handing them out to Rupen, Merla and Lysandra.

Altarian calls up front to Onyx that there are three people in front of the cave. We approach and see the three include Bynrora, Onyx’s sister, who we thought was imprisoned by Athena. She has an air of the Hells and is menacingly wielding a longsword wreathed in magic fire. Guan, Jhin’s brother, is with her, adamantine arm gleaming. They’re accompanied by a red tiefling (Karnach) we don’t recognise - they’re all focused on the cave mouth with murderous intent.

Onyx cuts the rope away and sprints over towards their sister, Rupen and Jhin moving with them and Lucia following 30 feet back. The three in front of the cave see us all - Bynrora looks at Onyx and asks ‘Sister?’, and Jhin asks Guan what the hell he’s doing here. Karnach looks at his companions and says ‘They were right, they really did show up.’

The others move up behind the frontrunners, keeping a distance, and Onyx asks Bynrora why she’s here. Bynrora tells them ‘to deliver a head to Athena, of course’, as Guan and Jhin say nothing, just staring each other down. Onyx tells Bynrora that Athena was lying, and that we don’t want to fight. Bynrora says that Onyx betrayed Athena, that Athena saved her from him.

Guan smirks at Jhin and remarks ‘it’s about time, isn’t it’, speech delayed between the dark and light sides of his face, and begins charging his adamantine arm. Jhin prepares to dodge, while Lucia readies a spell. Lysandra tries to say that we don’t need to fight, but Jhin says ‘yes we do’, while Altarian pulls out his swords and sprouts vines which wrap around them.

Guan starts to smash Jhin with his charged adamantine arm, and Lucia casts her readied Heat Metal spell on his arm for 16 fire damage. Jhin dodges but Guan still manages to smash into him for 14 damage and throw him into a tree for a further 1 damage - Guan is clearly out to kill Jhin.

Rupen casts Cause Fear on Bynrora, which fails, and he turns into the Emerald Tiger, multi-attacking Guan for 26 damage, although we realise that Guan is resistant to slashing damage. Altarian zephyr strikes and attacks Guan twice, using the fey vines for extra damage, although he seems to be resistant to all this damage.

Merla, seeing the strength of the enemies arrayed against us, summons Lord Valgore, who roars with rage as he arrives. Karnach dimension doors right in front of Lord Valgore, Merla, Lysandra and Cassian. He points at Merla, who feels like he was trying to send her somewhere, but his spell fails. Lucia stares at Karnach as he appears close by and it’s like staring at the Hells themselves.

Jhin shakes off the hit and moves back up to Guan, attacking with his blades and hitting for 7 damage. Bynrora looks at Onyx, says ‘For Athena’ and starts hitting them with her flaming longsword - Onyx casts Bloody Ward but still gets hit for 19 damage, then 25 damage, and gets downed.

Lysandra tries to cast Hold Person, which fails, and tries to stab at Karnach, but misses badly enough that she stabs Lord Valgore for 10 damage. Onyx’s death saving throw is an 11 - lying on the ground dying beneath their sister, they feel like their vision of their death has come to pass. Lucia Magic Missiles Bynrora for 11 damage and Cassian dropkicks Karnach. Guan uses an ability that causes 10 psychic damage and incapacitates Jhin and Altarian. The Emerald Tiger bites Guan for 9 damage and tries to grapple him, but Guan breaks free - he slashes at Guan with his claws, then heals Onyx for 8HP, bringing them back up. Altarian manages to break out of his incapacitation and punches Jhin out of his, then uses Hunter’s Mark on Guan.

Merla casts Cloud of Daggers on Guan for 9 damage, and Lord Valgore grabs Karnach in his claws and Plane Shifts away, telling Merla that we only have two to deal with now. Jhin, seeing his brother’s resistance to slashing and piercing, sheathes his blades and takes unarmed attacked, hitting twice and successfully using Stunning Strike on Guan. Cassian shots his crossbow at Bynrora for 14 damage.

Bynrora uses Iron Mind and keeps hitting Onyx, downing them again and hitting again, forcing them to lose a death saving throw. Trying to draw her away from Onyx, Lysandra moves in and hits with her sword for 7 damage. Onyx passes a death saving throw with an 11 (now at 1 success and 1 fail). Lucia reapplies Heat Metal on Guan for 10 damage then hits Bynrora with Magic Missile for 13 damage.