Cycle of Millennia 2021 Session 17: Punching Bag
Here is week 17 of my 2021 Dungeons and Dragons Campaign Cycle of Millennia. Lets go over session 17 : Punching Bag. The party is still split up. Each group is trying to make the best of the situation.
Don’t forget that this campaign has been ongoing for over three years. There is a lot of story to cover and I’m writing a book series to document it all. I am adapting this adventure into a book series. The first three are on Amazon.
!!!Trigger Warnings Abound!!!
This campaign takes place in an incredibly unpleasant setting. The party has dealt with Human Traffickers, Sex Slavery, Child Sacrifice, The Apocalypse, Genocide, Wicked Cults, and other related topics.
There is a God of Madness that is fond of causing auditory and visual hallucinations, makes use of psychic gaslighting, commands the literal legions of hell, and all around causes untold suffering in the setting.
Essentially, nothing is off the table in this campaign. If the above ideas are not ones you want to think about, I do not think this blog series is for you. That is not a problem and does not indicate any failings on your part. I am a storyteller that does not shy away from the darkest topics. It would be horrible for me to not warn my audiences of this in advance.
!!!Final Trigger Warning. Past this point there be dark topics!!!
Grez continued to help build the colosseum. He was eager for it to be complete so that he could fight others in Mongress. He felt the need to flex his superior fighting ability whenever he could.
Oliver asked for idea about completing the colosseum. He was missing a few vital things, namely a way for spectators to watch the fights. He ran a couple ideas by Velkora and Grez. They both offered input and the three came to an agreement.
Velkora continued crafting and was pleased to finally have a lull in combat to finally perfect her craft. She only was interrupted when Thea contacted her with a new directive. Pointing out that with her experience she could help build the new armies, the Orabaras high priestess let Velkora know that she would be trianing new members soon.
She also intended to send new recruits in the Spatian army. Knowing that Grez couldn’t help but be a show off, the two conspired to get him to train these soldiers.
A Not So Small Wish:
Velkora asked Rose about Wish. She wanted to remove the psychological torment that Kranaak had infused into her mind. Unfortunately, Rose told her an answer she didn’t like. The spell might be able to pull of such a feat, but only if the spell was crafted properly. There was a second even more dangerous potential problem. Removing the curse of a God might attract their attention. The last thing Velkora wanted was for Kranaak to send a counter-curse her way.
Next, she contacted Thea next again to ask the same question. Velkora Didn’t like the fact that Thea gave the exact same answers. She also pointed out that Kranaak would be more than happy to dole out creative punishment if she dared try to remove one of his “blessings”.
Nothing to Do:
Velkora harassed Lord Death to finish translating faster. She even asked if he would let her help him. He laughed at her request. He let her know that the language of Nihilinn was more than capable of killing any mortal that spoke it. She quickly reconsidered the request.
Disappointed that things just were not going her way, Velkora returned to Mongress. Just long enough for Rose and Grez to speak to her before the three returned to Lord Death’s necropolis.
The remaining party returned to Mongress the next morning and found arena finished. This bothered Grez because he had wanted to be the one to finish the arena. Velkora and Rose were worried for a different reason. Only someone with significant magical strength could have accomplished such a feat.
It didn’t take long for them to figure out who was responsible. Drow Magic was weaved into the entire building. And since only one powerful Drow Matron Mother knew of this place, she was the obvious cause. But since the two didn’t perceive any danger, nor Kranaak induced enchantments, they let it slide.
Sparring:
Grez and Velkora headed into the arena for a friendly spar. Spar was not really the correct way to describe it though. Despite her superior magical might, a witch couldn’t do much to the dodgy monk. Even her potent spells failed to land. Meanwhile he punched her relentlessly till she hit the ground.
They drew a large crowd of spectators who were curious to see what two titans of the world were capable of. Orcs, Henrick, Mariette, and even Rose came to watch. Grez tried to goad the Innovian Nobel to come fight him again in the ring. Henrick refused. To try and goad him again, the Monk flung insults and asked for his wife’s opinion.
But when he tried to get her attention, he was ignored. Tryin to read her mind gave him no clues. At least until Velkora noticed she was wearing a special item that blocked telepathic intrusions.
An Amulet:
After discovering that she possessed a magic ring, Grez froze time and stole the item from Mariette. He didn’t think about the implications of this for too long.
Once more he tried to read her mind. And once more he failed to do so. Frustrated, Grez realized that there was no proper exit out of the arena. So he made some. By walking through one wall. And then the other. Oliver freaked out when he heard shaking and asked what had happened. Unfortunately, Grez’s measurements were off and the doors are not on opposite sides of the arena. The lack of symmetry annoys him.
Velkora spotted Rose in the attendance and decided now was the appropriate time to point out that she and Grez seemed to bicker like a married couple. Those words enraged both and they denied anything in unison. Velkora reminded the two who she served and the things she understood about the human heart. And lust of course.
Wrap Up:
Half the party gets to relax and take a silly hiatus from the evils of the world. But the other half is currently fighting for their lives in Kranaak’s hellish realm. Hopefully the group can reunite and find more answers soon.