Aboleth Group D&D Blog

10 th Dec 2019, 7:45 – 11:00pm In-game timeline: Start of session, day 14. End of session, day 17. Our “Heroes” are surveying the scene of a ruined tower, a large, colourful tent, ground covered in bodies and webs, and a clean and tidy well that is crying out to be investigated. Derrick seems to have learnt a new word during the last battle - "carefully". He "carefully" walks over to one of the humanoid bodies on the group, and "carefully" investigates it. He sees that it appears to be a zombie, now dead (for the second, and possibly final) time. The other bodies lying around also appear to be zombie-like. Other than the 4 that the party killed, there are around 4 others that were already dead when the group arrived. Derrick "carefully" approaches the body that is lying in front of the tent entrance, which is another zombie. Now that Derrick understands what "carefully" means, he no longer bothers, and instead hoofs the de...

Mirtul 8, 1489 DR Arrived at the Well. No one has been here for decades! Should be a good place to find historical artefacts, and maybe learn about the place. Set up tent outside ruins of the tower. The team is working well together – this should be a good dig. Mirtul 12, 1489 DR Ready to start the dig within the tower. Fed up with getting fresh water from the stream – looks like the well itself still has fresh water, so I’ll put some of the team on to repairing the well head to save all our trips to the stream! Mirtul 15, 1489 DR First find in the dig – some notes written by a Wizard, obviously staying here en route to the old Forge of Spells. Implies this place had some sort of inn or resting house as part of, or alongside, the tower. The notes are very fragile. I’ll transcribe their contents later. Mirtul 20, 1489 DR Finished repairing the well head, so I can now get fresh water when I want it. That’ll save my energies for the dig. Found a few more coins, but not...

The Corruption Of The Realms This book is written in an ancient elvish script, that is difficult to fully translate. Spending some time studying the book, however, reveals the following general information.... Back in the year 460 DR there was a total eclipse of the sun in Faerûn which had been long predicted by shamen, but was unusual in that it lasted many days, rather than the usual minutes of such an event, due to a celestial anomaly. Day became night, people panicked in the streets, thinking that a great calamity had befallen them. Kings and Lords lost control, civilizations were disrupted, clan truces fell apart and, in places, mass suicides inflicted family groups. Creatures of the night took advantage of the extended darkness and rampaged across the land. Lycanthropes were the most intelligent of these, and, with the help of other beasts, overthrew cities and empires. This period was known as The Cleansing by those responsible, but as The Corruption by those that...

27th Nov 2019, 7:45 – 11:00pm In-game timeline: Start of session, day 13. End of session, day 14. We join our 'Heroes' as they try to recover from a tough battle with a handful of Orcs and an Ogre, Gog, lead by a very tough Orc named Brughor. The party decide that it's a good idea to rest in this Orc cave, hopeful that they have cleared out anything that may be aware of their presence, so they take a short rest to recover some health and to get their breath, and in the case of Mallorn, some spells, back. Fortuitously, nothing untoward happens as they rest, and they are able to press on into the cave system after an hour's recuperation. Before heading further in, the party loot the bodies of the 7 Orcs and one Ogre currently lying, and bleeding, all over their chosen resting area. A few coins were gathered together, most (possibly all?) were added to the group's treasure. Pruni, having a strange idea that a bigger body must mean more loot, headed straight...

13th Nov 2019, 7:45 – 11:45pm In-game timeline: Start of session, day 11. End of session, day 13. We find our “Heroes” fully rested in the town of Phandalin, after having confronted “Sildar” to find that he wasn’t the real “Sildar”, but a doppelganger! After defeating the doppelganger, they once again rescued Sildar from the cellar and all is well once again in the town of Phandalin….. or is it? Keen to push on, the party decide to head out towards Conyberry and try to get the banshee Agatha to answer Sister Garaele’s query about what happened to Bowgentle’s spellbook. So keen they were to press on, that they didn’t even stop to “update their character sheets” after their long rests. Tut, tut. The trip to Conyberry took a couple of days – uneventful, though Esme was sure she spotted something in the nearby woods. The party were all a little on edge, not helped by the realisation that there were doppelgangers around, who they now know can appear to look exactly like a friend or ...

30th Oct 2019, 7:45 – 11:00pm In-game timeline: Start of session, day 9. End of session, day 11. Our “Heroes” rest in Qelline’s farmhouse after a busy day ‘tidying up’ the Redbrands. Reluctant to return her half a ham, one of the few things Qelline has left after the Redbrands destroyed half her farm, Qelline decided to take it back herself while the party were sleeping, but offered some of it back to the party in the morning as part of a hearty breakfast. Derrick gave Qelline one of his family’s emeralds as a minor (but at least an actual) contribution towards the rebuilding of her farm (Qelline notices that donations and sympathy seem to come from all members of the party EXCEPT her niece, Pruni, who at the mere mention of giving any form of donation to anyone, including her own family, seems to somehow cause her to melt into the shadows). Feeling a little rested, the party head back to town, with the aim of confronting ‘Harbin’, ideally before news of the end of the Redbrand...

11th Sep 2019, 7:45 – 11:15pm In-game timeline: Start of session, day 9. End of session, day 9. We rejoin our “Heroes” resting in a small bedroom, of sorts, previously inhabited by Bugbears – now dead – and a goblin named Pob, who is being prevented from leaving the room by Esme’s impressive bottom blocking the door. After the group have rested for a short time, they turn to Pob and fire questions at him. “Who is Glasstaff? Where is he? What does he look like? What can he do? Do you know the exact floor plan of this cellar?” etc, all of which gain answers you would expect of a goblin, recently captured by the gang, and pressed into work cleaning out the bedrooms in the cellars. But the answers were not good enough for the group, and they continued pressing Pob in the belief that he was some sort of villainous mastermind. Which he could be. He could even be Glasstaff, as was mentioned by Mallorn at one point. Pob asks to be set free, which, after some discussion the group agree to...

18 th day of spring Iarno,   Our search for the Forge of Spells continues, and we make great progress.   Others may come to Phandalin hunting for Wave Echo Cave – we need to stop them. You and your Redbrands should waylay them, delay them, and, if needed, kill them before they get too close.   Any notes, maps or similar that you find on such adventurers should be sent on to me via our usual communication methods, as they may have information that can help in our search.   Be aware that Grol at Cragmaw Castle has also been tasked with waylaying such adventurers, so feel free to work with his band if it helps.   Our contact in town will notify you if any such adventurers arrive. Ensure that your Redbrands deal with them appropriately.   23 rd day of spring Iarno,   I need you to send a band of your Redbrands to Old Owl Well, and obtain an item for me that will help in our progress towards the Forge of Spells....

The gist of this book is as follows: History of the Forge of Spells More than 500 years ago, clans of dwarves, gnomes, humans and elves made an agreement known as the Pact of Phandelver, by which they would share a rich mine in a wondrous cavern known as the Wave Echo Cave. In addition to the great mineral wealth, the mine contained a great magical power. Human and Elvish spellcasters allied themselves with the mining gnomes and dwarves to channel and bind the energy into a great forge, known as the Forge of Spells, where magical items could be crafted. Disaster struck when orcs swept through the north and laid waste to all in their path. The orcs, along with dark wizards, attacked the caves to try to take its wealth and powers for themselves. All the allied races fought to protect the Forge and the ensuing battle destroyed much of the cave system. Few survived, but the raiders were driven away. To protect the Forge, each of the allied races provided their own protective...

The gist of this book is as follows: So you want to befriend a Drow? The first question would be – Why? Drow are generally evil, usually not to be trusted, and inevitably Bad News. However, they are also very intelligent and are often proficient spellcasters, so they do have their uses. They are also known as dark elves, have dark skin and white or silvery hair, and are strongly related to other elvish races, though interbreeding rarely occurs. Drow generally dwell in the Underdark, and have excellent dark vision. They generally dislike sunlight, feel very uncomfortable above ground, and their abilities are often reduced in daylight. Many drow are very resistant to magic, especially resistant to being charmed or put to sleep, whilst being excellent magic users themselves. Many have the innate ability to cast spells such as Darkness, Faerie Fire and Dancing Lights. Drow society is strongly matriarchal, with the females holding the majority of powerful positions. Mos...