A Question of Perspective: the Oholloth Detour

Brian was DM for this adventure, John was out sick so Jamlamin will be absent, to be explained next time.

Gird yourselves for a dramatic week, this last session took us to unexpected places of character development and conflict.

After the race, Lex tracked down a drunken Sir Reginald and bought him another drink. She flattered him on his grand connections until she was able to learn that Lord Aminafus passed through the town some months ago on his way to Waterdeep, where he was funding an unknown mission by boat.

Crag approached the owner of the dogs and apologized again outside the scrutiny of the guard. The man began openly weeping as Crag awkwardly comforted him until Corax drank to the point of vomiting and then Crag took him up to bed.

On their way out of Otminster the group picked up Quickroot when Silip leapt down onto Crag from a tree they passed. From there the group decided to go back to Blood Spot in answer to Xerella's earlier letter requesting assistance.

When they arrived they learned that the Plague Soul Oholloth, who was freed from the captivity of Lady Darstein the spider tamer after the freeing of Blood Spot, had come back for Darstein. "Death to the Lolth worshipper," was burned with acid onto the wall.

Xerella felt guilty for freeing him and asked us to bring back her spider tamer for the, now voluntary, arena battles. She offered a reward. Corax was moved by chivalry to save a kidnapped woman, and Lex and Crag wanted to see the Plague Soul no longer an issue. Eglan had a strange look about him, but was quiet. Xerella warned us Oholloth was rumored to be controlling many worms the size of men.

What was known by the party about Oholloth at this time: Plauge Soul, Ganasi race, part human and part elemental. On his first day in Blood Spot, he killed a teen child by blowing poison into his mouth. He fancied Lady Darstein but she rejected him and stabbed him in the back. He tried to seek revenge and he and his traveling companions were captured. Darstein kept him as a prisoner and personal poison factory fro years.

At this time Xerella asked if Eglan's personal connections to Oholloth would prevent him from participating in his capture. Eglan then conceded that he had been a member of Oholloth's party, and escaped his fate by refusing to defy the Blood Brothers. He left his former companion for dead.

The team picked up some Resistance Potions in preparation for fighting against a Plague Soul (+5 resistance to damage type of choice for 40 gold). Eglan caught up with an old friend, the healther Tailtreader, while the rest chatted with Grey and found out Telemar was away on an expedition.

Xerella offered them the use of 3 of Darsteins trained spiders to track her. Eglan was repulsed by them, but Quickroot usd his nature abilities to tame and befriend them, collecting dead animal treats for them along the road. The spiders were anxious to return to their mother and moved quickly. We traveled for 4 hours uninterrupted.

Lex voiced concerns about Eglan's ability to handle the mission objectively and whether he could really kill Oholloth if it came down to it. She was distrustful of him for not revealing their history until prompted. Crag insisted that if Eglan tried to stop him from killing Oholloth, then they'd have to fight. Eglan told them he would do what he had to, but that Oholloth had a good side, and was known as a hero in the town of Grave Guard. Lex and Crag were unconvinced.

Corax asked for some background on Oholloth's fighting style. (Defender, weilds tripped headed flail, main moves are to create rock Gollum armor, thorn strike grappling, and whirlwinds. Warder class.)

We then came upon a clearing with a band of mercenaries and a Warforged sitting around a camp. The spiders retreat to the trees and watch from above. Quickroot approached from a distance. A mercenary approached and asked, "Can we help you?" Quickroot explained the mission and then mercenary called out, "Brutus!" Crag looked perturbed.

Brutus and Crag fought in war thousands of years ago. Brutus was also a member of Eglan and Oholloth's party, and was programmed to serve Eglan until his capture, when he was reprogrammed to serve Blood Spot. Eglan abandoned him as well. Brutus assured him it's all water under the bridge for him when Eglan offered an apology for the past. He did, however, insist they kill Oholloth. Crag agreed.

Brutus offered a tip about a ruin north of the clearing which might serve as a good place for Oholloth to hide. It is said to be a place of action, not of thought.

The spiders grew impatient, so we moved on while the mercenaries returned to hunting down turncoats.

After another hour of travel we discovered a quint hill with a door, previously barred but now broken in with a rocky frame. We could sense magic from inside. The spiders scrambled at the door.

Crag forced open the door and we went inside. It was pitch dark and from the inside we could tell this was the remains of a town collapsed and grown over. There was a 20 foot hall lined with unlit torches. Crag lit one and threw it ahead to light to next room. Quickroot angrily grumbled that the element of surprise was ruined. Crag, being ever the man, er, Warforged of action wasn't worried about a fight. But he was slightly afraid of the dark, due to a past experience involving a mirror.

We entered a room that looked as though it may have once been a church. A channel was dug near the center of the room filled with some green liquid. There were also three worms, two grub mothers, horrible, slimy beasts covered in tiny crawling grubs, and a rock worm, its flesh marked all over in black rock.

The worms began to spew grub vomit and rocks upon us as we battled them. Anytime we stopped to think about a move we were afflicted with a sudden pain in our heads and took damages. Crag did a history check to remember that this ruin used to be a town under threat of siege by mages. The leaders of the town argued in the church about what to do for so long that the town fell, and now the ghosts of the slain haunt the ruin and punish anyone who waits to take action.

After a battle of quick decision making, we were finally able to slay the worms and continue on, using boulders to cross the channels of acid. The spiders, who had to this point remained outside, suddenly returned to us and crowded behind a metal door ahead. Quickroot and Eglan decide to scout ahead this time to keep the element of surprise. Eglan slipped in unnoticed, but Quickroot stumbled and looked up to see Oholloth, standing in a pit of acid, with Lady Darstein chained to a pole in the corner, badly beaten but still alive.

Oholloth turned to Quickroot and said, "Who are you? Have you come to stop me from killing this Lolth worshipper?"

Quickroot lied and convinced Oholloth that he had come to seek his guidance and wisdom as a wielder of nature.

"If you really are here to learn from me, kill this vile Lolth worshipper," said Oholloth.

Quickroot walked back to the door, looked at Lex and Crag waiting outside, and shut the door. Eglan, still successfully hidden, believed Quickroot really intended to kill Darstein and was conflicted. Quickroot readied a vine attack on her, but then feinted, yelling, "Attack!" and aiming for Oholloth instead, but he missed! Crag, Corax and Lex charged through the door and stopped at seeing Quickroot fail.

Just then, Eglan finally emerged from the shadows, "I don't want to hurt you, Oholloth."

Oholloth turned to Eglan, then the rest, and demanded of us if we were also Lolth worshippers. He said to Eglan, "You know Lolth worshippers must be put to death. This is what the Selderine believe. She tortured me, she should be put to death! I am innocent!"

Eglan offered to take Lady Darstein to trial for her actions. Crag and Lex held back, Grag resting his weapon but Lex remaining very tense, ready to fight at any moment.

Oholoth refused a trial, insisting there could be no trial for those who serve Lolth, for they are purely evil in his mind. Corax walked up to Oholoth and Darstein and did a search of their ultimate good and evil. He determined them both capable of good and evil.

Oholoth demanded, "Justice, now!"

Suddenly, quickroot shot forth a vine and killed Lady Darstein.

Lex was in shock, dropping her battle stance. The spidrs ran into the room, hissing and clicking, and attacked Oholoth, who slew them in the acid.

Lex stepped forward to Eglan, "This is not justice! Will you let this stand? Did you not insist on a fair trial?"

Eglan sighed deeply and unwrapped the bandages around his face, revealing himself to be Drow. "He is right, I cannot allow a Lolth worshipper to live, it is a death sentence crime." Tears fell from his eyes as he bandaged his face again.

Corax said to Oholoth, "I see good in you, you have not necessarily done evil here."

Quickroot spoke, "I agree. Nature knows no restraints."

Crag walked away from the room quickly without a word and headed out of the ruin. Lex moved quickly to Lady Darstein's body, removing her black pendant spider, and marching quickly after Crag.

Corax carried the body to the acid and offered her soul to the Raven Queen. Eglan apologized to the gathered company for lying about knowing Oholloth, and hugged Corax, who was overjoyed by the action.

Oholloth leaves undeterred.

When the emerged from the ruin, Quickroot used his nature powers to close up the ruin with roots, preventing anyone else from wandering inside and leaving the ghosts to rest in peace.

Crag and Lex had already left ahead, and after an hour, the rest caught up. When they reached the clearing, Quickroot spoke, "What shall we tell Xerella?"

"The truth," said Eglan.

"And what is the truth, the way you see it?" snapped Lex.

"We let him go."

"We!" Lex yelled, "We have done nothing! He-" pointing accusingly at Quickroot, "has decided for everyone. He chose to play judge jury and executioner at the behest of a mad man!"

"If there is any punishment to be received, I will take it," said Quickroot.

"You do not know or understand the worshipers of Loth," sighed Eglan, "They are purely evil, they know no restraint, they show no mercy and they deserve none. She kept him a pet for year."

"After he attacked her! He killed a child. He is by nature a creature of destruction. If she should die for her sins, so should he!" retorted Lex. She turned to the others, "In Blood Spot, had you attacked instead of taking the brother's request, you would have killed me, and without a second thought or an inquiry of my conscience!"

Crag admitted as much was true.

"But, you are good! You did good after serving the Blood Brothers, "said Corax.

"Because I lived to have the chance that was taken from Lady Darstein by the bigotry of elves and preists." hissed Lex.

Eglan replied sadly, "One day, you might live long enough to come to understand. You cannot save those lost to the evil of Lolth."

Lex narrowed her eyes in contempt, "And, maybe you will live to fully understand the hypocrisy of elves," as she stroked the spider pendant.

The ride was silent the rest of the way. When we arrived, Xerella was disappointed, but did not punish anyone besides not giving a reward.

Play notes: Great ghosts, this was a dramatic night. Character conversations got so tense we had to clarify we were still in character a few times. This mission will have lasting complications for Lex. Her tentative trust in her new team has been damaged by the withholding of Eglan and what she sees as the murder of Lady Darstein. Lex sees herself as in the same position, having formerly done many regrettable things for the Bloods in order to try to save her sister. Her deep seeded mistrust of elves will continue to bubble to the surface now that the two fully elven members of the group have displayed a moral mission contrary to her own ideas of good and evil. It's going to be interesting, for sure, especially when we have Jamlamin back next time, who is a more morally ambiguous character. Crag of course seems to agree with Lex's interpretation of the event, at least in that Oholloth should die. We'll see what happens with that!