Live streamed and uploaded every week on YouTube. Join us live on Fridays around 8pm Pacific/11pm Eastern!

Original character art by Jimmy McClure
Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Chat with us in the Official Discord Server.
Support the channel via Patreon!

Keys from the Golden Vault Session 7

Starring
Varrow, level 3 gnome Thief Rogue
Stayzie Diamondz, level 3 orc Champion Fighter
Elowen Fernwhisper, level 3 wood elf Circle of the Moon Druid
Chéri Powder, level 3 human Illusionist Wizard
Taveen, level 3 aasimar Warrior of Mercy Monk

As Elowen’s shadow stares down at her lifeless body, the others are forced to finish off the last of the shadowy monsters. 

The Shadow Demon proves the most vexing, nearly killing Varrow before escaping outside, with Stayzie in hot pursuit. 

But more shadows being pouring out of the walls, prompting the rest of the party to hurry to the rift. 

Chéri makes it inside only to witness this onslaught of shadows. He lights a nearby couch on fire to help keep them at bay, while Taveen and Varrow grab Elowen’s body.

The group hurries through the portal, and realizes that bright light makes it shrink.

In the attic, Stayzie finds the big bad Shadow Demon, and triumphantly destroys, still screaming about her lack of color. 

She hurries downstairs and jumps through the Shadow Rift just as it fully collapses from Taveen’s radiant light.

The rift has been sealed, and the ghosts have been cut off. With the ghostly wisp nowhere in sight, they head downstairs, already arguing about what to do with Elowen (her shade, meanwhile, remains trapped on the other side, bombarded by negative emotions and darkness).

At least Giffrey’s here! The poltergeist can now manifest as a visible ghost, though he still can’t speak. He’s thankful and eager to help the party restore the Manor and put it back into working order.

The party returns to Mr. Trench and dump Elowen’s dead body at his feet, blaming him once again for their problems and lack of intel.

Mr. Trench is having none of it, though admits that perhaps he overestimated their abilities, and that this team-up was a big mistake.

Before he and Varrow can get in a further argument, he calls to Taveen for cooler heads. He explains to the monk that he knows someone who could bring Elowen back for a cheaper price, and gives them a diamond to help pay the cost.

He also says not to tell the man anything, given his connections to shady organizations.

The man is Skeemo Weirdbottle, a shifty apothecary and mage. The party stuffs Elowen’s body into their bag of holding and moves across town to the Trade Ward, and into the pungent, cramped store.

Skeemo is immediately suspicious, pegging them as either clueless adventurers, or cops. Varrow uses Thieves Cant to assure him that they know the right people, and Skeemo eagerly scoops up the diamond.

He’s a bit concerned when they dump the dead body on his desk, and after some humorous arguing, the party admits they’re here to see her raised.

Normally raising the dead costs 2,000gp, plus the 500 gp diamond. Skeemo is willing to do it for about half the cost (1200gp, plus the diamond), which the party still doesn’t have. He’s willing to let them pay later, but as an assurance, he demands they drink a poisonous elixir. The poison will kill them after “about a week or so,” and they’ll start showing symptoms after about 48 hours. 

Of course, he’ll make the antidote once they return with his money.

Taveen, something of a brewer and potion-crafter himself, is enamored, and drinks. Chéri drinks as well, but Varrow and Stayzie are less enthusiastic. Varrow convinces him (with a 20+ Persuasion check) that having two people on the hook is enough incentive, and Skeemo reluctantly agrees.

He works his magic with a montage of spellcasting, brewing, chanting, and a bit of acupuncture. By the end, Elowen’s eyes flutter open, and she has returned to the land of the living! (Albeit with a -4 penalty to d20 tests, as per Raise Dead).

With their friend groggy but alive, the party heads back to Trench, hoping their next job gives them a chance to secure some serious coin!

Live post-session discussion: 

Next session: The Stygian Gambit!

Live streamed and uploaded every week on YouTube. Join us live on Fridays at 7:30 pm Pacific/10:30 pm Eastern!

Support my channel via Patreon!