I was going to begin this recount with the surprising and hopeful note – that I forgot to mention last time – that, by surviving last week’s session, Jack became my longest-lived character since I started to recount my D&D adventures (ten sessions alive) . I would have ended that recount, as, indeed, I ‘wittily’ began at the start of this session, by suggesting that meant I probably wouldn’t survive my eleventh. Turns out that would have been/was an incredibly accurate statement.
So we began by receiving a retrieval assignment from one of our contacts, the local magic items vendor. She tasked us with retrieving a statue of St. Cuthbert from the wreck of a ship that went down a short way up the coast. We agreed, since it sounded like a pretty straightforward job, and set off.
The first complication came when we reached the wreck, where we met a duo of wizards who were likewise trying to retrieve the statue. While I was hesitant to let them have it, they eventually convinced the group of their claim, so we agreed to assist them – and their golem, which was already under the water. Swimming down, we joined it inside the wreck.
While Cassius and Leonardo helped the golem break the chains I searched the other cabins in the ship. For the most part I found nothing, but I did happen upon a singing crab. No big deal. She was very friendly.
We also met some ghosts, who asked us to sanctify their bones. Again, no big deal. We agreed.
Once we returned to the surface and the statue was aboard the wizards’ ship, they helped us sanctify the bones and then dropped us off back in town. We went to see our contact to explain what happened, but she wasn’t home. Instead, her servant sent us to meet her on the edge of town, but when we arrived, only one of her friends was there.
He handed Cassius a stone, through which he spoke to the contact. She was not happy. Understandably so. Not happy enough to have her friend turn into a glabrezu and attack us, which was probably a bit much, to be fair. But that’s how not happy she was.
The first thing the glabrezu did was cast Darkness on its area, which shut down most of Cassius’ spellcasting. Then it cast Power Word Stun on Leonardo, which shut down his rage. And then it went to town.
First it knocked Cassius out, but he managed to stabilise. Then it knocked Leonardo out, but I healed him up with a healing potion. Then it knocked me out, but I rolled a natural 20 and woke back up. Then it knocked Leonardo out again, and he died. Then it knocked me out again, and I died.
And that was that. Cassius, once he woke, decided losing his whole party twice was enough, so he retired. End-o the campaign-o.
I wish I could say I wasn’t expecting this to happen. But that boyhood naivete has long since been scoured from me by this cursed… curse. This marks my tenth character death that I’ve recorded on this blog. If you’re still sceptical that I am cursed, for reference, the other players combined have a total of nine deaths in the same time – including Cassius, who may not be dead in body, but let’s be honest, probably is in soul.
We turned the remainder of our session into a Session 0 for our next campaign, starting next week. We’ll be playing Descent Into Avernus. So tune in to see how we get on, and whether my first character this time survives any longer than Ham did.