Campaign: Astrodia
DM: Tommy
Players: Jim, Roy, Kat, Kenyaita, Emily, Yemko
Date: April 19, 2026 (Session 4)
The Fire Jolt Café
The party headed to the Fire Jolt Café, the most popular café on campus. The interior is clean and well-lit, with walls decorated by permanent illusion magic — animated cartoonish scenes including a frog wizard stirring a cauldron, dancing lightning bolts with faces, and a raven in a cravat sipping coffee. The café is owned and managed by Alina Tanglewood, an elf woman.
- Menu: Plain coffee/tea = 1 copper; specialty drinks = 2 copper; Fire Jolt Latte = 10 gold (grants fire resistance for 1 minute)
- Three party members ordered plain coffee for 3 copper total.
Meeting with Myrna Nor
Myrna Nor was found in a curtained private study room. She’s a 4th-year Lorehold student researching a thesis on Leith Chantos.
Myrna noticed Úlfr and asked if he was a Goliath or descendant of giants. Úlfr deflected, saying he didn’t know what that was and preferred not to be asked. Myrna mentioned she’d heard giants have some connection to the university, from the campus tour.
The History of Leith Chantos
Myrna provided the full backstory:
- ~500 years ago, a kingdom was established under the War Rock Mountains, led by an orc priest named Wound with a figurehead ruler named Uruth. They were a warmongering tribe.
- Within that kingdom lived an orc wizard named Naf, unhappy with the kingdom’s direction. He fled to Artmegía and settled in a small village with his wife and children, farming and studying arcane magic.
- Eventually, Naf felt guilty for abandoning his people. He had skilled crafters forge a sentient axe that could communicate with its wielder, hoping to use it to reconcile differences with the kingdom’s rulers.
- He returned to the War Rock Mountains, leading to a years-long power struggle between Naf, Uruth, and Wound.
- Eventually, communications from his family ceased. Naf fled home to find his family had been poisoned — killed by a poison only Wound knew how to brew. Wound had sent spies to identify and murder Naf’s family.
- Devastated, Naf donned black robes of mourning, forsook his birth name, and became known as Leith Chantos.
- He abandoned the power struggle and spent years researching poisons and their antidotes, compiling them into a book called the Nath Loom — a spellbook containing hundreds of poisons and their antidotes.
- Leith Chantos traveled around Astrodia building libraries, and within these libraries, he buried his murdered family members.
- He built a final library, after which he departed to parts unknown.
The Quest
- Myrna believes she has located the final library — about a 4-day trek to the northeast, in the mountains.
- She wants the party to find the library, explore it, confirm the Nath Loom is there, and return it to her.
- Complication: Myrna had a research partner named Powell, a skilled wizard. They parted ways, and Powell hired mercenaries and set out to claim the book herself. Powell has about a one-day head start.
Payment
| Reward | Details |
|---|---|
| 100 gold per person | On completion |
| Thesis acknowledgment | Named in Myrna’s Lorehold thesis |
| Access to the Nath Loom | Can look through for useful information |
| Dungeon loot | Any gold, jewelry, or items found are theirs to keep |
| Scroll of Teleportation | Down payment — includes the main campus teleportation circle glyphs for a guaranteed return trip |
The party decided to travel on foot to the library (4 days) and save the scroll for the return trip or emergencies.
Frog Racing & the Giant Frog Incident
The Race
While at the café, Red heard frog croaks from the back lounge. Students had set up a frog racing track with chalk lanes and four unusual glowing frogs (red, blue, violet, orange) dressed in tiny costumes — a cape, suspenders, a bow tie, and a top hat.
The party bet on the suspenders frog:
- Red cast Speak with Animals to coach the frog, promising it flies if it won
- Drolta bared her fangs to intimidate an opposing frog, causing it to retreat
- Leif intimidated another frog with help
- The suspenders frog won, earning the party 30 gold
Giant Frog Combat
Just as winnings were about to be collected, all four frogs’ eyes turned red and they began growing into Giant Frogs, shredding their costumes. Students fled.
Key moments:
- Úlfr held back initially, laughing: “Where I come from, we eat frogs, not the other way around.”
- Red cast Animal Friendship on the suspenders frog (Frog C), making it docile — “Don’t hit this one!”
- Frog A crit Asha for 7 damage and grappled her
- Frog D swallowed Drolta whole — she was blinded and restrained inside its stomach
- Leif cast Ice Knife at Frog D, slicing its stomach open and freeing Drolta
- Úlfr raged and used Cleave — hit Frog B and one-shot Frog A (15 damage), which shrank back to normal size
- Drolta (while grappled earlier) bit the frog’s tongue as a vampiric bite, healing herself for 4 HP — Red saw her do it: “What the fuck? What tarnation?”
- Aren finished Frog B with Poison Spray
- All frogs defeated; they shrank back to normal frog size
Post-Combat Investigation
- Detect Magic revealed a faint transmutation aura on the frogs
- The frogs had been belching black, oily substance — the same oil found on the mimic from the Biblioplex
- The oil smells slightly sweet, suggesting something was added to encourage the frogs to ingest it
- Asha rolled a 25 on her history/arcana check (nat 20 + 5) and recalled a student named Murgaxor — a Bullywug (frog-like humanoid) who was expelled from the university years ago. The frog connection makes him a prime suspect behind both incidents.
Red adopted the friendly suspenders frog as a pet.
Alina demanded an explanation. With the students vouching for the party and a successful persuasion check, she accepted they weren’t responsible and took the students who brought the frogs for questioning.
Party Name: “The Fallen”
The group debated names. Options included The Fallen Agents, Airs of the Unbroken, The Remnant Vigil, The Uninvited, and The Meddlers. They settled on “The Fallen” — fitting because the gods in this world are called “the Agents,” and each party member is in various states of falling or being an outcast.
Level Up — Level 2
After the events in the city, the party leveled up to Level 2.
- Úlfr reflected on the educated students he’d met, the runes he’d been carving into his staff, and decided to start speaking them aloud. He multiclassed into Bard — a “Barb-arian” / “Bard-bearian.”
- Red gained Wild Shape as a Druid. Available forms include: giant frog, wolf, constrictor snake, and panther.
Travel & the Night
The party left the academy immediately rather than waiting until morning, wanting to close the gap on Powell’s head start.
Wisdom Saving Throws
| Character | Result | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Drolta | Nat 20 | Great sleep, gains Inspiration |
| Leif | Pass | Sleeps fine |
| Red | Pass | Sleeps fine |
| Aren | 5 | Level of Exhaustion |
| Úlfr | 5 | Level of Exhaustion |
| Asha | 5 | Level of Exhaustion |
Three party members started the journey with exhaustion (later resolved after uneventful travel, replaced with disadvantage on their first roll as a lingering penalty).
Asha was pulled into a private DM channel for a mysterious event during the night — details unknown to the other players.
Úlfr’s Vision (private DM moment)
The Lost Library of Leith Chantos
After 4 days of travel, the party arrived at the base of a mountain. The library entrance is built into a hillside — brush had been cleared, footprints led up to the door, and it was already open. Asha identified goblinoid boot prints among the tracks — Powell’s mercenaries.
Room 1: The Cage Room
Red Wild Shaped into a panther (+7 Stealth, Darkvision) and scouted ahead (Stealth: 23). He found:
- A door ajar in the north wall
- A hole dug into the east wall
- 4 goblin warriors — one on watch, others resting
- A Warg sleeping in an open cage
Combat highlights:
- The party achieved surprise — all enemies had disadvantage on initiative
- Úlfr raged, took an opportunity attack (4 damage after resistance) to reach the cage, and slammed the cage door shut, trapping the Warg. Then one-shot a goblin with his great axe.
- Red (panther) dealt 9 damage to a goblin with Rend
- Drolta finished a goblin with Chill Touch and summoned her pact weapon — “The Broom of the Phoenix Queen”
- The remaining two goblins fled deeper into the dungeon — one into a cave, one down a hallway
- Úlfr chased one and crit with his great axe, killing it as it turned to mock Aren for missing
- Asha reacted to the Warg’s escape attempt using her mother’s notebook — rolled a d6 and subtracted it from the Warg’s strength check, keeping it trapped
- Úlfr piled rubble on the cage for good measure
- Úlfr gave his first Bardic Inspiration before the fight: “The wolf that hesitates feeds no one. Go.”
Loot: 18 gold pieces from the goblins (4d6)
The Barracks
Red scouted an old barracks with 4 beds and storage lockers (all empty). A corridor north was blocked by an iron portcullis with a winch on the far side. Asha used Mage Hand to reach through the bars and raise the portcullis.
The Circular Library (First Glimpse)
Through a cracked door, Red spotted a magnificent circular library filled with thousands of books, including one book displayed in a glass case (likely the Nath Loom). A balcony circles the upper level.
He heard goblin voices inside: “Hurry up” and “I’m getting cold. Let’s make a fire.”
The party decided to explore the other route first and come back to the library.
The Bear’s Cavern
Through the hole in the wall, a winding tunnel led to a large natural cavern with a stream cutting through it. A large brown bear rose from the stream, dropping a fish, and roared.
Leif cast Speak with Animals and negotiated passage — the bear agreed to let them through as long as they did not touch his things.
A party member spotted skeletal remains in the stream with a glinting magical amulet around its neck. Leif tried to persuade the bear to let them take it. The persuasion check wasn’t enough, and a follow-up luck roll came up 1 — the worst possible result. The bear attacked.
Combat highlights:
- Red (panther) dealt early damage with Rend
- Úlfr hit the bear with his great axe and activated “Fires Burn” — a new ability gained from a dream. His axe caught fire, dealing an additional d10 fire damage (14 total). This surprised everyone.
- Asha nearly killed the bear with Fire Bolt but was one damage short
- Drolta dealt the finishing blow
Loot:
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Magical Amulet | Divination magic (same type Asha detected before); needs Identify spell. Given to Asha. |
| Brown Bear Pelt | Could make a great cape |
| Bear Skull & Meat | Harvested |
Mystery: Leif’s Magic
After the bear fight, Red noticed something odd about how Leif casts Starry Wisp — it looked different from other druids he’d seen cast the same spell. Red asked Leif to cast it at a rock to confirm. Asha and later Drolta also noticed something off (each received private DM messages). Leif insists it looks the same as always. Something is wrong or unusual about Leif’s magic, but no one can explain what.
Room 4: The Supply Room — Hobgoblin Combat
Red scouted north into a square chamber filled with crates (wooden slats, leather, parchment). Three hobgoblins were searching the crates. Red stumbled on an unstable box, alerting them.
This was the hardest fight of the session. The hobgoblins have Martial Advantage — extra 2d6 damage when an ally is within 5 feet of their target.
Key moments:
- Hobgoblin B hit Drolta for 11 damage (4 + 7 from Martial Advantage), dropping her to 6 HP
- Hobgoblin C hit Úlfr for 18 damage, dropping him to 4 HP
- Asha killed Hobgoblin B with Fire Bolt — “you did save y’all”
- Red (panther) crit Hobgoblin C for 10 damage
- Aren healed Úlfr with Cure Wounds for 7 HP
- The last hobgoblin disengaged and ran to a secret door leading to the circular library, knocking on it before Asha killed him with another Fire Bolt
- A goblin on the other side said “What was that?” — another responded “Must have been the wind. Come help us with the fire.” The library goblins remain unaware.
Short Rest
The party took a short rest in the supply room. A long rest would risk letting Powell escape with the Nath Loom.
Loot Acquired This Session
| Item | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Scroll of Teleportation | 1 | Down payment from Myrna Nor (includes campus circle glyphs) |
| Gold (frog race winnings) | 30 gp | Won from betting on the suspenders frog |
| Gold (goblin loot) | 18 gp | From 4 goblin warriors in the cage room |
| Magical Amulet (Divination) | 1 | Found on skeleton in bear’s stream; unidentified; held by Asha |
| Brown Bear Pelt | 1 | Potential cape material |
| Bear Skull & Meat | 1 set | Harvested |
| Red’s Pet Frog | 1 | The friendly suspenders frog (Frog C) |
| Coffee | 3 cups | 3 copper spent |
Party Fund Total: ~108 gold
Party Secrets & Knowledge Tracker
| Secret / Intel | Who Knows |
|---|---|
| Murgaxor (expelled Bullywug) likely behind the mimic and frog incidents | Full party (via Asha’s nat 20 recall) |
| Black oily substance connects the mimic and the giant frogs (transmutation magic) | Full party |
| Drolta bit a frog’s tongue and drank its blood mid-combat | Red saw it directly |
| Úlfr’s “Fires Burn” ability — his great axe caught fire during the bear fight | Full party witnessed |
| Asha had a mysterious event during the night on the road | Asha only (private DM channel) |
| Something is unusual about how Leif casts Starry Wisp | Red, Asha, and Drolta noticed (private DM messages each) |
| Magical amulet has Divination magic (same type Asha detected before) | Full party |
| Powell and goblinoid mercenaries are already inside the library | Full party |
| Goblins in the circular library are unaware of the party | Full party |
| One book in a glass case in the circular library (likely the Nath Loom) | Full party (via Red’s scouting) |
Open Threads
- The Nath Loom — The book is almost certainly in the glass case in the circular library. Goblins are inside and Powell is somewhere in the dungeon. The party is mid-short-rest in the supply room.
- Powell — Myrna Nor’s former research partner, now a rival. Hired mercenaries (goblins, hobgoblins). Somewhere in the library. Time is critical — no long rests.
- Murgaxor — Expelled Bullywug student, prime suspect behind the tampered mimic and the enchanted frogs. Two incidents in one day using the same black oily transmutation substance.
- Leif’s Starry Wisp Anomaly — Red, Asha, and Drolta all independently noticed something wrong with how Leif casts this cantrip. Leif is unaware or dismissive. Each received private DM messages.
- Úlfr’s “Fires Burn” — A new ability from a dream. His axe literally catches fire. Origin unknown — possibly connected to his Goliath/Fire ancestry or the voice in his nightmares.
- Úlfr’s Giant Vision — Saw an enormous creature from eye level, as if from the perspective of a being of equal size. Connected to Myrna’s comment about giants and the university.
- The Magical Amulet — Divination magic, found on a skeleton in the bear’s cave. Needs Identify to learn its properties. Same magic type Asha detected previously.
- Asha’s Night Event — Something happened to Asha during the night on the road. Private DM channel — unknown to other players.
- Drolta’s Vampirism Exposure — Red now directly witnessed her bite a frog and drink its blood. His reaction: “What the fuck? What tarnation?”
- The Golden Chalice & “The Something Spoils” — Still ticking. ~26 days remain on the 30-day deadline.
- The Sentient Axe — Naf/Leith Chantos had one forged. Location unknown. Potentially in the library?
- Academy Contacts — Dean Tallenrook, Professor Fane, Professor Valentine — all still to be visited after the quest.
Next Session
The party is taking a short rest in the supply room of the Lost Library of Leith Chantos. The circular library — with its glass-cased book and goblin occupants — is accessible through either the barracks portcullis or the secret door from the supply room. Powell and potentially more mercenaries are still unaccounted for. The race for the Nath Loom continues.