Trollopulous Adjusted Session 145 (Machodor #96): Cthugarak, City of the Firenewts PART 1

Firenewt city circa 2023 (concept "art")

       

Introduction

What is it like to read these session reports in sequence? Does the reader get any real sense of the campaign’s flow over time, or why the players have been taking the actions they have? Maybe, but I doubt anyone was sitting there wondering when the party would finally return to the firenewt city they first spotted while attempting to find the lair of the red dragon Lord Inferno back in session 31. Fast forward two years and it is a long time to leave such a threat just 30 miles from Minas Mandalf. I am still not sure what put the players off going back sooner, but eventually I set about creating a clear incentive for the adventurers to return and close the loop through Giuseppe and Echellet. This is the session where they finally do.

As I sat down to write this report, it became clear that a great many loose threads were converging here in ways that would be hard to follow without a run of supporting posts, four of which I have posted since session 95 and recommend reading. Now, at last, we arrive at session 96.

As the sketch above shows, I had, quite literally, only outlined the city of the firenewts and not even given it a name. I had decided that the island with the column of flame would be the key to reaching Lord Inferno’s lair, and my original idea was that the players would discover that the firenewts’ giant striders could run across the lava surrounding the city, capture some, and ride directly to the island. At the time of that first discovery one of the players had already captured and tamed a strider, but the realisation of its potential use never quite landed at the table.

That left me with the problem of how to flesh out the city. By chance, someone on Twitter quoted a line about the drow city in D3: Vault of the Drow along the lines of “How do you deal with a whole city of drow?” I thought, “Yes, how do you?” and reread it with an eye to mining material for my own purposes. It turned out to be almost exactly what I needed. I already had some sense of the components I wanted for the city, but the firenewts themselves were still a monolith in my mind; the noble houses in D3 were the perfect structure to borrow.

It is an amazing place to adventure, but in the original module there is very little to support actually coming and going from the city. Physically, it is sketched in over about a page before the text moves on to the noble estates. My impression is that most tables blaze through the city on their way to the next module in the series, and much of the implied detail around passes and cloaks ends up unused. I wanted almost the opposite: a place that could support adventures across as many sessions as the campaign would bear, and a level of detail that would also serve as day‑to‑day background for the Dragon Cult Leader as king of the city.

That sent me down a rabbit hole of later versions of Erelhei‑Cinlu, Dragon Magazine articles and a later publication, and sure enough, those efforts included a much more detailed map, which I adapted with some thematic changes. The key idea I borrowed was that the noble houses are each nominally responsible for one of the city’s eight quarters; by putting that information directly on the map, it becomes a very workable tool at the table. I also tried my hand at a replacement reference document good enough to use alongside the original; that experiment was more hit and miss, so in practice I used both together. By the time I was done I was reasonably confident I had built a fun place to adventure, and this session was where I began to find out.

Timekeeping

This session began on January 29th, with the player characters adventuring until the 1st of February. Downtime for these characters begins on the later on the 1st.

Player Characters Present

Sever the Wrathful (Level 10 Pegasus Corps Ranger of Machodor, wielder of Were'shbane and the Rod of Lordly Might, wearer of the Girdle of Cloud Giant Strength, rider of Mustang) with henchman Thomas (C7), Poindexter (M6), and Rabbit (FMT556)

Fluid the Druid (Level 9 Druid, "Scourge of Trollopulous", former wearer of the Ring of Kings, current wearer of the Cloak of Druidish Awesomeness)

Sheamus (Level 9 Irish Fighter from Brovenloft, rider of the Rocket Cycle and wielder of the Drewblade)

Giuseppe (Level 8 Paladin of Rome, Brovenloft, wielder of Sanctus Draconis Interfector and the Shield of Protection from Missiles, rider of Bonecrusher) with henchmen Bishoy (F6), Tawadros (F6), Steelvein (F6), Rhoikos (M6)

Downtime

Follow‑up investigations into what the party had encountered in sessions 94 and 95 led to significant discoveries regarding the chaos windows and Cthugarak. 

By now Sever’s fame had spread far and wide. Ranger Lord Sever, Pegasus Scout of Machodor and master of Fort Wrath, attracted around a dozen special followers who flocked to his banner (as per DMG pp. 16–17). Some of them were very special indeed.

Giuseppe, meanwhile, revealed that he had a source of information close to Lord Inferno. The source had told him of:

Two ways ascend into Inferno's lair: one, to an audience hall, is connected to the palace of their Dragon-King, the Dragon Cult leader, heavily guarded at all times, yet you might prevail by force of arms or guile.

The other from an island Temple just outside the city, guarded no less heavily. Here providence has aligned our fates once again. Sacrifices to Lord Inferno are made on every full moon — yes, the one time I am able to aid you. And more, the living fire that supposedly burns the sacrifices is in fact a portal to an annex in the lair where the dragon can consume them at its leisure.

Infiltrate the city — disguise, subterfuge, alliance with a discontented noble house perhaps — and use one of these methods. It will not be easy; the newts guard their secrets with fire and fanatic zeal.

Poindexter's idea

This was a big reveal, but the other players kept their thoughts about it to themselves.

With the pendants, the map, and a letter of introduction, the party now had a plausible means of infiltrating the city. They had the intent, but who could pass for a fire giant? Poindexter made a suggestion to Sever: “Boss, it doesn’t read like the firenewts in the city have ever seen a fire giant up close — just the basics: tall, strong, red hair. I’ve got a crazy idea…”

Session Report

Now, Sheamus is tall, but not as tall as the giant Gorvak Ironbrand, presumably the leader of the giants they had slain last session. Could he really pose as a fire giant? That was up to the players to decide, and it turned out that they had the spells required: enlarge, resist fire, and plenty of them.

It had been a particularly harsh winter in and around the Bandit Mountains, and the 29th of January was no different. The whole area lay under deep snow, and it kept falling throughout the day, spoiling their travel plans. Thankfully it cleared on the 30th, and they set off two days ahead of the full moon. They flew to the hidden cave discovered last session, landed, disabled the rocket cycle as usual, and left Sever’s henchman Roger with orders to return daily with the pegasi until their return. They crossed the dam wall that cut off the underground river and entered the primary lava‑tube passage indicated on the map. The tube was split evenly by a channel in which lava flowed periodically, with a raised ledge on either side. At the dam they had to choose which side to travel; they chose the south ledge.

They travelled invisibly, but not knowing when their ruse might be needed, kept Sheamus enlarged and towering above everyone else in his role as Gorvak.

The lava‑tunnel journey to Cthugarak was one I wanted to move through quickly, to leave space in the session for events in the city itself. As it was the party’s first time travelling this way, though, even with a map they needed to move with caution, and I still had to account for the likelihood of encounters along the route. There is always a tension between keeping real‑time play moving and respecting time in the game world. In future sessions, once they were familiar with the tunnels, the trip could be resolved with just a few rolls — if they were lucky.

The versatile henchman Rabbit scouted ahead to make use of his infravision. As they approached a junction in the primary passage, he spotted something high up off the path.

Encounter #1: Shriekers

Rounds: N/A 

Result: Party evaded

Highlights: A cluster of shriekers clung to the tunnel wall just close enough to the path that the party’s light would have set them off despite their invisibility. Rabbit’s careful scouting picked the fungus monsters out in time, and he guided the others around them, avoiding both the shrieking itself and whatever might have come to investigate.

Passing up the chance to leave the primary passage here and explore down a narrower secondary passage, the heroes kept on moving. Later, at another junction, they heard the tell‑tale sounds of combat and the screams of monsters echoing from some indeterminate distance. This too they ignored and pressed on. Some time later there was the sound of something large running towards them along the primary passage.

Like this, but upside down

Encounter #2: Female firenewt merchants

Rounds: N/A

Result:  Party evaded (watched them go past)

Highlights: A string of giant subterranean pack lizards came pounding along the ceiling of the lava tube, their riders clinging easily to the inverted saddles. This was the first time any of the party had seen female firenewts — the Fiend Folio only pictures males. At some point while I was working out their society it occurred to me: what if the females had giant cans? And the rest is history. I had not originally intended to introduce them by having them ride past upside down; there were meant to be some at the end of the underground river in session 94, but the heroes never crossed their path there. Only Fluid suggested calling out as the merchants hurried by, but the others ignored him, and so we will never know what might have happened if he had.

In the last stretch of the primary passage, things suddenly went crazy. Huge creatures with iron-like claws and large ivory coloured mandibles, possibly sensing the party’s movements from the vibration of their footsteps, erupted from the southern wall of the tunnel as they passed.

 

Encounter #3: 2 Umber hulks
Rounds: 3
Result: Party fled 
Highlights:  The heroes won initiative and sprinted ahead. Three rounds later they were well out of sight and able to make use of the Evasion rules. They got away clean while the monsters were left wondering what they had been chasing, and, thanks to this course of action, the party remained invisible as they continued their journey.

 

Soon after eluding the umber hulks, the primary lava‑tube passage opened out into the vast caldera at the heart of the active volcano. The city of Cthugarak sprawled on a raised island of volcanic rock before them, surrounded by a sea of molten magma. At last the adventurers had reached their penultimate destination, and it was time to try their ruse with Sheamus. They dropped out of invisibility and approached the cylindrical watch‑tower known as the Basalt Gate‑Tower.

Encounter #4: Cthugarak

Rounds: N/A

Result: Party Infiltrated

Highlights: Sheamus displayed the brooch indicating the favour of House Ignisalam (randomly determined on the slain Fire Giant, with long‑term consequences), together with the letter of introduction. It just so happens that the firenewt language is a dialect of Lizardman, which the fighter had spent considerable time and effort learning from his henchman McScales; now he finally saw a payoff he had never anticipated. The bailiff responded immediately and positively to “Gorvak Ironbrand”, had the paperwork expedited, issued heat‑cloaks for “Gorvak’s servants”, and assigned his lieutenant to escort the party across the causeway bridge to the Foreigner’s Quarter. Lieutenant Vraks was absolutely full of information about his city, most of which streamed past the players’ ears, though they did latch onto the three levels of accommodation available in the quarter and elected for the most expensive option after hearing what passed for “suitable” among the cheaper establishments.

The streets were packed with a menagerie of fire‑using creatures: as well as the ever‑present firenewts there were slaves of many races, and even the occasional salamander and efreeti. Giuseppe drew his heat-cloak’s hood down and kept his eyes lowered. The party took adjoining rooms in the Drake's Ember Rest and were relieved to find them properly temperature controlled, and much cooler than in the streets outside. Sheamus stayed indoors and allowed himself to return to his usual size. With so much evil all around them in need of smiting, the ranger and the paladin in particular were on tenterhooks, but they stayed on mission and sent their henchmen out to gather information.

The casters rested. Sever tasked Rabbit with exploring the city and reporting back in the morning, while Fluid and a couple of Giuseppe’s henchmen went down to mingle in the bar.

Of course, the druid took one look at the barkeep and was in his element.

The next part of the session, after about two hours of play to reach this point, was pure payoff for a DM. I had no idea how the players would achieve their goal, but I had everything I needed to adjudicate their actions, whatever they tried.

To be continued.

Graveyard

Oblate (Illusionist Level 3), killed and eaten by the Nathruk in the Skalrath in session #140

Eniac (Magic-User level 1), killed by a poisoned Grothak spear in session #137 

Rhoikos (Henchman Magic-User level 4), smashed by a Mummy fist in session #126. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Thomas (Henchman Cleric level 6), Killed by a Symbol of Death in session #126. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Josef Ironbeard (Dwarf Fighter level 1), Killed by a Symbol of Death in session #126.

Matthias Steelvein (Henchman Fighter level 4), Killed by a Symbol of Death in session #126. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Sever the Wrathful (Ranger level 9), Killed by two pains in the Annis in session #122. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Anri (Henchman Magic-User level 4), found dead with a ghastly chest wound in the Ice Castle, with her heart missing she was unable to be revived, in downtime after session #122 

Symeon (Henchman Cleric level 2), Only strong enough to wear studded leather, he was torn to shreds by Troglodytes in session #121

Paul (Henchman Paladin level 3) Effected by the Imprisonment spell touch attack from a Styx Devil in session #117. Might not be dead, but is definitely at least six feet under for all intents and purposes.

Gurt the Green (Paladin level 6) killed by a poison needle trap in session #114 RAISED FROM THE DEAD (with a roll of 94!)

Solaire the Fallen (Henchman Fighter (paladin) level 3) killed by Stone Giants acting as catapults in session #114

Paul (Henchman Paladin level 1), reduced to 0 hit points by white dragon breath when climbing down a rope ladder in session #108. Killed not by the fall; but by the sudden stop at the bottom. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Ignatius the Smiter (Cleric level 1), horrifically mutilated and killed by double hit from a Shoggoth in session #106

Domby (Henchman with Dex 5), double surprised and turned into a pin cushion in session #87

Luke (Half elf Fighter/Cleric level 1), tragically killed by a normal hydra while trying to cauterise one of its neck stumps in session  #86

Gurt the Green (Paladin level 3), killed by a hydra bite in session  #86 RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Pleasance (Footman level 0), killed by a phase spider bite in session #81

Siegward (Henchman Fighter level 1), killed by a phase spider bite in session #81

Tawadros (Henchman Fighter level 4),  killed by a phase spider bite in session #81 RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Patria (Footman level 0), killed by a two headed snake bite in session #81

Deltacron (Dwarf Fighter/Thief level 1/1), threw his last flask of oil at, and was level drained to death by, a Vampire in session #76

Petrov the Prestidigitator (Magic-user level 1), wrong place, wrong time; killed by Sever the Ranger in session #72 RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Petrov the Prestidigitator (Magic-user level 1), killed again by the toxic gas of an Achaierai in session #72

Red (Paladin Level 1), always popular with the ladies, he was eaten up by a female Roc in the Pizza Slice of Doom during session #67

Jacques Ocular (Magic User level 1), a fat green worm burrowed into his head and turned him into a Son Of Kyuss in Brovenloft in Session #43

Pino (Dwarf Footman level 0), Killed by a Frost Giant axe to the head in session #39

Paro (Dwarf Fighter/Thief level 2/2)  Killed by Winter Wolves and frozen in session #39

Zabib (1/2 Elf Fighter/Magic User level 1/1), Killed by Frost Giant rocks in downtime prior to session #39

Trollopulous Adjusted, Secret Downtime Business (Machodor #62 to #96): Echellet and Giuseppe

Introduction

When we last saw Echellet, she was in a bad spot, trapped in Lord Inferno's lair. For a long time she could do nothing, but then, gradually, the dragon whose body lay next to hers — Vyrisara, his mate — stirred to life; and she realised that somehow she was in that dragon's body.

It was a nightmare: her life force had been forcibly taken to re-vivify the mate of Vyrathax, slain by adventurers a century ago. The body had long revived, but it awaited the soul of its "descendant." It seems that Vyrisara was originally a human woman of the Bandit Mountains, much like Echellet — whether this was true or not was immaterial to her current condition: a barely conscious passenger in a dragon's body, while her true body lay in almost-stasis on a bed in the lair, the process somehow facilitated by a strange jewel positioned nearby. As Vyrathax had said to the Dragon Cult Leader, it would take time.

Time had surely passed, but Echellet had no idea how much — until one day the reborn Vyrisara became restless at being cooped up in the lair. She wished to stretch her wings.

It was the 12th of April 2025 AD, and Vyrisara flew above the Bandit Mountains, not caring where she was going, only that she was flying for the first time in a century. Finally it dawned on her that she was reaching the limits of the mountain range; below she saw a large-scale wooden steading — and, when she was done investigating that — something else.

Saturday, 12 April 2025, downtime after session #62.

Giuseppe and his horsemen set off from the Ice Castle on a cloudy day with light winds. He made it to the unexplored valley leading south-east without incident. Exploring, the valley ran straight for a few miles before winding away to the east; the floor rose as it continued, the mountains closing in from either side.

The canyon narrowed again before spilling out into an area of hills rolling away to the north-east, east, and south-east as far as the eye could see. He had reached the end of the Bandit Mountains.

Nearby stood a large wooden structure commanding the pass. Some of the settlement was smouldering, as though there had been a recent fire, though it did not appear seriously damaged. The nearby canyon walls were also blackened with scorch marks.

Giuseppe nudged Bonecrusher forward.

"Let's ride up and see if there are any signs of life."

A sudden chaotic presence gripped him. Bonecrusher, sniffing the air, halted — snorting. Then a vast shadow passed over the little band of riders.

A crimson dragon, wings spanning the canyon, landed with sinuous grace.

Its radiant terror swept over them and chaos erupted. The medium horsemen and their mounts bolted in panic, riders tumbling. The heavy horse were made of stronger stuff, but their riders, overwhelmed, also fled. Even Bishoy and Tawadros, their medium warhorses rearing, were carried off in the initial stampede, shouting as they struggled to control their steeds.

Giuseppe and Bonecrusher stood alone.

The dragon's glowing eyes locked on to his, burning with fiery intensity. And yet — somehow — he sensed hesitation in that measuring gaze. His first thought was Lord Inferno.

"You must answer for the terror and carnage you have caused!"

He readied his lance. Visor closed. Subdual was the goal — but first: Detect Evil.

The beast's serpentine form, supple despite its mass, wove away from him. Scarlet wings flared, stirring dust. Its jaws opened slightly — then closed, the sparking embers within fading to nothing. It growled low, then fell silent, watching him warily, granting him the next move.

This was no dragon he had seen before.

He concentrated his senses, reaching out as only a Paladin can. Evil incarnate, like Lord Inferno — that was what he expected. And it was indeed evil. Yet, somehow, not entirely so.

What could that possibly mean?

In the moments he pondered the question, the dragon's attention shifted — ears twitching, eyes widening with alarm. He sensed nothing that could precipitate this response. Suddenly the slender tail lashed, wings spreading wide. It gave him a final, unreadable glance.

Then, with a powerful leap, it took to the sky. Blood-red scales glinted as its claws tucked beneath its body. Wings beat gracefully — and it vanished into the clouds above.

Thinking fast, Giuseppe seized his Dragonslayer blade, sensing the dragon's movements through the sword's power until the creature exceeded its detection range.

It was heading slightly west of north — the direction of Lord Inferno's volcano.

The player suspects this may be a polymorphed Echellet. Giuseppe himself, standing alone in a scorched pass at the edge of the world, knows only what his Paladin's senses have told him: that the creature was evil — and yet, not entirely so. That hesitation. That final glance. It will stay with him.

The first letter

Later, in May, upon returning to the Ice Castle from Guarda, Giuseppe's henchman Bishoy told of the goings on in Echellet's villa, "One of them had an odd story to tell. On the night of the last full moon, she was checking on the Countess' room and inexplicably found a sealed letter on the bed. It had just one name on the envelope, 'Giuseppe'". 

My True Friend Giuseppe,

I pray this finds you well.

This full moon grants me fleeting clarity to write in our common alignment tongue — it pains my soul to resist the draconic curse that binds me; but I do so as proof of my fidelity yet to our God and our people. Yet this bond is the source of knowledge that may help. Lord Inferno's magic is no mere polymorph spell the likes of which he has used on others. The foul creature has merged my soul with the body of his mate, slain a century ago by a paladin's Holy sword. The dragon cultists of that time ambushed the heroes and shattered the sacred sword into fragments, each holding a spark of its divine power. Reuniting these and striking me with the restored blade may sever this unholy bond.

I believe your Dragonslayer sword, with its power to fell dragons, is one such fragment. I will seek more truths and leave another letter next full moon, June 11. Beware Inferno's wrath. My faith endures.

Yours in steadfast hope,
Countess Echellet of Guarda

In the coming months more letters followed. In June she wrote to confirm that the blade of Giuseppe's dragon slayer sword was indeed part of the holy sword, "forged for a certain paladin named Sir Luigi of Brovenloft a century ago", and of the other two fragments: "one lies hidden in the Ruins of Trollopulous. The third, I fear, is held by Queen Lysara of Sidon, far to the south."

At this time no session had taken place in the Ruins of Trollopulous for many months, and no one had ever been to any of the cities to the south of the Bandit Mountains where Sidon was rumoured to be. Giuseppe had his work cut out for him.

It may have been this mounting pressure that influenced his decision to banish Slippery Pete from the party at this time — but, unknown to him, the thief had travelled to Trollopulous in secret during downtime, a fact Giuseppe would not learn until session #84.

Help from "The 13 Founders of Trollopulous"

In July, Echellet wrote that she had: "learned the holy sword’s name—Sanctus Draconis Interfector—its divine power sovereign against dragons and the key to breaking Inferno’s curse. A fragment of the holy sword lies in the graveyard surrounding the Tower of Ultimate Evil in the Ruins of Trollopulous. Buried in the Kistomerces family crypt, I fear it is guarded by dread creatures that rival the tower itself in their evil."

In August a terrible storm prevented any message arriving, and in September, stuck in the Tomb of Kistomerces in the bandit mountains between session #80 and #81, Giuseppe solved a riddle with the altar in the chapel, and was rewarded with this enigmatic information: "The hilt lies where Kistomerces' skull moulders, though it lacks the pommel it has the shoulders."

Later in September, when Giuseppe had returned to Guarda:

a bad month to be possessed by a dragon

September 2025 AD — a full moon — some instinct woke him. To his horror the moon outside was blood red. A small voice of sanity recognised the eerie glow as a lunar eclipse, a rare blood moon. His thoughts turned instantly to Echellet's curse, the unholy fusion of her soul with Vyrisara.

His gaze fell to a sealed scroll, bearing Guarda's crest, lying on the bedside table — Echellet's latest missive. Before he could reach for it, a bone-chilling scream pierced the night, followed by a deafening roar and a blinding conflagration that engulfed the villa in flames.

Giuseppe seized the scroll along with his sword, shield, and helmet, and ran to wake whoever else was inside — coordinating evacuation and mustering a bucket brigade from the local well.

Outside, the dragon was already moving off across the city, fires started all over. Its roar filled the skies, something in a language he could not understand — but also a snatch of something he recognised in Lawful Good: "end this torment!"

There were no casualties in his immediate vicinity. The fire was the greater threat.

He leveraged his formidable Charisma to get the brigades moving — riding around shouting commands, holding up his helmet's Continual Light to illuminate windows, mobilising the locals.

The villa, once a grand stone manor symbolising Guarda's wealth and Echellet's noble lineage, stood battered but enduring — its pale limestone walls blackened by soot, its courtyard a charred ruin. Through his sword he felt the dragon receding to the north-east.

The scroll read:

"The pommel of the great sword, Sanctus Draconis Interfector, I believe, lingers hidden in Trollopulous, perhaps amid the tomb's shadowed remnants near the Tower of Ultimate Evil, while the hilt resides assuredly in the tomb of Kistomerces — regardless of what tricks may seek to send you elsewhere."

With help from Slippery Pete, the adventurers braved Trollopulous and Giuseppe retrieved the pommel in session #84.

In October, Giuseppe learned: "the blade's True Point, the final piece to complete Sanctus Draconis Interfector—I now discern is the part held by Queen Lysara of Sidon."

In November, no letter, Giuseppe was still in Brovenloft.

In December the letter held more than just information, it also contained a suggested course of action: "I learned that the dragon cult leader, under the approval of Lord Inferno, has mobilised a vast Firenewt army for a full on assault—already this news is too late. With this success Lord Inferno's power waxes—yet is this not also an opportunity? With the army deployed the city of the Firenewts—which guards the way into Inferno's lair—is only lightly defended, and the eye of the dragon cult leader is elsewhere.​

You must unite the sword fragments before this opportunity passes; but beware, I believe Lysara does indeed know what it is she possesses, and has obtained the knowledge to send agents to capture the hilt from Kistomerces' tomb.​ Worse, she may even be aware that you possess the other fragments!"

The party of Machodorian adventures defeated the lich Kistomerces and Giuseppe retrieved all the remaining sword fragments in session #93. The paladin travelled to Minas Mandalf and had them re-consecrated on Christmas Day, 2025 AD.

Sanctus Draconis Interfector

Sanctus Draconis Interfector

Holy Intelligent Sword  |  +4 / +5 vs. Evil Dragons

---

A holy intelligent sword. Unless the wielder has bastard sword proficiency it may only be wielded one-handed, but against dragons it strikes as a bastard sword for damage purposes regardless. In the hands of any character other than a Paladin it performs only as a +2 sword; in the hands of a Paladin, however, it operates at full divine capacity.

Paladin Powers

• Dispels magic in a 5' radius at a caster level equal to the Paladin's experience level.
• +5 to hit and damage against any evil dragon; triple damage against them (8–48 +5, or 13–53).
• The sword will not voluntarily strike a good dragon.

Special Functions

• Protection from Dragon Breath — three times per day, when held and so willed; extends to all forms of dragon breath; wielder only; does not preclude attacking in the same round.
• Exorcise — at will, a successful strike may act as an Exorcise spell in lieu of damage. Base 100% chance of success if the supernatural force is dragon-related, otherwise 50%. One attempt per round; only one successful exorcism per turn.
• Detect Dragons — up to 1.5 miles outdoors.
• Pommel Sphere — the pommel, which takes the form of a globus cruciger, may be detached and affixed to the wielder's shield. This reduces the sword to +3 to hit and damage vs. non-dragons, but grants the shield the following additional powers:
  • Radiates Continual Light.
  • +1 AC.
  • At the wielder's discretion, quadruples his chances of being subject to melee or missile attack where random combat allocation applies.
  • Taunt — once per day, acts as the opposite of Sanctuary: those who fail their save must direct any melee or missile attack at the wielder as first preference (they are not compelled to attack, only to target him if they do).

---

Note: for the purposes of the Paladin magic item limit, the sword and the pommel count as one item.

Finally, in January, Giuseppe received his last letter from Echellet before embarking:

"I now turn to how you reach this place. I will tell you all I know, but alas there is much for you to discover on your own. The volcano cone above offers no entry for you — only he and his consort come and go that way, borne on some magic known only to them. However, a means does exist, guarded by the Firenewt city of Cthugarak.

Two ways ascend into Inferno's lair: one, to an audience hall, is connected to the palace of their Dragon-King — the Dragon Cult leader — heavily guarded at all times, yet you might prevail by force of arms or guile.

The other leads from an island Temple just outside the city — guarded no less heavily. Here providence has aligned our fates once again. Sacrifices to Lord Inferno are made on every full moon — yes, the one time I am able to aid you. And more: the living fire that supposedly burns the sacrifices is in fact a portal to an annex in the lair where the dragon can consume them at its leisure.

Infiltrate the city — disguise, subterfuge, alliance with a discontented noble house perhaps — and use one of these methods. It will not be easy; the newts guard their secrets with fire and fanatic zeal."

Would this intelligence, and a holy sword, be enough to turn the coming battles Giuseppe's way?

Trollopulous Adjusted, Secret Downtime Business (Machodor #53 to #96): Echellet and the Dragon Cult Leader

The original design of the Lair of Lord Inferno circa 2023

Introduction

Countess Echellet first appeared way back in session #2. She spent a lot of time in the background until, in session #47, it was discovered that she had been kidnapped.

Between sessions #52 and #53, the Talibandit leader Usama Loot Laden, having at last recognised the true identity of his captive, chose to trade her away — a calculated move designed to ensure the heroes of Machodor could not recover her even if they bested him in open battle, which came to pass in session #54. The recipient of that trade was the Dragon Cult Leader, who had been seeking Echellet on behalf of his draconic patron all along. What followed was the culmination of one of the most consequential solo patron actions in the Machodor half of the Trollopulous campaign, adjudicated over Discord. Though subtly influential, its full import went unseen by the player characters for many sessions.

Downtime Report

Mounted on his red dragon Clarice, the Dragon Cult Leader descended into the volcanic depths in the north of the Bandit Mountains to honour his bargain with the dragon he knew as Lord Inferno, Vyrathax the Embercrowned, who believed Echellet's soul to carry the reincarnated essence of his slain mate, Vyrisara the Ashen Queen. 

"I swear, if this is the wrong woman," he muttered under his breath. 

The transit was notable: not merely flight into a caldera, but something felt as a translation in space, as though the lair occupied a location at some remove from the volcano itself. On his first visit, clutched in the mighty claw of Lord Inferno, he had been too preoccupied to notice such things.

The chamber they entered shared the architectural plan of the rest of the lair: outer wall and floor of cooled lava, inner wall of running lava, the whole structure curved as one section of a larger circular complex. At its centre was a great disembodied heart pulsing within a column of that mysterious living fire, flanked by a sleeping female dragon of enormous size, also wreathed in her own separate fire. Between them, on a crystal stand, lay a roughly heart-shaped lapis lazuli. Echellet was placed gently on a small bed near the gem; she lost consciousness immediately, and the sleeping dragon stirred — just slightly. 

"THE PROCESS WILL TAKE TIME," Vyrathax boomed. "NOW FOR YOUR REWARD."

The Dragon Cult Leader was ushered through a curtain of living fire into a second chamber, somewhat smaller but built to the same plan. A great throne stood at its centre, and seated upon it was a figure over twenty feet tall — an Efreeti of immense power. 

The dragon knelt and proclaimed, softly for him: "Za'rathul, I am proud to carry on your name in the miserable plane of existence known as Trollopulous." 

The Dragon Cult Leader, skilled in the arts of illusion, recognised the deception almost at once: the enthroned figure was a very powerful illusion.

Za'rathul the Efreeti Prince

This was the image of Za'rathul, Herald of Cthuga and the true, original Lord Inferno — the being whose name and legend Vyrathax had inherited through centuries of confused local memory. Scenes engraved within the flames depicted episodes from Za'rathul's history: campaigns of conquest across multiple planes, and the image of the Efreeti riding the dragon who now bears his name — a nomenclature problem the campaign will resolve in good time. The dragon rose without ceremony, approached a raised brazier-dais, and presented the Dragon Cult Leader with a hideous dragon mask.

The moment the Dragon Cult Leader donned the mask, flame surged from the brazier and a score of manlike figures took form before it. These were Firenewts, and they knelt at once, exclaiming in their own tongue: 

"Hail Lord Inferno!" — the precise addressee of that greeting was a mystery. Vyrathax turned to the Dragon Cult Leader and declared, for all to hear: 

"YOU ARE NOW KING OF THE FIRENEWTS, TO RULE IN MY NAME. WHEN I AM READY, I WILL CALL UPON YOU TO COMMAND THESE TO SALLY FORTH AND CONQUER THE SURFACE WORLD IN THE NAME OF LORD INFERNO!" 

The Firenewts responded with enthusiasm, "Huzzah! Banzai! Long live the King!" 

The Dragon Cult Leader, who had arrived to deliver a hostage, departed as crowned sovereign of Cthugarak, elevated in a single ceremony from cult leader to king.

With the ceremony concluded, the King of Cthugarak put his new subjects to immediate use. He questioned the Firenewts regarding their most recent contacts with the surface world: troublesome adventurers, ongoing relations with mountain towns, and the general strategic picture as seen from below. They had much to say.

The outer world was still foremost in the Dragon Cult Leader's thinking. To provide cover for Echellet's true fate and serve as a sustained distraction for his enemies, he devised a campaign of illusion. First, an image of the Countess fleeing into the mountains, placed where it would be witnessed and remarked upon. Then, on every full moon, illusions of Echellet glimpsed fleetingly in her most famous dress, drifting through the streets of various highland towns.

As chance would have it, that very week was already a full moon — an opportunity he did not let pass. The gambit was elegant in its cruelty: it kept the Countess technically alive and at large in the minds of those hunting for her, while the truth — her soul merging with the slumbering body of Vyrisara within an extra-planar lair — remained known to him alone.

Epilogue

This single downtime action seeded months of campaign complexity. The Dragon Cult Leader had won big and obtained a substantial boost in power; at the time I mused that he had secretly won the campaign. But what he did not know was that the full moon he was exploiting for illusions was the same window in which the real Echellet, in the one moment of clarity the draconic soul transfer permitted each month, was gradually attempting to make contact with outside help. A hidden thread of dramatic irony was set in place: false sightings of a woman whose true location only one patron knew, while that same woman was struggling to get word to the one paladin who might save her.

The Dragon Cult Leader's actions and elevation to King of the Firenewts would not become apparent to the player characters until he mobilised the Firenewts to attack Castle Irish — and even then, the details remained shrouded in secrecy. Until now.

Downtime between Machodor Sessions #94 and #96: Chaos Windows and the letter from Cthugarak to the Fire Giants.

Introduction

In the last two sessions the adventurers of Machodor discovered or obtained things that were ripe for downtime investigation. In session #94 it was strange windows of chaos. During session #95, last session, in the first rooms of the Hall of the Fire Giant King, the heroes surprised a merchant party preparing to depart and managed to kill them after a tough battle. On one of them was a map and a the other a letter, but both of these were damaged by wine from the giant's broken wineskin. Sever brought these back to Minas Mandalf and tasked Poindexter, his magic-user henchman, with getting them repaired by obtaining a casting of Macho Mandalf's Greater Mending.

I didn't have the whole thing ready to go when they got it last session, hence the *water damage* was just a device to give me a bit more time to come up with the details. It is always a good idea to come up with ways to give out partial information to players and see if they are at all interested in it before locking in the details.

Neither of these are really exciting, but I highlight them here as the background information that they are.

Downtime Report

Macho Mandalf's Greater Mending is a spell that can be cast by various magic-users in Minas Mandalf, but attentive readers will recognise that it has not yet been published on the blog. I am still tweaking the exact rules for it, the spell will be published when I've finished, but for now it works to allow the map and letter to be restored.

Map found on a dead Fire Giant and repaired in Minas Mandalf

In a similar way, the letter that was with the map could also be restored, and later read using comprehend languages.

To the Honour of the Basalt Gate-Fort
and the Watchful Eyes of the Temple Flame,

Let it be known that on the turning of this lava-cycle, there comes to Cthugarak a delegation of our lava-kin, the Fire Giants of the upper slag-lands, under the lead of Gorvak Ironbrand, Scion of the Black Anvil and sworn vassal of the Fire Giant King.

[repaired water damage]
The first of their kind to do so, know them by their red hair and great height and strength. I have provided a map showing the route from their domain to the causeway gate tower where they must check in before entering the city.
[repaired water damage]

By this letter, I, Captain Sszharrek Flame-Scale of House Blazenewt, commander of the western tunnel-scouts, bear witness that Gorvak Ironbrand and his chosen warriors come not as raiders, but as traders and honoured guests. They bring tribute in heavy iron and dark ore, to be weighed and judged in our forges.

They seek in return:

• Alchemical flames and munitions fit for giant hands.
• Chains, cloaks, and arms sanctified to the Lord of Fire.
• Counsel with those Houses whom the Temple deems worthy.

At the command of the Eyes of the Inferno, three Ignisalam brooches have been granted for their persons, marking them as pilgrims under watchful flame. Let these be respected at the Basalt Gate and within the main avenues, subject always to priestly inspection and the justice of Lord Inferno.

Further, six pendants accompany this letter, to be hung upon their lesser attendants and interpreters as your officers deem fit, that no honest servant be taken as stray slave through ignorance of our customs. I charge the Gate-Tower to see these marks properly placed, and to correct any error in their wearing with firmness, not haste.

I request that:

1. The giants be granted provisional [repaired water damage] heat-cloaks for all who bear a pendant for the span of their first stay, to protect their weaker servants from the heat of our great city. [repaired water damage]
2. They be escorted from the Basalt Gate-Tower [repaired water damage] to the Foreigner Quarter unmolested, there they may find such lodging as is available at the time. [repaired water damage]
3. Any offence that springs from [repaired water damage] ignorance of our laws be first laid at my feet, that I may answer for the teaching of foreign allies. [repaired water damage]

Should Gorvak or his kin betray this trust, let this letter stand as my seal that Blazenewt will answer blow for blow beside the Gate-Fort, as befits those who guard the causeway.

By scaled hand and seared oath,
under the gaze of Cthuga's Sacred Flame,
Captain Sszharrek Flame-Scale
Shield of the Causeway, House Blazenewt

Chaos Windows: Gurt's Story

You return to Minas Mandalf and seek the guidance of Chrysogonus, patron of the Planar Corps of Machodor, telling him all you can remember of recent events in the underground river system. His expression grows graver as you speak, describing the chaos windows—the way the edges shimmer like oil on water, the impossible geometries that twist behind the glass, the faint, eerie sounds that sometimes drift through them.

He exhales slowly.

“Those are no mere planar rents,” he says. “You have seen true Chaos windows—such as those described in the old tales of Melniboné and the Young Kingdoms. When such windows appear in numbers, it means the balance is tilting. The Lords of Chaos are preparing to reshape the board.”

He steps closer, lowering his voice though no one else is near.

“When Chaos grows bold enough to manifest these windows openly, a terrible bargain is offered to mortals. He who fights Chaos directly—he who confronts its champions, closes its gates, or slays its greatest servants—may claim dominion over the newly formed lands that Chaos intends to birth from the wreckage. Victory does not merely preserve the world; it carves fresh principalities from the stuff of unformed possibility. Macho Mandalf himself has been one such victor, divesting all of Machodor from the great ship of space and becoming part of this world. Only the very wise can perceive the borders between the two."

Chrysogonus’ eyes search yours.

“Why the windows have appeared now, in the Bandit Mountains, so close to the fire newts and their dragon-lord? I conclude that Lord Inferno and his Fire Order have weakened the barriers. Chaos smells opportunity. If the windows spread—and they will, the entire region could become a crucible. Whoever stands against the tide and prevails could walk away with a kingdom of their own making… or lose everything to the entropy that follows failure.”

Chaos Windows: Sever's Story

The bard Fico (former henchman of Prince Barin and now freelancing in Minas Mandalf) offered this cryptic interpretation to Sever.

― Fico, Bard of Arboria ―

In caverns deep where rivers run through stone,
You spied the fractures, Sever, windows thrown
Open to the formless dark that waits —
Not wounds in Law, but doors the Chaos gates.
No random tear, no crack from storm or quake,
But invitations cold, for mortals' sake.
When these appear in numbers, stark and bright,
The balance trembles on the edge of night.

The Lords of Chaos muster, press the veil,
Their hunger swells where mortal hopes grow pale.
Yet hear the bargain whispered through the flame:
He who meets their chosen, bears the name
Of victor, claims the lands they mean to birth
From ruin's womb, new realms of solid earth.

Macho Mandalf walked that path of old —
Tore free his realm from void's unyielding hold,
Anchored Machodor here where once it sailed
On ships of starless dark. The border failed
Only to the wisest eyes; the rest see plain
A single world, unscarred by ancient pain.

So tread those depths with open eye and blade,
For windows watch, and they are never sated.
Fight, and win, and kingdoms may be made —
Or falter, and the dark will claim its due unpaid.

Chaos Windows: DM's Story

Both the bishop and the bard are expressing the truth as they understand it, but how accurate and useful this is for the heroes remains to be seen.

Cthugarak, City of the Firenewts

Basalt Gate-Tower

Cthugarak is a sprawling Firenewt city moulded from living rock inside the caldera of an active volcano in the Bandit Mountains. The city proper sits within a roughly circular slab approximately 1000 yards in radius across two tiers, surrounded by a lava moat accessible by raised causeway or aboard giant striders. It is reached from the surface via a lava tubes that converge at the Basalt Gate-Tower checkpoint, which seals all entry. Every visitor must pass inspection, no exceptions.

Arriving with a pendant is the standard way in. Guards confiscate the device, ask a few brief questions about the purpose of your visit — trade, sport, gambling, scholarship — and issue a heat-cloak in exchange. The glowing orange cloak marks you as a sanctioned visitor and, critically, keeps you alive in the volcanic heat.

Pendant

On the way out, the process id reversed: return a cloak, receive a pendant.

Holders of a house or clan brooch from one of the merchant clans or noble houses have it easier; they keep their brooch, skip the cloak entirely provided they can withstand the heat by other means, and face far less scrutiny at the gate.

Anyone without a valid cloak or brooch faces enslavement or death. A brooch from an enemy house, or one that cannot be verified as legitimate, is cause for immediate suspicion.

The below introduction or similar would be experienced by any adventurer that obtains a suitable pass to the city.

Crossing the Causeway

---

As you step onto the raised obsidian causeway, the lava moat churning orange and black below, Lieutenant Vraks falls into step beside you. He does not look at you. He speaks in the clipped, precise tone of a city guard who has said this a hundred times and found it beneath him every time.

---

VRAKS: "You will listen. I will not repeat myself.

"The city you are entering is Cthugarak — he pronounces it KssTHUGaRAK — city of Lord Inferno, Herald of the Eternal Flame, also called Cthuga. Everything here belongs to him. You do not. Keep that in mind.

"The lower city is divided into eight quarters. Each is held by a noble house. The houses hate one another. That is not your problem; unless you make it your problem, in which case it becomes the last problem you ever have.

"You carry heat-cloaks. They cool your weak bodies, they grant you passage on the main causeways. They do not grant you entry to house strongholds, noble estates, the Temple Precinct, or the Upper Caldera. If you are found somewhere you should not be, there is only one verdict and two sentences — slavery, or death. I mention this as a courtesy, not a warning. You will not receive another.

"Now. The houses."

He pauses to let a giant strider patrol clatter past, its rider scanning your party with flat yellow eyes.

"House Ignisalam — First among the houses. Their mandate is the priesthood. They hold the Temple Precinct, and they hold the ear of Lord Inferno himself. The High Priestess governs the faith. Cross them and you cross Cthuga. I mention them first because that is the correct order of things.

"House Blazenewt — Second rank. Military conquest. They hold the Chattel Quarter; slaves, livestock, the pens. They also hold the gate you just came through. They hold me. You will find them on every patrol and every causeway. Do not be foolish when Blazenewts are near.

"House Flamesaur — Third. Entertainment. They run the arenas, the gladiatorial pits, the beast fights. Their quarter is loud, it is dangerous, and it is popular. If you lose your coin there, that is your own affair.

"House Infernagecko — Fourth. Weaponsmithing. The Obsidian Forges are theirs. If you need arms of quality in this city, you go through them. If you try to go around them, they will know.

"House Emberdrake — Fifth. Trade routes and diplomacy. They hold the Foreigner Quarter. You will spend most of your time there. It is where your kind lives. The Emberdrake tax collector Zhurask holds considerable sway there — he is a moneylender as well. I advise you not to borrow from him.

"House Cinderwyrm — Sixth. Lore and fire-magic. The Scholars Tower is theirs. They know things. They sell access to what they know. Do not steal from their archives. They will find out, and they are patient.

"House Pyrotoad — Seventh. Alchemy. Their quarter reeks. Their brews are useful, but unstable. Their people include addicts and failed experimenters. Avoid the fumes, they are not always accidental nor harmless.

"House Scorchviper — Eighth, and lowest. Slavery, espionage, poison. They are universally despised. That does not make them harmless. Their slavers work the Outcast Quarter and they will take anyone who cannot account for themselves. If you lose your heat-cloak, you become their business very quickly.

He stops at the Foreign Quarter; beyond, the High Street runs to the Noble Gate.

"Your kind sleeps here in the Foreigner Quarter. There are three places worth knowing. The Drake's Ember Rest, on Westflame Boulevard; four stories, cooled chambers where you can remove your heat-cloaks, twenty-five gold a night. Clean, well-guarded. The Coilfire Arms, on Haze Fissure; three levels, five gold, run by a human named Drask Embercoil, there you sleep with your cloaks on. The Ashveil Flophouse, on Stranger Causeway; one gold, straw pallets, Pyrotoad fumes seeping through the walls from their quarter to the north. Save your coin there if you must, but sleep lightly.

"The Hearth is the central concourse, where the High Street meets Westflame Boulevard and Eastpyre Avenue. It is the heart of the lower city. Lose your bearings, go back to The Hearth.

"Stay on the main causeways. Display your heat-cloaks when asked. Do not touch a brooch that is not yours. Do not look at a patrol for too long. Do not look away from a patrol for too long.

"One final matter. The noble estates and the King's Palace are on the plateau above; the Upper Caldera, across the Obsidian Bridge, beyond the Noble Gate. You will not go there uninvited, the likelihood of receiving such an invitation is near zero.

"Welcome to Cthugarak."

He turns and walks back the way he came without another word.