The chill of Waterdeep’s autumn had not yet taken hold, but unease clung to the companions like a damp fog. They had returned to the City of Splendors shaken by their most recent ordeal in the Underdark, uncertain whether what they endured had been real, dream, or some cruel manipulation. Their thoughts were troubled: who was pulling them across planes and shadows? And why?

Thorn’s sharp mind was the first to push for action. He would not allow unanswered questions to fester like rot. With Elora, Maledurk, and Tempest at his side, he pressed into the city’s libraries, tomes in hand, seeking whispers of ancient monsters, old curses, and truths that had been buried in ink and parchment. Yet the search was uneven—while Thorn and Tempest uncovered fragments of history and perilous knowledge, Elora and Maledurk found themselves defeated by dusty shelves, closing books with baffled frowns and little to show for their efforts.

It was Thorn’s persistence that led them back to Blackstaff Tower, that great spire of wizardry whose very stones hummed with restrained power. Vajra Safahr, the Blackstaff herself, remembered their deeds in Chult and listened as the companions laid bare the pattern of horrors that had plagued them: Asererak, Strahd, the Demogorgon. Vajra’s expression grew grave as she considered their tale. To her, the line was clear: they had drawn the attention of powers that should have remained distant. Whether curse, mark, or cruel fascination, they were now pieces upon a board few mortals dared play upon.

She spoke of liches whose grasp reached beyond death, of Strahd’s cursed domain existing apart from reality, and of the Demogorgon’s intrusion into the Underdark where it had no rightful place. Her warning was stark: you meddle with beings who are not bound to this world, and they are watching you now. Still, she pledged to keep watch and offered the libraries of her tower, urging them to search further.

The Emerald Enclave, too, offered its counsel. In the green hush of the City of the Dead, where gravestones rose like worn teeth from the grass, the companions once more communed with the disembodied voice of Jareth. Her tone carried the weight of ancient woods. She had sensed the lifting of the Death Curse when the companions triumphed in Chult, but also something left behind—a lingering scar upon the land, unnatural and unresolved. She bid them travel east to the High Forest, where in person she might pierce the mystery clinging to their souls. The summons was gentle, but urgent.

Their research revealed darker truths still. In forgotten ledgers and brittle scrolls, Thorn uncovered the name Vecna, a lich whispered of as eternal, a god to his cultists, a presence that may have predated even the sundering of the planes. Asererak, it seemed, had once been his disciple. The realization weighed heavy: the threads binding their fate were spun from powers older and more insidious than they had dared imagine.

Yet the Blackstaff offered them more than knowledge—she entrusted them with a wand of teleportation, an artifact of dangerous but extraordinary power. With it, they could carve through distance, leaping across the Sword Coast at will, though never without risk. The companions accepted it solemnly, understanding its value and peril alike.

The decision was made. They would not linger in Waterdeep. They would seek Jareth in the High Forest and unravel this tangle of curses, domains, and ancient enemies. Thorn attuned himself to the wand, his fingers trembling with the weight of possibility as he traced its dark wood. With the others gathered close, he spoke the command, and reality itself bent.

The world stretched thin, their bodies drawn like threads of light through an endless void. Time was both instant and eternal, a heartbeat and a lifetime. Then, with a snap like the release of a bowstring, they stood once more upon solid ground. Before them lay the familiar fork of a river they had traveled years before—grass rippling in the wind, the waters whispering against stone. They had arrived exactly where they had intended.

The air was quiet save for the rush of the river, but their hearts beat with anticipation. Ahead lay the High Forest, and within it, answers. Or perhaps only deeper mysteries.

Session Notes

  • Party status and objective on returning to Waterdeep:

    • The group (Elora the Majestic, Maledurk, Greskrendreghk Elassayl Thorn, and Tempest) discusses recent unexplained plane-hopping (Underdark, Strahd’s domain, Strixhaven) and agrees to investigate whether they are being manipulated, by whom, and why.
    • They plan to leverage Waterdeep’s resources: libraries, the wizarding establishment, and prior faction contacts.

  • Clarifying city authorities and factions to consult:

    • The DM outlines Waterdeep’s governance and organizations:

      • A Council of Lords led by the Open Lord.
      • Factions the party previously engaged with: the Emerald Enclave and the Lord’s Alliance.
      • The city’s wizard leadership under the Blackstaff at Blackstaff Tower.

    • The party prioritizes consulting the Blackstaff and the Emerald Enclave for guidance beyond routine politics.

  • Initial research intent and checks:

    • The party asks about magical means to detect manipulation or deception and whether such phenomena have been recorded historically.

    • Investigation checks are requested.

      • Thorn rolls a strong 23.
      • Later, Tempest rolls as well (value not stated); the DM treats Tempest and Thorn as having rolled well and pursuing research.
      • Elora and Maledurk are described as failing to make research headway (“opened three books and…put them back”).

  • Audience with the Blackstaff (repeat visit due to prior service to Waterdeep):

    • The party recounts: the Death Curse and Acererak in Chult; entanglement with Strahd; awakening in the Underdark and encountering the Demogorgon; and the Strixhaven episode where they were “different people.”

    • The Blackstaff’s immediate assessment:

      • She has not heard of similar cases affecting others recently and believes the group appears singled out, though she has not been looking for such patterns; she will begin watching and coordinating inquiries.

      • Hypothesis: their confrontation with Acererak (an ancient lich) may have marked or cursed them such that they still attract or are affected by powerful forces even after his defeat; she cannot confirm this but notes such lingering effects are attested in old tales.

      • On Strahd: known to pull people into his own domain and toy with powerful heroes; few return. Strahd is magical and powerful but not the same kind of wizard as Acererak.

      • On planes/domains:

        • Strahd’s domain is a separate plane created by his psyche; it does not appear on the map of their world and cannot be entered by ordinary travel.
        • The Underdark is real and part of their plane; however, the Demogorgon is a being of another realm and should not have been present here; this alarms her.

      • On broader threats/incursions:

        • The only recent large-scale phenomenon she had tracked was the Death Curse, which lifted after the party destroyed the Soulmonger.
        • Subtler events could have escaped notice; she will send messages to contacts in other cities/regions to check for patterns suggesting a wider incursion.
        • Confirms there have been historic clashes between powerful good and evil forces with entities banished to other planes.

      • On Strixhaven:

        • She recognizes it as another plane, not generally considered evil, but has never heard of visitors experiencing it as different identities; this detail is new to her.

    • The Blackstaff grants the party access to Waterdeep’s libraries and advises researching Acererak, Strahd, the Demogorgon, and related planar lore.

  • Consultation with the Emerald Enclave:

    • The party reconnects with Melanor Felbranch (their prior contact), in the City of the Dead at the Falkenmere gardens, and is brought to a hidden grove to commune.

    • They again commune with the disembodied voice of Jareth.

      • Jareth sensed the Death Curse before the party left for Chult and felt it lift after their success, but notes a lingering magical residue on the land that feels different than before the curse.
      • Jareth requests an in-person meeting to examine the party directly, believing proximity may allow her to glean more information about what is affecting them.
      • Directions: travel to the High Forest to the east; follow the river where it meets the forest’s western edge, then go north for two days; she will sense them when they enter her domain.

  • Library research findings (driven by Thorn’s strong check, with Tempest assisting):

    • Cosmology & planar separations:

      • Ancient accounts describe an epochal separation of evil from reality into other planes after grand conflicts; when annihilation failed, banishment was used.
      • Over time, wizards repeatedly sought to create personal planes/dimensions for various aims.

    • Acererak & Vecna:

      • Acererak sought to create his own plane while alive; after death he returned as a lich and continued his research.
      • Sources suggest Acererak later became a disciple of Vecna.
      • Vecna appears across history as an ancient lich, perhaps godlike; cults worship him; origins are unclear and accounts are fragmentary.

    • Strahd & Barovia:

      • Barovia once existed on this plane; after a catastrophe tied to Strahd (including his betrothed and his transformation into a vampire), Barovia disappeared.
      • Accounts from outside Barovia describe people drawn through fog to a strange land, with few returning—consistent with the party’s experience.

    • Demogorgon:

      • Identified as an entity of a different domain; its presence on this plane is treated in texts as exceptional and dire.

    • Implication noted in texts (restated without conjecture): powerful entities and wizard-made demiplanes recur throughout history and may intersect with mortal affairs.

  • Discovery of a Wand of Teleportation in city custody:

    • Thorn’s research uncovers a ledger listing a Wand of Teleportation held by the city (under the Blackstaff’s control).
    • The party requests access; the Blackstaff agrees to lend the wand in recognition of their service and the seriousness of their situation, with cautions about its risks.

  • Teleportation guidance from the Blackstaff:

    • Teleportation circles vs. teleportation:

      • Teleportation circles (fixed runic anchors) allow safe, reliable travel to a known circle; they function like a network among cities.
      • Teleportation (to any arbitrary location) is possible but risk increases with unfamiliarity of the destination (off-target, similar-area arrival, or mishap such as arriving within an obstacle).

    • Wand details:

      • Charges: 3 charges; 1 charge per casting; a random number of charges is restored at dawn.
      • Attunement: requires 1 hour; only one party member can be attuned at a time; others cannot use it until they spend an hour to attune.
      • Casting: takes only a moment (described as a quick action); the group must be within a few feet of the caster to be transported together.
      • Capacity: can take multiple companions with the caster; the DM tentatively recalls “up to seven,” without confirming the exact number.
      • Usability: any party member, including non-wizards, can use the wand once attuned; the Blackstaff notes Maledurk is least magically inclined but could still operate it.

    • Known circles & familiarity:

      • The Blackstaff will show the party the Waterdeep circle at Blackstaff Tower so they can safely return there with the wand.
      • She knows circles in major cities (e.g., Daggerford, Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter). She could send the party to Daggerford’s circle if desired.
      • The chance of success depends solely on familiarity, not on distance. Example given: teleporting to Trollskull Alley would be extremely safe due to high familiarity.
      • The DM explicitly notes that even when familiar with a destination, there is a 25% chance the arrival is not exact (i.e., off-target rather than a full mishap).

  • Travel planning with Jareth’s invitation in mind:

    • The party debates boat vs. road (traveling upstream is hard; the High Road to Daggerford, then to Secomber, is considered).

    • They opt to use the wand to minimize travel risk while maximizing familiarity:

      • Chosen destination: the fork in the river east of Secomber they previously traveled through (a location they recognize well).
      • From there, they intend to follow the river north toward the High Forest to meet Jareth as instructed.

  • Teleportation execution and result:

    • Thorn is designated the wand’s attuned user and performs the casting; the party gathers within range.
    • Teleportation check: Thorn rolls D100 = 99.
    • Transit sensation: the party experiences a painless, disorienting stretch “like taffy,” feeling instantaneous yet prolonged.
    • Outcome: precise arrival at the intended river fork—an open, grassy field about five feet from the split—recognized from their prior journey.
    • Reference for return: the Waterdeep circle is in Blackstaff Tower (as shown by the Blackstaff).
    • Session end: concludes upon successful arrival at the river fork, poised to proceed toward the High Forest.