Session — 2026-03-22

Session — March 22, 2026

Date: March 22, 2026 Location(s): Sea of Moving Ice — Obsidian Tomb of the Crimson Concord Present: Meldir, Nalla, Thorkin, Dax, Kelrick, Dekyna, Alaric Razor (NPC)

Summary

The party traveled to the Sea of Moving Ice to investigate a site connected to Meldir’s blood curse. After fighting a Frost Troll and a pair of Peryton (deer-bird hybrids) in a blizzard, they discovered an ancient obsidian tomb carved into a mountainside. The tomb is the lair of a group called the Crimson Concord — vampires who tried to remove their own blood hunger by transferring it to unwilling subjects. The party explored multiple floors of the tomb, battling Wraiths, decoding crystal tablets, discovering two frozen subjects still alive, and finally descending to the inner sanctum. The session ended ominously at a sealed obsidian door that opened on its own.

Events

Travel to Sea of Moving Ice

Peryton Attack (Camping En Route)

• While making camp in the wilderness, Dax spotted two Peryton — large, flying deer-bird hybrids with antlers, wings, and vivid feathers
• Alaric cast Mage Armor on himself
• Combat: the Peryton landed and attacked while Nalla activated Large Form; Kelrick used bane on both; party dominated quickly
• Kelrick’s Volatile Heat Tonic (thrown via catapult) exploded on contact with one Peryton — coating Thorkin in cold blue foam; Thorkin took cold damage each turn for 2 rounds
• The Peryton were killed; party gathered their colorful feathers as loot

The Blizzard + Frost Troll

• Next day’s travel was interrupted by a severe blizzard (disadvantage on ranged attacks, limited visibility)
• Dax distributed Ember Biscuits — party ignored effects of cold for 1 hour
• A Winter Frost Troll emerged from the snow and attacked
• Key mechanic: Trolls regenerate unless hit with fire — Meldir and Nalla provided fire
• Kelrick used Bane; combat won without major injury
• One instance: Nalla finished the troll with a massive greataxe swing after it was bloodied

Altitude Sickness

• As the party climbed toward the tomb site, most party members except Nalla (Goliath: altitude acclimated) and Alaric (gnome spellcaster) had to make CON saves
• Several party members gained 1 level of Exhaustion before reaching the destination

The Obsidian Tomb — Exterior

• Structure: Half-buried in ice on a mountainside; carved black obsidian with blue runes; broken spires; blood-metallic smell; rhythmic cracking sounds like breathing
• Entry: A massive circular obsidian door carved with humanoid figures, wrists extended, flowing blood-veins toward a heart-shaped basin
• Meldir placed blood willingly into the basin → channels filled with his blood → the door opened
• Descending corridor spiraled down into the mountain’s depths

Floor 1 — The Alcove Chamber

• Chamber with alcoves on three sides; humanoid statues in different poses behind them

• One alcove was empty

• A closer look revealed: these are not statues — they are real people frozen in ice

• When Meldir approached one elf statue, it partially thawed and gasped for air:

  • Confused, barely conscious, pale as if drained of blood
  • Said only: “You… live? Meldir?” (recognizing Meldir, which he did not recognize in return)
  • This subject recognized Meldir — they were connected to the same ritual
  • Subject was left in the alcove room to rest; refused to go deeper

• The other frozen subjects did not respond to approach

Floor 2 — The Library of Tablets

• Shelves of floating crimson-black crystal tablets covering the walls; pulsing red light
• Central waist-high pillar with hundreds of sigils; above it: a large fractured crystal sphere slowly rotating
• The tablets contained research records of the Crimson Concord’s experiments
• Party made various skill checks to decode them (needed 5 successes total)
• Tablet contents decoded:
  • “Extraction corrupts the formula”
  • “Consent stabilizes the essence. Only the willing survive.”
  • “They sought to remove the hunger — not power”
  • “Subject survived the ritual for 47 days” (different subject)
  • “A living experiment was required to stabilize the process — someone partially transformed who survived the strain” (the tablets glowed brighter near Meldir specifically)
  • “Right of Severed Crimson: ritual required a site where life and death stand in the balance”
• After 5 successes: a tablet drifted to Meldir showing a sketch of his face — before his current appearance (same face, less hair/beard); text read: “Subject anomaly: stable despite strain. Hunger present. Motility retained. Potential ingredient.”
• Wraiths emerged from tablets when investigated aggressively:
  • 2 waves of Wraiths — resistant to bludgeoning/piercing/slashing; vulnerable to radiant
  • Thorkin’s Toll the Dead (necrotic) was immune; his Turn Undead worked
  • Kelrick’s Magic Missile (force) was effective
  • Meldir killed one with Mind Sliver; each Wraith death released a necrotic pulse (12 damage, CON save)
  • Party survived both waves, all took significant damage

Floor 3 — Ritual Chamber Alcoves

• Small hidden room revealed behind a bookshelf (Nalla pulled out tablets until it slid open)
• Inside: a stone slab with a woman bound in silver thread; barely alive; chest rising faintly
• When Meldir freed her and offered his blood, she recovered enough to speak:
  • She heard scholars speaking about being “close” to removing the hunger — implies the Concord may have succeeded somewhere
  • She doesn’t remember much; went through a similar ritual to Meldir’s
  • Wanted to go with the party but was too weak — left to rest upstairs with the other thawed subject

Floor 4 — The Inner Sanctum (Session End Point)

• Spiral staircase narrowed to a tall archway of obsidian carved with chained figures
• A vast circular chamber beyond: immense ritual sigil on the floor (dark red glassy residue); iron and silver chains suspended over a shallow stone basin; a massive crystalline formation filled with dark red fluid hanging from the ceiling
• Meldir entered the central basin willingly → blood drained from the cut on his hand toward the basin
• Three ghostly scholars appeared — projections arguing:
  • “We stabilize the strain, then serve the hunger”
  • “The experiment must survive”
  • “If we fail again, the strain will mutate”
• When Meldir’s blood entered the basin: the floor sigils flared violently (14 necrotic damage, CON save for all in range)
• When Meldir placed blood in the open palm basin: the inner ring opened; Meldir healed to full HP + advantage on next roll in the tomb + 5 temp HP — a gift from the ritual space specifically to him
• The large obsidian door in the far wall opened on its own
• Red light spilled through the door
• A calm, deliberate voice said: “Come in.”
• SESSION ENDED HERE — Valkyrian is behind that door

Combat

• 2 Peryton (deer-bird flying creatures) — defeated; party collected vivid feathers
• Frost Troll — defeated with fire (Meldir + Nalla); Ember Biscuits kept the party functional in the blizzard
• 2 waves of Wraiths (2 each) — defeated; each death triggered a necrotic pulse affecting nearby party members; radiant, force, and sacred flame were effective; necrotic, bludgeoning, slashing ineffective

NPCs Encountered

• Alaric Razor — traveling companion; researching the curse; used lightning bolt in one fight; clearly out of his comfort zone in a vampire tomb
• Thawed Elf Subject (unnamed) — recognized Meldir from the ritual; barely alive; left resting on Floor 1
• Thawed Woman (unnamed) — bound in silver thread; same ritual as Meldir; freed; also left resting
• Three Ghostly Scholar Projections — research echoes, not interactive; revealed the Concord’s methodology

Quest Updates

• Meldir’s Curse — Major lore unlocked: the Crimson Concord (vampires) attempted to remove their blood hunger using unwilling/partially-transformed subjects. Meldir was one such subject. The ritual was incomplete on his body. The woman found on Floor 3 may have survived a complete version. A cure may exist
• Dax’s Curse — No direct progress this session; focus was Meldir’s thread
• Illithid Ship — Not addressed
• The Arcane Brotherhood — Not addressed

Loot & Items

• Peryton feathers (colorful; unknown value)
• 6 red-black crystals found in a chest in the Living Quarters room (unknown value; potentially high)
• Frozen elf’s and woman’s identities unknown — may have more info when recovered

Character Moments

• Meldir willingly offering his blood repeatedly throughout the tomb (the basin, the tablets) — leaning into his curse rather than fearing it
• Thorkin casting Toll the Dead (necrotic) on a Wraith and discovering it was immune — his god laughing at him
• Thorkin pivoting to Turn Undead and getting the redemption
• Dax getting knocked prone in blood sludge from a lair action and lying there for most of a round while the Dekyna healed him with a thumbs up
• Kelrick recognizing the vampiric themes throughout and increasingly alarmed despite being a researcher of maledictions
• The Wraith’s Death Pulse hitting Alaric badly — the gnome is not having a good trip

Session End State

The party stands at the threshold of the inner sanctum’s main chamber. The massive obsidian door has opened. A calm, intelligent voice has invited them in. Red light fills the doorway. Valkyrian waits beyond. Two thawed subjects are recovering on the upper floors. Meldir has received a mysterious boon from the ritual basin. The session continues here next week.