Session C05 — The Dead Drow and the Underdark Approach

Summary

The party continues northward across the tundra, witnesses a colossal alien creature frozen beneath a lake, and discovers two recently-deceased drow bodies at the Underdark entrance locked together with a mysterious pendant entwined with House Bonra and House Zolara insignias. The pendant triggers a powerful emotional and magical reaction in Othorion, hinting at deeper family connections. Laurel emerges as a guide and begins weapons training with Othorion while the party learns critical information about drow house politics and hierarchy.

Key Events

• Travel and Tundra Observations: Party continues northward toward the Underdark entrance with sled dogs

  • Party witnesses a frozen lake appearing as "blue glass" with vague shadows beneath
  • Discovers colossal alien fish-like creature preserved beneath the ice: needle-thin curved teeth, wide maw, still-open glazed eye appearing to twitch
  • Observes frozen remains of other creatures around the lake's edge
  • A blizzard delays travel by 1 hour during the journey
  • Party discusses peaches (comedic moment)
  • Laurel comments positively on Kavu's ability to drive the sled

• Underdark Entrance and Dead Bodies Discovery:

  • Party reaches cave entrance to the Underdark
  • Kabu detects chittering sounds in the shadows near the cave
  • All magic users sense tainted magic—specifically Lolth's divine essence
    • Bodies are marked with divine magic showing ownership claim
    • The marking warns off beasts and scavengers instinctively
    • Wind appears to avoid the area
  • Party discovers two recently-deceased drow bodies nestled at the base of a jagged stone outcrop
  • Male and female, with their hands locked together in death
  • Rich drow embroidery visible on their tattered cloaks
  • Faces are gaunt and drawn, suggesting slow death
  • Bodies appear to be recent deaths (within recent weeks)

• Pendant Discovery and Recognition:

  • Roland investigates the corpses and discovers a crudely crafted but intentional pendant clutched in the female corpse's hand
  • Othorion carefully extracts the pendant
  • The pendant displays entwined insignias of House Bonra and House Zolara—hidden design only recognizable to those familiar with drow house symbols
  • Othorion experiences powerful emotional and magical reaction:
    • Feels a strange pang of familiarity—not recognition but like "a word caught behind the teeth of memory"
    • Warmth pulses through his body, followed by a sharp hollow ache in the chest
    • Something "old inside" him stirs
  • Laurel identifies the historical significance: the only known union between House Bonra and House Zolara occurred in the mid-1480s when Tiago Bonra and Sarabel Zolara had a union, with Sarabel taking the Bonra house name (shocking in drow matriarchal society)
  • Othorion and Laurel discuss the possibility these may be people exiled for cross-house affection or descendants of that union

• Drow House Politics Briefing: Laurel and the GM provide extensive information about drow house structure:

  The Council of Eight (most powerful houses):

  • House Bonra: Priesthood, elite warriors, political mastery; treat Lolth loyalty as political superpower rather than religious faith
  • House Barrison del Armago: Assassination, intrigue, ruthless military power
  • House Faen Tlabbar: Poison and fungal cultivation
  • House Xorlarrin: Industrial focus; secretive; dabble in forbidden magics and necromancy
  • House Mizzrym: Espionage, mercantilism, surface trade; maintain spies throughout many societies
  • House Fey-Branche: Papal police, religious enforcement, divine inquisition (church enforcement)
  • House Melarn: Recently elevated council seat; merger of multiple lesser houses
  • House Duskryn: Frontline warriors, warrior training, house muscle

  Notable Lesser Houses:

  • House Hunzrin: Logistics, infrastructure, roads, under-city control
  • House Vandree: Swordplay, stealth, ambitious (Laurel's house)

  General drow nature: All drow are inherently hostile and ready to kill at first blow; houses are politically/religiously complex with varying levels of genuine versus performative Lolth loyalty

• Othorion's Family Origins Discussion:

  • Laurel questions whether Othorion knows who his father or mother were
  • Othorion reveals he has no idea; Jarlaxle has never spoken of them and actively avoids the question
  • Laurel notes the significance: if Othorion has a girlfriend back home, there's a non-zero chance she could be his sister (drow don't typically mind inbreeding)
  • Othorion expresses discomfort with the possibility
  • Laurel notes that Othorion wears a drow cloak (pawafui) made from spider silk with House Bonra symbol—a gift from his uncle Jarlaxle
  • Laurel suggests Othorion might use the cloak in the Underdark to leverage his stated House Bonra station: "It's okay to be a nepo baby if it keeps us alive"

• Party Camp at Underdark Entrance:

  • Party reaches the Underdark entrance and sets up camp
  • Party conducts long rest by the Underdark entrance

• Weapons Training and Downtime:

  • During downtime, Laurel approaches Othorion and requests one of his swords to assess his fighting skills
  • Laurel bounces the sword between her hands, then mimics a fighting pose reminiscent of Jarlaxle's stance
  • Laurel judges his performance as inadequate and insists on rapid weapons training
  • Laurel's statement: "Based on your performance just now, I feel like we need to get you trained up as quickly as possible. I would like to see you live long enough to make a decision about what you and I are."
  • The two engage in combat training: Laurel attacks with ferocity reminiscent of Jarlaxle and Drizzt, though with less brute force and more finesse; skilled enough to keep Othorion challenged
  • Othorion chooses "Drab's Devil's Sight" as his level 9 ability advancement
  • Other party members roll downtime activities
  • Note: No access to externals in the Underdark, so party will consume rations for future supplies

• Haldak's Background Conversation:

  • Laurel asks Haldak about his specializations
  • Haldak clarifies he is "not a chef" (referencing earlier mischaracterizations)
  • Haldak states he specializes in casting magic, specifically chronomancy/chronoturgy
  • Laurel indicates she has never encountered this school of magic before and questions its origins

NPCs Encountered

Loot / Discoveries

• The Pendant: Crudely crafted metal and black shrapnel item displaying entwined House Bonra and House Zolara insignias; deeply personal craftsmanship; triggers magical/emotional reaction in Othorion; historically tied to the mid-1480s union of Tiago Bonra and Sarabel Zolara

• Drow House Knowledge: Extensive briefing on drow house structure, specialties, and political hierarchy provides critical context for Underdark navigation

• Understanding of Drow Culture: Insights into drow matriarchal structure, house politics, combat training traditions, and the role of Lolth in drow society

• Jarlaxle Baenre's Cloak: House Bonra symbol drow cloak (pawafui) worn by Othorion; can be leveraged for station in the Underdark

• Equipment Management Notes:

  • Jarlaxle's peaches consumed during travel
  • Snow gear will be exchanged for Underdark-appropriate garb
  • Approximately 69 dog rations remaining
  • 20 rations requested by Jarlaxle for 20 days (redistributed from party supplies)
  • Wand of Binding mentioned in inventory (rare magical item)

Party Notes

• Othorion: Emotionally affected by pendant discovery; training intensifies with Laurel; romantic subplot emerging; uncertain about parentage and Jarlaxle's motivations; advances to level 9 with Devil's Sight ability

• Laurel: Emerges as critical companion with romantic interest in Othorion; provides essential drow cultural knowledge; skilled warrior and trainer; ambitious (House Vandree trait); keenly aware of Othorion's vulnerabilities

• Kavu: Successfully manages sled dogs; receives positive feedback from Laurel

• Haldak: Establishes specialization in chronomancy; has unique magical knowledge not encountered by Laurel; remains largely understated in party interactions

• Selene: Mentioned as having specific knowledge and specializations (Traverser of the North, Warden of the Ice, Traverser of the Dale); previously frustrated about entering Underdark where ranger abilities won't function

• Kefkas: Possesses bag of holding for equipment storage; manages charcoal and rations logistics; still recovering from Lola Thar's Kiss intoxication effects from C04

• Roland: Continues as investigator and negotiator; discovers and extracts the pendant

• Kelvin: Mentioned as imprisoned/captured somewhere; party mission includes his rescue and potential resurrection

Threads Opened / Advanced

• Othorion's Family Origins and Ancestry: SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCED by pendant discovery and emotional reaction. Questions raised:

  • Who are Othorion's true parents?
  • Why has Jarlaxle actively avoided discussing his parentage?
  • Are the dead drow pair somehow connected to Othorion's family line?
  • What does the pendant's response mean? (magical/emotional resonance)
  • Why does Othorion experience "something old inside" stirring?
  • Could Othorion be a distant descendant of the Bonra-Zolara union?

• Laurel and Othorion's Deepening Relationship: Romantic subplot is clearly emerging. Laurel's training and statement about wanting him to "live long enough to make a decision about what you and I are" suggests both genuine affection and potential political considerations. The nature of this relationship—romantic, strategic, or both—remains to be revealed.

• Kelvin's Imprisonment and Rescue: Still active thread. Party's mission partially involves rescuing Kelvin from unknown captors in the Underdark. Rescue method and timeline unknown.

• Dead Drow Pair Mystery: New major mystery—two recently deceased drow with cross-house symbols suggest:

  • Cross-house romance or forbidden relationship
  • Possible exile/escape attempt gone wrong
  • Deliberate placement at Underdark entrance as message or memorial
  • Marked by Lolth's magic (ownership claim even in death)
  • Possible connection to Othorion's family history

• Drow House Politics and Party Dynamics: Party now understands the complex power structure of drow society. Questions raised:

  • How will House Bonra symbol leverage help the party in the Underdark?
  • Are there houses more amenable to the party's goals?
  • What are the political implications of the party's arrival from the surface?
  • Could Laurel's ambitious House Vandree politics create conflicts?

• Lolth's Divine Interest: The Frostmaiden's servants appeared in C04; now Lolth's divine magic marks the dead bodies at the Underdark entrance. The overlap of two divine powers' interest in the party suggests:

  • Higher powers are actively monitoring the party's movements
  • The party may be pawns in larger divine/political conflicts
  • Both Lolth and the Frostmaiden may have vested interests in the party's success or failure

• The Pendant's Magical Properties: Something "old inside" Othorion stirred in response to the pendant. Questions:

  • Is Othorion magically connected to the pendant or the houses?
  • Does he have latent memories or magical heritage?
  • Could the pendant serve as a key or trigger for deeper revelations?