Northwest of 4e on map.
You travel through the cave tunnel for almost an hour before it opens up. This series of caverns has a persistent eerie moan coming from area 4e. The walls of this 60-foot-high cavern are covered with naturally formed crystal draperies that resemble frozen waterfalls.

A 30-foot-long, 10-foot-wide, 20-foot-deep fissure cuts across the middle of the ceiling like an open wound. The ominous moan heard throughout the complex originates from here and is made by something hiding in the crack.

The crystal formations reflect and amplify nearby light. The crystals also amplify sound, allowing it to carry well beyond the cavern’s confines. The crystals otherwise have no properties or value.

An iron gate is embedded in the east wall (4a).

If you haven't yet, now is the time to drink up!!! When you do, become level 8 with no side effects.

In reply to DM (msg # 1):

Travic drinks the potion, and his ring blazes with light. It dies down, and he looks with shock at it, then the potion, then the rest of the group. "Ummm...it works!" He says, the look of surprise still on his face.

Jhank waits a few more moments to see if the Elf drops dead then knocks the bright red and orange of her potion back as if it were a shot, still sceptical. Memories of well-taught lessons from someone that seemed to be ages ago welled up in her mind, becoming less hazy. Jhank hissed quietly to herself, glad for the remembrance of skills but not of the person she tries to forget.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:42, Mon 08 Nov 2021.

Andromeda raised her pale blue-glowing potion in a toast, "To heroism and the furtherance of knowledge.  Cheers!"  Clinking the phial with the others, she tipped it up and drank it down.  The azure jewel necklace flared bright with celestial power, and the starry nebulae suspended within it began to glow with their own light.  Exhilarated, Andromeda laughed, "How wonderfully portentous!"

Once she'd gotten a handle on the sudden influx of power, Andromeda turned her attention to their new surroundings.  "Oh, what spectacular crystal formations!  ...Goodness, what is that dreadful sound?"  She slowly wandered closer, listening close to the ominous moaning and scoured her naturalistic knowledge to attempt to identify it.

---

Cosmic Omen start-of-day roll is odd (Woe):

• 12:12, Today: Andromeda rolled 3 using 1d6.  Cosmic Omen even/odd.

Light cantrip is active, shedding 20 feet of bright light + 20 feet of dim light.  Can we tell if the crystal formations are increasing that range?

Stealth-moving toward the ceiling fissure, Nature to guess at the source of the ominous moan, then Perception to look into the crack (w/o Darkvision):

• 13:15, Today: Andromeda rolled 8 using 1d20+2.  Stealth.
• 13:09, Today: Andromeda rolled 14 using 1d20+4.  Nature.
• 13:16, Today: Andromeda rolled 24 using 1d20+7.  Perception.

Onyxclaw follows the others, his staff clicking as he does, looking at the map as he went. The kobold stopped only when he realised the others did, and watched as the others drank. With a sigh, he popped the cork and drank.

His eyes went wide as the connection to his patron, once a trickle, opened like a floodgate. He heard their voice in his head, almost approving of what was happening. Goood…..feeeell the power you can attain. He saw flashes of skills he never dreamed, of magic he heard of that was now in his grasp.

The Kobold  breathed heavily as he normalised, looking around with a slight look of fear and excitement. He muttered something unknown in the draconic language, ancient.

“Wow.” Was all he said

The crystal walls indeed enhance the light and the entire area is as dim light.
A 20-foot-square section of wall south of area 4d does not reflect the light in the way the rest of the walls do, seems suspicious.

Andromeda looks up at the crack in the ceiling to see a monster that resembles a sting-ray with the face of a gargoyle. She remembers it from...well now, how exactly does she remember it? did that potion come with extra knowledge??? This is called a cloaker.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/avat...252767458838228.jpeg
Anyone can nature check. DC15 you know that they are able to make illusory duplicates, making it much harder to fight. Nature check DC20 you know that it cannot make duplicates in bright light.

---

Round 1 > players always go first, this is theater of the mind, we are not necessarily in combat, if you don't attack it may allow you to sneak past.
Cloaker AC14

In reply to DM (msg # 6):

"What is that thing?" Travic whispered. He was reading through a arcane looking book he did not have a second ago. It seemed to just appear after he drank the potion.

OOC-got a 11 on my nature check.

''Ugh! I dunno but no mothers gonna love that face, '' Jhank added, one clawed hand on a shortsword and the other hovering between a dagger and the other shortsword, not sure if she should try throwing the dagger or go straight to melee.
Nature check¬15:49, Today: Jhank rolled 16 using 1d20 ((16)).

well the thing is about 30’ up on the ceiling, so melee probably not gonna work quite yet. :)

Devan shakes his potion up a bit and looks at it suspiciously, but when everyone started to drink theirs. He shrug and goes for a drink,"Eh, what harm can it do. Though I'm not sure what powers I'm getting." he says, taking a swig of his red potion, then his mind goes blank, no, it became still. Everything was clearer than ever before, theories and conspiracies have never been so accurate until this day as a surge of power suddenly comes over him, Devan started looking at his surroundings like a madman,"These crystals, they might be the power source that'll send us through different dimensions and planes. That whole moaning sound proves my point, were now in one of the Nine Hells, or worse Hades, everyone be prepared for countless hordes of demons and devils." he babbles his theory with speed and when the cloaked beast appeared, a look of panic appeared on the frazzled Devan,"Egads, one of the overlords of hell. We better back away and start heading back to that bucket." he says, starting walk away but then sits down on the floor as he grabs his head looking as if he was hit with a daze. Looks like he ran out of steam.

07:11, Today: Devan Crier rolled 3 using 1d20+1.  Nature Check.

Andromeda startled at the sight of the winged monstrosity clinging in the crevasse overhead, "Oh dear!  That beast is called a Cloaker.  Quite fearsome, and not likely to be friendly."  Devan's wild speculations left the druidess with mouth agape and struggling to find words, "A rather extraordinary set of conclusions to draw...?  No no, we can't turn back now!  We've only just arrived!"

With brightly-glowing celestial jewel held up high toward the creature, silver chain coiled about her fingers, Andromeda waited on its reaction.  She whispered, "Be ready, friends... the cloaker may not take our intrusion well..."  Should the monster move to strike Andromeda stood ready to project a ray of burning starlight toward it!

---

Still emitting Light, which probably invalidated that stealth attempt now that I think of it :P

Ready a Sacred Flame IF we are attacked by the Cloaker or any other creature.  DC 15 Dex save or take 10 radiant damage!

• 16:51, Today: Andromeda rolled 10 using 2d8.  Readied Sacred Flame.

The cloaker looks straight at you as if the magical light was offensive. It moaned one last time, and from the east a similar moan replied.

The light cantrip has made the entire area dim light.

---

Round 1 (still waiting for Littlejohn)
Cloaker AC14

Onyxclaw walked with the others, admiring the crystals as Andromeda pointed out the cloaked. The kobold frowned as he heard a whisper in his mind. “Cloaker is creature of shadow….can make illusions of self. Hard to hit.”The kobold looked a little more sure of himself and stepped forward, his hand out, he spoke in some unknown language.

An almost invisible wave flows for the beast and hits him, Onyxclaw holding a smile as the voice in his head speaks to him. Goooodd

The kobold has an almost europhoric  smile on his face - the test of his power pleased him.

---

<OOC: Onyxclaw rolled 19 using 1d20+1.  Nature check.

 action - casts blight at the cloaker

Onyxclaw rolled 40 using 8d8.  Blight damage.

Con 14 save or takes 40 necrotic damage. Save succeeds, takes 20 damage>

The cloaker screeches as the blight spell wracks it's body.

It zooms down, no clue which of you cast the spell, it targets the smallest of you all.

As it zooms closer it's moan sickens your stomachs. EVERYONE must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of the cloaker's next turn. If a creature's saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the cloaker's moan for the next 24 hours.

It wraps itself around Onyxclaw. 24 hits you for 10 piercing damage and you are blinded and unable to breathe while the cloaker is attached. You must take an action to detach the cloaker by succeeding on a DC 16 Strength check.

---

ROUND 2
Cloaker AC14, hp-40

10:18, Today: Devan Crier rolled 15 using 1d20+2.  Wis Save.

Devan recovers from his momentary headache after he heard that moaning come closer. He then notice the monster has grappled the kobold and it's moaning made him feel his stomach churn, but just like the headache it quicky fades and he raises his fist for a fight.

Action: Stunning Strike Con Save DC 13 or get stunned.
10:23, Today: Devan Crier rolled 27 using 1d20+8.  Unarmed Strike 1.
10:24, Today: Devan Crier rolled 9 using 1d6+5.  Dmg 1.

Bonus Action: Punch
10:23, Today: Devan Crier rolled 20 using 1d20+8.  Unarmed Strike 2.
10:24, Today: Devan Crier rolled 11 using 1d6+5.  Dmg 2.


"Don't worry Onyx, I've got your back." he says and starts right about to punch it when he realized his fists feel guided to punch specific points of the creature. He didn't understand what's going, but he suspected the potion just doing it's magic and he obliged it's assist as he starts jabbing at various pressure points of the creature.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:35, Tue 09 Nov 2021.

19:25, Today: Jhank rolled 8 using 1d20 ((8)).
Jhank growled and snapped her jaws, covering her earholes in an attempt to block the horrid sound, but fell to her knees. Tucking her head under her body and suppressing the urge to vomit.

Andromeda cringed at the monster's dreadful moan, but managed to avoid being too rattled by it.  What was terrifying, however, was the way it swooped down to wrap itself entirely about little Onyxclaw!  It was going to suffocate him and then eat him, probably, and she wasn't having it.

The druidess raised the celestial jewel overhead and conjured a long, glowing tendril of magical starlight.  She cried with not much conviction, "Release him, monster!"  She snapped the magic whip forth to lash the cloaker and drag it away, but failed entirely to connect with her target.

---

Wisdom save succeeds:

• 21:22, Today: Andromeda rolled 16 using 1d20+7.  Wisdom save.

Thorn Whip attack roll almost definitely misses:

• 21:24, Today: Andromeda rolled 10 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 3.  Thorn Whip attack.