Combat with the Mind Witness

• Willow's Struggle
  • Willow was targeted by a slowing ray, halving her speed and limiting her actions/reactions.
  • The creature grappled her with a tentacle, pulling her 10 feet into the air and dealing 27 psychic damage.
• Party Retaliation
  • Osric cast Guiding Bolt, striking the creature for 14 damage and forcing it to release Willow.
  • Calliope cast Shatter, dealing 10 thunder damage, and applied Protection from Good and Evil on Osric.
  • Willow recovered and launched a Lightning Bolt, dealing 24 damage and leaving the creature heavily wounded.
  • Osric landed two massive hits with his halberd, totaling 21 damage.

Final Stand in the Catacombs

• The Mind Witness Falls
  • Osric cast Guiding Bolt again, dealing 19 damage and causing the creature to collapse.
  • Calliope used Dissonant Whispers; however, the Mind Witness's telepathic nature caused the spell to echo, damaging several party members.
  • Nelyse delivered the killing blow by piercing the creature's eye with Grenda's dagger.
• The Mysterious Stones
  • Inside a hidden chamber, the party found two stone blocks with strange engravings and small stones resting on them.
  • Osric and Calliope picked up the stones, discovering symbols they didn't recognize.
  • Nelise and Belladonna were momentarily overcome by psychic whispers urging them to attack their teammates.

Encounter with the Mind Flayers

• Possession and Transformation
  • As Nelyse and Belladonna approached the pillars, two Mind Flayers appeared behind them, seemingly emerging from their backs.
  • The party engaged in a frantic battle to save their possessed companions.
• Victory and Recovery
  • Osric used Divine Smite to decapitate one Mind Flayer, instantly freeing Belladonna from its influence.
  • Volteran cast a high-damage spell (curving around teammates) to weaken the second Mind Flayer.
  • Belladonna regained consciousness and threw a dagger through the second Mind Flayer's skull, ending the threat.

The Ghost of Maxwell

• The Child in the Well
  • As the party prepared to leave, they encountered the spirit of a young boy named Maxwell in a school uniform.
  • It was revealed that Maxwell was a gifted student who had been bullied and eventually died in the well, leading to the curse on East Woa.
• Lifting the Curse
  • Calliope offers his stone to the boy.
  • Osric thanks to Willow charming him offered his stone to the boy, who used them to stabilize the magic in the catacombs.
  • The spirit found peace, and the party returned to the surface to find the town's atmosphere transformed and the curse lifted.

Aftermath and Investigation at the Academy

• School Records
  • The party investigated the Academy's office, finding records of Maxwell and his bullies: Tina (Human Cleric from Icary), Ronlin (Tiefling Wizard from Lavora), and Jariah (Orc Warlock from Florana).
  • Voghan "borrowed" a fourth-level spell scroll from the office archives.
• Departure for Icary
  • The Head Professor rewarded the group with 27 gold each, winter clothing, and valid travel passes to Icary.
  • Before leaving, Osric gave his Amulet of the Shroud to a young student named Delilah to keep her protected.
  • The party set out toward the Southern Crossing, eventually reaching the snowy border where they found hundreds of refugees blocked from entering Icary due to a sickness outbreak.
• The return of the Dragonborn
  • As the group convinces the guards to let them pass. A familiar face appears in the crowd. Luther, Nelyse's romantic interest from Mayei is standing there in a cloak. He coughs as he asks to be brought in with them.
  • Calliope and Nelyse hid him from Osric as Voltaren removes himself from the cart. The tension in the group is palpable, but no one says anything till they make it through the gate. 
  • Osric demands Luther to speak with him. Nelyse holds her grounds and even attempts to hit Osric. Osric demands to know if Luther is sick and if he has brought it to his home region. Luther denies being sick just having a cold since hes a red dragonborn. 
  • Voltaren does a sickness check and discovers Luther is telling the truth, hes simply sick with a cold. 

The session ends with Luther and Nelyse embracing.