đź—ş Scenes Overview#

🔑 Secrets & Clues#

  • Hollow threshold powered by the royal artifact Skreek has been searching for.

Cold Open#

The last thing you feel is the Winter Court’s forest—needles and frost underfoot, air so cold it makes your lungs sting, the hush of snow-dampened sound.

You’re standing just inside the shimmering portal or the Hollow Threshold, the outline of the winter woods still visible behind you. Cold air spills through the opening at your back, but it’s already losing the fight. In front of you, the air is heavy with pressure and primal energy, roaring with wind that doesn’t blow past you so much as reach for you, tugging at cloaks and straps like impatient hands.

What extends out in front of you is a circular platform of black stone suspended over a boiling sea of storm cloud. Three towering storm-spires rise around the center, arranged like a triangle of dark fangs. Lightning crawls between them in snapping, impatient threads—bright enough to leave afterimages behind your eyes. The smell of ozone is so sharp it feels like a taste. Metal warms against your skin. Teeth buzz in your skull.

And in the exact heart of that triangle—ten feet above the stone—something hangs in the air. A Tempest Egg, a blessed gift from Cygnus, and heirloom of the Ornithopian royal family.

Then thunder cracks so hard it feels like someone struck the inside of your ribs with a hammer. When you look up, you see a large blue skinned humanoid hovers 10 feet above the far end of the platform. He wields a scimitar; a swirling vortex where his legs should be. Nearby you see a roiling, cloud of rage with glowing red eyes and vine like arms.

đź—ˇ Monster Stat Blocks#

Invisible Stalker (CR 6)#

AC/DC 14 | HP 97 (52–155) | Atk/Prof +7/+3 | DPR 33 | # Atks 3 | Dmg 11 (2d6 + 4)

  • Invisibility: Permanently invisible unless revealed by special senses or effects.
  • Air Form: Can enter enemy spaces; squeeze through 1-inch gaps.
  • Wind Swipe (3x): reach 5 ft. 11 (2d6 + 4) Force damage.
  • Vortex (Control): Con save DC 14; 7 (1d8 + 3) thunder + grappled (escape DC 13). Grappled target can’t cast spells with verbal components and takes 7 (2d6) thunder at start of stalker’s turns.
  • Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
  • Damage Immunities: Poison
  • Condition Immunities: Exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious

Air Elemental (CR 5)#

AC/DC 15 | HP 90 (48–144) | Atk/Prof +8/+3 | DPR 28 | # Atks 2 | Dmg 14 (2d8 + 5)

  • Air Form: Can enter enemy spaces; squeeze through 1-inch gaps.
  • Thunderous Slam (2x): reach 10 ft. 14 (2d8 + 5) Thunder damage.
  • Whirlwind (Recharge 4–6): Str save DC 13; 24 (4d10 + 2) thunder, push 20 ft., prone (half on success).
  • Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, lightning
  • Damage Immunities: Thunder, poison
  • Condition Immunities: Exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious

Storm Herald (CR 11)#

AC/DC 17 | HP 218 (130–300) | Atk/Prof +9/+4 | DPR 45 | # Atks 3 | Dmg 19 (2d6 + 5 + 2d6) | Fly 90ft

  • Storm Arsenal: Three attacks per turn, Storm Blade (melee) or Storm Bolt (ranged, prone).
  • Storm Blade: Melee; slashing + lightning damage.
  • Storm Bolt: 120 ft.; thunder damage and knocks Large or smaller targets prone.
  • Whirlwind: DC 17 Str; restrained, carried, 21 (6d6) thunder/round; save ends.
  • Magic Resistance: Advantage on saves vs spells and magical effects.
  • Damage Immunities: Lightning, thunder
  • Elemental Persistence: Reform on the Plane of Air if destroyed elsewhere.

đź’° Treasure#

THE TEMPEST EGG#

Wondrous item, requires attunement

  • Storm’s Fury: As a bonus action, create a 20-foot radius storm centered on you. Creatures of your choice within the area have their movement speed halved and disadvantage on ranged attacks. Lasts 1 minute. (1/long rest)
  • Windwright’s Grace: You gain a permanent fly speed of 30 feet and immunity to fall damage.

đź“ť Session Notes#

  • Based on the intel from Vael, the party sought out the hollow threshold in the Winter Court’s territory, the Tempus Gate - a hollow threshold connected to the elemental plane of air.
  • Inside the threshold, the party found the artifact anchoring the Hollow Threshold was a Tempest Egg suspended 15ft off the ground between three large stone spikes - a blessed gift from Cygnus, and heirloom of the Ornithopian royal family Skreek served.
  • The party did battle with a Djinn, an air elemental, and the power of the storm itself. The threshold was a circular platform of black stone suspended over a boiling sea of storm cloud. The storm itself damaged the party with lightning while they tried to fight the enemies.
  • Shad used an animate objects to create an huge ally out of a piece of the storm clouds. The cloud vs air elemental battle was not to be missed - effective, ridiculous, and effective. The cloud won the day, smashing the air elemental into non-existence. Skreek, Toby, and Francis kept the Djinn busy.
  • While the party battle the enemies, Slumpet climbed the stone spires, captured the Tempus Egg in a pillowcase, and quickly ran back through the portal to the material plane. When he did so, the threshold began to destabilize, contract, and become even more dangerous. The party left the enemies behind and escaped before the portal snapped shut.
  • With that, Skreek finally reclaimed the royal treasure he had been searching for since he left his homeland.