The Obsidian Web: Session 7 - The Grand Unveiling

 

The Obsidian Web: Session 7 - The Grand Unveiling

Player Level: 5 

• Setting: Area 20: The Obsidian Throne (Government Center), with potential for diversions in Area 5: The Guardhouse Cavern or Area 6: The Grand Bazaar.

Session Goal:

Infiltrate Narathzul's most secure political stronghold during a pivotal Drow Council meeting, publicly expose Matron Malice Mizzrym's blasphemous alliance with a demon lord using the Necromancer's Spellbook as undeniable proof, and survive the immediate, furious backlash from the Drow hierarchy. This session is the campaign's dramatic centerpiece, demanding careful planning, cunning, and potentially intense combat.

Key Themes:

Climax, Exposure, Political Intrigue, Betrayal, Direct Confrontation, Desperate Flight, Heresy vs. Heresy.

Atmosphere:

Stifling, austere, and intensely formal, yet crackling with an undercurrent of ambition and suspicion. The Obsidian Throne (Area 20) is grand but oppressive, designed to reinforce Drow dominance. Bioluminescent lighting might be more controlled and strategic here, casting long, dramatic shadows. The air is tense, filled with the murmurs of high-ranking Drow and the ever-present threat of swift, brutal judgment.

Opening Hook:

The chilling truth is undeniable: Matron Malice Mizzrym, with the insidious backing of the Temple of Lolth, is about to present her "Grand Strategy"—the unleashing of the were-rat plague—to the Drow Council at the Obsidian Throne. This is not just a plan for a raid; it is a scheme to cripple a surface city for a full-scale Drow invasion, a monstrous act that could bring untold suffering.

Your success in stealing the Necromancer's Spellbook from the Crystal Spire of Arcanum was paramount. That vile tome now rests in your hands, its pages screaming of Mizzrym's true, unforgivable sin: a direct, blasphemous alliance with a demon lord, an act of supreme heresy against Lolth herself.

Matron Nyssia of House Vrael has given you your final, most dangerous task: "You must expose her. Before the Obsidian Throne. There is no other way to stop this madness. Show them the truth within that book. It will be a desperate gamble, but the fate of many hangs in the balance." The air itself feels charged with the weight of this impending confrontation.

Recap from Previous Adventures (DM's Note): Crystal Spire of Arcanum 

• PCs successfully rescued the Deep Gnome Loremaster (Krylla) or Surface Alchemist from House Mizzrym's compound and gathered definitive proof of Mizzrym's grand design for the were-rat curse. Krylla's knowledge confirms the target and the method.

• Crucially, the party recently undertook the perilous mission to the Crystal Spire of Arcanum and successfully retrieved the Necromancer's Spellbook. This book contains the undeniable evidence of Mizzrym's demonic pact, which is now the key to turning the Council against her.
• Matron Nyssia has informed them of the impending Council meeting.

Core Challenges & Encounters:

• Preparation & Infiltration Plan (Strategy/Skill Challenge):

  • Objective: Devise a strategy to infiltrate Area 20 and gain access to the Council Chamber with the Necromancer's Spellbook in tow.
  • Vrael's Support: Nyssia provides crucial intelligence on the Obsidian Throne's layout, standard guard rotations, and known magical defenses. She might offer a single use of a valuable distraction or a minor artifact (e.g., Scroll of Gaseous Form, Potion of Invisibility).
  • Leveraging Allies:
    • The Shroud (Area 3): PCs can ask Vexia for a major diversion in the Grand Bazaar (Area 6) or near the Barracks (Area 5) to draw away city guards, or for a hidden path through the sewers that emerges near the Throne. (Requires Persuasion/Intimidation DC 14).
    • House Phaere (Area 23 - Intelligence/Manipulation): PCs might subtly leak specific information to a contact in House Phaere, hinting at a "deep betrayal" by Mizzrym that goes beyond mere ambition. Phaere, always seeking advantage, might send a particularly astute observer to the Council, inadvertently aiding the PCs by asking pointed questions that draw attention to Mizzrym's unease. (Requires Deception/Persuasion DC 15).
  • Security Layers: The Obsidian Throne has multiple layers of defense:
    • Perimeter Guards: City Guards (CR 2-3) and dedicated Drow Enforcers (CR 4).
    • Interior Guards: Elite Drow Enforcers (CR 4-5) and specialized Drow Interrogators (CR 3, with Intimidation skills).
    • Magical Defenses: Scrying wards, alarm spells, and potentially an anti-magic field over the Council Chamber itself (which could be a major complication for the PCs' plan, requiring them to bypass or briefly suppress it).
  • Skill Challenges: DCs for Stealth, Deception, Athletics, Acrobatics will be high (DC 15-17) due to the highly guarded nature of the area.

• The Council Meeting & The Unveiling (Social/Political Intrigue):

  • Objective: Gain entry to the Council Chamber and present the Necromancer's Spellbook as damning evidence.
  • The Scene: Describe the vast, austere chamber. High-ranking Drow officials from various noble houses (Area 2, 11, 14, 18, 21), scribes, and record-keepers are present. Matron Malice Mizzrym will be presenting her plan for the were-rat curse, perhaps with chillingly cold rationale and a show of power. Priestess Maelys Xiloscient (Area 8) might be present, lending religious weight to Mizzrym's words.
  • Presenting Evidence (The Spellbook): This is the core of the session. The PCs must devise a method to get the Necromancer's Spellbook before the council and reveal its contents.
    • Direct Confrontation (Risky): Burst in and dramatically display the book. (Requires high Intimidation, but likely leads to immediate, chaotic combat).
    • Subtle Disruption (Cunning): Use magic (illusions, minor conjuration, message spell) to disrupt Mizzrym's presentation and draw attention to the book, or plant the book where it will be found.
    • Proxy: If they have a Drow ally (e.g., a lesser noble from Vrael, or someone bribed from The Shroud), they might try to get them to present the evidence. This may require a high Charisma (Persuasion) check (DC 16+).
  • Matron Malice's Response (Social Encounter): Matron Malice (CR 9-10 - use her social/deception abilities here, saving full combat for later) is charismatic and cunning. She will immediately attempt to discredit the PCs and the book, denouncing it as a forgery, a rival house's fabrication, or even attempt to frame the PCs as demon cultists themselves. (Deception/Persuasion/Insight DC 16+ to see through her lies or counter her arguments).
  • The Council's Reaction: Drow officials will react with initial suspicion, then growing outrage and fear as the evidence of Mizzrym's demonic pact becomes clear. The concept of challenging Lolth's supremacy is anathema to most Drow, making this the perfect wedge. A representative from House Phaere (Area 23) might seize the opportunity, openly questioning Mizzrym's loyalty or demanding investigation into the spellbook's claims.

• The Uprising / Council Combat (Climax Combat):

  • Objective: Fight their way out once the confrontation turns violent.
  • The Shift: Regardless of how well the PCs present their case, a direct challenge to a Matron Mother, especially one involving heresy, in the Obsidian Throne will almost certainly lead to immediate combat. Mizzrym's personal guards will attack first, followed by city guards.
  • Encounter:
    • Matron Malice Mizzrym (CR 9-10, as a powerful spellcaster/leader): She will direct forces and use powerful spells from the background, likely focusing on controlling the battlefield and enabling her loyalists.
    • 2-3 Elite Mizzrym Warriors (CR 5): Her fanatically loyal personal bodyguards, highly dangerous.
    • 1-2 Drow Enforcers (CR 4): City guards who turn on the PCs at the command of Mizzrym or higher officials.
  • Environmental Factors: Pillars for cover, scattered tables/chairs for difficult terrain, limited space, possibly an anti-magic field that makes spellcasting risky or impossible until they leave the immediate chamber.
  • Pacing: This should be a challenging, desperate fight. The goal isn't necessarily to defeat Malice here, but to create enough chaos to escape with the Necromancer's Spellbook (or at least its proven contents) and set the Drow houses against each other.

• Desperate Escape (Chase/Skill Challenge):

  • Objective: Flee the Obsidian Throne and the immediate vicinity before being overwhelmed.
  • High Alert: The entire government center is on high alert. Alarms ring, and more guards converge from every direction.
  • Pursuit: The PCs will be relentlessly pursued by waves of City Guards (CR 2-3) and Drow Enforcers (CR 4).
  • Escape Routes:
    • Through Noble Corridors: Direct, but now heavily patrolled and potentially blocked.
    • Via The Shroud's Network: If they arranged it, a hidden escape tunnel or a diversion might open up near the throne, but will still be risky.
    • Towards Barracks (Area 5 or 19): A dangerous move, but might offer a chance to hide in the chaos of a diversion, or even cause more mayhem.
  • Skill Challenges: Athletics (climbing over obstacles), Acrobatics (dashing through crowds), Stealth (losing pursuers), Investigation (finding shortcuts), and even Deception (creating false trails).
  • Consequences: Failure here means capture, likely imprisonment in the Stone Keep (Area 16), setting up a desperate "prison break" for Session 8.

Ending the Session:

• The Aftermath: The PCs successfully expose Mizzrym's demonic pact and her were-rat plague. The Drow Council is in disarray, and Mizzrym's authority is severely wounded, even if she escapes. The immediate threat of the Grand Strategy is delayed or thwarted, replaced by internal Drow conflict.
• Triumphant, but Hunted: The party escapes the Obsidian Throne, perhaps battered and bruised, but with the knowledge that they've struck a powerful blow against Lolth's most insidious followers and sparked a schism within Narathzul. However, they are now public enemies of a significant portion of Narathzul's elite.
• Hook for Session 8: They must now make a desperate escape from Narathzul itself. Matron Nyssia will be waiting with a plan, but the city guards and possibly even the Obsidian Hand (Area 19) will be hunting them relentlessly through the now chaotic city. The final session is their desperate bid for freedom from the Hidden City.