Out of the Abyss Session 4: Into the Past

The session begins with the chaotic conclusion of the battle at the Maze Engine. As the party fights a Nalfeshnee and a summoned Vrock, the engine pulses with unpredictable energy, petrifying Valencia and Driddle before eventually restoring them. Driddle manages to deactivate the machine, but not before it shunts Valentia away into the past. Driddle, realizing the machine's potential, chooses to follow his friends, leaving Driz'zt and the others behind in the 'present' timeline. Thavos, already shunted back to the start of the campaign, travels across the Dark Lake with Eldeth. They witness the demon lord Yeenoghu feasting in a cavern near Mantol-Derith just as Valentia is teleported into the same location. A high-stakes escape ensues, featuring a heroic shoulder-check by Eldeth that knocks the demon lord off a ledge. The party regroups and decides to use their seven-month head start to influence the timeline, starting with the wizard Vizerin Devir. Acting as 'Black Mane,' Thavos convinces Vizerin to begin his research on the 'Dark Heart' early. Vizerin teleports the party to the library of Gravenhollow, where they consult with librarians of the Past, Present, and Future. They gain critical intelligence on the components needed to weaken Demogorgon and Orcus, including the tooth of an Ettin, the blood of a fallen priest, and the horn of a Pit Fiend. They also discover that the Vale may not be truly dead, but in a state of 'unliving.' In a moment of high-risk downtime within the library, the party draws from the Deck of Many Things. The results are transformative: they gain a loyal knight ally named Amber Eyes, multiple 'Fates' cards capable of erasing history, and significant level increases. However, they also gain powerful devil enemies and a mysterious NPC rival, while Thavos is stripped of all his non-magical wealth. The session ends with the party contemplating their newfound power and the dangerous enemies they have invited into their lives.