Modrons
December 9, 2023
The Party
- Akram (Elf Rogue) – Mark C.
- Argual (Half-Elf Clockwork Sorcerer) – Mark M.
- Rosetta Stone (Human Cleric) – Sarah
- Villitch Von Velckha (Aasimer Paladin) – Ross
The party woke next morning to find that Nihl had vanished in the night, as others had before. Trusting that he would return to them in time, they decided to carry on northward, flying high above the bad weather on their magic carpet until they spotted a titanic octahedron looking like two pyramids base-to-base suspended in the clouds.
It was a quarter mile across and looked to be made of metal, with long horizontal slits around the middle. Looking closer with their spyglass, they saw a humanoid figure emerge from one of those vents, flying fast. Moments later, another figure emerged – Meddevin! – accompanied by a four-armed Glabrezu demon, both of whom vanishing by use of the Decahedron of the Realms.
Rosetta steered the carpet over to the remaining fugitive, who turned out to be Argual the Clockwork Sorcerer. He had woken up on a slab in some corner of the colossal octahedron’s interior where he saw a Dragonborn matching Nihl’s description in suspended animation as he blundered his way to the exit. The octahedron, explained Argual, was some sort of interdimensional craft from the Outer Plane of Mechanus, home of the Lawful Neutral Modrons who maintain the invisible machinery that runs existence. With their ability to stop time, they had been abducting people from the world and then re-integrating them for reasons unknown.
The adventurers convinced Argual to guide them into the octahedron to rescue Nihl and they all flew inside on the magic carpet, finding a thundering mechanical cathedral inside that was attended by thousands of Modrons, all of which completely ignored the adventurers. According to Argual, they would continue to do so until the party interfered with their functioning, which they duly avoided.
The adventurers decided to try talking to the Modrons, specifically the pilot Octodrone situated at the top of the gigantic clockwork engine that formed the heart of the mothership. They learned that the Modrons had been attacked by Meddevin and two demons, one of which was destroyed in their effort to capture the Decadrone that commands all of the Modrons. Now, without their leader, the Modrons were paralyzed of purpose until it either returned or it was killed. The adventurers promised to find it and asked to have Nihl returned to them, but the Octodrone would take no action of any kind without the authorization of the captive Decadrone.
The party ultimately left without Nihl, assuming he would be returned to them as each abductee had been before, though with no idea when. At least they knew where he was and where many of they themselves had been.
They set course for Pelifree, intending to find Meddevin and free the Decadrone he and his demon had abducted from the mothership.