Humblewood Recap #13 Sunday August 30, 2026 @ Noon – 6:00 P.M.
<<WARNING
SPOILERS FOR THE HUMBLEWOOD CAMPAIGN: MYSTERIES OF THE AVIUM! >>
PART 4: MYSTERIES OF THE AVIUM
As dawn broke on the fourth day, Zivvy continued her research on Conjuration magic in the lower library while Quilliam and Galadriel told Lucius, Finn, and Eclipse about the strange occurrences of the last few days…
While researching the conjuration circle magic, Zivvy was surprised and ambushed by her shadow in a lower library aisle! The shadow of Zivvy relentlessly attacked her, chipping away at her HP and Strength every turn. Zivvy spent her first turn carefully stowing the book that she had discovered into her backpack. She tried casting Cure Wounds and fleeing but was struck by an opportunity attack by her shadow. Zivvy tried to run away safely using Disengage but could not outrun her own shadow. She made her final stand near the double doors of the lower library entrance. She cast Shatter at her shadow. The sonic boom seemed to make her shadow flicker for a moment. Zivvy was left at 1 HP and 1 Strength left. Zivvy’s shadow aimed the killing blow at her. Chessie used a point of Inspiration to give the shadow Disadvantage. The shadow missed. Zivvy cast a second Shatter, and the shadow dissipated.
Meanwhile, the rest of the party decided to follow around the Servitor Skeletons. They followed them around as they cleaned classrooms and labs. The Servitor Skeletons eventually took the central platform down to the lower library.
Zivvy left through the double doors of the lower library and found herself being rushed by the Servitor Skeletons that were being followed by the rest of the party. Zivvy reflexively flinched as they approached her, but they went past her and entered the lower library instead and started dusting. Zivvy and the rest of the party entered the lower library. The party observed the Servitor Skeletons as Zivvy explained she had been attacked by her own shadow. The Servitor Skeletons found a torn page on the floor and brought it to the librarian, Mordane Swiftgale. Mordane Swiftgale looked it over. The party asked to look at it and Mordane showed them the torn page. It was a ritual spell to summon a shadow assassin.
Quilliam gave Zivvy ten good berries, which healed her but also upset her stomach. The party left the lower library to take Zivvy to the infirmary to rest. The nurse examined Zivvy and found her to be suffering from anemia, fatigue, and nausea. The nurse also cast divination magic that showed Zivvy was also heavily influenced by a curse of undeath. The nurse proscribed a Long Rest as treatment. Galadriel the Outlander waited as a guard for Zivvy and her buddy, Figory Figgins, to awaken.
Quilliam decided to go look for the Servitor Skeletons again. He found them waiting for a bridge to a terrarium. He waited to follow them to the terrarium. There were glass display cases on the terrarium devoted to natural history with skeletal exhibits like lions, elks, and sabretooth tigers. The Skeletal Servitors were cleaning the glass display case of a skeletal saber-tooth tiger and noticed Quilliam approaching. One of the Servitor Skeletons tapped the glass of the display case. A crack formed and then the skeletal saber-tooth tiger leaped out, shattering the glass display case. The saber-tooth tiger pounced on Quilliam, leaving a claw mark on his left side. Quilliam pushed back with Thunderwave, which moved the saber-tooth tiger back to the glass remains of the display case and also disintegrated the Skeletal Servitors. The saber-tooth tiger pounced at Quilliam again and this time he was prepared, unleashing his Halo of Spores. But a second claw mark was left on Quilliam’s right side.
[Fortunately for Quilliam, skeletons are oddly affected by necrotic damage.]
Quilliam cast Thunderwave again and pushed the skeletal saber-tooth tiger backwards. The saber-tooth tiger pounced at Quilliam as he unleashed his Halo of Spores at it. Quilliam has a third claw mark in his left leg.
Quilliam cast Healing Spirit to start to heal himself. The skeletal saber-tooth tiger missed.
Quilliam used his Symbiotic Entity ability to grant himself 16 temporary HP. He used his Bonus Action to heal himself using Healing Spirit. The skeletal saber-tooth tiger bit him in the right leg. Quilliam used his Halo of Spores, now strengthened by the Symbiotic Entity to deal double damage as a response.
Quilliam cast Shillelagh as a Bonus Action and swung his staff in desperation. Shillelagh’s force was strengthened by necrotic damage granted from Symbiotic Entity for bone crushing damage. The staff connected with the skeletal saber-tooth tiger’s jaw and it disintegrated into bone dust. Quilliam collected bone dust samples from the Skeletal Servitors and the skeletal saber-tooth tiger as he used his healing spirit to repair his wounds. Quilliam then went back to the dormitory to rest.
In the morning, Quilliam and Lucius headed to the infirmary. Zivvy woke up as well as Figory Figgins. Figory Figgins complained that the reason he was attacked was that he had been given courage by Galadriel the Outlander and investigated the noise outside his dormitory window. If he had followed his cowardly Jerbeen nature, he would have never opened that window and saw that horrific bird skeleton and been attacked.
Seeing that Zivvy was okay, Quilliam left for Professor Glinda Nightseed’s class on Theoretical Necromancy. He noticed that Jell Platena was in attendance. He questioned her after class and she responded that the class was a requirement for graduation and not really an interest of hers. Quilliam asked Professor Glinda Nightseed about the torn-out spell page. She told Quilliam that it was a necromantic ritual that cursed a person or persons and made a shadow replica of them to attempt to kill the them. She mentioned a forbidden book that may be the origin of the page. Such a section of the library would only be accessible by faculty, the dean, or the head librarian, and only with good reason to do so. Quilliam showed the bone dust and Professor Nightseed confirmed that there was much stronger necromancy magic on the creature bones. Quilliam checked the class list in the hallway and saw that Jell Platena was #1 in the class with Figory Figgins dead last.
Quilliam decided to follow Jell Platena all day. He found her doing work in Professor Leachwood’s potion lab in the mid-morning, she had lunch at the mess hall, then she attended her afternoon classes which were divination by Professor Corvax Revayne, Elementalism and Conjuration by Professor Rhys Birchwalker, enchantment, and transmutation. She studied in the lower library after school. Afterward, she had dinner in the mess hall and retired to her dormitory.
Meanwhile the rest of the party went back to the dormitory. Zivvy and Lucius tried to figure out the calculations for the location of the conjuration circle within the Scorched Grove using the book Zivvy had nicked but failed. Galadriel the Outlander alternating between watching the door and dozing off from boredom from the mathematics being spoken aloud.
Quilliam tried to head down to the lower library late in the evening. He was blocked by two stone golems guarding the door. His guest student amulet wasn’t good enough clearance for using the lower library at night. Quilliam found Lucius at the dormitory and convinced him to come with him. They decided to head to the dean’s office. Lucius picked the lock and they looked inside the dean’s desk. Inside the dean’s desk there was a ring, two potions of fire resistance, and the dean’s amulet.
Lucius and Quilliam returned to the dorm. Lucius nicked the box from a dozing Zivvy. They woke up Galadriel the Outlander to come with them to the lower library. At the lower library, the stone golem allowed Lucius to pass bearing the dean’s amulet, but not Quilliam or Galadriel. Quilliam and Galadriel waited outside.
Lucius took a short rest inside the lower library and attuned to the box. Elsewhere, a tossing and turning Zivvy suddenly slept peacefully as if a nightmare had been ended. This reset the box timer. He opened the box and the lesser demon popped its head out. Lucius wanted to know what the ring was. The lesser demon said it was a Ring of Spell Storing and identification of the spell would be 200 gold pieces. Lucius didn’t want to pay. The box suggested stealing the dean’s spell book. Whatever spell was inside the ring would be in there which would narrow it down. Lucius closed the box and the timer started up again.
Lucius looked around the lower library but wasn’t able to find a secret door or a hidden compartment for forbidden spells. In frustration, he stole the librarian’s master catalogue of books and spells before leaving.
Lucius and Quilliam headed to the dean’s office. Lucius carefully put back the items he took from the dean’s office. But he forgot to relock the door.
In the morning, the party went to the dean’s office to find the door blocked by two Perch Guards with two more inside. The dean was yelling loudly inside about how his office had been broken into last night but nothing seemed to be missing.
Jell Platena visited the dean’s office to complain about the lower library being closed by Head Librarian Mordane Swiftgale because of the theft of a least two tomes.
The party headed downstairs to the lower library and saw the door blocked by the same two stone golems in the daytime. The party decided to follow the Servitor Skeletons. They went to the natural history terrarium and cleaned the glass display cases. The display case that had the skeletal saber-tooth tiger now had a skeletal dire elk. The Servitor Skeletons left and none of the displays stirred.
The party rested in the dormitory and then went to the natural history terrarium at night. Sure enough, when they approached the glass display case of the skeletal dire elk, it roared to a mockery of life. The skeletal dire elk shattered the glass display case and charged Galadriel the Outlander with its antlers. Zivvy shot at the skeletal dire elk and missed with an arrow through its rib cage. Galadriel countered with her own antlers and locked horns with the undead animal as the skeletal dire elk crashed into her. Lucius cast Thunderwave to move the skeletal dire elk back from Galadriel. Galadriel charged the skeletal dire elk with her antlers and locked horns again. Quilliam cast Thunderwave and moved the skeletal dire elk back again. Zivvy cast Shatter and the skeletal dire elk crumbled as Galadriel tensed to lock horns with it a third time.
The party searched the area for clues. Zivvy found a vellum scroll covered in necromantic runes. Inside there was a necromantic spell for controlling large numbers of undead such as the Servitor Skeletons that Lucius deciphered.
The party decided to hide themselves in the forest and jungle terrain and rest the night.
In the morning, Servitor Skeletons arrived and cleaned up the mess. They erected a new glass display with a skeletal dire lion. The party followed them with their trash down the central elevator to a trash dump near the base of the Avium’s trunk. Galadriel the Outlander noticed one of the Servitor Skeletons disappear after pressing a piece of stone hidden in the bark. After pressing the stone, a passageway opened up for five seconds. The party entered the passageway and it closed behind them. Motes of magical light lit the hallway and the party discovered a lever to open the door from the other side.
The party headed down the hallway 20 feet and then went left into a room with the door open. Entering the room, they saw an old study room with a closet and a much newer chair. Opening up the closet, they found Mordane Swiftgale standing upright with his eyes closed, surrounded by swirling gray energy. Hanging from the closet rod was a pendant that had been worn by Mordane Swiftgale. Quilliam took the pendant and put it on. He looked and sounded like Mordane Swiftgale.
The party left the study room and went down the hall 80 feet. Light streamed from underneath a closed door. As the party entered an old classroom, six Birdfolk skeletons had taken up positions to block their progress toward a spiral staircase. The party caught a glimpse of the back of a Birdfolk in a blue top hat with a gold band wearing blue robes with a gold trim as he ran towards the spiral staircase.
The Birdfolk skeletons didn’t move except one who moved to block entrance to the room. Zivvy attacked the Birdfolk skeleton with her rapier that seemed to bounce off the ribcage of the undead Birdfolk. Lucius drew his shortbow and waited for an opening to fire. Galadriel drew her battleaxe and waited. Quilliam cast Guidance on Zivvy. Zivvy’s second rapier strike took down the Birdfolk skeleton. The other Birdfolk skeleton moved to block the door. Galadriel frenzied and smashed the Birdfolk skeleton before it could get into position. Lucius moved inside the old classroom and fired his shortbow at one of the two skeletons trying to block the center walkway between student tables and chairs on each side. The arrow struck the sternum of the Birdfolk skeleton and bounced off. Quilliam entered the room and called out Justice and a Spike Growth grew from the dirt floor. As the Birdfolk skeletons tried to move towards the party, the Spike Growth buried itself in their bony feet and they collapsed into piles of bones.
The party searched the room as they heard chanting from below resounding up to them through the spiral staircase. They found a bunch of pages that had been torn out of the books they had been researching.
After they were done searching, they went down the spiral staircase as the chanting ended and they heard a terrible roar.
They came face to face with a hideous amalgamation of Birdfolk skeletons with two Birdfolk heads fused together and four soulless red eyes. Behind the undead monstrosity, a Corvum screamed out, “You don’t understand what you are doing. Stay out of my way!”
Zivvy tried to persuade them to tell her what he was doing so she could understand. The Corvum told her that his name was Odwald Ebonhart. He was a Necromancer and he had created the Cobblefright, the undead before them, as part of his studies into draining vital energies through necromancy. He had taken the information about the Aspect of Fire, since only his research into draining magic could stop the Aspect of Fire. The party tried to convince him to stand down, but as his resolve to fight began to waver just then he lost control of the Cobblefright and ran away screaming.
Zivvy shot her shortbow at the Cobblefright and the arrow struck its two-skull head. The arrow bounced off. Galadriel the Outlander flew into a frenzied rage and attacked the Cobblefright with her battle-axe hitting its ribs with the first swing and cracking its sternum on the second swing. Lucius fired his shortbow at the Cobblefright and the arrow bounced off its ulna near its left wrist. Quilliam cast Infestation and although the Cobblefright was immune to poison it moved 5 feet to the right. The Cobblefright grappled Galadriel after hitting her with two sharp claw attacks.
Zivvy reached into the Cobblefright and touched Galadriel to cast Cure Wounds on her. Zivvy gave her Bardic Inspiration. Galadriel thought about breaking free of the grapple but instead dropped her battleaxe. She grabbed her club and bashed the Cobblefright’s ribs. She cracked a couple of them. Lucius fired his shortbow but missed. Quilliam cast Ice Knife and struck the Cobblefright in the left patella. The Cobblefright squeezed Galadriel in a bear hug and opened its mouth and inhaled. Dark energy swirled around its mouth but Galadriel managed to resist.
Zivvy healed Galadriel a second time with Cure Wounds. Galadriel hit the Cobblefright twice with her club, cracking its spine near the neck. Lucius cast Thunderwave. This struck Zivvy knocking her out and then she hit the wall, getting the wind knocked out of her and giving her a death check. Galadriel and the Cobblefright were flung away from each other but still locked in melee. Quilliam cast Healing Spirit and healed Zivvy to stabilize her. The Cobblefright bit Galadriel but missed its grapple attempt on her. Zivvy got off of the floor and cast Cure Wounds on herself while giving Bardic Inspiration to Quilliam. Galadriel realized her battleaxe was on the floor ten feet away, so she swung her club twice, smacking the two-skull head on both skulls. Quilliam turned into a brown bear and bit off one of the ribs from the Cobblefright’s ribcage. Lucius cast Chromatic Orb, summoning a ball of acid that melted the Cobblefright’s eyes off its two-skulls. The Cobblefright fell into a pile of mostly disconnected bones. Quilliam turned back into Mordane Swiftgale (He was still wearing the pendant) and used Healing Spirit to heal Zivvy and Galadriel. The party went through the doorway that Odwald Ebonhart had escaped through and found themselves walking through a passageway behind a bookshelf in the lower library.
The party sat down at a study table and placed the missing pages on the table. They took an hour to study them…
[End of session. Characters Level up to 5 at the start of next session.]
