Session 6: The Chapel of Saint Brenna#
Summary#
The party heads north into Drakkenheim toward the Chapel of Saint Brenna, where the Scepter of Saint Vitruvio is rumored to rest. Along the way they assist an Amethyst Academy researcher with a volatile experiment. Inside the chapel, they navigate rival gangs, befriend a trio of mephits, fight through a puzzle-locked crypt, and put a mummified saint to rest — emerging with the scepter in hand.
What Happened#
Scene 1: August Elderfire’s Experiment#
At the fork where Champion’s Way branches north into the city, the party finds two Amethyst Academy apprentices and their supervisor setting up arcane tripod devices around the intersection. The supervisor — August Elderfire — is a mage in ornate silver-and-gold trimmed robes sent by River to study arcane anomalies. He explains the theory: if they cast spells through Delerium crystals mounted in the tripods, they may be able to trigger an arcane anomaly.
Theobroma, delighted to be recognized as an Academy colleague, volunteers a Flaming Sphere cast through one of the prisms. The three beams of red light — Theobroma’s sphere, an apprentice’s Burning Hands, and August’s Fireball — converge in a searing lattice. But the power levels are mismatched, and the focal point drifts back toward the apprentice, Alfie. A burst of octarine-crackling energy scores his hands with Delerium burns. Theobroma gives him a healing potion.
August logs the outcome and waves the party off: they’ve confirmed that all contributing spells need to be the same power level, and that the most basic magic alone isn’t sufficient. He parts formally, exchanging names with Theobroma and directing the party a quarter mile west to the chapel.
Scene 2: The Chapel Grounds#
A deteriorating chapel rises on a small hillock, its dome slate roof just visible above the surrounding townhouses. One of the two flanking towers has collapsed entirely; the entrance arch between them still stands. Beside the chapel, a walled garden contains two funeral pyres — and a gang.
Theobroma sends her familiar Crumb into the garden to scout, observing half a dozen figures with colorful mohawks and spiked gear — not any of the crews the party knows from Buckledown Row, likely Pins and Clubs or Howling Dogs. Their leader is directing them to pry a silver rod from a statue’s hands, convinced it’s the Scepter of Saint Vitruvio.
Theobroma spots the truth: the statue is Saint Tarna, founder of the Sacred Flame faith — not Vitruvio. The rod is shorter and plainer than a sacred relic would likely be. A religion check confirms it: what they’re trying to take is almost certainly not the scepter.
The party decides to let the gang have it. Heda leads the group around to the main entrance, presenting himself as a Sacred Flame worshipper to avoid raising suspicion.
Scene 3: Inside the Sanctuary#
Two Followers of the Falling Fire in brown robes wait on the chapel steps. Seeing Heda’s Sacred Flame insignia, a senior follower comes out to greet him — and after confirming Heda is neither Silver Order nor hostile, welcomes the party inside. He mentions Nathaniel Flint sent them to find the Scepter of Saint Vitruvio: if the party can retrieve it, Lucretia Matthias herself will grant them a boon at Saint Selena’s Monastery.
The chapel interior is in a state of decay. Three stone alcoves hold large statues: Saint Tarna in the north (battling a two-headed demon), Saint Vitruvio in the east (stoic, in plate), and Saint Brenna in the west (performing the miracle of resurrection). Frescoes of saints cover the walls; most candles have burned out, but a few bronze lamps still hang lit. The collapsed tower has opened the roof; puddles of brackish water pool on the mosaic floor.
On the altar, Theobroma finds four usable spell scrolls among the ruins: Bless, Fairy Fire, and two of Continual Flame. She spends two hours copying Continual Flame into her spellbook.
Heda prays before each statue. At Saint Tarna’s, he reads the inscription: “Saint Tarna holds silver truth that opens the way to the healing light of the sacred flame.” He notes it aloud — possibly a clue.
The Falling Fire acolytes cluster near a spiral stair descends into the crypt. The group is led by Brother Katja Braun, who agrees to guard the entrance while the party descends. He and several acolytes were stymied by a locked iron portcullis on the staircase going down, which Cory picks in under a minute.
Scene 4: The Mephits#
Theobroma sends Crumb down to scout. The crypt is lit by magical chandeliers burning in purple-green and octarine hues, and a peculiar breeze sends small dust devils across the floor. Three small elemental creatures — a magma mephit, a smoke mephit, and a dust mephit — are bickering in corners of the undercroft.
Crumb’s shadow, amplified by the candlelight, is enormous. The magma mephit shrieks in terror and exhales a cone of fire. Crumb is destroyed instantly.
The party descends anyway. As soon as the mephits see Theobroma — an academy mage — they prostrate themselves in panic, convinced she’s going to compel them into service. Margareta, the only party member who speaks Primordial, reassures them.
The mephits’ story emerges: the Amethyst Academy sent them on a “scouting mission” into the city with no expectation they would survive. They fled, found the crypt locked and empty, and have been sheltering here for years. They ask only to be left alone and for the portcullis to be locked again behind the party.
The mephits remark on Margareta’s appearance: she looks like the sort of genasi they would find on the elemental planes rather than a giant, they say — pale blue skin, cloud-like curly hair, very small for her kind. Margareta deflects (“I’m still growing”), but the comment lingers.
Scene 5: “Hodor”#
Beyond the main crypt, two heavy oak doors lead east. Each leads to a room holding a short metal pedestal with a rotating mechanism: insert a tool into the slot, turn hard enough, and a chain-and-pulley system hauls open a stone door below. The doors are enormous and must be held, which means each person can only operate one at a time.
The first stone door opens to six sarcophagus slabs bearing preserved skeletal paladins and clerics, silk sashes over their eyes, holding torches and candle snuffers. One has a shield, another a helm — and one holds a greatsword with celestial runes glowing in soft blue light.
The moment Margareta touches the sword, the skeleton rises. Combat — brief and decisive: Cory charges in and drops it with a critical hit. The party recovers the sword, a +1 greatsword radiating divine energy, and take the two citrine gemstones in its eye sockets.
The second door reveals a stone door engraved with a dragon and an inscription that reads: “No darkness is eternal while our faith fuels the flame” — the same words etched on the greatsword’s blade.
The skeleton has reanimated and must be fought and defeated again when the party returns for another attempt at passing further into the temple.
Scene 6: The Dragon Door and the Scepter#
The Dragon Door requires both pedestals to be turned simultaneously. After some coordination with Margareta on one and Heda on the other — both doors open at the same time.
The inner chamber holds a large unlit pyre and a statue of Saint Vitruvio, armored and helmed, hands raised to the heavens. Resting on his upturned palms: the Scepter of Saint Vitruvio.
Cory reaches for it and hears an ethereal voice speaks in her mind:
“Darkness leaves a heavy burden on the heart. Light brings freedom from the weight of sin. If you would take up my scepter, it is not enough to merely bear the light. You must illuminate yourself.”
The scepter won’t budge. Confessions, improvised prayers, and a lit pyre don’t help so the party explores a bit more of the chapel.
The party first checks the east rooms. One holds a stone font of fresh holy water with the inscription: “May the sacred flame keep vigil over the souls of our revered dead.” Five murals ring the curved wall, depicting the Sacred Flame funeral rites: washing the body, wrapping it in linen, placing the weapon, shield, and helm; setting a holy symbol at the neck and gemstones on each eyelid; anointing with holy water; lighting candles; and reciting a group hymn from a scroll.
Heda explains: the Sacred Flame preserves rather than cremates the remains of clerics and paladins, believing their souls may one day need their earthly bodies again. That’s almost certainly why the bodies in this crypt haven’t been corrupted by the city’s haze.
Eventually, after reflection, the party performs the full funeral rite on the repeatedly reanminating skeleton — washing the bones with holy water carried from the font, replacing the sword and gemstones, lighting candles, and reciting a paryer around the slab. The skeleton does not rise again.
“Carry me to the flame. Let it judge my weary soul. If I burn, sacred flame, make me whole.”
Scene 7: Saint Brenna#
While working the puzzle, the party had also noticed a third, deeper passage leading to a door painted with a serene flame keeper in flowing robes, inscribed “Saint Brenna, be you surrounded in light eternal. Rest as one with the sacred flame.”
Inside: a single stone slab with a mummified figure surrounded by candles. The wick is long dry. As the door opens, the mummy stirs — and rises.
Saint Brenna is clearly not herself. She shambles, muttering broken fragments of Sacred Flame prayers. Her eyes glow red. Then she turns on the party.
Combat is grueling. Her dreadful glare paralyzes first Margareta, then Heda. Heda’s Turn Undead forces her to flee to the far wall for one precious moment. Theobroma fires Magic Missiles while Cory and Margareta trade blows. Finally, Heda drives his sword through Brenna and she collapses.
The body is richly adorned with jewelry set with rubies. The party leaves it undisturbed.
Reflecting more on the message from the etheral voice, Theobroma casts Faerie Fire on the group causing them to glow with a purple luminous light.
The scepter lifts freely.
Key Discoveries#
- Scepter of Saint Vitruvio recovered: The party now holds the artifact wanted by three factions — Silver Order, Queen’s Men, and Followers of the Falling Fire. Decision deferred pending meetings with faction lieutenants
- The Saints: The three statues in the chapel represent Saint Tarna (founder of the Sacred Flame), Saint Vitruvio (patron saint of Drakkenheim), and Saint Brenna (this chapel’s founding flame keeper). The split between the Silver Order and the Falling Fire happened after the chapel was abandoned
- Sacred Flame funeral rites: Clerics and paladins of the Sacred Flame are preserved (not cremated) — they believe the faithful may one day need their earthly bodies again; the murals in the preparation chamber show the full ritual
- Amethyst Academy ethics: The mephits were sent on a near-suicidal scouting mission by the Academy and fled to survive — deepening Theobroma’s doubts about the institution
- Cory’s true motive: Cory came to Drakkenheim to avenge her brother, who died under Commander Drexel’s command. She wants the Queen’s Men’s resources to accomplish what she can’t do alone
Loot & Rewards#
- Scepter of Saint Vitruvio — +2 quarterstaff, 10 charges; 1 charge: Guiding Bolt; 2 charges: Flaming Sphere; 5 charges: Flame Strike; recharges 1d6+4 charges at dawn (attuned: Heda)
- +1 Greatsword — celestial runes, glows with soft blue light, divine radiance (recovered from sarcophagus but returned to put skeletong to rest)
- Continual Flame — copied into Theobroma’s spellbook
- Five vials of holy water
- 240 XP each (additional XP pending: awarded when scepter quest is completed)
Memorable Moments#
“I’m beginning to think that maybe some of the experiments the Academy is doing are unethical. And what do I have if I don’t have my allegiance to the Academy?” — Theobroma
“I’m still growing.” — Margareta, to the mephits’ suggestion that she looks more like a genasi than a giant
“He’s the reason my brother died. I can’t just let that go.” — Cory, revealing her true reason for coming to Drakkenheim
“For me, the flame resides in every being.” — Heda, explaining his beliefs to the Falling Fire brothers at the chapel steps