Sunset is Nigh's Lair

Start-class article · First seen: s3 · Last seen: s3
Sunset is Nigh's Lair
the dragon cave · Death-at-Sunset's lair · the cave east of the grove
Sunset is Nigh's Lair — portrait.
Location
StatusAbandoned
First seens3
Last seens3

Sunset is Nigh’s Lair is the cave system east of the Corrupted Redwood Grove, reached across the poisoned stream, in which the party absorbed the hoard essence of the ancient green dragon Death-at-Sunset and killed her wyrmling son Sunset is Nigh in session 3. It was the campaign’s first dungeon and the site of the campaign’s first player-character death: Cholmondeley was killed by a yuan-ti woman’s double-bite [3]. The egg absorbed the hoard’s essence and turned permanently green, marking 1/N dragons absorbed [8].

Overview

Sunset is Nigh’s Lair is the cave that holds Death-at-Sunset’s skeleton. Reached across the leech-infested poisoned stream that runs through the Corrupted Redwood Grove, the lair was occupied in session 3 by the wyrmling Sunset is Nigh (Death-at-Sunset’s son), an unnamed yuan-ti woman, and four broken elf cultists. By the end of the session the wyrmling had been decapitated, the cultists routed or killed, the yuan-ti woman back-stabbed by Vazquez, and the egg had absorbed the dragon’s residual poison and the hoard’s essence — turning permanently green.

The lair is also the site of the campaign’s first player-character death: Cholmondeley, dropped to 0 HP by the yuan-ti woman’s natural-20 critical double-bite for 9 piercing + 21 poison, broke his neck on his stabilisation attempt and died with the words “I hate you all” [6].

Geography and appearance

A cave-mouth in a hillside across the poisoned stream from the Corrupted Redwood Grove. Tunnels lined with claw marks lead inward to a deep central chamber. The deep chamber holds Death-at-Sunset’s skeleton, with a pale-green poison fog hanging in the air above it. From the empty skull, Sunset is Nigh (a small green wyrmling) spoke the lines that established his masquerade as his mother’s avatar of vengeance.

A side chamber held the yuan-ti woman’s living quarters — a card, a desk, a wardrobe, books — yielding nothing of obvious value to a 12 Investigation. Another side passage held a snake pit; small venomous snakes including one named “Nagini” were in the woman’s familiar-pet capacity. Three small plant creatures (one twig, one vine, one small) erupted in another side passage as the party investigated post-fight.

The throat of the cave (the entry tunnel) housed four broken elf cultists who had been tortured into service.

History in the campaign

  • Session 3: Party crosses the poisoned stream after drinking Gwen Homora’s poison-resistance potions. Armin Whisperwind (the rescued elf hunter) intentionally misses Caelumn with an arrow as a warning at the cave mouth; he is talked down on a 23 Persuasion. Inside, the party routes the four cultists (Hugo decapitates one in a cleaving rage attack; Vazquez intimidates the rest into retreat). In the deep chamber, Sunset is Nigh casts Suggestion on Hugo (failed Wisdom save) and orders him out of the cave. The yuan-ti woman flanks from the side chamber. Cholmondeley dies [3], L1260). Vazquez takes a perfect-crit opportunity attack on Sunset is Nigh, tearing off the wyrmling’s tail and hind legs; on his next turn decapitates the wyrmling [4], then back-stabs the yuan-ti woman to end the fight [7].
  • Session 3 (post-fight): The party brings the egg to Death-at-Sunset’s corpse. The egg absorbs the lingering poison and the hoard’s essence, glowing permanently green [5]. Treasure is extracted: thousands of mostly copper-and-silver coins, the Dragonslayer Longsword, a previous looter’s corpse clutching a pistol, dragon teeth, and the wyrmling’s body for transport.

Inhabitants

  • Death-at-Sunset (skeleton; dragon long deceased; essence absorbed s3)
  • Sunset is Nigh (deceased, s3)
  • The Yuan-ti woman (deceased, s3; unnamed)
  • Four broken elf cultists (one deceased, three fled)
  • Three small plant creatures (deceased, s3)

Status as of session 16

Cleansed and abandoned. Caelumn described it as “dark now, not evil, just empty” post-fight. The party has not returned.

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 3, line 296-312 — Cave entrance located via Caelumn's vision on the burial mound.
  2. ^ Session 3, line 502-580 — Armin Whisperwind at the cave mouth.
  3. ^ Session 3, line 905-912 — Cholmondeley killed by yuan-ti woman's natural-20 double-bite.
  4. ^ Session 3, line 1290 — Vazquez decapitates Sunset is Nigh on a perfect-crit opportunity attack.
  5. ^ Session 3, line 1526-1542 — Egg absorbs the lingering poison and the hoard's essence; turns permanently green.
  6. ^ Session 3, line 1260 — Inline citation.
  7. ^ Session 3, line 1376-1388 — Inline citation.
  8. ^ Session 3, line 1532 — Inline citation.