The Clockwork Jungle’s Bloody Heart

Date: Feb 25th, 2026

Summary

The party discussed their next steps, debating whether to return the tablet to John Harrison or explore the Underdark. They decided to return to John Harrison with the tablet and their notes on the ruins. Before leaving, they negotiated with Xavriel, questioning him about the temple’s impact on local wildlife, specifically its role in turning animals into zombies. Xavriel denied direct responsibility, stating he was still piecing together the puzzle of the magic’s side effects. He requested the party’s assistance in retrieving an “unharmed rogue gelatinous blood clot” that had escaped the main collection, offering it as a research opportunity.

Glint, the party’s negotiator, proposed a deal: the party would retrieve the ooze in exchange for Xavriel’s help with the undead T-Rex that plagued the jungle. Xavriel agreed, providing directions to the location of the rogue ooze. The party discussed methods for collecting the ooze, considering freezing it or herding it with torches, and Cornelius suggested using a spell to create a sphere of ice around it for transport. They followed Xavriel’s directions into a tunnel, where they heard a bat squealing and echolocating. Cornelius cast a ritual to speak with animals, and the bat whistled back before flying deeper into the cave.

The party found a small room with holes in the walls and bat guano, where they discovered a tiny, bell-shaped red slime in the middle of the room. The ooze appeared scared and scooted away from them, retreating into a hole in the wall when Glint attempted to freeze it. After a short rest, the party tried a gentler approach, with Umbra singing a lullaby. The ooze hesitantly whistled back the lullaby and eventually emerged, allowing Umbra to hold its appendage and climb onto her shoulder. A party member created a small sweater for the ooze, and they decided to lead it back to Xavriel, naming it Bob the Blob.

However, when they returned to Xavriel, Glint secretly replaced the live ooze with red water in a jar before presenting it. Xavriel poured out the “ooze,” which turned out to be red water, and declared it ruined. Despite the failure, Xavriel created a necklace of fireballs containing six beads and gave it to the party to combat the T-Rex. He also gave Glint a silver signet ring, instructing him to use it in the underdark for future tasks. The party discussed how to transport the heavy stone tablet, with Papa Jan offering to carry it due to his strength.

The party then attempted to climb through the gear chamber, initially planning to wedge the massive mithral gears with railroad spikes. A lengthy debate ensued about the physics and mechanics of the process, including the direction of rotation and the placement of the wedges. After much discussion, a party member realized they possessed an immovable rod, which simplified the ascent considerably. They used the rod to climb the scaffolding and gears, reaching the upper chamber.

Exiting the temple, the party reached the gold doors, which were closed, and used the middle lever to open them. They encountered Longtail again and fed him nuts before stepping into the jungle, intending to return to John Harrison. However, despite attempts at navigation, the party became disoriented in the dense jungle and found themselves circling back to the temple entrance. A loud thump and ground shake signaled the arrival of a zombie T-Rex.

The party engaged in a chaotic battle with the massive undead creature. Orilin entered a rage and threw a fireball bead at the T-Rex, which it dodged. Umbra threw a second fireball bead, hitting the creature and dealing significant fire damage. The T-Rex charged, vomited a zombie, slipped, and swung its tail, hitting Orillin and dealing heavy damage. Papa Jan struck the creature with radiant energy, while Glint created a beam of light that damaged both the T-Rex and a zombie, and also connected an electric beam to the creature. Cornelius healed Orillin, who then attacked the zombie and attempted to strike the T-Rex but missed. Umbra threw her spear at the T-Rex, embedding it in its head, and then retreated.

The T-Rex bit Orillin, dealing massive damage and swallowing him whole, then vomited another zombie and hit Umbra with its tail, knocking her down. Papa Jan used a healing bead on Umbra, bringing her back to consciousness. Glint continued to channel lightning into the T-Rex. Papa Jan called upon his deity, holding up his holy symbol and causing the zombies to become frightened and incapacitated, unable to attack. Glint sent bolts of force at the T-Rex and continued the electric assault. Cornelius created a wave of force that pushed back the T-Rex and dealt damage.

Inside the T-Rex’s stomach, Orillin re-entered his rage and slashed at the creature’s interior, creating a small tear. Umbra used her daggers to enlarge the tear, allowing Orillin to pop his head out in a dramatic and visceral moment, covered in mucus and goo. Three more zombies fell out alongside him. The T-Rex attacked Orillin again, knocking him down, but Papa Jan used a healing bead to revive him. Orillin, now outside, recklessly attacked the T-Rex’s head with his greataxe. Umbra critically hit the T-Rex’s neck with her daggers, beheading the massive undead creature and ending the threat.

Papa Jan threw a fireball bead, engulfing and destroying the remaining zombies, but also downing himself in the process in a moment of heroic self-sacrifice. Glint used a healing bead to revive Umbra, and Cornelius stabilized Papa Jan. The party discussed taking the T-Rex’s skull as a trophy, noting its immense weight of approximately six hundred pounds.

After defeating the T-Rex, the party decided to take a long rest inside the temple, past the gold doors. Cornelius transformed into a rat to pull the correct lever to open the inner door. Upon entering, a gelatinous cube fell from above, narrowly missing Cornelius, who dodged it. Umbra used her acid breath on the gelatinous cube, while Glint cast a freezing ray, partially freezing the cube. Papa Jan healed Umbra and struck the cube with radiant energy. Orillin threw a flask of oil at the cube, dousing it, and Cornelius lit the oil with a torch, setting it ablaze.

The burning gelatinous cube moved through the doorway, engulfing Cornelius and Orillin. Glint channeled lightning into the cube, dealing damage. Papa Jan used his resilience to reduce damage and healed Orillin. Orillin pulled Papa Jan out of the cube, taking damage in the process. Cornelius created a wave of force, pushing the cube back and damaging it. Glint threw a spear through the cube, aiming between the engulfed party members, and then channeled lightning again, causing the cube to explode. Cornelius and Orillin were freed from the cube, covered in goo. Glint cleaned the acid off them, and Papa Jan stabilized Orillin.

The party looted the remains of the gelatinous cube, finding some coins and rusted armor. They then took a long rest inside the temple, with members taking watches throughout the night. During the rest, they leveled up, gaining new abilities and strength for the challenges ahead. The session ended with the party preparing to continue their journey back to John Harrison with the tablet and their hard-won knowledge of the Clockwork Jungle Temple.

Short

The party delved into the Clockwork Jungle Temple, a thirty-foot pyramid concealing advanced mithral machinery and industrial necromancy beneath its ancient stone exterior. After solving a blood puzzle at the entrance and paying Longtail the monkey toll booth operator, they navigated treacherous gear chambers and an elemental elevator to retrieve a heavy marble tablet. Pushing deeper, they encountered living red ooze coating the walls and discovered the temple’s true purpose in the sanctum: a life-force extraction facility where Xavriel, a white-haired drow wizard, was refining pure life substance into a philosopher’s stone for immortality. When Xavriel demonstrated his creation, one party member’s hand turned to gold and had to be severed to prevent complete transmutation. The party negotiated with Xavriel to deal with the undead T-Rex plaguing the jungle in exchange for his cooperation, and during their search for a rogue ooze specimen, they befriended a small red slime they named Bob the Blob, secretly keeping it instead of delivering it to Xavriel.

Upon exiting the temple with the tablet, the party was immediately attacked by the zombie T-Rex in a brutal combat that saw Rillin swallowed whole before dramatically cutting his way out of the creature’s stomach. Umbra delivered the killing blow by beheading the massive undead beast, while Papiyan destroyed the remaining zombies with a fireball that also downed himself in heroic self-sacrifice. Seeking rest inside the temple, the party was ambushed by a gelatinous cube that engulfed multiple members before they destroyed it with combined elemental attacks. After looting the cube’s remains and taking a long rest during which they leveled up and gained new abilities, the party prepared to continue their journey back to John Harrison with the recovered tablet and their knowledge of the temple’s dark secrets.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid adventurers found themselves deep within the humid embrace of the jungle, having infiltrated the Clockwork Jungle Temple—a thirty-foot pyramid that was far more than it appeared. What seemed to be ancient ruins concealed a horrifying truth: seamless mithral machinery and impossible glass chambers that transformed this place of worship into something far more sinister—a life-force extraction facility practicing what could only be described as industrial necromancy. After solving the blood puzzle at the entrance and negotiating passage with Longtail, a surprisingly entrepreneurial monkey toll booth operator, the party descended through treacherous gear chambers and a reality-defying elemental elevator, retrieving a stone tablet frozen within glass itself.

Pushing deeper into the temple’s heart, past walls crawling with living red ooze and doors forged from crystalline bones, they discovered the sanctum and its master: Xavriel, a white-haired drow wizard conducting experiments with pure life essence suspended in midair. His demonstration of transmutation went catastrophically wrong when a philosopher’s stone turned one adventurer’s hand to gold, forcing a brutal amputation to save their life. Despite this horror, the party negotiated a deal—retrieve a rogue blood ooze in exchange for help with the undead T-Rex plaguing the jungle. They found the creature, a tiny, frightened blob they named Bob, and through Glint’s clever deception with red water, secured a necklace of fireballs and a mysterious silver signet ring for future use in Zianza’doc.

Their escape from the temple proved short-lived as the jungle itself seemed to turn them in circles, and the ground shook with the arrival of their true quarry: the zombie T-Rex. In a desperate and visceral battle, Rillin was swallowed whole, only to carve his way out from within the beast’s stomach in a shower of gore and zombies. Umbra delivered the killing blow, beheading the massive undead creature with a critical strike. But their trials weren’t over—a gelatinous cube ambush forced one final battle before they could claim their hard-earned rest. Now, having survived the temple’s horrors, defeated the undead titan, and grown stronger from their ordeal, the party prepares to navigate the treacherous jungle once more and return to John Harrison with the ancient tablet and knowledge that may change everything they thought they knew about this land.

Middle English

Harken well, ye gentlefolk brave, Of heroes bold who temple’s secrets crave; Through Clockwork Jungle deep they went, Where mithral gears and magick bent. A pyramid of stone concealed within, Industrial necromancy’s grievous sin!

Past Longtail’s toll and gears that grind, Through ooze of blood and puzzles of the mind; They found Xavriel, drow of white-haired mien, Who wrought philosopher’s stones obscene. One hand turned gold, then severed clean, The darkest sorcery they’d ever seen!

With Bob the Blob upon their breast, They tricked the wizard, put him to test; Six beads of fire for T-Rex undead, A silver ring for tasks ahead. Through golden doors they made retreat, But jungle paths brought no defeat—instead, the beast!

The zombie T-Rex, massive, dire, They fought with blade and holy fire; Brave Rillin swallowed, then cut free, While Umbra’s strike brought victory! The great beast’s head fell to the ground, Six hundred pounds of trophy found!

A cube gelatinous from ceiling fell, They burned and froze that transparent hell; At last within the temple’s keep, They took their rest and well-earned sleep. With tablet, knowledge, strength renewed, To John Harrison their path pursued!

Snarky

When last we left our adventurers, they had just survived what can only be described as “industrial necromancy gone wrong”—a phrase that should never exist but somehow perfectly describes their situation. After navigating a temple that was less “ancient place of worship” and more “life-force processing plant,” they met Xavriel, a drow wizard with all the ethical considerations of a mad scientist and the bedside manner of a DMV clerk. One party member lost a hand to a philosopher’s stone mishap (occupational hazard, apparently), they adopted a sentient blood ooze named Bob the Blob, scammed Xavriel with red water, and received a necklace of fireballs as zombie T-Rex insurance.

But because the universe has a sense of humor, they immediately got lost in the jungle and had to use said necklace when the undead T-Rex showed up for round one. What followed was absolute chaos: Rillin got swallowed whole, cut his way out of the T-Rex’s stomach like the world’s most metal birth scene, and Umbra delivered the killing blow by beheading the massive creature. Papiyan then heroically fireballed himself along with the remaining zombies because sometimes you just have to commit to the bit. After a surprise gelatinous cube welcoming committee nearly dissolved them at the temple entrance, the party finally took a well-deserved long rest, leveled up, and prepared to actually make it back to John Harrison this time—assuming they can figure out which direction is “not the temple.”

Limerick

The party climbed up to the door, Where three elven heads marked the floor. With blood in the basin, The puzzle they’re facin’, Led them to Longtail’s fruit store!

Through gears made of mithral they crept, Where pickaxes recently slept. An elevator of glass, Let a stone tablet pass, While ooze up their boot leather swept.

They met Xavriel down in his lair, With blood floating high in the air. A stone turned hand gold, So the arm, we are told, Was chopped off with surgical care!

A T-Rex undead shook the ground, It swallowed poor Rillin right down! But he cut his way free, Umbra beheaded the beast with glee, And zombies burned all around!

A cube made of jelly dropped low, It trapped them in gelatinous flow. With lightning and force, They exploded it, of course, Then rested, still covered in goo!

Memorable Moments

Rillin’s head pops out of the T-Rex’s stomach after he slashes a tear in its flesh from the inside, covered in mucus and goo.

After being swallowed whole by the zombie T-Rex, Rillin fights his way out from within, creating a dramatic and visceral moment.

Umbra critically hits the T-Rex’s neck with her daggers, beheading the massive undead creature.

After a brutal battle, Umbra delivers the killing blow, decapitating the zombie T-Rex and ending the threat.

Papiyan throws a fireball bead, engulfing and destroying all remaining zombies, but also downing himself in the process.

In a moment of heroic self-sacrifice (or poor planning), Papiyan eliminates the zombies but catches himself in the blast.

The party befriends a small, bell-shaped red slime by singing a lullaby, and it climbs onto Umbra’s shoulder, whistling along.

After initially scaring the ooze, the party takes a gentler approach, resulting in an adorable and unexpected friendship.

Glint secretly replaces the live ooze with red water in a jar before presenting it to Xavriel, who declares it ruined.

Glint deceives Xavriel to keep Bob the Blob safe, risking the wizard’s wrath but succeeding in the ruse.

The party engages in a lengthy, physics-based debate about how to wedge massive mithral gears to climb them, only to realize they have an immovable rod.

After an extended discussion about engineering and mechanics, the party remembers they have a magical solution all along.

Scenes

Session Opening and Character Introductions

The party discusses their magic items and introduces their characters before receiving an AI-generated recap of their previous adventure.

The party discusses their magic items, including an immovable rod, a ring of protection, and a golden hand that resulted from touching the Philosopher’s Stone.
Players introduce their characters: Umbra (female Dragonborn monk/rogue), Rillin (Aasimar barbarian), Cornelius Irwin (human druid), Papiyan (Goliath cleric), and Glint (half-elf with a roguish appearance).
An AI-generated recap begins, describing the Clockwork Jungle Temple as a 30-foot pyramid in a dense jungle, containing seamless mithral machinery and physics-defying glass.
The recap describes the temple as a collision of ancient elven divinity and industrial engineering, where magic is treated like a manufacturing process, termed ‘industrial necromancy’.

AI Recap: Entering the Clockwork Jungle Temple

The AI recap details the party’s initial approach to the temple, solving the blood puzzle at the entrance, and meeting Longtail the monkey toll booth operator.

The party’s owl companion, Jeremy, scouts the perimeter and finds snapped vines near an upper door, indicating recent heavy traffic.
The party scales the side of the pyramid to avoid leaving tracks and reaches the main entrance.
They encounter a stone door with three carved elf heads (drow, wood elf, high elf) and a basin inscribed with ‘Sin Sin Sin’, which translates to ‘without, without, without’.
The party deduces the solution involves elven creation myths and presses the heads in chronological order (high elf, wood elf, drow).
A half-elf party member slices their hand, and their blood fills the basin, causing the stone door to grind open.
Behind the stone door, a massive golden door slides back, revealing Longtail, a monkey toll booth operator.
Longtail provides intel about a removed orrery and dead snakes in the ceiling, suggesting the interior environment consumes life.
The party pays Longtail with fruit and nuts, and the golden door opens.

AI Recap: Exploring the Mithral Gear Chamber

The AI recap describes the party’s exploration of a massive chamber filled with intricate mithral gears and machinery, where one member nearly falls into the mechanism.

The party enters a massive chamber where a party member slips on a loose gear near a five-by-six-foot hole, almost falling into a landing mechanism.
Another party member swings them to scaffolding, saving them from being crushed.
They observe the free-spinning mithral gears with timing marks and cast grinding machines, noting the advanced metallurgy.
They find iron pickaxes with fresh wooden handles, indicating recent activity and maintenance.
Instructions for a ‘system reset’ are found written on the walls, which the party copies but wisely chooses not to activate.

AI Recap: The Elemental Elevator Puzzle

The AI recap details the party’s discovery of a visually perplexing elemental elevator made of glass, which functions as a one-way descent mechanism.

The party finds a hidden passage leading to the elemental elevator, a glass room with an opaque glass floor and four glass pillars.
They identify glowing elemental runes on the pillars and a stone tablet frozen within the glass floor.
Attempting to solve the sequence puzzle, they trigger the elevator incorrectly, causing the glass floor to phase through the walls and plunge downwards.
The stone tablet falls into the water below as the floor phases, losing the key to the next area.
Realizing the elevator is a one-way phase, they use ice magic to freeze the wet, slippery walls to climb down.
They retrieve the heavy marble tablet from the water and then trigger the fast-moving elevator to bring it back up, securing it to the glass.

AI Recap: Passage Through the Blood Ooze Chamber

The AI recap describes the party entering a horrifying chamber coated in a living, metallic-smelling blood ooze.

The party reaches a fork in the road, with one path blocked by quartz crystals and the other leading to a room with dead acoustics.
They are hit by a metallic, copper smell and discover the room is coated in a living, red ooze that crawls up their boots.
Using fire torches to keep the ooze at bay, they push through the chamber.
They find the final door, which is described as being made of fused crystalline humanoid bones.

AI Recap: Encounter with Xavriel in the Sanctum

The AI recap details the party’s entry into the sanctum, where they meet Xavriel, a drow wizard who explains the temple’s function as a life-force refinery.

The party opens the bone door with a mithral wheel and enters the sanctum.
They find four black obelisks, golden runes, a mass of pure blood suspended in midair, and a glowing blue ley line in the floor.
The ley line speaks to them, asking ‘what are you doing here?’ and replying ‘Me too’ when they say ‘learning’.
They encounter Xavriel, a white-haired drow wizard, who explains the suspended blood as ‘pure life substance’.
Xavriel reveals the temple drains life force from the area, concentrating it to create a philosopher’s stone for immortality and transmutation.
He demonstrates by turning a drop of blood into a red marble.
Xavriel clears away blood ooze to allow the party to retrieve an immovable rod and gives them a protective charm.
He hands a newly created stone to an adventurer, whose hand instantly turns to gold, rapidly spreading up their arm.
The party realizes the danger, and another party member severs the affected hand to stop the transmutation.
Xavriel, without panic, levitates the gold stone into a glass case and provides a healing stone for the adventurer’s stump, treating the incident as data from a ‘failed factor’.

Post-Recap Discussion and Planning

After the AI recap, the party discusses their next steps, debating whether to return to John Harrison or explore the Underdark.

The party discusses the golden hand incident and the Philosopher’s Stone, which is under a glass dome on a pedestal.
They debate returning the tablet to John Harrison or exploring the Underdark.
They discuss the mithral gears and machinery left behind in the temple, considering their value.
The party decides to return to John Harrison with the tablet and notes on the ruins.

Negotiating with Xavriel

The party negotiates with Xavriel, the drow wizard, to retrieve a gelatinous ooze in exchange for his help with an undead T-Rex.

The party questions Xavriel about the temple’s impact on local wildlife, specifically its role in turning animals into zombies.
Xavriel denies direct responsibility for the zombies, stating he is still piecing together the puzzle of the magic’s side effects.
Xavriel requests the party’s assistance in retrieving an ‘unharmed rogue gelatinous blood clot’ that escaped the main collection, offering it as a research opportunity.
The party debates Xavriel’s intentions and whether he is an ally, considering his logical, emotionless demeanor.
Glint, the party’s negotiator, proposes a deal: the party will retrieve the ooze in exchange for Xavriel’s help with the undead T-Rex.
Xavriel agrees to the deal, stating he will help with the ‘great lizard’ if they bring him the ooze unharmed.
Xavriel provides directions to the location of the rogue ooze.

Searching for the Ooze

The party follows Xavriel’s directions into a tunnel to find the gelatinous ooze, encountering a squealing bat along the way.

The party discusses methods for collecting the ooze, considering freezing it or herding it with torches.
Cornelius suggests using a spell to create a sphere of ice around the ooze for transport.
The party asks Xavriel about the ooze’s size, and he indicates it’s ‘about this big’.
The party heads down a tunnel, searching for an offshoot described by Xavriel.
Glint discovers the hidden offshoot after a thorough search.
The party hears a bat squealing from within the tunnel.
Cornelius casts a ritual to speak with animals to understand the bat, which is screaming and echolocating.
The bat whistles back to Cornelius and then flies off deeper into the cave.

Encountering and Befriending the Ooze

The party finds a rogue gelatinous ooze, and after an initial failed attempt to freeze it, manages to befriend it through singing a lullaby.

The party finds a small room with holes in the walls and bat guano.
They discover a tiny, bell-shaped red slime in the middle of the room, which appears scared and scoots away from them.
Cornelius attempts to communicate with the ooze using ‘Speak with animals’, but it doesn’t respond.
Umbra tries to freeze the ooze with ‘Shape water’, but the ooze dodges and retreats into a hole in the wall.
Jeremy, the owl familiar, investigates the hole, finding the ooze at the back of a small pocket.
After a short rest, the party tries a gentler approach, with Umbra singing a lullaby.
The ooze hesitantly whistles back the lullaby and eventually emerges, allowing Umbra to hold its ‘hand’ and climb onto her shoulder.
A party member creates a small sweater for the ooze using ‘Prestidigitation’.
The party decides to lead the ooze back to Xavriel, naming it ‘Bob the Blob’.

Return to Xavriel and Deception

The party returns to Xavriel, but Glint secretly replaces the live ooze with red water. Xavriel provides them with magical items despite the deception.

Glint secretly replaces the live ooze with red water in a jar before presenting it to Xavriel.
Xavriel pours out the ‘ooze,’ which turns out to be red water, and declares it ruined.
Xavriel, despite the failure, creates a necklace of fireballs (six beads) and gives it to the party to combat the T-Rex.
Xavriel gives Glint a silver signet ring, instructing him to use it in Zianza’doc for future tasks.
The party discusses how to transport the heavy stone tablet, with Papiyan offering to carry it due to his strength.

Climbing the Gear Chamber

The party attempts to climb through the gear chamber, initially planning to wedge the massive mithral gears, but ultimately uses an immovable rod to ascend.

The party enters the gear chamber, discussing methods to climb the vertical gears.
They consider using railroad spikes to wedge the gears, debating the physics and mechanics of the process.
A lengthy debate ensues about the mechanics of wedging the gears, including the direction of rotation and the placement of the wedges.
A party member realizes they possess an immovable rod, which simplifies the ascent.
The party uses the immovable rod to climb the scaffolding and gears, reaching the upper chamber.

Exiting the Temple and Getting Lost in the Jungle

The party reaches the gold doors, which are closed, and uses the middle lever to open them.
They encounter Longtail, the monkey toll booth operator, and feed him nuts.
The party exits the temple into the jungle, intending to return to John Harrison.
Despite attempts at navigation, the party gets lost and circles back to the temple entrance.
A loud thump and ground shake signal the arrival of a zombie T-Rex.

Battle with the Zombie T-Rex (Part 1)

The party engages in a chaotic battle with a zombie T-Rex, using fireballs and melee attacks, resulting in Rillin being swallowed whole.

Rillin rages and throws a fireball bead at the T-Rex, which it dodges.
Umbra throws a second fireball bead, hitting the T-Rex and dealing significant fire damage.
The T-Rex charges, vomits a zombie, slips, and swings its tail, hitting Rillin and dealing heavy damage.
Papiyan casts Guiding Bolt, hitting the T-Rex with radiant energy.
Glint casts Moonbeam, affecting both the T-Rex and a zombie, and also uses Witch Bolt, connecting an electric beam to the T-Rex.
Cornelius casts Healing Word on Rillin.
Rillin attacks the zombie and attempts to cleave the T-Rex but misses.
Umbra throws her spear at the T-Rex, embedding it in its head, and then retreats.
The T-Rex bites Rillin, dealing massive damage and swallowing him whole, then vomits another zombie and hits Umbra with its tail, knocking her down.

Battle with the Zombie T-Rex (Part 2)

The party continues their desperate fight against the undead T-Rex, with Rillin battling from within its stomach while the others fight from outside.

Papiyan uses a healing bead on Umbra, bringing her back to consciousness.
Glint casts Witch Bolt on the T-Rex.
Papiyan uses Channel Divinity to Turn Undead, causing the zombies to become frightened and incapacitated.
Glint casts Magic Missile and Witch Bolt, dealing lightning damage to the T-Rex.
Cornelius casts Thunder Wave, pushing back the T-Rex and dealing damage.
Rillin, inside the T-Rex, re-enters his rage and slashes at the T-Rex’s interior, creating a small tear.
Umbra uses her daggers to enlarge the tear, allowing Rillin to pop his head out, and three more zombies fall out.
The T-Rex attacks Rillin again, knocking him down.
Papiyan uses a healing bead on Rillin.

Battle with the Zombie T-Rex (Part 3)

The party finally defeats the zombie T-Rex by beheading it, and Papiyan eliminates the remaining zombies with a fireball.

Rillin, now outside, recklessly attacks the T-Rex’s head with his greataxe.
Umbra critically hits the T-Rex’s head with her daggers, beheading it.
Papiyan throws a fireball bead, engulfing and destroying the remaining zombies, but is also downed by the blast.
Glint uses a healing bead to revive Umbra, and Cornelius stabilizes Papiyan with a medical kit.
The party discusses taking the T-Rex’s skull as a trophy, noting its immense weight.

Gelatinous Cube Ambush

After defeating the T-Rex, the party attempts to rest in the temple but is ambushed by a gelatinous cube.

The party decides to take a long rest inside the temple, past the gold doors.
Cornelius transforms into a rat to pull the correct lever to open the inner door.
Upon entering, a gelatinous cube falls from above, narrowly missing Cornelius, who dodges it.
Umbra uses acid breath on the gelatinous cube.
Glint casts Ray of Frost, partially freezing the cube.
Papiyan heals Umbra and casts Guiding Bolt on the cube.
Rillin throws a flask of oil at the cube, dousing it.
Cornelius lights the oil on the cube with a torch, setting it ablaze.
The burning gelatinous cube moves through the doorway, engulfing Cornelius and Rillin.

Escape from the Gelatinous Cube and Long Rest

Trapped within the burning gelatinous cube, Cornelius and Rillin are eventually freed by the combined efforts of their companions, who then take a long rest.

Glint casts Witch Bolt on the cube, dealing lightning damage.
Papiyan uses his Stone Endurance to reduce damage and heals Rillin with a healing stone.
Rillin pulls Papiyan out of the cube, taking damage in the process.
Cornelius uses Thunder Wave, pushing the cube back and damaging it.
Glint throws a spear through the cube, aiming between the engulfed party members.
Glint casts Witch Bolt again, causing the cube to explode.
Cornelius and Rillin are freed from the cube, covered in goo.
Glint uses Prestidigitation to clean the acid off Cornelius and Rillin.
Papiyan stabilizes Rillin with a medical kit.
The party loots the remains of the gelatinous cube, finding some coins and rusted armor.
The party takes a long rest inside the temple, with members taking watches, and levels up to level 3.

NPCs

Jeremy

The party’s owl familiar, used for scouting the perimeter of the Clockwork Jungle Temple and investigating the ooze’s hiding spot.

Longtail

A monkey toll booth operator found sitting in the vestibule between the temple’s doors. He is a magical guardian who provides intelligence to the party in exchange for payment (fruit and nuts). He mentions a removed orrery and dead snakes in the ceiling.

Xavriel

A white-haired, arrogant drow wizard encountered in the temple’s sanctum. He explains the temple’s function as a life-force extraction and refinement facility, aiming to create a philosopher’s stone for immortality and transmutation. He is clinical and logical, viewing setbacks as data rather than tragedies. He provides the party with a protective charm, an immovable rod, and later a necklace of fireballs and a signet ring. He requests the party retrieve a rogue gelatinous ooze for his research.

Bob the Blob

A small, bell-shaped red slime, a ‘rogue gelatinous blood clot’ that escaped Xavriel’s main collection. It is initially scared but is befriended by Umbra through a lullaby and whistling. It climbs onto Umbra’s shoulder and is kept as a pet instead of being delivered to Xavriel.

Zombie T-Rex

A gigantic, reanimated Tyrannosaurus Rex that vomits zombies and attacks the party in the jungle. It is a formidable foe, capable of swallowing party members whole and dealing massive damage with its tail and bite. It is eventually beheaded by the party.

Zombies

Undead creatures vomited by the zombie T-Rex during combat. They are slow but contribute to the chaotic nature of the battle. They are susceptible to radiant damage and are frightened by Papiyan’s Channel Divinity.

Gelatinous Cube

A transparent, acidic ooze that ambushes the party inside the temple, capable of engulfing creatures and dissolving them. It is eventually destroyed by the party’s combined efforts.

Locations

Clockwork Jungle Temple

A 30-foot pyramid in a dense, humid jungle, appearing as an ancient ruin but containing advanced mithral machinery, free-spinning gears, and physics-defying glass. It functions as a site of ‘industrial necromancy’ where magic is processed. The temple features massive, five-foot-tall steps, suggesting it was built for something larger or not meant to be climbed.

Temple Main Entrance

Features a stone door with carved drow, wood elf, and high elf heads, and a basin inscribed with ‘Sin Sin Sin’. It requires a blood sacrifice to open.

Vestibule (between doors)

The area between the stone and golden doors, where Longtail, a monkey toll booth operator, resides.

Mithral Gear Chamber

A massive chamber inside the temple with a large hole in the floor and active, seamless mithral gears. It contains scaffolding and evidence of recent maintenance, such as iron pickaxes with fresh wooden handles. The walls bear instructions for a ‘system reset’.

Elemental Elevator Room

A visually confusing glass room with an opaque glass floor, supported by four glass pillars adorned with elemental runes. A stone tablet is frozen within the glass floor, and the elevator plunges downwards when triggered incorrectly.

Blood Ooze Room

A chamber with dead acoustics and a pervasive metallic, copper smell. The room is coated in a living, red ooze that resembles blood but acts like a slime mold, crawling up surfaces.

Sanctum

The innermost chamber of the temple, containing four black obelisks, golden runes, a mass of pure blood suspended in midair, and a glowing blue ley line in the floor. It serves as Xavriel’s laboratory for his life-force extraction and philosopher’s stone experiments.

Underdark Entrance

A massive cavern beyond a quartz wall, believed to be an entrance to the Underdark, with no visible ceiling, floor, or edges.

Tunnel (Temple)

A narrow passage within the temple leading to an offshoot where the rogue blood ooze was found. It features holes in the walls and bat guano.

Jungle

The dense, humid jungle surrounding the temple, where the party encounters the undead T-Rex and gets lost while attempting to navigate back to John Harrison.

Items

Immovable Rod

A magic item owned by a party member, known for its ability to remain fixed in space. It was found stuck in the blood ooze and cleared away by Xavriel for the party to retrieve. It was later used to aid the party in climbing the massive gears within the temple.

Ring of Protection

A magic item owned by a party member, providing protective qualities.

Golden Hand

A character’s hand that was transmuted into gold after touching a philosopher’s stone, now severed from the character. It is worth a lot of money.

Philosopher’s Stone (Red Marble)

A small red marble created by Xavriel from a drop of concentrated blood, demonstrating his transmutation powers. It has the property of turning flesh to gold upon contact. It is kept on a pedestal under a glass dome.

Mithral Gears

Large, free-spinning gears made of mithral, found within the Clockwork Jungle Temple. Their seamless construction indicates advanced metallurgy.

Iron Pickaxes with Fresh Wooden Handles

Tools found within the Clockwork Jungle Temple, indicating recent activity and maintenance of the machinery.

Stone Tablet

A heavy marble tablet, initially frozen within the glass floor of the elemental elevator. It serves as a key to the next area and was retrieved by the party after it fell into the water below. The party intends to return it to John Harrison.

Protective Charm

A charm given to the party by Xavriel, seemingly as a ‘free sample’ or gesture of goodwill.

Healing Stone

A stone given by Xavriel to an adventurer whose hand turned to gold, intended to aid in recovery. It is later used by Papiyan to heal party members, with a small chance of exploding upon use.

Necklace of Fireballs

A magical necklace created by Xavriel, containing six beads that can be thrown to unleash powerful fireballs. Each bead is a powerful explosive. Used by Rillin, Umbra, and Papiyan during the T-Rex encounter.

Xavriel’s Signet Ring

A silver signet ring given by Xavriel to Glint, which can be used to find him in Zianza’doc and potentially secure more work.

Spear

Umbra’s weapon, used to attack the T-Rex, becoming embedded in its head and later dissolving in the gelatinous cube.

Flask of Oil

A flammable liquid used by Rillin to douse the gelatinous cube before igniting it.

Torch

Used by Cornelius to ignite the oil-covered gelatinous cube.

T-Rex Skull

The head of the undead T-Rex, which Umbra intends to clean and keep as a trophy after the battle. It weighs approximately 600 pounds.

Holy Water

A vial of blessed water, thrown by Papiyan at the zombie T-Rex, dealing radiant damage.

Medical Kit

A kit used by Papiyan to stabilize and heal injured party members.

Gold Coins

Approximately 10 gold coins found inside the gelatinous cube after it was defeated.

Silver Coins

Approximately 5 silver coins found inside the gelatinous cube after it was defeated.

Copper Coins

Approximately 3 copper coins found inside the gelatinous cube after it was defeated.

Rusted Armor and Bones

Remains of armor and bones, rusted and damaged by the cube’s acid, found within the gelatinous cube.

Spells

Speak with Animals

A ritual spell cast by Cornelius to understand the squealing of a bat in the tunnel and to attempt communication with the red ooze (though the ooze was not an animal).

Healing Word

A bonus action spell cast by Cornelius and Papiyan to restore hit points to injured party members during combat.

Fireball

A powerful explosive spell unleashed by throwing beads from the Necklace of Fireballs, used by Rillin, Umbra, and Papiyan against the T-Rex and zombies.

Guiding Bolt

A radiant energy spell cast by Papiyan, hitting the T-Rex and the gelatinous cube.

Moonbeam

A radiant spell cast by Glint, creating a five-foot radius of light that damages undead creatures.

Channel Divinity: Turn Undead

Papiyan’s divine ability, used to frighten and incapacitate undead creatures, causing them to flee.

Magic Missile

A spell cast by Glint, sending bolts of force at the T-Rex.

Witch Bolt

A lightning spell cast by Glint, creating a crackling beam of energy that damages the target over multiple turns. Used against the T-Rex and the gelatinous cube.

Thunder Wave

A spell cast by Cornelius, creating a cube of force that pushes back and damages creatures, used against the T-Rex and the gelatinous cube.

Acid Breath

Umbra’s Dragonborn racial ability, used to unleash a cone of acid against the gelatinous cube.

Ray of Frost

A cold damage spell cast by Glint, used to partially freeze the gelatinous cube.

Prestidigitation

A minor illusion spell used by Glint to create a small sweater for the ooze and to clean the goo off of Rillin and Papiyan after they were engulfed by the gelatinous cube.

Shape Water

A spell attempted by Umbra to freeze the gelatinous ooze into a spherical shape for easier transport, but the ooze dodged the effect.

Wild Shape

A druid’s ability, used by Cornelius to transform into a rat to navigate the temple’s inner door mechanism.

Rage

A barbarian’s ability, used by Rillin to enhance his combat prowess against the T-Rex and while trapped inside it.

Stone Endurance

Rillin’s Goliath racial ability, used to reduce damage taken from attacks.

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session-2026-02-25