Short

Velessa enlisted her companion Séantal — after negotiating a future favor — to accompany her to Szarr Palace, where Lady Violet performed a long-planned ritual to address the infernal parasite living inside Velessa. Rather than expelling the creature, Lady Violet used the power of Mephistopheles to force Velessa to absorb it entirely, binding it to her blood. After pinning Velessa telekinetically against a stone obelisk deep beneath the palace — suspended over the Underdark itself — she read from an Infernal scroll, triggering a violent reaction that caused Velessa to expel the parasite as a translucent, fiery centipede. The creature rapidly matured into a full hell wasp, and a brutal fight ensued. Velessa and Séantal struggled against the creature, with Velessa being paralyzed by its venom before Séantal purged the poison and delivered the killing blow. The moment the wasp died, its essence flooded into Velessa's bloodstream.

The consequences were immediate and permanent: Velessa had become a dhampir. She was overcome by a deep predatory hunger, her teeth sharpened, and her long-lost organic limbs began grotesquely regrowing, pushing off her mechanical prosthetics. Séantal agreed — negotiating yet another favor in return — to let Velessa feed from them, though the blood tasted of ash and copper and barely stabilized her. Lady Violet calmly outlined Velessa's new existence, including the unwelcome need for a full eight hours of sleep each night. The emotional weight of the transformation crystallized when Quillbit held up a mirror and Velessa saw that her amethyst eyes — her own, hard-won after years of enslavement — had turned red once more. Shaken, she snapped herself invisible on the spot, earning a retaliatory tail-strike from Quillbit, which Velessa dryly noted was unwise given how little blood she had left.

Classic

Last we left off, Velessa sought out her trusted companion Séantal with an unusual and weighty request — to accompany her to Szarr Palace, where Lady Violet had prepared a ritual to address the infernal parasite that had long tormented her from within. The two arrived that evening, were received in the grand ballroom, and terms were confirmed on all sides. Lady Violet led them deep beneath the palace via a descending stone platform — which Velessa, to her embarrassment, initially mistook for a ritual circle — down into a cold and yawning darkness that opened above the Underdark itself. There, on a suspended platform at the edge of the abyss, Lady Violet revealed the true nature of the ritual: not to destroy the parasite, but to have Velessa absorb it entirely, binding it to her blood through the invoked power of Mephistopheles. A vial of thick, metallic red liquid was pressed to Velessa's lips, a scroll of Infernal was read aloud, and the creature was drawn violently forth — a translucent, fiery centipede that rapidly grew into a fully realized hell wasp, shrieking and luminous with infernal energy.

The battle that followed was brutal and desperate. Séantal's opening blasts went wide, Velessa's blade found little purchase, and the hell wasp answered every strike with savage ferocity — raking away her magical protections, and finally driving its stinger through her chest and dropping her with a paralytic venom. Séantal purged the poison and freed her, and together they brought the creature down with one final surge of eldritch force. But the creature's death was not an ending — it was a transformation. Its essence flooded into Velessa like fire through her veins, her teeth sharpened with hunger, and Lady Violet confirmed what had already become undeniable: Velessa was no longer a drow. She was a dhampir now.

The consequences were immediate and strange. Her long-lost organic limbs began to regrow, grotesquely pushing off her mechanical prosthetics as new flesh crept outward. She fed from Séantal's arm — though the blood tasted of ash and copper — and was guided, wobbly on new flesh, back to the surface. And then Quillbit held up a small mirror, and Velessa saw that her amethyst eyes were gone. In their place: red. A different shade than before, but red nonetheless — the same color they had been when she was a slave to Lolth, a goddess of cruelty, though Velessa refused to speak her name for fear of drawing her attention. She went very still. Séantal gently suggested she could learn illusions to change them, which prompted Velessa to snap her fingers and vanish on the spot. Quillbit struck her with the tip of her tail in retaliation. Velessa pointed out, with some feeling, that this was a deeply unwise thing to do to someone with almost no blood left in her body.

Lady Violet uses telekinesis to violently slam Velessa against a stone obelisk, pinning her feet off the ground, before calmly explaining the ritual is meant to make Velessa absorb the parasite rather than destroy it.

The true nature of the ritual is revealed only after Velessa is already pinned to the obelisk with no way to refuse.

Velessa vomits torrents of red ectoplasmic goo containing a translucent, fiery centipede that rapidly grows wings and transforms into a fully realized adult hell wasp before the party's eyes.

The horrifying manifestation of the parasite Velessa had been carrying for years, finally given physical form.

"God damn it. I only have right shoes."
— Velessa Vaeltharyn

Realizing after her organic leg regrew that all her footwear was designed for her prosthetic side, leaving her with nothing for her new flesh foot.

"This will require another favor."
— Séantal Grace-Given

Séantal's immediate response when Lady Violet asked if they were willing to open a vein to save Velessa's life after the ritual.

Velessa's eyes return to red after her transformation into a dhampir, a color she associates with her past enslavement to Lolth, a cruel goddess whose name she refuses to speak for fear of drawing her attention, leaving her visibly distressed and silently glaring at her own reflection.

A bittersweet moment of freedom tainted by a haunting reminder of trauma.

Velessa's missing organic arm and leg begin to regrow Deadpool-style, pushing off her drow mechanical prosthetics as new flesh slowly sprouts from her stumps following her transformation into a dhampir.

An unexpected and grotesque side effect of the ritual that signals the full extent of Velessa's transformation.

"I never needed both shoes before. Like, for like a hundred years, I haven't needed both shoes. On my left foot."
— Velessa Vaeltharyn

Lamenting the very practical problem of having lived without a left foot for a century and now suddenly needing to find footwear for it.

A Favor for a Ritual

Velessa recruits Séantal to assist with a mysterious ritual at the Szarr Palace to address her infernal parasites.

• Velessa approaches Séantal for help with a ritual being prepared by Lady Violet at the Szarr Palace.
• Séantal agrees to assist in exchange for a future favor, establishing an IOU arrangement.
• The two discuss the potential dangers, though Velessa has little specific information about what the ritual will entail.
• Séantal prepares for the event by gathering sweets, breads, and chocolates from a local bakery.

Descent into the Bowels of Szarr Palace

Velessa and Séantal meet with Lady Violet and descend deep beneath the mansion to a hidden ritual chamber.

• The party arrives at Szarr Palace and is escorted to the ballroom where Lady Violet awaits on her throne.
• Lady Violet confirms the terms of their agreement, ensuring Velessa will attend an upcoming ball in exchange for the ritual.
• Lady Violet leads the group through the mansion to a strange stone chamber containing a massive fifteen-foot diameter stone disc.
• Velessa mistakenly kicks off one of her shoes, thinking the disc is a ritual circle, only for it to function as a deep-earth elevator.
• The platform descends for a significant amount of time into the dark bowels beneath the mansion.
• Lady Violet leads the way down a long hallway to a platform suspended over a deep abyss, which Velessa recognizes as the Underdark.

The Ritual of the Abyss

Lady Violet performs a ritual on the platform suspended over the Underdark to draw out and manifest Velessa's infernal parasite.

• Lady Violet uses telekinesis to violently thrust Velessa against a stone obelisk in the center of the platform, where she is magically held in place with her feet off the ground.
• Lady Violet explains that the ritual is designed for Velessa to absorb the entity within her rather than expel or kill it, as it would simply return otherwise.
• Velessa is given a small vial of thick, metallic red liquid to drink in order to fortify her for the coming manifestation.
• Lady Violet unrolls a scroll and begins chanting in Infernal, invoking the power of Mephistopheles to draw out the creature and bind it to Velessa's blood.
• Séantal, who speaks Infernal, gathers from the scroll that it is not just drawing the creature out but binding it to Velessa's blood.
• Velessa becomes violently ill, vomiting torrents of red ectoplasmic goo that coalesces into a translucent, fiery centipede.
• The creature rapidly morphs, growing wings and an enlarged abdomen until it becomes a fully realized adult hell wasp and lifts off the ground.
• Lady Violet casts a protective ward on herself and steps aside to observe the combat.

Battle with the Hell Wasp

Velessa and Séantal battle the fully realized adult hell wasp that was drawn out of Velessa's body during the ritual.

• Séantal places a hex on the hell wasp and attempts to blast it with eldritch energy, but both shots go wide.
• Velessa conjures a spectral viper for protection and attempts to strike the hell wasp with her blade, but struggles to land a decisive blow.
• The hell wasp retaliates aggressively, slashing Velessa with its talons in a critical strike and then missing with its sting.
• Séantal blasts the hell wasp again, this time landing a solid hit enhanced by the hex curse.
• Velessa summons spirits of the dead to surround her, enhancing her melee strikes, and slices through the creature's abdomen and wings, leaving it badly wounded.
• The hell wasp stings Velessa again with a critical hit, injecting a potent poison that leaves her paralyzed and incapacitated, dropping her to near death.
• Séantal moves to Velessa's side and uses restorative magic to neutralize the poison and paralysis.
• Séantal delivers a final blast of eldritch energy, causing the hell wasp to shrivel up and die.

The Transformation

Following the hell wasp's death, Velessa undergoes a dramatic physical transformation as she absorbs its essence and becomes a dhampir.

• The remains of the hell wasp are absorbed into Velessa, making her blood feel like it is on fire, similar to absorbing a dragon soul.
• Velessa's canine teeth grow sharp and she is overcome by an intense, predatory hunger.
• Lady Violet informs Velessa she will need to feed regularly and warns that ignoring the cravings could cause them to grow out of control.
• Lady Violet suggests Séantal provide blood to stabilize Velessa, noting she will likely die without it.
• Séantal cuts their arm to offer blood to Velessa, who drinks to sate her new hunger, though the blood burns going down and tastes like ashes.
• Lady Violet confirms that the parasite is now contained and that Velessa is effectively no longer a drow but a dhampir.
• Velessa's missing organic limbs begin to regrow, pushing off her drow mechanical prosthetics in a slow and uncomfortable process.
• Quillbit playfully picks up one of the detached prosthetic arms and swings it like a pendulum.
• Lady Violet guides Velessa back up to the surface level of the mansion and explains what life as a dhampir entails, including the need to sleep eight hours a night.

Adjusting to a New Identity

Velessa and Séantal discuss the physical and magical changes resulting from the ritual while Quillbit reveals Velessa's new reflection.

• Quillbit presents Velessa with a small hand mirror, revealing that her eyes have returned to a shade of red.
• Velessa is visibly distressed, associating red eyes with her past enslavement to a cruel goddess in Menzoberranzan, though she notes it is a different shade of red.
• Séantal suggests using illusions to change the eye color, prompting Velessa to turn herself invisible as a joke.
• Quillbit strikes Velessa with her tail in retaliation, prompting a warning about Velessa's critically low health.
• Séantal offers to use celestial healing to restore Velessa's wounds.
• The group discusses Velessa's new dhampir abilities, including a climb speed, a bite, and a reduced darkvision range compared to her former drow superior darkvision.
• Séantal teases Velessa about her reduced vision range, noting their own perfect color vision in the dark.

Lady Violet

The refined mistress of the Szarr estate who orchestrated the ritual to contain Velessa's infernal parasite. She demonstrated powerful telekinetic abilities, knowledge of obscure Infernal ritual magic invoking Mephistopheles, and cast a protective ward on herself to observe the combat safely. She confirmed the terms of their agreement regarding the upcoming patriar ball and explained the nature of dhampir life to Velessa afterward.

Quillbit

A small imp who accompanied the party during the ritual. She playfully poked at Velessa's regrowing limbs, swung one of the detached prosthetic arms like a pendulum, and used a hand mirror to show Velessa her newly returned red eyes. She also struck Velessa with her tail after being turned invisible.

Hell Wasp

A translucent, fiery adult hell wasp that manifested from the infernal parasite within Velessa during the ritual. It possessed sharp talons and a paralyzing, poisonous sting. It was slain by Séantal's eldritch blast and subsequently absorbed into Velessa, triggering her transformation into a dhampir.

Szarr Palace

A grand estate in Baldur's Gate now inhabited by Lady Violet. It features a regal ballroom where Lady Violet holds court from a throne, a hidden stone chamber with a massive elevator disc, and a long hallway leading to a platform suspended over a deep abyss that opens into the Underdark. The site of Velessa's transformation into a dhampir.

The Abyss Platform

A stone platform deep beneath Szarr Palace, suspended over a terrifyingly deep chasm that leads directly into the Underdark. The air is filled with swirling mist and the faint glow of luminous fungi from far below. A stone obelisk stands at its center, serving as the focal point of the ritual.

Fortifying Vial

A small glass vial roughly two inches long, containing a thick, metallic red liquid that tasted like copper or a chewed coin. It was administered to Velessa by Lady Violet to prepare her body for the manifestation of the hell wasp during the ritual.

Infernal Scroll

A long, involved scroll written in Infernal, read aloud by Lady Violet during the ritual. It contained a ritual spell to draw out the infernal creature within Velessa and bind it to her blood using the power of Mephistopheles. Séantal, who speaks Infernal, was able to partially understand its contents.

The Obelisk

A stone pillar standing at the center of the abyss platform beneath Szarr Palace. It possesses magical properties that allowed Lady Violet to pin Velessa against its surface using telekinesis, holding her in place with her feet off the ground for the duration of the ritual.

Drow Mechanical Prosthetics

The advanced technological prosthetic arm and leg Velessa previously used to replace her missing organic limbs. They were pushed off her body as her organic limbs began to regrow following her transformation into a dhampir.

Hand Mirror

A small mirror held by Quillbit, nearly as large as the imp herself. She used it to reveal to Velessa that her eyes had changed back to a shade of red following the ritual and her transformation into a dhampir.

Ritual Snacks

A collection of sweets, breads, and chocolates gathered by Séantal from a local bakery to bring to the ritual at Szarr Palace.

Hex

Séantal placed a baleful curse upon the hell wasp as a bonus action before engaging it in combat. The hex caused the creature to take additional necrotic damage each time Séantal's eldritch blasts connected, increasing the overall damage output throughout the fight.

Eldritch Blast

Séantal's primary offensive spell during the battle with the hell wasp. The initial volley went wide, but subsequent blasts landed solidly, benefiting from the hex curse, and the final blast was what ultimately destroyed the creature.

Sanctuary

Lady Violet cast a protective ward on herself before the combat began, allowing her to observe the battle from the sidelines without being targeted by the hell wasp.

Syluné's Viper

Velessa conjured a spectral snake at the start of combat to provide herself with a protective layer of temporary vitality. The viper's protection was stripped away when the hell wasp landed its first critical strike.

Spirit Shroud

Velessa summoned spirits of the dead to flit around her during the battle, adding extra damage to her melee strikes against the hell wasp. The spell allowed her to slice through the creature's abdomen and wings, leaving it badly wounded.

Lesser Restoration

Séantal cast this spell as a bonus action to cure the poison afflicting Velessa after she was stung by the hell wasp. Since the paralysis was a byproduct of the poison, curing the poison also removed the paralysis, allowing Velessa to act again.

Invisibility

Velessa briefly turned herself invisible by snapping her fingers as a joke in response to Séantal's suggestion to use illusions to hide her new red eyes.

Healing Light

A celestial power Séantal offered to use to restore Velessa's wounds after the grueling ritual and combat, with a brief aside about whether divine damage might affect a newly turned dhampir.