E'atvala

Narcissa: from small mining town, goth grave cleric, wears jewels, graveyard things.
Kashak: tiny baby dragon looking for money. looking for biggest payout possible.
Victor: human, bastard name (dayne), noble, lived in heartlands
Tereen: elf, from small farm in heartlands, wants to w r e s t l e

holten; old town, lots of back alleys. sea-scent, trades of fish and livestock. people are generally kind, and varied, though the city is heavily populated.

as it's midday, and belaunim has a naturally nocturnal biorhythm, he's just waking up in the inn room he'd rented.

inns:
rusty knob- recently rebuilt, not the nicest, but cheap. beds in the cellar. kashak was resting here as well.

bloated hog- small rooms with straw mats, holes in the walls for Peeking. gross.


tavern:
brass bull- loud and raucous, rough and tumble, adventuring folk, loud music, lots of laughter.


bounty for redfang, gnoll warleader, 200g prize

victor worships demoko
tereen worships silkara

victor is Nervous, narcissa knows gnolls arent as stupid as they're portrayed. they're malicious killers.

going to see cazgar, the man who survived an attack on redfang. find him working on the docks.

kisho: two assassin gnolls. hanging out around holten, much more concerning. redfang's howl empowers the other gnolls.

gnolls used to own land in the dynasty, clan was eradicated after a civil war.

some clans more honorable, not all are raiders. constant: attachment to the dark god bellum, who cursed them with an unending hunger.

bel's eldritch blast burns him, it stains his flesh, dark, and the bolt is black and red.

hit redfang with an eldritch blast across the face. pissed him off. uh oh.

someone dropped darkness over the street between us and redfang. one-eye is attacking them.

narcissa was stuck inside the stables. bel was struck unconscious by one-eye as he attempted to reach her.

aeserius brought him back to the guild hall. all party members are safe.

town is very down, lots of people killed, streets quiet and empty. even adventurers are quiet. new bounties open, some hubub about the bounty board. some stores are open.

stocking up supplies in holten.

first night, attacked by a group of gnolls and slavers. humans and gnolls working together? kill 4 of them, nobody is taken, narcissa almost is.

bel keeps getting Brained every fight. rip.

victor keeps getting sprayed by skunks. Stinky.

donkey ran off. went to find the donkey. met the local druid.

rest of the night passes quietly. rest is had. level up.

thunder and lightning cracked above their sleeping place in chaotic colors. a mana storm, side-affect of ley-lines dying. party is unharmed.

bought supplies outside of cridhe, city was not allowing people to enter the city, bought 2 tents, 15 meals, 3 rations and a bedroll.

bel doesn't believe in those who sell fortunes.

narcissa visited a fortune teller, she seemed happy when she came out.

victor also visited the fortune teller.
he's no longer smelly. he's smelly in a better way.

tareen also visited the fortune teller. she comes out looking a bit shaken.

strathmore pretty okay, weird, only missing a few people.
grimsby has a lot of murders, no gnolls seen.
new cresthill got fucked, many people taken, church of the five burned.
addersfield is fine, mostly. far water might be fucked.
chimbly the kobold gave us this info.

bel takes first watch, hears drinking and casual brawling.

morning has guards mobilizing, moving north along the road.

1st day of travelling, ran into some cultists creating a warped beast. victor prevented it from completing. cave behind them is deep, walls are covered in runes written in blood. bel cannot read these, they are in infernal.

in the tomb of the silent king. bel had to say his full name and title out loud, "Belaunim, Scion of Ira". spicy. real spicy.

stuck in a hallway that loops when noise is made by those going down it.

fought horrifying shadowy creatures attracted to silence.

seeing lots of visions of a city destroyed by malice, the manifestation of Malaise.

reached the chamber of the silent king, who is a demi lich(?), being punished for his wrongs. let his country crumble. shackled to a jagged throne of stone and metal.

a battle lost, malaise spread amoung the king's country and men until there was nothing worth saving.

the silent king has been here for a long long time, at least 2000 years. forte possibly implied he's been here over 5000 years.

he was friendly, lonely. enjoyed speaking, bel offers to try to find their way back again so they can speak with him.

king offered the party his room to rest in, and has told them of an armory, guarded by his bodyguard (boyfriend) lucien.

in the tomb of the silent king. level 3! good. fun. we're gonna die

ooogoggh lucien stronk ow

lucien believes us to be uhhhh. forces of the dark gods. true for bel, perhaps.

defeated by lucien, no one died. spoke to lucien afterwards, and was granted access to the armory. took lucien's swordbreaker and a silvered warpick with some writing on it.

encountered grimshak, a white kobold with a fancy cart and a hydra that pulls it and also a totally real (fake) beard. we take the bronze travel package, which involves sitting on rickety chairs in between boxes of acid and poison.

victor buys three books. a cookbook, a history book, and an erotic romance novel set in the Scar.

grimshak has a hexblade's weapon in his inventory.

saved a bandit's life, named tomas, injured by grimskak's hydra. dropped him off at a bar as he'd requested.

AAAAAAAAA

redfang was in new cresthill, strathmore is rich and good, ranger conclave protects it, spoke with them, but went back to town for a rest. inn was good, tomas paid for us for the night. had breakfast, then went out to meet the rangers.

ranger conclave is built into the woods, grown really, from the trees. Visitors are only permitted on the ground floor.

Scartail (Skink lizardfolk) makes good poltuices.

Heading to Grimsby first to investigate disappearences.

Grimsby is covered in an unnatural storm. the outskirts of the town are abandoned, the tavern in town is wrecked, the barkeep killed. the fields are dead, the houses are rotting, the mud is knee-high.

his sword is silent.

investigates the top floor of the inn. scent of carrion, a locked door at the end is where its coming from. he can't hear kashak panicking.

he opens the FUCKING DOOR

inside the room theres a cocoon of rotting bodies, something growing inside it, writhing with teeth and limbs.

a symbol was hanging in the room, he attacked it, it exploded. a voice, Ira, praising him for destroying the weak.

his weapons are gone. his sword can turn into other weapons. it also disappears when he isn't using it. hmm.

approached by a grey-skinned humanoid radiating fiend energy according to kashak. he gives us an ultimatum. 2 days, or we're dead meat. Sabian.

gnolls in his gang, the shepherds.

day 1 of 2 in grimsby started with an argument, ultimately decided to stay in town for at least one day to gather information. Party splits, Kashak, Narcissa and Tereen go to speak with the townspeople, while Victor wants to speak to Sabian and Bel follows him to play bodyguard.

town team visits the general store, run down and manned by a discheveled dwarf.

smith in town was killed by sabian, probably.

three rangers came into town, general store guy didn't know where they went.

the sheep of grimsby cannot leave. what this means, we don't know. people that tried to leave have died. seems connected to how long they've lived in grimsby.

sabian's right hand went out of town, southeast. "he's the problem".

son of the foreman wants to leave. dad had an 'accident'. named "elis warmheart" lives in the quarry.

shepherds based in the quarry as well. protective of it.

need new boots if you're staying in grimsby. avoid trench foot.

western grimsby is dangerous, both because its rotting and falling apart, and because gnolls live there.

victor asks for directions, first from a random house, then from a shepherd in town proper.

the group of shepherds we approach is a trio; black haired human, a scarred high elf, and a blind gnoll in tattered robes.

took viktor's 6 gold, didnt learn anything basically.

met up with the group, saw grimsby from the top of a building. lots of houses in the western part of town, lots of gnolls.

dragonborn gave us the direction of the quarry. they beat the shit out of a commoner, shattered her ribcage.

bel tried to stop tereen and narcissa from turning around and going to help the person, stopped tereen, not narcissa.

narcissa heals them with a cure wounds, it doesn't fix the ribcage, but it fixes the internal bleeding.

narcissa carries the woman to our resting place to fully heal her later.

arrive at the quarry, approach a wooden house, ellis is inside. we get directed to the quarry itself to make transactions.

they are making a great impression on ellis. a great impression. yeah.

quarry is an arena, battles to the death, mildly* unfair fights.

approach sabian, attempt to barter for the ranger's freedom. if you kill a shepherd, you become one. our choices are: fight for the ranger, fight them ourselves, or watch them get killed.

oh fuck oh god everything is going to shit god fucking fuck

bel joined the shepherds. he. motherfucker GFUCKING BEL. BEL. GOD. FUCKING. DAMMIT.

* by mildly we mean they put commoners up against fully decked out shepherds and it's very Not Nice.

Levelled up between sessions since we had that altercation with Sabian, now level 4, new character, farmboy ven, half-orc fighter. Head full of rocks but friendly enough.

Victor came back, has one purple eye. Group doesn’t know what happened to Bel, thinks he’s either dead or working for Sabian.

Kashak speaks to the warpick, it starts doing stuff on it’s own. Speaks one word; Hungry.

Ended up going out north from Grimsby, heading south to find the road, then west towards Strathmore.

Found a fox on their way, stuck in a bear trap. Partially healed it, taking it with the group, to the Rangers.

Fox was a goblin druid.

Reported to the rangers. Learned some stuff about Sabian, he’s been around the Heartlands for ~a year, took over the gang he now runs rather recently.

Got 75 gold for the ranger & info brought back from Grimsby.

The council is more pressed about the Redfang and Gnoll problem, Sabian is considered barely a threat.

Rested overnight with the rangers, camp is very nice.

Strathmore is a bit more on-edge, a bit more paranoid, than last we left it.

Dwarf at the smithy, has a prosthetic leg, might be an old adventurer. Kelgar.

Kashak managed to haggle the price down to 72 gold for his chainmail.

Matthew Saint, wizard that specializes in enchanting. Based in Alnerwick.

Tavern is mildly lively, duet of bards one-upping each other, not much chattering going on, but Tomas is there.

Tomas gives the group a set of shots after hearing about what they went through. House specialty ale.

Kim Finally Got The Stand Up Comedian Joke.

Tomas is working on getting into a Bard College in Sophenheim.

Gnolls are taking and eating people. Large Oof.

We are forbidden from Dying by Tomas.

Big Nope At The General Store

Headed north, Kashak is perhaps a bit Sloshed.

Met Ven as he was being attacked by Bellumites. Narcissa was injured.

A shower of meteors falls over the night sky, heralding a cultural festival, the Fireball, a celebration of summer’s approach.

Wake up next morning, gather around the fire and talk out our plan. Decide to stick in the area and let Narcissa rest.

Tereen takes first watch. Hears rocks skitter down the slopes. No issues.

Ven takes second, hears the same skittering. Spots two people climbing the mountain the opposite direction from the party, likely the source of the noises.

Kashak and Viktor take third watch.Nothing much comes of it.

A blind Warped Beast visited the party during the night. It was terrifying.

We move north in the dark, trying to find a spot to rest away from our old camp.

Something was following us. Narcissa finds out it is a young Kobold named Scout. He was sent to watch us because we are weird.

Very helpful actually, has seen the gnolls and the beast around. Watching us to make sure we weren’t invading.

Met the chief of the mountain kobolds. Redfang has been here recently, One-Eye has not. Humans left to watch by “The Bald One”. Sabian?

Anyone who goes down into the ravine does not come back. Goes to the Underdark?

The Land-God is a burrowing creature that lives in the lower reaches of the mountains. The kobolds revere them, but also find hunting one to be a good rite of passage for elite warriors.

The keep is tucked against a cliff side and very defensible.

Had a small between-sessions-cleanup of session 9's combat on the 13th. Threw Bastion off the bridge, approached the fort. Saw Viktor do weird charming magic with his purple eye glowing. Didn't exactly sound like Viktor either.

Rested in the ruins, got attacked by some gnolls. Chased them off, but cornered the Kisho gnoll, who exploded in Victor’s face, injuring him horribly.

Met Brand, Red-Fang’s old mate. A gnoll cleric, who heals Victor. The healing is painful, but effective.

Took a long rest, with Brand keeping watch for the night.

Brand showed us that the skulls of both the gnolls and the Shepherds are branded with a symbol of (Sabian? Bellum?)

Brand then took us to the main gnoll warcamp, which is horribly corrupted, and has Something growing in the only building standing, in the center of camp.

Met up with the lead ranger while coming back from the fort. Shared information. The rangers are heading out to participate in the battle of Cridhe, and we are going with them.

Stocked up at the ranger camp. Talked with Walks-In-Shadows about Tereen’s injury. Got more poultices from Scartail. Got food from the camp cook.

Victor wants to learn the secrets of Scartail’s poisons.

Bought some healing pots.

Moving out with the rangers.

Cridhe is burning, people screaming, sounds of battle, even in dawn. Walls are broken, crumbling, desecrated.

Redfang has thousands of gnolls. Thousands. They are well organized, an army, rather than a horde.

Brand can tell that Redfang is in the city.

We get into the city by stealthing onto the docks. As we get closer, the sounds of battle rise to meet us.

Docks themselves are vacant. Fighting is much further within the city.

The sound of drums rises, gnolls shrieking, soldiers calling, Hold the line-!

Combat is dealt with. Killed a simulacrum of One-Eye. One-Eye can turn gnolls into mindless husks. Post-combat, Brand and the city guard captain got into an argument. Situation was desculated, session ended with Brand waiting to see the two gnolls wake, and speak to them.

Early morning, local fighting nearly done. Short rest.

Brand gets up, grabs the two gnoll prisoners and takes them outside with them. Speaks the language of the Dynasty, some sort of agreement is met.One gnoll has chosen to go with Brand, the other, to die.

The one who chose death requests that we save them. All of them, every gnoll. The gnoll kills himself, and a moment is shared.

Talking out our plan. We don’t really want to work with the guard.

Sewers, not poop gutters.

Plan is to attack small gnoll groups and capture them, turn them to our side.

Guard Captain is speaking to a Captain of the Principality of Sophenheim. A good 80 years of service, at least, from the state of his armor. Made for utility.

Wait for them to finish speaking. Takes about 5 minutes. Guard is tired, but standing at attention, out of respect. Captain goes back into the city.

Gnolls have stopped attacking for the moment, forming siege camps, readying for an attack on the inner walls.

The three guilds in Cridhe. Rat-Catchers, mercenaries, thugs. Hollow Ones, religious lizardfolk. The Orphanage, a mystery. Hollow Ones have totems.

Avoid the pits. Have strange monsters, usually found from the Underdark. Abberants. Used in cities for waste disposal. Otyughs.

Speaking with Hollowed Ones. They are not hostile towards us, but they do consume the flesh of other races. Lead by a vampire?

The Orphanage is a criminal organization. Given the Hollowed Ones good dealings.

Gnolls are using totems for their invisibility?

Attempt to convince the gnolls to join us, they speak among each other a while. They join us.

The chief of the Hollowed Ones gives up a map.

We take the gnolls back to Brand.

Attacking the northern camp together with Brand.

Gonna try to call Brand "Warchief". Brand is not a name, Warchief isn't really either but it is at least more respectful.

The gnoll shaman has been corrupted into a Maw of Bellum.

Flesh Gnawers are corrupted, lost.

Maw of Bellum attempts to falsely surrender, dies shortly after.

Victor goes out to a barrack to see the area where the totem rests. It is guarded by corrupted gnolls and has a figure inside that we can't see details of.

V i c t o r .

Going to attempt to take the Meadowbrook manor. It would make a good holding point.

Kisho leads us through the back after Brand causes a distraction which includes a lot of explosions, first, then battle.

Arisha, the Ever-Fallen has been spying on us? Also she has the totem. Yikes. Disappeared from the battlefield too.

Combat over, kisho gnoll lost, Arisha ran.

Victor FUCKINGNNFJ VICTOR!!!!! VICTOR

Long rest is had, spirits are high.

The battle is going... not well. One or two days for the wall, at most. Still, a good meal made by one of the Warchief's Shimins.

Creepy crystal. Red with black edges that shift and undulate.

The staff has three sources of magic: Abjuration, Necromancy, and a third, unidentifiable magic, like a dark seed in the center, nearly like a black hole drinking the magic around it.

The crystal has all the people of Grimsby inside it, everyone who went missing.

Regret, Kashak's sword, is a prisoner of the Devourer, and is very very hungery.

We want to bring the crystal to an expert in the center of the city.

Preparing for the attack, checking with the shimins who are preparing to coordinate our plans. Meet Serah, a gnoll shimin under Brand.

Entering the center city via the southern gate. Usually gorgeous, now in ruins, but standing. Has a few hundred gnolls attacking it with a battering ram. The gate still holds.

Brand attacks, the enemy at first confused. The battle is bitter, hate-filled, no honor to be found. The fight through the lines is slow and tar-like. Halfway through, the enemy sees the staff on Narcissa's back, and Serah takes an arrow for her.

We reach the walls, and try to help the gnolls survive. God our rolls are stupid good. Who rigged this. Which god did we suck off. How hard are we going to eat shit later. Fuck

Got to the adventurer's guild, talked to Seebo the Alchemist and Finch the Artificer about the crystal. Seebo didn't know much, but Finch helped us with both it and understanding Regret better.

Going to talk to "The Triplets", who were last seen in the research and development section, attached to the library.

Left the crystal with the Triplets, who are Warforged researchers, for analysis.

Took a short rest before getting ready to return to the fight. We decide to go west, help out the fighting there.

At the warfront, managed to turn a gnoll havoc runner to our side. Fighting strange, bone-covered bestial warriors. Might be gnolls, but might not. Hits hard.

Gnoll Havoc Runner survived, we are introduced to Akaza Vapith, the commander from Sophenheim.

I love them. I love. The Havoc Runner.

Long rest time! Back at the guild hall.

Talked to the Triplets again, they've made a bit of progress, but not much. They've asked about a group name and our leader, which we will have to talk about with the whole party.

Approached by a half-elf, pretty damaged, someone's looking for the party in the main guild hall. Ven rouses the party to go meet them.

Brand is here, with a figure in a green cloak. Not one of the rangers. A stranger.

Brand brings bad news. There is a day of darkness, tomorrow; One of the rare solar eclipses that weakens the veil between the Dark Rungs and the mortal realm.

We get two questions to ask the Stranger. More via light points.

Question: How can we break the crystal without destroying the souls inside? Answer: Narcissa can drastically increase their chance of success by putting all the healing magic into the crystal as she can.

Question: How can we disconnect someone from the power of the rungs if they have made a pact with one of Them? Answer: A ritual.

Question: Did anyone in Ven's family make it out of New Cresthill alive? Answer: His ma, some of his siblings, but his pa fell. They're in Holten.

We take news of the imminent attack to the guild hall, and preperations begin. We are going to attack Redfang with Brand and Akaza's forces bolstering ours. We saw the guild leader of the Heartlands, Verelius. A level 12 zealot barbarian.

Did the fight against Redfang. Brand and Redfang died together. Mr.Kill has survived, and gained levels of bezerker barbarian. We won. The siege of Cridhe is broken.

Got our reward for Redfang, 200g each.

Got shitfaced with the soldiers to celebrate our win. Ven ended up uhhhhhh naked in the sanctuary of a church of the five.

Next morning, hopped off to Finch's. Bought a Striding Katana.

VICTOR HAS A BOMB?!

Fought some Primuls, defeated them, got a few strange, dark gems from them.

Day of darkness is over, helping out some injured bystanders. While Narcissa helps heal the injured, the rest of the party is taking those strange gems to the triplets.

Gems were soulstones, containing the soul of the creatures (in this case, primuls) that they came from. You can (and should) just destroy them.

Kashak is gonna feed Regret one of those soulstones. Yikes. Hm.

It was just as bad as expected!

Long rest at the guild hall.

Planning to go northeast, into the storm. Serah is bringing the gnolls with us.

The storm is dangerous. We need to be prepared when we go in, and if we see a suit of armor on wires, avoid it.

During the first camp, Ven is dragged off to train with the gnolls. Training went well!

Morning comes, camp is broken before sunrise. Ven is sore, but in good health. The smell of breakfast rises, searing meat, and- well, mostly meat. Ven assists with breaking camp.

Breakfast is a wooden bowl of steamed rice and various dried, salted or fermented foods.

Kashak won’t eat his vegetables.

Set off towards Strathmore.The rain is thick, oppressive, and constant, growing louder as we approach.

It is bitterly cold inside, and when we pass through into the storm, we can feel we have passed a point of no return. The rain is bone-chilling, each droplet like ice. We press onwards, our weapons drawn.

As we pass into the storm, we’re separated from the gnolls. We have no idea where the fuck we are.

The rain, the emptiness, it never seems to change.

We hear gnolls, off in the distance, and Ven and Kashak rush off to try to help them. They see horrifying images of Sabian’s past crimes, a vision; the butchering of a village.

We approach a dilapidated village. The same Ven and Kashak saw being attacked. Morrindale. Full of bodies and death and burnt buildings.

Ven and Kashak go to check the biggest building, a big barn, while Victor and Narcissa check out the chapel.

There were shadowfell creatures in the town. Ran from them, met Nabbit, an ex-shepherd.

Kashak is a shepherd. He’s gonna try to leave, with the group, to Serah.

Nabbit thinks Kashak is cute.

Fought a wirewolf, Ven lost an eye, fun times were had.

Victor finds the rock! The rock that lets you talk to Sabian. That rock.

It lets you talk to BASTION actually!! HE’S ALIVE

We have a short rest, then head out with Kashak to try to scout. We end up in New Cresthill, and Ven is having Not Fun.

He sees his father's shape out in the fog, but Narcissa stops him from going to him. His father's voice drifts after him: "You could have saved me..." "Running away... Again..." "I'm so disappointed..."

They enter the town, and Ven leads them to the church, which is the last building still standing. On the Altar, the body of the head priest has been lain, prevented from rotting through some magic.

While Narcissa investigates the body, Ven tries to piece some of the sanctuary togeter, to bring some order back to the building.

They investigate the crypt below the church, looking for a place to bury Alluin Winterheart, the head priest of New Churchill. While investigating, he discovers that Alluin Winterheart is undead, some kind of creature that has always protected the town. His fathers, Clovis, Althidon, and Virion Winterheart, were him.

They woke the priest, and he was very mad at first, but kind enough. They spoke to him a while- he's a revenant who's purpose is something in New Cresthill. He's going to stay, and rebuild, but the party takes a long rest in the church.

Missed note-taking bc distracted. Met with people from the Duchy of Nalz. Went back out into the storm after a bit of information exchanging.

Met a "pacifist" tortle in Cridhe, malignant compliance. Left Cridhe rather than fight him.

Arrived in Strathmore. Saw Bastion. Ven got a head wound.

Fought Bastion, cured Strathmore, went out into the storm, came back, barely any time had passed/time went backwards???

Got people to strathmore, 3/5ths of the gnolls, a few heartlands militia, some of the forces from the Duchy of Dupont with a lot of undead shepherds, and the struggling remains of a platoon from Sophenheim.

Meeting going to take place between the leaders of the disparate forces.

Ven hung out with the gnolls he trained with, got to tell them the story of how he got Whacked by Bastion.

Saw the gnoll healers afterwards, they couldn't do anything, but the Sophenheim forces have one who could do somehting. The leader is kind of a hardass tho.

Narcissa and Ven are gonna go see the Sophenheim healers.

The healers clean and bandage Ven's eye and head, with instructions to speak to Adjudicator Tybalt during or after the meeting about possibly getting it healed.

Meeting time! Adjudicator Tybalt and Serah have Beef because they Dynasty and Sophenheim have a lot of history. Frosthale is the commander of the militia for the Heartlands, a halfling. Aloysius Aurelius Dupont is leader of the Dupont forces. Tybalt fights with Serah and Aloysius a lot, but we make a plan to send out scouts and train together. After the meeting, Tybalt heals Ven up.

Had a feast the night after, Ven slept with 4 gnolls (?) lmao, had breakfast with the gnolls! Good food yes

Ven, Victor and Kashak are going to talk to the Dupont forces and train with them. They talk to Commander Dupont, Ven learns about undead and how they can be intelligent. Trained with some of the forces, watched Tybalt fucking KILL FROSTHALE HOLY SHIT and then revive her, Ven lost 5 gold.

I think Ven is slowly becoming part of a gnoll polycule??

Victor fucking disappeared for 3 days????

Woke up, the sun is red. Serah and the gnolls know it as a bad omen, and Ven is of a mind to listen to them.

In a meeting with the war leaders, trying to decide what to do about Sabian. Our scouts did not return.

We will march on Grimsby, try to keep down casualties to avoid feeding the ritual, whatever it is.

Mastriz, the sole female of the Polycule, is keeping people calm when Ven comes around to see them, having finished his packing. The Eye of Ira is making people antsy. He sits with them until it's just about time to go.

Narcissa went to pray and rolled a nat 100 on asking for help holy fuck

NARCISSA NO FACE IT NOOOOOOOOO

FUCKKKKKK



FUCKINGNGJJ GG DONT. LEAVE. THE SYMBOL OH MY GOD ITS NOT BAD!!!!! your TRAUMA is PREVENTING YOU from communicating fully with your FAITH PLEASE DONT.

Sabian is calling all the shepherds home. We have to move NOW.

Getting the forces back together. Many, many of the Shepherd prisoners died from Sabian's call. Kashak has only superficial damage, and takes out his frustration on a corpse.

We enter the storm, the Sophenheim forces going first, a small section of the cavalry riding polar bears. The rest is heavy infantry and HEAVY cavalry.

Entering the storm with the gnolls.

We get to Grimsby, and it's bad. The bog swallows the buildings, the quarry a hole in the ground, spires on the hills reaching into the overcast skies, with torchlight flickering.

Nobody likes it here. Even Tybalt hesitates. This is Ven's first time in Grimsby and he Hates it.

Kashak goes out towards the quarry, thinking theres something there. I (eve) remembers the pit being full of zombies.

Yeah that sure is full of fucking Zombies.

KASHAK what the FUCK is THIS

Grabbed Kashak and ran from the battle, trying to lead his friends away.

We return to the main forces to share what we learned. We talk to Aloysius first. He's going to deal with the undead, but thats going to divert power from the initial push. Still, a good trade-off for not being flanked by undead.

We speak to Serah. Morale is not great, not bad. We rest, before the push.

Marching on Grimsby. Scout comes by, announcing the existence of Shepherds, lots of them, including liutentants we had previously killed, and a pale elf wielding a black blade.

We're turned loose with a couple gnoll Shimins by our side.

The shepherds are broken. Twisted. Undead. The flesh on their faces burned away by the mark, their eyes screaming agony inside their skulls. They move unwillingly, as if puppets strung on unbreaking strings.

Shortly into the battle, the shepherd leader calls for reinforcements and we roll... Bel.

Bel is engulfed in red flame, and looks strange, scarred as if he was ripped apart and stiched back together. His brand is written into his flesh messily, as if carved with a knife. He speaks with a voice that is not his own.

Bel retreats, and Ven and Narcissa move forward to engage the Gerasa with Zenleigh and her giant rabbit Doorstop. We fight back the lingering shepherds, and take a rest.

We approach the tower and it fills the party with nausea, giving a vision of the void, of darkness complete. Then, we come back, and we face an army of Gerasa and undead Shepherds. The gnolls surge forward, cutting a path for the party to approach the Tower.

Inside the tower, it is strange, black stone and odd sensations. It opens to a large field, with a city far away. As we move towards the city, the world seems... better, even making us feel better, as if we had been sick and only now were cured.

Arriving at the city in an instant, we find ruins which hold alien architecture, the likes of which could not be made by mortal hands, black godstone. Each step we take forward ages the city, ruining it, crumbling. Eventually, all is gone, and then a forest grows, as closer and closer we step. Then, a town grows, from a hamlet and a single farm to the city of Strathmore.

As the city is built, the sickness returns. Something is lost. Something deep, intrinsic to us. We don't know what to do, so we make Noise.

Also Doorstop is Alive. Kind Of.

A storm grows over the field, and eventually consumes us, and we wake in front of a door which reads "They Await." Upon entering the top of the tower, we see Arisha, Bastion, and Summermeadow.

Bastion stares with rage uncountable at Ven, though his huge armored form seems empty.

Ven got fucking thrown off the edge of the tower but Denliir featherfall'd and levitated him.

We killed Arisha, however she kiled Ven, and as the tower crumbled, Kashak fell and died saving Narcissa.

Belaunim returns, limping, injured, staggering, to Narcissa and a revived Kashak. Tearful, his ties to Ira broken, he lets all of his regrets spill forth from his breast, and still, refuses to beg for the forgiveness he does not deserve.

Took up a bounty to hunt down bandits, moving to Iksu to get more info.

While cleaning and sharpening his weapons, Bel hears Ira's voice. "Don't think that just because you hide behind your whore Gods that I've forgotten about you." Rattled, Bel continued to prepare. What else would he do?

First day on the road, a warm wind blows down from the north.

First night, and the party hears an attack from northways on the road. Bryn, Rael, and Rixxa investigate, managing to fight off the Worgs and save a Merchant, his Aide, and one of his guards.

In the attack, there was a big Worg that spoke common.

The day after, the two commoners and the guard set out for Iksu. The guard mentions the possibility of retiring to the Heartlands.

We move into the forest, heading to a small fishing village. Following the woodline, we head back towards The Golden Shield to drop off Bee and Viktor's cart. Bryn and Rael's familiars head out to scout the village.

On the way home we meet The Maullusc. Terrifying but harmless fellow.

Slogged through the forest with H'rizon's Sled to the port.

Met with Wokou Tomio, the portmaster at the port. Made a deal with him: We will deliver an illicit item in exchange for information about the Worgs.

We got the location, and some information about a strange tree the worgs are resting under. The tree is a Black Shard Tree, a horrible crystal tree from the Shattenvald.

We kill the worgs and the Big Worg. The Big Worg was being puppeted by... Malaise?

We kill the tree and Daichi goes down. Mmmmmm bad. He's fine, though.

We burn the tree and the Big Worg and are approached by the Duragh of the Forest, who gives us a place to rest. Someone came and planted the Black Shard Tree, someone who was shadowed, with their only feature he could remember being it's horrible smile.

In the Duragh's home, theres an archive building and a shrine. Bel investigates the shrine, and finds seven statues: The five goddesses, and two extra figures. Bel can't make any information out about the two others, Bryn is unconcerned with them.

Bel asks Bryn about her faith, and receives a very materialistic answer: Have faith in yourself, and your community, which shuts down Bel's attempts to speak about War.

The two extra statues are explained by the Duragh as Solahrin, god of Light and Life, and Shi, goddess of Darkness and Death. They were the twin creators, who have been largely forgotten in modern day.

They leave through a portal conjured in a tree, and travel to Iksu. They speak to the Magistrate, explaining how they cleared out the wargs, and get info about the bandit job.

The group is paid 600g for the wargs, half of that goes to the guild, and the other half is split among the party. Each person gets 50g.

We went towards the Bandits, Daichi killed a guy. We are approached by a man in a minotaur skull mask, and told them that his people are just trying to live. Their town was salted by the old lord as he tried to flush them out of the land.

The titular Broken-Horn is protecting a grave and won't leave, ergo the people won't leave. We decide to try to speak to the Duragh and ask if there is a way to purify the land as well as hunt down a minotaur to try to fool the magistrate that Broken-Horn is dead.

We head back towards Iksu, to try finding the Duragh. Overnight, there is a Chaos Storm with red lightning of Evocation.

While in the forest, we meet a Myconid colony. They agree to help us get in contact with the Duragh. They are also very small. Their shaper is a towering ten inches tall!

Bel has met Myconids before, but they were purple-caps, and they were much larger. His Family used to trade with a colony; Food in exhchange for protection. He is intrigued by the small mushrooms.

They sing and attempt to contact the Duragh. After twenty minutes, they pause, and wait for a response.

The Duragh arrives, and suggests we use a certain species of plant, or find a Druid or another magic-inclined individual who can assist.

Rixxa goes to the forest to do what she can for it. We head to Kikohaba to pick up the box and ask about the grinning man. He is almost certainly the same man that fucked up Narcissa's life.

The thing we are delivering is Celestial Lightsblood, a poison that is Very Illegal, very potent, and made from a willing celestial being.

Narcissa is not having a good time. Bel follows her outside in an attempt to help her.

They try to talk, and don't get anywhere, really. Narcissa has so much trauma. Bel now knows she has trauma, but not about what. Something about the Grinning Man.

i forgor to take notes for this one sowwy

we delivered the thing to seido and it went fine

oh wait no kashak and daichi and xiomara are MISSING WHERE THE FUCK

Bel and the others are looking for Daichi, Kashak, and Xiomara. They head for the smithing district, trying to follow Daichi's footsteps. Mapheaus's altar gives Bel super PTSD flashbacks to The Forge.

there is always a choice there is always a choice there is always a choice there is always

Failure.

That raspy voice whispering Aerovar.

The pounding of the hammer, the scrape of metal. "Chosen."

Bel needs fresh air, and hurries out from the cavern without leaving the offering he had meant to make to the goddess whose icon he carries. They did, apparently, find Daichi! And while finding a place to stay, they're found by Xiomara and Kashak.

Kashak is beaten to a fucking pulp holy fuck.

He signed up for a deathmatch and Narcissa wants to punch him. She wants to punch him so hard.

Narcissa takes a walk, leaving Bel to get everyone else settled into the Sharehouse.

Narcissa encounters. fuck. fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck thats THATS HIM THATS HIMMM ITS HIM!!!! SYNDRI!!!!!


We get a sharehouse with a hot spring and Bel is taking some time to himself, in the hot spring, to relax.

FUCK I DIDN'T SAVE MY FUCKING NOTES AAAAAAAA

theres not vampires in the city its some weird faceless monsters

we're gonna go talk to the guy about them and like

go into the sewers ig

We go back to the inn, after doing a bit of shopping. Narcissa got books, Kashak got gems, and Daichi got a cool new scimitar.

We're greeted with the same guard who accompanied us yesterday, here to see us to Gyo so Narcissa can talk to the dead. While there, we find out there are multiple attackers, possibly of multiple species.

After this, we are shown to the sewers, where we are able to track down some of the fighting force- Ugoloths are being used as slave labor for Slaads which are infesting the city.

We manage to kill two red Slaads, but the blue and green ones get away. We can also hear combat nearby; The guard backup we had called at the start of the fight had run into trouble of their own.

We met up with the guards and helped fight off more Slaad.

After the fight, we informed the Commander of the contamination of the water supply. We also managed to intuit that the chaos storm from a few days ago was likely related to the arrival of the Slaad.

We also discovered that the red and blue slaad had made people Boy Pregnant. H'rizon puked up two tadpoles, but Bel just had some slime in him that hadn't fully formed. One of the guards that was hit by the blue slaad had discolored flesh. We cured everyone in our group, while the Commander took care of his men.

Our Ugothol friend leads us to a worker station to rest.

A blue slaad is checking the rooms. Xiomara and Narcissa manage to invisible everyone to hide them from the slaad.

We allow the Ugothol to lead us back to the gathering place of the Slaad, trying to look for the green one.

We convinced two of the Ugothol guards to leave, and perhaps make new lives for themselves, free of their shackles.

We came to the green slaad and it is wielding some sort of magic, and some plane shifting is happening, centered on the green slaad's staff.

got breakfast, payroll divied out by narcissa, 25 platinum each. the party heads out to hit up kikohaba and then home to the guild hall.

Xiomara got everyone pastries and h'rizon a very good cut of auroch meat, which he cooks up on the first day of travel.

we stop in baraat on our way. there are people looking for help with farms and manual labor, but not really any adventurer-style jobs.

its really hot out and Bel is fucking suffering

TOMIO IS FUCKING NAKED

Tomio hands Bel some gin mixed with [???]

Bel likes gin. Tomio stands up (still naked) and Bel is red as a beet. he skurries out of the office quickly. (haha gay)

Xiomara offers to take Bel swimming, which he takes her up on.

Narcissa has trauma while we're swimming, big, fat, TRAUMA. and kashak and daichi get in trrrrrouble

the party helps Narcissa to Tomio's office-house where she can cry in peace.

Narcissa reveals to the party how her village was raided and destroyed.

Bel tried to comfort her, tell her that the raid was not her fault. Narcissa asks "Doesn't that sound familiar, Bel?"
Voices screaming, his veins burning, the black sword that felt like nothing in his hands. He was the raiding party. He was the one dragging children out of their houses to kill them in front of their parents, the one setting fire to houses and homes.
ouch, Narcissa.

Kashak informs the party that Tomio is not mad about them setting and then fixing a fire.

Everyone starts the travel upon the sea, Bel gets a bit sick during the first day, but joined the night crew... Which is overseen by Cole the Swole, the Mind Flayer. He slowly becomes less uncomfortable around him over the first two nights.

On the third day, there is a storm. A chaos storm! We are attacked by a yellow dragon and Bel almost dies from suffocation due to the salt crystals covering his body, including his eyes, nose, and mouth.

Cole saves Bel's life, and he greatly appreciates the Mind Flayer after this.

They land in Kettenrad on the day executions are handled. Bel tries to wrangle Kashak and Daichi away from the gallows, while Narcissa and Xiomara are out getting travelling supplies.

We meet Eric's new character, Jaz. A wizard with no hands. Hmm.

Ajudicator Alexsander of Kettenrad has lent us a wagon to carry the bodies of Narcissa's parents back to her hometown.

bro toyhouse reloaded and lost my 1st half of my session notes wtf

Bel along with Jaz, Daichi, and Kashak bought food and drink and rooms for the party in the local Inn and Tavern. He tried Ale and a local peach Brandy. Why does he like alcohol. Ick.

Bel helps Narcissa and her uncle, Marcus, with digging graves. He is not having his own PTSD episode. This is Narcissa's PTSD time. Not his.

Narcissa leads the party to the mine her father used to head.

The cave is Fucky.

The cave is fucky and like, a Tomb, one of those weird pocket dimension Tombs.

Bel was holding a rock when he got teleported into the pocket dimension, now he has an emotional support rock.

Victor has replaced Daichi ????

Bel continues dodging the question of what happened when he died.

There are corpses in the room, well over a decade old. That's worrying.

Jaz found a door. Bel stepped up to it, and was named "Belaunim, Slave to Power". Ouch. It was in Undercommon, though, so at least no one else saw it.

On the other side, we come to in fields like Sophenheim's, but oppressive, with the aether of magic heavy, and dense.

In the sky, there is a Fourth Moon. We are extremely far in the past, then.

"A guy did that." Says Victor. "Did what?" Asks Bel. "The moon." "He ripped it out of the sky?" "Yep."

We arrive to the city to see it frozen in time. All of the people inside wear heavy robes, with intricatly carved masks. They are rushing to and fro, but do not seem troubled.

As we linger, the features of the people around us distort. As we get closer to the center of the city, time distorts as well, and begins flowing again for a moment.

Emotional support rock. It's a good rock.

We check in one of the eateries on our way. The food is all black crystal. Bel keeps an eye out for a weaponsmith or forge, but sees no such building on their way.

Arriving at the center, we come to the grand towers, which appear to float, with some parts unconnected. The spires are thin, and reach up into the sky.

No stairs to go up,and they pass by us as if we don't exist. Narcissa tries to get the attention of some of the mages nearby, and he just walks through her.

We pair off and explore different halls. Bel is with Kashak.

Kashak activates the leger, and Bel, in attempting to touch it, sends them to the 10th floor of 12.

They arrive to the sounds of torture, the shrieks of warped beasts, walls covered in cages.

Two of the creatures are watching them, Bel is watching them back. Theres a third one behind him, all three creeping closer.

Kashak brings up the list again, and sends us to the 12th floor.

The 12th floor is where we meet Walach, Mortarch of the Abyss.

Walach calls Belaunim one whose strings have not been cut. He teleports behind Bel, and grabs those strings, rendering him immobile.

Bel asked "Why did the magic of the world Diminish?"

The god of Light, Solarin, attacked his brothers and sisters, taking Shi, the goddess of Dark, down with him as he was cast from the world. The World suffered thus.

In exchange for freeing Walach, he offers a Wish. He says that if he is freed, he will leave, and find a new world to live upon, where the aether is not shattered.

The group argues a while, but decides to take the offer, and use the Wish to take the Shattenvvald away.

Walach mentions something about a pervert halfling and his "immovable rod", and teleports us away after we became curious. Narcissa runs back with more questions.

We leave back the way we came, coming out into the mine. Victor is gone, and Daichi is back. No time has passed. The conduit closes, having been broken by Victor. We leave the cave without incident.

i fucking forgot to save my notes last week fml

fighting one-eye oh boy

one-eye is a dragon ?????!!?!?!

ONE-EYE IS A DRAGON

we survived, daichi died, narcissa revived him

Getting breakfast at Narcissa's Uncle's place. It's cold outside, a snowstorm blowing down from the mountains.

Setting out for Kettenrad at a moderate pace.

First night is peaceful. Even the wild predators in the region have hidden away from the presence of Mania. We've mostly moved out of the range of the snowstorm and into rain.

Meet a Grimshak whose cart is pulled by an Aboleth. Belaunim picks up a book for Victor.

Another peaceful night on the road.

Third day of travel is quicker. They're leaving the rains now, into warmer weather.

Arrive in Mallanta, a large town just south of Kettenrad with high defenses and a bustling market.

Someone was burned at the stake recently. Narcissa prays for them, despite knowing their crimes were likely magical and caused the deaths of many people in the process.

There were some wartime developments, with the Duchies going to war, and Vessiri having attacked Raven's Keep. There was also an assassination attempt on the Prince's life.

We arrive at Kettenrad on day 5, and go to return the cart we had borrowed. After returning it and reporting to Alexander, we head down to the docks to find passage.

At the docks we find a ship with the flag of the Warborn Clan of gnolls. We are welcomed on as enemies of One-eye, and agree to help sail if wanted.

It is manned by a large female Gnoll named Zahra and her "little bitch" Ezek.

We're stopped at the Daireski passage into the inner sea. The lead guard insults her for being the daughter of Redfang and she threatens him, resulting in her being arrested.

bel had taken a semi-nocturnal schedule, waking late morning, sleeping in the late evening.

the next morning they wake early and see zahra and ezek being escorted out to the gates. bel goes to see them, but he cant understand what they're saying.

bel carries kashak to the ship as well.

the gnolls make harbor north of Iksu. bel suggests they check on Rixxa since they dock nearby.

Ezek suggests getting mounts, but the party is hesitant. Ezek also gives the party their leftover rations from the trip.

We make our way over towards Brokenhorn's mountain, but only reach the forest by nightfall.

As we try to push through the dark forest, we encounter a strange undead creature and a gaggle of skeletons.

The thing insta-downs Bel but he's rescued by Narcissa.

They killed the Bosun and downed the Vampire that was with them, and arrived at Brokenhorn's village.

Brokenhorn's village is doing a bit better, not so reclusive or starved. We ask where Rixxa is, and get pointed towards the cave system.

On the way to the cave, we see new buildings being constructed.

Inside the cave, we see the mostly-abandoned shanty-town, and Rixxa living in one of the houses.

Rixxa gives us food and updates us on the village. In the morning, we visit Broken-Horn to warn him of the group hunting down Tombs and Blackstone.

We visit the Myconid colony, and update them of Rixxa's departure.

They arrive back to the guild hall, and Bel gives Victor the book Bel picked up, and takes a bath.

Jirou time!

Jirou is asked to detect magic on the chest with the wish in it, and gets a nosebleed from the blast of 20th circle magic. It's aura is surrounding the whole guild hall.

Jirou is also blindsided by 20TH CIRCLE MAGIC? THE PARTY RELEASED A MAGI OF UNFATHOMABLE POWER ONTO THE WORLD? HELLO?

There are too many people in Viktor's room so they move to the meeting hall. He catches Bel in the hall to ask him to come with.

Oh fucking gods save me from the Wish Talk.

Bryn and Bel take a walk after the Wish Talk and get Ira's attention for better or worse. (It's worse)

"Dogs kneel."

Bryn is appointed by Ira to forge Bel into a usable weapon.

In the morning, Bel gets some breakfast, and Jirou gets a shower and then does some physical training with the other early risers.

Bel and Bryn train together in the morning once Bel comes out to train as well.

Both Jirou and Bel attend the next Wish meeting.

Jirou finds the thought of more magic tempting. Any risks possible by giving more magic to the evils of the world in his mind would be countered by the good that could be done.

Bel is staunchly of the opinion that they should remove the Shattenwald.

The Seeker puts forth the idea that they should destroy the wish.

Jirou argues that to destroy the wish would be a waste of the chance they've been given. He says that the wish was "given to them by the goddesses", meaning it in a metaphorical sense, that the goddesses led them all here, together, with this chance, and almost derails the conversation with others pointing out how the goddesses had nothing to do with it.

The group settles on making us more powerful.

Bel and Bryn both see a horrifying burning space where they see each other as different people. They blink, and they see another vision of war, of being used to kill.

They blink again, and they both inhabit the same form. A broken grey-skinned man with talons, and burns, looking up into Ira's single red eye.

And they are back at the guild hall.

Bel goes to his room, Jirou immediately pulls out his spellbook/journal and starts writing down everything he saw.

We've received a message from the Dupont Nobility, and after a bit of back and forth, while we were getting a party arrived, the Messenger of Dupont arrived with Armed Guards. They informed us that they would wait 10 minutes, and then leave with everyone who is ready.

my notes fucking evaporated

We went to Duke Dupont's manor, attended a feast, Rael got hammered.

After the feast, we made a deal with the Duke to investigate and bring back a certain artifact- the Eye of Joraam. In exhange, the Duke offered knowledge, including the locations of some of the black stone tombs and the title of the leader of the organization sowing evil across E'Atvala: The Architect. He has been working at this, whatever this is, for a long, long time.

After finalizing this deal, the group deliberates on whether to teleport home or to walk home so as to stop by Nalz on the way.

toyhouse lost my notes AGAIN fuck

We left Duke Dupont's manor, stopping in the city for supplies and to send letters.

While out on the road, Rixxa Awakens Basi. Jirou doesn't know about this yet.

We encounter a checkpoint, and are assigned an escort.

While Rael and Bryn are on watch, our escort is killed and we are attacked by a mysterious assassin.

We are in combat. It is a Warforged of some sort. It targets the casters, putting Jirou, Rael, and H'rizon down at various points. Mostly Rael tho

H'rizon is fucking Dead

We contact the checkpoint and they send soldiers to help us out, they revive H'rizon and in the morning, bring us horses. They are all black warhorses. Jirou's is named Roswell.

The horses are ours, and help in travel immensely.

H'rizon led us a bit off course, to the sea. We can follow the sea north to get to Nalz.

While taking a break, Rael ??? summons a water elemental? Jirou is taking SO many notes.

Rael has a Guardian that she gives sacrifices to, and Jirou is Super Weirded Out by it, because he was raised for a long time in Sophenheim, where Warlocks are Illegal.

We arrive at Nalz by nightfall. The city is homely, inviting, as opposed to the stone fortress that might have been expected.

As we are a well-armed group of individuals atop warhorses, we are stopped at the gate and asked to identify.

We're let through easily, and Viktor takes us to his childhood home to sleep. H'rizon sleeps outside, and Rixxa gets an inn room for her and Basi.

We're Shopping, 3 merchants of interest, a fisherman human, a tall, lithe elf, and a lizardfolk with lots of little fetishes.

The elf is selling pieces with Shattenvald magic in them, and wears the pelt of a warped beast.

They are a Shadow Elf, known as Shadar-Kai, corrupted by the taint of Malaise. Only races naturally resilient to corruption can survive where they do: The Shattenvvald.

They have a conduit crystal. It chooses to bond with Rixxa.

Some talk about going to the Shattenvvald, no we are not prepared enough for that.

After the market, we go to the library, and Jirou reads up on any material they have on elementals, especially water elementals.

We visit a candy shop, Jirou is super excited because they haven't had a lot of candy in their life. They get a half-pound of a cinnamon candy called Dragon Drops. Rixxa buys saltwater taffy for everyone, including Jirou! He gets a 4-pound bag.

We return to Victor's home, where H'rizon and Rixxa are making some stew. It's very good. We settle in to sleep, wth Jirou looking over his spell"book"- a binder with loose notes and papers inside.

Victor goes to visit his mother's grave and weird stuff happens.

SYNDRI SYNDRI SYNDRI SYNDRI SYNDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

and im not even there!

Wakin up next morning, getting around, Jirou is... Gorl. Oh, yeah, that happens sometimes.

Victor describes meeting Syndri. They trapped him in an endless graveyard to talk to him. They were apparently friends with Victor's mom. Syndri gave Victor a crystal, and told him that the gems were keys that unlocks something within a person.

RAEL IS UNDER 20. She's. 19. This is fine.

Rixxa and H'rizon arrive, and Rixxa has new armor on. That she perhaps does not know how to take back off.

We travel to the next town, where the Verdant Guard have a sizable force stationed. They're having some issues with some beasties, including a mature warped beast, which the group is going to try to take care of.

We spread out among various inns. Jirou goes to the Bloody Body to shamelessly watch shirtless men.

Jirou wakes early, taking the time to look over his notes and later visits the keep of the Verdant Guard, asking for any information they have on the recent Warped Beast sightings. Hides-His-Blade, a Tabaxi member of the Verdant Guard, lets him know that it was resistant to Fire and Acid, and weak to Silver. It was also, oddly, acting as if it were in pain.

Jirou shares this information with the party, and they decide to visit the Verdant Guard to ask if they had any silver weapons they could rent for the battle.

We speak to Hides-His-Blade about renting silver weapons, who directs us to Major Eyvinder, who agrees to lend us silver weapons, with the agreement that if we lose the weapons, their price will be docked from our pay.

We arrive to the territory of the beast, and it is unlike any warped beast we have ever seen. It vomits shadows. And pours disgusting miasma from it's rotting, chimerized body.

Jirou blasted the Twisted Beast with Radiant and then Lightning and died for it.

Jirou is revived, and wakes up trying to cast Lightning. The spell fizzles, and he is wracked with pain from his body knitting itself back together. His IME flares, golden script writing into the air with the soft sound of a quill.

Something is wrong inside him. Something did not get fixed. Something is wrong. They cannot fix it. Something is wrong. Something is wrong something is wrong something is wrong something is wrong something is wrong something is wrong something is wrong something is

Rixxa was able to glean that Grinner had poisoned the forest, but facing him will need to wait a few days, while we go to bury Rael at sea, and rest.

Basi and Jirou collect flowers, and arrange them when they return, into bundles that the others can tuck into Rael's clothes.

Rixxa talks to a large octopus, who leaves to fetch the water elemental. Before it returns, however, Bryn tries calling upon her connection to Ira to summon the elemental. It works a little too well. Shit gets real spooky, and the Keeper, the water Djinn is summoned.

Some verbal blows are exchanged, both Bryn and the Keeper feeling hurt and angry. Eventually, the Keeper allows the party to say goodbye to Rael before he takes her body.

Jirou apologizes for not getting to her in time to save her, and mourns that she would no longer light the tavern with her singing. He tucks a blue flower behind her ear, and retreats.

Rixxa inspects Jirou and discovers that his organs are necrotizing, prompting a rush back to the guild hall. As soon as H'rizon crosses the border into Daireski, he manages to find his way and get them home half a day earlier than planned, which is good because Jirou is not doing hot. He's only coughing up a mild amount of blood. A fair amount, perhaps.

Narcissa heals him, and sends him to eat dinner and rest.

Bel pulls Bryn away to explain the vision he had directing them to the Ougyuoku Inland Sea.

Hot, humid morning dawns the next day. Jirou is resting, but Bel is up early, working through the harsh sunlight to train.

Jirou identifies Viktor's key, and offers to help Norman learn more magic.

Bel speaks with Viktor about the vision he received from Ira, presenting the desire to go to the Tomb he had been shown.

Narcissa and Jaz call a guild meeting to explain why the lawn and stables are destroyed, and talk to the guild about what to do about the book.

Jirou thinks they should destroy the book, that it is far too dangerous and full of illegal magic to be left intact. It would, however, be very hard to destroy.

Jaz suggests they investigate, among other things, the creation of Hexblades, which Bel responds likely isn't applicable. Alva, a fellow guild member, points out that there are more ways of hexblade creation than Ira's.

After the meeting Jirou goes out into a field with Jaz and tries to identify the Book. As soon as he touches it, all hell breaks loose upon him and everyone around. They live, but Jirou wants Absolutely Fucking Nothing to do with the book.

Day dawns hot and humid, slightly overcast, but mostly sufferingly hot.

They hold another guild meeting where Narcissa announces that her clerical magic is gone, for now. Afterwards, Bel offers to help Narcissa train up her physical combat skills.

Afterwards, they head out to Seido to go shopping. Jirou deposits 1800 of his gold, and takes 200 to go Shopping with, looking for a 100gp Sunburst Pendant for the Dawn spell.

Jirou looks for a jeweler in the middle district, and finds a very traditional looking place called the Velvet Gallery.

Jirou buys a 110gp Sunburst pendant, which they are now wearing. They consider heading back to the bank and withdrawing 1000gp for a ring of Protection for Narcissa.

The party heads to a magic shop and a blacksmith, neither of which Jirou has business at.

fucking deleted my notes again like an idiot

Party went to a bookstore, Jirou didn't really see anything that caught his eye.

Party stayed at the Inn they had stayed in before, though it was new to Jirou. Nice bath, 10/10

Went home, Jirou copied Intellect Fortress into his spellbook.

Stonewall is on the team that went to pick up Zenleigh, so hes gone for now.

Viktor gave Bel his silvered sword, and Kashak proceeded to try to communicate his trust issues with Bel.

bite bite kill kill emotions ensued

Bel desires power and doesn't consider that a bad thing, because he desires power to protect people with. Kashak doesn't trust Bel because of trauma. Neither of them are communicating this effectively.

I want to strangle Bel. He's just so stupid.

oops i moved and no notes

We're going to the Underdark to fulfil Bel's vision.

We stopped in Horizon's Edge to gather information and get a teleportation into the Underdark. While there, Bel discovered a book titled "Why is there a God of Slaughter?". It is chained and locked shut, and he wishes to find the key to open it.

He also obtains copies of his father's notes, and Redfang's Cookbook.

We visit a merchant for supplies, and a blacksmith who worships Ira before making our way over to the transportation hub, and head to the underdark.

Arrive in the underdark, where Bel sees a strange torch in the distance. While the party is adjusting their vision, Bel investigates it. It is a freshly severed Drow head with the symbol of the Ratkin carved into it; A tunnel marker.

The ratkin they've stumbled into is clan Krepid, a clan of Ratkin he knows from his studies. They are small, however, compared to the three main clans the Drow faced:
Clan Vasheen, Clan Bubos, and Clan Klaw

Clan Vasheen is dedicated to assassins, Bubos is dedicated to pestilence, and Klaw to inventions.

The Ratkin simply wanted the party to back off of their border. Based on some info from the Ratkin he spoke to, Bel determined that they were in the northern edge of the unclaimed land, and the party decides to move east-south-east towards where they think the Velathi Creed is.

After the first day, we open the next morning with a conversation of what we are going to do when we do reach the Creed, considering Bel is a traitor, and surface-dwellers are uncommon. We decide to say that we are an adventuring group, with Belaunim, a clanless drow, as their guide.

We reach a great ravine, solidly allowing us to identify ourselves on the map. We follow the ravine south, trying to find a place to cross. We come to a natural land bridge, and Bryn sends Olafr to scout it out.

The bridge was sus as fuck and covered in ropers, so we travelled southward some more, eventually coming to a crossing where a party of Dwarves are stationed. We stay overnight with the Dwarves.

We fought our way across the bridge, facing first fungus-based entities, then a corpse flower.

The fighting attracted a fucked up mind flayer worm, which called out in the distance, prompting Bel to try to hurry the party along.

The party reconvenes after a bit and decides to turn around and investigate the ratkin artificer first, then go to the drow city.

H'rizon and Daichi go out to find fire wood and maybe food after we set up camp, and they get infected with some mushroom thing.

Zen did surgery on them to pull the mushrooms out. It was a success(?)

During Bel and Bryn's watch, an intellect devourer skitters up, questioning if the group was Velathi or Dwendaui. We tell it we are neither, and it continues on it's way.

H'rizon goes hunting. In the wastes. Again. He coems back Okay this time, just with poisonous mushrooms.

While walking, they encounter a Drow, Inquisitor Illykur of the Velathi Creed. One of the shadow enforcers of the Creed. They exchange questions with him.

Bel asks if Illykur knows how the Artificer condensed Aether. He didn't. Illykur asked Bel how he earned his punishment marks, and Bel explained his broken pact, and how he is trying to make up both times he's broken his loyalties.

Illykur joined our party as an escort, the first night, he pulled Belaunim aside to speak with him on the state of the war and the Creed as a whole. Lord Militant Jivvin Gallaer of the Velathi Creed, the leader of the creed, appears to have fallen under the sway of Malaise.

We start our day with Illykur making some food, which Bel thinks is pretty good, but the others are very interested in.

While walking, Bel gets a little lost, and eventually we cross paths with a Weird Bug.

The weird bug is a Rust Scarab named Tetanus, who the party (temporarily) adopts.

We arrive at the entrance to the ratkin's land, which is situated inside large limestone caves, with stalagmites and stalagtites visible like teeth in the maw of some giant beast.

We fought some kua-toa who worship Brel the Hero as a god. It was the funniest D&D encounter I've ever been in.

We make our way through the heavily trapped tunnels to Rhiik Warptail's home, getting more dangerous as they approach.

They arrive, after a bit of misadventures with various traps.

We return Tetanus to Rhiik, who is in fact his proper owner, and then ask about the condensed aether.

He invites us inside, to talk but orders Illykur to stay outside.

Maybe get Kashak and Jaz prosthetics by this guy? Or Zen learns from him?

He treats us to dinner while answering some of our questions.

Dinner goes by with some conversing, then Rhiik takes us to his workshop to demonstrate the aether condensing technique.

There was a quarry for blackstone here in the underdark, which was undoubtably to fuel Sabian's tower.

The demonstration is awful and sucks the magic out of the surrounding air. Horrible!

Narcissa calls Jax on the Sending Stone, allowing he and Rhiik to speak.

Daichi gets his mask enchanted by Rhiik, so we stay a while.

Illykur is allowed inside!

Rhiik also gives us some condensed aether to take back to Jax.

Belaunim goes outside to get Illykur, some drow shenanigans ensue.

Use thunder on warped beasts.

We are bringing Rhiik to the city. Actually, Rhiik is moreso bringing us.

Rhiik teleports us to V'elddrinnsshar, and we visit the temples to the five goddesses and the six rungs.

Our companion, Illykur, has granted us the ability to move about most of the city unmolested.

Bryn and Bel visit the temple of Ira, which is grand with a melted together bowl holding blood from sacrifices new and old.

Bryn has some heavy conversation with the war priest but like Bel was praying and not paying attention.

We head out towards the tomb, with Illykur staying behind to extort talk to some people, and he catches up when we make camp, giving the party a bunch of healing potions.

While walking, Bel feels his chains pull him like the dog he is.

In the tomb, we are on an ancient battlefield, facing a monolith with red light filtering down from above. Blood drips from our lips as if we were slavering animals.

Bodies rotting to dust litter the field, some wounded with inhuman precision.

The battlefield comes to life with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, shrieking, rending, killing. The smell of burning magic like ozone, and the tower in the center.

Through the din of violence, a gutteral scream strikes the battle quiet. All the soldiers around the party are slaughtered, and a voice speaks, that of Virion, the Mortarch of War.

After our vision of Virion, the visions fade. We continue forward, to the foot of the Monolith.

The cavern, even the blackstone, is rent asunder by a weapon we could not behold. It leads inside the monolith. It is dark. Darker than dark. A black that consumes any light it touches.

Bel does not hesitate in crossing the threshold.

They step through, and come to a place very similar to the forge that Bel once stumbled into.

On a raised dais, there is a battered and broken set of black armor with red eyes which pulls Bel towards itself.

Staring into it's eyes, Bel sees visions of power, power which he desires.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

Bel says No he Will Not Kill Narcissa, Bryn is ordered to kill him, and then uh fuck um, uh uh UH

NARCISSA WOKE UP SOLARASIN.

we evade the incoming soldiers after the temple collapses and return to rhiik.

oh good Rhiik AND Illykur are coming to the guild hall.

We teleport to a pretty gross smelling place, like the worst dive bar you've ever heard of.

Rhiik buys us all a drink at the bar, which Bel takes him up on. It's strong, and thats the best quality it has.

We are in the seedy bar in Kikohaba, at around six in the morning. Bel has two and a half drinks to try to ease off the pain of seeing sunlight again.

Bel gets a bit tipsy, and tags along with Rhiik and Daichi to go see Tomio.

We have a convo as we walk, trying to teach Daichi about Illithids.

Tomio answers the door, still naked, and Bel is less flushed, more just idly having thoughts about Tomio.

Narcissa teaches Bel about Rock Paper Scissors while they're waiting for Rhiik and Zen to talk to Tomio in private.

Illykur and Zen try to trick Bel into thinking Tomio offered to have sex. Narcissa is able to keep him focused on learning Rock Paper Scissors, though.

Bel introduces Illykur and Viktor, and follows them to Viktor's office to stand guard.

Viktor talks about his experiences with Pritus, and Illykur describes what will happen to Viktor if he dies once more: His soul will go to Pritus. No revival.

Illykur is surprised to hear we've met two Mortarchs and lived. He shares the names of the six Mortarchs well known: Abyss, War, Blood, Night, Shadow, Despair, and Void.

Illykur drops that Illistyn is the son of royalty, allegedly.

Illykur leaves, having offered to help expediate the bueacracy involved in getting siege weaponry for the Guild Hall.

A guild meeting is called to organize our preperations for a trip to the Scar. Jirou is excited, while Bel is preocupied with thinking about his life and where it's going.

We need to do jobs and bring in money and supplies before doing a big expedition into the Scar. Potions, food, magic items.

While walking away, Bel catches Illistyn and apologizes for bringing an Inquisitor without warning the other drow first, and Illistyn is able to warn him away from blindly trusting Illykur. Progress!

Alva brings news of a "Tragedy", a noble boy who Viktor actually knows. He was the Castellan, son of Duke Lorenz, who is gay and whose lover was assassinated by his father because the Duchy of Lorenz is Homophobic

Viktor catches Bel and asks about what god he's going to follow now. Bel doesn't have much of an answer for him, aside from "No I will not accept any offers from Solarasin."

We have a long rest and it's not great, our fears coming up, nightmares. We wake up to screaming, to the sound of slaughter.

Illistyn and Bel banged i guess

According to Stonewall, the commoners in the guild hall just went insane and started stabbing people. There are awful masked puppet things, faceless thralls it seems.

Mania is here too.

Mockery is also here.

Grinner is ALSO here.

Jaz casts a Big Spell to move the Guild Hall, the Golden Shields, and all those under our protection away from the area.

We all vomit our guts out on arrival. Eugh. Bad teleportation.

We have a bit of a meeting, during which Jirou tries to put out a Sending several times, each time incuring damage.

There seems to be magic fallout preventing magic use. Or. At least Jirou can't send to their allies.

Outside, Bel and the others are keeping an eye out for their enemies.

A chaos storm seems to be forming above our Guild Hall.

We get everyone inside, and the storm rolls over. One of the knights is killed by a Weird Spell, Bel revives him.

Still can't cast magic? Just Jaz though.

Session ends with the chaos storm ending and more of the sophen army coming to investigate.