Godless Avalon

= Avalon Fall '22- Spring'23 (Sumna 5th 3128 - ?) =
In the aftermath of a cataclysmic event, a sizable portion of the people of the realm have decided that the gods of the realm are no longer worthy of worship.  Their revolt against the gods is also a purge of the devotees.  The party finds faith in this time of troubles.
Rough Outline Page:
Passives/Inative/Skills
Dnd Beyond Campaign Page
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The First Edit of Lord Marshall, [name redacted] - Posted Sayf 37th 3128 - 1 week prior to events of the game
== Season 1 - Fall '22 (Sumna 5th - 26th 3128 ?) ==
=== Disintegration: Book 1 - Sumna 5th 3128 (10/2/22) ===
||THE FIRST GAME OF AN EXCITING NEW DND ADVENTURE|| - 325xp
The Lord Marshall of Gaul has taken the throne after the passing of the king. His first edict declares all churches guilty of treason and he enacts an inquisition against all those who are found practicing faith. The party is in the town of Beleth, near the border of L’Naunde in the northeast. The villagers have heard that the roads out of town have been closed, which indicates that "The Correctors" will be arriving soon to purge the town of all those found faithful...
Session notes:
It's 1:00 and the room is prepared. Dan is at the head of the table. What is this madness??
Ral (Chris) - a cranky, self-declared demon hunter in search of her purpose. Generally displeased with religion but not the gods themselves.
Patchouli (Molly) - secretly a goblin wizard on the run from her people. No beef with religion in general, but why did the gods put her in this situation?
Ulysses (Vix) - Half-orc Captain trying to get back to G'Rash Bay. He's totally NOT a believer of Pelor... though they were helpful during the demon crisis.
Darren of the Dreamspeakers (Nat) - Leonin, decked out in crystals. He's been in town a week at most, spreading wellness and self-fulfillment. Agrees with the current climate in opposition to religion, but not the methods, believing that this kind of change can't be forced.
Thragtusk (Kiel) - 7'8" orc From G'Rash Bay. He references Gork and Mork a lot, but the practice of their religion is through combat.
Violet/Vi (Cari) - Harengon, blipped into Avalon from the Feywild, but doesn't know that's where she's from. Learned to survive off the land over the last few years. Searching for any of her own kind. Worships Nature.
A'riel Seraph (Matt) - He/They. Aasimar, strong connection to Pelor. Had been led by a guardian angel until it fell silent. Left his family on its suggestion, got no other direction, helped as he could, returned to find his family missing. Hiding his appearance. Religious but Questioning.
Sobek Shaunti (Andre) - High Priest of the Order of Sobek. They/Them. Was just passing through by ship. 6', blue scales, they've MET their god.
D'Faq (Matt) - He/It. Trashborn possum. Was once a typical possum until he ate magic-infused trash from a destroyed apothecary, tying his soul to the power of nature. Curious of other sentient creatures, he crafted himself crude clothing to emulate them. He has no concept of religions of gods.
Oui Man (Casey) - Goliath from Gaul with a talent for the performative arts. He worked for the House of Tbblobnoern. The House sent away their servants during the demonic incursion to be with their families. Found the demons stupid for believing his force-field schtick, and therefore the gods are also idiots. Worships none of them. Looking for the Master and Lady of the House. Was just about to leave when the routes were closed. Discovered D'Faq.
Manbiik Malooz (Chip) - 5'5". Once part of a traveling science show, he mimics the voice of his past partner in a narrative manner. Believes magic and gods are explanations idiots give to explain science.
We decide we're all seeking lodging in the same place, tenement building of the former Pope Zeta of Pelor's faith, the seminary academy having been converted to an inn. Manbiik debates Darren. Darren dodges by pretending to agree without agreeing. Darren wants to coach Sobek on his drawing power from within himself. Sobek thinks Darren's an idiot. They keep volleying at one another and always missing. Sobek turns to Patchouli, interested in her deal. "Patchouli came from the roads..." She offers him a lollipop. Patchouli had been assisted by Thragtusk on the way here -- he ended a fight she was trying unsuccessfully to avoid. Thragtusk also chats with Ulysses about their both having lived in the New Ork City district of G'Rash Bay. A'riel is interested in Ulysses' residual markings of Pelor, strikes up conversation that the half-orc attempts to dodge. Ulysses met Ty! A'riel believes everyone should be trying to help everyone. He shows an interest in D'Faq, "Whose pet is this?" D'Faq, for his part, is foraging trash and eating it. A'riel tries to get the creature to understand the breadth of creation, but he's focused on a smaller picture: the creation of various sizes of trash. On to Oui Man, who had discovered the possum. He asks Vi if her antlers are natural. "What? Are you talking to me? Uh... ok..." Vi and Ral had encountered one another in the wilderness on the way here, and the two have been kind of accidentally shadowing one another since. Ral is willing to chat with Manbiik since he doesn't want to talk about religion. But he also tries explaining away the demonic incursion as some kind of illusion, and she grows weary of him.
(Um Actually and other pregame stuff and... GO!)
Pope Zeta has been absent since the churches were closed. We've been taken care of by Spencer, one of the altar boys in his early teens. "I should let all of you know, Pope Zeta will be arriving today. He wants to... bless the lunch. If any of you want to leave, I understand. If this bothers any of you, I will bring your food to your rooms." We chat.
Out steps a water elf woman who runs a fish shop and restaurant, carting a delicious-smelling tray of fresh, roasted fish. Garlic tilapia. Miles better than the average food we've gotten here. She's getting out of town somehow. "They're coming for the churches, don't know whom they're coming for next, not letting it be me."
Through the doors emerges Pope Zeta. "Greetings and blessings upon this meal. Some of you I know. Some of you I don't know." He launches into a condemnation of the current state of affairs. "If the DUKE and his CRONIES want to come into MY TOWN..." He dares them to try. "They shut down the roads, they shut down the harbor, and we know that means the Correctors are coming." He's hosting a holiday feast tonight. "We'll eat together and decide if we're going to stand up for our beliefs. Dinner tonight, come if you will. I'm gonna do what Pelor put me on this earth to do, and that is preach." A'riel wants to know how he can help, is told just to show up.
Dymont, the water elf, "I don't know if I have any faith in his ability to resist the King, but we are considering a way out." They're forging passage documents. We might be able to pass as traveling merchants if we join her. Some question who the Correctors are, and she explains what is known about the inquisitors. We consider the possibility that they bend the definition of faith-practicing to encompass exactly whomever they want to incarcerate.
Do we join her to escape? Do we try and defend Zeta? Try and talk him down from it? What is evil, and when is killing acceptable, ponders the possum.
We ultimately decide to speak with Zeta to get his take on the possible courses of action. D'Faq pockets as many fishbones as he can manage.
We walk to the market square. People look at us, outsiders, fearfully. We find him on his (literal) soapbox. Most are trying not to acknowledge him. A human is yelling back to Zeta to be quiet and not bring any danger to people and their families. Thragtusk heckles him back.
We go to chat with Zeta. He won't say what he hopes others will do. He also doesn't know what's become of those who were taken by the Correctors.
(Dan goes to tend to the bunnies while we converse in-character.) Doing nothing is bad, and things can only be expected to escalate. Trying to repel them escalates things. But what if we were to sneak out and ambush them before they arrive? Could that avoid the likely result of greater retribution against the town?
(DINNER!!)
We're going to see exactly how the roads in and out of town are blockaded. We have the choices of the west or south roads. West is where the river is, and we opt to go there. Soldiers, 8 of them, clad in the royal guard uniforms have carts set up blocking passage. One guard has plumes that make it obvious he's the commanding officer. Darren goes forward to question him, Ulysses as well. The guard tells them nothing more than that the road is closed. Ulysses attempts to bluff a sob story, rolls a 2 and then a 1. D'Faq goes forward to question him on semantics. He gets unnerved and annoyed. Patchouli tries to Charm Person to no avail. Vi bluffs that she needs to know where the Correctors will be arriving because she has someone to report to them immediately. We learn that the cadre will be crossing this bridge by morning. But now they want the person's name to make sure he doesn't flee. Vi gives a fake name and Deception(22), so they jot down John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmitt, a gnome.
We go upriver a bit. Looks tumultuous to cross on all fronts.
Go to look for Dymont Cess at her fish place, the Cess Pool. Ulysses addresses her. Her plan would be to depart by sea. This doesn't mesh with our plan to intercept the Correctors by land.
We'll see if we can sneak out south at night. We're not attending Zeta's feast.
We traverse the river's edge at night, and we find a spot where it's merely 70 feet across. A nature roll reveals that there COULD be predatory creatures in the water. Darren doffs his armor, ties two lengths of rope together, attaches one end to a tree, and makes to swim to the other side. Rolls 15, makes it across safely.
We take turns using Acrobatics to cross. As D'Faq is in the middle, he's swarmed by gnashing fish attracted to his pocketed fish bones. Initiative.
Multiple swarms of the carnivorous fish attack anyone over the water. We have some mishaps, and D'Faq begins being carried downstream, but he is lasso'd by Thragtusk and pulled the rest of the way. D'Faq manages to catch hold of Darren's javelin of speared piranhas, feasts on them, and returns the weapon to him.
We slay the swarms and make it across. We decide to leave the ropes tied across for the time being and begin seeking the road.
But we become aware of a very ominous plume of smoke across the river in the direction that we came from, looking like it's coming from the vicinity of the church.
=== To Die For: Book 2 - Sumna 5th - 6th 3128 (10/9/22) ===
Our group of heroes are trying to help a world where the faithful are fearful. Their best laid plans may have been subverted though!
Dinner by Matt & Casey
XP: 108 (bonus) + 300 = 408 Total
Session notes:
(People are recovering from last night's lingerie party.)
A'riel freaks out and jumps into the river to get back across. D'Faq tries to lure other piranhas over to Speak With Animals to them. Thragtusk attempts to lasso A'riel and succeeds. Darren helps haul him back to shore. Darren then tries to calm A'riel with his words. 
Ral suggests we head to the road as it would be the fastest way to assess the current situation. There, we determine that foot and hoof tracks went by within the day, towards the bridge, between 4 and 8 peopole. No tracks are leading away within the day.
Deciding we missed the Correctors, we take the road to get back into the town. Along the way, two carriages approach us, with two people marching alongside. We take cover. They're the guards we spoke to, stationed on the bridge. We overhear them complaining that they were dismissed early. As we approach the bridge, there's a tent encampment being established on the town side, looking like a replacement blockade. A command post. Five humanoid individuals, but we can't make out details. Their carriages are intentionally blocking the bridge as the previous ones had.
D'Faq wildshapes into a cat and accompanies Thragtusk in stealthing near to get a better view of them. The orc makes his way along the bridge's underside.
All humans, not wearing the cloaks of the royal guard, but they have marks of station. Black leather armor and matching hats. They look like Chakan The Forever Man. They are building the camp with expert proficiency and silence, and we now see there are eight of them. The observers return.
We discuss. We're going to attack from across the river, with melee preparing to take them as they make their way across the bridge.
But as we're getting into position, Thragtusk fails his Acrobatics(6) check and falls into the water. This does not escape their notice, and three go to the river's edge. But Dan's nat20 to find him is Mayor'd into a 1 and they decide it must've been the wind. Thragtusk gets back into position.
Darren begins the combat for us, and we begin our volleys against the surprised adversaries. Shocking no one, D'Faq ignores the plan and goes directly across the bridge to them.
On their turn, one emerges from a cart donning a Quaker hat and begins barking orders at them, inspiring them. Finding himself surrounded, D'Faq scrambles up one's back, who uses his action to throw him off.
(DINNER)
We loot the bodies and toss them into the river. We find that there's one more Corrector in one of the carts, sitting patiently. D'Faq says hello to him. "A talking raccoon?" He asks the possum if he is religious. "I am offering armistice." He calmly tells us how we can be arrested for our crimes. After chatting with D'Faq a bit, he states a desire to speak with the HUMANS among the group. A'riel, who looks the part, steps forward with Ral. Will we join him in attending our trial? This is not among our plans, no. A'riel Eldritch Blasts him. We roll initiative.
Things go south immediately. A'riel is dropped, the man seemingly gains immunity to damage types after they work against him, and Ral manages to pass a Wisdom save against "agreeing to help" him. Darren grabs A'riel and we all begin booking it back across the bridge and out of town. Some taunt him by praising their gods. "SAFE TRAVELS! I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN SOON!"
We rush two hours to a cave Darren recalls seeing. We cover our tracks and conceal the cave entrance, and we hole up there to recover. A'riel's wound isn't healing, and we realize that it's glowing. D'Faq recognizes the smell of curses, necromancy. Manbiik helpfully tells us that there's no such thing. We spitball. A'riel wants a flame to try and reestablish his connection to Pelor. We dissuade him from building a fire inside here, but a hooded lantern does the trick. He prays, begging for a response. And casts Sacred Flame on his own wound. It doesn't work, but he gets an Inspiration Point for his trouble.
Thragtusk and D'Faq take first watch. "What's a god?" D'Faq has a lot of questions. Trash is in the eye of the beholder.
But before we get to the next watch, Dan's making faces about his roll just now.
A bell Thrag strung at the cave entrance rings as a bear enters. D'Faq casts Speak With Animals, and the bear demands to know what we're doing in here, wants us out. D'Faq negotiates, offering food in exchange for our staying just this one night. People pool a lot of their rations and one fish. The bear's name is Mike. This is all kind of ridiculous. This is our life now. The bear stipulates that we have to leave in the morning, and we aren't allowed to piss in here. We find the terms agreeable.
So now it's second watch (Ulysses and Ral) and there's a bear. And he's farting. A lot. And then growling toward the cave entrance. A voice that we easily recognize calls in from the entrance, "Hello? Is there anyone in there?" The bear grunts over toward the voice, and we make no effort to stop him. The man congratulates the bear for eliminating the threat to the King.
Third watch, nothing interrupts. Darren tries to comfort A'riel, that even if Pelor isn't there for him, his friends are here for him.
A'riel recieves none of the benefits of the long rest.
There is a small hamlet if we carry on toward the coast, to the northwest. A small fishing village named Pont-du-mer, a distance of 15-16 miles.
In the morning, D'Faq chats with the bear a lot. The bear wants us OUT. That's fair.
Perception25 detects no sign of the man. But we still want to assume he's out there somewhere, so we prepare to move hastily if needed.
We emerge to bright sun and salty sea air. We notice something amiss with a nearby felled tree, which was that way when we arrived, but upon which now are some clothes, severely singed. A carefully-folded papal tracksuit.
=== Book 3 - Red Right Hand - Sumna 6th 3128 - (10/16/22) ===
Our group attempted to strike first at the oppressive antitheist government!
Though they shed some blood, they learned the true power of the regime and are now being hunted. Will they be able to escape the country before they're caught? 
Dinner by Takeout
XP - 368 - 81 - 441
Session notes:
Ral carefully takes the papal track suit. D'Faq searches the area for tracks. He identifies those of a humanoid, one set leading toward the cave, and one back the way they came. D'Faq can't determine if there is hard evidence of Pope Zeta's death on the tracksuit.
Thragtusk floats the idea that we turn ourselves in, but most aren't entirely enthusiastic. We figure the man will find us when he's ready to.
Patchouli attempts to duct tape A'riel's wound. She takes the opportunity to examine it and determines that there is a Wizard or Warlock spell that might be able to undo the curse.
We set off for Pont-du-mer. Ral and Sobek cover tracks (Survival20). Darren and Thragtusk lead.
Should we rush the entire journey in one day, or move leisurely and stop for the night before our arrival?
Darren tries Detect Magic to check the entire party for any Divination spells that may assist our enemies in tracking us. As expected, there is a faint Necromancy aura on A'riel. And from Ulysses: Evocation. But he knows this is from his Sending Stone. Thragtusk ponders whether he could be divining our location with the assistance of a knife of his that was left behind. Ulysses and Vi Perceive for anyone following, nothing. Even the nearest trail has no traffic, which is odd. Vi and D'Faq check for evidence of others coming along this way, Nature(22), quite untraveled.
So we opt to go for the real trail now after that first hour, traveling quickly. Some recall that the town has a crystal growing economy.
Ahead on the path, we see a wagon approaching. No insignia. We all roll Performance, the lowest being Darren with a respectable 10.
Driving the cart is a human man in his mid-30's, with a boy seated next to him of about 13. They wave. We wave. It draws to a stop. Vi takes point, and the man asks us, "Are you coming from the town of Beleth?" "Ye-Nooo!" Deception(20). "Ah, I was hoping you could tell me if the roads were open yet, I have a shipment to deliver." What's happening at Pont-du-mer? No Correctors there yet, but "we did put in a request for them to come." He warns us to be careful, as there are rumors of refugees hiding there! Does he recognize Sobek's religious symbols? "What an UNUSUAL fashion sense you lizard people have!" He suggests we visit Muriel's for a good lunch. His name is... Steve. He's hauling crystals. Patchouli gives the timid boy a lollipop.
Ral: "Great, so now there's someone who supports the Correctors headed where we came from who can definitely identify all of us."
Eventually, we see the town off in the distance. Sobek rolls (Nat20) to try and guess at the religions of this town, based on what we know of their crystal enterprise. Boccob, the god of magicks. The Church of Boccob has been given some leeway from the culling due to being more magic-focused. Sobek finds us an inn on the edge of town. Felicia's Inn and Bird Sanctuary. Sobek pays for our rooms for the night. He also sneaks a (Nat20) glance at the guest ledger where she's recording us. Someone's staying in the Presidential suite. Lord Nikolai. History23, he's a published Arcane scientist.
Sobek then asks the woman about the Church of Boccob. She closes the ledger. "If you want to stay here, you do not mention that, understood?" We understand.
We're led over for dinner. We observe what seems to be room service being prepared and sent off. Sobek mentions the name he read in the ledger, and Manbiik states what he knows about the man. Could he help A'riel? Thragtusk wants to go knock on his door right now, but the rest of us want to at least stay and eat first.
We ask the woman about other places of interest nearby. Adjacent to the ale shop is an alchemy house. The ale house also has books. But as she's helping Sobek notes where these places are on a map, a hooting from above draws her attention, and she excuses herself to tend to something. A bit later, a bell rings signaling that our dinners are ready. One plate for each, one of which is described to us as a fucking mess. D'Faq:"Dat's mine." It's "a fuckin' great meal." The woman returns as we're finishing. Perception15+ hears what she says to the chef. "They're sending them here tonight. We need to make more food." Uh oh. "There will be some... further company in the inn this evening. I recommend that you keep your conversation to the minimum." She suggests she could erase our presence from the ledger, and Thragtusk puts two gold coins on the table. "In a godless world, there is one god we can ALL worship," as she pockets the coins, "Thanks for your faith."
We head to our rooms. On the way, Darren spontaneously knocks on the Presidential suite door. A voice asks from beyond the door if we have an appointment. Yes...? Deception, pass. Several locks open. A strange, humanoid, metal creature with visible gears greets us. He is Lord Nikolai's automaton, and he leads us to the man's room.
It is very richly decorated, lots of crystals, mahogany, a study with a fireplace. Seated in a tallback leather chair is a human man with a pointy hat. "VF-Seven, who are these people?" "THEY SAID THEY HAD AN APPOINTMENT." A'riel apologizes for the imposition, explaining that we heard of his ability, and we hope he can help with a curse. The man starts going on about how everyone's "cursed" and their dick doesn't work, and... But then Darren tears off A'riel's coverings.
Nikolai recognizes that receiving this curse happens for a specific reason. A'riel offers to leave now if this is too much trouble for him, but the man continues.
"The both of us may be in this town for less than savory reasons." Perhaps we can be of use to him. We offer that we've learned the Correctors are coming tonight. "The Correctors? Then you should leave out my window." He says he will give us one item, in good faith. Nikolai grabs a book with Draconic writing on it, "Essentials." He opens it, revealing that the tome is hollowed out inside. The hollow looks like pure blackness. He reaches in and pulls out a vial containing a glowing purple liquid. "You take that, and it will abate the symptoms that you are currently experiencing, but only until the sun comes up again. But if you can do something for me..." He wants the alchemical reagent from the alehouse. He's tried to gain it through negotiation and the offer of financial compensation, to no avail, and he's prepared to get a sample of it whether they're willing to allow it or not. The townsfolk don't want to give up the secrets of their town's income, but hey, we're all outsiders. We are to go out his window, get the stuff, and return to his window with it.
(DINNER!)
We make our way to Radiant Elixirs, the bar with the secret ingredient. We can hear the hubbub on our approach. The alchemical shop portion appears to be closed for the day.
We enter the brewery. Lots of people, primarily sailors, of many different races. Four bartenders are tending to the customers, all of them busy. Thragtusk buys us a round. Manbiik rolls Investigation(11) and can't determine what's up with this beer, but everyone who tries it finds it to be exceptionally delicious.
There's a door to the back behind the bar. D'Faq detects poisons and determines that there is alcohol present. Darren casts Detect Magic. There is a faint aura of magic around every mug of beer in the bar. Necromancy. Ulysses orders a stout, also necromancy.
Some begin praising the beer, but then Ulysses and Thragtusk put on some Deception to claim that the beer ISN'T all that. Nat20. A man sitting at the bar asks "EXCUSE ME?" Thragtusk begins debating that the brew in G'Rash Bay is superior. It turns out that this man may, in fact, be the brewmaster himself. Patchouli casts Charm Person on him, and we Kuma down Dan's roll. He is charmed for an hour. "Not everyone has the palate like Patchouli does!" She urges him to give us a tour of the facility.
We are admitted to follow him. The door leads down a very narrow hall of steel-girded wood to a reinforced steel door. "Follow me inside, please!"
Past the door is a massive warehouse. D'Faq is still detecting just alcohol. A dozen laborers in food service worker coverings are operating the brewing apparatus. Detect Magic again, still sensing Necromancy, but here it's leading into the filling tank from a separate, glowing pipe. Tracing the route, that pipe comes in a wall from the opposite side behind a CRAZILY secure door, and not toward the alchemist shop as we'd expected. Darren points it out to the rest. D'Faq asks the man about the door, and he is told it's a fire exit, clearly lying. Ulysses suggests loudly to Thragtusk that that must be where the crap they're adding to this swill is kept. Nat1 Mayor'd to a 20. "You want to know exactly what makes the beer so good? FINE! I will show you." The man's method of opening the door triggers Detect Magic: Abjuration.
Within the secure room, we immediately notice that there are three sea elves chained to the wall. On the opposite side is another SUPER thick secure door with a window set into it, through which we can see the space beyond is filled with water and lit by a bright blue light somewhere within. "What you are drinking is faith. We have found a way to extract faith from the faithful." The chained elves are conscious, but very much out of it. The pipe running into the brewing room runs right below their feet.
The man declares that the tour is now over. Thragtusk agrees and shuts the door. We roll Initiative.
The first thing we discover is that the man is immune to Necrotic damage. Oui Man tries undoing some of the shackles restraining the elves. D'Faq begins breaking the glass on the door to the next room. On his turn, the man whistles for backup and begins attacking people's mouths with handsful of yeasty necrotic yish. Patchouli angrily lightnings him, personal memories triggered by the sight of the chained individuals. D'Faq shatters the window with his next attack, and what he recognizes as seawater begins seeping harmlessly into the room. We manage to stop most of the laborers at the doorway, though Darren is brought down multiple times from their focused attacks.
Thragtusk scores a Nat20 with thieves' tools unshackle the three. "We worship the Goddess... She is all..."
The water has gone down, but there is something VERY BRIGHT in this next room. Detected Good and Evil recognizes a Celestial is in there. No response to A'riel speaking to it in the Celestial tongue.
Thragtusk attempts to pick the door's lock. He succeeds with Sobek's Guidance. Another harmless rush of water spills out as the door opens. We can make out a humanoid figure, suspended with chains from the roof. There are several tubes coming out of them into the pipe on the ground. The intensity of the light is diminishing. Thragtusk sets himself to freeing the being as Manbiik bottles some of the piped fluid. We can now recognize a femininely-shaped humanoid with loooong hair to her ankles. Sobek catches her and pulls out the tubing slowly with Medicine(27) and Guidance. Sobek clothes her, and she speaks in Celestial, her voice like the softest ocean breeze. "Please, I have to live. For my followers. Get them out of here safely."
=== Book 4 - Indigo Eyes - Sumna 6th 3128 - Sumna 10th (10/30/22) ===
Dinner by Nat (Spoopy halloween)
After committing treason and murder, our party has found themselves on the run from the law of Gaul. Though they've found allies against the antitheist regime, we're not sure how well they'll fare when they're aiding and abetting an actual god..
XP: 1688
Session notes:
Ulysses, Thragtusk, and Darren each grab an elf. We return to the larger brewing room. There's one more side door in the direction of the alchemy shop. We decide to go for that option, and Thragtusk succeeds in unlocking it. Dark in the next room. A laboratory for cooking alchemical reagents. Windows near the ceiling, no people, another door that leads presumably into the alchemist's shop. Thragtusk unlocks one of the windows, some ten feet up. The four carrying creatures make athletic checks, with only Darren fumbling and causing his ward to take damage. Ulysses sighs and heals the elf.
We determine the path to the shore, avoiding the entrance to the bar. We make more Athletic rolls to climb up the surrounding enbankment. Next is a shallow bog. Sobek creates an ice bridge. We make it to the sea and gently return them to the ocean. The water around the deity begins to glow at the touch. "Thank you, thank you, you have saved us this day."
Ulysses asks her about curing curses. She can, for the faithful. A'Riel has faith, and She submerges him for a minute, curing the wound. Does Ral have faith? Mutters, yes. (Not Deception), and she is also cured the brewmaster's rot.
A'Riel: We see what you are, but we never got to ask who you are. "She is Lady Osprem, Queen of the Sea Elves." Patchouli would like to ask for the Lady to choose a gift to bestow, whatever you believe we deserve. "Our resources are strained since our church has come under duress, but I can provide what you need, a way out. There is a ship, arriving in one hour's time, the people on the ship know who you are and will grant you safe passage. I will see that the sea guides you well on your journey, thank you for all that you've done."
We discuss. No need to return to the guy who sent us on this mission, as we have what we need. Should we dump the blood, then? Manbiik quietly keeps it.
We do ourselves up all nonchalant-like. Head on back to the streets of town and over to the harbor area. Some try to go through brazenly or acting like laborers, others use stealth. There's a main gate, locked, and a gate booth with a dude in an orange vest who greets us. "Oh, hello! Are we, uh, expecting someone?" Bluffing is done. What ship is it? Thragtusk is the first to toss out something at random. Weird, not on the list, is it a pressing delivery? Medical supplies. Is that what's in THAT barrel? Vi rattles off a list of items, Manbiik rattles off a list of scientific compound names. Where is this ship heading? Sobek and Darren each call out a different place simultaneously. Bluff with disadvantage. Oh, we meant Breton first and THEN to Andalous. Port of origin? We argue that we're unaware where it originally launched. He invites us to head back to the Exalted Brew and he will announce when our ship arrives. Thragtusk claims not to drink and wants to sit on the dock and take in the atmosphere, critically fails his Deception. The guy becomes suspicious now, wants to see what's in the barrel. Patchouli charms him, offers him a lollipop. He is distracted.
Thragtusk unlocks the gate while the man asks a lot of questions about the candy and flirts up Patchouli. He also starts talking about the heightened need for security under orders of the new king. Patchouli wants to play a little game with her roll of duct tape. He invites her into the booth, where she tells him to sit down. She then secures him to the chair. Arms, legs, eyes, mouth. He sounds pathetic, and she smooches him on the cheek. We put out the light in the shack and carry on to the docks.
Within the hour, our ship pulls in. The water elf, Cess, comes out to tie up and is surprised to see us. We quickly explain the situation. They need supplies, though. We're afraid the harbor will be shut down in short order, so Thragtusk offers to go and gather some supplies free of charge.
The ship is named The Pickle Ranch.
Ten other ships are in the harbor, and the one next to ours has no lights on. Darren scrambles up to lower a gangplank, Stealth16. Knocks over a thing of kerosene, but the two dwarves in a hammock seem not to wake. We make off with their food. (They are the pair from Seas of Avalon.)
Damont Cess is surprised "they were open." Yup, all good, let's go.
We are out at sea now, the port shrinking from view.
She wants a more complete explanation. Yeah, the Correctors are coming to Pont du Mer. Oh. She tells us their plan was to live at sea for a while, but if they're going after the port towns, yeesh.
She's a WATER elf, not a SEA elf, come on.
Breton is cracking down on refugees from Gaul, so heading there isn't a great option.
We'll make our way east and see about find more accommodating... accommodations. Let's meet her husband, Timbra. He's whittling something. Oh, you're from Breton? We, uh, may have been there, depending who's asking. He wants to talk to his wife in private, and we are shoo'd to the deck for a bit. Muffled communication. They want to travel SAFELY, so... "You'll be leaving us at the next port, then." Uh, yeah. Also, we'll be sleeping up on deck. So be it.
Sobek talks to A'Riel, says they can pray together as they are out to sea in international waters.
Morning. A kid water elf girl with a wooden brontosaurus toy is staring at us. She asks Sobek who they are. Chatting about linguistics. "I hear that you are all wanted. Criminals are bad people, but you don't seem bad, so you aren't criminals, are you?" Patchouli wants to sleep. Caranbola is the girl's name. Sobek carries her. "Are you a dinosaur too? And my sister wants to meet your bunny friend."
Sun's up. People are doing their thing. Three ships appear on the horizon. Elf ships of the L'nandae. "Oh, that's their blockade." "Gaul and the nearby elves have NEVER been friends." Timbra tells Caranbola and everyone else to go down below decks. They'll try to settle this with their merchant papers. Damont comes down with us. We hear a gangplank, some footsteps. Distinct barking orders in Elvish, "Show us your papers, the waters are locked." Someone who speaks Elvish? Between Ral and Vi, Ral hands the papers to Vi. Thragtusk establishes a psychic link. "What are you?" "Harengon, I guess, that's what they say I am." Feywild? What's that? But they're pleased to hear her speaking their native tongue. They recognize the shipping manifesto is a counterfeit as their people are the ones who created and sold it to them, so they're going to collect the bounty on the people who are obviously being smuggled onboard. They're willing to make an exception for the exotic Feywild person, but the navy will sink the ship and reclaim the bodies. Vi is not buying this, but there's no convincing them. Intimidation, fails, she may sink with her compatriots, and he wishes her the best of luck.
We begin rushing the deck over Timbra's objections. Initiative. We hear an order shouted, "Strike Force, go!"
Gunpowder from the cannon room that we ignited during the first round explodes at the top of the order, injuring some and killing the ten remaining elves.
(DINNER!)
We are attempting to flee from the other two ships. Captain Ulysses takes the helm. One of the other ships is turning its broadside toward us, and we see two puffs of smoke on its side. Our ship is hit for 40 damage. We continue our escape. Ulysses summons a fog cloud to obscure our position. The next volley misses us. And as we travel, the fog grows thicker and wider, and we no longer perceive cannon fire. Some guess that we have been aided by a certain sea elf deity.
Darren goes to calm the family.
Ulysses drops his fog effect, but the enhanced fog remains. Damage to the ship is cosmetic, no worries for now.
We attempt to head to a northern island. Cruise for three hours, the fog does not lift. And we come to a stop on a sandbar. Darren tries to speak, but no noise comes out. All attempts to speak make no sound, but we still hear the ocean and nonverbal noises like clapping hands.
Darren unrolls a rope ladder down. There is vegetation ahead, presumably land. Late day, sun's not down yet, but soon. 
Examination of the flora reveals... fruits and plants that don't have names. This is nowhere on the Avalon mainland. Warmer than where we left. We opt to explore inland. The family accompanies us. And we find a regularly-traveled pathway. Medium-sized humanoids, in the past 2-3 days.
Additional attempts to make sound intentionally are all thwarted. Manbiik shits himself silently and sadly.
We come to an area that's been bushwacked. Huts, humanoids, fair-skinned elves. Braids with beads. They look over at us. Darren waves to them. A middle-aged one, with pointy but droopy ears, steps away from his hut and waves back. They pantomime to one another, him repeatedly laughing silently. He gets his wife, we presume. Darren pantomimes the same, and she also laughs. Manbiik tries writing to them in Common. No good. Ral tries in Elvish. No good.
Thragtusk establishes a telepathic link, startling the two. They continue signing as they speak in the mind link. They ask if we are hungry, and we are invited to eat with them.
It is the Night of the Seven Moons tonight, and it is fortuitous that we are here as we can help them with their ritual.
Thragtusk writes for the party to see (except Darren who cannot read) "I'm not sure, but I think they might be sacrificing us."
Religion22, there are tribes with moon rituals, and sacrifice is uncommon.
We are brought cups of sweet juice.
He makes to return the tray, but then he stops abruptly. Sets it down, and prostrates himself. He telepathically tells Thragtusk to follow suit, who motions for the rest of us to do the same. There is a woman, colorfully festooned, coming through the area. She walks up to the elf, runs her fingers through his hair, taps his ear. He stands at attention. They speak with their hand motions. She looks over at us, taking us in.
She goes up to A'Riel, does the same to him. A'Riel looks at her, and the guy indicates for him to stand. She circles him. Makes hand motions to him. He has no idea. She indicates for him to go downward, and he kneels on two knees. She walks up behind him and begins massaging his shoulders. She then pulls a dagger from her hair and brings it to A'Riel's throat, but then moves it to the top of his head, cutting the tip of his feathers which she eats. And then she walks off.
People begin standing and return to their regular stuff. Thragtusk asks the guy. "Oh, she is the Moonchosen. You don't know about the Moonchosen?" He's surprised to learn that we don't have that where we're from. He also doesn't understand the concept of religion, when referenced. "She is the Moonchosen. We obey her every command, for seven days." Tonight's the last night, and we are blessed that we got to obey her! And when she's done being the Moonchosen, we will eat her!
"How do you feel about the consumption of humanoids?" Thragtusk brings us up to speed about what is to happen, and that we will be expected to partake in the ritual as stated. There is a lot of written discussion.
The woman comes back with more food. Thragtusk carefully asks her how it would be received if some of us, not him, but others among our group didn't eat her. She reassures him that he misunderstands his friends, and that we will certainly want to eat.
Thragtusk begins writing this to us, but we realize everyone is beginning to prostrate themselves again. She's being brought back on a palanquin. She is set down in front of us, and she dismisses the servants. She looks at us. One by one, each of us, hand under chin, stand. All but the possum and the goblin. She then indicates something to the woman, pointing at those two, and the woman runs to get them each a basket of exotic colored flower petals. She lounges on her chair and calls the rest of us to her sides. Six of us take up the rungs, and Manbiik is called to her feet. He is to fan her. She indicates to the petal folk to proceed, and to the two in the lead of the palanquin to begin.
We are led down a smaller trail to what appears to be a large altar. T asks the guy, at a distance, what we are in for. "Oh, you are to anoint her for the ritual." Bathe her in oils and such.
We halt abruptly, and Ral fails the Athletics to stop properly, and the Moonchosen fails her resulting Acrobatics check and falls. She glares at Ral, has everyone else kneel. 
Ral is to lie on the altar. Others encourage Ral to do this. The Moonchosen then strips down, and indicates for Ral to do the same.
Ral reluctantly removes her cloak, revealing her blonde hair for the first time. This is enough, it seems. The Moonchosen lays the cloak atop Ral, lying facedown, and she uses Ral as a sitting cushion.
She motions to the rest, oil jars. Thragtusk indicates that we are to anoint her with the oils. Lots of elves begin turning up.
The Moonchosen rises off of Ral, and she indicates Ral can get off the altar. A humanoid-sized grill is brought out. We are dismissed, but not Ral. She is handed the dagger, looks to everyone else for guidance. Thragtusk keeps getting play-by-plays telepathically. Yes, Ral is to use it on the Moonchosen. Ral reluctantly raises the knife, startling the elf. No, Thragtusk learns, she is the DESSERT! Meal first!
Thragtusk then sets himself to explaining to the Cess family what's going on. And how to lie to the children about this event for the rest of their lives.
Kids coming around with trays of roast chicken! Ral palms some of the chicken. The kids then collect the remnants. When they return again, they look like they're beginning to pray. The adults do the same. The Moonchosen lies back on the altar, her palms to the sky.
Yes, it is time.
Ral picks up the dagger, walks toward LET'S END IT HERE FOR THE WEEK!
=== Book 5 - The Killing Moon - Sumna 10th 3128 - Sumna 15 3128(11/6/22) ===
Our party has escaped from another ally of the regime, but what cost will they pay to keep sanctuary?
? - Costumer Halloween
XP - 1321
Dinner by Molly
Session notes:
Half the group has ideas for individual schemes that are near-universally foiled by the inability to speak verbal components.
Ral, very deliberately, repeats the sequence of actions she recalls seeing the Moonchosen perform on A'Riel earlier in the day. Shoulder rub, knife to throat, knife to top of head, sever some hairs, bring them to her mouth. A roll of Persuasion17 isn't enough to convince anyone that this is sufficient for the ritual.
Thragtusk confirms with the village elder that, yes, Ral is supposed to use the knife to absolutely murder the Moonchosen. He communicates this to Ral, who is still hesitant. Ral rolls an unprompted Wisdom 20 and sticks to her morals. She holds the knife in her hand... and takes off sprinting into the woods beyond the altar. After running some ten minutes, she hides herself in some shrubbery (Survival 16).
Most of the party takes off after her while the Moonchosen directs 16 beefy attendants to do the same.
Nat rolls two 1's to have Darren track Ral, and then rolls a nat20 with a reroll. Kiel considers mayoring it down for pure comedy gold.
Darren practically slides right into Ral while coming to an abrupt stop, followed immediately after by Ulysses and Vi. They find Ral hugging her knees and weeping. Vi gives soft bunny eyes while Darren nuzzles and purrs to soothe her, and they encourage Ral to return with them.
They encounter the burly boys who, seeing they are returning, take no action and walk back as well.
Thragtusk and Patchouli are still at the festival. Thrag chats with the mindlinked folk and tries to reason to send in a pinch hitter for Ral. The elder goes to discuss with the Moonchosen. He then tells Thragtusk, "She wants YOU to ask her." The orc goes to her, bows, and motions to ask permission to mindlink with her. He casts it on the Moonchosen and Patchouli, and he then repeats the request. Thragtusk claims that Ral is a pacifist except against demons, which he knows isn't true. Could she choose someone else to complete the ritual? Deception12. Add a D6, 16. Wait no, 21. "This makes me MUCH more interested in having her do it." "Then it's not going to happen." "That would be VERY unfortunate to all of YOU." Thragtusk Intimidates19, but he doesn't have much in the way of leverage. "What are you implying? I'm about to die and replenish the blessing upon my people." "You won't be the only one," Thragtusk suggests. She tries calling him on this, with the Cess family here as well as potential casualties.
Meanwhile, Patchouli has been trying to work out what is making people silent. She tries a few different things but learns little.
The Moonchosen asks Thragtusk, "Who among your group is the SECOND least likely to want to kill someone?" The rabbit. "Then SHE will be the one." He thanks her for her consideration. "We will see."
The others return. Thragtusk takes the dagger from Ral and hands it to Vi. She slowly walks to the Moonchosen and points the dagger. The Moonchosen nods, takes her laid-back position. Vi looks like she's hesitating, makes a big draw, plunges it. Attack roll: 14. Slain. The people of the island wave their jazz hands. Vi dodges the blood splurt.
They begin preparing the final portion of the meal. Patchouli tries to indicate a need to use the little wizards' room, and is pointed to where this is done.
Ral Sleight of Hands 22 her saved chicken in place of the meat. Ulysses Mimics eating it with Sleight of Hand 11, opposed by a Nat1. A'Riel Prestidigitates (with Subtle Spell) the illusion of the meat to show he is eating it, Sleight of Hand 20. Oui Man Tosses it near his mouth, Sleight of Hand failure. The kids offer him a replacement piece and watch him expectantly. He puts it into his mouth. Patchouli is still hiding away from the table. After a while, she hears the children's footsteps, offering her the basket of meat. Patchouli tries a Sleight of Hand 15 to toss it away, but they see and offer it to her again. She looks to see if any nearby vegetation can make her ill, but as a goblin this is statistically unlikely. Fails the roll. She wraps the meat in a leaf and puts the entire thing in her mouth. Sleight of Hand 7, but this satisfies them.
The Cess parents eat it. Their children look to their parents, who silently encourage them. Sobek and Thragtusk also try to Persuade8, and they eat the flesh.
The village elder returns. Thragtusk reestablishes their mind link. "Thank you for taking part in our village's blessing!" We will stay the night, sure, but we need to leave in the morning. The food was very good, thank you. The meat rub was made from their previous sacrifice!
Long rest. Still no animal or insect noises all night, just the leaves rustling. It's still weird.
Thragtusk establishes his mind link with Darren, who starts questioning the silence effect and the fact that the island is tropical which doesn't make sense for where it exists on the world map and should we look into any of this? Thragtusk reasons that staying any longer to explore the island carries the risk of us still being here for the NEXT moon festival.
In the morning, Darren does his exercise routine. The beefy village braves join him. And then they perform their Polynesian-style dance. Now it's Darren's turn to do the dance! Athletics23! He does a good job emulating it.
The breakfast includes SOME kind of milk... sweetened, perhaps with honey.
The Cess family is eating their plantains, they look pretty happy. Ulysses confirms with them that we are leaving, and they choose to stay. (Out of character, this becomes a point of contention as we felt we were clearly communicating that we were launching the boat, not that we're going out for a walk.)
We are in Norga, and we need to stay clear of L'nandae. Should we try to travel east until we hit something else?
The village elder is sweeping in front of his hut. He signs asking if we're staying. Mind link, "We'll come back." "Oh, before you go, I have something for you." He pops into his hut for a moment. "Your friend was chosen by the Moonchosen, you will see that she gets this, yes?" Thragtusk is handed the dagger to give to Vi.
We board the ship. We pull anchor. A roll says there are no navigator's tools. Shape Water to try and get far enough out that we can speak again. This occurs, eventually. A'Riel produces flame to cremate the bit of cooked flesh he still has. D'Faq goes through the Cess family's personal effects.
We probably have 4-5 days of provisions for the size of our group, and this vessel is for fishing, not open seas. We need to stay somewhat near shore.
Manbiik uses his tools to change the name of our ship. Nat1. "Not The Rickle Wranch." We're going to hope to reach L'nandae, but not a port, just beaching the boat somewhere and then traveling by land. The winds are strangely favorable the entire way. Should take three days like this.
We sail day and night in two shifts, succeeding on our needed rolls. On the second day, the Survival roll is good enough to know that there's a storm ahead, but moving away from us at present. Almost supernaturally so. Some people fish. Night crew is up again, all good. Third day, we should make landfall by the evening. We continue until we see L'nandae boats on the horizon.
(DINNER!)
Wait, we're going full speed ahead? Uh, ok. We ready Ulysses' fog cloud.
As we apporach, they raise their flags signaling that we are to stop and present our papers. Ulysses positions himself where he can obscure the ship, and Thragtusk takes the helm. They yell at us to come out of the fog, and we all yell nonsensical things back to them. And then we hear cannon fire. The fifth shot hits. 16 damage. D'Faq shouts that we're sinking, which does not stop them sending a second volley. 32 damage. 24 damage. And then we see that two of the ships are directly blocking our route. 20 more damage. We're still pushing forward, too near for them to use their cannons now. We sail right into their broadside. We all have a lot of ideas about what should happen here, but Dan declares, simply, that we are every one of us in the water and rolling Initiative.
Some make it up onto their deck while others sneak onboard into the cannon room. They moved the cannons to the opposite side in anticipation of our passing the ship, like sensible people who DON'T ram into larger ships would have done. The rest of us are tangled in nets that are thrown over us. Patchouli does as Patchouli does and ignites the gunpowder, devastating the ship and its crew while knocking half the party unconscious.
A rowboat comes toward us, probably from one of the other ships. As it approaches, we recognize a man with a wide brimmed hat.
=== Book 6 - In Search of my Rose - Sumna 15th - 16th 3128 (11/13/22) ===
Having narrowly escaped offending the indigenous peoples of the northern isles, the party is unlikely to get a second narrow escape from the royal correctors! - "Twas the night after a con and Dan decided he needed game or the world would end. 
- Dinner by Turbo Crust
-XP - 391 + 1520 = 1911
Session notes:
(Late start today as the house trio have just returned from Teslacon. Nat is sitting this one out to decompress.)
We cast a few heals on one another before the guy casts a sleep spell, sending all our lowest health allies into a slumber. Only D'Faq and Patchouli are still awake. The men on the boat then begin pulling us from the waters.
Patchouli casts Gust to push someone onto Manbiik, waking him. Manbiik then wakes Oui Man. D'Faq swims up onto the boat and is invited onboard by the man. He heals A'Riel and then sits patiently.
Another cast of the Sleep spell, and Patchouli is now the only one of our party still awake. "Good evening, madamoseille! Will you join us?" She gives him the finger. Patchouli casts Air Bubble, swims below, and grabs hold of the bottom of the boat. We decide she is Solid Snake'n it. She manages to keep hold when the boat begins moving toward one of the larger ships.
We wake a minute later gagged, blindfolded, and manacled, except the possum who is just tied up with a bag over his head. We feel the boat begin to rise. Patchouli successfully rolls Athletics again and is carried upward with it. We are led off the boat and onto the deck, then down a ramp. Sobek chews through their gag.
Meanwhile, Patchouli sneaks onto the deck. 17 of the elven sailors. Stealth19, and she observes where we're being taken. There are 7 barrels nearby. She drives a dagger into one, and it comes out clean. She then looks for some cloth, Stealth14 to make it unnoticed to the sail. There, she uses Burning Hands, getting everyone's attention. Nat20 on her initiative. And now there are only 12 on deck, and I'm not correcting the DM. "Now that I've got your attention..." She says she will turn herself in rather than destroying this ship like the others if they take her to her family. What appears to be their commander barks something in Elvish, pointing at her. She moves toward the edge of the ship and hisses. The crew drops the sail and attempts to put it out. And Patchouli is descended upon! Five surround her and attack, but she stays up long enough to unleash another Burning Hands on three of them. Her past trauma is causing her to panic. She kills two where they stand, and then the others knock her out.
Down below, we hear something small being dragged in, and then we hear a metal clang, not unlike a brig door being shut. After a little bit, D'Faq Wild Shapes into a small rat to escape his bindings. He sees that in addition to us, there is one dude in the corner with no bindings, and he looks beat. And there are four sailors outside the cell, one of whom uses his readied action to fire his crossbow at D'Faq. The damage causes him to revert from Wild Shape, and he still has his bindings, since those changed form with him. Oh, right, that is how that works. Sobek slides up their blindfold and assesses the situation, healing Ulysses.
(RABBIT DINNER AND ORDERING PIZZA!)
The additional detainee is a human with ashen skin and sunken eyes. He is wearing the outfit of the royal guard, but stripped of patches and marks of station. Sobek talks to him while ungagging us. He's from Gaul, tried to serve, and his path was disagreeable to the administration. They didn't have a problem with him as long as he was rounding up the heretics, but he has faith. "I'm a follower of the Champion of all Battles, Hextor. Undoubtedly, they are leading us to be 'corrected.'" He doesn't know what that entails. He was found by the L'nandeans and has been here a day so far. He's not manacled because he came willingly. He predicts in about an hour, this ship will be our only chance of survival. There's nothing in swimmable distance of the Upper Seas.
Who's the guy with the big hat? Corporal Sergay. Like me, he didn't enlist, he was purchased. We were... freelance peacekeeping agents. Where do his powers come from? "I believed in following, and he believed in paving his own path."
What is faith? I used to say that it is the power of someone's ability to love that which isn't there.
Sobek asks Patchouli what she did upstairs. She's quietly holding and cradling herself, upset by something. Sobek does not press further.
What does Sergay think faith is? Believing in the impossible in the face of the improbable. He believes... in power. And the most direct route is the one he is going to take. Manbiik:"So he's a megalomaniac?"
Are we guilty of being faithful. Um... we're guilty of murder.
Is it fair to say he's the top dog around these parts? We're told Sergay is the laison to the elves, speaks their language. This guy was a private, never enlisted, only contracted. Originally from Breton, allegience only to money and to the Lord of all Battles.
Rumor has it the Lord Marshal, sorry, the presiding King of Gaul, is immortal. Ral:"That's the kind of rumor I'd spread in his position, too."
Regardless of what happens, we are to face trial for our crimes against the crown. Get comfy until then.
We are in a corner of the lower deck. 20x20, benches, piss pot. No open portholes on this floor. Adjacent, there is a lifting floorboard that MAY go down to a deck below us. Crates on the back wall of unlabled goods. Towards the front, a wall with a door in it. Oil lamps.
The man, Tomas, was trying to escape to the orcish alchepelago, didn't even make it out of Gaul.
(ACTUAL DINNER BREAK!)
After a while, an elf not wearing military regalia comes with wooden bowls of hot gruel. Tomas wolfs it down. He suggests we get some sleep, and that if we sleep through breakfast, they don't bring it to us. Ulysses tries to console Patchouli, who falls asleep without touching her gruel. Sobek waits for the rest to fall asleep, pushes our bowls outside the bars, and prays.
We wake to evidence that the ship has sailed into a significant storm.
Patchouli, asleep in the corner, is visibly shaking from a bad dream. She mumbles, "No! Come back! Get in, don't leave me!"
Lanterns are rocking. Thragtusk wakes Patchouli. Tomas is holding the bench as it's rocking. The guards are distracted. Some manage to free themselves of their retraints. Ulysses attempts to break Manbiik's mancles and rolls a Nat1. We discuss how shattered Manbiik's bones are. Vix is talked out of using a luck point to reroll. He IS freed, at least, while shearing some skin. Task failed successfully.
The ship rocks hard to one side. Strength save to grab something, or take 10 damage. Ral notices the chains holding the boxes are getting pulled out of the wall. She warns everyone to move clear of the cell bars. The ship rocks hard yet again for another Strength save to avoid 10 damage, and those who failed all fail a Dex save and hit the spilled contents of the piss pot. A'Riel Prestidigitates them clean.
The guards go careening to some other part of the deck. The boxes come undone, slide across, and crush the guards. Ral repeats her warning. Another Strength save as the ship rocks back, 4 damage. And the giant boxes careen toward the jail. Dex save to avoid 6 damage. The gates are open, and there are spilled oranges everywhere. And there is a small key clip on a leg that flows over to us. Vi unlocks Ral and Oui Man.
The door out of this room is locked. Strength save! 6 damage. Ulysses muscles open the door to what is the inventory room, which is also locked and barred off. We do see our stuff there. Patchouli uses Mage Hand to return Thragtusk's thieves' tools to him, and he unlocks the room. We grab our things, but there is no time to don armor.
Thragtusk then tries to unlock the trap door. Strength save, 5 damage, and the ship goes vertical before capsizing. We are now on the ceiling and water is gushing in. Oui Man holds D'Faq aloft to get to and open the trap door, and a bunch of cannonballs fall onto them. There are two powder barrels up there. "Everybody hit the deck!" and he produces flame at the barrels while we duck below the seawater. Dex save with advantage against the resulting blast. The water is now rushing upward as we swim up to escape, Athletics to avoid the downward pull. A'Riel isn't making it, but recieves a cast of Air Bubble. He follows a little later once the pressure evens out.
We realize Tomas hasn't followed us, but we're not in a position now to do anything about it.
We breach the surface. There are dead elves floating around us, and the storm clears. The water is chilly, and hypethermia is a real concern. Sobek creates and ice floe which we scramble atop. The current is taking us northwest. It's about 7am.
A'Riel sprouts his wings and scouts. It looks like there's land in the direction we're headed. We don our armor. Thragtusk has dragged a corpse aboard and removes its teeth, making a new string of them, which he gifts to Patchouli. She hesitantly accepts it. Sobek determines where we're headed.
Some row as best as they can manage, and we make our way to a frigid, but solid piece of land. Coniferous trees. We make landfall and some gather wood for a fire to dry ourselves off. There are no signs of habitation. Patchouli tries to find some root tubers, and she finds something that feels... meaty? Like a leg? As she jostles it, a dwarf sits up and says "WHOA THERE, BROTHER!!"
=== Book 7 - "Too Far North For Our Good" Sumna 16th - 23rd 3128 (11/20/22) ===
(hosted by Kiel - due to Dan planning to be in FL) - Sailing 1432 miles - 4 days of open water, 2 days up river to Khro's Rhym among the Dragon Spine
XP - 1733
- Dinner by Vix 
Session notes:
(Kiel's DM'ing!)
We establish what our characters are up to as we collect ourselves on this cold beach.
Thragtusk is in the fetal position coughing up blood and seawater. Ulysses rolls Medicine Nat20 to tend to him. He's stable, but unresponsive.
Darren and Ral scout for a better place to make camp. We come upon Patchouli and her discovery.
Patchouli apologizes for disturbing him, but the dwarf isn't concerned about that. "Are you intruding on my home? Does this look like a home to anyone?" We pile questions onto him. We learn that we are on the eastern coast of Themia. How did we get here from Gaul?? He's Duraz, here on a little bit of a mission, which is not going great. He's trying to find someone who knows where he is at all times, and thus evades him. The religious turmoil is spreading, and now demigods are trying to usurp gods. Demon apocalypse? He was THERE. No, Ral, there aren't demons here and that's not whom he's tracking.
The demigod of interest is named Autumna, daughter of Talos, evil storm god. Our happening on this beach was no accident, must've been her.
He tells us he follows Kord, also a storm god really technically.
He leads us in a healing prayer. He reach full HP, but Thragtusk is still out. "That looks like a touch of the divine, too."
We are to find our way to her village, deal with her followers amicably if possible, and while she's busy noticing us, Duraz will then sneak in and get from her the item he needs. It will be a community of satyrs. We'll know it when we see it, but he has no idea yet where.
Perception13 to take in the nearby features of the area. Up the beach to the left, boulders. Along the coastline, hills rise and cliff off near the water. Darren climbs a tree to have a look, mostly gets a face full of needles.
Survival23, we find a trail clearly traversed by cloven feet. We can note the direction, inland. We attempt to be stealthy, but three of us roll Nat1's and crash into Darren, who was trying VERY DELIBERATELY and unpredictably to avoid making a sound.
( "Spice Box? Yeah, I've dated a Latina." -Nat )
As we're walking, we are ambushed. "Mehhh! Get 'em, boyyys!" Out from the trees pop four goat bois. Initiative and surprise round.
We make quick work of four satyrs, and we loot gold, crossbows, bolts, daggers, and other supplies off of them. And one has a map, which Ulysses grabs and studies. It's marked in Primordial, which none of us can read. But we can try to match it up to the terrain, Sobek rolls a 25. These four were on their way to pick up wine from a winter winery. Their encampment was on the coast and exposed to the elements, which seems counterintuitive until you recall they worship a storm goddess. We determine how to dispose of the bodies, with Sobek hauling one away and devouring it. Darren drags one away from the path. D'Faq, still wild shaped as a giant spider from the combat, pulls the other two up a tree and webs them there.
Survival nat20, we come within view of a small settlement with log-style fortifications, hewn to points. Two satyrs and a centaur are guarding the front entrance.
We discuss what kind of distraction to create. What if we tell them there's a large group of giant spiders in the woods that killed their band of four? Sure, that sounds good!
We approach, and they point their weapons. Oui Man tells the tale. Deception21. "Yeah, that sounds probable, though I don't know where the giant spiders would have come from with the wolf problem we've been having." An elderly looking satyr with heavy armor comes to see what's up. The tale is repeated. Ah, yes, we are beset on all sides. Winter wolves. Spiders, apparently. Crazy old codger wandering the woods saying we've been doing harm to the area. The elder invites us in to take refuge from the spiders. There are pamphlets by their church. "Church to the miiiiighty Talos" at the base of a hill that becomes a cliff. 
Ulysses has some questions for the elder. Are they all up here by choice? The members of this settlement had experienced religious persecution and were chased from their original homes in the west. "You keep hearing about it all over the world and don't think it'll come to you, and then..." Has Talos been responding to their prayers? "Oh, no, he doesn't speak to me directly. We have a resident demigod, a daughter of Talos, speaking to him for us." Can we meet her? "No, she's been VERY busy controlling the weather and all." As a matter of fact, we're not far from the eastern temple. Surrounded by orca, however. (This is the Temple to Arctus from a past winter campaign.)
Busy demigod or not, we make it up the hill to her cottage. It stands three stories, really weird looking. Knock-knock. "WHO IS IT?" Darren stunbles through an introduction. A satyr woman, but about Oui Man's size, opens the door. Her fur, shock-white, whitest we've ever seen, and jolteon-like coursing with electricity. Bluish veins of energy in her horns, eyes like Raiden's. "These are not MY shores. My domain is the maelstrom. What is that?" she asks of D'Faq. Yeah, that storm that resulted in our arrival was one of hers. Patchouli declares that the demigod is JUST LIKE Patchouli! Sobek asks if she speaks to Talos. "Oh, yeah, all the time." But this fails Insight. Patchouli wants her to know she's also sunk ships. Can we help her with anything? "Well, my followers are having difficulty with winter wolves. I find them quite adorable, but my followers apparently need them dead." Any tasks from Talos we can help her with? No, we can't control storms. She needs to create storms since he can't right now. She found the means to do it, so she does it.
We note that she's wearing a really ostentatious belt depicting crossed biceps. The most Kord thing anyone has ever seen. In a rare display of party-wide wisdom, no one says a word about it.
She wants to excuse herself to get back to work, but we want to watch. She had already summoned a tornado above her finger for us. But FINE. She clops up to her widow's walk on the top floor and begins Sorcerer's Apprenticing a musical lightning storm. D'Faq is unimpressed. Darren puts D'Faq into his bag, where he begins eating the Leonin's rations.
We step away to discuss. We're supposed to be distracting her, right? But Darren argues that the battles between demigods are not our problem. Helping the satyrs with their wolf problem, that we can effect.
We go down to partake of their feast. Lots of sauces and sides made from lingenberry.
Owen the Elder comes to ask us if we enjoyed meeting their goddess. Has she always been this powerful? No, it's a recent thing. After that battle in heaven, Talos must have suffered a great injury. So in his infinite wisdom, he granted her his powers, yeah that makes sense. They followed her here. She's been a member of their community since she was born, she's somewhere in her late twenties he thinks? No, they were not always followers of Talos. Those who did not follow Talos were not chased out of their home. There were... allegations... of light sacrifices. Which definitely never happened. Insight says this isn't entirely true.
OK, history lesson. Long ago, the land of Themia was not ruled by a council, but a warlord and a shade. The last one was by the name of Maraxis. Aided by a necromancer, Duallimb. No one really messed with Themia because of them. They commanded powerful undead. And there was some sacrificing occurring to bring back Duallimb, and their church to Talos became the scapegoat.
So about those wolves? Oh, yes, and those spiders apparently. Darren:"Oh, yeah, we might have mistaken wolves for spiders. Like Wolf Spiders, right?" This prompts a Deception roll and a nat1. We will be rolling Initiative after dinner.
(DINNER!)
Owen stands from his seat, as do some acolytes and a woman in the corner, all wearing the same vestments of Talos worn by the four who attacked us earlier. The rest and the various centaurs don't seem to care. Sobek takes his turn trying to reason to no avail. A'Riel does the same. Persuasion is rolled, they both get a 19. Owen is still upset that we killed his friends no matter the circumstance of their having attacked us, but he does accept our offer to depart. We are told to leave, and no one follows us out.
Sobek suggests we make camp near the settlement to keep an eye on things. Ulysses thinks they will report to Autumna, but Ral doesn't think she'd care terribly much. Survival21 to find a good place to create a lean-to.
First watch, Darren and D'Faq. "Did you eat my food??" Nothing comes up. Darren gives D'Faq ear scritches.
Second watch, Patchouli and Ulysses. He checks in on her. No commotion.
Third watch, A'riel and Manbiik. During their watch, they fail to hear rustling around the site. But we get a few 19's from the sleepers, yipping communication. Sobek and Ral awaken, both pop Speak to Animals to listen in on the wolves. "You guys ready? On three, we attack them and we eat dinner?" Sobek tells them no. "OH NO, BOSS! What do we do? What do we do?" A large monster of a wolf with piercing blue eyes steps forward. "How is it you are able to communicate with us?"
We try to encourage them to go after the settlement, but the leader doesn't want to risk getting zapped like in the past. He seems keen on eating us instead, and he CAN SPEAK COMMON and begins doing so. Manbiik wakes the rest of the party. Darren joins in the discussion. We're offering to blast open the barricade to grant them access to the settlement. The leader wolf expresses annoyance and feeling insulted throughout the negotiation, but ultimately accepts the plan. They expect action at dawn, and they withdraw.
In the morning, most stay back in the tree line as Patchouli and a few others move up on an undefended part of the wall. She unleashes Burning Hands on the wall. It ignites, loudly with the crackling of pine sap. There is no immediate response, so another section then! Now 30 feet of fence is aflame, and the few return to the tree line. We hear the commotion of satyrs shouting about fire as they begin trying to put it out.
Owen comes out and calls us out as cowards. D'Faq calls back "We're the wolves! We learned to use fire!" Deception16. "Naaaaaht buying iiiiit." He slowly walks to the section of wall and puts out the flames with Gust of Wind. The section is weakened, but holding. "You stiiiill have a chance. Goooo." He returns and the gates are shut.
Lots of discussion/argument, and no one's on quite the same page. No, we're not trying to murder the 45-ish people in the settlement. Getting the wolves in there is all for the distraction. Would going directly to her be better? Does that really distract her? The way to her place is in the middle of the settlement, so we'd have to get in first anyway.
Oui Man Shatters the burned wood, blasting open a ten foot section. The six who were ready to battle us the night before and the three gate guards rush over, and Darren runs up to Roar them away, Nat20. "Eeeeverybooody, ruuun for your liiiives!" A ruckus ensures! Above Autumna's house, there is wind swirling, lightning forming. A laughter like thunder. There are no wolves present, by the way, but D'Faq wild shapes into a wolf to add to the attempts to herd the people away. Manbiik mimics the growling.
Autumna clearly sees all of this. She comes out, bellowing with Thaumaturgy. And we are all lifted with miniature tornadoes. "WHAT'S THE PLAN NOW? YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION." Darren replies that that's all we wanted. She looks confused, and then has a shocked look of realization. Duraz appears and puts her into a sleeper hold, then reclaims his belt. We land safely. We want to fix the fence before we vacate the scene, but we don't possess the means to do so.
Duraz explains the function of the belt. If you have any ability at all to control the weather, it grants you absolute power over the weather.
He notices that Ulysses is wearing the Baldric sigil insignia ring. "Oh, are you one of Blag's boys? He's never told you about his nephew Duraz?"
He gives us 500 gold to divvy up and tells us how to go on from here. We all go back to help Thragtusk recover.
We can head anywhere, but it sounds like this fight is going to keep catching up with us. Duraz, for his part, will continue to travel and righting wrongs wherever he goes.
What did happen to the gods, Duraz? They went toe-to-toe. Some didn't make it. He doesn't know if Pelor survived specifically.
D'Faq:"What is a god?" He continues to claim no one tells him despite EVERYONE telling him. Duraz's answer, in short, is that everything's a god.
Ulysses tells Duraz he's always welcome at Ulysses' and Penelope's home. Darren:"You have a WIFE?"
Thrag:"Wot happened?" Darren:"We'll fill you in later." Ral:"Here's fifty gold." Thragtusk:"Oh, alright." That was easy.
We're in a city named Gaderisk and given the opportunity to go shopping while Kiel is in charge. We each spend ten gold for ship tickets to Khro Rhym, and then whatever else we want. (Dan later adds an additional gift of magic items from Duraz for helping him, to be granted at Kiel's discretion.)
=== Book 8 - Spiritual Cramp - Sumna 23rd 3128 - (11/27/22) ===
Our party has decided to go on the offensive as freedom fighters against the regime. They're sailing off to war!
- Draw names!
- Dinner by Mike
XP 4690
Session notes:
So what's in the Duraz care package? An axe, a belt, and red dragonscale armor. The +1 battleaxe's name is Hew, and the wielder becomes nervous of vengeful tree ghosts. Ulysses gets the Belt of Dwarven Kind. Patchouli wants the armor but cannot wear it yet, so Ral is wearing it for now.
We arrive and disembark at Khro Rhym. The immediate area is very touristy.
Darren wants to buy a bracelet. The guy tells a bunch of lies about its amazing properties. Darren haggles. 3 silver for a bracelet, or rather, necklace for D'Faq.
We head to customs. Some eavesdrop on Dwarven merchants in line talking about how strict customs are getting. "Did you hear those two got their rations stolen right off their boat?" Eep.
We are called forward in Dwarvish. Ulysses takes the lead. Ten and one possum, domestic. Arrived on the ferry from Themia. Departed from Gatterisk. No, we're not refugees (from Themia <- Thragtusk). Current business is to see the lord of the mountain, Ulysses' kin. He shows his ring. Name? Ulysses Mal Shakar, wife is Penelope Baldric. Oh, unless we're also merchants, we came to the wrong line. We're pointed to a smaller, tucked away, more ornate area.
We walk that winding path. The guy at that counter hardly acknowledges us, is shown the ring, and lets us through.
We are now within the mountain. Ral lights a torch. We follow it to a gorgeous reception hall. Here, a woman asks some of the same questions. We are here to see Valhir. Please wait here, your escort will arrive soon.
After some 15 or 20 minutes, a dwarf opens the door, looks at us and our distinct lack of dwarves, and goes to shut the door and leave. Ulysses addresses him and explains, and he quietly leads us onward. We pass lots of other people, and he shows us through a large stone door. We go into a waiting area for an office. Seated there... is Nikolai. Oh, uh, hi. And the dwarf leading us turns into a warforged.
A'Riel leads off with an apology and explanation why we didn't return to him. "I made a downpayment." Some had forgotten he provided A'Riel a potion to temporarily suppress the effects of the curse so we could carry out the mission.
"So... what did you find out?" D'Faq:"Shiny lady makes the beer good."
He makes it very clear that he is unhappy with us, and he could simply turn us in for the price on our heads. But he has a better proposal that would benefit us as well as him. Sergay has been a thorn in his side as well, it turns out, singularly making it difficult for Nikolai to partake in some of his endeavors. Maybe we're not so different, you and I.
After we had our parlay there, the Exalted Elixirs was temporarily closed. Nikolai immediately began looking for all of us. He made it a point to scry on us whenever he was able. Ral asks whether he was able to peek in on our adventures on the silent island, and it turns out that he could not.
People begin to explain that they were harvesting faith in liquid form. "Gods don't bleed. It was mana." He's read some of the research, but it seemed far-fetched. Thragtusk explains that it was more that they were drawing the faith. Sobek floats aloud the theory that something similar is being done with the "corrected."
Patchouli asks him what he plans to do with this information. Nikolai is having difficulty getting results with all of the overhead. He can't scry Sergay, but he has informants. If we can remove him from the equation, he can find the results much better. Darren:What will you do with these results?
Patchouli, Arcana nat20, oh of COURSE she's read his papers! He is known to be an expert in Transmutation and converting minerals, and he has contracts with the Gaulish military.
How can we take on Sergay? He receives an extension of the blessing offered to the Lord Marshal. Arcana casters, you muster your power not from someone else, but from your own comprehension of the world around you. Divine casters, you muster it from the faith in something greater.
So in conclusion we have converging goals. We both want Sergay gone for different reasons, so could we not work together?
Sergay's weakened version of the blessing can be penetrated by magic. Magic weapons, stronger spells, that will work.
He COULD offer us magical arms as part of another agreement. Nikolai wants a better office here in Khro Rhym, and it seems one of us might be able to get an audience with Valhir. If we get results, he should be able to transmute up to two of our weapons.
We are seen out. The warforged reminds us his lordship is watching and thanks us for visiting. We head over toward our next destination, arriving at the lord's place. There are flowers growing here, which shouldn't be. Ulysses uses the stone of sending to ask Penelope if she'd ever met Valhir, and he is told he didn't even attend the wedding, only sent a congratulations card.
We find the Baldric estate and knock on the door. A butler greets us and is shown the ring. He'll announce that the lord's inlaws have arrived. We're invited in to a waiting area, and then brought some dwarven meat pies.
A dwarf looking like the warforged's disguise enters, but wearing a smoking jacket and cracking jokes. Ulysses introduces himself, links arms, and gets thrown to the ground. Takes his hand again, Nat20, throws HIM to the floor. Offers him a hand, pulls him up. "Good match, fam'!"
We explain what brings us here. He already knows we're wanted in Gaul, dead or alive.
(DINNER BREAK)
We're looking for some armaments, and also he should totally talk to this wizard we know. But there's nothing Valhir wants for, he has it all. And they are neutral territory, so there is no fear of war. Why does this wizard want an audience anyway? Oh, sure, he can have the corner office if that's what he wants. But we'd have to clean it up, see it's currently in use by his half-brother Stunaret.
The butler sees us to the offices of the estate. He stops 50 yards shy of the door and refuses to get involved by telling us anything at all. Darren goes up and tries to Perceive15 through the door. Sounds quiet. There is a faint musk. Kind of sewer-y.
Knock-knock, responce in Dwarvish:"GOAWAYIDON'TWANTANY" He keeps yelling as we try the handle to find it locked. Thragtusk mayors a thieves' tools attempt into a 20. The dwarf, assumed to be Stunaret, yells and scurries away before we manage to open the door.
There is natural light in here from broad, crystalline windows. There are stacks and stacks of papers along the walls and throughout. Pallets of clay jars, boxes labeled in Dwarvish.
Ulysses steps forward, triggering a pressure plate. Rocks fall for 16 bludgeoning damage. We check for more traps, spotting nothing in the immediate vicinity. There are three paths through the piles. Ulysses tries to persuade, telling him why we're here and what is to happen. "HE'S NOT MY BROTHER! AND THE NAME IS STUNNARAHTTAY! THE T AT THE END IS SILENT, BECAUSE I'M ELVISH!" Now in Elvish:"YOU NEED TO LEAVE! THIS IS MY WOODS!" Vi responds in Elvish, telling him he has to get out of his forest before it burns down." "THEN I BURN WITH THESE WOODS FOR I AM ELVEN!" Ral translates all this for the rest.
Some try and determine the source of his voice to no avail. Patchouli uses Mage Hand to start toppling some of the stacked items. Vi keeps talking to him in Elvish. Different party members slowly start traversing the paths while some stay near the exit. Ulysses, Vi, and Thragtusk, middle. Darren and D'Faq right. A'Riel and Ral go left.
Darren and D'Faq are the ones to spot Stunaret, on a rope and coming down one of the piles. Darren:"Do you speak Common?" In common:"No. I only speak Elvish." Darren claims to also be speaking Elvish now, in Common. Darren tries to convince him to go check on the edges of his forest. He agrees that's a good idea, but first he has to pull this rope to topple boxes of toenail clippings onto the center path, and they are now restrained.
Darren now casts Command, telling him to APPROACH. Somehow, this prompts Darren also to make a Wisdom save, Commanded to flee! Let's roll initiative.
Other spells, including cutting words, bounce back upon their casters. Stunaret topples things intentionally and stands on the ceiling. (?!) Thragtusk manages to throw a psychic dagger at him, and Ral hits his leg with an arrow. He screams, cries, and drops into Mal's arms where he is healed. We stop attacking. D'Faq nat20 Deception to convince him he is a forest spirit assigning Stunaret to another forest to protect. He feels better and runs off to go and do that.
We try different options to clean out the room. Some try shoving stuff out the windows to discover that it overlooks a bistro of suddenly unhappy people. So a fire is started instead. All is good, right?
Valhir shows up out front to see how we're getting on. Yeah, uh, no problems and definitely no fires. Stunaret left of his own volition in the end, it's all good. So we're going to set up a meeting with Nikolai, except the butler appears to report that there are other visitors waiting. From the bistro.
=== Book 9 - The New Zero - Sumna 23rd - 26th 3128 - (12/4/22) ===
Taking refuge in the dwarven neutral zone, they are making some deals to advance their wanted status. OR ARE THEY?
- Dinner by Andre
XP - 3347
Session notes:
D'Faq rolls a nat20 Deception to declare that we had nothing to do with this, and Valhir tells Stonehouse the Butler to tell the bistro folk to fuck off. Well, all's well that ends well.
Ulysses asks Valhir if there're any craftfolk here who can help us with magic weapons. He says we'll need an artificer, so we should try the gnomes. But they're a little off. They wear sandals.
We return to Nikolai first to see about our reward. We are greeted by his automaton. "Lord Nikolai is in the laboratory." He opens the door for us.
Baller lab. Everything is pristine, no dust, blue flame burners.
Nikolai receives the news and makes good on his offer. Ral and Oui Man hand him their rapier and crossbow bolts.
Any jokes? D'Faq and Thragtusk both have a try, their delivery falling flat. Ulysses tells a raunchy joke, which Nikolai acknowledges.
The formula he's applying to our gear could potentially be melted down again for reapplication, should the need arise. He offers us the imbued objects. But as Ral and Oui Man approach to receive them, they stop. The entire party stops. A'Riel is the only one who perceives this phenomenon. Even the bubbling beakers are still. The fire below the beaker is still moving. A'Riel hones in on it, kneels, and says "Hello?" It forms the shape of what might be a mouth. "Go west." "Seline is that you?" "Go WEST." "Pelor?" "GO WEST NOW."
The rest of us, meanwhile, only saw A'Riel zone out as we got the weapons. He insists on what he saw, and people doubt/believe him variously. Darren uses Divine Sense to try and detect anything Celestial apart from A'Riel himself, but the flame and the rest of the surroundings turn up nothing.
West is Breton, but which way is west in this room? Darren asks Nikolai, who points. Darren walks there. There IS a box there, a recent commission of the Gaulish government, someone they want reanimated. People insist on having a look at this dead, naked dude. Ulysses, Persuasion21. Since we ARE partners, he supposes so. It's Thomas. There is a hole bored into his forehead. Medicine reveals it was made by a tool. We're told he was a drowning victim they tried to bring back, and they attempted some "recalibration" procedure. He's done some work to him, and he is alive now, all the parts and the spark. All that's left now is that they want Nikolai to transmute his mind.
Patchouli is familiar with this, of course, having read all his books. Bio-transmutation. Turning it into a brain that's more amenable to their ideas. They gave Nikolai an embarrassment of gold coins. Now he's just waiting to see if it takes, and for that, sensory deprivation. But he also retained the original state of his mind so it can be reversed.
This is interesting and all, but we probably haven't gone west enough for whatever A'Riel is supposed to discover. But we also don't have time to explore this any further.
So before we and Nikolai all pretend not to know one another, where will we find Sergay's camp? His base of operations seems to be Camp Joyel in the heart of Gaul. The camp is to host a meeting of the minds soon. They requested his attendance, but he will be sending his retinue instead. Ral:"Ah, so what will we be wearing?" Science garb, of course. He can provide potions to assume the form of another, but we'll need people whose visages to borrow. Fortunately, he has a rival, Tigersil Industries, another military contractor. We get on his boat The Scarlet, and we will be making port next to theirs. We can leave by the end of the day.
To the Gnome Quarter! All but D'Faq tower over them. D'Faq, Manbiik, and A'Riel each buy a bug-on-a-stick. Ulysses pushes us to head to the alchemy shop.
The shopkeep is strangely tall behind a counter. Are we here to have a child, get rid of a child, male enhancement? We try to steer him to what we really need, but A'Riel wants to know about male enhancement. Patchouli studies the wares, it's all aphrodesiacs. This... is not the shop we wanted. Manbiik looks over the things, and there ARE alchemical agents here, but it's all nearly worthless but marked up severely.
Ulysses and Darren leave, and he steps over the counter with loooong legs and locks the door. "I think your friend is a narc. What kind of weapons are we talking about?"
Sobek can use a magic club. The gnome has something he's been working on, similar to his elongated legs. He pulls out a case, and in it is a very phallic arcane wand. It has a few charges, fireball and lightning. Patchoulli REALLY wants this now, but it costs an unreachable 2000 gold. Or he takes trades. Patchouli opts to attempt to Charm Person, which is Kuma'd into a success. He'll do 1000 gold. Or... 500g and THAT BRACELET. It turns out he values things for their sentimental value. Oui Man offers his ring, a gift from his mistress. "Hm. Was this affection... consummated?" "I was her favorite." He asks the story behind it to enhance the value. Oui Man obliges, but the gnome is dismayed that there was no pregnancy as a result. "Did you use a prophylactic?" "What's a prophylactic?" "SOLD!"
He doesn't have anything else, but he can offer Sobek a potion of Magic Weapon.
We head over to the docks. We locate the Scarlet, and a gangplank is lowered. A human wearing a sailor's cap and outfit asks us who we are. D'Faq states we're going on behalf of Nikolai. The guy wants to hear more, and we all agree we're shutting up about this, actually. He introduces himself as Captain Maeliz. We find our quarters, explore a bit. Ulysses tells Darren not to do what he's doing, and Darren seems to legitimately not know what he's talking about. There's a lower storage deck, which is locked. Sobek nudges Ral to pick it open, boxes. Nothing unusual, nothing we recognize, so she relatches it.
Maeliz is amazing at his work, zipping around and handling everything himself. And we are off to Gaul!
(Dan realizes we are not on the oceanic coast. Oops. Whatever, we go back down the river. Or through a lock system in the mountains, sure, there we go. Three days, long rest, goooo)
Maeliz warns us it's time to hide in the lower deck. The ship comes to a stop, and we hear Maeliz talking to someone. We hear Nikolai's name mentioned, possibly something about being sorry he cannot attend. The ship begins moving again. And comes to another stop, a rope on the harbor side, and he returns to tell us we have made port in Camp Joyel. He's going to go ask our neighbors for some grease. "Oh no, they are not in the ship right now! Perhaps they are registering for the event tomorrow?" He's gonna take a nice break now, let's go do our thing. It's 5pm. Wait until nightfall? Thragtusk wants to swim over and hide on their boat now to await their return instead, which seems unnecessary but ok. Maeliz gives us the potions, which just need a bit of the person added to work.
We swim under the docks. Only A'Riel has any trouble, who tries again and has a nat1 mayor'd to a nat20. We then Stealth to the boat, and no one seems to have noticed us. Athletics to the far side. Darren climbs the side with a rope to help the rest of us up. Stealth to the lower deck of the ship, which is similar to ours in design and layout, but for a private quarters with a door on the far end. Thragtusk and Ral work to pick the lock on that door, and when Thragtusk opens it, he's nearly hit with a Ray of Frost. There's a guy wearing a towel, holding his wand (lol).
(DINNER!)
(Dan isn't feeling well, con exhaustion possibly catching up to him. Nat is stepping in as DM)
Initiative!
The man summons a wine elemental from a nearby barrel, and occasionally attacks by blasting us from shelved bottles of wine. The battle is very messy. Shortly into the melee, we hear what turn out to be four more return to the ship and join in. Manbiik Greases the ladder, complicating their arrival. We kill the lot of them.
=== Book 10 - Horror Show - Sumna 26 3128 (12/11/22) ===
The party has begun their campaign to end the Lord Marshall's tyranny. How will they fare when they take the fight to his campground? 
69xp bonus + 2911xp
- Dinner by Chris
Session notes:
Holiday photo! It finally happens!
Thragtusk and Ral unlock the lower level of the rival science team's boat. A'Riel pops a light. It seems like food stores.
Ral perceives the sound of several footfalls coming up the gangplank. We prepare to ambush, many holing up below the trap door. Thragtusk is where he can observe them. Twelve, speaking in Common without a Gaulish accent. They had dinner on the Lord Marshall's dime, but maybe they should see the captain for a nightcap. Thragtusk goes to move to the ladder and is seen by three of them who are audibly startled. Darren charges out of the trap door and we roll Initiative.
D'Faq, acting first, tries to convince them he's the wine steward. They declare that they are being hijacked and intend to run!! Sobek slows their escape with Spirit Guardians. They shove Thragtusk and begin trying to escape, and Manbiik greases the ladder again. Sobek tolls the dead on one who made it partway up the ladder, who falls to his violent death. "Professor Brule!!" they shout. (Ral and D'Faq, for their part, have been dealing nonlethal damage...)
Nine dead, three unconscious. Manbiik and Patchouli argue over who is best-suited to take the visage of The Professor. Patchouli casually threatens him, and he concedes. But others argue why Manbiik might perform the role better.
Ulysses finishes off two of the unconscious, and he uses Lay On Hands to bring back the third. He then casts Zone of Truth, and the captive fails. He sees the carnage and freaks out. "Steve" is just a student on an internship. Phil, Derek, Aidan, and Byron were some of his peers from the Exidor Academy. These are all the names he knows. Patchouli finds 4 gold on the professor. The talk starts in an hour, and the students weren't even supposed to go, they were going to drink and go to bed. He has a wife and child and is begging for his life.
Ral takes Steve's lab coat and a bit of his hair. She tries to lead him out, but Ulysses stops her. Darren agrees Steve shouldn't be killed. He is tied up and locked into the cellar level.
(DINNER!!)
Potions! Everyone but Ral is having difficulty adjusting to their new, human forms. Dan rolls heights for the people who request them.
We head over. The professor is recognized by a guard, and we stroll past.
A human man takes note of us and approaches us, looking troubled. Darren recognizes him but can't react while we are disguised. "Where the hell have you been?" to all of us. Sergay has been expecting us for ten minutes, come on! We are pulled into a tent where we shuffle in. There is a stage on the far end, probably 80 people in the stands. And a board with papers set up, ready for Manbiik to give Professor Brule's presentation.
"Cognitive Transmutation, Professor Brule." Chip does his best to work with the slides as they are revealed. They are devoid of context and somewhat ridiculous, but as we have a vague idea how transmutation of the mind functions, he is able to bluff his way through it with various technobabble. "Any Questions?" Ral immediately begins applauding. A professor from Gaul University asks a followup question about the use of wolfsbane as an alchemical reagent to the program. He directs Patchouli to answer as an expert on this. She claims it does not work very well in the process, that it turns the subjects savage. Another person with a question, a professor from Ixodir, "The process can be reversed, yes?" Yes, within certain parameters. How long? Two to three weeks. Must be kept between 35-75 degrees, adds Patchouli. Yet another question, this one from Sergay. "Greetings, Professor." He's been offered a superior product from Nikolai's laboratories. How will your product be better than his? Manbiik promises to talk with him after the lecture. Performance dirty20. People begin to exit the facility.
The guy who brought us in earlier is Aziz, from Darren's backstory, but only Nat knows this. It's odd seeing him without any religious regalia. Darren isn't sure how to react and can't do much in his current form anyway. But he ultimately decides to go and confront his old friend.
"Are you from Andelous?" "I was worried about you. Sergay was going to have your ass if you were any later." "Oh, yeah, there was a spill on the ship we had to deal with." (Technically not Deception.) Persuasion19. "There was gonna be a spill in the TENTS if you were any later." He claims he was conscripted here when he was a teenager, which Darren knows is not true. He immediately suspects Aziz has been modified. Darren references spreading rationality across the lands, passes the roll. "What's your name again?" "Oh, Jacob." "Darren." Insight10 to see if he recognizes the name, detects nothing. Turns and goes.
Ulysses takes Darren aside and tries to comfort him.
Manbiik is looking around for Sergay. Ulysses asks where he went and deflects suspicion claiming he doesn't know where his study is being just an intern. "Have you not been in the camp before?" Makes a show of being under a lot of stress. Deception15. "It's the one with the bamboo fence." He thanks the guy.
D'Faq eats a bug.
We head to the bamboo fence. Are we going to try and kill him here and now? Lure him to the ship? Darren is focused on wanting to get information on restoring his old friend, but Ral argues they may not have been aware that "undo" was even an option in the process.
We find the location. It's sturdier than a tent. Thragtusk forms a psychic link with Manbiik, Ral, and Patchouli. Two guards, they ask our business. One of them goes in to announce us. It's two minutes, and we're standing around. Patchouli shrinks an inch. We ask the remaining guard if he could hurry things along. Darren attempts to intimidate, claiming he doesn't want to be the one Sergay is mad at when we're all late seeing him. Kuma'd and Blessed to 26. We are let in. "College academics, you think you know everything." "That's because we do!" and Manbiik shrinks an inch as he passes.
We go in, coming face to face with the other guard. "Commander Sergay is currently in a meeting with the generals. He wants you to come back in an hour." We try insisting he come out to the ship, and he's not having it. Charm Person, and Dan's nat20 to resist the spell is mayor'd to a 1. The guy warns us Sergay wasn't impressed with the presentation and is more likely to just terminate the contract. Patchouli persuades him to take the other guard and go to dinner together.
The hall splits left and right. Voices in both directions. On the right, a female voice, Gaulish accent. On the left, Gaulish cadence, all male. We opt to go left. There is a closed door, no sign. We eavesdrop, "I don't think that's what he's after, down-home kind of guy, just looking for whatever makes him comfortable."
Ral, whose slow reversion from the lingering effects of the potion still have her looking altogether human, peeks into what she sees to be a laundry room. Apologizes for the mistake, Persuasion17, no harm done.
We head to the opposite door, which we find to be locked. Sergay's voice responds, "Who is it?" Manbiik, still using the professor voice, announces himself and yes, Sergay will want to see this. The door opens, and we can see a guard, 8 high-ranks individuals, and Sergay. Manbiik continues to insist he come to the boat at once, all while his facial features are reverting. Sergay wants to know what we could possibly have to show him. "The power... of COWABUNGA!" and A'Riel casts Fireball.
=== Book 11 - True Faith Sumna 26th 3128 - (12/18/22) ===
- Lvl 7 for everyone
- Gift exchange
- Potluck?
== Season 2 - Spring '23 ( ? - ? ) ==