When Last We Left Off: Campaign One Archive

## January 2024

*Our intrepid guild houses dispatched...*

5 groups of adventurers to aid in the fight for the continent of Faerûn.

In the aftermath of Ash Valen's death, Izzarina requested Grom assemble a team to uncover the truth og his death by going into the Northward and apprehend the elusive Thrax Grimjaw, leader of the Crimson Syndicate.

Grom informs the group that Thrax poses a threat to the peace of Waterdeep. To unlock the memories of Ash they head to the Grinning Lion where he was last seen alive. Wandering through the streets, the group made their way to the tavern and meet the barmaid out back to avoid the eyes of the syndicate. They find out Thrax frequents the courtyard near the bar.

They find out the location of Ash’s residence from an individual in the bar and investigates the home finding it locked. Scaling the home and unlocking it after climbing through a window they find an expended modify memory scroll that helped erase his knowledge of Naraxas’s location and his plans to have it restored upon returning to the guild.

A skirmish erupted between the Plague Rats and Syndicate and the group was caught in between. Immediately after the group confronted Thrax and after a fierce battle they bring Thrax in alive upon restraining him. (C1.S09.1)

*...meanwhile...*

Lt. Mog answered the door greeting a Paladin demanding to see the vanguard Elders. Upon introducing the paladin, Sir Valence, the guild was asked to investigate the death of a magistrate Thidor Solly. Along the way to his estate in the Northward, the players saw groups of thieves from the Crimson Syndicate and Plague Rats now taking over the area.

Sir Valence broke off to deal with the groups and the guild member began to investigate Thidor’s house by looking along the outside first and then talking to the staff. In searching the house, they found and are where Thidor would meeting with the Monomaterial but the furniture was shifted around or relocated.

In the library the found blood and ichor stains, silver dust and salt. In a drawer they found secret writs and upon reading them summoned a devil. After a fight they defeated the enemies and were going to follow a suspicious halfling but lost the trail. (C1.S09.2)

*...meanwhile...*

A vanguard party arrived in Miststad during the reaping festival after being summoned there by the talking tooth of Dwudgewella. As part of the festival a fiend is slain in the town square. This year a large piece of silver donated by Baron Hojorath was set to hold the demon.

The party members met the hag who informed the party the demon was unique – named Histrastes. She claimed that is the town sacrificed the demon the cage, it would result in a catastrophic loss of life by the design of the Monomaterial to further the propaganda that magic leads to tragic outcomes. She asked them to help free it and offered her aid in doing so. The party decided to trust her and freed the demon. After a large fight in the town center, the demon was destroyed and Dwudgewella was seen collecting pieces of it before it faded away. (C1.S09.3)

*...meanwhile...*

The guild was sent to Manshaka to aid Valas Dyrr to infiltrate and search a warehouse that was seen importing items from Chult. After arriving in the town and witnessing some of the distasteful sights such as the slave markets the group met at a guild hideout.

Across the way they planned to enter a Monomaterial safehouse attached to the warehouse dressed as slaves to be sold. They got the jump on some slavers that were meeting Valas and after a struggle killed four of them. They searched the safehouse to find a note in a desk drawer and loosened boards. After removing the boards, they entered the side of the warehouse unseen.

They opened a mysterious chest of Eladrin make and Edlorian design. Encountering a mysterious fragment of pure void, the group was paralyzed with nightmares and visions. Upon freeing themselves they continued to scour the area and eventually tried to capture the gnome guarding the place. Unsuccessful in grappling the small man he hopped in a a huge mech suit and a massive fight broke out. The group tried to set fire to the burn the building down and succeeded in finding dinosaur eggs in the crates before felling the construct.

Back at The Den in Waterdeep, the mysterious fragment began to exert influence of several party members and spoke through one of them. (C1.S09.4)

*...meanwhile...*

Skein receives a message from his brother in the Moonshea Isles hinting that the Monomaterial might be encroaching there. It's been over a decade since Skein has heard word from his brother and he replies he cannot make it but he'll send a party to the island of Ruathym and represent the guild to gather some information.

On the 3rd day at sea the group was attacked by a pirate vessel. After a fight the ship continues on to the island. Knot is now the head of the family shipping and import/export conglomerate named "The Northern Isles Trading Company". The island seems to be mostly under the control of this trading company.

After the party docks, Knot escorts them to his residence to inform them there has been an alarming uptick in piracy as of late and asks if the party has any information on the Monomaterial as he is gathering intel. (C1.S09.5)

## December 2023

*Our intrepid guild houses dispatched...*

4 groups of adventurers to aid in the fight for the continent of Faerûn.

Vanguard members were dispatched to the Whack & Tally to ask around as to the whereabouts of the deep gnome alchemist by the name of Umbodoben. Umbodoben's name appeared among the names on the ledger recovered by General Grom's team next to Fa-Sujo, and the Vanguard believed that his life is similarly under threat.

Investigations with the barkeep revealed to the party that they were too late to catch Umbodoben. The party followed two tattooed individuals to the second floor, and found them barricaded in Umbodoben's room, ransacking it. After kicking down the door, the party managed to slay one while the other escaped.

They pursued through the streets and markets of Waterdeep down to the wharf where another tattooed individual stood over an unconscious Umbodoben. Sand and soil swirl around them kicking up a massive cloud of dust from which several small swarms of dust mephits, a cadre of mud golems, and a mighty earth elemental all appeared. The party managed to slay all the earthen beings as well as the Monomaterial assailants, saving the life of Umbodoben.

The deep gnome was brought back to Vanguard headquarters and shared a new alchemical process he discovered through which a theoretically infinite supply of silver can be generated. He claimed that the assailants magically tampered with his experiment, opening a portal to the elemental plane of earth. Aside from eliminating Umbodoben, the exact nature of their goal still is not yet clear. (C1.S08.1)

*...meanwhile...*

Izzarina sent out a party undercover to Revel’s End to find and extract Prisoner 626, known as Thoren of Eldoria. Captain Xhandis and his sky ship The Indulgence transported six members of The Vanguard disguised as cooks and guards to the prison who were shown their duties and quarters. They took note of the center console that controlled the prison. As the party moved about Revel’s End, they found some ingredients in the hospital that proved valuable in creating a tincture that could cause nausea and decided to use that while preparing a meal for the prisoner to try and get him away from his cell.

One of the members spotted Prisoner 626 leaning out of his cell as he headed back to the barracks. The members dressed as cooks lined up to bring the food to the inmates and while one of them poisoned the meal, another was able to deftly point out the correct prisoner just in the nick of time and the meal was served to Thoren causing him to immediately vomit. The guards, wanting nothing to do with the sick man, allowed the two cooks to bring him to the infirmary where the Vanguard team revealed themselves and convinced Thoren to come with them in exchange for helping him find his wife and child.

At that time, the Monomaterial’s squad of Wyvern riders, led by the notorious Norzuc, began their own daring raid of the prison attacking from the front. Thoren informed the group he had been slowly working away at a small tunnel in his cell. The party returned and blasted a hole through the base of his cell leading to an ice cave below as the tunnel collapsed behind them. After being attacked by an Ice Troll, the group managed to bisect the creature leaving the heart exposed which Thoren pulled out to use. Leaving the cave and winding down the side of the cliff, the group called for Xhandis to extract them but was confronted by Norzuc and a battle took place nearly killing a member before the Wyvern was wrestled down and Xhandis showed up firing ballista bolts into it. Norzuc and her wyvern barely escaped.

Back at The Den, Izzarina confronted Thoren about his knowledge of the 4th key to the vault of Naraxas only to find out there was a 5th key that was needed power the rest of them and unlock the resting place of the relic. As the party stood there in disbelief, Thoren’s tattoo began to glow a beautiful soft green as he revealed he was in fact the fifth key. (C1.S08.2)

*...meanwhile...*

A Vanguard dispatch was sent out by Lt. Mog and Archivist Riga. Riga found something that he thought could locate Naraxus, The Mirror of Melisra, which could be found near the Fountains of the Crystal Halls in ancient Hastarl’s ruins below the current town of Secomber.

When they got to Secomber, the guards at the gate scoffed at them. Later the party contacted the Sage of Secomber, who confirmed the mirror had been looted maybe 5 years ago by a party out of Cormyr. While staying at the Seven Stringed Harp, they encountered a Kobald, who was kicked out of the inn, and vowed revenge. As the party was ready to bed down, they heard something outside. They investigated and the Kobald, Kvetch, had returned leading 2 skeletons and 2 zombies to wreck havoc in the inn. The party slew them all; however, one zombie was identified by a local as a recently buried relative. They followed the trail left by the zombies out of the city and a few miles through the countryside to an abandoned hamlet and into the fallow farm fields where they found a gated sinkhole down into the ground.

They went down a long, slimy chute and used the broken unholy symbol of Orcus that they got from Kvetch to bypass the glyphs of warding at the bottom. As they left the tunnel, Shriekers began to shriek but Bullin quickly dispatched them, and they had entered a sunken world that had folded on top of itself thousands of years ago. In the distance, they saw a small reddish light and interrupted a ritual happening. They recognized them as undead and decided to attack. As they approached, they found a priestess, complete with swirling purple vapors wrapping around her in a sick embrace, and sacrificial victims. A wight and several skeletons were outside providing cover using bows. They attacked the priestess and her zombies and while Jefferson freed one dying victim.

When the priestess died, the spell continued until Bullin kicked over a blood-filled ritual basin and the party freed the other victims. (C1.S08.3)

*...meanwhile...*

Adventurers were sent out and encountered a maze filled with mechanical abominations that the party had to fight through to find an artifact that needed to be protected by the Vanguard. The maze was filled with machines and devices to thwart the party at every turn. At the center of the maze was Monk guarding the artifact which proved to be a bit too much for the squad as they understood he was able to protect the artifact on his own against whomever may try to steal it. (C1.S08.4)

## November 2023

*Our intrepid guild houses dispatched...*

4 groups of adventurers to aid in the fight for the continent of Faerûn.

Responding to a cryptic message from their Vanguard ally Dorian Windrider, the guild dispatches a group consisting of Gribble Fiddlefingers, Bullin Brightroar, Vega, and Susan Goodstreet. Dorian Windrider's message conveyed The "Material" has been channeling substantial resources into the dreaded Obsidian Caldera, a realm of fire and fury that houses EmberKeep and the dormant PyroForge, a masterpiece of ancient dwarven artistry, responsible for crafting some of the world's most exceptional weapons and armor.

As the party ventured deeper into the heart of the Obsidian Caldera, signs of chaos and fire began to emerge. Susan Goodstreet took her panther companion, Lady Edmund, for their evening stroll before sleep when suddenly, the cub's focus was riveted on something concealed in the underbrush. A young human child revealed themselves. The young intruder's hearing was gone and Gribble used the "comprehend languages" spell enabling him to fathom previously unintelligible tongues.

With this newfound ability, Gribble took on the role of the group's interpreter and began unraveling the tale of the child named Kaelis, who had recently joined a tribe they knew as simply "Material." Kaelis's science expedition was intended to initiate a mysterious forge, but the endeavor ended in catastrophe, with a colossal, fiery entity emerging from a tear in the earth. As the sole survivor, they had fled as far and as fast as possible.

Gribble, fascinated by the child's magical talents, couldn't resist probing further. Kaelis recounted the tale of a friend who had been whisked away to a "relearning" camp, never to be seen again.

The group continued their quest for a safe haven. As they arrived at the Pyrofroge the group confronted Cindermaw. Suddenly, reinforcements from the "Material" appeared, led by Kahleed, the child's father.  Working in unison, the combined forces killed the creature. Kahleed embraced his child, but his eyes betrayed his fear. Kahleed understood the peril of their circumstances. Dismissing the other "Material" members to return to their camp, he knelt before Kaelis, his words laden with tears. He informed the child that they must accompany the Vanguard. In their camp that night, a mysterious voice visited them in a dream, bearing an ominous message and revealing the true name of mysterious organization that has plagued the Vanguard. MonoMaterial. This information has left them with more questions than answers. (C1.S07.1)

*...meanwhile...*

The guild recieved a tip that in the Jendiel Valley, a legend named Fa-Sujo is being threteaned by the ooposition. Upon arriving in the Jendiel Valley, Nero, Min, Lt. Mog and Arrik quickly confirmed with the locals what was going on. The party journeyed into the forest, and along the way, they saw a group of four individuals matching a description of the Inn's previous night's customers.

After a few hours, they came upon a small glade. In a shallow pool of water in the center, three women were performing a ritual on a mortally wounded Ki-rin. The ritual appeared to be dismembering and harvesting the remains of the Ki-rin. Dismeena was instructed to "prove her place in this Coven" by cleaning up the mess and killing the party - she was chastened by the others for "leading us to a traitorous ally". Dwudgewella and middle of the three, Auntie Rotten, disappeared. After the party defeated Dismeena, Dwudgewella and Auntie Rotten reappeared. They asked the party how they knew to come to the glade of Fa-Sujo at this specific time. They offered their information and Dwudgewella appeared interested in that fact. As a thank you for the information and culling their coven of the weakling Dismeena, Dwudgewella promised that she would provide the Vanguard with information "soon".

That night, all members of the Vanguard shared the same dream. During the dream, they each saw the guildhall on fire, armies marching across the land, banners with the same mysterious symbol they've been encountering for weeks, and stars falling from a bleak and emptying sky. (C1.S07.2)

*...meanwhile...*

Vine Skiphoof asked our adventurers to help in an escort mission of importance. Following the events at Rhekiel's rest, the guild gathered magical weapons and armor, trinkets of unknown origin and documents hidden away detailing Rhekiel's life and correspondence with the Eldorian people. Thale Stormstride, Vahorn Aloro, Sergio Faesong and So Schoon introduced themselves and traveled to the Moonstone Mask on the outskirts of Neverwinter. They were greeted by Elena who explained that she and Wander had transported the cargo to the airship Indulgence, piloted by Xhandis Stormwind.

After taking a look about the ship, securing things and establishing a watch, they departed south for Waterdeep. A few hours in the air, below deck, Thale saw one of the leather-wrapped binders begin to float and then appear along with a robed man, Ardor Fellen. A fight ensued above deck wounding Elena. As the ship's engines shut down one by one, a hooded elf came sprinting from below and, as he ran by the guild members, told them to aim for the Dessarin River. Even in the midst of combat, Sergio knew him to be Valas Dyrr. Valas, the mage and fighter vanished as Vahorn called out for the captain to steer the ship towards the Dessarin river. From the woods came a retired guild member of the WildWatch Evelyn Blackthorn. Knowing Xhandis, she helped secure the cargo and told the group they could use the escape tunnel connected to the tower called the ShadowHand's Run.

As they made their way back, eventually, they emerged in a beautiful underground chapel with purple moss and glowing Star-Indigo flowers and a Fey Crocodile attacked the party. After tending to the threat, they returned to the guild and let Vine know where the cargo was stored.

That evening all of them had the same dream from a Night Hag which was cryptic but warned them of the impending threat from this group now known to them as the MonoMaterial. (C1.S07.4)

And with that, let's get into tonight's session of...

*The Vanguard!*

## October 2023

*Our intrepid guild houses dispatched...*

4 groups of adventurers to aid in the fight for the continent of Faerûn.

Nune, Sparkelz, Min and Susan set off to the small town of MoonStone Hollow where a rare mineral that bears the same name can be found to resurrect Ash Valen. The mayor, Winston Chamblefoot, informed them they had the stone but the quarry where it can be found is controlled by werewolves and that Ophelia Darkwood started the curse 10 years ago. The blacksmith Aiden introduced the group to Althea an herbalist trying to work on a cure for the lycanthropic curse but she needed a plant also found near the quarry. The next day the group found the plant and, bringing it back, found Althea kidnapped. Going after the herbalist, they located her only to discover she was Ophelia as she started to summon Fenrix the Devourer. The party fought and killed the pack, Fenrix and Ophelia returning with the Moonstone to the guild. (C1.S06.1)

*...meanwhile...*

Bullin, Vahorn, Sergio and Valas were sent to a location by Spark Ascendant to meet a defector from the secret organization at odds with the guild. They arrived to find a cabin on a pond deserted and a strange wind in the air. After scouting the area, a dwarf with runes and tattoos covering his body introduced himself as Kordon, a recent turncoat that let the party know his former employer was targeting people with magical power. He described their goal as the pursuit of bringing back the natural order of the Material Plane by any means necessary. Interrupted by Baron Algoron Hojorath and a band of his enforcers, Kordon sacrificed himself in a detonation inside the cabin. After a battle ensued, the baron's backup plan revealed itself as a giant that was meant to slaughter the party if things went wrong. The Baron attempted an escape on horseback only to seemingly be slain as he fled being dragged along by his horse. (C1.S06.2)

*...meanwhile...*

In the guild hall, Gribble, Vega and Blaurus met Hulgrim and Skein on the training grounds. Skein was magically alerted to an ongoing attack at a remote school of fieldcraft in the Ardeep Forest. He teleported to the location followed by the party. As they arrived after him, they found Skein holding off the remains of a Scourge Squad that was in the process of assailing the school. After finishing the job, the party found the school's high druid and instructors slain along with the students. After investigation, they found an infiltrator had drugged the water supply and killed most of the school's students before trying to finish the rest. (C1.S06.3)

*...meanwhile...*

Lt. Mog called Graak, Dimitri and Nero to action. He introduced them to Wander, a bard from the guild and asked them to investigate the trade issues between the Pennilworth Trading Company and Thofud's Hollow. The group traveled by sea and Wander provided each member with a token to return home back to the guild hall. They were warned The Whisper's Breath may have something to do with the unrest. When they arrived they saw the town attacked. As they got closer, a magic sent them into an alternate reality where things didn't look quite right. After figuring out something was very off, they dropped their tokens returning to their own reality to find Wander gone. Investigating a tower, they were set upon by assassins including the captain of the ship that was a Doppelganger. Wander helped in the end and the group found a young man with an ominous note attached to him reading:

> *All magic-using ways
> Will come to an end
> Just like your worthless lives.
> Those who pray to their magic receive death.
> Those who accept justice will survive.
> This town was told to hang their priests,
> Burn their witches, and behead their skalds.
> They refused. Now they are dead.
> Let that be your example, and your Doom.*
>
>

(C1.S06.4)

And with that, let's get into tonight's session of...

*The Vanguard!*

## September 2023

*Our intrepid guild houses dispatched...*

3 groups of adventurers to aid in the fight for the continent of Faerûn.

Joan, Ween, Gribble and Vega found themselves standing outside a grand mansion nestled in the affluent district of Waterdeep. The mansion belongs to the last known Zephyerian scholar Varix Uthari, a historian renowned for their vast knowledge of the city's history and culture. There to get help deciphering runes that were found in a previous mission (The Lost Relics), they were immediately greeted by a distraught butler. The party entered the study of Varix to see it in complete disarray. After finding an envelope with the name '*Ash Valen*' on the front and instructions to seek out him out, the party found themselves at the Grinning Lion tavern trying to convince Ash to help. He offered the whereabouts of a storage depot where powerful artifacts are held until they can be moved and promised to look into who was behind the kidnapping. They found Varix at the depot and, after a struggle, freed him only to find Ash dead upon their return to the guild. They found an ominous note attached to the body marked with a strange insignia. (C1.S05.1)

*...meanwhile...*

Bullin, Graak, Nero and Valas were sent to a nearby town in search of an ancient key thought to be the property of an old Hermit. Rumor was the hermit lived in a swamp that was thought to be cursed. The townspeople said no one came out and if they did they were never right again in the head. With the aid of a young girl, they entered the swamp only to get lost in endless muck and and mire. After a run in with stirges, the guild members found the old hermit singing and upon inquiring about the contents of his hut, the Hermit attacked the group by casting a surprise fireball and retreating into the swamp never to be seen. Eventually searching the hut they found a box containing a thin clay square with strange marks scribed into it, attached to a thin leather strap. The group set off to find the hermit only to encounter lizard people, deep water and a hag that offered a warm bed for the evening. Turning the hag down, the group returned to the village for a much needed night's rest and ale, subsequently returning the artifact to the guild. (C1.S05.2)

*...meanwhile...*

Vahorn, Dimitri, So Schoon, and Hulgrim were called by Spark Ascendant to locate the son of a major Waterdhavian House in exchange for a favor. He was reported missing and feared kidnapped. Guild intelligence reported he may have been taken to the Monastery of St. Stephen, an insane asylum for the indigent and poor. The adventurers set off and upon arrival found the sign defaced now reading 'Cloisters of St. Agata of the Bodice'. Approaching the doors, they were greeted by scantily clad women and men. After offering the guild members food and wine and some conversation, combat broke out. The members were cult fanatics and our adventurers found inmates, including the missing son, downstairs in horrible conditions. While freeing some of the prisoners, they heard something emerging from the depths of the prison speaking odd languages. During the escape the entity destroyed an entire floor of the building. After fleeing for their lives our heroes returned to the guild. (C1.S05.3)

And with that, let's get into tonight's session of...

*The Vanguard!*