The Devil of Ruarc

## Preface

Ruarc's Hold is a frontier province in Aerrune, beyond the Greylands, where the Erl of this Hold has promised land and wealth to any and all settlers seeking a fresh start.

Those settlers lucky enough to survive the voyage would be known as the following;

* Caulden Grey
* Entropy
* ~~Erastus Cawldha~~
* ~~Erevas Morganthau~~
* Gentle-Breeze-Blows
* Kazavith "Threadchaser" Elenatho

## Recaps - Act One - A Fresh Start

### Session 1 - Curiosity Killed the Cat

This session took place on the 4th Soliam of Apathy, the Last Week of Hearths and eight days away from the First of Songs.

The party, comprised of settlers, explorers and wayward souls had each joined a caravan to the edge of the Greylands of Aerrune to a land known simply as Ruarc's Hold. Promises of wealth and land might've been their intentions, but secrets are secrets for a reason. Regardless of personal goals, the caravan progressed smoothly for the first week and some... but peaceful times never last in Starsong.

The party were rudely awoken when their caravans were ambushed by a group of mad tribals known simply as the Kin. Dressed in fur and claimed entrails, awash in blood, they did little to resemble the humans they might've once been-- one of which had a fungus growth to replace its face, so the party was already concerned.

In truth the party were caught wholly unprepared; some were scattered to the frozen lake below the cliff's edge where desperate slaves dragged them down, or trying not to fall into that same frozen lake. Thrust together in the heat of battle, the party fought on. The nameless caravan's master, a Drow who wielded an intricate rifle-spear, fought alongside them as the sole survivors.

With the defeat of the mushroom-headed villain and the last of the singing Kindred prophets defeated, the newly formed party regrouped. The Drow introduced himself as Qaed ix Qro, a Roadwarden for the Erl. He insisted that they continue forwards as one of the caravans broke through and with any luck, made it to safety at a nearby waycastle. With the lights of further enemies chasing the party they had no choice but to run.

The waycastle soon only provided the illusion of security, as they found it inhabited by a strange invisible monstrosity that slew Qaed's friend, a Brotva named Rikmarst. The party searched the castle for the beast but found only traps and secrets.

In time they found a cart that had come from the opposite way, from deeper within the Hold in an attempt to flee. A marked strongbox with the emblem of the Guild Eldritch. It was sealed shut, and when Breeze decided to pry it open something sprang out-- that something being a spring-loaded, animated bear-trap that promptly ripped out the cat's throat with teeth of solid metal. The party, sprayed by what remained of the cat's jugular, were momentarily stunned... stunned long enough for the trap to leap up and do the same to Caulden, knocking him down and out in a pool of his own blood.

Erevas took this opportunity to slay the trap. Satisfied with the blood it spilled, the same trap decided to accept its loss and fall apart in two neat pieces.

Lucky them. Lets see if they return for Session 2.

### Session 2 - The Horror & The Devil

*Are you washed in the blood of the lamb?*

This session took place on the 4th Soliam of Apathy, the Last Week of Hearths and eight days away from the First of Songs.

The party began the session surrounded; though they could not see the horde, they could hear them snuff out their torches and rush to the flanks. Windows were shattered and ambushes set, but the party were more concerned with the fact that someone else had joined the fight; somewhere within the waycastle was someone slinging spells.

They quickly ignored this as someone bashed through one door, using a tribal's head as a makeshift bludgeon. The creature that emerged was made of nightmares, a humanoid lined with eyes and tentacles. Even when the party slew it, it returned from the grave with a frenzy for flesh and blood.

The party left the madness of the interior keep to the courtyard, where a guildsman burst through, tackling Erastus over. Hunted by brutes of the Kin, the party soon discovered that this guildsman was severely outgunned. Joining the fray the party met their attackers pound-for-pound and blow-for-blow, every cut and spell and wound was met with equal measure and fury. Cutting down their foes one by one, the guildsman was promptly slain in a horrific manner by the largest of the lot, a hulking monstrosity who enjoyed-- nay, revelled in the shock and awe of the fight.

Eventually the party won the encounter, even if Palar had his brains chewed upon and Erastus couldn't mock a single of the insane tribesmen. With the enemies slain, the mystery of the guildsman was slowly pieced together; he had hidden in a secret room after arriving here and losing "containment" of a monster.

How did they party find this out? By way of a brain in a jar that the guildsman had on his person, one that could let the wielder speak with the dead. Not only speak with the dead but seek any stray souls.

This proved useful when the horrific beast was invisible to the naked eye. The party had the monster cornered but it could violate and possess any stray corpses it had collected, most notably that of Rikmarst, the Brotva they watched die. The party mobbed the possessed corpse and stopped the spirit from fleeing its host, choosing instead to burn the room with the creature still inside said corpse.

Breeze, still trapped inside, managed to flee with clever climbing as expected of such a cat. Fleeing the waycastle, the party continued forwards till the dawn broke and Ruarc's Hold was in sight.

Along the old easterly road was a welcoming committee, containing a monstrous Grishal named Skarathik. With him was a band of horsemen; little better than thugs by the looks of them. Skarathik introduced himself as Captain of the Guard and showed little remorse for a party who brought none of the promised caravans, slaves and settlers. Still, Skath did his civic duty and led them to the town of Emyn Vul.

What they didn't expect was a vast amount of great wooden wheels with frostbitten people tied to nearly every single one. "Necessary evils," Qaed claimed. Inside the town they parted ways with Qaed after he asked if they wanted to rest up; the Tenth Hell was the best place for it. The bouncer, a full-blooded Orklodh named Borkov, checked their hands and wrists beforehand. "Searching for frostbite," he explained, but it seemed he was more interested in bracelets of the Guild Eldritch.

Two of the party wore such bracelets.

The Tenth Hell was, by its very nature, hellish. Ablaze with deep trenches lined with brimstone, the place was full of more smoke and more life than any known plane of Hell. Though whom was the architect of this grand tavern?

A red-skinned and black-blooded Tiefling named Regret who spoke in theatrics, who appraised the party like they were merchandise, and spoke lies long enough to hang from.

The session ended with the party gearing up for a deep sleep. They'll awaken for Session 3.

### Session 3 - Come Flowers, Come Fire

*"I just thought I had more time."*

This session took place on the 4th Soliam of Apathy, the Last Week of Hearths and eight days away from the First of Songs.

The party began inside the Tenth Hell, having just woken up in the common room with Borkov the bouncer barking at them to wake up. The bouncer told Caulden that someone outside wanted to talk to him, while the others were getting drinks and Erevas was checking his journal for writing he didn't remember putting into words.

Outside a young human told Caulden that he was a friend of his daughter and they needed to find her. Caulden didn't hesitate to follow him into an adjacent alley where a crone was begging. Of course, Caulden didn't hesitate again when the crone revealed to be a dwarf in disguise that rushed him with manacles in hand, electing instead to dodge the attack and cut the dwarf in half with his axe.

A surge of blood lead to a tide of combat as the young man and a nearby archer tried to subdue Caulden, who flew into a rage with a thundering cry that alerted the party who were still sipping their afternoon ales. They came around to the alley, but it was Erevas in the rear of the flank who thought he recognised the young man, the arbiter of this assault. While Caulden dismembered the archer the other members of the party drew closer, close enough for Erevas to recognise the human as his friend from the Guild, known as Adam.

Adam, outnumbered and surrounded, turned his longsword on himself and ran it through his stomach. While disemboweled and bleeding out, he claimed that he was sent to find Caulden and kill a strange looking bard. Although put off a little by this mention, Erastus still healed Adam. Traumatized and with a memory full of holes, the party grabbed Adam and took him somewhere safe, namely an empty house on the corner of the marketplace where they could question him.

Questioning him revealed some secrets; he came here at a magister's request, who he remembered as a Guildsman named Leopold. Some of the party recognised this name, but not his relation to the region or Caulden's daughter. Adam was apparently commanded to attack them by an Elven woman he simply called Smiler, dubbed so from her ever-present and persistent grin. Erevas decided to search Adam for any more evidence he might have.

Adam wore a pendant with a chunk of unrefined meteorite on it that radiated a pleasant warmth. That wasn't all Erevas found as he saw necrosis across Adam's chest. On closer inspection, there was a rotting pit where the man's heart should be.

Then the screaming began.

Outside Breeze was looking for anybody who had gotten too curious near the house when he saw Qaed leaving the marketplace. Grabbing his attention before dragging him inside, Breeze showed Qaed the unfortunate Adam who was still thrashing and screaming when Caulden knocked him out.

It would seem the Plague of Flowers has come to Emyn Vul and the first of its seeds has been sowed.

Qaed told the party that the only cure was to burn down this house and everything that the victim might have touched. Adam pleaded, begging for an opportunity for the party to find a cure. There was no more begging when Erevas held Adam close and put an *Eldritch Blast* through the side of his head.

Worst still was when the party got up to leave, so did Adam. He awoke with a gasping breath as if drawing air for the first in a long time. Unsatisfied, Caulden took Adam's head off his shoulders. The house was to be put to the torch, even as vines grew from Adam's decapitated head in an attempt to reattach itself. When a second *Eldritch Blast* was sent into the crawling skull, a splattering of blood formed into flowers and something far too beautiful for something so horrific.

The party left as the fire crept onto the house. Nearby wanderers of Emyn Vul were quick to warm themselves by the grand bonfire, uncaring and unaware of what was inside. The party bid farewell to Qaed and searched Emyn Vul for anything that might be important. The workshop and adventuring goods store, The Curl and Burl, was run by an obtuse dwarf named Gudwin and wife Arianne. Turns out he had a past with Breeze, who seemed to enjoy the company of a creature so odd in a town with a creepy plague and people whom talk in limericks.

Buying supplies was harder than expected as there were no rations and no maps of the Hold. The Erl's men had taken every ration for themselves, and anyone caught making a map or holding a map of the Hold would be put to the wheel. Before leaving the shop Gudwin told them if they wanted to sell or buy anything they shouldn't have they ought to speak to Regret. Turns out Breeze knew some "lingo," whatever that might entail.

Elsewhere the party passed by the cemetary where a crude ring of blood was erected using discarded tombstones. Cultists of the Flayed God watched as slaves fought to the death to appease the earth with every drop of blood spilt.

Back at the Tenth Hell they were forced to solve a riddle by Regret before they could enter his "office." Below the Tenth Hell was where Regret did his business, where they could swap goods, information and valuables for rations. Regret could rather oddly share information using one of his... fake eyes? Indeed, both of his eyes were gemstones where he could easily remove them to show Erastus a vision.

A vision of Leopold Dartmouth, arriving to the Tenth Hell with other guildsmen. The party were not alone in Ruarc's Hold.

We'll see what happens next in Session 4.

### Session 4 - Somewhere Not Home

This session took place on the 4th Soliam to the 4th Jomuer of Apathy; seven days remain until the close of Winter and the start of Spring.

The party was faced with a choice on how they were going to proceed with their investigation into the strange happenings of Ruarc’s Hold. After trading with the mysterious Regret, the party decided to pursue Regret’s sister, Gratitude, in an effort to claim a map of the region created by none other than the siblings' mother.

The party set off in the early afternoon towards the south, along the way they encountered a nomadic tribe just outside Emyn Vul and after a quick scout by Breeze, the party went to investigate the group and encountered a bizarre display of some form of ritualistic dance. The party attempted to communicate to the tribe, however it seemed few of them understood common, thankfully the tribe elder could communicate in a limited manner.

The elder spoke of blood, and the land and the connection they had. The party decided to take his offering of a flask of blood in the hope they would understand when the time came.

Not wanting to delay their travel much longer the party set out and continued south towards the waterway the tribe had described as the water veins. Eventually they were faced with a large collection of jagged stone formations that blocked their way south. The party did not want to risk losing their direction in a strange, unknown land decided to brave the rock formations and travelled through the rough rocky canyons and climbs. As evening began to arrive unknown beasts appeared from hidden nets up on the rocky cliffs.

Faced with a riddle and an ever-approaching threat, Caulden decided to not take the risk and simply dispatched one of these foes. The feathered humanoid creatures soon sought revenge on their fallen compatriot, but the party managed to silence them before the threat escalated.

Faced with encroaching night the party made camp in one of the rocky outcroppings and set about multiple tasks, Breeze sought out what could be salvaged in the nests while Caulden and Erevas made camp. As night fell so did the temperature and the party huddled around what little warmth the fire could provide before falling asleep.

In the early hours of the morning, during Breeze’s watch a large white Crag Cat appeared and sought the food that the dead creatures could provide. With dwindling supplies a constant threat the party leapt on the opportunity for pelts and meat. A short skirmish occurred and with minor injuries to the party, namely Caulden, who took most of the punishment, the Crag Cast was harvested for its supplies, and the party set out once again for their destination.

Eventually finding themselves at the aforementioned water veins, the party headed for a hut that was close to another point of interest, an island held in the middle of the lake by frozen water. The inhabitants of the hut appeared to be no more than simple ice-fisher who had no interest in conversation with the party.

Not wishing to waste any more time on the couple they head for the mysterious island in the hope of finding Gratitude. Upon reaching the banks of the island, Erevas noticed the familiar signs of a Fey-touched environment. Passing this on to the party they began to search the island and stumbled upon a large stone ziggurat.

The party entered the ziggurat and found inside, odd fruit trees, some kind of tomb and a large sundial. Searching the structure for any signs of life the party found a dwarven prisoner who turned out to be Ledvar Bowstriker, an old acquaintance of Erevas’.

Ledvar recounted horrific news of a blue Tiefling that matched Gratitude’s appearance who cannibalised his fingers as well as others. The party searched the structure from top to bottom and found no sign of their quarry. During their search they found three skulls with teeth that each had a letter carved into them. The party used these teeth to solve a riddle on the tomb and rested before activating the tomb.

The secrets of this tomb might be revealed in Session 5.

### Session 5 - You're Not Welcome Here

This session took place from the 4th Jomuer to the 4th Gol of Apathy; six days remain till the blossoming of Spring.

The party started this session staring down at the opening sarcophagus. For a building apparently host to the Fey, they were keen on using machinery to automate their designs as the coffin was opened with a grinding hum of spinning gears. Inside was an inscription written by something called Karcist Vorsott, but the tomb was empty. In fact, it was a tunnel that seemed to have been bored through the stone and out of the ziggurat.

Before the party could gather their thoughts, a voice called out to them. It echoed through the chamber with a harsh melody as a woman called out to them; she had seen their trap, yet the party made no effort to reveal themselves.

So she took initiative. A blue Tiefling simply dubbed Gratitude emerged and just like her brother, none of the party liked her. Ledvar had to be held back to stop himself from leaping at her but the others simply questioned her; she was here for her own personal gain and didn't care for the party's intrusion. On further interrogation she stated that she was here to learn more about the Fey and something to do with a moon-dial, one that would let someone communicate with Yslach the Star-Titan.

She also claimed to have never mistreated Ledvar or committed cannibalism, nor did she have a map in her possession as she burnt it to cinders to avoid persecution.

The party left her be to reconvene; they could not trust her and had to have a map. Was her life precious in comparison to their goals? Just because she was rude and full of lies didn't mean she was evil... or was she?

The party returned to either mount an assault or to force her to reveal the truth. They claimed to only want a map, but she was paranoid and possibly rightfully so. Ledvar was hurt by the party not taking his side as he left to wander into the unknown.

Despite everything, the party managed to make a copy of her map as she handed it over. This was her only mercy as she said she would cut them down if they bothered her again... so when Erevas returned at the apex of the ritual, she has no patience left.

Influenced by the airless space between the stars in the dark crossroads known as the Void, the Tiefling had spoken to the great unknown and received an answer. Her flesh fell in clumps revealing ice that would pulsate as if breathing. Her right arm became swollen, burdened with sin as a separate voiced joined her. The party had returned in time for her to begin the duel as plant-like minions joined the fray.

Overwhelming the party with a surge of minions and a casting of *Sleet Storm* to force them to lose their momentum, it seemed as if Gratitude had won. That was until Erastus rushed forth and launched a *Thunderwave*, shattering the last of her minions. With her resolve weakened she tried to *Entangle* those still facing her, but Caulden resisted to leap at her with fury and zeal, though the great-axe helped.

Despite this onslaught from the combined effort of Caulden and Erevas, she managed to cut down Caulden before a lapse in concentration let the others rush her-- rush her long enough for Erevas to slit her throat open.

She bled out onto the stone of the moon-dial as her voice became a whisper on the wind. Yslach cared not and merely watched on, his cosmic face disappearing into the clouds.

We'll see what else returns in Session 6.

### Session 6 - High on Hypothermia

This session took place on the 4th Gol of Apathy; six days remain till the blossoming of Spring.

The party awoke within the Ziggurat to the sound of rain falling upon the black-stone above. It was the third day of what felt like the longest battle they may ever face; against the very land of Ruarc itself. The Ziggurat's treasures were being plundered by Breeze while Erastus and Erevas hung around nearby. This only became weird when Erevas' sword leapt out of its scabbard and slashed Erastus along his wrist.

The sword clattered to the ground while the blood slowly formed into a word, nay, a name; Samira.

Caulden's daughter.

While the others debated what this meant, Breeze had managed to sneak a few of the statues eyes out before it exploded in a burst of built-up necrotising smoke. The smoke didn't stop flowing and the party bolted while they waited for it to dissipate. The party decided to leave the Ziggurat for good before they packed up camp and left for the other side of Lake Galawain.

This proved to be a horrible idea as the ice was particularly thin during this time of day, a fact Caulden found out due to his monstrous size and heavy equipment pack. While Caulden was at the mercy of the frigid water the others tried to help him but had to sacrifice the bulk of his equipment to the depths of the lake.

At the shore Erastus began to desperately try to warm the exhausted Caulden. Breeze and Erevas noticed the hut they passed on the way to the Ziggurat with the angry dwarf. Fearing what could happen to Caulden without some heat, they approached and asked for help. Inside a young dwarvish woman told them to leave her alone.

On further interrogation they discovered she was alone as her father had run off to chase after a mad dwarf who had stolen from them the night before. Her name was Yagoda and her father's was Volch'ya-- the name of the mad dwarf the party could probably guess. They left Caulden in her care while they decided to chase after Ledvar and Volch'ya.

What they didn't expect to find was two frostbitten dwarves frozen stuck mid-chase with Volch'ya paces behind Ledvar. They were still barking at each other when the party tried to chisel the dwarves out of their frosty prisons. What nobody expected next was the ice to begin to crack as something circled the party.

The party were now stuck on caps of broken, slippery ice while a huge lizard-fish leapt at them and began to chew at Erastus. Breeze and Erevas struggled with the captive dwarves which only got worse when Volch'ya was freed; he immediately charged to attack Ledvar. Erevas took the hit but the situation was now split; with the dwarves still out for blood and the giant monster now intent on dragging Erastus to the depths, how would the party succeed?

This dilemma was quickly answered when Caulden came charging across the ice; he had stolen a pair of crampons and was renewed with a vigor unseen as if he was reborn. With exhaustion replaced by adrenaline Caulden leapt at the beast and held it aloft for Erevas to fire the killing *Eldritch Blast.* The party were scattered and wounded but victorious with both Volch'ya and Ledvar alive-- for now. Volch'ya was still intent on butchering the Tharossian but the party managed to persuade him otherwise.

Yagoda, who had chased after Caulden, had come to help her father but not before the old dwarf had insulted Breeze some. Turns out Tabaxi were an oddity this far north and had earnt Breeze nothing but derision. So in revenge Breeze gave the dwarf a pear taken from the Ziggurat. Of course, nobody knew what the pear would do.

So when Volch'ya turned invisible after one bite, they were satisifed by not going back for any more of these damned pears.

The main concern now was what to do with Ledvar who was frostbitten beyond belief. Without spare cold weather gear and no firewood, Ledvar wasn't going to last. A feeble attempt to heat his chain shirt only fused his flesh with steel, damning him to a slow, painful death.

Erevas elected to slit his throat and leave him to the elements.

The party chose not to speak on this event and continued west to try to make some progress in their endeavours. Through the Heart of Ruarc towards the Russetwood the party were momentarily surprised by the sound of guitars and... singing?

Indeed, the party will find out the source of this next session.

### Session 7 - Revelations

This session took place from the 4th Gol to the 4th Moltes of Serenity. Five days remain until Spring.

The session began with the party stumbling upon another retinue of adventurers, these ones just as strange as they. Among them as a Hurwa named Cipher, a Orklodh named Poet, a Raishict named Hatchet and the leader of the pack a human aptly named Wolf. Our party was greeted warmly and given a wholesome meal of bacon and other accoutrements. The parties shared stories around the fire while song warmed their soul, providing a moment of respite they thought they could never stumble upon.

The night stretched on and the party soon realized they were being slowly interrogated, however charmingly. Cipher knew Caulden to be a mass-murderer, having slain a patriarch of House Crookspur. Poet had a hunch that Erastus was also hiding something from the rest of his group.

In the morning, revelations were shared. Caulden had murdered those who wronged him in the past, while Breeze revealed he may know who the Smiling Elf is; his mentor he was trying to find. Erastus chose to reveal the truth of why he was here in a sudden move; he was fleeing the Guild Eldritch having spoken to Leopold's stray spirit. Something else had possessed Leopold and thus he ran.

The party were stunned to hear that Leopold was Erevas' mentor for the majority of his life and the burning reason he was here. With strange connections formed and bonds found, the party continued forth for the Eyes even after being warned by the other party that it was the deadliest land within the heartlands. Apparently it contained the majority of the corrupt Kindred who would wander in hordes.

This wasn't their main issue as they were thrown off-course by a horrific blizzard that caught them unawares. Lost and fearing exhaustion, they saw plumes of smoke come across through the gale. It would seem too good to be true but following the smoke lead to a track carved through the russetwood. Weirder still, four lost souls were frozen and stuck still in the blizzard. On closer inspection, two of them were dead while the other two were pleading for help.

Erevas rushed forth to help one when he saw it loosen its hood to reveal a gaping maw where its face should be. With a face like that of a lamprey it lashed out at Erevas and thus violence began.

Caulden cornered the other, armoured chomping devil while Erastus and Breeze ran to help Erevas. The momentum was taken from them as the blizzard forced them to draw in close, letting the chomper wound Erevas grievously.

Caulden rushed forth after slaying one chomper and cut down the other without a moment to waste as Erevas was healed. Still reeling from grief combined with the shock of having to fight humanoid mimics, the party decided to head to this town of Gryndel and rest. They found an effigy aflame with smoking incense and a handful of empty houses which surrounded a keep of stone. This keep was alive with song and chatter, laughter and cheer.

The party thought that this was far too obvious of a trap and hid inside one of the houses. They lit a flame in the hearth and relaxed while tending to their wounds. What they didn't expect was the owner of the house to ask them what they were doing inside his abode.

The stranger's name was Bohin and truly this was his homestead the party had made their home instead. Try as he might to be hospitable Bohin asked them if they wanted to join the party inside the keep rather than hide in the dark outside. The party reluctantly took him up on the offer.

Inside was a gathering of common girls, peasant folk and what seemed to be a pair of Vargosseans named Two-Eyed Giff and Sad Coss. In a nearby meeting room was an elven woman with a sly smile named Leofwyn. The party said their greetings and enjoyed some change in company from flesh-eating humanoid mimics. Breeze wandered upstairs with Caulden to meet the last member of this entourage, a cranky old creature named Old Vo.

They were immediately disarmed by her when she begged them to kill Leofwyn, calling her a shapeshifter who held them hostage.

Thus did we come full circle. The revelations will persist in Session 8.

### Session 8 - Nor Iron Bars a Cage

This session took place from the 4th Moltes to the 4th Luvos of Serenity, 4388. Four days remain until Spring.

The party were meandering about Gryndel Keep among the company of the group of those who claimed to run the town, with Erevas and Erastus talking to Bohin and Leofwyn while Caulden and Breeze spoke to a crazy old bat of a woman. The old woman, Vo, said they should go downstairs and kill the Elf before she kills them.

Meanwhile downstairs, Leofwyn revealed she knew who Erastus was. A bounty was placed on his head of a thousand gold twists from the Guild Eldritch for retrieval of his corpse. Leofwyn didn't want to fight, as cruel as she was she had a point; they were all heavily armed and capable of violence, no doubt a fight would result in unnecessary losses. Leofwyn asked Erastus to give up quietly and spare them all the trouble.

Erevas wanted a second option, which is when the sleeping cat upon the table leapt at Erastus to *Polymorph* out of its lazy form into that of a black-furred Tabaxi with dagger at the ready upon Erastus' face. It would seem Dog the Cat was truly not a cat but a cat-man. Man-cat. Thing.

Meanwhile Caulden and Breeze snooped around an old admin's office upstairs where they discovered reports of a crashed airship recovered some six years go near Gryndel. The townsfolk dragged what they could from the wreckage, most notably a figurehead. The two of the adventurers thought this was strange but elected to leave and reconvene with the other party members.

That was until they heard a soft "Help me," from a nearby door they thought locked. Inside was the main hall below as the staircase curved down to where a black-stone figurehead sat, and with the figurehead was a woman bound by rope bindings.

Caulden hurried to untie her while Breeze watched for danger. Revealing her face, Caulden found himself looking at his own daughter.

Soon Breeze would witness what was not a young human girl but a weeping banshee that slowly drained the life from Caulden. Caulden, with his mind dominated by the specter, attacked Breeze when the cat thought to attack the ghost and try to kill Caulden's (supposed) daughter. The two fought only momentarily when Caulden regained control of his mind and threw off the spirit as he finally saw her for what she truly was; a monstrous apparition.

Breeze and Caulden won, however wounded, but still had no idea what was happening in the next room with Erastus and Erevas. Erevas summoned his sword to strike at Leofwyn but found the blade only biting at a nearby slave girl's throat as Leofwyn had pulled her close to take the attack instead. Leofwyn seemed unperturbed by her action, before hurling the corpse at the warlock. Before Erastus could join the fight, there was a moment that hung for too long in the air. Time seemed to slow as Leofwyn warped the weave to her will. With such magic, Leofwyn had the upper hand.

So when Erastus and Erevas tried to fight their way out, Breeze and Caulden had to contend with Bohin who stood in their way. With Breeze and Caulden already wounded, Bohin took the initiative and knocked down Caulden. Breeze attempted to run and found a locked storage room where other slaves had been chained and clearly forgotten. In an attempt to turn the tide of battle, Breeze freed one and gave him a rapier. He would soon discover the cruelty of House Crookspur as Sad Coss slew the man with a single strike before calling to Bohin to finish the fight.

Bohin ran after the hiding Breeze who realized he was trapped. Breeze feigned surrender, bow still in hand, as Bohin merely pummeled the cat across the head with a warhammer.

With half of the party surrendering and the other have unconscious, the agents of House Crookspur took their time in chaining the captives and robbing them of their possessions. The agents then had the party lined up, bound and bowed, before interrogating them. When this revealed little, Bohin saw to reveal a trick of his own; a spell casting of *Detect Thoughts*. Reading Breeze's mind he managed to uncover that Alwyne, Breeze's mentor, was the same "Smiling Woman" who had placed a bounty on Caulden and Erastus. Erastus surmised that this might mean that Alwyne was infected by the same thing that made Leopold go mad.

Satisfied with learning what they could, the slavers threw the party in the cellar. Already exhausted by the fight, the chilling cellar provided no warmth given its walls of stone and cold, featureless floor. The only things of note were a table complete with torturous implements, a rack used for torture, a vial of blood and a wrought-iron cage where something slept uneasily.

Breeze and Erevas could wander while Caulden and Erastus were chained to the wall. With limited movement, Breeze approached the cage to discover who their fellow captive was.

None other than Palar, one of the settlers who arrived with them to Ruarc.

The mystery deepened as the Firbolg explained that when he could not find the party he followed their tracks to Gudwin, the merchant in Emyn Vul. Gudwin pointed him towards the town of Gryndel and thus was he captured and bled dry. Palar claimed that the slavers were bleeding fey-blooded creatures, Firbolgs being some of the most common. Palar could offer no more help as House Crookspur left him exsanguinated and locked behind cold iron.

The party spent their next efforts trying to break free of their manacles. How they would escape we'd have to see in the next session.

### Session 9 - Widowmaker

This session began and ended on the 4th Luvos of Apathy, leaving the party with four days until Spring.

With the party still chained by the crew of House Crookspur at Gryndel Keep and dawn fast approaching, the party thought to do away with any pretense of stealth. With the gnashing of manacles and the ripping of chains, they were free. The party thought it best to look around their temporary quarters while they whittled away at an escape plan.

Inside the cellar (besides sub-zero temperatures) was a stone tablet depicting imagery of bloodletting. This attracted the attention of the party as they tried to understand what it was for, but they could only guess that it was brought inside to this damnable basement. Worst still, Erastus stepped out of the light to realize he was being watched. The spirits of those vanquished in this lair had come from the shadows and surrounded him, every step of his marked by a swirling series of wisps desperate to escape.

He could offer them only shared sympathies of his own plight.

Running out of time and energy the party tried to communicate with Erevas' sword by dribbling blood onto the blade. Most normal folk would find this to be odd behaviour, but not the party who carefully recorded what ramblings the sword revealed along its bloodied edge. It warned them of a "false jester" and to "flee here."

Fearing this to be a waste of time, the party hatched a plan to escape. Luring whichever of the Crookspur crew was on watch, they had Caulden wait by the ladder to grab the poor unfortunate and drag them down to a cold, lonely death. Except Giff was on watch and Giff was twice as quick as the older barbarian. With some assistance Caulden leapt up and pinned Giff down while Erastus summoned a distant spirit to silence the watchman. With his voice gone Giff's spirit was next to break as the others chased after him, even through a thrown smokebomb, they chased regardless and silenced him with a final blade to the throat.

The party had the element of surprise, they needed only the strength to kill the rest of the damned Crookspur few.

Searching around they found the corpse of Old Vo slain in a storage room with jawbone removed. Assuming she was killed by her own crew, the party continued to search the keep for the rest of the crew. They went upstairs and to the front parlour to find Dog the Cat silently watching the only exit. With no other option but to kill the assassin, they rushed him.

This proved to be a terrible mistake as the assassin revealed his killing prowess as he flourished his blades and became a whirlwind of vicious attacks, downing Caulden and wounding Erevas. Erastus and Breeze maintained their position with the high ground, but feared the worst; they could hear the fight attracting attention. Soon Bohin and Leofwyn joined the fight as they watched Caulden get up and slay the Dog.

Now the fight was more than even with the party outmanning the Crookspur crew, but they were still wounded and exhausted. Caulden's rage proved greater than his wisdom as he charged Bohin to find that Leofwyn was hiding nearby with an *Eldritch Blast* ready to be launched. Caulden was the first to fall as the battle raged on. Bohin was given no less mercy as Erastus called upon a nameless spirit to slay him.

Only Coss and Leofwyn remained, but Leofwyn proved to be the greatest danger as she began a rampage upon seeing Bohin's lifeless body. Striking down Erevas, the onslaught continued as Coss downed Breeze. Erastus took a page from Breeze's book and ran for his life. Downstairs he found his equipment, letting him re-arm while he could hear Coss chase after him.

Nothing could prepare him for seeing Old Vo again. Indeed, the old serving girl thought slain still drew breath. Turns out she may have never been Vo at all but some other creature who remarked at Erastus' survival despite everything.

Erastus ran forth to find Leofwyn waiting for him with an *Eldritch Blast* in hand and a violent goodbye. While Erastus prepared to depart to the other side of the dream, he heard a scream from Coss only to find her being attacked by Vo.

Whether or not the party will live to see it, we'll have them return in Session 10.

### Session 10 - Giving Up the Ghost

This session took place from the 4th Luvos to the 4th Orez of Apathy. Three days remain until the start of Spring.

Usually these sessions have an explosive beginning, but this one begins with a string of unconscious adventurers slowly brought back to the land of the living. While Breeze managed to awaken to the dim sounds of distant fighting and what sounded to be laughter, he saw himself surrounded by the bodies of those unlucky few he called allies. Reviving them one at a time he managed to drag them away from the fight before they could stand on their own two feet.

Searching around Gryndel for answers they found the source of the fight; a monstrous Elven creature with far too many eyes and a horrific gaze. Erevas peered into the room to find not only the creature but Leofwyn and Coss being horrifically mutilated by the beast. Worst still, it recognised Erevas. Erevas took the time to flee and grab everyone's gear, but not before the creature began to feed upon the life-force of the unlucky peasants-turned-slaves remaining.

With the party still scattered, the creature approached the alone Erevas and told him he need not fear; the creature would not take his life. Not today at least, for killing the warlock in such a weakened state would mean nothing.

The creature introduced itself as Woedysr, a name that meant nothing to Erevas. For whatever reason this Woedysr had business with Erevas and his "master," yet in exchange for letting them live, the monster had but one request; bring Caulden to him and no harm would fall upon any of the near-dead party.

What Caulden and Woedysr talked about is between them and them alone.

Fearing any other encounters given their weakened state, the party looted the dead Crookspur agents and elected to sleep the day away. It would seem this long, bad night was worth at least a few magic items, supplies and even some helpful documents. During their rest the party healed Palar and helped the last survivor of Gryndel with some inspiring words.

Day soon turned to night and the party had more troubles yet approaching. Spirits attempting to escape the cellar below and things knocking on the main entrance were only the beginning of the worries. When the door was torn open by a monstrous creature wearing three faces standing close to three metres tall. With it was a giant feral dog-thing that rushed the party, but Caulden held his ground at the door and slowed their charge. Even more horrifying was the large humanoids death caused it to burst into swarms of ravens that slashed and clawed at the party.

Turns out fighting flocks of flying birds proved harder in practice than in theory. The fight was won but the party had grown terribly sick of Gryndel and its horrors.

Perhaps in the next session we'll be free of that terrible town.

### Session 11 - May My Hand Forget Its Skill

This session took place on the 4th Orez of Apathy, leaving the party three days till Spring.

With the hall of Gryndel emptied of its damned denizens, the party had only one objective in mind; brave the Eyes and seek the Tower. Seeking no further delays given the circumstances of their recent imprisonment, the dawning light provided no aid as the party saw a dismal fog roll in from between the hills. The Unyielding Wind was shifting and with it would herald the blossoming of Spring.

The party pressed on for the edge of the Heart where the Veins would meet the Eyes. Fearing what would happen if they travelled cautiously and too slowly, the party pushed through the Russetwood when they stumbled upon what might be the most obvious thus far.

A field of corrosive mushrooms and a dying man lying within. Shuffling figures surrounded the party, but the party launched a counter-charge and met force with force. The Kindred who dared to duel them faced the combined wrath of the party, slaying the damned marauders one-by-one. With battle won and corpses defiled, the party saw the dying man for what he truly is; another victim of this land. The figure was somehow still alive despite mushrooms growing through his empty chest cavity.

Caulden allowed him a final mercy and slew him.

Moving on, the Russetwood soon thinned out as the clawing hills approached. With better visibilty above the miasma below, the party could see the Eyes proper. Truly, a sight best defined as a sickening region comprised of enormous crooked trees with no sense or reason to their design. Though the trees offered no safe way through, in the dark and dismal distance the party noticed a solitary black tower standing above all else, easily a hundred metres tall.

So a path must be carved.

Stumbling along the old road the party discovered several horrors; a tree covered in hands nailed to its branches, a singing prophet who spoke of death, Kindred worshipping a shrine and worst still, the party getting split while dodging these horrors. Erastus and Breeze were separated from Caulden and Erevas, each of which were seeking some way out of these woods. Erastus and Breeze found themselves on a twisted path where a solitary woman and her struggling caravan was attacked by a handful of Kindred.

Erevas and Caulden however found themselves in a grove of trees where each tree had been infused with the still-struggling bodies of humanoids. One such soul tried to grab Erevas but the effort was wasted. Though surrounded by these damned few, Erevas and Caulden discovered there was yet another soul coming their way. A figure approached, its flesh mottled with fungus and lichen as if dead and resurrected from a shallow grave. It did not speak but wrote on its arm with a stick of charcoal, using its limited ability to warn these two to flee this land.

When Caulden and Erevas saw a group of Kindred heading towards what would seem to be a fight, they thought to join the murder.

And murder they found as Erastus and Breeze alongside the lone wandering woman were outnumbered by a horde of Kindred. With overwhelming force and strange magic on their side, the Kindred seemed to be winning as they struck Erastus down. Erevas rushed to help but found himself downed as the Kindred horde continued their assault.

Breeze managed to revive Erevas as the battle quietened, but found that Erastus did not stir. They found him bled out onto the unforgiving ice and snow below, another life wasted in the damned Ruarc. The first to fall but possibly not the last as the lone woman that the party went to save snuck up behind Caulden, placing the barrel of her still-hot pistol against the back of his neck.

Thus endeth the session with the loss of one life and the possibility of another, but we'll see in the next session.

### Session 12 - Burial Rites, Bark Bites

This session took place from the 4th Orez to the 4th Ha'ub of Apathy, with two days left until Spring.

Truly the woman pointing the weapon at Caulden had mistaken him for one of the rampaging Kindred and relented, removing the gun from the barbarian's neck.

Fearing the return of the Kindred, the party saw to making a funeral pyre for their lost comrade. Prayers were said and promises made but the dark would not delay in its cold advance. They who could still draw breath joined the Vistani woman (they would later find out her name to be Cora Flinthound) and her cart along the east road-- back the way they came. This would lead to a supposed healer but hope is ill-advised in Ruarc.

The Eyes proved intent on not letting the party leave, but the strangest thing wasn't the flesh-melded trees or the unnatural silence; but the vagrant messenger of the gods who came to speak to Caulden. Caulden, who had prayed for Erastus' soul, found out that something had come to answer.

Leaving behind the renegade angel the party found themselves at the residence of the supposed healer. An impossible garden, growing amidst the madness of this land and despite the biting cold had welcomed the party's weary eyes. Making themselves at home in the lodge the party met a wandering mercenary of the Kuldrbrotva, a man named Erecan who claimed to seek the same healer. The party didn't have the energy to accuse another random stranger of going to murder them in their sleep, and instead elected to rest till dawn.

In the morning, the party and its cohort found themselves in even stranger company. The plants which grew around the lodge and garden stood up one-by-one, revealing golems made of mud and tilled soil below them. It would seem that in the waking light of the dawn that these servants of soil had a duty to keep.

The party were intruders and these beasts were displeased.

The party were mobbed by a collective of plants, fruits and herbs. Garlic and Erecan were mortal enemies while Caulden was having flashbacks of a previous life as a farmer. Erevas ran from Cabbages and a strange scarecrow named Strangleberries, while Cora got her neck broken and Breeze tried to get some distance from a *Magic Missile* hurling golem.

Chaos would not let the party have one dawn in peace, but with enough blood and mud strewn about, they were victorious. Even still they could not rest as Cora stood up despite her neck bent at an impossible angle.

We'll see what transpires next session.

### Session 13 - This Tower Ain't Big Enough

This session took place on the 4th Ha'ub of Apathy, leaving two days till Spring.

Last time in Ruarc the party had just watched Cora survive a fatal wound. Despite this, Erecan claimed she was infected and rushed her only to reveal his own infection; a thick mess of fungus grew in a creeping rash about his neck. Cora stood her ground and painted the ceiling with the mercenary's brains. It took a harsh interrogation towards Cora to reveal that she was not human but an Animat; a soulbound creature wearing the skin of humanity.

The party cleaned up the infected corpse and looted the place. Confronting Cora again revealed that she had actually travelled around Ruarc as a mercenary helping a certain handful of Crookspur agents. She had no qualms about working for slavers but the party found out enough from her; Caulden's daughter was disrupting their operation to bring Firbolgs to Fiendfell to mine the meteorite below. With a standstill reached the party thought it best to leave Cora be and head towards the Tower.

On the way towards the tower the party found the strange half-myconid trader again in a lonely cabin. Fearing retribution, the party continued on.

The Tower was in sight but it was not what anyone expected. Standing close to five hundred metres tall was indeed a tower but instead of stone and cobble they found a floating amalgam that floated in an upright circle. Chunks of earth and rock surrounded each other as they floated in place, high above the decay and misery of the accursed forest below.

The front steps of the Tower revealed another mystery; corpses of Kindred and Guildsmen lay strewn about. Those left standing were a sole Breaker of the Guild and a Tiefling forged of flesh and brimstone as if carved from hellfire itself. The monstrosity introduced itself as Entropy, no doubt a Guildsman. Our party had just introduced themselves when the dead Kindred began to rise, their broken bodies and missing limbs providing no resistance for them to rise again. The party had already been tired from the earlier fight against the denizens of the Garden, these Kindred had merely added salt to the wound.

Even with the last of the Kindred slain the party had no time to rest when the dead Guildsmen began to stand. The party lead the charge inside the Tower (aptly named Gulfaryc's Reign) while Entropy's personal guardsman held the dead back.

Inside the first "layer" of the Tower was statues depicting the two forms of Freyth and what appeared to be a portal that hummed with a dull resonant song. While debating what to do, a paper airplane launched at the party from within; on it was a journal entry but from who the party could only guess.

Stepping inside the portal the party found that things only got stranger. That mad wizard they fought slain, Gulfaryc? They had to face copies of him while being randomly teleported to random portals around this damned Tower. The party were split from the portals zapping them randomly, leaving them strewn about randomly. While Entropy and Caulden fought through a strange workshop-library, Breeze and Erevas were having their own showdown against Gulfaryc and Gulfaryc in a room with a furnace that spewed a toxic miasma.

This same miasma blinded the pair long enough for one Gulfaryc to *Misty Step* behind Breeze and crack his skull open with a single swing of his staff. While Erevas fought on he was unaware that Breeze had worn the *Reaper's Scorn*, granting him a second chance at life. With surprise on his side Breeze carved out one of the Gulfaryc's throats before exhaustion took hold. Caulden and Entropy managed to find their way into the same room through sheer blind luck, hopping into a portal just in time for Erevas to get high from the toxic furnace.

What happens next will have to wait till next session.

### Session 14 - Truth Revealed

This session took place on the 4th Ha'ub to the 4th Triesta of Apathy, ending sometime in the early hours of the morn. This Triesta marks the last day before Spring awakens.

The party had not yet seen the full potential of the Tower despite the madness surrounding them. Flying miscreants of random droplets of lore and copies of a mad wizard was just the beginning. Faced with a locked portal before them the party split to search for answers and instead found further insanity. What was more strange; a brain in a jar that leapt out and possessed Caulden, or a lobotomized Gulfaryc who begged whoever was near to listen to its last words? It mattered not for all this happened at the same time.

Wrestling with rogue Kindred and loose clones of Gulfaryc, the party were bruised and battered but remained breathing. What corpses and brains might be offered some information; Gulfaryc had found a cure for the Plague of Flowers but at great cost. It would seem the Kindred were failed test subjects or clones or some twisted mix of the two. Another room revealed more Gulfarycs and a single creature in a cage.

Truly not a creature but an Animat forged of brass and steel greeted them. A delightful change of pace among this hell, her name was Ciaran. She had previously served as Gulfaryc's communicator with the outside world; a power incredibly important in a place as hopeless as this. She also provided dossiers on anyone in the Guild the party asked after. Everyone except Caulden and Breeze.

Turns out Breeze was impersonating a Guildsman. Odd, seeing how the party breezed over fact this so fast.

Ciaran helped Entropy relay a message to a certain Vælish Gantvallan, one of the two Skivirs of the Guild. Erevas sent one to Leopold who responded in much less kind terms. Leopold feared that he was being hunted and ignored Erevas attempts to find out where he was.

It would also seem that Entropy was here to hunt Erastus. This too was odd but the guy was dead so, what's the harm?

Looting the last room the party found a way forward (backwards?) and deeper (higher?) into the Tower above (below?) using colourful mushrooms and some cooking. The last portal was locked with runes of warding but it would seem Gulfaryc was a fan of bubbling cauldrons like some fairytale witch. Inside this final portal the party stumbled upon one last mystery.

More Guildsmen, more secrets and more old friends were waiting for them. Parzival, Farelenor, Flinthound and some beastwoman waited within as they stood close to a machine of no clear origin.

What strange fate had befallen all these wayfaring souls would have to wait till next session.

### Session 15 - Next Stop, Certain Death

This session took place on the 4th Triesta of Apathy, ending in the early hours of the dawning light as the party face the encroaching forces of Spring.

Faced with a few familiar figures, the party were introduced to Parzival Darrow, Farelenor Yelser, Thayn Yhorsa and what looked like the Flinthound again. Parzival and Breeze knew each other as did Farelenor and Erevas. Caulden was a stranger to them all but Entropy had clearly attracted unwanted attention. It would seem that some old allegiances had sprung up on either side of this coming conflict.

The party found themselves in strange company; were these few supposed to be allies? Rivals? Perhaps merely co-workers, fighting together against the coming apocalypse. Due to the sheer amount of conversations happening at the same time, lets move through this in a succinct manner.

Farelenor informed the party that since Breeze was impersonating a guildsman, he should be properly punished. Parzival brought up this punishment as such; cut off a finger, ear or inch of tongue. Breeze elected for his left hand's ringfinger. Entropy should have been the one to mete out his punishment but Caulden was no stranger to mutilations.

Moving on, the two parties stitched together Gulfaryc's journal and found out that he was here working on a cure for the Plague of Flowers before he failed, creating the Kindred who now haunted the Eyes. Realizing Gulfaryc's failure, Farelenor killed his final clone, neatly bisecting him with a strange weapon that hurt Erevas' head when he tried to analyse it. Erevas went to search Gulfaryc and found a single flower as well as a little book containing several pieces of blackmail.

Among other things, turns out Leopold had ruined the machine that lay at the top of this tower. Seems he took some vital parts before fleeing west to Baelrech, a town on the coast of Ruarc. Alwyne and her brigade (these same individuals before the party) were stationed at Fiendfell, to the north.

Seems the party had routes to take.

One potential route was to find Atair, Erevas' patron. This piqued Farelenor's and Yhorsa's attention as their weapons were also made by this Fey smith, but they had no intention of letting Erevas free this creature. The Fey were not to be trusted as Leopold had made his life's work to destroying or enslaving them. One such project was the Court of All Flesh, infiltrators of the Fey that Leopold prized.

Put all this information together and you soon discover that the presence of the Guild here at Ruarc was by their own design. Parzival revealed that this entire operation was sanctioned by Skivir Vælish Gantvallan. The party thought it best to back down from further annoying these few guildsmen, who were sent here by one of the highest authorities within the Guild Eldritch.

Leaving the Tower the party grabbed Ciaran before leaving. Their plan? To go find Samira, Caulden's daughter, before Spring came and wiped Ruarc off the map.

What they didn't except was another of Vælish's agents waiting outside for Entropy. Turns out that he was tasked with not only finding Erastus but retrieving his body; a task he failed in.

So a repeat happened when she slowly asked the Tiefling what would he prefer to lose? Finger, ear, or inch of tongue?

We'll see what amputations occur in the next session.

## Recaps - Act Two - Spring Awaken Here

### Session 16 - Lives Worth Trading

This session took place on the 4th Triesta of Apathy, leaving only hours left until Spring.

Meeting Hessan al-Varano and having her ask Entropy for a finger to prove his mission was a failure isn't exactly the most dashing or exciting of session openings, but we learn to cope. Giving up a ringfinger to the witchfinder, Hessan left to find the remainder of Gulfaryc's corpse. Corpses. Hard to say when a mad mage can make simulacra.

Outside the party realized finding Samira meant crossing a lot of ground and subtly asked Hessan for a friendly jumpstart. All this would require would be a hop into the Void and beyond.

Stepping out they party were upon one side of the Divide, a vast road that cut Ruarc in half. Why there was a division at all was unknown but the party crept along and found an argument being had. It would seem that different points of view has being bickered over by pilgrims of Saint Daelvor and Saint Ezrebet.

Regardless, the party carried on east along the old road before stumbling upon Cliaban. This waycastle, one that stood between the Divide, served as a stage for explorers and wanderers to venture into the Maw or the Fingers. Welcomed inside the party found Qaed the Roadwarden who had previously guided them to this land in the very first day of their journey. With Qaed was a number of Firbolg slaves and a contingent of Crookspur brigands. Their leader, a massive Goliath named Frohlich, seemed amicable to being able to take the party north to Fiendfell.

The party's true plan was to go with the slavers and see if Samira would appear.

Inside Cliaban the party were treated to fine dining and hot drinks from the kitchen and nearby serving boy. The boy seemed dead frightened of the party but served them regardless even as they searched the castle for clues and mysteries.

The party would find an abundance of both but no answers.

Such is life. We'll see what will happen with Spring biting on the heels of the party next session.

### Session 17 - War Stories

This session took place on the 4th Triesta of Apathy leaving less than a day till Spring.

Within Cliaban the party were soon confronted by strange happenings. The serving boy, Yhorn, revealed to Erevas that he too was of Elven descent though his ears were cropped before being absorbed into slavery. Erevas discovered that there were more slavers within the walls of Cliaban who were protecting something. The party decided to have Caulden distract the Crookspur gathered while Entropy and Erevas snuck around to meet the inhabitants. Among them were such strangers, lizards and clerics of various neighbouring gods.

A hatch leading to a secret lair was discovered but the Crookspur crew gathered would not wait any longer. Inside the Keep, Caulden had found out that Frohlich lived a curious life while the barbarian was making friends with such brigands that had previously attempted to enslave the party. Out of time and patience the party went forth into the Maw.

Frohlich's caravan and the party trudged forth into the midday hours before stopping at the foot of a great, bloody totem. Corpses of humans were strung above a bloody message written in Elvish; "Our Land - Your Blood."

The party would soon discover whose land this was.

Ahead of them by some hours was the meeting point of the slavers; a forgotten and broken castle frozen in time. Waiting for them was indeed the slavers but they were all slain and scattered about, their lives lost and forgotten to the falling snow.

All that waited for the party now were watching Elves, launching a barrage of arrows at the party. Caught in a crossfire of sneaking Shicts and demonic Wardancers, the Crookspur were fast to fall. Frohlich lead the charge across the ice and snow while the party were quickly scattered by flanking attackers. Erevas with his devilish eyes could see the field of battle ahead and noticed a single female human among the Elves. She watched from afar, waiting for the party to come closer.

When Caulden got close enough he realized he was staring at his own daughter.

She merely commanded the battle to continue as she walked away.

The session ended with a wave of Crookspur forcing the last of the Shicts to the edge of the Empty Throne, leaving the party just outside of the reach of saving Samira.

### Session 18 - Ten Thousand Days

This session took place on the 4th Triesta of Apathy to the 1st Soliam of Serenity.

With the reveal that Samira was indeed not Samira but that of the False Jester, the damnable shapeshifting Woedysr, the party made like rabbits and ran. While freeing the slaves from the chains of Crookspur the party watched as Woedysr taunted them, sounding his warhorn one last time. With the dismal melody came thumping from underneath the ice that erupted in a spray to reveal a dragon. The sight would have been magnificent had it not been a primal, ferocious beast of herculean proportions that threatened to devour the party.

The party ran deeper into the woods from Woedysr chasing upon his winged beast. Woedysr, hellbent on supposed vengeance, brought his dragon low and blinded the party with a dancing spray of prismatic light from his dragon. The party had no choice but to keep running as Woedysr continued to taunt them, claiming he would have Ruarc exorcised and his vengeance met.

The party had no time for the Cythir's shenanigans and ran on and on into the waiting night.

A mysterious cave served as their bedroom before their long rest was interrupted by ghosts--- not yet dead however. Cipher, Poet, Hatchet and Wolf approached, wounded and exhausted from an encounter by a horde of Shicts marching for Cliaban. Stories were shared and monstrosities met were mentioned.

All that waited for the two parties now was Spring and a long march north.

Ahead of the two parties, forces combined, was the Fingers; the deadly tundra that clung to the north of Ruarc where the wasteland met the towering Horns above. This tundra was home to nothing but desolation and a hellish, biting wind. That same wind carried with it a snow that hid the land below, causing the party to reveal a glacier below.

There upon the glacier's edge was a gathering of native Goliaths who were currently attempting to unearth the great tomb of one of their ancestors; that of a giant.

So we'll see how the party fare next session.

### Session 19 - Heels and Shields Planted

This session took place from the 1st Soliam to the 1st Jomuer of Serenity, ending in the morning at Fiendfell.

The party were witnessing a conversation between Goliaths (known as the Grishal of Clan Kaniaaka) and their undead ancestors, a group of frozen giants. It would seem the giant lord would only grant them his blessing if they won in several feats of strength. The party decided to join in when they saw piles of gold fall from the giant lord's beard as a temptation to play his game. The other group who were escorting the party to Fiendfell decided to sit and watch.

The feats of strength were the giant's undead daughters against everyone gathered. The challenges (which were nothing for Caulden, even against the undead) were trials of tossing trees, pushing boulders, endurance and even an all out tug-of-war. Satisfied with their successes, the giant lord let them continue into the wasteland.

Travelling north through the centre of the Fingers the party were waylaid by the rifts of the great Chasm, forcing them to take a perilous route near a cliff's edge where they were ambushed by more natives-- this time the brutal Orklodh. The beastmen caught them off guard with their advantage thanks to their terrain, but the party prevailed despite sustaining horrific injuries. Most notably of which was Erevas nearly being bisected by a Orklodh shaman attempting to carve him in twain.

Further on along the cliff the party heard the sound of nearby battle, only to witness a bear locked in combat with another bear.

Except one bear was close to three metres tall and wearing gear, while the other bear had the face and maw like that of an owl. The party rushed to help the werebear but their insistence on casting spells so close to a mountain caused an avalanche to fall and sweep over them. Like a tidal wave of snow, ice and debris the party were nearly washed over the cliff edge but survived-- barely. Wounded and exhausted the party went to check up on their companions and the werebear.

Of their companions they found Hatchet impaled upon the limbs of a tree.

Battered and broken, the party followed the werebear to her encampment. She introduced herself as Bjornhild, leader of a tribe of Goliaths...

...the very same Goliaths the party had stripped their honour from by beating them in tests of strength against the giants. Gathered on the edge of a glacier the party had found themselves in a village of igloos with the very same Krintaas barking at Caulden about dishonouring her in front of her ancestor. Caulden promised that she would have her vengeance with another challenge but that would have to wait until he rested and regained his strength.

Such challenge would never be met as the two parties escaped the camp in the night, leaving any hope of honour regained as just that; hope.

Fiendfell awaited under the shadow of the Horns, the twin-mountains that stood in the centre of the entire Chine.

Welcomed inside of Fiendfell by a pair of stone golem wardens, both parties met with Thayn Yhorsa, a familiar yet bestial face that offered them rest and succour. Wolf and the others split from the gathered heroes as they had business with the Thayn revealing a new detail; Wolf was kin to Erl Haedric.

While occupied with local royalty, Thayn Yhorsa had the party guided about by a burned mute simply called Wraps. Using smoke from a pipe to communicate, he showed them around and had the party enjoy fine food and hot coffee. Sharing stories and swapping tales, Wraps offered to take them upstairs to where the Guild Eldritch were located.

Upstairs was an assorted bunch of fellow Guildsmen; a strange Aldwynnian named Lantlos, Parzival and Farelenor again, as well as a mysterious black-scaled dragonthing only known as Shadewing.

But within the stone confines of Fiendfell one last Guildsman awaited a visit; that of Alwyne. So when the party approached her quarters and were welcomed by a blood-chilling scream, the momentum was lost.

We'll have to wait to see what happens next session.

### Session 20 - Crooked Path

This session ended on the 1st Jomuer of Serenity as the party entered the dreaded Chasm.

The party, gathered among the Guild Eldritch within Fiendfell, had just heard who they assumed to be Alwyne scream. When confronting her they instead found the Xorisan woman throwing a tantrum screaming about being stuck here with the Plague of Flowers and encroaching tribal natives.

While Alwyne had little of use to share she encouraged the party to talk with her Whisperer, a scarred woman called Razor. Razor revealed some details of the Plague and that they had a live sample here in the laboratory with them. Worst still, the Flowering Dead spoke.

Alwyne then elected to have a “campfire” with the party as she conjured an illusion of a fire to sit about and discuss matters with. The party tried to show the Guildsmen the Panacea but they could not prove it was the cure they all sought. Further campfire talk with Alwyne revealed the truth; the Devil of Ruarc had done something with the Erl and that they need to kill the Devil to save Ruarc.

Alwyne had the party go to the war-room while she and her underlings had matters to discuss. In the war-room the party encountered none other than Leopold Dartmouth, appearing out of the fire like a phoenix, however elderly and broken looking. He wanted the party to ignore Alwyne; the only way to truly save Ruarc was to continue the allegiance with the Devil.

When pressed further about the Devil and Atair, the party realized one horrific truth; the meteorite was Atair. Cutting pieces of Atair to create otherworldly weapons to defeat the Devil was the Guild’s plan all along.

With a flash of smoke the party was left alone as Leopold disappeared. Next plan; going downstairs to find a way into the Chasm. There they noticed multiple wandering guards and townsfolk to be looking quite ill. Shaking hands, boiling blood and sweating faces watched as they confronted Yhorsa to negotiate a way into the Chasm.

Relenting, the Thayn let them step into the dark as they were to walk into the depths of Ruarc.

What waits for them will be revealed in the following session.

### Session 21 - The Space Between Worlds

This session began on the 1st Jomuer and ended on the 1st Gol of Serenity within the claws of the Chasm.

The party's attempt to brute-force their way through the Chasm had severe repercussions as everything seemed intent on killing them. Wandering kruthiks, weeping trees with tears of acid and angry ghosts were just some of the dangers encountered in the first hour alone. Without knowing where to go the party decided to treat this place as a maze while marking the paths taken.

The mystery of the Chasm worsened when the party discovered an encampment containing the missing miners. Those miners found themselves transformed into magical metal as if they were wandering tombs. Weirder still, the encampment was host to flesh-eating reavers that sought to remove the still-bleeding meat from the transforming golems. Even weirder still, a young bulette joined the fray.

The entire fight was a mess to say the least.

Resting in the encampment after the fight, the party found the still-breathing corpse of Siomon, a Whisperer of the Guild who had managed to animate himself post-death. He explained the flesh reavers were of Guild make, to strip the flesh from the wandering tombs and leave only precious metal behind.

Wondering what hell they had wandered into, the party took a long rest only to be rudely interrupted by horrors armed with hooks.

They hate it here.

See what happens next session.

### Session 22 - Eulogy to an Extinct Sun

*"For I fear the Devil more than I fear my own torment."*

This session took place from the 1st Jomuer to the 1st Gol of Serenity, ending in the hours before dawn in the presence of Atair.

Turns out trying to rest in an ever-shifting chasm proved more trouble than it was worth. A boot-stealing ice-wraith and a corpse worm provided physical troubles, but the archtree stealing strength from the spellcasters was an entirely different beast. Sleep was little mercy.

The party decided to embark on a raft, heading between two cliffs presumed to be the impact zone of the meteorite all those years ago. Rather worryingly the water under the party slowly changed from dark and cloudy to amber and oozing. It would seem the archtree had a weeping wound, its seeping sap bleeding into the water below.

For within that weeping wound a warden waited. Lord Talven, a fey creature born of sap and stone, was guarding Atair’s accursed resting place. With each fey court calling Atair a heretic, Talven could not let the party interfere.

So violence began.

Talven was a being of unrequited violence met with strategic might, but the party’s will was unmatched. Taking down Talven revealed the entrance to Atair’s prison. Inside was walls that shone in the dark, as if entirely metal and poisoning the very archtree they found themselves under.

Atair was not what anybody expected. A giant trapped inside of himself, whose flesh and bone was that of metal and stone. Carving pieces of his own body to make weapons for the Guild, whose sisterhood of shapeshifters had trapped him here, Atair was keen to escape.

The only way to escape was for the other wielders of his weapons to be slain.

Before resting, Atair offered them gifts for their help. Taking the six masks of Talven, he crafted a shield made of six wills spun in stone. Atair’s final gift and his Apology to the world he has poisoned. With his fey blood he identified the Panacea for them; the only cure for the Plague and the only way to save Ruarc.

That is, if that is what they aim for.

Now the party need only rest and find purpose once more, for leaving the Chasm with gifts of Atair might speed things along. Who knows? Find out next session.

### Session 23 - Together As One

This session took place during the 1st Gol of Serenity, ending as the party watch the Flowering Dead appear from a fetid pool of flesh.

The gifts of Atair were well received by the party, but the poison entering their veins during their rest was not quite as liked. Just by spending an extended period of time within the presence of the Unfey, they were poisoned.

Outside, so was the rest of the world. Corruption spread and Atair’s poison blood seeped into the wound of the world. The party had no time to take in the feeling of dread and pushed on in an attempt to flee the Chasm.

Numerous encounters with the denizens of the Chasm held them back. A grell grabbed Entropy, a mad Nothic tried to rob the party, but to end the session was the worst moment of all.

For the party had wandered too close to a small body of water, and some members had recognised faces of corpses within. Entropy saw his father’s face—a man he has never met before. Caulden saw his wife, daughter and son.

Yet what Erevas and Breeze saw were drones of the Flowering Dead, come for them at long last.

Now with truth revealed, we wait until next session.

### Session 24 - Hold Me Close

This session took place from the 1st Gol to the 1st Moltes of Serenity, ending with the party gathered in Fiendfell in the early hours of dawn.

There could be worse ways to start a session, but with the Flowering Dead surrounding the party and closing in, this wasn't the best opening. With a lucky fireball and several firebolts following, the party were victorious but at a cost; three of them were scratched by the Flowering Dead and they could begin to feel the effects of the infection. Fearing death and a fate worse than death, Caulden consumed one piece of the Panacea.

Thus forever severing a thread of fate.

The party continued onwards and upwards to Fiendfell and found it disarmingly empty. Only those few guardsmen were left to guard the dying fortress. Upstairs wasn't much better with little guildsmen being of capable assistance besides Lantlos and Shadewing. Entering Alwyne's chambers they found her in her usual state; stressed beyond repair. With what seemed like a back-and-forth interrogation of Alwyne not trusting the party due to their allegiance to the Unfey Atair and the party essentially insisting on Alwyne being incompetent, the two forces decided on a singular path.

Give several leaves of the Panacea to the Guild Eldritch and Parzival will teleport the party as far as he can try.

Downstairs, the party met up with Thayn Yhorsa then Wolf. Yhorsa was her usual barbarian self while Wolf spoke to the party openly about the troubles in Ruarc; the Bloodsgrove must not come here. Vælish must not know the Plague has awoken.

While the party mentioned a cure, Wolf thought ahead; who should the cure go to? Who should be the ones to continue life in Ruarc? No matter the party's goals or allegiances, they were the ones to decide the fate of this land.

The future rests on them and them alone.

### Session 25 - Last, Best Hope for Ruarc

This session took place on the 1st Moltes of Serenity, ending at dusk as the party are gathered at the war camp of the true native lords.

All they had to do was stay inside Fiendfell. It was safer there, until the plague came and the natives threatened to knock down their doors. The party had options; chase Leopold, chase Cora, or stay and fight. Parzival (who had entered their room) explained he could teleport them anywhere they wanted but it would be his last; his tainted blood threatened to bring him home had he borrowed power from the void yet again.

The plague was a threat from within but the natives had giants and a dragon. The party, eager to counter the natives before they could siege the fortress, left to find their attackers. Tracking a war party was easier than expected. The party followed tracks amassing towards the south of the Fingers where the Maw opened. There they found a rudimentary fortress reinforced by a number of tribals; shicts, grishal, orklodh and worst still, the undying giants of the Kaniaaka were gathered.

Inside was a number of familiar faces; Ogolai the Undying, Krintaas and worst still, Woedysr. A shimmering piece of light revealed itself to be an invisible dragon, lying in wait. All in all, things could go wrong incredibly quickly, so the party began trying to convince Krintaas to work alongside them and avoid the mad Cythir tricker Woedysr.

What happened next was a back-in-forth of the party essentially debating Woedysr and Krintaas to help them against the plague and devil. Turns out it was harder to convince tribesmen to help the Guild when the Guild has done nothing but enslave and murder them. Through clever moments and attacks on Woedysr (which were returned in ample amount) the party managed to convince Krintaas that the plague is a villain worth defeating.

Though gaining some ground, the worst of the trials still waited for the party ahead.

### Session 26 - Inheritance

This session took place on the 1st Moltes of Serenity, ending at nightfall as the party are joined by gods and ghosts alike.

What would transpire during this session would be born witness to tribesmen, dragons, giants, suns, stars, moons and gods all.

Woedysr challenged the party to a duel to the death—absolute and irrevocable death. He called upon the gods to witness him and fulfil a desire for a duel to True Death. In that moment, there was no sound, only silence. Until the sun split open and offered its reply, sending forth a creature made of black-stone, born of fire and blood.

Nahr Alva herself had come to witness this moment.

Woedysr had the upper hand now, for if the party refused his duel then they would be seen as cowards to all, even the gods. Rather cruelly he gave them an hour to strategize while he returned to his pit, a much-needed opportunity for both parties to prepare for the coming storm. When the party’s time was up, Woedysr emerged though he was not alone.

Woedysr brought forged a caged beast, feral yet forlorn, what might have been a girlchild once of barely adulthood age was now a monstrosity. Woedysr played his last card and that was Samira, Caulden’s daughter—now corrupted by the poison of Atair. Her entire left arm was turning into metallic scales as she clutched the baneful sword given to her; the Apathy of Atair. Woedysr, satisfied with the chaos he introduced, began the duel. Bolstered by the moon’s emergence, Woedysr and Samira offered the party what would be a fierce fight to first death. The party were prepared, but not for this.

Entropy twin-casted *Haste* on Erevas and Caulden, letting them seize the initiative. Samira was first to fall as the *Armour of Cerath* upon Erevas lashed out and struck her down. Nahr Alva performed the deed of True Death, removing her soul from this world and all other worlds. All Caulden could do was watch.

Woedysr was next to fall as Breeze and Erevas cornered him, even after he dodged a barrage of fiery blasts from Entropy and somehow managing to stun Caulden through weakening his resolve. Woedysr had one last trick up his sleeve—or perhaps tucked inside his mask as a destruction charge erupted, covering the field in ice, entombing those not quick enough to dodge.

Nahr Alva picked up Woedysr’s body and with his last breath he spat blood and ice onto her visage, cursing her forevermore before she ripped the very essence from his being.

The fight ended leaving the party alone with nothing but the dead to burn, though they were joined by two figures of unfathomable majesty as they guarded the pyre of Samira.

## Recaps - Act Three - Paradise

### Session 27 - Let Leopold In

This session took place on the 1st Luvos of Serenity, ending in time and land unknown.

Not much is sacred in Starsong, let alone Ruarc, but no father should bury their child. Although in the presence of Gevrauche and Nahr Alva both, the body of Samira did not burn. It would seem that Atair had made her a dragon. Nahr Alva had no words but an offering to those who walked the path of fire and blood; the dessicated draconic arm of Samira... a cruel boon.

The party still had work to be done; Woedysr's body was to be dealt with before they could embrace merciful sleep.

In the morning, Ogolai and the dragon were gone. Off to hunt slavers or worse, who could say for sure? Regardless, the party made their way towards Fiendfell with a retinue of natives. Krintaas sent word to her people to find shamans to assist with the cure.

A cure which could not come sooner as the party found Fiendfell overrun by the Flowering Dead. Inside the faithful to the Erl were dying as each one that fell joined the Plague of Flowers. The party joined in the murder, trying to cleanse what they could. Fearing more waves of the undead the party fled for upstairs to find a scene just as disturbing.

The Erlfolk and the Guild Eldritch were in the throes of an argument with blood staining the ground. It seems a traitor was among them. With careful questioning and the use of a *Truth Rune*, Entropy unmasked Shadewing, Alwyne's bodyguard... revealing none other than Leopold Dartmouth.

Whether Leopold was either utterly insane or burdened with great purpose, the gathered forces had no idea before they all vanished in the blink of an eye by the mad mage's decree.

### Session 28 - Lessons in Loyalty

This session took place on the 1st Luvos of Serenity, ending as the dawn of the next day approached.

Leopold with all of his madness and truth behind him made an effort to show the gathered few their new Ruarc as he tore their souls from their bodies, forcibly astrally projecting them to the sky above. Beyond this place in the Heart of Ruarc, the Flayed God had done his work to reclaim this land.

Leopold explained the following; the Devil of Ruarc was the manifested pain of the land of Ruarc and thus, the Flayed God himself. The First Erl, Haedric's father, had somehow pierced the Heart of Ruarc and the Devil then emerged. Marriage to the Devil meant marriage to the pain of Ruarc, letting the land continue and life to flourish.

Now that Haedric had decided to change the terms of the deal, the Flayed God had begun to reclaim the land for all to witness. The Plague of Flowers was his decree. Leopold failed to complete his thought as his actual fleshbody stuck in the fleshworld was attacked by Farelenor, egged on by Caulden and others. The others were jettisoned from this dream when Atair's Accusation found itself across Leopold's neck. So violence began, but Leopold thought it best to *Dimension Door* out once things were no longer in his favour.

Before he could teleport away he was sufficiently bloodied enough to reveal his true face; one with a maw of tentacles, gray flesh and nine eyes.

In perfect timing, the Plague of Flowers escaped from the lower floors and nearby laboratory, killing Razor and surrounding the party. Killing them was no simple task as a new flavour of Flowering Dead approached; a mass of eyes emitting light and warmth, healing its fellow undead plaguelings.

Without fire, the party would be lost to the flowers, but fire is what they brought.

Thus endeth the session with the fall of Fiendfell as more of the Flowering Dead came to the siege.

### Session 29 - The Road Home

This session took place on the 1st Orez of Serenity, ending in the shadow of a humbling light.

With the last remnants of Fiendfell gathered, the party discussed the terms of war; the Devil must be defeated and the Plague cured, even if it meant letting go of Ruarc. The Natives and Erlfolk were not keen on the idea but getting rid of the Plague meant curing the Flayed God of its pain. The choice was not an easy one but chasing Leopold was their main focus at the moment. To save Ruarc was an endless war to wage. Knowing that Parzival had one last waltz through the Void, the party walked with him as he teleported them to the arctic shores of Ruarc. With the death of Parzival there was nothing left for him save for his coat, stained with colourless blood.

Further along the coast the party found a monument both primitive and unique, somehow calling to them, as a lighthouse stood upon a vast reaching claw facing the heavens. Climbing up it proved to be quite the trouble for the members of the party incapable of flight yet climb it they still did. At the top of the fingernail of this great claw where the lighthouse stood was a single dwarf; ancient and unperturbed by the travellers making stay in his home. In fact, he offered them tea.

His name was Riago vros Raen Abu'kazan and he was very, very far from home. He explained that this lighthouse was not one for ships but for souls, leading them to a peaceful resolution. The flame above was one born of Nahr Alva, a creature-god the party had come to know far too well.

So when offered peace and quiet at long last, Erevas took Riago up on the offer. He explained that he has felt nothing but loss with every step taken into Ruarc and that nothing but destruction has crossed their path. The deaths of his friends, both willingly and not, were taken from them in cruel fashion. Worst still, the road forward will likely lead to the death of Atair. An inescapable shadow hung over Erevas concerning the death of Samira still. All of these small pains together forming like cracks in a blade, rusted and chipped, just waiting to be broken.

So with words of goodbye exchanged and a handful of letters given to the party, Erevas joined the humbling light.

Because in the end, finding that fresh start isn't the hard part, it's letting go.

Here ends the session.

### Session 30 - Your Pride, Your Fall

This session took place on the 1st Ha'ub of Serenity, ending at dusk as the party flee the biting winds of the Hellfrost.

Not all are destined to walk the path of the adventurer, given the bloody nature of the job. Giving up is easier than dying and running away is sometimes the best option. Today the party learned that lesson in a rather harsh way.

When braving the wastes the party encountered a church in the wild where a lone mercenary was staying the night; an Ostoran Goliath by the name of Kazavith "Threadchaser" Elenatho. The two forces had some in the common; both were partially used to dealing with the Guild Eldritch, as Kazavith was here in Ruarc helping a Guildsman who had now passed. Turns out the goliath was here chasing Leopold too.

However the night was calling and the newly reforged party chose to sleep... though sleep is a rare mercy in Starsong. This church was not abandoned as it was a sanctum to a group of frost druids who swarmed the party in the deep of night, overwhelming them with beast and witchlike form. Even when the party overwhelmed the cabal, they were unsure if they truly won seeing as they drew the ire of a very powerful goddess whose temple they had defiled.

A path of calamity awaited as the Hellfrost grew in size and strength. Lured deeper into the flensing wind, the party found a herald of winter's wrath waiting for them; a thing only described as something born of the mist.

So the party tried to fight, yet their pride in recent victory only lead to a brutal fall. The Thing in the Mist screamed an unholy melody, deafening the party. Entropy was keen to seize control when casting his *Fireball* but watched in terror as the Thing merely reflected the attack, launching it towards the party. So they fled with life and limb intact, but the Hellfrost did not release its influence over them.

In time the party found the strength to continue before stumbling upon a cave nestled in the arctic shores of Ruarc. Though it promised nothing, it might hold a brief respite, until next session at least.

### Session 31 - Pursued by Memory

This session took place on the 1st Triesta of Serenity, ending under the waning sun while the party is assailed by drowned miscreants.

With the Hellfrost and encroaching night forcing the party to seek shelter, the only option seemed to be a foreboding cavern. Finding it inhabited by Kindred was an unwelcome sight but the party overwhelmed them through an assault of fire and steel. With the inhabitants cleared the party found time to rest for a spiel. Most of the rest comprised of smoking Greenwarish and eating leftover meat, but the party had the thought to burn a flower in Nahr Alva’s name and create a shrine to her, right within Keonei’s domain. This action earned Caulden quite the unexpected boon. Elsewhere, Entropy had the thought to consume Woedysr’s heart in the hopes for gaining an advantage over Leopold.

Consuming the soul of another revealed to Entropy a barrage of truths; his soul was not his own, Woedysr was once Leopold, and Woedysr was given a boon so ancient and primordial that the power he fought the party with was never his own. It seemed that consuming a soul did earn Entropy one gift; the undying wrath of Woedysr.

With mysteries revealed and truth uncovered, the party rested and continued in the dawn. Satisfied with the damage done, the Hellfrost had finally receded. The journey to Baelrech had the party getting lost just enough to find their way to a graveyard of deep whales. Following the tracks to town revealed a frozen fishing village, entombed by ice.

What Baelrechians the party found weren’t quite mortal. Half-man and half-barnacle, they were tortured souls chained and forlorn, as if forgotten by the world.

The party’s presence wasn’t welcome, and soon they found out what horror this place hid.

### Session 32 - Ocean Song

This session took place from the 1st Triesta to the 2nd Soliam of Serenity, ending during the morning as the party are trapped within the Grinning Gambler.

The horrors of Baelrech finally revealed themselves as a great swarm of barnacled beasts emerged from the murky dark womb of the sea. The party were routed, split across the lake when Caulden and Breeze noticed a shard of ice with something inside. Uncaring to what it was they let it out. Thus the fight went from bad to incredibly worse when a giant electrified jellyfish exited from the ice. Meanwhile, things somehow got worse still when Entropy hurled a *Fireball* into the ice, letting out more of the deep creatures.

Despite being surrounded and fighting constant waves of enemies, the party were victorious even after facing exploding flying squids and drowned pugilists attempting to dropkick them to death. The drowned creatures were partially successful after infecting Kazavith and Entropy with disgusting blue boils across their once pristine flesh. Well, not entirely pristine considering the Conquering Infection in the bloodstream.

In the morning the party found standing in the bay a lone ship, one of corsair design often used by Vargosseans. While not native to Aerrune they were not an entirely uncommon sight—except this one was frozen solid in the bay of Baelrech. Approaching it they found written along the side *The Grinning Gambler*, and inside was a disturbing sight. Coiling tentacles and eyes covered the walls within a thick layer of pale drowned flesh and ice. Around them, figures were trapped inside ice like a strange collection.

And who was the master of this collection? Before them, a creature born of warping flesh, several faces and a cruel visage starred back at them before introducing himself as Angajuk.

So now we see what happens next session.

### Session 33 - Ruarc's End Rhapsody

This session took place from the 2nd Soliam to the 2nd Jomuer of Serenity, ending as the party awaken to see a new dawn over Baelrech.

The party weighed their options; fight Angajuk and free Rydell, or leave and wait for Leopold. Considering both, they thought to take down the Cerulean Collector before they were facing two powerful opponents. Yet nothing is so simple as the party didn't just fight Angajuk but his gallery of collected beasts. An albino death weasel, long-armed orangutan, kobold warrior, basilisk and even a Boletarian lion joined in the bloodshed. The Grinning Gambler went from a merchant's collection to a gladiatorial arena of savage nature.

Angajuk went down with the ship, fighting till the bitter and bloody end. Though he severely wounded the party aplenty, they exhausted his gallery of creatures enough for him to fight till the death. Yet even in death, it would seem the mantle of the Cerulean Collector continues on.

Looting the Gambler returned a strange harvest; items of Angajuk's past, memories of battles fought and won, and even bugs of the Symbiont variety.

But the party had found more than just treasure; the Erl's son Rydell and a piece of the Promised Machine.

The end was in sight. Now they just need the courage to find it.

### Session 34 - Beauty Before War

This session took place on the 2nd Jomuer of Serenity, ending as the party are dying in the moonlight.

The phrase "Calm before the storm," fits this episode far too well. The day began with the party gathering supplies from Angajuk's lair while setting traps and making merry, waiting for Leopold to arrive. When and how? They had no clue. All they could do was wait and passing the time unafeared of danger was a rare feeling.

Drinking hard and rare liquor, playing chess, reading mysteries, each man found a way to relax while waiting for the inevitable.

It didn't take long for the inevitable to arrive, and with it, warriors of House Crookspur lead by a Blood Devil named Magnera Taeneren, a Vistani sharpshooter called the Flinthound and of course, the nameless Leopold.

So violence began and it began bloodied as the Crookspur men separated the party to let Magnera focus on the biggest targets. Flinthound hunted down the runners and Leopold had only Rydell to grab, but the party fought on.

Let us hope for their victory.

### Session 35 - Sacrifice, Loss, Reward

This session took place from the 2nd Jomuer to the 2nd Gol of Serenity, ending as the midnight snow covers an exhausted party.

With the threat of Leopold and his allies surging towards the party, our heroes were running out of options. Entropy thought to sink the ship by destroying the ice below deck, but instead found something there waiting for him. Though he didn't deign to reveal to the party exactly what had happened, he had emerged from the ice with a powerful boon and new left arm. When he cast *Fireball* towards his allies, it did not burn them, but healed them with astral fire.

Now the fight for survival had changed its favour. Together, those left standing fought on as Entropy, Breeze and Kazavith took on Leopold, the Flinthound and Magnera. With Leopold cornered and Magnera and the Flinthound unable to assist, all it took was a few strategic kills.

With blood staining every inch of the Gambler, the fight was at long last won. The ship was sinking and the sadistic Crookspur few would have their bodies drown with it. With Rydell in tow, the party left with a stolen Crookspur carriage. Baelrech didn't leave them any room to camp so they continued on, only for the blizzard to drive them to exhaustion.

Though the road was long and dark and the cold unforgiving, the road would finally lead them home.

Or would it lead deeper into the woods?

### Session 36 - Only Ashes Remain

This session took place on the 2nd Gol of Serenity, ending as the party walk away from a lone burning cabin.

The party began the night wandering aimlessly in the borders between the Growth and the Eyes before stumbling upon a solitary lodge upon a mountain track. Inside was a derelict building inhabited only by an animated bearskin rug and a two-headed hellhound, though these provided little challenge despite how exhausted the party was.

Indeed, the greatest challenge was finding a good night's rest. Sleep is a rare mercy that the party would not find this night, as someone began bashing the door to the cabin down. On the other side was a feral mutant that some of the party recognised as a wandering soul they met once in the Eyes. He warned them by writing on his decaying flesh that "they" were coming. The party had moments to prepare to repell a siege.

Without warning, they came in the night.

A hundred Flowering Dead swarmed the cabin over countless waves, falling upon the barricades and breaking upon the blades of the party. With each wave more defenses were shattered and with each wave the party were being suffocated until the worst occurred. Rydell was left defenseless for a moment, but a moment was all it took for a Flowering Drone to bear upon him and bring him down. With the boy-prince slain, Entropy tossed a final *Fireball* and set the entire cabin to the torch.

They wandered into the night, unsure of how this nightmare will end.

But it must end.

All roads lead deeper into the woods.

### Session 37 - The Futility

This session took place from the 2nd Gol to the 2nd Orez of Serenity, ending at Dusk with the party gathered within the Tower of Gulfaryc's Reign.

Possibly still dazed or just plain concussed from their recent bouts with the Flowering Dead, the party wandered upwards into the mountains, fearing the lurking darkness below. As it would turn out, nothing was quite right atop just as it was below. The party stumbled upon the remnants of a wizardly alchemist's lair haunted by two mad tribals who took turns smoking the magical supply of said wizard. The party could at least sleep a little bit since the addicts weren't quite was threatening as the Flowering Dead were. In the night there was strange happenings; wandering ghosts, prowling tigers, strange skeletons and words exchanged with watching gods.

In the morning, the party found their way down the mountainside into the Eyes proper. Their welcome however was not quite what they wanted, when ghosts of friends and enemies slain manifested themselves into the corpse-bound trees here. A dozen familiar faces taunted the party as they descended into the darkness; the bard Erastus, the mad Woedysr, the slain Seren and several others. The party tried to ignore them but they spoke not in leering remarks but in warning; this road would lead home.

The party could not change their path. It was too late for that.

The Tower was finally in sight.

Within its malformed halls and impossible nature, there the party finally found the Machine and with it, a familiar face, one that had not joined the dead and damned; Ciaran, the Guild Animat.

It almost seemed like there was hope at last.

### Session 38 - Departing Paradise

This session took place from the 2nd Orez to the 2nd Ha'ub of Serenity, ending during nightfall as the party are being swarmed by the Plague of Flowers.

The party have no choice other than to activate the Machine and see what happens. With Ciaran and the hopeful of Ruarc watching, they simply put the piece in and let the magic happen. The Machine exploded into action as the party witnessed torrential architecture and forbidden magic unfurl as a secret dimension of arcane knowledge revealed itself to them. At the centre of it all? A mad Bleakborn named Gulfaryc.

Turns out Gulfaryc was absorbed by the Machine... or at least his memory was. The Machine held limited power over life and death, but its true power was piercing the flesh of the Flayed God to dredge up its blood. The same blood that turned Jyleac Sjolfor eir Ruarc, the First Erl and Haedric's father, insane. Among other things the party decided not to dredge up the blood to cure themselves of the Conquering Infection. They felt that their best chance at saving Ruarc was to come back with the backing of the Guild Eldritch.

So they left with nothing to show for it but Ciaran loitering after them.

However, they were delayed significantly by the Kindred and a new variety of the Flowering Dead; a winged beast that could strike from the sky.

The night would not let them sleep when more and more Flowering Dead seemed intent on not letting them leave Ruarc. Another night in paradise.

### Session 39 - With Wretched Company

This session took place from the 2nd Ha'ub to the 2nd Triesta of Serenity, ending at midday as the party prepare to meet an old friend.

With the last of the Flowering Dead slain, the party thought to finally sleep... but Ruarc has its way with causing sleepless nights. Something had snuck up in the night and stole something precious from Kaza, causing the party to give chase. Finding the thief was easy enough but the Kindred was an unfortunate situation when a group of his comrades were tied up by foul-smelling webs of strange web. The Kindred attempted to parlay and oddly enough the party agreed to help him.

Untangling enough Kindred alerted a horde of the Flowering Dead and a new opponent; a massive, utterly silent spider-like Flowered Dead infected. It attempted to web the party and strangle them with its tendrils, forcing the party to leave behind the Kindred while they saved themselves. The Kindred somehow survived the encounter alongside the party causing the two to join forces for the night. The Kindred the party first met, Alyeithon, lead them to a camp with a strange source of meat; a regenerating ogre with snail-like features.

That night sucked if you couldn't tell.

The morning had the party follow Alyeithon to the east since they agreed to follow him out of the woods and (hopefully) into better lands. Better times would have to wait as the party were swooped by an old friend; Hidden Valley, Crying Wind. The dragon, now tainted by the Plague of Flowers, had wandered upon the party and decided to ruin their day further.

The fight wasn't exactly already easy, given that there were non-combatant villagers being defended by hunters as the Flowering Dead surrounded them in a swarm of virulence and decay. Given the already horrific conditions, Entropy hurled a *Fireball* at the villagers, killing them all before the Flowering Dead could infect them.

Necessary sacrifices, one would argue.

### Session 40 - Death From Above

This session took place upon the 2nd Triesta of Serenity, ending at midday as the party are separated and lost in the Heart of Ruarc.

The corrupted dragon didn't seem particularly threatened by the party, instead summoning a horde of Flowering Dead with its roar before departing to seek a worthy challenge. The party were already on the back foot, and now they had to dig their heels in while a mob of Flowering Dead had them bloodied and exhausted. If victory was to be won then the party would need more than just blood and luck.

Luck would prove to be out of stock, leaving the party to a pyrrhic victory as they were too exhausted to continue travelling. Stumbling out of the woods lead the party to a farmhouse under siege by the Flowering Dead, with survivors still inside. The party thought less about helping people and more about the potential for a reward, paid for in food and water. They however were far too exhausted from the last encounter to face a horde and soon were losing.

Things got worse when Caulden fell, giving Entropy and Breeze caution enough to flee. Entropy's "assistant" saw fit to punish him for his cowardice, but they didn't know what was to happen to Caulden. Entropy and Breeze had managed to find a clearing where a river flowed freely and unfrozen despite the weather. Weirder yet was the river had veins of amber flowing within.

With the party split and wounded, here endeth the session.

### Session 41 - Exeunt Omnes

This session took place on the 3rd Soliam of Serenity as the party look upon the heart of a dead land.

The party were roused from slumber by a message from the sending stone Alwyne had given them. Odd, given that everyone assumed her and the rest of her entourage were slain or worse. The message was a call to arms; come to Emyn Vul with the Panacea and save Ruarc. A noble endeavour, had the party not used the last of the Panacea.

The party's reply offered her the truth; the party would leave Ruarc and get help. Her reply was more at a jab at Entropy, saying that the Guild hates a coward.

So with steel by their side and fire in their hearts, the party ventured forward for Emyn Vul.

Now they march to see what truth awaits them in the new Ruarc.

### Session 42 - Lord of a Dead Land

This session took place on the 3rd Soliam of Serenity, moments before the party realize how truly screwed they might be.

The frontier city of Emyn Vul was swallowed by black trees but a lone road promised the party a path towards their destination, however horrific that destination might be. Upon finding the gates breached and many buildings burnt, the party looked for signs of life. Their search revealed that the Theatre contained the Crookspurs doing something horrific to what was left of the town, while the Keep held the last vestiges of the Sons of Ruarc.

The party stopped for a pint at the Tenth Hell and to look for Regret yet all that greeted them was a note from the devil, gloating to the unfortunates who stayed behind when Spring awoke. At least one of them had the luck to leave. Inside the Tenth Hell they didn't find treasure troves or even spare rations, just the faces of old friends and foes alike. The Tenth Hell was full of cheer and merriment as Woedysr, Samira, Erastus, Parzival, Rydell and a dozen other dead men and women killed either by Ruarc or by the party themselves.

The illusion was shattered when the party tried to leave, their forms becoming ethereal as they soon split to reveal the Flowering Dead. The fight was hard-fought, especially when trying to loot Regret's secret lair exploded in their faces when a makeshift trap detonated. There was no loot, save for a single ornate walking cane that Breeze stole.

Trying to rest inside the Tenth Hell didn't prove any easier when more Flowering Dead attacked, chasing a peasant into the tavern. The second wave of Flowering Dead wasn't much more terrible than the first, but the strangest part? The peasant who entered was missing a score of flesh from his face, revealing brass panels underneath. He explained that the Crookspur located in the Theatre were performing horrors upon the survivors of Emyn Vul. Though this was troubling, that was someone else's problem. This party had to find what was going on at the Keep.

At the Keep there were a skeleton crew of guards, a mere four, offering the party some rations and a meeting with the Erl.

At long last, the last Son of Ruarc finally met the party. Just as arrogant as expected, Erl Haedric was an unkind creature who showed the party no remorse for travelling across Ruarc to find a cure. Caulden boldy confessed to the Erl about Rydell's death and how Ruarc was truly doomed. The Erl, enraged, told the party he was going to kill them but offered them their redemption.

In truth, they just wanted to see Alwyne and leave. Haedric marched them to his banquet hall where the survivors of Fiendfell were tied up by vines and roots, grown from seemingly nowhere. The strangest feature of this damned affair? A blinded maiden of porcelain-white flesh standing next to the Erl's empty throne.

The Devil had come to witness Ruarc's last moments.

### Session 43 - Blaze of Glory

This session took place on the 3rd Soliam of Serenity as the party listen to the beating heart of Ruarc itself.

The Devil of Ruarc had finally revealed itself, but only to Caulden and Entropy; it seemed that they who had consumed the Panacea were the only ones who could see the maiden clad in white. She spoke in whispers to the Erl, revealing secrets best left hidden. It would seem the Erl was unaware of the Devil's presence as he was unable to collide with her at all. The party realized they needed to convince the Erl, but the Devil had a different strategy in mind. When Caulden rushed to tear her apart she merely raised a single hand and called upon those who had consumed the Panacea. She dominated the minds of the party's allies and Caulden both, forcing them to attack one another.

Erl Haedric took up arms and had his men fight back. With violence unavoidable, the three sides; those under control of the Devil, the Erl's men and the party warred against all. The Devil merely stood back and watched the bloodshed, letting the once-friends maim their limbs and alliances both.

Obscured by an invisibility spell, the Devil disappeared to let the chaos continue. The party butchered their way through their allies before the Erl was slain only to return as his true form; a mythical Aasimar with wings forged of dark leaves and barbed vines. He was concerned with something else entirely, leaving the party to fight amongst each other as he flew towards the great tree. The greatest adversary to the party's success wasn't the Devil, but a mind-controlled Farelenor who could shape and corrupt spells at-will. Kazavith managed to slay Farelenor but not without having the Shaper take the Goliath down with him.

The longer the battle continued, the more hope would dwindle. Soon only Wolf and Breeze were left fighting each other as a storm began to brew above the Keep.

The end was here.

## Epilogue

### Session 44 - Fire Knows No King

This session took place on the 3rd Soliam of Serenity, ending as the party look upon a burning Ruarc.

Permit me if you would, to reveal the end of Ruarc and to tell the story of four adventurers spitting in the face of a primordial god. They were a motley band who arrived to the land of Ruarc seeking that promised fresh start. They left that horrific land with broken armour and bloodied blades, carrying the weight of friends left behind and the storied battles, both lost and won.

Their last trial was the Devil of Ruarc, a monstrous sphinx who had attempted to contain the Heart of Ruarc and the Plague of Flowers from bleeding out from the frontier. The battle was fierce, as their friends fell one-by-one. Erl Haedric was consumed by the Heart and spat out, reborn as a terror of the Flowering Dead. The Devil had no use for the Erl any longer, forcing the party to fight against all.

In the throes of death, Entropy had found a way to communicate with the Heart, though it offered no answers. It would seem that even in the end, the secrets of gods are not meant for men such as we.

The final blow against the Devil had it question the party's resolve; killing it meant that the Plague would not be contained. The only reason they lived still is because the Panacea was the Devil's blessing, and without it they would no longer be immune. The party cared not; they had come for blood. With the death of the Devil and the face of the Plague now defenseless, Caulden and Entropy thought to communicate with it again; it would not let them kill it so easily. Caulden ended up hurling himself into the Heart before setting it ablaze, giving the survivors just moments to escape Emyn Vul.

As the party escaped to the edge of Emyn Vul with a weary band consisting of Alwyne, Poet, Wolf, Ciaran and a lone Huscarl, they watched as the fire spread, consuming the being that held the Plague in its heart. They didn't stop till they reached the Waycastle and found a contingent of Redeemers and Guildsmen who were watching the border collapse.

With the fires consuming Ruarc, the way out was sealed, closing any inhabitants inside. They were at the mercy of the Devil and Plague once before, and now they are bound to the land.

Yet the quest drives us ever onwards.

### Caulden Grey

In an old farmhouse, Caulden stands on a porch with a broken railing, peering out upon a field of cows grazing in the winter snows. To his right stands a woman, Caulden’s wife, Adeline, carrying their sleeping infant son, Rolan. To his left, Caulden’s daughter, Samira, no older than eight, stands, weary eyed and leaning against her father’s leg. Caulden smiles as he embraces his family, realising this is the happiest he ever was. Soon, the field of cows is set alight and slowly burns as Caulden and his family walk back into the old farmhouse. The fire spreads, eventually consuming the farmhouse and Caulden’s family, followed shortly thereafter by Caulden himself.

### Entropy

Surprising no one, Entropy returns to the Pinnacle, bag of sourvenirs in tow. He quietly deposits Erevas' bracelets and magical items, pronouncing him officially dead to the Guild Eldritch, alongside Gulfaryc's grimoire. Then, he begins to write.

Firstly, he writes a report on Ruarc. Detailing the early spring thaw, the Plague's blossom, the traitor Leopold, and the loss of Atair and Ruarc itself. Entropy writes slowly and delibrately, presenting an objective and sterile depiction of the events. Even if the deep set aching from those last few fevered days would not leave his memory, he suppresses the lingering emotions, and compiles his report.

Then, he writes alongside Erevas' entrusted letters, sending both the originals, and filling in the blanks where fire, plague and war has ruined them in a seperate, attached letter. He appends:

*"These letters were entrusted to me by Erevas Morganthau during our journey in Ruarc. By all official Guild Eldritch records, he is now deceased, taken by the frozen wastelands near Baelrech. I have had the brief pleasure of knowing him, and thus carry out the last thing he asked of me."*

Another letter - One to his mother, detailing the Horned Thing. He glances periodically at his left arm, ready for the inked parchment to catch ablaze at a moment's notice. He details the encounter, and the devil's deal he had made in a desperate situation. The tiefling makes no illusion about its desire to lead their bloodline to ruin, and he slowly makes plans for that eventuality.

He pauses to appreciate the luxury of having solid walls and access to warm drinks, and having quill and parchment return to being more useful than dried meat and hard tack. Then, the pyromancer refills his ink bottle.

With some hesitation, he pens about the experience he had when he consumed Woedsyr's heart, the spectral hands overlapping his self, and the strange connection with the traitor Erastus. Were he in the Venarium, he imagines the words to surely be heretical. No such misfortune here, unlike some other Goliath.

*"Despite it possibly simply be a hallucination or the product of the countless malaises Ruarc offers, it remains undeniable to me that some greater force, or connection, is at play when it came to both the knowledge obtained from Woedsyr's heart, and the multitude of forms I've seen as a result. While I wholeheartedly condemn the acts of a traitor to the Guild, I experienced an inexplicable connection with Erastus and the phenomenon undeniable."* He regretably remarks that such a theory would be nearly impossible to test and record, but the potential implications compel him to record it for the Guild Eldritch regardless.

And finally, he puts down his quill and dons the mantle again, leaving to return to his mentor's side, for the Guild Eldritch's work is never quite done, and he is but a symbol.

### Erevas Morganthau

Ruarc burns, atop the lighthouse he had found his refuge, his respite, he could see Ruarc burning, the forests that covered nearly every inch of Ruarc were ablaze. Destruction in an inferno cresting around the icy plains that surround the lighthouse. A smile crept across his face as he realised, they did it, his friends had ended whatever corrupted this land.

He stood and did nothing but watch until there was nothing left. After weeks of meditation and calm Erevas was starting to clear his mind. A mind that up until that point held nothing but loss, confusion and muddled loyalties. Now it was starting to clear, the smell of smoke like a deep cleansing wash that clears the senses.

As the flames died down and the ash began to mix with snow, Erevas meditated one last time, and then made his choice, where once he felt like he didn’t have the strength to do what was needed, the burning Ruarc showed him the courage and strength of his friends. With his equipment retrieved from where it had been hidden, Atairs Assurance at his hip and his apology across his back, Erevas finally took his oath. He travelled days through miles of ash and snow, the blood of Ruarc spilling across the open ground.

Soon the demolished sight of Emyn Vul stood before him and he started to search for Atair's creation. To find them and free Atair as he had promised.

### Gentle-Breeze-Blows

On the ship to Dawnforge, Breeze steadied himself on the swaying deck, looking out on the horizon and the grinning moon that hung above. The swaying of the ship was lulling him to a calmness he hadn’t felt since before he set out for Ruarc. His thoughts wandered to the events that had transpired: his quest to find Alwyne, the Plague of Flowers, friends lost and gained, those final desperate moments at the keep…

In his left pocket he could feel the letter Erevas entrusted to him. That would be a reason to visit home atleast. He heard a man move nearby and pulled his hood closer to conceal his face. What was home even? He didn’t feel like returning to his tribe, not in the state he was in. His studies couldn’t offer him anything he had already seen, already felt. He had enough of academia like that to last a lifetime, no Guild or Venarium for him, thank you very much.

The Moon seemed to mock him now and Breeze glared back. He could simply move to a quiet place and get by quite easily, he mused. The mask in his backpack ought to get him a fair fortune atleast. But then he thought of all the faces he had seen in Ruarc, staring at him in his dreams, haunting him from their uneasy slumber. He had run away from his tribe to stdy, run away from there to live with the Orcs, run away to Ruarc to seek knowledge and then run away from Ruarc. In the end, that’s all he could do.

Breeze reached into his right pocket and pulled out a glass bottle with a note inside of it, the names of the men and women who had died so he could live scrawled on it, Caulden Grey’s name on the top. This was his goodbye to Ruarc and a tribute to his friend. He threw the bottle into the dark depths and returned to his cabin bed, his mind resolute. He would keep running, he had decided. Go where he had not gone before, to the corners of Starsong, to see what none had seen. Wander the realm until his end finally caught up to him. Breeze, the Wanderer certainly had a nice ring to it, he thought, a satisfied smirk on his face as sleep claimed him.

### Kazavith "Threadchaser" Elenatho

As Kazavith Elenatho stood looking out over the mist covered valleys beneath his hometown he began to reflect on his journey home from Ruarc. After leaving his unlikely companions at the weycastle he had spent a few days traveling south, trying to avoid the guild hunters that have been sent to dispatch him, once more replacing The Viceroy on his head and taking on his traveling mercenary disguise. After a few close calls he eventually boarded a ship and headed back to Rioja, to the chapterhouse where he had spent a large chunk of his life. As the beautiful coastline appeared on the horizon, Kazavith had finally taken a breath for what had felt like the first time in weeks.

Now safely back under the influence of the Venarium and away from the guild’s blunderings, he was home. He reported his findings back to the Venarium and spent a few weeks recovering at the chapter house. Once recovered the goliath headed out of the city and travelled back to his ancestral home. Soon enough the mountain peaks of his home loomed in front of him and the village where his journey had begun stood just within his grasp. After many years of being away from his family he had finally returned, spending a few months in the crisp mountain air, helping his father at the forge and hunting in the rocky plateaus around his home.

Now as he stood looking out over the mist covered valleys, he finally felt ready, the reason he had stood firm against so many adversities now refreshed in his mind, the people and faces that had kept him going through his many years away now fresh. The tall goliath picked up his hammers, slung his pack across his shoulder and started to head back down the mountains, back to service and back to strife. For a librarian’s work is never done.