Altheya - Episode 1: A World of Stories

Katie Morrison as Daisy Thistleheart

 Kim Richards as Gruffudd of Tremorrew

Rhiannon Frost as Ophelia D'larosa

 Tom Hazell as Xantheus Auregan

**A World of Stories** is the 1st episode of the Altheya: The Dragon Empire Campaign. It was broadcast live on both the highrollersdnd Twitch and YouTube channel on the 5th of November 2023 from 5PM to 8PM GMT.

*Welcome to Altheya: The Dragon Empire, a brand new D&D 5e campaign with new characters and a whole new custom, homebrew World of Stories! In the Village of Burnell, 5 unique characters find themselves in the middle of an investigation and must work together for the first time to solve the mystery!*

## **Summary**

### **Announcements**

* Mark welcomes everyone and introduces the players: Rhiannon Frost, Chris Trott, Kim Richards, Tom Hazell, and Katie Morrison.
* Announcements were made at the end of the episode.
* Thanks to Chris Trott and Tom Hazell for all their hard work on the intro and preview videos, as well as the music with Jolene Khor. Tom did some huge and amazing work on the edits. Rhi has been working hard on socials, Kim and Katie have been working hard on all the organisation stuff.
* Thanks to Jolene Khor (composer) and Mina Samy (mixer) for the music that was made. The theme is on Spotify and YouTube.
* Thanks to PumpkanArt for the new logo. Check out her art in the Discord and on social media.
* Thanks to ScorpionDesign for the beautiful scene art of North Vale, Caldra in the intro video.
* Thanks to Rachel Denton (Tallinier) for the new character art.
* Thanks to Becky Pepperdine for the new set.
* Episode 1 was pre-recorded because Mark was doing D&D in a Castle and because they wanted to get it perfect. Kim, Trott, Katie and Tom appeared live after the pre-recorded stream to read donos.

### **Part One**

*Welcome to Altheya: The Dragon Empire, a brand new D&D 5e campaign with new characters and a whole new world of stories!*

*Altheya – a world reborn from ash and dust. A world surrounded by an eternity of war, waged between the planar realms. A world of many people, places, cultures, and nations. A world of secrets. A world of stories. And in the Dragon Empire, stories can have great power. The ballad of a knight can stir the soul to courage, the tragedy of a tyrant can damn an entire nation.*

*Some stories begin in grand places, upon a throne of obsidian, carved by hands older than gods, or among the stars where the divine saints dwell, but this story begins in the humble village of Burnell. Nestled between the Obsidian Mountains and the Blades of the Empress, the north vale of Caldra is a bountiful land of sloping, forested hills and ripe vineyards, nursed from the volcanic soil of the Red Dragon’s province. Burnell sits at the edge of a swift, winding river in the lush, hilly forests of the valley. It is a trader’s stop that has grown and swollen with the years as merchants and travellers long for a place to rest as they journey along the Imperial Highway.*

*Today is the 8th day of Stormfall’s Mid-Moon – it is a market day – and as the fortress of Pyris, the great golden sun that brings warmth and light to Altheya, rises to begin her vigil over the world, before most others are even awake, some life stirs in this quiet village, still.*

*A small pond steams ever so slightly in the morning mist. A water feature cascades down, carved from beautiful stone and painted in bright colours and intricate designs. There is a long bench beside it that allows travellers to sit and soak their feet in its warm, geothermal springs. A pair of black, furred paws dangle nearby…*

Just down the hill from the wooden walls of Burnell, Gruffudd of Tremorrew, a Wildheart (anthropomorphic lion, equivalent to a Leonin), sits on the bench by the water pool, puffing on a small pipe and humming tunelessly to himself as he enjoys the morning air. His fur is black but speckled with white, but his glorious mane and facial hair is white and incredibly curly. He is dressed simply in black and blue robes with wraps around him, and over his shoulders sits a cape of overlapping hides and furs. Sitting next to Gruffudd is a gnarled and crooked staff surmounted by a green, flickering, illusory bird that is long and sleek with a long beak. Gruff occasionally stares at the bird with a far-off look in his eyes, and it is clear that while he is physically present, his mind is wandering elsewhere. Gruff has been here for a while, watching the sun rise.

A little distance away, surrounded by patches of wildflowers, is a small stone temple with a bell tower displaying stone effigies of the saints and of the two great Scions, Meilyr and Pyris. The bell has not yet rung to signal the morning. Behind the church, forests rise into the hills that eventually become sleek, black, jagged mountains.

Gruff is lost in thought, with flashes of home, his birds, his village and his family, but the sound of footsteps followed by a thumping noise draws him out of his daydreaming. From the small building beside the church, a small, middle-aged Halfling has emerged – he has short, curly brown hair and small mutton chops, and wears black and white robes and a symbol of a crescent moon with a star attached to it. The Halfling is surprised to see anyone else awake at this hour and is startled by Gruff’s presence but begins small talk with the unfamiliar Wildheart. Gruff tells the man, the Reverent Arthur Teathistle, his name and that he arrived last night with a few friends and gives the reverend a firm handshake - he intends to travel onward this day and only stayed overnight due to the dangers of travelling the roads at night. Teathistle and his wife have been in the village for a long time.

Gruff tells the reverend that he is used to the cold, coming from Iceheart, a province some way away. The reverend offers to show Gruff around the village and leads him back up the hill and through the gates, offering commentary about the village and its delights along the way.

They pass the surly, tired, and hungover guards without incident and move into a large market square with dozens of small stands and stalls being set up with brightly outfitted with coloured canvases. Nearby, there is a brightly coloured, worn blanket rolled out on the ground and a small stool sitting on top of it. Perched on the stool is an elderly Dwarven woman – one of her legs is pure silver and she has growths of metal coming out of her neck, most of which have been carved into the shapes of spikes and chains. The woman is laying out multiple small stone carvings while talking to a large man who holds one of the statues in his grey/purple hands. Rowan, an athletic-looking Jotnir (or Half Giant), has an unusual skin tone of grey with a touch of purple, and has intricate blue patterns spiralling up from his hands to his shoulders. Rowan’s clothing is plain, but he has a large scarf with a green pattern, a leather jerkin, and sandals. On Rowan’s back is an exquisite lute that looks a little out of place on this large, simple-looking man.

Rowan has woken early to explore the marketplace and as he looks around, he hears a resonance or harmony that often draws his attention. He has picked up a small stone statue of a feminine warrior-like figure with a sword and one wing – the delicate carving and details are sympathetically done, using the natural form of the stone. As he holds the stone, Rowan hears a soft song – that of a mother to a child, that of moulding and shaping, that of growth, learning, and teaching – the song fills him. A single tear builds up in the corner of his eye and spills down his great cheek as he explains to the old woman that the stone is telling him its story. The woman is happy to sell the statuette to Rowan for a silver piece, but he thinks that she has underpriced this masterpiece. The woman laughs, telling Rowan that the days of her creating masterpiece works are behind her and shows him her hand – three of her fingers have also become silver and it appears to be growing down her hand, her neck is likewise affected. Rowan tells the woman that he is on a long journey, much like the rock in his hand, that he still has a long journey ahead of him, and that he wishes to take the rock with him. The woman holds her hand out and Rowan pays for the statue before telling the woman that he will be travelling wherever the wind takes him. She assumes that with Rowan being a traveller that he has many tales to tell – Rowan agrees, pointing to the lute on his back and claims that he is a vessel, rather than a musician.

The woman tells Rowan that she built many of the buildings and cut many of the flagstones in Burnell. Rowan looks around and sees that the buildings that circle the market square are far larger and more ornate than would be expected in a small village like Burnell. The flagstones are perfectly cut, the foundations are solid, and the cornerstones are carved with flowers, vines, dragons, and knights with intricate detailing. The woman asks if Rowan wants to hear more about the construction and he does, so he grabs a nearby stool and sits to listen to the woman tell her story.

The door of the inn opens to show a Halfling woman with pink dyed hair tied into a bun – she sweeps some dust into the street before moving upstairs, the staircase being engraved with roses and thorns. When she reaches the top, the Halfling moves down a rich, lavish dark wood corridor with dark red drapes. Unseen by the Halfling, behind one of the closed doors is a robed figure, like a friar or a monk, holding out their arms that are obscured by their thick robes. The hands are engaged in braiding the long, black hair of the person in front of them, a person who is kneeling down in front of a white altar (that might be made of white stone, ivory, or bone). It is engraved with the figure of a regal looking man sitting on a throne made of bones with red gemstones built into it. The kneeling figure is Sister Ophelia D’larosa of the House of Blood – she is wearing a crimson ceremonial dress with dark metal armour intricately put together on the top, spiked boots that rise beyond her knees, and a chestplate which has bones, wings, and scales chiselled into its surface.

Ophelia has pale greyish skin and pointy ears. She is kneeling down, straight-backed, and looking intently ahead at the altar as she dips a small horsehair brush into a pot in the table in front of her – the pot appears to be full of crimson “face paint”. She closes her eyes and slathers the paint across her forehead down to just below her eyes – this is done with precision, as if she has done it hundreds or thousands of times before, and she hums in a monotonous tone as she applies the red liquid, then utters some quiet words:

*For the House we pray*

*In the name we surrender,*

*Our bodies are binds,*

*Our devotion, our deliverance*

*Their will be done by hands unfaltering,*

*Their mission shared by hearts united.*

*Flesh for the Mortal,*

*Blood for the Eternal,*

*In His grace.*

Her devotion complete, Ophelia places the brush back into the pot in the desk. When the brush returns to the pot, Ophelia feels the skeletal hands completing the braids in her hair – the traditional style that is always done. Percival’s hands never falter and have never done so since entering Ophelia’s service. When he is done, Percival steps back and bows his head to Ophelia, awaiting her next command. Ophelia thanks Percival as she hears the sounds of a village coming to life in the morning, then tells him that they should venture down into the village so that they may try to understand more of what people do there – Percival stands silently in reverence and adoration. There is a sudden knock at the door, and an older but handsome Human man with a thick moustache and slicked back dark hair, carrying a cane, stands there awkwardly - it is the Innkeeper of the Lordly Reigns, Raul Tovas, and he offers to take her around the village to show her around if she wishes to join him while he does his rounds at the market. He is happy to introduce her to people or to just to tell her more about Caldra and the village, but he is also curious about her and her homeland. The innkeeper tells her that his new life is a quiet one, very different to his old life. Ophelia tells Raul that jobs are an unusual thing where she is from.

Raul asks if everything is ok with Ophelia’s companion (whom she introduces to him as Percival, her most trusted assistant), and asks Percival if he has enjoyed his stay at the inn – Percival remains silent. Raul invites Ophelia to join him for market day, telling her that farmers will often come into town for the day, and offers again to show her around and to introduce her to some of the townsfolk. Ophelia agrees, smiling, showing off her pointy canine, but Raul does not react except to turn and limp away, leading Ophelia and Percival out into the marketplace. Raul points out various places and engages Ophelia in light conversation as they pass a little stone cottage right at the edge of the city walls.

There is an elaborate stone garden attached to the small cottage with flower beds, vegetable patches, and a couple of orange trees. The rising sun casts a shadow on a small woman who appears to be talking to herself. Daisy Thistleheart is 5 ft 2 in tall – she sits under a tree, doodling in her notebook, smelling the citrus and wildflower aromas around her, and listening to the bustle of the newly bustling market.

She wears a black corseted bodice with floral embroidery all over it and orange ribbons tying it on at the shoulders. She has a long skirt of burnt orange, small brown boots, and frilly socks. Daisy’s hair is blonde, mid-back length, and bounces in curly ringlets. As her sketch nears completion, she hears a familiar voice in her head, calling her “Little One” and talking to her about how wonderful the music was last night. It appears the Daisy has watched Rowan perform since she talks to the voice about how the musical act had sung a song about pebbles. The voice wishes that there had been some lyrics to learn, so Daisy suggests that they think of some – the voice says that it has never thought of lyrics before but has always had them taught to it. Daisy, believing Rowan to be a nice person, offers to give him some advice, and even some lyrics that he can use next time he performs the song. When she struggles to think of a word that rhymes with pebble, however, she senses delight and amusement from the voice. The friendly voice then advises Daisy that someone is approaching.

The door to a nearby home opens and a broad-shouldered, strong, athletic Human woman in her forties with grey-streaked brown hair tied into a tight bun, steps out with a large burlap sack over her shoulders. Seeing Daisy, she stops and stares before asking what Daisy is doing in her garden. Daisy shows her the doodle that she has been doing and promised not to have stepped on any flowers. The woman has heard Daisy talking to someone, but Daisy says that her friend left. When asked if she is from Burnell, Daisy tells the woman (Marrion) that she is from Goodvine, which is nearby, and that she is just passing through. Marrion offers Daisy an orange if she wants, and Daisy, already holding an orange behind her back, accepts that she now has permission to take the forbidden fruit. As Marrion heads off into town to do her chores, Daisy looks around at the market that is coming to life, seeing the very tall, grey-skinned man that she had witnessed singing the previous night – he is now sitting, talking to an old Dwarven woman.

Meanwhile, Burnell’s second inn is much quainter and more down-to-earth, with pink peonies in window flower boxes, and the downstairs area is busy and full of patrons. Upstairs, a figure is asleep in one of the bedrooms, but it is clear that it is not a restful sleep. The figure twitches, sweats, and his closed eyes flick back and forth under his eyelids as he dreams. At first, the figure appears to be an Elf, but as he moves, the dim light reflects off golden scales that appear up and down his arms and around his eyes, and he almost has a crown of horns around his head. His clothing is simple and grey-brown in colour, but it is accented slightly with golden sashes and sigils across his tabard. As the figure twists and twitches in his sleep, there is the brief glimpse of a tail from beneath the covers.

Xantheus Auregan had collapsed, exhausted and fully-clothed into bed and a fitful sleep. This was his chance to rest and recuperate after a hasty and exhausting flight from the city. He dreams.

*Xantheus is in a room surrounded by a dark void. He can see no walls, but it feels claustrophobic and tight. There is a wooden pedestal, well-made and decorated with engravings and gold inlays – it stands in the centre of the room, lit by an unseen source of light, the only light in this place. Atop the pedestal is something covered in a velvet cloth, and the darkness is like walls closing in – there is whispering and laughing, and he begins to see faces, teeth, and eyes in the darkness.*

*He does not remember exactly what he is here for – he knows only that he is meant to be here, that he is meant to get something or to help someone, but he cannot quite remember what or whom. He feels almost pressed in, almost as if something is pushing him towards the light and the thing on the pedestal. Xantheus, still sweating, is terrified – he turns to, and recoils from the whispers, but smiles. When he locks eyes on the pedestal, he shouts out, “What is it that you want from me, what do you want me to do?”* *When he speaks, he sees a figure emerge from the opposite side of the pedestal, from out of the darkness – the figure is shrouded in a cloak, but there is something familiar about them, and Xantheus thinks that they are a friend. They step into the light and take the thing from the pedestal: as they touch it, the faces and the eyes and the mouths in the darkness hiss – they press in, and as they rush towards the pedestal, Xantheus is pushed forward with it.*

*There is a familiarity to this dream, and Xantheus should know what it is, but he cannot remember.*

*Xantheus turns to run and as he does, the mouths bite and push at him. Suddenly, he is at the pedestal with the darkness rushing over him, and he can see the other figure, the friend. Is this the one that he came here to help? Is this the thing that he is meant to find? The friend is holding the item from atop the pedestal and the mouths are biting and pushing at them along with the darkness. The friend shrieks in pain as they hold out the object towards Xantheus – in his panic, with the darkness pushing at him, Xantheus twists, his outreached hands fall upon the object, and as they do, the other figure becomes angry and starts hissing at him. Once the hands of Xantheus and his friend are both touching the object… something snaps. There is an explosion of light and fire, Xantheus feels pain and screams – the darkness takes this opportunity to pour into his mouth and crawl inside him.*

*As the darkness reaches into his throat, and the pain in his chest and body begins to swell, Xantheus suddenly wakes up.*

Feeling the remnants of the dream, Xantheus jumps out of bed attempting to fight against the darkness that surrounded him, and it takes him a while to realise where he is and to regain his breath, clutching at his chest, which is still painful. As reality sinks back in, and he realises where he is, there is a knock at the door and a polite enquiry as to whether everything is ok and whether Xantheus would like some breakfast. Xantheus drags his fingers through his sweat-matted hair and tries to slow his fast-beating heart before breathing deeply, conjuring a smile, and opening the door to the innkeeper, Adriana Peony. Xantheus had met Adriana last night with Gruff, who had found Xantheus on the road and brought him to The Peony Post inn.

Adriana has a plate of porridge with some honey and syrup and a glass of frothy milk. Adriana is a Wildheart with deer characteristics, including speckling/freckles, brown and creamy skin colouring, stubby antlers, and a small busy tail. Unlike Gruff, however, Adriana is more Humanoid in appearance. She suggests that Xantheus heads into the market later, which he agrees to do, hoping to run into Gruff again. He quickly eats his breakfast before heading out to look for the large lion man.

In the marketplace, Daisy catches sight of the large Jotnyr singer, the lion man, and the Dragonborn from the inn. The market comes to life as a haphazard, labyrinthian affair in the centre of the larger village. The larger buildings (such as the two inns, The Lordly Reigns and the Peony Post) are surrounded by the smaller buildings of the town, almost as if the town has sprung up around them. Wooden walls surround the town which also consists of cottages and brick and mortar stores with thatched or tiled roofs that have been painted in bright colours. Everywhere they look, hanging from buildings or attached to the wooden walls, is the heraldry of this region: Grey and orange with the symbol of a mountain peak that is on fire.

Only Daisy is aware of what this means – the village of Burnell sits in the region of North Vale, and she knows that the Red Dragon, Duke Ignarious, is in charge of this region along with his host.

The reverend is moving around the marketplace, meeting with the people, introducing Gruff, and offering the blessings of the Scions and Saints. Gruff is mostly silent, giving firm handshakes and nods, but trying subtly to disentangle himself from the Reverend so that he can get back to the Peony Post to check on Xantheus, whom he considers his ward. Gruff is introduced to Sarah, a Halfling grandmother who has a vegetable stand before the Reverend realises that Gruff would prefer to be elsewhere and lets him go with a blessing.

Ophelia is in the marketplace with Raul who points out a number of places of interest around the village before asking her why she chose to come to Caldra – she tells him that it is her great calling, and that she has been sent by those in a higher station than her to complete a diplomatic task but will not say what. Raul tells her that this sounds almost like a knightly duty that would, in Ilmera, be assigned by one of the nobles (the Dragons) – they will assign tests when people request them so that they may become Knights, Reeves, Marshalls, or Authorators.  When asked if he is a pious man, Raul tells her that he prays to the Scions and Saints, their saviours who protected them, empowered their leaders and given them guidance. He doesn’t always go down to the church for prayers on the new moons, offering them in his own small way, but religion is not a big part of his life for now. Raul gets a faraway look in his eyes and tells Ophelia quietly that he sometimes wonders how much the Scions and Saints look down upon them. Ophelia, seeing her opportunity, tells Raul that there could be another path if he is willing to take it – Raul has heard about people who believe in spirits and the land having its own powers and, leaning in so that he is not overheard, tells Ophelia that there are those who claim to receive divine gifts from the Dragon Empress now that she is gone (while saying this, he makes the Imperial gesture – his right hand closed into a fist is placed over his heart and he nods his head – but says that the church and priests of the Scions don’t like people to talk about that. Raul asks about Ophelia’s faith – she prays to the Grave Father who blessed mortals with magic long ago, and those who believe in his teachings are welcomed into his immortal kingdom with gifts of power, wealth, and happiness. When people die, some are reborn – Raul is familiar with this concept, since his belief is that those who pass but are not yet worthy are reborn to a new life. Ophelia corrects Raul, stating that in her religion, people are reborn to a physical manifestation. Raul is interested to learn more but is nervous about who is listening to their conversation, diverting their path to take them away from the Reverend. Raul asks about soldiers at war: to Ophelia, they are mere tools in their faith, and those are created by those who have passed before them so that those who come after can live a more peaceful and prosperous life. Raul frowns as Ophelia refers to soldiers as tools but wants to know more asking if they do not have soldiers or whether they are created with magic – Ophelia instead describes their soldiers as being “repurposed”, and tells Raul that living a life of toil does not come to the mortal being, adding that people who live and breathe do not work because that is not their fate. As they walk, Ophelia glances around the market getting a feel for the people who inhabit the area, and everywhere she looks, she sees living people carrying picks and selling crops, and notices that they all look dirty and weary, something she is not used to at all. Ophelia’s eyes light on a rich purple, gold, and silver tent, outside which a young Elven woman sits at a table. On the table is a sample of beautiful, rich, hand-made clothing – cloaks, hats, and the like - but inside the tent are racks of dresses, tunics, tabards and other items that are decorated, not with gemstones, but with beautiful coloured and polished stones that are woven into the designs. The Elven woman is not as busy as other vendors on the street. Ophelia glides across to the Elven woman (Percival glides along behind her and Raul like a living shadow, his robes falling straight to the ground).

Rowan is still with the Dwarven stonesmith and has learned that her name is Gabrylla Tintoes. Rowan wants to know the detail of every piece of stone, and Gabrylla, like most elderly people, is just happy to have someone to talk to, waffling on about anything that comes to mind. Rowan asks Gabrylla respectfully about her metal fingers, feet, and neck, and she tells him that it is a condition the affects all Dwarves. When Dwarves are young, the growths are shaped to be beautiful accessories, and Gabrylla used to shape her feet to be beautiful spirals, ringlets, and anklets that looked to be growing out of her legs – she would hoist her skirts and dance jigs in the sun, allowing them to glitter. Gabrylla explains that as Dwarves grow older, the growths begin to appear in other places, and that in their final years, the Dwarves’ bodies become taken over by the substance within them (tin in her case). Eventually, Gabrylla’s body will become entirely made of tin, and she will pass.

Gabrylla explains that there are Dwarves that are believed to be fated for a great destiny, and that their growths may be of ruby, diamond, gold, adamantium, or mithril. Rowan is greatly moved, and wants this destiny for himself, believing it to be a gift. Gabrylla says that her tin, by comparison, is common – Rowan tells her that tin is important (before telling her that he does not know what tin is). One day soon, in the next few months or years, Gabrylla says that her condition will spread rapidly, and she will pass – her spirit will be reborn as the Scions and Saints have taught them, and her body will be used to help her family, either sold for the tin, or made into a statue to remember her. Rowan is immediately concerned that the small statue that he has bought was once a person, but she reassures him that it was just a stone that was brought down from the Blackrock Mine in the mountains. Gabrylla dismisses Rowan, telling him that he should be out doing his own thing, and he gives her a hug of farewell, noticing the tin outgrowths around her neck and shoulders – what once would have been worked into interesting shapes is now jagged and random, and it is apparent that Gabrylla does not have long to live. Rowan catches sight of Daisy, gives her a big wave and points out his new statuette. Daisy sees him and wanders over, intending to discuss the lyrics that she intends to write for the song she heard him playing last night. She asks about the statue, believing it to be one of the pebbles from the song, but he corrects her misconception, telling her that the pebbles wished to remain in Azarr, but that the statue wishes to travel with him. Daisy asks what the pebbles sounded like, and Rowan pulls the lute from his back then plucks the lowest string – the sound resonates with a tone that takes a life of its own, sounding very peaceful.

Daisy pulls Rowan to the side and into a sitting position before she also sits – she tells him that she wants to write some lyrics for his song but needs to know how the pebble felt. The pebble was very sad because none of its friends were around it for centuries – the lake had deposited the pebbles at the side of the lake but had washed its friends away, and it had been alone for many decades. Rowan had been the first to hear its story but had not thought to ask its name – he determines that he will need to return to the lake to ask, but Daisy suggests that they make up a name until it is possible to return – Rowan suggests that the pebble was rather cheeky. He admires the sketches in Daisy’s book and suggests that they should try to find “the shiny one”, “the big fluffy one”, and “the strange one”.

Gruff sees Xantheus and asks the little Lordling how he slept and how he is. Xantheus lies and tells Gruff that he slept well – there is a hesitation before his answer, however, so Gruff suspects that he is not telling the whole truth but is not sure. Gruff reveals that he has been up since the dawn broke since he is normally fishing at this time – this is far too early for Xantheus and Gruff guesses, incorrectly, that Xantheus is a city boy or a scholar, before settling on someone who does light work and does not have to be up too early. Xantheus says that he’s usually up early, just not “stars in the skies” early. Gruff offers Xantheus some food that was acquired by the Reverend and Xantheus attempts to work out if he is still Gruff’s ward – he says that he is not meek nor infirm, but he may be vulnerable. When Gruff feels his forehead, Xantheus appears to be warm, but as a Gold Dragonborn, he has an element of heat and flame as part of his heritage. Xantheus tells Gruff that he slept in his clothes and would appreciate a change of clothing, offering Gruff gold, but tells Gruff that he does not quite understand their arrangement. Gruff explains that he found Xantheus by the side of the road, infirm and vulnerable, so it was his duty to protect him and right the situation – Xantheus had promised at the time to be a character reference for Gruff (a significant thing coming from a Dragonborn), but Xantheus does not recall this since he made the statement while he was in a state of delirium. Xantheus asks about the others that have been around them, with Gruff describing “a tall one, a short one, and a pointy one”. As they stand at the entrance to The Peony Post and glance around, they see Rowan and Daisy, who look at them, and Ophelia, whose attention is directed towards them by Percival (who tugs her on the sleeve and points at them with a drooping hand).

A voice suddenly cries out to the Marshall that soldiers are coming up the road. There is a commotion, the sound of armoured boots, and a horn before there is a cry to open the gates in the name of the duke. The nervous soldiers open the gates to the twenty or so soldiers without – all are dressed in grey and orange tabards with simple scale and chain mail. Two figures who are surrounded by better equipped soldiers catch their eye: the first is a very well0dressed human man in a breastplate with leather and chain armour, tall leather boots, a helmet that is carried in one hand, and a resplendent orange cape. The captain is handsome with shoulder-length hair and is the one who has been calling out. The other is a much more sinister-looking, tall, lithe, and athletic Orc with a glowing scar the runs down their neck and under their black leather jerkin. The rest of their kit is a black coat, black trousers, black boots, a hood, and a badge of office on their lapel – they also carry blades and other weapons. The captain calls for the Marshall and Reeve of the village to be brought to him.

Quickly emerging from other buildings in the village are a Dwarven lady with her thick black hair shaved on the sides and the top braided to fall down her back. She is heavily scarred and looks rough and dangerous. Her armour is cobbled together, and she is finishing putting it on as she emerges. A large hand axe is in her belt loop, and she carries a short sword in one hand, and she looks furious as she stomps over to the newcomers. Beside her is a middle-aged, meek-looking woman with grey hair wearing round spectacles, a neat dark crimson red bodice with small gold buttons, and a pencil hoop skirt. She carries a book and hurries alongside the Dwarf. The woman with the book identifies herself as the Reeve to the Captain, and the three have a whispered conversation. The townsfolk look on with curiosity as the soldiers who accompanied the captain move towards the other gate and stand in front of it, blocking it to prevent anyone from leaving the village. Daisy, with a mouth full of bread, subconsciously steps behind Rowan, while Gruff puts himself in front of Daisy and Xantheus. Ophelia takes Percival and sidles up to the group, surprising them. Daisy waves her hand in front of Percival’s face – to the rest of them, Percival appears to be an animated cloak, large and draping, as if a cloak has been animated. Daisy is curious – they couldn’t get Percival to take his hood off or to talk at the gate when they entered the town, so she goes up and peers into his cowl. Percival steps back, so while Daisy tries to get a good look at him, she fails to see anything clearly – Daisy has described the people that she has met to her friend, the voice in her head, and her friend is quite curious. Ophelia advises Daisy not to get too close to Percival as he may not like it.

They overhear the end of the conversation between the Dwarven woman and the captain, with the Dwarf saying, “…well at least my people haven’t failed in their job, Captain. Nothing has happened – you’re the ones who have failed in this. Of course, I am bound by the Duke to assist you, and I will render that aid, but I can assure you that they didn’t come here.” The captain silences her with a hand. The soldiers are encouraging all of the villagers to move out of their homes into the marketplace so that they can hear some important information. Xantheus looks around for any other Dragonborn or anything that he recognises from his time in the city – the shadows between the buildings begin to take on some of the shapes from his recent nightmare and his vision begins to appear blurry. Xantheus rubs his eyes, seeing motes of gold swimming in his vision and is distracted, so sees nothing of interest.

The captain steps forward and addresses the citizens, telling them that they have nothing to fear. His name is Captain Lukas Vecaro, and he serves Duke Ignarious as the commander of his Second Talon. The captain and his men have come to Burnell searching for a group of dangerous criminals wanted for murder and suspected of heresy - they escaped from Ashen Rest and fled north. Their scouts believe that they may have entered and passed through Burnell in the night. The captain announces that until the criminals are apprehended, or their investigation is concluded, travel south to Ashen Rest is prohibited. A force from Kelscariss will arrive in Burnell within a few days to assist with the investigation – this includes a member of the Ecliptic Order, a Sister Inquisitor. The captain advises that the cost of rooms will be covered by the Duke for those who are not residents of Burnell, and he asks for their cooperation, introducing Authorator Zaron Tekis (indicating the Orc).

The captain advises that he and the Authorator will be asking questions and asks for the cooperation of the townsfolk – he suggests that the criminals will bring doom on the town and the Duke. The Captain and Authorator scan the crowd and see the group of strangers huddled together who look like they do not belong in the town, and they begin to walk in their direction.

### **Part Two**

*The newly formed team find themselves in the middle of a lockdown in the village of Burnell! Criminals are about, are the party capable of discovering where they're hiding?!*

*We find ourselves in the village of Burnell, located in the region of North Vale, in the province of Caldra. The party has interacted with each other and some townsfolk before the arrival of soldiers and their two leaders, Captain Lukas Vecaro and Authorator Zarron Tekis. The soldiers are seeking criminals believed to be in the town or the area, and until the criminals are apprehended or the investigation is complete, any travel south of Burnell is forbidden. Additionally, a force is coming down from the major city of Kelscariss to the north.*

Captain Vecaro’s men have relieved the local militia of their posts at the gates. The militia’s usual occupation is to watch the gates and the walls, to control any inebriated locals, and to protect the village from vaultspawn, should they appear and attack the town. The captain’s men and women, however, are now doing these duties, blocking the gates, and questioning people in the town, taking statements for the record. The captain and the Authorator, however, approach the unusual group of travellers near The Peony Post inn. Gruffudd is quietly curious about the two approaching figures, Rowan is worried that he has fallen in with criminals and become one himself by association, Ophelia is nervous but annoyed because this is another delay to her mission. Daisy asks the voice in her head what she should do and whether she should be worried with what is happening – the voice mentions the Ecliptic Order and tells Daisy that they do not take kindly to those who have associations with otherworldly beings, so they do not want to be in town when the Sister Inquisitor arrives – it would be dangerous to try to sneak past them, so it might be better to make sure that they work with the captain and find the criminals before the Inquisitor arrives.

As Daisy comes back to herself, Rowan asks if she or the others are criminals – Daisy and Gruffudd deny being so, and Xantheus shakes his head to clear the odd vision that has come over him. He wonders aloud whether they might have seen anyone who might have been the criminals in the tavern last night, but they don’t yet have a description. The captain approaches and asks for their names and assistance: they introduce themselves to the captain, who looks curiously at Xantheus and waits for Xantheus to introduce himself. Xantheus is nervous and worried but introduces himself formally to the captain – at hearing the Auregan surname, Captain Vecaro bows his head, recognising a Dragonborn. He glances over the seemingly innocuous villager that is Daisy, and turns back to Ophelia – she introduces herself formally as Sister Ophelia D’larosa of the House of Blood and asks the nature of the interruption. The captain is not sure how to respond, but the Orc steps forward and takes the enquiry, asking the captain to speak to the others.

Authorator Tekis is aware of the House of Blood and of Ophelia’s homeland. He looks at Percival and then at Ophelia – she can tell that he knows about them. The Authorator asks of her business in his land, to which she replies “diplomacy and education” – he asks if she is an ambassador, to which she responds that she is. She names her sponsor as Countess Uramen Orsa (sp?) and he writes the name down, not being familiar with it, despite his knowledge of the House – Ophelia explains that she is not of high rank and the Authorator advises that checks will be made before apologising for disrupting her business in the empire. He explains, however, that the criminals that they are seeking murdered a priestess of their faith and asks for Ophelia’s patience given the grave nature of the crime – she acquiesces. The captain turns again to Daisy and asks he name and where she is from (Goodvine) – they notice that the captain is not recording anything but that the Authorator is recording *everything* in a jagged shorthand (almost a secret or magic language). Captain Vecaro explains that the three criminals escaped from his men’s custody, hence why he has been tasked with tracking them, that they fled to the north, and that he is confident that they not only passed by, but entered the village.

He flips through the back few pages of a leather-bound black journal, stamped with the symbol of an eye on the head of a hammer and gives them a description of the three wanted people: one is a middle-aged male Dwarf with greying-brown hair cut short, a beard braided and entwined, with brass-like patterns of jagged lines up his neck and encroaching around his face, named Berrick Brassfist (sp?). The second is a human woman, a Caldran in her early twenties, with short dark hair shaved on one side and long on the other, hugging her cheek, called Regina Violatte (sp?) – she is a duellist, slender and tall (he gives a rough height and description). The third is a disgraced Kobold runaway from Urdas Kirr called Yurgo the Eel (sp?), a thief and a lock breaker, three-feet tall with back scales and well-trained at stealth and hiding.

Xantheus wonders how the criminals gained access to the city given the difficulty that they had getting in themselves last night. The captain rolls his eyes, not being particularly impressed with the discipline of the guards who panicked when they saw him and his men. Daisy disagrees, explaining that while they were happy to let her in, the guards last night were reluctant to allow Sister Ophelia to enter on the grounds of her appearance alone. The captain thinks that the Human and Dwarf criminals could have passed by the guards without incident - Daisy does not know the names of the guards but describes the guards that she saw to the Authorator who takes notes. They tall the Authorator that they did not see anything out of the ordinary, that Ophelia went to the Lordly Reigns for the night, and that Gruff was taken up with his duty to his ward (Xantheus), explaining that he is Xantheus’ protector for now. Xantheus explains to the captain that he is travelling, having gone from a town on the Gildai border, Rust End, to Kelscariss, and is now heading back home. The Authorator looks at him with a piercing eye, realising that Xantheus is lying but lets it slide. Rowan declares to the captain that he is not a criminal, the captain merely asking what his business is in the village – Rowan says that he has no business other than travelling and making music, for he is a bard. Xantheus, Gruff, Rowan, and Daisy are all staying in the Peony Post – the captain advises that their rooms and Ophelia’s will be paid for by the Duke while the investigation occurs (meals will be provided).

The main force from Kelscariss is due to arrive within 3-5 days, sweeping for tracks as they come. The captain offers to allow them to assist with the investigation if that amount of time seems too long, although they do not strike him as mercenaries - he tells them, however, that there is a bounty on the criminals, preferably they are brought in alive, and the Duke would give his favour to anyone who helped him with this.

Further information is given about the crime – the priestess was killed two days before and while it looked like the criminals had broken in to steal something, they are not sure exactly what was taken. They found within the shrine of Saint Misara that the priestess had been murdered and a hidden alcove in the chamber had been opened – there is no record of anything being stored there, and none of the novices or acolytes knew about it. The criminals were questioned and searched, but they gave no information and nothing out of the ordinary was found. The captain suspects that they were hoping to find something that was not actually there, killed the priestess trying to gain information, and then were caught in their attempt at escape. The captain is perplexed about how the criminals managed to escape from custody – they were being transported to Deepglimmer Prison near Ferros, in the mountains, and during the transport, their shackles were broken somehow, allowing them to escape.

Rowan speaks for the group and tells the captain that they will help the Duke. Gruff agrees, wishing to bring the criminals to justice, but Xantheus seems a little reluctant. The captain appreciates their support but warns them to be cautious because the criminals are dangerous. Information would be useful but would not attract the bounty - that would only be offered if the criminals are brought in by the party. Rowan is grateful for the Duke’s generosity, which pleases the Captain Vecaro, and his eye lingers on Gruff. While the captain does not show any heraldry or emblems on display, Gruff suspects that he is a knight because of his manner and demeanour. The captain thanks them for their time, nods his head, and bows to them. The Authorator does not bow but inclines his head at all of them before leaving. Gruff bows, almost reverentially, to the captain who responds with a polite nod of his head.

The gate to the south is heavily guarded by five guards, and outside the walls are more soldiers, some of whom have hunting drakes (smaller, dog-sized lizards) in an attempt to sniff out trails. Others are within the town, questioning people in the town and taverns, and also going to each house.

The group agrees to help look for the criminals, but with none of them having any experience in investigation, they are not sure where to start. None of them has been to Ashen Rest, one of the main towns north of Ferros, a large city of Caldra, and is between Burnell (?) and Kelscariss. It is a walled town, and the next big stop for a traveller on their way between the cities – it is also where the Duke of North Vale lives. While it is possible that the criminals could have tried to skirt Burnell and gone into the Rustwail Woods (sp?) or the Blade of the Empress Mountains to the eastern side of the valley (Burnell is more to the west near the Obsidian Mountains), it is less likely because the land is tough travelling with forests, mountains, and hills. Although it would be a good place to hide, the captain was convinced that they did come to Burnell (although the Marshal disagreed with him).

Rowan points at the Reeve (the elderly lady in the bodice and glasses) and Marshal (the Dwarven woman in the armour) and indicates that they look angry at all the soldiers. Rowan and Xantheus recommend that they speak to the two women, so the group makes their way over. As they approach, the Dwarven woman puts her hand on the axe at her belt and asks who they are and what they want. When Rowan tells her that they are now duty bound to assist in the apprehension of the criminals who killed the priestess, the Marshal rolls her eyes but the Reeve agrees that they must assist and thanks them for their assistance before asking if there is anything they need. She cannot offer them any information and the Marshal tells them that there is no way that the criminals could have entered into Burnell, claiming that it is the captain who messed up, and that her soldiers are far too well-trained to let people like that into the village. Xantheus looks around with scepticism at the soldiers kicking up their heels which draws an irritated, “What?” from the Marshal. When they advise her that the group of them walked straight through the gates last night, the Marshal responds that they’re visitors and that it’s a trader’s town, so visitors are allowed in. She tells them that the soldiers are well-trained and would have been looking for hidden weapons and people looking for trouble, then asks Gruff if he is implying something about her ability to do her job before turning likewise on Rowan. She tells them that if people (or a black-scaled Kobold) were to sneak in, it's not her fault, but that they have been looking regardless – they are duty -bound to assist the captain in his investigation, even if he has screwed up.

It is the Marshal’s opinion that the criminals either never entered the village or have left already. She offers to allow them to inspect the walls and talk to people if they are looking for the bounty (fishing for information on whether they are)… Gruff is standing stiffly and gripping his staff, his tail flicking agitatedly – he does not like what Marshal Valgra is saying, thinking that she is failing at her duty. Valgra sees this and almost seems like she wants to challenge Gruff before telling the Reeve that she must get back to trying to find the criminals and make up for the failure of the captain. The reeve agrees given that the Duke wants Burnell to be a prosperous place and “the next star on the map”. After she wanders off, the Marshal bids them good day in a snide tone before heading off herself – Gruff is disgusted and believes the marshal to be a disgrace to her uniform. Ophelia declares that this is why mortal Knights are a waste of time – the Knights in her land are noble, fight for their House, and serve the Grave Father.

Rowan reveals that he walked to Burnell from Azarr, passing through the outskirts of Kelscariss because it was too noisy with too many people. Xantheus asks Daisy if she knows of anywhere that the criminals might hide – this is something that Daisy and her friendly voice, Nim, know quite well. Daisy wanders away from the group and thinks to her friend, “Where could they have gone that’s near here, that’s not here, that’s not Kelscariss, that’s not a big town…” The voice asks her to recall the map of the area that she has seen in a shop – the other presence in her mind helps her to fill out blanks in the map in her memory with mountains, trees, and details. Nim recalls a river that runs from the mountains, the Blackrock River, near its source, a mine (the Blackrock Mine), and to the south, a forest called the Flint Thorns. Nim tells Daisy, *“If it were I and my legion, I would have found a place in the woods or the mountains to hide”* until the enemy had depleted its resources. She draws them a crude map to show the landmarks that she has discussed with Nim.

Daisy goes to the closest part of the city to the forest – it is by the cottage with the orange tree where she was this morning. She recalls the woman who offered her an orange – she was broad shouldered with an athletic build, had a large burlap sack on her shoulders, and headed towards the north gate – her name was Marrion. When Xantheus asks Gruff about what he would do in this situation, Gruff is a bit reluctant to speak since he is new to this lifestyle – until recently (a month ago), he was a fisherman, and Xantheus is the first person that he has helped in a knightly fashion. Gruff suggests that they find witnesses to see if they can find bolt holes. As they are having this conversation, an old man emerges from the house nearby and asks them to keep the noise down since he and his wife did not get much sleep last night – Daisy mentions that she met Marrion and asks if they saw anything of criminal activity over the last couple of nights. The old man tells Daisy that there was some commotion and noise, but his daughter, Marrion, said that a beast had got loose in the garden and that she would take care of it. He recalls the pungent odour of sweat and musk (like a hunting drake) but also an earthy smell, mentioning that Marrion works in the mines as the Foreman.

Xantheus pretends that they are interested in working in the mines while the town is on lockdown and asks the old man if there is a map of the mines. There is not one in the house, but he says that there might be one near the mine entrance – there is a camp there, and the wagons are kept there that are then sent off to Ashen Rest with materials for the Duke. Rowan returns to the inn to get his sword, and Daisy goes with him to speak to the innkeeper.

Xantheus now believes that the criminals did come into the town, given the old man’s statement about the noise, and Rowan does not have faith in the guards of the village being able to spot them or keep them out. When it is suggested that they investigate the walls, Ophelia chooses not to do it herself, but asks to send Percival, since it is work, and she does not want to work: Ophelia says that will observe instead. After some discussion about how this will speed their ability to leave the town, Ophelia reluctantly agrees to help Gruff and Xantheus investigate the north wall of the town. When they go to leave via the north gate, they are questioned by the captain’s guards, and when it is apparent that they are assisting with the investigation, they are escorted by one of the soldiers (Cade, a Half-Elf) while another goes to inform the Authorator and Captain of the movements of the three citizens. Cade is well-dressed and carries a halberd – he is a private in the Duke’s army and is normally stationed in Ashen Rest, this is his first time in Burnell. Recruit Cade tells them that his family is from Ashen Rest, and that he is a simple soldier, not a tracker. Ophelia offers her condolences on the loss of his priestess and Cade is appreciative but also seems enamoured of her – he has never seen anyone like Ophelia before.

Arianna finds Daisy and asks her what is happening with the soldiers, but Daisy asks her the same thing – Arianna knows nothing other than what the soldiers have told her. The only people who came into the inn were Daisy and her friends, and Marrion and the miners. Marrion has been stressed recently, ordering more and harder drinks than normal, and has seemed to be in a bad mood, fighting with the miners. Arianna also mentions that Marrion had an argument with the Reeve, Lynette, about money or something like that, but as soon as Arianna got too close, they went quiet. Rowan begs off performing that night as he is now honour bound to look for the criminals.

Xantheus chats with Cade and gets to know him better: he is 17-18 years of age and has family back in Ashen Rest, he was adopted, and has two dads who have a little business in town that never did particularly well – they were always struggling to meet the tithe, so Cade signed up to military service so that his dads could save up and get themselves into a better financial position. His Elven father is quite melancholy, and this has been hard on the family and business, which is why it was not doing so well.

They find the outer wall closest to the river where Daisy had indicated, and the older man had heard the commotion. The town is built onto the top of a hill with green, rolling hills outside. Outside the walls are areas of construction where it looks like they may be trying to expand the village and erect new buildings. Xantheus starts looking for any broken parts of the wall, but sees nothing like that evident – he looks around the areas of construction while Gruff pokes at the wall with his staff like a dad doing DIY. Ophelia begins looking around half-heartedly, desperately and repeatedly muttering, “Grave Father forgive me, Grave Father forgive me,…” while asking Percival to assist her (he is not able to). Gruff finds that the wall is fairly well-made and it’s quite tall (12-13 feet) so while someone could climb over it, it would be difficult and noisy. Ophelia finds nothing but also feels terribly guilty, feeling that what she is doing is totally wrong – working goes against her faith, Percival finds nothing by patting the ground. Xantheus is talking to Cade as he is investigating the wall when suddenly his ears begin to ring, and his vision starts to flicker in his eyes again – Cade’s voice is muffled for a short time until Xantheus can break out of it again. Xantheus does not see any tracks but does find that some construction materials were left out – a bag of nails has been knocked over but there is no hammer nearby. Cade thinks that it is possible that the Marshal may be right and that the criminals did not come to Burnell – until the forces from Kelscariss come and complete their investigations, the town will stay locked down, however. The Authorator has been after the Dwarf for a while and Cade has heard that they have a bit of a history – the Dwarf is a petty criminal but has been a thorn in the Authorator’s side. There may be something more to it, however, because Cade has never seen anyone pursued so hard and the talk of heresy has been repeatedly mentioned, so he thinks it is possible that the Dwarf may be some sort of cultist.

Xantheus asks the others if they found anything – Gruff did not, and Ophelia is wracked by guilt for performing a task. She immediately summons Percival to her side and asks for his hands – she reaches into his robes and pulls out a pair of skeletal arms before Ophelia starts waltzing with Percival. Percival’s hood falls back to reveal a skull.

In the far distance, up near the mountains and well away from Burnell and the hearing of our party, there is a blood-curdling scream…

## **YouTube Timestamps**

0:00 - Start

1:18 - Intro theme

5:00 - Kim describes Gruffudd

13:37 - Trott describes Rowan

21:30 - Rhi describes Ophelia

29:30 - Katie describes Daisy

36:20 - Tom describes Xantheus

41:50 - First roll of the campaign

1:04:40 - Dwarven lore

1:35:21 - Break starts (Fan art video)

1:38:00 - Break ends

3:12:20 - Outro and Donations

## **Characters**

#### **PCs**

* Daisy Thistleheart
* Gruffudd of Tremorrew
* Ophelia D'larosa
* Rowan
* Xantheus Auregan

#### **New NPCs**

* Adriana Peony, innkeeper of The Peony Post
* Authorator Zarron Tekis
* Captain Lukas Vecaro, Captain of Duke Ignarious' Second Talon
* Gabrylla Tintoes, a Dwarven stonesmith
* Marrion, a resident of the orange tree house and Blackrock Mine foreman
* Marrion's father, an old man
* Marshal Valgra(sp?)
* Nim
* Percival, Ophelia's skeletal servant
* Raul Tovas, innkeeper of the Lordly Reigns
* Recruit Cade
* Reeve Lynette(sp?)
* Reverend Arthur Teathistle
* Sarah, a villager
* Unnamed 'friend' of Xantheus, seen in his nightmare

#### **Mentioned NPCs**

* Berrick Brassfist(sp?)
* Countess Uramen Orsa(sp?)
* Duke Ignarious, Lord of North Vale
* Marrion's mother (old woman)
* Regina Violatte(sp?)
* Unnamed priestess (murdered)
* Yurgo the Eel(sp?)

## **Featured Locations**

* Caldra
	+ Burnell (village)

## **Trivia**

* The new intro featured a live action video of minis and rolling dice while also showing the character art. It was backed by the orchestral Altheya theme.
* There was already enough fan art to put together a fan art video for the break!
* Gruff is from Iceheart. Rowan is from Azarr. Ophelia is from Osseus (a different land from Ilmera). Xantheus is from Gildai but has most recently come from Rust End, which is on the border with Gildai. Daisy is from somewhere in Caldra.
* A Markism was coined this episode – stairclase.
* Tom claims that while he may have “broken his boy”, the cause of the dream that Xantheus experiences is “all Mark – he’s already used something to backstab me!”
* **Lore drop:** Wildhearts, like Dragonborn, may appear more Humanoid or animalistic.
* **Lore drop:** The Empire is divided into provinces with each province divided into different regions where different Dragon Hosts and families rule. Each has a different symbol. It is common for a region to display the local noble’s heraldry (that of the Duke or Duchess).
* **Lore drop:** An Authorator is a mixture of elite inquisitor, investigator, detective, judge, and jury - they enforce Imperial law. In the larger cities they are like lawyers and detectives. In villages and towns away from the big cities, they are more like judge and jury. Imperial law treats everyone the same, whether they are a dragon or not, and Authorators have the unique status that allows them to accuse Draconic nobles of crimes and to pursue the law against them. Because villages do not normally have a local Authorator, they are sent to these smaller places to deal with crimes. They are usually skilled in magic and combat and are not necessarily someone to fear unless someone has a guilty conscience.
* Mark rolled a natural 20 when seeing how much Authorator Tekis would know about the House of Blood.
* **Lore drop:** Dwarves and Humans are very common throughout the empire. Most places in the empire, whether it be a village, a town, or a city are multicultural – there are no Dwarf cities or Human cities – everyone lives everywhere.
* **Lore drop:** Saint Misara is the patron Saint of Creation, the Forge, Working of Metals, and Craftsmanship.
* **Lore drop:** It is dangerous travelling around mountains and forests at night. Creatures that have escaped from the Protomagi vaults, Vaultspawn, hide there and run amok around Altheya. Furthermore, bandits and beasts (like hungry wolves) can attack travellers. It is for these reasons that most people travel the trade roads and Imperial Highways.
* **Lore drop:** In Altheya, Kobolds are not Dragons. They are Draconic-like, but they are considered to be lizards.
* **Lore drop:** A reeve is like a mayor of a human (non-dragon) settlement. Dragons are the rulers but do not want to deal with the minutiae of running a town, so they install a reeve to collect tithes, be the accountants, and run the towns and villages. A marshal is like a local sheriff – they will train up a village militia and keep the peace in the village and will have minor authority to dispense justice or can call in an Authorator to adjudicate a case.
* **Lore drop:** The word “noble” in Osseus does not mean the same thing as it does in Ilmera. Ophelia has been trained on Ilmeran culture by the Countess, her patron. In a sense, Ophelia *is* a noble – she has been accepted by a House and been given a title (Sister), but she is a fledgeling. She has status and power, which is equivalent to nobility in Ilmera.
* According to Ophelia, the Grave Father and her culture appreciates the arts.
* **Lore drop:** The calendar in Altheya is different to normal. There are 7 months that are broken down into 3 periods of 12 days (first moon, mid moon, and late moon – the moon phases). One of the Spring months (the first month) is Greentide. The second month is Stormfall.
* It has taken Gruff 28-30 days (from just after the beginning of first moon in the month of Greentide) to walk from Iceheart, through Azarr, into and around Kelscariss, and down into Caldra. It is now the month of Stormfall.
* **Lore drop:** When the tithing (taxation) time comes around, you can provide money, goods, or offer military service (you cover your family’s tithe by serving in the army).
* Xantheus and Rowan are “himbros” according to Trott.
* During the dono readouts, the crew were playing with telescopic back scratchers with skeletal hands. These were donated to the crew by Crispi to use to move their minis but were used to create chaos. Mark later threatened to confiscate them.
* Awkward Dog Boner made a return with this episode.
* Trott showed off his new Lucius tattoo by dcaltattoo at the end of the donations.