The story so far

## Prologue:

### **Chapter 1: Hug Slugs & Moon Jellies**

Our story begins on the first night of a new year, right as the snow melts away and gives way to spring's renewal. The *Night of Remembrance* is upon the *Goldenoak Vale*, and all the town's citizens emerges from their winter slumber to wish spring welcome. Goldenoak Vale is known across the kingdom as the home of the magical Golden Oak. Our heroes hail from five of the Goldenoak Houses: there is the pragmatic and adventurous half-orc knight-in-the-making from House Silverbourne, Krodha. Then there's Missy, an ethereal eladrin beauty and twangy moon druid from House Summerscent. The Warforged construct Coggo Siege from House Lockstrong will also join the party with his stalwart demeanor and technical assessments. The daughter of House Ebonport's quartermaster, Nyx, who even though she is banned from leaving the Vale, will come to lead the party. Lastly, a cunning fairy by the name of Zilrion is sent to the ceremony by his leaders from House Ravenholm to sabotage the ceremony.. And he does. But not before the others catches on. The initial meetup is far from a traditional, dashing entrance of epic proportions, but something more akin to an accidental exchange of words between quintessential nerds in a high school corridor.

Come midnight, lanterns were lit, prayers were recited, and the night sky was filled with the floating lights of dancing moon jellies and rising lanters. *In their hour of need, the lost souls out there would hopefully get their second of light.* But the ceremony was abruptly cut short when magic force struck from the heavens and cleaved a branch off the tree. Being told by the remaining souls of the tree to investigate to the north, our heroes all volunteered (or got volunteered) to go into the mountains and find out what had happened. After conferring with Father of House Summerscent, the Ravenholm Viscount, Grieff from house Silverbourne, and Ebonport's quartermaster Harkin, they went on their marry way eager to prove themselves to everyone around them. *The* way *wouldn't stay marry for long.*

### **Chapter 2: Cartahanian Climbing**

As the scouting party starts to climb the Cartahan Range, they meet a travelling pearl/octopi merchant, defeat a goblin usurper named Bonemog, and realize that humans have gone missing from the mountain range. As they close in on Coronation Peak, the whispers of Ol' Backside's role in the ogre/goblin rebellion leads to the discovery that he is much more than a simple blacksmith; he might be the key to keeping peace in the region. Nyx discovers her innate magic and releases a burst of chaotic arcane energy, and Missy proves her mettle by killing her first foe - a huge towering ogre named Globarog. Zilrion is slowly earning everyone's trust, but not by hitting his targets....quite the opposite, in fact. But at least he's trying.

### **Chapter 3: Clerical Coronation**

After meeting the devoted draconic cleric Filarien Úmeran, the party discovers that whatever magic damaged the golden oak originated at Whitehall Bastion deep in the Cartahan Range. Before they leave for their new destination, Coggo appoints Zilrion the new king of the ogres, and they send Ol' Backside to clear out the collapsed mountain pass. Coggo admires some artistic sculptures, Krodha dreams of meeting primordial dragons, and Nyx uncovers a hidden store room while Missy gets her first taste of Filarien's fascination with the Faraway.

### **Chapter 4: My Huckleberry Friend**

Caught in an ambush by a goblin warband, the party faces down insurmountable odds with the help of Krodha's orcish combat skills. After the dust settles, it is revealed that the goblins belong to a resistance group calling themselves the *King's Guard* that oppose the *Ogre Rebellion* led by Bonemog. Led by a *Gungalor,* they apologize for the ambush and agree to ally with Zilrion as their intermediary king. The party then heads to Yarrowtail Farm to get a moment's rest. Coggo beams with excitement as he joins the farmhands in menial work, while Nyx, Krodha and Filarien share a very special moment at the docks. Missy and Zilrion partake in some relaxing Yarrowtail consumption before they all take the stage during comedy night. Filarien gets severely drunk before the evening gets interrupted by a wagon crashing through the ceiling of the farmhouse. Bonemog is back for blood - and this time he brought an even bigger friend.

### **Chapter 5: A Blast From the Past**

Coggo experiences his first memory malfunction in the smoldering debris of the farmhouse, as his old Warforged directives resurface. Bonemog, sieging Yarrowtail Farm while mounted on a enraged ogre, faces down Coggo and the others in a fierce battle. Nyx encases Bonemog in crystalline feybane with the accidental use of chaos magic, prompting yet another discovery linked to Nyx and her potential powers. The Lake Argos ferry *Feelin' Nauti* arrives on the lakeshore to ship them across, and the party leaves behind a trail of destruction, and a farmer named Huckleberry Evergreen, who's now lost everything. Were it not for Missy's threatening him with primal claws and fangs, he might've considered making you pay for all of it.

### **Chapter 6: Dilemmas of Dimensional Dreaming**

Aboard the Feelin' Nauti, the party has some more downtime on their way towards Whitehall Bastion. Nyx, Filarien and Missy tackle how to overcome sea sickness, Krodha and Zilrion go through ranged target practice, and Coggo's in hibernation after the apparent directive glitch causing a barbaric rampage. Another explosion happens at the bastion, and the ship gets pulled into a gaping portal bringing it deep into the Faraway's *Dreamscape*. Only by the swift reactions of Nyx and Filarien do they arrive on the other side without injuries. While everyone faces nightmares on their own, Krodha experiences his first bouts of phasing as the Faraway alters him permanently. Zilrion flies into a dream spirit revealing the truth behind the explosion at Whitehall, and the conspiracy of the missing humans now expands into the extra-dimensional. As they all get ready to return to the mortal realm in a tightly knit armored vessel of cargo, barrels and rope, knowing that she might not live to see the other side ever again, Nyx makes the ultimate sacrifice and unleashes her chaos magic to activate a portal once more.

### **Chapter 7: The Ways of the Cleric**

Arriving back in the Kingdom, the party finds themselves in bad shape. Missy almost dies from bloodloss, Nyx walks around in a daze, Coggo still hibernates, all while Zilrion and Krodha does their absolute best to carry the party down from a tall tree. Coggo creates a makeshift hut from ship debris, and Missy displays her shapeshifting powers for the first time. Heading into the Farseer caverns they pass by the old ruins of *Cragh Frostmourne*, retrieve a vein of *starquartz,* and discover Filarien’s true identity as a spy in service of the king. The Farseer Sanctum reveals itslef, and they all through a magical ritual giving each and every one visions of what's to come.