Sessions

This page contains a summary of each session, along with any recordings that exist of it. (don't have my session notes on me, so I'll update this when I'm back)

# Session 1 (9/12/21)

The adventure begins! Cerin and Fang meet in the arena combatting each other, Fang having been tasked with getting Cerin's map. While fighting, somebody pulls a lever that drops them into Wyrdren's workspace, where she is tasked with cleaning up the messes left behind after fights. Additionally, Vesper shows up, having been tasked by Cloaked Figure to stop the map from falling into the wrong hands.

After some confusion and a little attempted murder, the party goes to Ianan Vos, Fang's employer, who hires them to follow the map and recover the weapon it leads to.

The party travels towards Ardwood. A few bandits make some regrettable choices. Wyrdren has a snack. Thus ends Session 1.

# Session 2 (9/26/21)

The party makes their way to Ardwood, where they learn about the many troubles plaguing the small town. Until about a month prior, the town had sightings of a monster prowling around the city, attempting to breach the walls. As soon as that problem went away, bandits immediately began attacking caravans, preventing essential supplies from reaching the town.

The guardsman on duty, an aspiring chef named Bartleby Murk, tells the party that the town is on lockdown. Until the bandit situation is taken care of, nobody is permitted entry. The next morning, the group seeks the people responsible and finds the bandit hideout. After gaining entry by impersonating the consciences of the three bugbears standing guard, they venture further into the lair.

# Session 3 (10/10/21)

The party explores further, meeting a young boy named Cullen, who had been imprisoned by the bandits. Wary of the newcomer, the party brings him along, leaving him in his shackles as they descend further into the hideout. Fang expresses a particular distrust for him.

After fighting their way downward, the party pauses for a break. Through use of the identify spell, the party learns that some type of effect was enacted on all of the party members and Cullen in order to bring them to this world. Although the exact magic is unknown, there was active intent behind the magic that brought Vesper, Cerin, and Cullen to the world, whereas the magic that brought Fang and Wyrdren appeared to be more passive.

# Session 4 (11/14/21)

After making their way to the bottom of the tower, the party met a very friendly bandit leader named Ranier Goldcliff. The party attacks him, and during the fight, Cullen begins to transform into his Werebear form in an attempt to protect Vesper. Fang immediately recognizes the creature's face and aims his pistol. In the midst of the chaos, the party manages to de-escalate the situation with both Ranier and Cullen.

Ranier offers the party some tea and a job, and when the party asks him to stop raiding Ardwood's caravans, he agrees (if only because his entire workforce has been slaughtered by the party). During the discussion with Ranier, the party realizes that not everybody who was in the lair was under his employ, and that a spy may have escaped.

Cullen reveals that his father had been exiled from the clan for attacking an outsider. Later, the clan sent Cullen to Abeir as a means of recompense. Upon realizing that Fang was the one attacked by his father, Cullen begrudgingly swears himself to him so he could pay the debt he inherited.

Following their success in the bandit hideout, the party makes their way back to the town.

# Session 5 (11/21/21)

The party makes their way back to Ardwood, where they find new travelers outside the gate. Xaalkyon Burrowblade, self-proclaimed hero of legend, showed up at the request of town leadership to address the town's recent troubles. Elevet, a bard, had travelled with him to provide inspiration for his songs- although he expresses distaste in Xaalkyon's brutish and egotistical behavior.

Fang and Cullen both feel a powerful force drawing them into the city, and when they are granted entry into the city, they navigate to a temple of Ilmater in the center of town. There, they meet Daughter Constance and Brother Garrick. Brother Garrick informs them that the Ilman Blade has been left with a powerful protective enchantment and driven into the temple's stone floor. After the rest of the party tries and fails to draw the blade, Fang is able to free it from where it has rested for the past several thousand years.

Brother Garrick tells the party that the sword has been waiting for someone like him and tells the party that they can keep the blade if they attend a dinner at the temple as celebration. The party agrees.

Later in the night, the party is approached by a stranger who speaks ominously to Vesper, alluding to a past that she is unaware of. She introduces herself as Calla, although the party takes to calling her Debbie (short for Da Bitch). The party chases her off and loses track of her in the alleys before making their way to their lodging at the Shady Mushroom Inn.

# Session 6 (2/19/22)

Therapy time! Everyone seems a bit stressed. The party eats some waffles, Wyrdren hands out gifts, and Cullen *very* begrudgingly lets Vesper braid his hair.

# Session 7 (3/19/22)

The party arrives to the dinner at the Temple for Ilmater. Brother Garrick welcomes them in, and after the guests mingle and explore the temple, they convene for dinner. When Brother Garrick opens a cabinet to gather supplies, he notices a putrid smell coming from it. Wyrdren goes inside to check out the issue and finds the long-dead corpse of Daughter Constance, classified in the cabinet's internal system as "Heretic," indicating that the person who had introduced herself as Daughter Constance to them the day before was an imposter.

The group sends the guests out to the main room while they investigate (which mostly consists of Cerin finding new ways to break the cabinet). Wyrdren briefly becomes invisible to spy on the group and see if anybody says anything indicative. Elevet quickly figures out that she's there and covers for her.

The party quickly identifies that the shapeshifter is disguised as Bartleby Murk. The creature transforms into its true form: A hulking monstrosity with an unusual blade. In the battle, Vesper is struck by the dagger, but eventually the party defeats the creature. After shifting into a new form, she offers some information in hopes of surviving the encounter. She tells the party of dark forces on the edge of the universe, and describes her organization as following a true god, as opposed to Ilmater, who she considers a false god as "real gods can't die."

The party kills her and brings the wounded and frazzled party guests, including a nearly dead Bartleby, to a medical facility. Afterwards, they return to the Shady Mushroom Inn to get some rest before making the trek back to Ylme. Additionally, Elevet decides to join them, finally leaving Xaalkyon behind.

# Session 8 (6/11/22)

The party gets some rest before travelling back to Ylme. In the night, Wyrdren has an ominous dream about a room with nine pillars. In the morning, Vesper's own reflection tries to break free, and although there is no sound, the reflection seems to be mouthing something about "my body." The party worries that whoever had been expelled from this body, leaving Vesper in her place, may not be content to stay out.

The group travels home. Vesper gets her arm checked by a doctor and learns that amputation may be necessary. Vos offers to hire the group full time. Everyone goes shopping at the depot in the hideout of the Sons of Ilmater. And everybody awaits what comes next.

# Session 9 (6/24/22)

The party explores their options for healing Vesper's injured shoulder. Willim and Tyrin tell the party that they're on their way to meet with an alchemist in a town a week's ride from Ylme who may be able to help. Tyrin indicates that he's met with this alchemist before as he often smuggles the alchemist's supplies into the city for the Sons of Ilmater.

The party, worried about what will happen if they wait a week, decides to go to the Coliseum and see a healer there. To their relief, a medic offers to help and heals Vesper's shoulder. On the way out, Fang is attacked by a mousefolk who steals part of his cloak and later gives it to Wyrdren.

Later, Vos informs the party that she has a new job for them. A church that has allied itself with the Sons of Ilmater has requested aid, as law enforcement has become unprecedentedly hostile towards them. This church has an academic interest in dimensional magic. Vos instructs the party to help the church and to find out what they know about the dimensions, thinking that Sketchy Organization may also have interest in the same topic.

The party knocks on the church doors. Timothy opens the door. Cerin reaches out his hand, putting it on his shoulder, and says "Good boy, Timothy," thus ending the session.

# Session 10 (03/26/2023)

Timothy tells the party that the church has been targeted by law enforcement officials for reasons unbeknownst to the church. He emphasizes that they have never been involved in any illicit activities, nor are they responsible for bringing Cerin into the world. Above all, their organization values freedom of expression and exploration of the self.

The party visits the police station. Cerin enters and finds that Pic has been arrested, but decides to leave him imprisoned. While there, he finds that the police are urgently leaving, scattering to deal with an emerging scenario. There is a leader in the Ylme council who is believed to be the target of an attack, supposedly to be perpetrated by Timothy's church, and the officers are splitting to find both the councilwoman and Timothy.

While this is happening, Fang gets jumped by a mysterious masked figure. Fang suplexes him, and the figure disappears into a puff of smoke.

The party splits, Wyrdren and Vesper off to find the councilwoman, and Cerin and Fang go to prevent the imminent attack on the church. Cerin manages to convince the police captain to wait until the encounter with the councilwoman unfolds, and gain some new information about his source that led him to the church. Afterwards, the masked figure appears behind Cerin, clearly trying to be ominous and spooky. Cerin doesn't play along, and the figure disappears in another puff of smoke, seemingly disappointed.

# Session 11 (TBD)

The party moves forward with their adventure, beginning with Wyrdren and Vesper's search for the councilwoman.