Campaign:Phantom Knights Arc 1

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Arc 2

## Session 1

### Arriving on campus

* Each person arrives individually on campus, some amongst family, and others alone. The five are grouped together into a tour guide group led by Third Year students **Bowie Kaminsky** and **Kincaid “Kick” Zolkov.**
* They are given a somewhat poorly run tour of the school, previewing the entrance hall, the dining hall, the dorms, the classrooms, library, Headmxstre’s office, the Administrative Quarters, and the Infirmary, as well as the school store. Amadeus is awarded with a piece of candy from the school store for answering many trivia questions asked by Bowie during the tour.

### The *Luna Fantome Feast*

* The group attends the *Luna Fantome Feast*, a traditional feast held at the beginning of each new school year. **Headmxstre Halania Masako** welcomes everyone, introduces all the Deans of Blackstar, reminds everyone of the rules of Blackstar, and calls forth **Professor Octavius**, Stellametrix Dean of Theory, \*\*\*\*to begin the *Nova Meridian Rites.*
* Each first year is called forward to perform the rite, but something goes wrong when Io Varena is the first to perform. Unlike the colored magic that corresponds to different schools of magic, a column of black magic surrounds him. For each of the five students in the party following afterward, including a young boy named **Ozymandias Grimaldi**, the same black magic appears when they perform the rites.
* The Headmxstre keeps the party + Ozzy in a locked room while she reprimands Professor Octavius, whom she accuses of foul play. His title of Distinguished Professor is revoked and he is banned from teaching Transmutation for the year because they fear that magic is far too dangerous for him to be teaching youth right now. The party eavesdrops to learn this information.
* The Headmxstre informs the students that what happened was not their faults and that they are to be escorted to their dorms by **Professor Thisbe Nightfall**, Solstyle Dean of Expression.

### Dorm Assignments

* The group meets Head Spectres **Asmodel Tsumi** and **Imogen Rhys** outside the first year dormitories and are assigned a shared dormitory together while Professor Thisbe escorts an ill-looking Ozzy to the Infirmary. Asmodel informs Io that his father wants to speak to him in the morning at breakfast. He also hands Levi a mysterious note.
* As the party goes into the dorm, Io is visited by a mysterious person who steps out from a door that appears seemingly out of nowhere. They seem to have an established relationship with Io, and begs Io to bring them rock candy in order to keep their connection to one another strong.
* Inside the dorms, Delta and Camrose choose the 2 bed room while Amadeus, Io, and Levi are left to sort out beds in the 3 bed room. Levi opts to sleep on the couch in the common room rather than the single bed he had secured, while Amadeus resignedly takes the top bunk, leaving Io on the bottom bunk.

### We’re not in Kansas anymore

* Just as the party falls asleep for the night, something happens: ***As the darkness of sleep overtakes them, all of them feel a sudden weightless sensation of their bodies being blown over backwards. They feel themselves falling through the sheets of their own bed, passing through the mattress and wood down into some unknown void.***
* They wake up in a strange, yet familiar location, devoid of color and life, walls carved from jagged black stone and the ceiling blown out above them.

## Session Two

### A Black Void

* The party opens their eyes to see they have been transported to a strange, yet familiar location. As they look around for their personal belongings, they discover that their personal effects appear to be “glitched out” - they appear semi-transparent, shimmering representation of their belongings, looking like a video recorder on a loop rather than the real, physical thing. They discovered that touching their belongings brings them into this place with them.
* Before they exit the dorms, Delta smells a strange smell on Io. Amadeus feels a sudden tightening around his throat, appearing to be choking; Camrose and Delta try to calm him - he was having a panic attack. Camrose casts *Divine Sense* and senses an undead creature feet from them, but cannot ascertain the exact location of the creature or identify it. They also sense a desecrated ground just outside where the courtyard should be.
* They eventually come together to figure out where they are, exiting the dorms and moving carefully around the edge of the school, which looks over a dark and black landscape below where the bright, vibrant seaport of Vamare once sat. An oozing black goo replaces the following waters that form the waterfall leading from the school into the canals of the dark city below.

### The Five Towers

* In the courtyard the party encounters five towers with beautiful, ever-shifting murals painted on them. Delta inspects the first tower.
	+ **Tower of Water:** Depicts a blueish figure, almost liquid in form, shifting and floating, like hair underwater or ink in water. They are holding what looks like a javelin or trident in one hand and squeezing a long, eel/snake like creature in the other hand. She notices the inscription beneath the mural and translates the language from Celestial. ***Inscription***: *Returned to dead waters. Touched by time.*
* Io stands in front of a second tower. Delta helps everyone translate all of the other towers they stand in front of.
	+ **The Tower of Earth: D**epicts a sharply carved figure bound in chains, hands digging into the ground and splitting rock as if attempting to remove their chains. ***Inscription***: *Forever chained to the earth. Touched by time.*
* Levi stands in front of the third tower.
	+ **The Tower of Fire:** Depicts a horned figure, dark black and appearing non-physical, shadowy, shapeless, yet dynamic and moving like fire through pools of dark reddish liquid. ***Inscription***: *Everlasting life in death, blood, and fire. Touched by time.*
* Amadeus stands before the fourth tower.
	+ **The Tower of Air:** Depicts a figure appearing to be swept up by wind, their clothes and shape blown upward in a surge. Their hands are clasped around their throat, as if unable to breathe. ***Inscription***: *Driven by the air of knowledge, loss of control. Touched by time.*
* Camrose inspects the last tower.
	+ **The Tower of Space/Heaven:** Depicts a figure with wings, one black and jagged, and the other, soft and white. The figure’s hands are crossed in front of their face, blocking out their features, flowers blooming from the crown of their head, and a sword protruding from their chest. ***Inscription***: *Eternally bound to the service of the heavens and the space between. Touched by time.*

### Mysterious Black Ooze

* As they examine the last tower, a strange black ooze creeps up Amadeus’s leg and forms a mimicked copy of him. Camrose attempts to remove the ooze, which only splits it in two, also in the shape of Camrose. Amadeus and Camrose briefly lose memories until the oozes are killed.
* The group fights the ooze as two more appear, seeming to be coming from the entrance hall to the school, and perhaps, the waterfall beyond, they ascertain. After successfully dispatching the oozes, they disappear. The party follows the trails of ooze through the entrance hall, whereupon Camrose and Delta debate about finding books to help orient them.
* Camrose reveals an intense desire to learn about the history of this place and topics of religion. Levi idly suggests that they might be in a different time, not necessarily a different place, but nobody is certain whether it’s one or the other or both. Io leads them to the private library beneath the school.

### The Private Library

* The library appears just as empty and void of life and books as everywhere else. They walk through to the end of the library where suddenly a massive creature 50x their size bursts through the floor of the school. Just as the creature is about to reach out and grab them, a tear in time and space opens before them.
* Five masked figures stumble out, assemble expertly, and begin to attack the creature. Three rush in immediately in an attack formation that looks planned and practiced; two figures hang back as one prepares a spell and another pulls out a hand mirror, which upon tapping it, expands to a full length mirror. The mysterious person yells at them to run through the mirror and leave before it’s too late.
* Levi, Io, and Delta rush through immediately. Amadeus pauses, stunned with a sudden realization, and Camrose begins to ask questions. Impatient, the figure beckons them once more, after which the pair rush through. The group tumbles together in a heap in the common room of their dorm, seemingly back to the Material Plane as they once knew it.

## Session Three

### Time for School

* As the party assembles themselves and try to make sense of what happened to them, they are struck by the sudden time crunch as the first day of school looms near. Io immediately books it to get dressed to meet his father.
* The party all take a short rest - Delta naps in the dorm bath tub, Amadeus lies face down on his bed, Levi lays on his bed staring up at the ceiling, Io curls up on his bed facing away from everyone, and Camrose sits and prays in their room, lamenting the loss of one of their plants, which appears to have been left in the strange place they just visited.
* Io leaves to have breakfast with his father. His father appears ill and exhausted, and gives Io a very disappointed lecture. He seems both distraught and confused, unsure if he should believe Io when he says that he had nothing to do with the events of last night at the rites. Io apologizes to his father before heading off to the school store.
* Delta, Camrose, and Amadeus head down to breakfast together. The Head Spectres are handing out everyone’s first day class schedules, they normal weekly schedules, and a note informing them about Spectre assignments this afternoon.
* An owlin girl flies by dropping off black newspapers printed with white ink, ***The Blackstar Black Pages***, the unofficial newspaper of Blackstar Academy. The main headline reads, “*Mystery & Intrigue at the 100th First Year Nova Meridian Rites!”* by Mazelynn Graywind, Vice Editor. \*\*Camrose reads their own horoscope and reads Delta hers. Amadeus picks up ***The Blackstar Chronicles***, the official newspaper of Blackstar, and sees they are mentioned in both papers, and begins taking notes.
* Levi waits in his room for everyone to leave and takes out a snack from his fridge. He goes to the school store, awkwardly running into Io buying rock candy. Levi buys his first year supplies from **Bowie**, who works there. He returns to his room, forgoing breakfast, only to be interrupted by the sound of a rock hitting his window. He opens the shades and sees a man standing on a tower opposite the courtyard, looking at him. He ignores the insistent rocks being thrown at his window and heads to the dining hall where he briefly visits Ghost, talks to the Head Spectres, and regroups with everyone.

### First Class - Conjuration

* The party gathers together and heads to their first and only class for the day - conjuration. They take their seats near the front as **Professor Octavius** walks in, explaining that Dr. Varena has fallen ill this morning but should be back next week and that he will be teaching today’s class.
* Unexpectedly, Professor Octavius informs the class that they will be using summoning magic to summon their familiars today, which, Amadeus points out, seemingly contradicts the lecture lesson planned today on the syllabus. Professor Octavius reprimands Amadeus.
* He asks several questions of the class about familiars and the spell *Find Familiar.* Delta (nat. 20) perfectly explains the spell front to back, which angers Octavius. He provides an example of the spell, summoning a black raven. He asks Io to come up first, as he has experience summoning his familiar.
* Io partially succeeds on summoning his familiar, but only halfway. The equine figure appears translucent and vaguely shaped before it disappears quickly. Delta and Camrose have similar mixed success, as Delta summons a vague, flat, triangle shaped figure and Camrose summons a four legged creature after taking a shot of holy water from a flask in front of everyone.
* Amadeus is the only person to successfully summon his familiar, a winged weasel, but it immediately bounces off Amadeus and pings around the classroom out of his control.
* Levi (nat. 1) fails to cast the spell and instead triggers *Hellish Rebuke*, which singes the eyebrows of the group in the front and lights Octavius’s hair on fire. Levi feels ill as Octavius reacts poorly to this experience.

### Lunch Downtime

* The group splits in two as Io brings a nauseous Levi to the infirmary while Delta, Camrose, and Amadeus head to grab a quick bite and then to the library.
* Levi passes out unexpectedly in the hallway on the way; Io drags him the rest of the way. He meets the school nurse, **Nurse Paradise**, who takes Levi and closes the door for privacy while Io waits in the waiting room. Levi wakes up to the nurse flicking his face. The nurse asks several invasive and presumptuous questions, inquiring if Levi is on drugs or having other issues. He performs some rudimentary tests to determine that Levi is stressed. He asks to take his blood for testing; Levi agrees; the nurse compares a vial of his own blood to Levi’s noting a strange difference in color - Levi’s is much darker.
* The nurse promptly leaves for lunch; Levi swipes the nurse’s blood and downs it in the bathroom while Io waits for him.
* At the library, the mention of controversial religion stirs conflict with Camrose and Delta; Amadeus suddenly leaves for the dining hall, uncomfortable. Camrose asks the librarian about books that pre-date the Godless Revolution. Delta checks out a book on the history of Blackstar. The librarian informs Camrose that such uncommon books are kept in the Private Library where his partner works, and that they would need written permission from a professor to access the library as a first year. Their conversation brings up traumatic memories for the librarian, but he begrudgingly hands over a list of historical figures and biographies for Camrose to research and check out.

### Meet the Spectres

* The party regroups after Io and Levi’s harrowing trip to the infirmary and the rest of the party’s excursion to the library. They head to the auditorium/rec hall where it has been opened up to make room for the whole first year class who have gathered to learn their Spectre assignments.
* Asmodel and Imogen begin reading off groups of five Spectres and five first years, who all filter out of the building into the courtyards outside. Finally, six Spectres remain with the five members of the party.
* Imogen informs Delta that she is her Spectre, and they exchange warm greetings.
* Asmodel informs Levi that Asher is his Spectre, to which Asher is angry and shocked. Asmodel and Imogen force him to apologize to Levi.
* Asmodel introduces Sirius & Cyrus Castor, two twin catboys who devilishly greet Camrose with a spray of rose petals as the other poofs behind them and clambers up on their shoulder.
* Amadeus is assigned to Ronan Darlington, a tall figure shrouded in a shadow in the corner, leaning against the wall while smoking what looks like a cigarette.
* Lastly, Asmodel informs Io that he is Io’s Spectre and gives a rousing speech about teamwork, informing them that every year there is a competition to see which group of Spectres and first years can accrue the most points on field missions.

## Session Four

### Heading off to the Laser Tag Arcade

After a bit of arguing amongst the Spectres about whether they should go forth with Asmodel’s team-building exercises, which might have involved things like three-legged races, the party and their new Spectres agreed with Ronan’s proposition to head to the local laser tag arcade in Vamare.

Ronan led the group through the city below Blackstar Academy, where they arrived at a somewhat off-the-beaten path location in front of a glowing neon sign bearing the name “The Astral Arcade.”

### The Astral Arcade

Inside, was a typical arcade with pinball machines, various arcade machines, gacha machines, a concessions stand, and a small bowling alley. In the back hung a big magically lit neon sign that said “LASER TAG”. Just as the group stepped in the doors, however, Asher and Camrose were knocked down by a bright blue tiefling, who fell from the ceiling where he was hanging by his tail. The young tielfing introduced himself as Rocco, the Astral Arcade’s only current employee in sight. He explained that he also goes to Blackstar Academy, as a second year student on the robotics team and the silkball team. He excitedly performs almost every job at the arcade from machine technician, to laser tag attendant, to bartender.

### Spectre Bonding?

Each of the party took a turn at playing one of the various games throughout the arcade while waiting for their time slot at the laser tag arena. Asher showed off immediately at the DDR machines, which prompted Delta to challenge him a friendly dance competition, to which both enjoyed amazing success with their dancing. Camrose played skeeball for the first time as Io taught him how to play, and later easily dunked some basketballs into the hoops of the basketball shooting range, out of sight of Rocco, who was serving the warlocks Io and Levi their manhattans and strawberry daiquiris; Levi and Io had both retired quickly from game-playing quickly after playing one round each on two different rhythm games. Io used the combined tickets of his friends to

Amadeus and Ronan played a gun-shooting game together, matching each other well as though in sync with each other’s movements. Delta spotted Imogen, Asher, and Cy & Siri inspecting the gatcha crane games, so she tried her hand at it. With ease, she pulled two prizes out of the machine, one for herself and the other she gave to her Spectre Imogen, who accepted it, very emotionally.

Camrose used some tickets to purchase two worms on strings for his Spectres, Cy & Siri, who immediately played with their newfound toys. Amadeus and Asmodel attempted to play a game of Pac-man together, but Amadeus’s wild magic surge went off in his excitement, which rebounded on his brother, poisoning him. With the speedy help of Camrose’s magic, Asmodel was quickly cured of his poisoned state.

### Laser Tag

The group gathered together as Rocco explained the rules of laser tag, and everyone got suited up to play. The teams consisted of the party members and their respective Spectres. Io made smart use of his abilities by helping Asmodel hide stealthily behind the rocks. Imogen and Delta stuck close to one another, while Levi immediately deserted Asher, a harbinger of what was to come next. Ronan let Amadeus take the lead, while the catboys disappeared chaotically from the field, leaving Camrose out in the open.

As the rounds passed, each pair scored points for their team, to varying success. Asmodel and Asher spent most of their time trying to shoot each other point blank, only to miss one another several times. Camrose served as an excellent diversion for their Spectres, who emerged from the shadows to dominate, somewhat unfairly with their numbers. Cyrus & Sirius also cheated by throwing dirt in Imogen’s face. Delta cast grease on the floor, which Asher surged through only moments later and ended up on his ass as an easy target for the rest of the game. Levi spent most of his time successfully hiding in the shadows, completely unseen for almost three rounds of combat. Amadeus and Ronan moved tactically through the map and routed the catboys at the end convincingly. In a gesture of goodwill, Levi offered to help Delta up out of a pit she had fallen into.

When it was all said and done, Camrose and their catboys emerged victorious, albeit somewhat fraudulently. Each Spectre congratulated their partner for a job well done, except Asher who blamed Levi for abandoning him and stormed out of the arcade. The group bid Rocco farewell and headed back up to the school for the evening.

## Session Five

### Returning from the Arcade

The party returned from the Astral Arcade with their Spectres in the evening and headed off to the dining hall for dinner. Many students passing by were talking excitedly about their evening plans including throwing parties or visiting the various parties being held at the frats & sororities on campus.

The party debated how they wanted to spend their evening. They also spent a while thinking of how to acquire alcohol quickly. Delta and Io went off to ask Imogen and Asmodel for some of the wine and mead that upperclassmen get as treats during dinners. Imogen and Asmodel guiltily obliged. Upon receiving attention from their Spectres, Camrose met up again briefly with Sirius & Cy, who told Camrose they looked forward to seeing them at the L.O.V.E sorority that evening.

Amadeus speculated whether Ronan, who was sitting alone at dinner, would know how to acquire alcohol for them. Levi went off to ask him, and Ronan slyly slid him a **key,** which Levi and the party later found out unlocked the cellar door to the kitchens. Hatching a plan together while Camrose was talking to their Spectres, Levi, Delta, Io, and Amadeus planned to meet up and break into the kitchens that evening after the workers went home.

While Camrose took a break in the dorms to freshen up for the evening, not wanting to participate in theft, Levi led the group to the kitchens and upon looking around quickly to confirm they were alone, used the key Ronan gave Levi to successfully get into the now dark kitchens below the dining hall. Levi and Io quickly located the locked cabinet containing several modest brands of mead and wine, along with some top shelf selections reserved for professors. Io nicked a bottle of his father’s favorite brandy, Levi grabbed himself some basic wine and a rather top shelf bottle of red wine for Delta, along with some mead for Amadeus, who sat waiting at the top of the stairs playing lookout.

After successfully completing their mission, the group met back up with Camrose to prepare for their night out. Everyone got dressed in their own version of “college party attire” for the evening and took a few shots of their drinks to boost their confidence for the night before heading out into the courtyard and on to the frats.

### Frat Row

The group quickly located the row of houses dedicated to the various frats and sororities on campus. Camrose spotted what they knew was the L.O.V.E. sorority, a brightly decorated and well-kept building with pink and purple accents. It sat alongside a much messier, Halloween-esque decorated building that Levi recognized as the D.E.A.D. frat. As Amadeus mustered the courage to approach and learn more about the frat, somebody jumped off of the roof of the D.E.A.D. frat yelling something along the lines of not being afraid of death and landed safely in a kiddie pool of foam skeleton skulls below.

Amadeus met **Turk “Bones” Rowley**, a large, ginger colored and furry gentleman in a plaid shirt, and one of the board members of the D.E.A.D. frat. He explained the two rules of the frat:

1. Respect everyone’s personal identifications
2. Fuck the D.R.A.G.O.N.S.

Ghost showed up behind Bones, recognizing Amadeus as one of Levi’s friends. Ghost attempted to find Levi, but Levi quickly removed himself from the situation, following Camrose and the gang to the L.O.V.E. sorority.

### L.O.V.E.

Two people stood outside the L.O.V.E. sorority acting as supposed bouncers, a dark-skinned elf woman with medium length hair and an undercut on one side, and a human man with darker skin and a well-trimmed fade. They informed Camrose that they needed to impress them with their enchanting charms in order to gain access to the sorority. Camrose, frustrated because they had clearly been invited by Cyrus & Sirius, began to explain they were an actual factual knight, which failed to sway Nadira. Camrose consulted the party for help, and then swiftly kissed Nadira in front of her boyfriend Kamir (for a beautiful nat 20).

After gaining access and leaving Nadira to kick Kamir’s ass for being such a shitty kisser compared to Camrose, Cyrus & Sirius quickly welcomed Camrose and the gang to the sorority. They explained that they would be playing some drinking games with the D.E.A.D. frat soon and asked if they wanted to join, leading Camrose and the gang out into the backyard.

Ghost introduced his fellow frat members:

* **Turk “Bones” Rowley -** the large, ginger furred dog Amadeus had met earlier
* **Blaze “Corpse” Ryder -** another large, green orc man with a cowboy hat wearing only jeans and a cowboy hat
* **Emiel “Grim” Arius -** a lanky and grim-looking half-elf with all black clothes and aggressive amounts of black eyeshadow

### Fear Pong

The gang divided into two teams for fear pong: Delta, Levi, and Amadeus on one team, and Io, Camrose, and Ghost on the other. The two teams competed to sink their ping pong ball shots into the opposing team’s drinks in order to force dares upon the other team’s players.

Some highlights of the dares performed:

* Io was dared to hold the hand of Blaze “Corpse” Ryder for the entire game (Io also noticeably performed quite poorly, rolling an unbelievable 3 nat 1s over the course of the game).
* Delta had the spell Seeming cast on her to make her look like her brother Asher for the rest of the game.
* Amadeus was dared to slap Levi’s ass, as well as write an anonymous love letter to Professor Delgado and then sit in Delta’s lap for a full minute. Amadeus also spent a lot of his time using Prestidigitation to change the flavor of Levi’s drink for him to make it taste better.
* Levi was dared to shout “I LOVE BANANAS.”
* Camrose was dared to act as the servant for the other team (often bringing Levi drinks who requested them frequently), was dared to fake propose to Io (but kissed him instead as a “proposition”), and was dared to give Nadira a hickey.

### Asher arrives on the scene

The fear pong game ended in a win for the Io, Camrose, and Ghost team, just barely beating out the Delta, Levi, and Amadeus team. As the gang recovered from bouts of laughter, Asher Morwen showed up on the scene with his fan club and encountered his sister disguised as him. Delta and Asher briefly yelled at one another in a very dramatic sibling way, before Delta agreed to have Nadira dispel the disguise on her.

## Session Six

### The After Party

After witnessing a spectacular argument between Delta and Asher over her very Asher-like appearance, a strange character shows up, wrapping an arm around Io. He seems to know Io quite well, or says he does at least. Io appears uncomfortable throughout the entire interaction. The party begins to question him - Camrose asks where he’s from, to which they respond with the same vague avoidance Camrose used on him - “here, there, everywhere.” Io begrudgingly tells everyone that this is Caz, a friend of his. Delta tells him he smells like dirt. As Caz departs following this insult, feeling unwelcome, Camrose attempts divine sense and doesn’t sense anything odd about him, but does once again sense undead behind them, very close to their group of friends.

Following Caz’s strange appearance and departure, the party regroups inside the D.E.A.D. frat. It’s giving very /r/malelivingspaces vibes - minimal, bizarre furniture, and very messy. The group asks to see about the skeleton horse they’ve heard tell of. Said horse is in the kitchen, eating peanuts. Blaze introduces them to his horse, Sally, now called “Banshee” - her D.E.A.D. name. She used to be alive, but when she died, Blaze used some kind of necromancy to bring her back to life. The horse gets very affectionate with Levi, as does Ghost, who is wasted.

The D.E.A.D. frat offers for the party to stay the night if they’re too tired or intoxicated to go back to the dorms. The party declines and leaves for the night. The gang runs into Asmodel and Imogen, who are dressed very cute. Delta compliments Imogen on her outfit, and she explains that she doesn’t normally get dressed up. Amadeus hugs his brother and Asmodel asks him not to tell their parents about the drinking parties if he writes home. Asmodel offers to have breakfast with Io tomorrow morning.

Camrose spots Nadira with a group of people outside the L.O.V.E. sorority and goes to ask if she’s ok. Nadira gives Camrose a very confusing response, but says she needs some time to think about like, her entire life now. Camrose attempts to explain how what happened with kissing Io during the beer pong game is a cultural thing from where they come from to Io and the group, to pledge something to someone, like a contract, a formality.

### Amadeus’s Nightmare

During the night, Amadeus has a nightmare. Like an out of body experience. It smells like that sulfurous/ozone smell from the strange void-like place the party visited the night previous. He feels small tendrils wrapping around his body. Then several voices all chorus at once, speaking to him, “*WE KNOW YOU…WE WANT YOU…HELP ME…COME BACK TO US…BECOME PART OF ME…WE…US…”* Amadeus feels the tendrils wrapping around him, sliding up his clothes, around his neck, into his mouth - and then wakes up.

He falls out of bed, waking Levi and Io. Without thinking he casts sleep on Levi, who promptly falls back asleep. Amadeus quickly exits the bedroom, very early in the morning.

### The Next Day

The next day, Levi immediately leaves and escapes into town without saying anything to anyone. Io heads off to meet up with Asmodel for breakfast. Delta goes off to find coffees while Camrose looks around trying to find a place to workout.

Delta and Camrose hear a knock at their dorm’s door. A tall man, sporting shoulder length black hair with a white streak through the middle of his part, glasses, and wearing a flamboyantly bright pink and green suit, answers the door. He smiles serenely and asks if Levi is there, introducing himself as Ludovic Cadmius, Levi’s father. He holds up a bag of pastries and breakfast food along with Levi’s sketchbook that he left behind. He offers to cook breakfast, to which Camrose accepts. Amadeus returns and he rushes over to greet him.

Delta smells something off about Ludovic as he asks to see Levi’s bedroom - something is *very* off, the same feeling that she got when Io was getting felt up last night. Delta immediately asks Ludovic if he would like help finding Levi, but he declines. Sensing her sudden change in attitude, he begrudgingly gives up the sketchbook and leaves. Delta immediately warns the group about possible ill-intentions she sensed off of Ludovic. Amadeus also questions if Caz was stalking Io last night - Camrose suggests reporting them to the school if they see them again.

Meanwhile, Asmodel takes Io to the nicer coffeeshop on campus, the Blackstar Cafe, located in the auditorium where they were assigned their Spectres. Asmodel says he hopes to get to know Io more and asks about his evening last night. They both joke about Asher crashing various parties last night. Io asks Asmodel his deal with Ronan. He explains that Ronan just gets on his nerves, they’ve never seen eye-to-eye ever since first year. He pushes limits, gets away with stuff he shouldn’t, and Asmodel hates that. Asmodel spots a new job board posting of student jobs and hands it to Io before they go their separate ways.

### Levi’s Day out on the Town

Meanwhile, in Vamare, Levi locates a magic shop in town, the The Eclipsed Eye. The middle-aged elf man behind the counter is clearly put off when Levi asks for multiple vials of animal blood. He demands to know if this is another insane assignment from Professor Emerald.

Levi locates a bougie, but beautiful coffee shop with very few windows to hide himself in for the day. He says all day until evening, drinking coffee and drawing in his sketchbook alone, unbothered - it’s glorious.

## Session Seven

### Dr. Varena’s Mysterious Illness

Io pays a visit to his father at their home in the professor’s village in Vamare. His father is in bed, still sick, and he can tell it’s **an abnormal sickness** despite his father’s attempts to brush it off as a common cold. He was fine one day and then very sick the next day, which seems odd, but he can’t tell if it’s just bodily or something related to magic. Io fills him in about his first conjuration class and Octavius subbing for him (poorly) and is clearly affronted by Octavius deciding to teach whatever pleased him instead of his syllabus. Io arranges for their family cleaner to come tidy up the place before leaving.

### Delta’s Investigation of the Necromancy Classroom

Delta sneaks off into the necromancy classrooms, attempting to find something in **Professor** **Wren’s** desk. She finds various necromancy components in the cabinets behind the desk but also finds a top drawer in the desk that is locked by an *arcane lock*, clearly protecting something important. She decides to leave it for now, and sneaks back out of the classroom.

### Amadeus Searches for Ozymandias

Meanwhile, Amadeus finds his brother to ask him about the student who also had the same dark black magic rise from the magic circle during the initiation rites, **Ozymandias**, who has been missing since that night. Asmodel hasn’t seen him since, but tips Amadeus off to his dorm assignment. With this information, Amadeus heads to the infirmary, whereupon the lazy looking nurse informs him that Ozzy was here on the first night of school, but left without checking out, when the nurse was off the clock. Amadeus checks out his dorm, finding that his dorm mates have not yet met Ozzy, who never turned up, confirming his suspicions that Ozzy is missing.

### Camrose Plants Some Flowers

After a light workout in the courtyard in full view of several other oogling students, Camrose heads to the conservatories to acquire some seeds and a few starter flowers to plant somewhere on campus. They decide to plant some outside of the rather dead and shabby looking lawn of the D.E.A.D. frat, with permission from Blaze, while Emiel sits on the steps and watches them. After Emiel disappears, Camrose pours some holy water on the plants, closes their eyes, and prays, feeling a glowing holy sensation from the flowers as they plant them, like a loving hand reaching out to them. Abruptly, they hear **a loud, shrill voice** yell their name in their head. The voice demands that “it has already been several weeks, that I have not heard from you, and expect to within the next few days.” Camrose, stunned, asks, “Echeveria, is this magic? Are you talking to me?” The voice replies back and insults Camrose.

### Levi, Delta, and Camrose @ the Library

Levi heads to the library and talks to Imogen, asking her opinion on Professor Wren. Imogen explains that people are intimidated by him...he’s not as unfairly strict as Octavius, but maybe don’t ask him about his mask. She’s heard that every time you ask your grade lowers by 1% - he’s clearly very sensitive about it. She thinks the rumors about him being a ghost are untrue. Levi says that he feels Octavius has it out for Levi, or just had a lot of resentment directed at him. Are all the professors at Blackstar like this?

Meanwhile, Delta and Camrose find a secluded room to gather in. Delta inspects the sketchbook that she claimed off of **Ludovic, Levi’s father**. She finds tracing magic that is being used to track the sketchbook. Camrose asks Delta if she’s religious, and she explains that she can literally talk to dead people, it’s not really a religion. Camrose, spotting Levi, goes out to him, and explains bluntly that his father showed up. Stunned, Levi appears surprised if not uncomfortable about this news. Delta explains the tracing magic on his sketchbook before returning it to him.

### The Group Gathers at the Library to Debrief

The rest of the party gathers at the library so that Amadeus can relay his findings on Ozymandias. Levi explains that he would rather not see his father right now, despite the fact that Amadeus explains that he is “privy to the location of our cutlery now.” The gang decides to come up with a list of people who are no longer allowed inside their dorm, including Levi’s father, the red-haired man who showed up at the party harassing Io last night, and Asher, but Delta will deal with him. Amadeus apologizes for casting magic on Levi last night and agrees not to do it again.

Amadeus says he had a strange nightmare, but thankfully none of the group was transported to the strange place they visited the previous night. The group discusses their various theories about Ozymandias’s disappearance and the strange place they were sent to. Perhaps he got freaked out and unenrolled, Amadeus ascertains? Levi speculates that what Ozymandias was sent there too, just like them, but never came back? There wasn’t a tower depicting Ozymandias, Io notes.

They discuss various options for proceeding, including asking professors or talking to the registrar, but they’re concerned about revealing too much about their weird dream trip. They also confirm their theories with one another that they must have encountered their future selves who sent them back to this plane. Camrose resolves that they should head back - it’s the only way to confirm whether Ozymandias was sent there too or not.

Io and Delta recall the **magic circle** used by Octavius in the Nova Meridian rites and draw it down on a piece of paper for later. The librarian shows up delivering three books for Camrose that he had previously requested:

*Lost Gods: The Aftermath of Osiria’s Greatest Crisis A Topographical Exploration of the Osirian Landscape Over 200 Years Non Deos A Deathly Crown: Osiria’s Forgotten Royal Families*

### Following the Trail

Not knowing how to return from the strange world, the group remembers the **mirror** that sent them back. Amadeus recalls an **hourglass** that once transported him to a strange world that felt similar if not the same to the place they visited the night before. He didn’t have magic before and when he came back he had magic powers - and goop.

Amadeus pulls out the cleaning cloth from his trip to that place, which has a spot of **goo** on it. As he opens it, the goo suddenly re-animates and shoots for the door. Working together, Delta swiftly blocks it and Levi slams his book down on the goo slug. They trap it in Amadeus’s water bottle, which he empties of its alcohol promptly. The ooze seems similar to the ooze from their last trip. Delta wants to talk to a professor - but *who*? Asks Levi. They consider the divination professor, **Miriam Odalys**.

Meanwhile, Io and Delta spot a group of students putting up some posters in the library - the **school dance** is tonight. Additionally, they spot a group of kids in the corner of the library, clearly exchanging something covertly before promptly leaving in opposite directions. They resolve that they can’t do anything about their issues at this point, since there are likely no professors on campus this weekend, so Delta and Io suggest they go to the dance, but also mention that they’re pretty sure they just saw a drug deal going down. There is an open bar after all. Camrose agrees - it might help them blend in a bit better if they go?

### Time to Dance

Io and Delta teach Camrose how to ballroom dance in their dormitory while the rest of them get ready for the dance. Shortly they head off to the auditorium, where the school dance is being held. Along the way, they spot **a mysterious looking trail of ooze**, like a slug’s trail, leading into the dance hall. Yet, it appears that nobody else around them see the ooze - people seem to be stepping right into it as if it’s not there. Delta pulls out her trident and the bouncer looks alarmed, asking her to put that away. Camrose touches the ooze, succeeding on the wisdom save to resist not having something sucked out of them - not a memory like last time, but it feels like it was going for their gut. They put the goo in Camrose’s glasses case for safety.

The group goes inside, to the sounds of music all around them, and a sparkling dancefloor lit up with glittering lights. They head for the bar, meeting a hurried and short dwarf named **Flo** serving drinks. They each order something, save for Amadeus, who shouts over the crowd that he’s underage. The tall, older-looking dragonborn woman - called **“Mrs. Mauve”** by the dwarf - behind the bar next to the dwarf serves Amadeus a bottle of water (very boobily). Io casts detect magic to try and trace the goo, which he sees leading into the crowd of people dancing on the dancefloor.

Two students enter the dance hall, the two from the library earlier who had passed something between them. Io senses the aura of the ooze move towards them, but it’s too dark to sense anything visible from this distance. Camrose and Delta head over and ask the two, **Farrah** and **Gideon**, to dance. These two are very, obviously high. The girl offers Camrose **a pill she calls** **Twilight**, which looks like a little aurora borealis swirling in a capsule. Camrose accepts it, but fakes swallowing it, before Delta pulls Gideon into the crowd and Camrose pulls Farrah in.

As the two head into the crowd, Levi, Io, and Amadeus watch uncertain from the sidelines, looking for any signs of danger...

## Session Eight

Session eight was a combat session, no notes were taken.

## Session Nine

Io and Levi have a chat before bed about where their magic came from; Io reveals that he made a deal with Cazlan and he “got him out of a book” from the restricted section of the library.

Delta and Camrose talk about the dance and how they liked it. They briefly discuss going to a nightclub in town and talk about their thoughts on Io & Levi being a bit off. Delta says, “if you are a prince you can tell me.” Camrose avoids answering the question directly.

Amadeus and Camrose have an awkward chat in the bathroom early in the morning. Delta gets up and makes coffee with Io, then the morning mail comes with 2 letters & a package delivered for Amadeus, and one letter & package for Levi.

The four of them go to breakfast without Levi and read their morning horoscopes and learn that they made both papers again–the *Blackstar Chronicle* being more harsh in their review of their actions, while the *Blackstar Black Pages* seemed more favorable and defended them. Io & Camrose discuss plans to workout together, while Amadeus considers going to the library.

Delta brings breakfast back for Levi. Amadeus reads the letters from his parents and opens his package to see pants delivered from Faraday. Levi opens his letter from his mother and the package containing homemade tiramisu.

Camrose, Io, and Amadeus head off to go workout. Amadeus struggles on the row machine, Io does some very average lifts, and Camrose bench presses with ease. Camrose gives Io some pointers with sword fighting and Io becomes one step closer to earning proficiency with martial weapons.

Meanwhile, Levi & Delta have a chat about the letter Levi receives. He says it’s from his mom but chooses not to elaborate any further. Delta apologizes for Asher’s behavior and explains that she’s the medium of the family and thus the head of the family business. She explains that her their family business is talking to dead people. Asher can’t become head of the family, that’s why he’s the way he is. But he is a talented Stormcaller sorcerer in his own right. Levi explains that his mom is a lawyer.

Delta and Levi go on a walk to the necromancy classroom. She really wants to break into the drawer in Wren’s desk but decides against it for now again. They leave and visit the professor’s offices, inspect Octavius’s closed door, and decide to leave for now.

The gang all sit down to read their various library books. Delta & Amadeus read about Blackstar’s history while Camrose learns more about the Godless Revolution, various gods and royal families in the world, and the strange topographical landscape post-revolution.

Delta and Amadeus discover a few things about Blackstar in ***Blackstar, A Venerable History***:

*Blackstar Academy was founded 100 years ago by Pierre Lyons, the first Blackstar Academy Headmaster. About 30 years ago, his daughter, Mx. Halania Masako took over as Headmxstre following her father’s passing. This year marks the coming of the school’s centennial.*

*Blackstar Academy was founded with the stewardship of the Aegis Bureau, an organization that came to be following the Godless Revolution. The main tenets of Blackstar’s creation are to:*

* *“Explore the mysteries of the universe”*
* *“Study and harness the power of one’s own innate magic”*
* *“Create a class of magically adept citizens who will better the world”*

*There was a cosmic event 100 years ago when a strange shooting star with an eclipsed center passed over Vamare and crashed into the mountains where Blackstar Academy was built; this is how the founders came to name Blackstar. Since then, the school’s heads of school have turned away researchers and historians from investigating the site underneath the school in defense of a desire to protect Blackstar’s natural magical energies which they claim bolster the school and its students abilities.*

Camrose learns a bit about the world in their various books: “*Lost Gods: The Aftermath of Osiria’s Greatest Crisis,” “A Topographical Exploration of the Osirian Landscape Over 200 Years Non Deos,”* and *“A Deathly Crown: Osiria’s Forgotten Royal Families”*:

* ***Lost Gods: The Aftermath of Osiria’s Greatest Crisis*:**

A cleric’s biography of the aftermath of the Godless Revolution 200 years ago and the horrific trauma experienced by those who were devout followers on the day that the gods disappeared from the world. Described people very suddenly losing their magic, going insane, and far worse fates.

* ***A Topographical Exploration of the Osirian Landscape Over 200 Years Non Deos*:**

A scientist’s research on the changing landscape of Osiria post Godless Revolution. Noting the emergence of the Sanguine Wastes - a site which literally seems to bleed, a mysterious tree growing underneath the ground in Orchedia, and Prince Hadrian’s Mania which is said to drive people mad/insane when they try to visit it; all of these sites are largely unexplored.

* ***A Deathly Crown: Osiria’s Forgotten Royal Families*:**

A historian’s description of rebuilding Osiria in the wake of the Godless Revolution and what happened to royal families

* Okeano: Kiyomi Royal Family → one of the first families to be driven out of power; all members currently thought to be dead
* Orchedia: Valentine Royal Family → the reigning king mysteriously vanished, King Aeonium Valentine took his place; wife dead, mentions a sole heir, his daughter, yet unnamed at the time of writing → claimed divine power from the twin gods Dioscuriel \*\*\*\*and Tyndariel
* Aleros: Devereux Royal Family → Queen Mother Olivier and Prince Adjacent Dario, currently thought to be in hiding
* Taekni: royal family crumbled, all members whereabouts currently unknown but the Aegis Bureau has placed rewards for their capture; government replaced by technocracy

Delta runs after Io to warn him about the issue of missing professors she just read about, but they end up having an argument in the hallway. Io gets angry and storms off to go play violin by himself.

Kamir follows Io after his argument with Delta and assigns him some homework. Caz wants him to draw a strange looking circle under his bed to help with his “connection” to Caz. He’s had to draw one under his own bed, too.

Camrose tries to practice summoning a familiar, while Levi stress organizes the kitchen. Amadeus helps Camrose try to summon their familiar, with mixed success.

## Session Ten

### Trip to the Post Office

Levi asks Amadeus to take him to the post office to send some mail. Camrose asks to accompany them as well. They encounter what appears to be the nurse, Nurse Paradise, working at the Post Office, who claims to have two jobs. Camrose inquires about international mail options and Amadeus gives off threatening auras at the nurse.

### Breakfast

The gang minus Levi meet up for breakfast and reading their daily horoscopes in the Blackstar Black Pages newspaper. Camrose’s catboys encounter the group and tell them about the school’s club fair happening this week. They secretively ask if Camrose will join their club but fail to reveal what their club is before escaping.

Meanwhile, Levi returns privately to the post office to inquire about blocking mail. The nurse offers to put any mail Levi doesn’t want on a loop so it just gets sent back to the sender. Levi says he’ll think about it. Suddenly the nurse recognizes Levi and remembers that Levi stole the vial of his blood. Levi denies it and runs.

### Necromancy Class

The group gathers for their first necromancy class, Levi and Delta choosing to sit together, Io and Amadeus sitting together, and Camrose opting for a spot in the back. The teacher, Professor Wren, a black and white tiefling is standing at the front writing on the blackboard, his back turned to the class. He calmly introduces himself and the class, setting expectations for the class, and swiftly dismissing rumors about him being a ghost or a demon. After asking about the definition of necromancy, he warns the class about the dangers of necromancy.

Wren assigns the class their first practical spellcasting assignment with their table partners - to cast spare the dying on a bat that is on the edge of death. Delta performs her magic first successfully, then Amadeus, Camrose, and Levi also attempt and succeed. Levi feels his stomach drop when casting the spell and then has a strange interaction with his bat who seems to like him. Io however, attempts to cast the spell over and over, with multiple failures to get the spell to work. Increasingly frustrated, he asks Amadeus for help, though even with assistance, Io fails again, and bolts from the room.

Wren concludes class shortly following Io’s departure from the classroom, asking if there are any questions. A student in the back asks why Wren wears a mask, upon which Wren pulls out a student ledger book, writes something down, and then asks if there are any OTHER questions. Delta inquires about office hours - Tuesdays & Thursdays 4pm-6. Camrose follows after Io quickly to try and help him, while Delta opts to stay behind to have a private conversation with Wren. Amadeus and Levi catch the hint and leave.

### Io’s Frustration

Io storms from the classroom, and immediately encounters Kamir, who asks Io about his “problems” and if he’s done what Caz asked him to do with the ward. He gives Io some tips on how to make Caz happy and strengthen their connection: Caz loves sweets, things from this world, mortal goods he doesn’t have access to. Kamir has a sneaking suspicion that he can’t come to this plane whenever he wants to, but that the little gifts he brings him help him be able to come here. He tells Io he can summon Caz if he touches a certain spot his arm.

Camrose overhears part of their conversation, catching bits and pieces. They eventually catch up to Io and Camrose offers to spend some time venting and sparing with Io. While it doesn’t help Io finish his requirements for learning martial weapons, it does help him blow off some steam.

### Delta confronts Professor Wren

Meanwhile, Delta asks Wren very blatantly if he knew her parents. He looks pained, but confirms that he did, and she asks if he will tell her anything about their deaths. Delta suddenly remembers that she saw a man standing in the background of her parents wake who was in fact Wren. He confirms that he was a “partner” of her parents, like an assistant researcher. Haven Morven, Delta’s father, was his mentor, and they spent a lot of time together. Delta asks to talk more about this with her brother Asher, and they arrange for a time to meet during office hours.

Delta meets back up with Amadeus and Levi and they head off to the club fair, regrouping with Camrose and Io who finished their training.

### The Club Fair

The group arrives at the club fair which is already in full swing and full of other students milling about the various tables. They spot a familiar blue tiefling, Rocco, at the Magical Mechanics & Robotics Club. Camrose spots Cy and Sirius who are standing behind a booth advertising the Blackstar Host Club. Camrose panics and immediately asks Io to protect them from the influence of the catboys. For some reason, Asher and his loyal followers have a table, advertising joining his fan club, Asher’s Sirens. And that’s where we left off for this session.

## Session Eleven

### The Club Fair

The group make their way over to Asmodel who is behind the sword/fencing club. Io and Delta sign up for his club. They spot a familiar face Rocco behind the Robotics & Magical Mechanics Club. Delta and Amadeus sign up for the club. Delta goes over to talk to Rocco at his table. Rocco explains his club and then offers a gift to the party - magically enchanted books that allow for written communication between the books on the pages. He briefly mentions his brother Hector and his “babysitter.” Delta offers him a card for her patent lawyer. Camrose looks around and spots an older looking man in a nice overcoat watching the club fair, and they briefly make eye contact. Camrose inquires about the Silkball team and reads the pamphlet.

The group checks out the Blackstar Host Club, featuring lots of photos of their many “hosts.” Cy and Sirius appear and Amadeus asks what a host club is. They explain that it’s a great place to make friends. Amadeus decides he’s well-dressed & interesting and signs up as a host. They ask when Camrose will sign up. Delta asks if Asher is in the host club (he is not) and they glare at Asher and his fan club across the way.

Ghost, standing behind the Silkball table, spots Levi and calls him over and asks to talk privately. They head outside the club fair building. Ghost apologizes for being drunk & messy (and for hitting on him) and asks if they’re still bros. Levi is confused but confirms they’re fine.

### Ludo makes an appearance

As Ghost leaves, Levi’s vampiric senses alert him to a figure behind him. He turns and sees Ludo before he can approach, grabbing his wrist. Ludo reminds him that he’s given him power and saved his life, with little in exchange. He says they’re connected and starts to reveal his fangs, leaning in to bite him. Levi tries to slap him but just misses, but it stops him enough. He briefly threatens removing Levi’s powers, and whines that he just wants to spend time together.

Camrose notices Ghost return to the club fair without Levi. The group decides to go find him and sees Ludo standing very close to Levi, who is up against the wall of the building. Ludo brightens up and changes his affect to a friendly one. He jokingly reminds Levi who pays his tuition. Delta intervenes to grip Levi’s hand and the rest of the group get defensive of him, sensing bad vibes. Camrose casts Divine Sense and senses the undead aura coming from Ludo (but also probably Levi). Levi is able to sense an extra movement under Camrose’s glasses. Ludo, feeling threatened by Camrose, takes his leave.

### Back to the Club Fair

Io goes over to the baking club table with Camrose after spotting Turk and Blaze. Turk, wearing an apron and holding a whisk, gets intense and excited to see Io. Blaze is sitting with his feet on the table reading a book, distracted. Turk interrogates Io as to why he’s here - is he really interested in signing up for the baking club. He eventually shouts at Io as he’s turning to leave if he would like to go out for drinks sometime with him and Blaze. Io agrees while shoving a cupcake in his mouth.

Meanwhile, Levi is angrily signing up for the Visual Arts club alongside Delta who is still holding his hand for support. Delta spots Imogen behind a small booth - the Gardening Club. Delta signs herself and Camrose up for Imogen’s club. Amadeus signs up for the mathletes club and discovers that Professor Octavius is the sponsor of the club. Camrose signs up for the Silkball team. On the way out, Cy and Sirius catch Camrose and convince him to sign up for the host club to support his good friend and new host Amadeus as a member.

### Downtime

Io goes to buy rock candy from the school store again. Amadeus goes to sign up for the Lab Assistant position with Professor Emerald. Emerald seems curious about Amadeus given his connections to everything strange that’s been going on around campus. Emerald asks him to meet with him after classes tomorrow, but also not to mention any of this to the Headmxstre.

Meanwhile, back at the dorms, Camrose asks Levi if he’s aware that his father is undead. Levi mocks surprise but politely asks them not to intervene with Ludo again. Camrose reveals that he has divine powers and that he could see Ludo’s true self, but also sensed that Levi is undead. Delta gets excited and starts asking him questions which makes him uncomfortable.

Levi asks Camrose to escort him to the DEAD frat later tonight. Delta asks if he wants coffee and Levi starts crying. Io and Amadeus walk in awkwardly in the midst of this scene. Delta heads to the library while Levi lays down in Camrose’s bed, not wanting to confront Amadeus and Io about his secret yet.

### Levi and Ghost Smoke Weed and…?

Camrose drops Levi off at the DEAD frat. Levi asks to see Ghost and they go up to his room. Levi asks him if he has any weed, and Ghost smokes him up. After smoking for an hour, Levi bluntly asks to bite Ghost. Ghost asks if it’s a gay thing or a vampire thing (but it’s ok if it’s a gay thing). Very high, Ghost agrees after a few awkward questions. Levi bites his arm and does the full damage to him, which causes Ghost to yelp. Levi feels amazing afterward. They both agree not to tell anyone about this. Levi stays the night in Ghost’s bed while Ghost sleeps on the floor.

### Library Mischief

In the library, Delta does some research on vampires to determine if becoming a vampire is a mutation/congenital or if it is passed by biting/siring. Most of the vampires in the world are vampires who were bitten/sired; it’s uncommon for it to be ancestral, but at one point there was a genetic mutation that caused vampirism.

Back in his room, Io draws the circle that Kamir/Cazlan asked him to draw under his bed to strengthen his connection with Cazlan. The circle glows auburn red faintly and fades.

Camrose later asks Io how to get into the Private Collections library. Io says you either have to get permission or lie your way in but offers to lie for Camrose to get them in. Amadeus tags along, and Io successfully convinces the steward of the library Archivist Amador Pendragon to let them in to check out some books for Dr. Varena. Amadeus hangs back to distract the librarian and ask them about the meteor that crashed into the mountain upon which the school is founded and the magnetism and the rotation of the armillary in the library. Camrose looks for books on beings blessed with divine power. Camrose reveals their second set of eyes to Io in a desperate attempt for help on learning more about their divine origins. Before they go with some collected tomes, Io spots an empty spot on the bookshelf where he knows a book previously should have been.

### Amadeus’s Nightmare

Amadeus goes to bed with nutritional food clasped in his arms. Night comes and Amadeus experiences another unsettling nightmare. He dreams about being locked in the room after the Blackstar rites on the first day. He sees Ozzy crying on the floor, but as he approaches, Ozzy sinks down into the floor, into darkness. Amadeus feels himself sudden begin falling backward into darkness, too. As he’s falling he spots a bunch of slithering oozes heading through the school towards the main elevator of the school, and down into the depths below. As he follows down into the elevator, his vision begins to fade as he loses grip on the space and hears a voice echo in the back of his head that says, **“come back and finish what you started, coward.”**

## Session Twelve

### Rise and Shine!

Amadeus and Camrose are the first to rise, meeting one another in the bathroom. Amadeus relays his terrible nightmare to Camrose. The two plan to let the others know about the dream's strange portents and also hatch a plan to check out the elevator. Io wakes up feeling strangely *rejuvenated.*

Amadeus shares his letters from his parents with Delta, Camrose, and Io in the common room. Delta takes offense at the way Faraday urges caution against Amadeus forming ties with Delta - Faraday, with their insider Bureau knowledge, believes that Delta's deceased parents and their deaths are still under scrutiny and investigation for their possible connections to religious activity.

Meanwhile, Levi wakes up in Ghost's bed, with Ghost sleeping on the floor. He also feels fantastic, having drank Ghost's weed-laced blood last night for a long while during their smoking hangout. He slips out of the DEAD frat without a word and returns to the dorms to find the rest of the group reading Amadeus's letters from his parents. They make plans to investigate Amadeus's nightmare and take the elevator that leads down beneath the school that night.

The morning mail arrives: an advance for Amadeus's wages for his new lab assistant job from Professor Emerald, and package for Levi. Inside Levi's package is a finely tailored pinstriped red and black suit, with no note saying who it is from, but it's perfectly tailored to Levi's exact size. In the common room, Camrose asks if anyone knows how to deliver a more private, international letter. Delta offers the services of one of her aunts who might be able to help and drops a letter for her aunt at the post office on their way to breakfast.

At breakfast, a familiar face shows up and immediately wraps Io into an aggressive hug. Io reveals that this is Avalon, and she introduces herself as Io's best friend and an exchange student from Darkhart for the year. Io's confused why she would come back home, but she says she's worried about Io after getting his letter. After some rousing introductions, the group tells her about their slightly illegal activities that they have planned for the evening to break into the locked elevator. Amadeus takes Avalon to meet his brother Asmodel to get her room assignment and a tour of the school.

### Camrose Meets with a Secret Bureau Agent

Camrose departs from the group to visit a professor during office hours - Professor Delgado. Delgado locks and silences the door behind Camrose for privacy. Camrose asks a few questions: how is this school supposed to help them? Because they aren't really seeing how yet. Delgado gets mildly irritated and brings up the fact that Camrose has already made a lot of headlines, which isn't helping, but claims eventually their studies here will help them control their "powers." Delgado reveals she is investigating the school. Camrose relates the incident of touching Levi to heal them and how they hurt them instead. Delgado is confused by this information and pulls out files on Amadeus and Levi.

The file on Amadeus, beyond his current family members, contains information on how Amadeus touched an hourglass and disappeared for three days from the Material Plane, and returned confused with no memory of the incident or where he was for the three days. Camrose explains that Levi is possibly some kind of undead, and their father is definitely undead. Delgado notes an inconsistency when Camrose mentions Levi's father - perhaps he is a stepfather? She explains that Levi's mother is divorced and remarried a woman, previously having been married to a man, but that name doesn't match the original father. Delgado recommends not trying to use their powers on Levi again, given that he is undead. She also suggests private lessons on how to control their holy powers, perhaps with Professor Odayls, the divination professor.

As a trade for information, Delgado asks Camrose for any information on Professor Octavius - she's investigating him in particular because she believes he's in possession of a magical object similar to the hourglass that Amadeus encountered in Faraday's office. Camrose asks about the goo, if she has any information. Professor Emerald is studying it, but its properties are mostly unknown at this point aside from general chronurgy/time magic having been already identified. She inquires if Amadeus, with his connection to Octavius, would be able to confirm the existence of the object from his office - a black orb - or even better, to take it and replace it with a fake, which she supplies Camrose with. She urges confidentiality lest her cover is blown and dismisses Camrose.

### Amadeus Goes to Work

In another Professor's office, Amadeus meets with Professor Emerald for his first assignments. Suddenly, Amadeus's water bottle begins to shake violently in his backpack. Amadeus casts sleep on it. Emerald inquires what Amadeus knows about the goo and Amadeus explains that the goo stole his memories, but they were returned when the monsters were vanquished. Emerald asks if he found a live subject; Amadeus sweats under the pressure, hiding his water bottle, but eventually gives in. Emerald inspects the sleeping goo while Amadeus relays more of his knowledge about the various forms of goo he's encountered. Amadeus reveals that the goo is green, which is different from the others that were black. Emerald forcibly takes a sample of Amadeus's saliva and decides to run a few studies.

### Time for Some Illegal Activity

Meanwhile, Avalon and Delta chat about Io; Avalon is deeply interested in catching up on what's going on with Io lately. Delta mentions Io's sick dad and that she has relevant information to tell Io about what they're investigating, except she and Io got in a fight, so could Avalon talk to him about his dad? Delta's also worried that he's having magic issues, which Avalon says is pretty normal for Io; he's always had problems living up to his parents' expectations, which sometimes gets in the way of his performance. Delta invites her to come along on their mission tonight.

Night falls and the gang regroups to discuss their plan of attack to get into the elevator and prepares for anything they might encounter. They head off in the direction of the elevator while the rest of the school is at dinner. Avalon easily picks the lock to the lift, and they head down into the darkness beneath the school.

They enter out into a cavern carved out into the rock face of the mountains that the school sits upon. After lighting the cavern appropriately, the cavern extends into a long hallway before them. The walls around them are made out of ebony black stone, very much the same to the ones in that strange dreamworld they had previously visited. The walls are definitely man-made - someone made this hallway. Amadeus checks around for any signs of goo and can't sense much but he feels somewhere inside him that it's near.

### Deep Inside the Mountain

Camrose leads the pack and they set off slowly into the long, winding cavern, keeping a look out and inspecting the walls further as they go. Delta spots a big patch of goop trails on the ceiling leading further into the cavern. Long, hard veins start to appear on the walls, colorless and raised on the walls. Io senses faint divination and chronurgy magic from the veins leading deeper into the cavern. Delta asks, doesn't Io's mom write books about time magic? Amadeus pulls out Io's mother's book from his bag, and Delta suggests perhaps they could talk to her about this kind of magic.

Eventually, they enter into a wide open, circular space in the cavern. The hard floor changes from rocky to soft, ashy sand. Their lights illuminate a massive chunk of rock, glowing faintly with bluish light and magic - a fallen star. Amadeus infers that it must be the same fallen star that the school was named for. They spot footprints which circle around the star and lead directly to a pickaxe, which was clearly used to break off a chunk of the star, and a small leather bound journal, abandoned on some nearby rocks.

The journal is a collection of expedition notes. The handwriting is nice, but unfamiliar to them. Amadeus cuts out a page from the journal and leaves it where it was. Camrose sets off their divine sense and senses massive celestial energy coming off of the star. Unthinkingly, Camrose approaches the star, but Delta catches their arm, warning them against getting too close. Delta inquires about the last entry in the journal - the day of the *Nova Meridian* rites. They read a summary of the entry: "Preparations are underway, things are in place for tonight. Expecting subjects to be able to draw energy from the source."

### All Eyes on You

They debate on whether to touch the rock; Camrose is convinced it's holy and safe, so they decide to touch the star first. As they approach, Delta notices a subtle tear in the air above the star, like a rip in time and space itself. Before she can act, Camrose touches the star and immediately begins glowing as the magic surges into them. A voice asks Camrose why they suddenly can't see anything and blames Camrose. The voice says it feels like Camrose is touching them - disgusting - and demands to know where Camrose is. Camrose tells the *princess* to stay right where they are. A second voice enters Camrose's head and asks, "are you ready to devote yourself to her?"

Suddenly, giant angelic wings begin to grow and fold out from Camrose's back, and several eyes on the wings open up simultaneously as they extend. Camrose says they will devote themself to her and to anything she needs as they complete their oath. Two little wings pop out behind their ears. The rest of the group reacts, understandably, very poorly to the scene in front of them. Delta pulls out her trident reflexively.

Camrose instinctively begins to fly away with their newly acquired wings but doesn't make it far in the enclosed cave. As they all panic and try to figure out what to do with the newly transformed Camrose, the group divides along the lines of confusion and fear with Delta turning untrusting of Camrose's new form. Camrose begins to explain that they've dealt with people like Delta being afraid of their many eyes their entire life, and that they're the only one of their kind in their family, or anywhere for that matter, that they know of. Camrose recounts how they pledged devotion to their gods and that this might have caused this.

Delta defends her position by arguing that her parents are dead and are currently being investigated for being involved with a religious organization, which is why she does not trust Camrose - an illegal magical deity creature? - right now. Io attempts to calm Delta to very little effect. Camrose slowly approaches to explain to the group what they sensed from the fallen star - celestial, holy energy - and how they communed with their deities.

Amadeus decides to touch the fallen star, feeling the celestial magic flowing into Amadeus as the veins along the walls of the cavern light up. He feels a surge of magical power in his chest, feeling the best he's ever felt. Seeing Amadeus's success, Delta steps forward to touch the rock while Io and Levi attempt to take a closer look. Levi spots the tear in the air above the fallen star. Delta, seeing the tear again, diverts her touch to the tear and reaches in. The temperature inside feels colder than inside the cavern, and suddenly a hand reaches out and grabs her hand. It begins to pull on Delta, crawling and pulling itself along her arm into the Material Plane. Delta instinctively winds up to punch the creature as we roll for initiative and end the session there!

## Session 13

### Fighting Under the Fallen Star

Delta lands a punch and deals a small amount of damage to the first creature that crawls out just as another crawls out after. The gray skinned, spikey-looking creatures hiss and scream at the group. Amadeus casts Mind Sliver on one of the creatures. Camrose extends their wings protectively in front of the group and reaches for their sword and shield, moving to use Compel Duel on the creature in front of Delta. Avalon roguishly digs a knife into one of the creatures and then moves into cover.

Io casts an Eldritch Blast and slightly singes one of the creatures. Levi hexes an enemy, bolstering Delta’s next attack. One of the creatures screams, disorienting the party in the area. Another’s bite attacks fail to hit Camrose in their compelled duel. Delta studies the creatures and discovers that they are evil abberations, with immunity to psychic damage. With Levi’s empowerment guiding her with advantage, Delta hits the creature with Ray of Sickness and kills the first monster of the fight. The creature shrivels up and falls to the ground, and Delta and Levi briefly lock eyes from across the battlefield.

### A New Challenger Enters the Ring

An animalistic cry echoes through the cavern, coming from the tear in the air. A new type of creature begins to pull itself through the tear. The gang recognizes the material that it’s made of matching the same black, smooth, glasslike stone that they saw in their trip to the strange nightmare world. Amadeus tries to check out the creature to see if he knows anything about it but comes up dry. He casts Witch Bolt on the new monster taking out a chunk of its head.

Camrose, still compelling one of the spikey creatures to a duel, swings with their longsword but just misses. Their sword lights up and crackles with the celestial magic from the star. The new creature reaches out with a Necrotic Touch on Levi and misses, but attempts a Chill Touch with its multi-attack; Camrose intervenes with their fighting style and reduces the damage done to Levi considerably.

Avalon sneak attacks the rocky monster for another successful attack. Io moves in with another Eldritch Blast on the rocky creature but just misses. Levi transfers his Hex from the spikey creature fighting Camrose to the new rocky one and follows up with a Toll the Dead, which fails. The creature engaged with Camrose attempts another bite attack but misses. Delta casts a successful Chill Touch and bonks the creature in the back of the head. She looks up to see another rocky creature descending from the tear above the star.

### What if our magic touched, haha,

Amadeus maintains his witch bolt on the massive rock creature, the new celestial magic twinning around his own magic. Amadeus struggles to ascertain the nature of the magic. Camrose diverts its attention to the rocky creature and does massive damage; they wrap Amadeus’s celestial magic around their sword, slicing the creature in half. Amadeus and Camrose can feel when their magic touches on another.

Avalon attempts to move closer to the star on her turn to help but suddenly passes out. Io runs to her aid, inspecting her condition; he ascertains that she got too close to the star and the exposure caused her to pass out. Io tries to hit the rocky creature with another Eldritch Blast but misses in his hit. A familiar voice enters his head, asking if he needs help - it grants him another shot, but Io misses again, sadly.

Levi casts Chill Touch and a spooky gloved hand reaches out to the rock creature, but it doesn’t seem to be fully effective. The rocky creature rolls a critical hit, but Amadeus intervenes with Silvery Barbs to distract it successfully, lowering the attack from a crit to a normal hit. Camrose steps in once again with their fighting style and reduces some of the damage. Delta inspects the rift in the air and hatches a plan to contain the tear. She ascertains that the cause of the rift seems to have something to do with the star being there, but if it has the ability to create tears, maybe it has the ability to mend them?

### New Plan: Sealing the Rift

She uses Shape Water to block the tear with ice as another hand scratches at the ice from the other side. Noticing Delta’s actions, the rocky creature reaches out and casts Necrotic Touch on her, sapping about half of her life from her. It tries a multi-attack, but Delta manages to stagger out of the way. Feeling brave, Amadeus spontaneously jumps up on the star and reaches out to try to cast Mending on the tear. It begins to slowly close, but it appears to not be enough - if he just had more help, maybe it would close? Amadeus shouts to Camrose for help.

Camrose debates whether to leave a bloodied Delta behind and eventually opts to help Amadeus. They use their Divine Smite to help seal the tear and grasps the tear with their hands, literally gripping space & time itself. Slowly the tear closes a bit further, but it’s still not enough, it seems. Io drags Avalon away from the star’s negative influence on her. Levi feels a surge of protection rise in him and he runs to pull Delta out of harms way, away from the rock monster. Levi inspects the creature and learns it is a Fey creature with resistance to necrotic damage, and is immune to poison and being charmed or frightened.

The rock creature goes for Camrose, but Amadeus’s Silvery Barbs successfully distract the creature forcing its attack to miss. Delta moves to the spikey monster and hits it with Ray of Sickness. Going for Levi this time, the rock creature misses both of its attacks. Amadeus’s wild magic continues to build in him and he incinerates the spiky creature in front of him, the celestial magic once again wrapping around his Witch Bolt. The creature dies as Amadeus catches Camrose’s (many) eyes.

All of Camrose’s eyes briefly flash open as they use one of their Channel Divinities to use healing magic to heal Delta with temporary hit points. Io runs over to the star and touches it, casting Mage Hand to help further seal the rift a bit more. Levi miserably keeps hitting the rock creature with his Chill Touch despite its ineffectiveness. Delta moves in to touch the star, gathering extra celestial energy into her pink lightening Witch Bolt.

### Down One, But Not Out

The rock creature hits Levi, who reacts with a snarling Hellish Rebuke. With its multi-attack, it hits Levi again, who falls this time, unconscious. The creature moves towards the group sealing the rift, leaving Delta with an unconscious Levi. Amadeus burns some sorcery points to get a spell slot back and while recharge fires off another successful Witch Bolt with imbued celestial energy. Camrose rushes to Levi’s side and attempts their Channel Divinity once more to heal Levi, but the unconscious Levi can’t hear Camrose’s encouraging words. After their words fail, they pull out a healing kit to successfully stabilize Levi.

Io fires off another Eldritch Blast and takes a huge hole out of the rock creature. The familiar voice speaks to him in his head again, noting how much it likes the magic and also how it likes Io this way. Delta maintains her Witch Bolt for more damage, finally shattering the creature into shards of rock. The gang moves out of initiative.

### In The Arms of An Angel

Delta rushes to Levi’s side to try and inspect his condition - there’s no pulse. She makes the connection with her recent knowledge about vampires, cuts her palm open, and feeds him blood from her palm. In Camrose’s arms, Levi wakes up and immediately bites Delta’s hand, causing critical damage. Delta falls to the damage and passes out. Levi wakes up covered in Delta’s blood and scrambles out of Camrose’s arms, looking afraid. Amadeus screams.

Camrose heals Delta and brings her back up to near full health with lay on hands. Levi tries to run away, but Io immediately intervenes. Levi pathetically says he can’t help; Io yells at him to help seal the rift. The gang begs Levi to help finish the job, and tries his Chill Touch to grab onto the tear, but it passes right through. Delta begs him to touch the star, and Levi regrettably slams his hand on the star. He feels a mixture of his body wanting to reject the magic but simultaneously absorbing its power to help seal the rift. He takes some damage as it burns into his hand, singing it black at the fingertips. With their powers combined, the rift is successfully sealed and the crack disappears from sight.

### “THAT’S WHY YOU CAN’T DRINK COFFEE”

Levi makes a beeline to run, but Io grabs him. Levi asks what happened while he was down, and Io attempts to explain. Amadeus puts some things together finally about why Levi can’t drink coffee after witnessing the scene. He gets overwhelmed when he realized that they all channeled divine magic, and Delta gives him a hug and pets his hair to calm him. Io drags Levi over to Avalon to check on her, wondering if Avalon passed out because she was a tiefling? But Levi didn’t pass out from exposure, it just hurt him when he touched the star.

Io gently shakes Avalon and wakes her. She cracks a bad joke, seemingly recovered her health, but says she feels nauseous. Io checks on her condition and notices that he’s seen certain symptoms like this before. Io demands to get the fuck out of here as soon as possible and helps Avalon to her feet. Io hears the sound of a rock tumbling down a wall behind him. Avalon senses something and throws her dagger at the direction of the noise.

Hanging from the dagger in the wall is Huxley, as his invisibility spell drops. He claims that he wasn’t here the whole time, he just got here and demands to be let down. Camrose intimidates him with their very scary new form, but Huxley demands that Camrose get away from him. Amadeus instinctively casts Sleep on Huxley, and he falls asleep. The gang decides they can’t leave him here, so Camrose picks up Huxley. Camrose begins to worry about their wings and asks if anyone knows any illusion magic. Io suggests they find some curtains or tapestries when they get to the top of the elevator. Camrose ensures that Huxley stays unconscious with a quiet sleeper hold while in the elevator They make their final escape from the cavern and back up onto the main level of the school.

### Home Before Midnight

The gang debate about what to do with Huxley. Camrose worries about what will happen if he tells someone about what he saw, or worse, Delta fears, tell the Bureau. Avalon suggests blackmail or blaming him for breaking into a dangerous area, but they decide that most people probably won’t believe him or will think he’s crazy. Or they could just lie, Avalon says, but Camrose disagrees. They eventually just decide to leave him somewhere, and let people think he’s out of his mind if he decides to report what he saw. Levi suggests planting him with alcohol somewhere to discredit him.

While the poorly disguised Camrose gets escorted with Avalon back to the dorms with Amadeus and Io, Delta and Levi volunteer to drag Huxley down into the kitchen cellars beneath the school that they’d broken into in the past. They plant the evidence on Huxley. Levi asks Delta if she’s okay given what transpired moments ago. Delta says she’s totally fine and asks Levi if he needs anything, like food? Delta gets overly excited about conveying her newly acquired vampire knowledge and tries to be chill about it (she is not chill about it). Levi gets really uncomfortable but tries to play it off with a laugh, and the pair head back up to the dorms together for the night.

Meanwhile, in his room, Io is changing into his pajamas and spots Levi’s mini fridge. He finds little unlabeled tubs of blood.