The Ascendant Lands

The Ascendant Lands is a homebrew game hosted by Matt. The game started as an in-person one-shot about how the characters met and began their journey.

The first session was published on YouTube on 16th January 2019, where the campaign ran semi-weekly until Session 23 on 4th September 2019, where "Season 1" ended. The campaign paused to allow Matt to plan the rest of the campaign for "Season 2" and the cast to play through "Season 1" of Pirate Adventures. The Ascendant Lands resumed on 20th October 2020 and has been played semi-weekly until Session 103 on 1st May 2023, when the game reached its natural end.

## Cast

Dungeon Master: Matt

Players:

* Arthur - Deszeldmiir Oristina
* Dan - Thoradin
* Dom\* - Guile Fawkes
* Haiss - Krusk
* Louise - Nadia
* Sunny - Talari Vesuvia

\*Dom participated from the start until Session 12.

## Introduction

```
Below is the introduction flavour text of the campaign shared with the players on 11th October 2017.

```

Welcome to The Ascendant Lands!

The people of this world have dedicated their lives to the Gods, building cities, towns, and dwellings in their name. Good, Evil, Neutral, all Gods are accepted and worshipped. The Lands are ruled by a governing body of High Priests who set the laws and ways by the teachings of their chosen Gods. For the most part, the individual towns look after themselves, taking on the nature and personality of the God their town was built to honour.

This year is special, as it is the year of the Ascendancy, where a person who best embodies the Chosen God Ascends to the Domain and challenges them. If the mortal were to win, they would become embued with the powers of the God and rule as such going forward. If the God were to win, they would be exempt from being chosen for Ascendancy for another 1000 years.

Ascendancy occurs once every 25 years, when the High Priests choose a God, and a one-year search begins to find a mortal who best embodies the characteristics of the Chosen God. A tournament in the (highest bidding if more than one town honours the God) Town of the Chosen God to celebrate the start of Ascendancy. Once the search is completed, another year is spent preparing the individual for the challenge, as taking on a God is no easy feat.

The Chosen God for this Ascendancy is Tyr God of Justice. The tournament is in TyrTown and is a Melee tournament. Tyr is one of the last original Gods and is rumoured to be vengeful to those who sought to see him dead and generous to those who supported him.

## The Ascendant Lands

The Ascendant Lands is split into regions named after a God. Each city is dedicated to a God, and the city is responsible for its care.

A small land bridge between Helm City and Skoraeus Shore links the realm. An alternative route is also through Kelemvor's Wastes; however, the wastes is a dangerous place filled with undead. Some brave people risk the journey to try and get through to avoid paying the costly sums for teleportation or the even more perilous ocean.

## Sessions

### Season 1

The Ascendant Lands 1 - Brand New

The Ascendant Lands 2 - Oh My God

The Ascendant Lands 3 - Darkness Malar Key

The Ascendant Lands 4 - Internal Struggle

The Ascendant Lands 5 - Law Abiding Citizen

The Ascendant Lands 6 - Get a Holg of Yourself

The Ascendant Lands 7 - Cry Me a Tyr

The Ascendant Lands 8 - Taking the Initiative

The Ascendant Lands 9 - Walking Undead

The Ascendant Lands 10 - Twisting the Dagger

The Ascendant Lands 11 - Better The Devil You Know

The Ascendant Lands 12 - Life After Death Cult

The Ascendant Lands 13 - Slaving Away

The Ascendant Lands 14 - Having a Bhaal

The Ascendant Lands 15 - Wizards of the Coastal City

The Ascendant Lands 16 - Moments of Truth

The Ascendant Lands 17 - Taking A Bull By The Horns

The Ascendant Lands 18 - Tools of the Raid

The Ascendant Lands 19 - All Plans Come to an Argh

The Ascendant Lands 20 - No Love Island

The Ascendant Lands 21 - I Get Knocked Down

The Ascendant Lands 22 - The Power of Me

The Ascendant Lands 23 - Final Stage Interview

### Season 2

The Ascendant Lands 24 - They're Armless

The Ascendant Lands 25 - Caught With Your Trousers Down

The Ascendant Lands 26 - You Can't Handle the Floof

The Ascendant Lands 27 - The Grey Area

The Ascendant Lands 28 - Give Us a Hand

The Ascendant Lands 29 - Where Dead They Go?

The Ascendant Lands 30 - This Area is a Beach

The Ascendant Lands 31 - All In Tents & Purposes

The Ascendant Lands 32 - It's Raining Man

The Ascendant Lands 33 - Another One Bites the Lightning

The Ascendant Lands 34 - Not My God, Not My Problem

The Ascendant Lands 35 - This Is The Chit

The Ascendant Lands 36 - Time for a Good Pounding

The Ascendant Lands 37 - 50 Shades of Neutral

The Ascendant Lands 38 - From Dusk or Dawn

The Ascendant Lands 39 - In The Danger Zone

The Ascendant Lands 40 - What Does the Fox Say?

The Ascendant Lands 41 - The Wind in the Billows

The Ascendant Lands 42 - The Prep Before the Fog

The Ascendant Lands 43 - Caravan of Characters

The Ascendant Lands 44 - Tiptoeing in the Air

The Ascendant Lands 45 - One Does Not Simply Cross a River

The Ascendant Lands 46 - How I Met Their Mother

The Ascendant Lands 47 - The Sound of Silence - Will the party be able to escape the maze of mists with only a single torch to light the way, or will something more Draconic find them first?

The Ascendant Lands 48 - What's Said in the Demiplane, Stays in the Demiplane - The party seeks aid from an old friend. Will he help or leave them to fend for themselves in a City dedicated to violence?

The Ascendant Lands 49 - Thunderbolts and Lightning, Togegach is Frightening - The party long for a rest, will they get it? Can they leave the city of violence unscathed... or could Togegach cause clan treachery to start early? HOO HOO Korrak!

The Ascendant Lands 50 - Turning Over a Neutral Leaf - Our party are on the open road again, let's hope there are no bumps along the way, celestial.... or otherwise.

The Ascendant Lands 51 - Rotten Luck - Our party continues to face the rotting menace. How many more will there be? Who put them there? Will our party ever find out?

The Ascendant Lands 52 - A Right Pain in the Necromancer - The party catches up with those responsible for the Undead Army. Some old faces return and a battle ensues.

The Ascendant Lands 53 - John the Potato - The battle concludes and John's fate is decided, but Alosius still lurks in the party's paranoid thoughts. They travel onwards to Mystra City, though a detour is planned.

The Ascendant Lands 54 - Shop and Change - Talari shops for a way to protect themselves from their Necromancer problem. Krusk remembers important information from his past. Thoradin shares good news, and a plan to set things right is hatched.

The Ascendant Lands 55 - Shop and Change 2: Disguises - While our party journey to Myrkul Village, they hatch a plan to scout out the village with the aid of Thoradin's contacts but are fearful of his fame. A trading post sparks interest in a towering challenge as Talari shops once more. The conversation gets deep around twilight.

The Ascendant Lands 56 - Don't Give a Shirt - The party discusses the conundrum surrounding Myrkul's release and whether having medallions close together is yielding unforeseen effects. Thoradin's beard is at risk of negating his disguise and meets up with his contact to discuss how Myrkul Village feel about the Justice Collective.

The Ascendant Lands 57 - Collective Reasoning - The Justice Collective enter Myrkul Village to the praise and admiration of the inhabitants. After entering a hellish dimension, they strike a hard bargain risking their lives to handle things on their terms.

The Ascendant Lands 58 - Arigato, Mr Jell-ato - The party venture into the maze to find Gelatinous Cubes waiting for something to clean. Dead ends are met and they are swiftly surrounded. Most importantly, a beloved party member is missing...

The Ascendant Lands 59 - An Ooze in Time - The party finally reach their destination, only to be met with the (Gargantuan) consequences of their actions.

The Ascendant Lands 60 - Oscar Ooblex's Zone Eternal - The party seeks to learn more about the mysterious Hourglass from the Hell Maze. Information is gained, plans are hatched and bad relationship advice is given.

The Ascendant Lands 61 - Death Defining - The party finally reach Mystra City where they are presented with a difficult decision, where each option bears serious consequences for the entire Realm.

The Ascendant Lands 62 - Death Comes Sooner or Later - An accord agreed and the medallion handed over, the process of Myrkul's resolution has begun. Now the party speed off toward a towering challenge on their own terms!

The Ascendant Lands 63 - Maximum Effort - With the slabs chosen, Thoradin and Krusk bear the weight of Thrym's challenge, putting their lives and pride on the line. Meanwhile, the girls have gone for a bottomless brunch that definitely contains alcohol.

The Ascendant Lands 64 - Taking The Lead - Recovering from an eventful day, the party look to relax and shop. Thoradin finds himself weighed down by a challenge while Krusk still struggles with his recovery efforts.

The Ascendant Lands 65 - Lead, Leads & a Long Rest - The Ladies and Krusk train under Talari's watchful eye while Thoradin breaks in his lead fists on a plated opponent. They learn of Gnolls ambushing the roads and discuss strategies on how to track and tackle them.

The Ascendant Lands 66 - The Big and Bountiful - The party search for allies against the ferocious Gnolls killing many on the roads, only to find themselves taking up art... The art of negotiation.

The Ascendant Lands 67 - Never Eat Shredded Warriors - The party study the slaughter to learn more about the Gnolls, head North while keeping track of the closest Gnoll in the hope of not being ambushed.

The Ascendant Lands 68 - Crouching Party, Hidden Agenda - The party tackle the Gnoll problem with an attempted ambush but there is more than meets the eye with the Gnolls. As the ash and blood are left to cover the ground all they're left with is more questions.

The Ascendant Lands 69 - Never Initiate Conversations with Evil - The JC take some time to seek answers from the defeated combatants. However, the JC is promptly interrupted by an intimidating threat searching for answers of their own.

The Ascendant Lands 70 - You're Grounded - Locked in heated battle, the JC and Thoradin's berserkers throw everything and everyone into keeping their winged foes in striking distance.

The Ascendant Lands 71 - Third Wave's The Charm - The JC continue their struggle against the Erinyes, only to have them summon more fiendish abominations in an attempt to stifle the JC's awesomeness.

The Ascendant Lands 72 - Ahead of the Competition - With their exhaustion alleviated, the JC reach Mystra City and learn of a new opportunity that could lead them to the source of their Demonic woes.

The Ascendant Lands 73 - Nothing More Neutral Than Death - The JC use their time in Mystra City hunting for bargains before hunting for Demons.

The Ascendant Lands 74 - Declayration of Intent - The JC pause their hunt to rest and come to understand one of their number a little better.

The Ascendant Lands 75 - Just A Little Further - The JC continue their hunt through an overgrown forest by Turygurtha scouting from the skies. When everyone arrives at their destination they are met with more than they bargained for.

The Ascendant Lands 76 - Hide & Seek - Combat has commenced, but while the JC are going toe to toe with their foes, a dangerous game of cat and mouse is underway.

The Ascendant Lands 77 - Large And In Charge - The JC fight admirably without Talari's help. However, as more Fiends arrive, she is forced to choose her safety or the well-being of her allies.

The Ascendant Lands 78 - Fiend Fly Foe Fun - The battle comes to a close, but what remains of the JC?

The Ascendant Lands 79 - Eye for Flair - The JC's rest is not as calm as they would hope but with Bane's visit came a clue. They begin to try to piece together a possible trail of evidence and return to Mystra for their deserved reward.

The Ascendant Lands 80 - Sober Words and Drunken Acts - The Justice Collective realise the true high fantasy, owning property, and celebrate with a housewarming party.

The Ascendant Lands 81 - Her Mysterious Package - With distractions aplenty, the JC manage to leave Helm City so they can face the trial of 1,000 steps to reach Bahamut's ancient temple and complete their pilgrimage.

The Ascendant Lands 82 - Ascendant Dragon in an Ascendant Land - Bahamut rewards his followers with a boon upon completing their pilgrimage. Krusk's sword becomes his again and Tury becomes something... new.

The Ascendant Lands 83 - The Eyes Have It - While back in Helm City, the JC focus on the three T's, Truths, Trade and most importantly, Tapas!

The Ascendant Lands 84 - Gossip Gel - Talari and Deszeldmiir put their Tapas learning into questionable practice and Nadia reveals Sooty's duplicitous nature. The following day, Thoradin gets details from his contact and Krusk meets an old friend to say farewell to another.

The Ascendant Lands 85 - Research & Developments - Split, the JC seek to complete each of their goals, discovering that not all dreams should come true.

The Ascendant Lands 86 - Doughn't Meet Your Demons - The JC lay out all their information and attempt to deal with their Demons, both external and internal.

The Ascendant Lands 87 - Scrying Eyes - The JC gather again after a spree of spending, drinking and sparring. Finally able to scry on a familiar opponent for themselves, they seek to learn what their enemies are planning.

The Ascendant Lands 88 - Smells like Helm's Spirit - The JC stay together for once and broker a potential deal with Gel. They then attempt to gain a new ally in the high priest of Helm by telling them everything the JC knows.

The Ascendant Lands 89 - Broaching the Subject - Biscuits baked, emotions unleashed and people hugged, could the positive times continue to allow the JC to make another Ally?

The Ascendant Lands 90 - Laws of Equivalent Eggchange - As negotiations get underway with Gel Bonebelly, the JC learn his price, but are they willing to pay it?

The Ascendant Lands 91 - Homeward Bound - As the JC begin their preparations for the ambush, Deszeldmiir takes a short trip to find out more about her parents.

The Ascendant Lands 92 - When Enough is Enough - Deszeldmiir closes a door on her past and seeks guidance on her future.

The Ascendant Lands 93 - Unpeaceful Intentions - The JC arrive at the Port of Eldath and try to prepare for the upcoming conflict without appearing suspicious in the town dedicated to the Goddess of Peace.

The Ascendant Lands 94 - Plan, Preparation & Perseverance - The JC travel deeper into the wilderness to the Pool of Eldath and start their preparations to ambush Bael.

The Ascendant Lands 95 - Gang 'Em Style - Laying in wait, the JC deal with some unexpected visitors before they face their fiercest foe yet.

The Ascendant Lands 96 - Face Your Demons - The battle takes a surprising turn as there is more than meets the eye with our combatants.

The Ascendant Lands 97 - Timing is Critical - The situation becomes dire when Bulk turns the tables on the JC with their God given gift.

The Ascendant Lands 98 - The Dead Pool - The fight ends with casualties on both sides and the JC attempt to uncover any evidence their foes may have.

The Ascendant Lands 99 - Showing You Cairn - The JC are reunited with expert help, family and of course, a long-missed cat. Plans are devised, evidence is exchanged and to the victor goes the spoils.

The Ascendant Lands 100 - Port Too Stern - The JC try to arrange a meeting place to exchange goods and while they wait, simmering frustrations come to a boil.

The Ascendant Lands 101 - Justice for the Collective - The JC manage to finalise the deal that will seal Bane's fate and complete the adventure they started

#### The Epilogue

The Ascendant Lands 102 - The Best of Intentions - In this Epilogue session, we discover what state the Realm has been left in after the JC have won the day.

The Ascendant Lands 103 - Matt's Mythos - We discuss the if, buts and maybes of the campaign, but more importantly the answers we most desired.