Player:Stormclimb

It's that talking rat!

## Story

### Backstory:

Stormclimb is an Awakened Rat Paladin that has resided in the town of Redemption for a while. To make money and get by, he works as a pest control by vanquishing insect nests and convincing the rodents in the building to move somewhere else. Despite his usefulness, it can be hard to find willing customers as talking rats are not at all common. Though anybody that tries to refuse payment and disrespect him tend to find their pest situation many times worse.

Stormclimb can usually be found carrying a tea kettle that serves as his home, backpack, and brewery for drinks. The tea kettle is an essential part of his that it protected him when venturing into the wild. This life-saving object is part of what sparked his skill in herbalism and finding its many uses; specifically brewing refreshing drinks.

Not much is known about his past that he cares to divulge unless it's a slip of the tongue. But who cares! He's a talking rat that's seeking glory and adventure! ADVENTURE!!!

### Story So Far

#### **Session 1 - A Tiger, Dragon, And Rat Walk Into A Magic Store...**

The story starts with Stormclimb receiving a message from a Wizard Firbolg named Fynasaer; Fyn for short. The wizard had heard of the awakened rat paladin questioning spellcasters on magic to find people and sent an invitation to provide answers to the rat. Upon arrival, Stormclimb met up with two humanoid beings who would become his future teammates: Ander the Tigerfolk monk and Drachdarin the Dragonborn fighter. These two people were also invited to Fin's magical emporium; promised answers to their own personal problems.

The group then discovers that the Firbolg and his human assistant, Fay, were cursed by magic from an unknown source. Going to find help and Stormclimb being drawn to the church of Gaaphadur, the group find assistance in the form of Father Azin, a red Tiefling priest. The priest tells the group he needs spell components in the form of 200GP diamond dust in order to heal Fin's feebleminded head and restore Fay's memories.

Going back to the wizard Firbolg's magic store, the Bent Intent Arcane Emporium, to find the spell component, they set off an alarm in the form of a familiar owl. During the fight with the skeleton security guards, Stormclimb threw his toothpick-sized javelin and something miraculous happened. The javelin became enlarged with radiant energy to the size of a normal javelin and struck the skeleton in the eye with the same amount of damage as a regular would. However, this power lasted only for a moment long enough to deal damage before the radiant energy released and returned the javelin back to the size suitable for a rat to throw. It was also during this battle that Ander threw the paladin at another skeleton, which made them realize the power of their combo moves

The team made quick work of the skeleton crew and learned that a dragon inside of the building is protecting the diamond dust they need. Drachdarin talked to the dragon and struck a deal to retrieve a special dagger buried outside the town. The group headed to the location of the dagger and were immediately caught in a battle with human highwaymen attempting to rob them. While healing his allies and riding on Ander's shoulder, Stormclimb summoned a glowing humanoid being at the same time he struck a bandit in the neck with his rapier. The humanoid being stabbed with their rapier in the same spot the paladin struck; immediately disappearing after dealing lethal damage.

After killing enough highwaymen and causing the rest to flee, the team retrieved the dagger and brought it back to the dragon. The group exchanged the dagger for the diamond dust, brought it to the church, and the healing process for Fyn and Fay began. Upon the priest restoring the minds and memories of the two, the human assistant used magic to teleport away. The wizard Firbolg became angry at this, as Fay had been holding onto a special black book during the entire session and had fled with it. Fyn explains that the book was written words of divination that foretold important future events and could help Stormclimb.

The paladin tried to not be disheartened about the situation and let's it slip that he's searching for someone and immediately tries to cover it up that the person is actually the spirit of adventure. Thrusting his rapier into the air, he shouts an affirmation that his new compatriots make a great team and should continue future endeavors together for the glory of adventures.

#### **Session 2 - Basement Psycho**

Seven days had passed, giving Stormclimb enough time to work on brewing potions for his teammates. Finasaer allowed the awakened rat to make use of his shop, the Bent Intent Arcane Emporium, and purchase the brewing materials at a discounted price. Despite the charitable discount, it was still too expensive for the paladin to afford. Stormclimb quickly turned to the church of Gaaphadur and asked Father Azin to help assist in paying for the potions.

The Tiefling priest decided to assist the rat, but not out of piteous reasons. Azin held an interest in who Stormclimb really was and how he became a paladin of Gaaphadur. However, the priest decided to ask such questions at a later time; asking payment through manual labor and Stormclimb's skills in pest control. The aid of Father Azin helped lower the price of potion-making materials down to a more manageable budget for the rat. The paladin then brewed two potions with the help of Azin, who was touched by Stormclimb's selflessness to make potions for his teammates rather than for himself.

After Stormclimb received word of a new mission from Fin, he met up with his teammates before the debriefing. The Firbolg wizard disclosed that Fay was still on the loose, but there might be someone who was connected to her that might lead the group to her. The person was JaedJanff; a human teenager who grew up at an orphanage with the human assistant. However, there was no last known location of this person, so the team would have to investigate for this human's whereabouts.

The paladin asked Fyn if he had any contacts that could possibly help the group point them in the correct direction. The wizard suggested Atriel; a Deerfolk director of the orphanage Fay and JaedJanff came from. Immediately heading over to orphanage with the Firbolg's owl familiar, they met with Atriel and her lukewarm reception. She told the group she would answer their questions once they reach their office, but Stormclimb and the owl familiar were considered vermin and not permitted inside. The rat clenched his hands in anger but agreed to stay outside for the sake of gaining info for their mission.

Immediately after the door to the orphanage closed on him, a crowd of orphan children began to rapid-fire him with questions about himself. Stormclimb did not have the time to deal with this and attempted to flee to higher ground in order to spy on the conversation his team was having with the Atrial. Unfortunately, the weight of his armor and belongings allowed the children to outrun and corner him. The rat paladin then surrendered himself to the orphans' curiosity and entertained them by reading books and acting out stories.

As he performed, the rat caught the eye of a Foxfolk named Wine. Wine is a teenage Foxfolk who takes care of her little orphan sister as well as the other orphans. She is a bitch who will try to extract as much money from you as she can. Stormclimb inquired her about Fay and JaedJanff, but she refused to say anything unless she received some coin. The paladin let's it slip that he has gold, to which Wine now demanded due to the slip, but he managed to haggle it down to 5GP by deceiving her with saying he was only strong enough to carry 5GP.

Wine proceeded to go on a tangent about how Fay and JaedJanff are terrible people, but the rat immediately cuts in to tell her to get to the point. She then said that JaedJanff now lives outside of the city at a house by the only mill around Redemption. After Drachdarin and Ander finished their talk with the orphanage director, the team got together and disclosed their findings.

The group made their way to the house their target supposedly lived at. Investigating the house's surroundings the team concluded that the only way in would be the front door; what with the windows boarded shut, the walls made of stone, and the chimney opening too small for the muscular Dragonborn teammate. Stormclimb used Divine Sense and detected a fiendish presence inside, which meant there could be a trap waiting inside.

Charging in, the paladin casted Bless on his team in the form of cherry blossom petals dancing about them. The group made short work of the monsters that comprised of a Limerace and a flying tiny fiend. When trying to identify the Limerace, Stormclimb heard a whisper that told him about the fiends and he was completely capable of dispatching them. The adventurers then searched the room and discovered three things: the house seemed to belong to a family of farmers, abyssal runes were written on door and fireplace to contain the fiends, and the scent of Fay that Stormclimb sniffed seemed to be fading from about a week ago(same time Fay teleported away from the church).

The team moved further into the house to investigate JaedJanff's whereabouts and came upon more fiends and an imp that seemed to be an advanced form of the foes they had just fought. Successfully killing the enemies but wounded terribly from the flying tiny fiend's poison, the crew took a short rest in the room they had just cleared. During their rest, Stormclimb brewed Earl Grey tea to enrich the group with a little extra might when dealing damage.

After finishing their rest, the group went down a hidden set of stairs they discovered before their short rest. It was pitch black inside, and it caused Anden to shut down in fear when being asked to scout ahead by himself. Stormclimb and Drachdarin managed to calm him, as they discovered an opening crevice in the wall. With the help of his friends to take off his armor, he crawled through the crevice to find another area in pitch blackness. The paladin activated his Divine Sense and sniffed about, and he detected a fiendish energy up north and could smell an oily mechanism down south. Not wanting to stick around for a darksighted enemy to prey upon him, he went back through the crevice to armor up and relay the information.

Stormclimb advised Drachdarin to toss his torch down the dark hallway; in case the oily mechanism was actually a rigged explosive. They then discover that it was actually a tripwire trap, which was quickly triggered by the blue Dragonborn chopping at it with his greataxe. This action alerted whoever is up north, while the team crossed across a chasm over a ladder serving as a makeshift bridge. The group then came upon JaedJanff, who was concentrating on a spell for a gateway to Fiend world and was expecting them.

Their target began to go into an evil monologue involving Quanifica, but Ander attempted to interrupt by throwing Stormclimb at him. Unfortunately, the throw wasn't good enough and caused the rat Paladin to land in front of JaedJanff. The team discovered that their man is actually a human warlock with two Fiend bodyguards, Dretches. A fight ensued with no sign of which side will be the victor.

The warlock briefly knocked out Stormclimb with a Burning Hands spell but Drachdarin quickly brought him back with a Greater Healing Potion. In a moment of anger from nearly dying, the paladin let's it slip that he's going to find a person named Miguel. The awakened rat unleashed a Pack Tactics critical hit combined with his Fury of the Small, which caused JaedJanff to lose concentration on keeping open the gate to a Fiend world. The gate closed; slicing off the finger of a giant fiend that managed to poke through. In a combo of destruction, Stormclimb landed the finishing blow on the last Fiend bodyguard with a super effective Divine Smite. This smite took on an explosive form. The paladin's humanoid being did its usual rapier stab, but it was then followed by an explosion of radiant energy bursting out of the Dretch's back. The radiant energy had spread into the surrounding air as glittery sparkles before being sucked back into the rapier. As the radiant energy returned, it dragged with it the dark essence dwelling within the fiend. The humanoid figure flourished their rapier one final time; snapping the dark essence into an explosion of smoke.

With the battle concluded, the team tied up JaedJanff, disrupted the magical markings for the gate, and picked up the giant finger. They brought the human warlock back to Fyn and were rewarded with 50 gold to the party. The Firbolg wizard told the group that he would interrogate JaedJanff before giving them a letter of recommendation to Redemption's adventurer's guild, the God Slayer. Despite being tired, the team made their way to the guild to finish out their day. They were immediately accepted due to the fiendish stench that clung to the group.

#### **Session 3 - Who Let The Dogs Out?**

Another week had passed since Stormclimb and his friends had become members of the God Slayer guild. While their previous mission of capturing JaedJanff was successful, they were still badly injured. The awakened rat knew he needed to be more proactive in supporting the group as best as he could.

Taking the giant finger to Fyn and Azin for research purposes, they noticed the demonic digit had started to rapidly rot. They quickly did what they could in understanding whose finger it belonged to, but it melted into black paste. The red Tiefling priest noted that the human warlock's mention of Quanifica is worrying. He had never heard of Quanifica, but demons don't usually have names unless they are very powerful and fewer want their names to be known. Due to this, there might actually be a group of people seeking the power of a demon and making pacts with such entities for selfish reasons.

Stormclimb and Father Azin come to the agreement that it's best to take a preemptive action rather than relying on thoughts and prayers. Between helping out at the church and doing his part-time job as pest control, the paladin went out into the streets as a town crier and used his guild connections to spread awareness of making deals with dark entities. By channeling his divinity of Peerless Athlete, he was able to work tirelessly throughout the week and earn a wage of 39 gold. He spent three days using up his gold and guild connections to brew two potions of healing for his team.

While he was spreading the word of warnings, a crying Half-Elf woman approached him. She said that her husband ran off with her child to trade the son over to dark forces for powers. The woman then mentioned that this will be happening in two days, on the night of the next full moon, in the Forest of Spirits; a forest brimming with supernatural rumors that travelers avoid. Stormclimb noticed that the mother wasn't overreacting as any parent would if their child were kidnapped, and it almost seemed like an act. Deciding to get straight to the truth of it all, the paladin casted Command on the woman to CONFIDE.

The mother confided that she and her husband need money, so they hope they can sell their son to the spirits of forest. However, she actually does not want to sell her son but cannot say no on account of her husband beating her. Realizing that she confessed everything, she ran away.

Meeting up with his teammates, Stormclimb relayed the situation to his teammates. Drachdarin was not concerned about this but admitted they should do the right thing. Ander also did not care about child endangerment but decided to help since it's technically an adventure. This enraged the awakened rat and could not understand why his friends had such antipathy towards children. The Dragonborn fighter changed the topic and asked Stormclimb for any leads. The awakened rat speculated that they needed to get more information about what the spirits of the forest are before they can make their next move. He supposed that going to Father Azin would be the best place to start. Drach agreed to this suggestion; causing the group to head to the church of Gaaphadur. While on their way, the group stopped at a blacksmith and Stormclimb purchased a bag of caltrops for each of his teammates.

The team then arrived at the church of Gaaphadur and was able to see Azin after his sermon. They ask him if there are any entities residing in the Forest of Spirits that would trade money for the price of a child, and he answers that it's most likely the Woman of the Woods. The Woman of the Woods is probably a hag; a creature of chaos from beyond the realm in a dimension where magic runs rampant. The red Tiefling priest mentioned that hags can charm, run unperturbed through the forest, and turn invisible. He also states that hunters from the guild say that beings from another realm tend to have a weakness to silver.

Learning this new info, the group set out to find a blacksmith to silvercoat their weapons. Unfortunately, it turns out that silvering a big weapon is expensive and takes a few days to make. GM decided to say fuck it and allowed Stormclimb to have his toothpick-sized rapier dipped in silver for 15 gold. With everything prepped, the team agreed that they should scout the outskirts of the woods first to see if the father came before the night of the full moon.

The team made their way to the woods but then realize the actual Forest of Spirits is located further away. Four hours of trekking later, they arrived at night at the the forest they were searching for in the Aldhelm Forest. They spent their time wandering in the dark until Ander announced he had noticed a person with a light source up ahead. Ander decided to scout ahead; leaving the rest of the group in darkness.

The Tigerfolk monk came back later and told the group the person was a red-skinned man with long ears and carrying a lantern, but that was all he could confirm. Due to the report that he came alone and had no child with him, Ander suggested that they go talk to him on the assumption the person might be friendly. The team agreed and made their way to the red-skinned man.

Upon confronting the long-eared man, the man seemed wary with his hand reaching for a weapon. Stormclimb immediately talked him out of acting upon a violent resort and said they came in peace. The man questioned who they are and what they are doing in the forest. The paladin introduced the group and carefully worded that they are searching for someone in the forest. Not knowing who this person is, Stormclimb did not want to give away the whole truth of the team's intention in case the man was an enemy. The man tried to push for a more specific answer, but the awakened rat quickly changed the subject by asking the man to introduce himself since they already announced who they were.

The man complied and stated his name is Okrurg. Seeing that this person was willing to give their name but still cautious about Okrurg, Stormclimb tells him that they had heard word of children being abducted into the forest and were asked to do a perimeter check of the forest to find any children left there. Okrurg replied that he was looking for the same thing but had not found any children tonight. Drachdarin questioned the man as to who sent Okrurg to search for children. The red-skinned man answered that he came to the forest of his own accord to save the children who were left on the night of a full moon. He then returned the same question back to the group as to who sent the team. Carefully wording his reply, Stormclimb said that they were sent by concerned parents and the church of Gaaphadur. He also mentioned that he was the one going around town warning the citizens of Redemption of bargaining with otherworldly beings of malintent.

Okrurg stared at the rat paladin for a moment before believing in what Stormclimb said. He noted that he had heard of people warning the city-folk about the dark forces and is glad that the awakened rat is the one doing it. Stormclimb then asked where Okrurg took the children to which the red-skinned man decided to show them since there was no children to be found that night.

On the way back, Okrurg revealed himself to be a hobgoblin. Ander questioned Okrurg if he ran an orphanage since it seemed the safest way to protect the children. The hobgoblin admitted that he actually runs a cabaret; a place children should most definitely not be at and the last place a parent would look. Ander and Stormclimb had no idea what a cabaret was, but Drachdarin showed signs of nervousness at that word. The paladin then inquired Okrurg as to what the endgame was with the children after rescuing them. The hobgoblin answered that he gives the children appropriate jobs until they feel ready to be independent. He also knows about Wine and respects her.

Everybody arrived to the outskirts of Redemption hours later, as Okrurg lead the group to his business, Ye New Cabaret, that is close to the old mill house from Session 2. Drachdarin inquired as to what happened to Ye Old Cabaret. The answer the hobgoblin gave back was a horrifying history of Ye Old Cabaret run by a noble that had a thing for short people(dwarves, badgerfolk, rabbitfolk, etc), which led to a downhill spiral of weirder things before being shut down by the people. However, people still craved for the entertainment of a cabaret, so Okrurg took over.

The team entered Ye New Cabaret and found it to be like any stereotypical cabaret but with an extra room for the more sensual performances. Okrurg then guided the group towards a door and gave a specific pattern of knocks on it. The door opened and led the team to a back room filled with a group of people wearing leather armor(not the sexy kind) and prepping weapons. The armed people in the room greet Okrurg by his nickname, Peppermint, as he announced he found new friends. Stormclimb introduced himself and mentioned they are members of the God Slayer guild. The armored people show no enthusiasm towards the mention of the guild name; causing Okrurg to explain at such a reaction.

The guild was created and run by nobles from Mytosian, which has influenced guild missions to prioritize problems affecting nobles. Okrurg states that he and the armed people are a group of "mercenaries" that serve themselves and people of Redemption who cannot afford the protection and services of nobles and the guild. Currently, this small organization doesn't go by a name yet and consists of five members(including Okrurg). The Hobgoblin noted that this organization is kept secret, so that the guild doesn't undermine them.

The hobgoblin lead the team again further into the back to meet with one of the members, a doberman Dogfolk by the name of Symath. Symath and the children he was teaching stared at the rat paladin, as Stormclimb asked the Dogfolk for more information about the Woman of the Woods. Symath lectured that the Woman of the Woods shows up after a child has been bound and left in the Forest of Spirits, and she seemed to be able to smell children. He also went on to say that like other hags, the Woman of the Woods was in a coven of three. Two of the hags have already been dealt with at great cost. Symath then inquired the team as to how they heard about the Woman of the Woods and was given the summary of what happened.

Despite not wanting to endanger a child in order to kill the hag, the Dogfolk found the group's situation to be an opportunity to finally end the hag. He suggested to set up a stakeout at the outskirts of the woods and strike the moment the Woman of the Woods appears for the child. Everybody goes back and forth about how to attack and rescue the child without anything truly concrete; some ideas involving hiding Stormclimb on the child, making use of Stormclimb's Silent Image spell, caltrops, etc. Ultimately, Symath pushed the responsibility of slaying the witch onto the team, so the cabaret vigilantes won't lose their lives from the battle. Drachdarin asked for more info about the Woman of the Woods, but no new information was given.

Deciding to prep for the next night, the group went to their separate homes. Drachdarin and Ander stay at the guild sleeping quarters, while Stormclimb went to his usual home of sleeping in his tea kettle at a rat's nest closer to the poorer neighborhoods. The rat paladin decided before bed to question the other rats if they've been to the Forest of Spirits and saw any hags. The other rats did not as the forest was too far away for them to venture to. Stormclimb realized that he should probably ask the rats residing in the Forest of Spirits tomorrow for more insightful information.

The team met up together the next day and decided to talk to Fyn per Stormclimb's suggestion in the hopes that the Firbolg wizard would be interested in purchasing a hag corpse. Fyn showed interest at the offer and requested for the hag's belongings and for the corpse to be brought in a bag(gotta stay classy and not alarm the other civilians). With that out of the way, the group decided to spend the day going to festival after Stormclimb brewed their morning juice.

While the paladin was making juice, Ander decided to tell the team about a Lionfolk that had been stalking him during the past week. The juice Stormclimb was able to successfully brew was an Açai Lemonade; a pinkish liquid that has been brewed with ice, açai, and lemons with strawberry pulp mixed. This lemonade is perfect for enjoying the festival and adds a d10 on any d20 roll. With the day starting out in good fortune, the team made their way to the town's festival.

The festival Redemption threw was organized by the royal Satyr, Lord Ajay Muzumed as a means of joyful distraction. The team spotted the Satyr lord, dressed in a flamboyant outfit with many colorful scarves, cheering on the players partaking in the festival games. Lord Muzumed tried to encourage Drachdarin to play upon spotting the group, but Ander became too hyped up and exclaimed his wanting to take part in the archery contest.

The Tigerfolk monk won in the first round; despite having no proficiency in longbows or shortbows. Unfortunately even after cheating with a cantrip, he lost the second round and lost the gold he betted on himself. Stormclimb decided to take part immediately after the loss in order to get back the gold that was lost. Thanks to there not being any rule for a rat to summon their eidolon as their proxy, the paladin was able to use his humanoid figure thing to handle the bow and fire it. He won the first round but lost the second. He would have lost a gold coin in the second round that requires one, but he was able to convince the crowd to pay for it.

Despite the losses, fun was achieved and spirits were still high. The group even witnessed Ander smiling for the first time; grinning like child opening their Christmas present.

The Lord Muzumed then appeared next to the group and tried to entice Drachdarin to take part in the Chicken Chaser tournament. The Dragonborn fighter was hesitant at first until he heard the prize was a title and a pile of money. At the goading of Ander and Stormclimb cheering him on, Drach decided to enter the contest. The Satyr lord then led the group to a muddy pen littered with chickens and introduced Drach to his Half-Orc competitor, Enemmil. Before they could begin, Lord Muzumed requested that the competitors disarm all equipment and weapons for the tournament.

While Drachdarin was in the middle of taking off his armor, Stormclimb gave him a sexy whistle. The Dragonborn fighter became upset at what his teammate did, but this confused the rat paladin. Stormclimb thought it was a custom he should do as he had recently saw this happen to the disrobing performers at Ye New Cabaret. After Drachdarin fully took off his items, the tournament was ready to begin.

The rules of the game are simple: catch as many chickens as you can carry before time runs out, don't harm the chickens, and whoever is holding the most chickens when time runs out is the winner. The tournament then starts, and the competitors were given one minute. Through scooping up the chickens, diving at them, slipping in the mud, being tripped, and slinging mud at the Half-Orc, Drachdarin managed to hold onto two chickens right before time ran out. The Dragonborn fighter was declared the winner, and he was awarded the Chicken Chaser title, a golden bracelet with a small disk(like a classic wrist watch) that has a chicken printed on it, and 100 gold.

While everybody is celebrating, a scream is heard in the crowd. Ander and Stormclimb turn to notice a Lionfolk man standing by a cage. Upon being spotted, the Lionfolk opened the cage and ran off. From out of the cage ran three demonic-looking, two-headed dogs. The team was the closest to these monsters and decided to take initiative, while everybody else ran away. As Stormclimb charged into battle, he realized that the Lionfolk who unleashed the demonic hounds looked exactly like Ander's description.

Throughout the fight, Stormclimb did his best to support his teammates. He tried to draw attention away from the unarmored Drachdarin, allowed himself to be used as a projectile, and heal his compatriots of poison. The demonic dogs were capable of attacking twice and could cause a poisoning disease with every bite. This poison caused the group to have disadvantage with every attack they attempted. The rat paladin at first thought he was poisoned but then realized that it was all psychosomatic. It turns out that Stormclimb is immune to disease due to being a powerful paladin, and he now had other new abilities after taking the Oath of Heroism. After a difficult battle, the evil hounds were finally slain. Everybody was quite injured but were not knocked out.

The Lord Muzumed came out of his hiding spot, the chicken pen, to congratulate the team, as Ander and Drachdarin begin to vomit into the bushes. Stormclimb immediately cured his teammates again; allowing them to cough out the poison they had just been bit with before landing the final blows. The group gave a quick look around but found that the Lionfolk had completely absconded. Stormclimb noticed the two-headed dogs did not disintegrate, and it gave him the idea to extract the poison from the dogs to brew an antidote later.

Stormclimb asked the Satyr lord if he had potions or some sort of aid to patch them up. Sadly, Lord Muzumed had no such thing since nobody has been hurt at the festival for over a decade. Drachdarin then immediately requested monetary compensation for saving him and the chickens, which the Satyr lord agreed to the reasonable persuasion. With no other festival activities able to carry on that day, Lord Muzumed awarded the group 500 gold pieces and gave Drachdarin the title, Cerulean Defender. The Dragonborn fighter felt it was a much better title to have than Chicken Chaser, but Stormclimb noted that Drach could also have both to use. Drachdarin agreed.

#### **Session 4 - Bagging & Tagging Hags**

Deciding what to do next after saving the people and their lord from the demonic dogs, Stormclimb decided to take a closer look at their fallen foes. It turns out that although these hounds appeared demonic, they were not demons. This meant that the rat paladin was not able to remember anything about these two-headed canines. However, there was still one other thing he could do with these animals. Stormclimb, with the aid of his teammates, had the dog corpses dragged to Fynasaer’s store, the Bent Intent Arcane Emporium.

The team entered the store but found only Fyn’s owl familiar, Beaker. Stormclimb asked where Fyn was, and Beaker flew to a door on the wall that was not there before. As Beaker pecked at the door, the awakened rat remembered that Beaker was still under the Firbolg wizards command to remain mute. Drachdarin commented that he kept forgetting about the strangeness of how wizards kept changing towers and their interiors as well. After the Dragonborn fighter piled the corpses on the floor, he tried to open the door.

The door remained lock, but Fyn answered from behind it. The Firbolg wizard then came out of the new door but tried to show as little as possible of what existed behind the magic entrance. Stormclimb did not care about what Fyn was trying to hide. The rat paladin asked for assistance in extracting the poison out of the monster dogs, but the Firbolg wizard stated that’s a job for an alchemist.

After browsing the arcane emporium’s wares, Stormclimb used the team’s money to purchase a Periapt of Wound Closure for Drachdarin and a Bag of Holding. The rat paladin found it very creepy at how Fyn used his familiar to check stocks; rolling back the eyes to see through the familiar. He told the Fynasaer to wear sunglasses, but the Firbolg wizard does not seem to care. When things aren’t so dire, Stormclimb plans to have the Bag of Holding enchanted with the magic abilities of the Chest of Preserving.

The team decided to head to the church of Gaaphadur, at Stormclimb’s suggestion, to go to Father Azin to heal them. Despite using the “saving the children” as an excuse for free healing, the rat paladin was unable to persuade the red Tiefling priest. The group coughed up 50 gold for a Prayer of Healing and were healed to nearly full health. Thanking Azin for his services, the team headed out and suddenly realized they had forgotten about the dog corpses the group left piled inside the Bent Intent.

Picking up the dead canines at Fyn’s shop, the owl familiar seemed to have been able to talk again and immediately berated the group for leaving the smelly mess behind. Stormclimb then realized they have a magic bag and would stop people from staring at them drag dead bodies around the city. He asked Drachdarin to put the dog corpses in the Bag of Holding. Hilarity ensued from utter failure. The rat paladin questioned out loud about how they are supposed to fit a hag in there if they can’t shove a couple of dogs inside. To which the Dragonborn fighter fired back if Stormclimb knew origami. The awakened rat replied he thinks he knows what Drach is implying.

The team headed out to find an alchemist and immediately found the Leviathan Infusions a few paces away from the Bent Intent Arcane Emporium. Drachdarin was hesitant of bringing the canine corpses inside for fear of stinking up the place, but Stormclimb reasoned that alchemist shops already stink. Heading inside, they meet the Deerfolk alchemist, Muaboala. The soft-spoken alchemist called attention to the corpses they dragged in, and the rat paladin replied that they require assistance extracting the poison from the dead bodies. Muaboala complied and began sawing open the corpses while explaining facts about it.

The Deerfolk alchemist had seen it quite often a while ago. When people explored the outskirts of Redemption, they would catch this disease where they became poisoned. The victims would get worse until they passed away from the poison. Eventually, a cure was made for this poison.

After finishing this explanation, Muaboala managed to create two vials of Death Dog Venom from the dead dogs. These facts seemed to pique Ander’s curiosity, and he inquired the Deerfolk alchemist about who could have possibly been in possession of these two-headed canines. Muaboala did not know, but he stated that these death dogs are wild animals. Anybody capable of capturing these deadly canines could breed them. Stormclimb also noticed upon receiving the poisons that these vials were given for free, and the Deerfolk alchemist took the rest of the Death Dog corpses for himself. The awakened rat figured if they couldn’t sell the hag corpse to Fyn, then there was always Muaboala to be their second buyer.

Drachdarin was still muddied and asked the Deerfolk alchemist if there were places to bathe in town. Muaboala suggested the showers at the God Slayers guild, the bath at Ye New Cabaret, and the docks. The Dragonborn fighter decided the group should head to Ye New Cabaret for bathing and meeting with Okrurg, the hobgoblin they met in the forest.

The team headed to Ye New Cabaret, where they were greeted by an employee. The attendant directed the group to where the baths were located before Stormclimb announced they were also here to see Peppermint(Okrurg’s nickname) to help with “pest control”. The employee told the team he would fetch Peppermint and bring him after Drachdarin’s bath. The price of this bath was 1 gold piece, and the use of these baths came with many amenities and counted as a Wealthy Lifestyle short rest. A Wealthy Lifestyle short rest allowed a free use of Healing Kit for each team member.

As the employees cleaned the Dragonborn fighter’s armor, they asked him what scent they should perfume his armor with. Drach tried to ask for something that smelled nice, but Stormclimb interjected that Drachdarin’s armor should be scented with pine. The rat paladin’s reason was that they didn’t want a scent that would give away their position to the Woman of the Woods hag. Stormclimb then suggested something musky, but that turned into a downward spiral discussion of madness with Drach about what exactly musk is and how it’s occurring in nature.

Stormclimb and Ander waited inside the cabaret during Drachdarin’s bath; allowing the rat paladin enough time to brew some tea. He asked Ander to help brew tea and showed how he brews tea. He managed to brew an Butterfly Oolong Tea; a purple tea with a lemon slice. This tea was brewed with butterfly pea petals and peppermint with honey mixed in, and it had a weak empowerment that allowed the group a +1 to their next Intelligence skill check.

While the two brewed tea together, Stormclimb decided to question Ander about something he’d been curious about for a while. He asked the Tigerfolk monk how Ander felt knowing they’re not alone anymore after discovering another white Tigerfolk working at the guild. Ander hesitantly replied that he felt more in danger now that he knows he’s not alone, because the Tigerfolk at the guild told him that white Tigerfolk are being hunted. It was not at all the happy reunion he had hoped for. It was then that Stormclimb and Ander came to the conclusion that the Lionfolk they had seen earlier was most likely hunting the Tigerfolk monk, and it was why Ander had asked the Deerfolk alchemist about who would own death dogs.

The team met up with Okrurg an hour later to discuss their next move. The plan for dealing with the hag is to wait for the child to be left alone in the forest and strike the hag the moment she appears. Okrurg briefly introduced the other members of the mercenary do-gooders by their show names: Bubbles(real name, Banner) the Elephantfolk and Chocolate the Horsefolk. Stormfolk requested a bag of food from Okrurg as a means of bartering with the rat from the Forest of Spirits for info. The hobgoblin complied with the request, and everyone waited two hours for the sun to go down. The group set out for the Forest of Spirits.

During the four hour travel, Stormclimb struck up a conversation with Drachdarin. The rat paladin asked why the Dragonborn fighter wears blue on his armor, because it’s not something most warriors have as it draws attention to themselves. Stormclimb also showed curiosity at the emblem Drach wore with the blue and white armor. Drachdarin explained with heavy hesitation.

Back in Drachdarin’s homeland, he was part of a mercenary group known as the Order of the Northern Might. All members of the mercenary group wore blue and whites as a means of standing out as the strongest and bravest Dragonborns of the northern reaches. After some time, he decided to depart. Drach held onto the unique armor because he still liked to stand out and show his strength.

Stormclimb further inquired if the Dragonborn fighter realized he didn’t want take missions only for the gold. The reason to such a question was that the rat paladin hoped for Drach to be more than just a merc. Drachdarin replied that it was actually because he did not feel worthy anymore to be part of the mercenary group after certain mishaps occurred. He wanted to get stronger and heard the many wild tales of this new continent, so he figured to come to Redemption to improve before returning home. Stormclimb then asked how powerful Drach wanted to become. The Dragonborn fighter said he wants to become as strong as a dragon and has sought counseling from Galthazan the dragon in Fyn’s shop. The rat paladin couldn’t help but feel suspicious about this situation but wished his teammate the best.

Approaching the forest, Stormclimb was set down to find the other rats residing in the woods. It did not take long for the rat paladin to find the other resident rats of this forest, but it seemed to Stormclimb that it was actually them that found him. One rat strode out on their hind legs and seemed very proud. Stormclimb found that very unusual; since he only found only himself to be awakened compared to the other rats in Redemption. The rat paladin tried to retain his composure when talking to this weird rat, but it continued to decline as the conversation went on. Due to the weird rat’s constant use of “we” and not wanting to barter, Stormclimb couldn’t help but think this other rat was a familiar of the hag like Fyn and the owl. The rat paladin’s “fight or flight” response took over; causing him to strike the other rat with his rapier. Unfortunately, the conscious of the weird flipped over to another forest rat. Realizing his error, he asked who this rat really is. The rat replied that they are the Spirit of the Forest.

Acknowledging his mistake and filled with guilt, Stormclimb apologized and healed the wounded rat with the only Potion of Healing he had on him. The rat paladin explained that he had lived a life where people tried to make him prey, and he had grown used to attacking first. The Spirit of the Forest forgave him for such transgressions but told him that he can never come back. The rat paladin replied that he will as soon as they recover a child that will be left here for a hag. The Spirit of the Forest stated that the hag resides within their bosom through a portal in another plane of existence, but they will not allow anybody to enter that plane. The weird rats strode away; leaving the group time to set up for an ambush.

Time passed, and Ander was the first to spot a person carrying a human-shaped bag. The person turned out to be a man, and he stopped at the edge of the woods. He reached into the bag and pulled out an unconscious child. He then bowed to make a silent prayer and power-walked away. With the bait now set, the team gets into position for attacking the hag. Stormclimb hid in the child’s shirt, Drachdarin hid far away due to his size, and Ander and Okrurg hid by the trees. Stormclimb asked Ander to Minor Illusion the sound of crickets to signal to the rat paladin of when the hag was close to the child.

A little bit of time passed before the hidden Stormclimb could hear the sound of shuffling movement and sickly cackling coming closer to him. Upon hearing the cricket chirping signal, the rat paladin chest-bursted out of the child’s shirt like a certain alien. Stormclimb attacked the hag with a cool one-liner but sadly missed. The rest of the gang charged in and managed to distract the hag long enough for Okrurg to pick up the child. As the hobgoblin took off with the unconscious child, the hag continued to shoot off lightning bolts at the group and turn invisible.

During the fight, Drachdarin captured the hag in a grapple and Ander used his ki to cast Silence in the area to prevent the hag’s spellcasting. This bought enough time for Stormclimb to land a hit and deal massive damage with a Divine Smite and Fury of the Small. The damage caused the hag’s two-headed hag belt to be disarmed. The rat paladin began to feel frustrated at Drachdarin due to the Dragonborn fighter not immediately taking the opportunities Stormclimb provided. This included: Stormclimb adding poison to Drach’s great axe but Drach deciding to grapple the hag instead of attacking, and Stormclimb using Guilding Bolt on the hag to give Drach advantage but Drachdarin deciding to use his lightning breath.

As the hag was nearly approaching death, she managed to knock out Stormclimb with a lightning spell that caught both him and Ander in it. The name, Miguel, escaped from the rat paladin’s lips upon passing out. A minute after, Drachdarin revived Stormclimb with a Potion of Healing. The awakened rat immediately knew the hag had been killed and would later find out it done by Ander's hand. Stormclimb was overwhelmed with escaping death’s grasp once again and told himself he was coming for Miguel. The rat paladin was then filled with anger at Drachdarin and stabbed the Dragonborn fighter’s foot with his rapier. He vented about how Drach didn’t immediately take the openings he provided. Afterwords, the team searched the hag corpse and gathered all the loot.

Thanks to Stormclimb’s thorough search, they found two large statuettes carved out of bone, a golden ring with bloodstone gems, and a bloody giant’s tooth that expels magical energy. The rat paladin planned to get these items properly identified and then sold. The group also picked up the belt with two hag heads tied around it, and Stormclimb remembered a tidbit of info from Okrurg. Hags come in a coven of three, and the cabaret vigilantes killed two. Since the hag the team killed had that belt with two hag heads, the rat paladin came to the conclusion that the hag had come back for her slayed sisters’ heads and used them for more powerful spellcasting. This pissed off Stormclimb and would definitely give Okrurg a stern talking about properly disposing of the bodies.

Drachdarin then began to shove the hag corpse into the Bag of Holding’s 2x4 opening. The Bag of Holding immediately slurped her lanky body inside like a noodle, and everybody was disgusted at this. Drach notes about how he performed origami. Stormclimb expressed paranoid concern that the hag belt shouldn’t be shoved in with the hag; in case the hag is able to come back to life due to being with the other hag heads. The Dragonborn fighter showed a slight irritation at such a notion but complied with the concern by having Ander hold onto the hag belt. The white Tigerfolk monk happily wore it as a battle trophy.

With everything cleaned up, the team joined Okrurg and the rescued child back to Redemption. As they arrived into town at around 2-3 am, the tired Stormclimb had a realization. Children were being taken through a portal to another plane. This meant that there was just more than one plane of existence; that means a multiverse where creatures could exist was out there. Fear coursed through him as to what this would mean for his future at the infinite possibilities he could go to. But this was followed by a small spark of hope, because he now had some direction of what to do next. However, he was first going to have to do some introspection about how he behaved during this whole mission.

#### **Session 5 - Up One Peg, Down Two**

Another week had gone by upon successfully finishing the mission. During the downtime of recovery, Stormclimb had some loose ends he needed tied up. The rat paladin decided to check on the child the very next day at Ye New Cabaret. He was met with warm welcome by the employees at the cabaret, and Okrurg told Stormclimb of what became of the child. The child, Juniper, decided to not go back to her parents and was now employed by the hobgoblin to assist in repairing the mercenaries’ clothing gear.

Stormclimb was relieved to hear that and immediately changed the conversation towards lecturing Okrurg about getting rid of the body to prevent necromancy. The hobgoblin apologized as the hags were their first time confronting supernatural entities. The awakened rat understood and switched the subject of their talk to business. He explained that he would share his juice recipes with the cabaret to be spiked with alcohol and served to the customers. All that Stormclimb asked was a small cut of the profit, so he could afford upkeep on his armor and potions. Okrurg agreed and said he would pass the recipes to the bartender, Ginger. Before the rat paladin left, he told the hobgoblin owner to pass any troubles with supernatural entities to his team.

With that out of the way, Stormclimb wanted to make sure that nobody will try to abandon their child in the woods for money. The rat paladin spread word of the hags being slain; using Drachdarin as the poster boy of hag slaying. Stormclimb knew Ander was the one who killed the witch, but it seemed more believable if the Dragonborn fighter did it due to Drach’s immense size and imposing personality. The rat paladin casted Silent Image to showcase a fictional action replay of Drachdarin slaying the evil witch in an entertaining manner but not too graphically violent. It was in the public at first before performing at a church. It worked a little too well and caused the house of worship to become a house of entertainment. This caused Father Azin to politely ask Stormclimb to stop doing the performance. Within the week, people believed in the story of the hag-slaying Drachdarin and would not have any thoughts of trying to sacrifice their child for money.

The available time the team had together was spent selling the items they had picked off the hag’s corpse. They went to Fyn’s shop, the Bent Intent Arcane Emporium and asked the Firbolg wizard to identify the items for any magical quality. The bone statuettes and the ring had no magical potential in them. The bone statuettes had remarkable artistic quality to them and could be sold at 25GP each. The golden ring with the bloodstone jewels had an inscription that said the ring was a gift from James to Cecilia; worth 250GP. As for the bloody giant’s tooth, Fyn had to ask a friend for help.

The Firbolg wizard led the group upstairs to where Galthazan, the copper dragon, lived at. The team noticed that the dragon was talking to a Naga traveler named Gauwilh. Fynasaer asked Gauwilh if they know what the tooth was. After their conversation in multiple languages, Fyn explained the giant’s tooth is actually filled with a summoning force. The Bloody Giant’s Tooth is a one-time-use item that summons a gigantic boulder and flings it up to 240 feet for 3d10 damage. This item is known as a Feyem; an item that originates from another realm. The Firbolg wizard suggested that he could transfer its energy to the party’s belongings for a more permanent use. Unsure of what to enchant the tooth to, the team decided to hold onto the item until they figure out how to use it.

Stormclimb then asked Fyn how progress was with trying to find the book and Fey, his former human assistant. Fynasaer replied back that it was not going well. The human warlock the group captured, JaedJanff, is no longer talking intelligibly and seemed to have lost his mind. The Firbolg wizard still has contacts to help with the search, but the interference of hags has caused delays. At such mention of hags, Stormclimb hinted at Drachdarin to show the hag corpse from their Bag of Holding. Fyn was shocked but was glad to see the team had brought back the dead body he requested. They also gave the two-headed hag belt Ander wore free of charge, since the Dragonborn fighter said that Fynasaer is a good friend.

Drachdarin inquired where to put the body; not wanting to make a mess. The Firbolg wizard decided to lead the group to a secret room that was accessed by a wall with a magical set of keys and incantations. The new room appeared to be a laboratory with beautiful stained glass windows and appealing decorations. As Drach and Stormclimb marveled at the room, Fyn explained this room is actually located on a different plot of land he owned. Fynasaer then showed the group the table for the body, and Drachdarin pulled the hag corpse out of the bag and laid it on the table with ease. The rat paladin saw the Firbolg wizard cast a spell on the body but did not know what kind of spell it was. Fynasaer noticed Stormclimb’s quizzical observation and explained the spell is Gentle Repose; a spell that preserves dead bodies for a longer time.

The rat paladin mentioned that he was hoping to get an enchantment similar to that spell for the team’s Bag of Holding. Fyn offered the idea of adding an ice enchantment instead; allowing anything to be placed in the bag to be instantly frozen. Stormclimb declined the offer due to the concern of freezer burn on the group’s rations. Drachdarin asked what a freezer is, and Stormclimb replied that it was just a word he came up with. However, it seemed like the Dragonborn fighter could see through his lie and mentioned he would have to learn more about “freezers”. The rat paladin immediately changed the conversation and asked Fyn about the money.

As the Firbolg wizard led the group back to the shop, he asked the group not to steal his keys and explore the pocket dimensions he owns on the chance the team could become forever lost. The awakened rat stated that the party aren’t great with magic and have no interestin  Fynasaer’s magical secrets. Fyn became relieved and is glad he doesn’t have to label the group as thieves like his owl familiar does. Stormclimb asked what happened to the owl, because he didn’t see him anywhere in the store. The Firbolg wizard answered that his familiar is off running errands for him.

The team looked at Fyn’s items but found most of them to be too expensive. Fynasaer seemed to have taken pity on the group and mentioned the guild discount. The guild discount gives 10% off on all items by compensating merchants the difference. Sadly, that wasn’t enough of a price difference to influence the group to buy anything. The group decided it was best to sell their loot first before making a decision, and they started by first selling their Scroll of Healing to Fyn for 400 gold.. Stormclimb and Ander then waited outside, while Drachdarin had a conversation with the copper dragon, Galthazan.

After the Dragonborn fighter joined up with the team minutes later, the team went to find a place to sell their loot. Ander led the charge, but it took a while to find a shop willing to purchase from them. They stumbled upon a suitable store called, the Bedazzling Buxomy & Boxed Baubles; a jewelry store. Unfortunately, Drachdarin’s immense size made it difficult for him to enter the shop. The glass jewelry on the shelves appeared ready to tip over from any sudden movements of Drach’s bulky body, and it caused the shopkeeper to be overcome with unsettling alarm. The shopkeeper introduced himself as Madre the Horsefolk jeweler.

Ander and Stormclimb stated that they wanted to sell some artistic trinkets they liberated from an evil hag. Madre showed caution at the mention of a hag, but the rat paladin assured the Horsefolk jeweler that the items were not cursed. Stormclimb also used Silent Image to show Drachdarin properly slaying the hag in order to be recognized as the one spreading word of the hag’s death. Madre looked at the items, while his Rabbitfolk wife tended to a hot, whistling tea kettle. He offered 300 gold, and Ander agreed to the deal before Stormclimb could haggle. The rat paladin gave the Tigerfolk monk a mean stare and was shocked into silence.

After a couple of minutes of Drachdaring trying to carefully exit the store, the group left. Ander could sense Stormclimb’s anger and decided to hand the Bag of Holding back to the Dragonborn fighter. The Tigerfolk monk sheepishly announced he should not be in charge of the bag, and Drach replied that Stormclimb should be the team’s head haggler. Drachdarin reasoned with the rat paladin that there will be more chances for gold. Stormclimb fired back stating, “Just so you know, this is Redemption. Sure, you could make a new start, but the strong always devour the weak. You can never ever take what’s first shown to you. You always have to try and see if you can get a leg-up on everything.” Everybody seemed to be stunned by what the awakened rat said, but the silence was broken by Stormclimb suggesting they go visit a blacksmith.

The team visited the same blacksmith they had bought the caltrops and quarterstaff(Session 3) from. The rat paladin inquired for the price of Mithril Plate Armor. Due to Stormclimb’s minute size, the blacksmith proposed the armor for 235 gold. The awakened rat managed to barter with his own pink Chainmail Armor, given to him by Gaaphadur herself, to discount the Mithril Plate Armor an extra 10 gold. After commissioning the blacksmith to make the armor and color it pink, the group went back to Fyn’s Bent Intent Arcane Emporium to barter for the Insignia of Claws for Ander to use.

Fynasaer stated the magic item was worth 400 gold, but Stormclimb had an offer he thought the Firbolg wizard could not refuse. The rat paladin offered a marketing opportunity by what he called, infestation marketing. This involved using the city rats to invade people’s home and place Fyn’s business card in a place a person would easily see it in. The Firbolg wizard decided to instead discount on the Insignia of Claws to 350 gold for Stormclimb to NOT carry out such an aggressive marketing tactic. It turned out people most likely wouldn’t take kindly to a magician leaving calling cards in their homes. Purchasing the magic item, the Insignia of Claws came in the form of special handwraps that have a magical clasp. This clasp allows the handwraps to snuggly conform to Ander’s hand shape and give magic damage and a +1 to his unarmed strikes. Drachdarin challenged the Tigerfolk monk to hit him; testing the new strength. Ander got in one good hit, but his Fury of Blows was parried away.

Throughout the rest of their seven day downtime and waiting on Stormclimb’s armor to finish, the group decided to interact more and strengthen each other in different ways. This involved team tactics of throwing the rat paladin at each other. Both Ander and Drachdaring gained proficiency with throwing Stormclimb; a Dexterity check for the Tigerfolk monk and a Strength check for the Dragonborn fighter. The rat paladin also had his own training by riding Ander and Drach as a mount like Ratatouille and gained mastery over the feat of Mounted Combat. This feat allows attacks at the mount to be redirected at Stormclimb, and the mounts receive no damage at successful Dexterity Saving throws and half damage at failures.

There was still some extra downtime before the team’s next event took place, so the rat paladin decided to help Ander in the only way he knew how. Stormclimb empathized with the Tigerfolk monk’s feelings of being in constant danger after having their talk during the tea break(Session 4). He decided to ask his city rat network to find any Lionfolk they could and report back where the Lionfolk was staying at. Lionfolk were a rarity to find in the city, so the awakened rat knew there would not be too many to keep account of. The reason why he was searching for Lionfolk was due to the Lionfolk releasing the Death Dogs on them(Session 3). In compensation for the rat swarm’s efforts, he would throw them a feast for every Lionfolk they found.

Spurned with such enticing motivation, the rats were able to find the exact Lionfolk that wronged the team. The foe appeared to be located outside of town, down south, and by the river. The rats reported that the Lionfolk is with a group of people that are not well-liked. Whenever this group visits, people shut their doors at them. The rats also knew somehow that this group were, by direct guild orders, to not be received in town, and this group is also associated with the organization called, The Truth Seekers. Stormclimb spent two silver pieces and gathering leftover food from the new friends he made during his ventures, and he threw a large feast for his rat brethren. After that, the rat paladin brewed three Potions of Healing for three days and took the Death Dog Poison from Drachdarin.

On a day while trying some new food at a tavern, the group spotted the same Lionfolk they were searching for. The Lionfolk immediately walked away upon noticing Ander. The Tigerfolk monk pursued after the fleeing Lionfolk and called out the foe as a thief. The people around him seemed to believe Ander and tried to slow down the Lionfolk as best as they could. The Lionfolk ducked into an alleyway in the merchants quarter just before the Tigerfolk monk had time to grab him. The chase continued, but Ander was able to corner him at a crossroad.

The Lionfolk unsheathed his sword as a warning, while the Tigerfolk monk threw Stormclimb at the enemy. The rat paladin managed to badly wound the enemy with a strike to the shoulder. Drachdarin managed to catch up and swiftly grappled the Lionfolk without hesitation. Ander questioned the foe, and the Lionfolk admitted he was forced to attack Ander’s village because of Vane.

A man appeared from behind the group and declared that he is Vane. The group turned around and spotted a well-dressed, well-armored Bearfolk being accompanied by two other armed human men. He appeared grizzled and past his prime, but he still had an imposing air about himself. Vane stated he was the one who ordered the men to attack the Tigerfolk’s village, because he wanted the secrets the white Tigerfolk had. The Bearfolk leader mentioned the white Tigerfolk guild leader’s(Anthony) grandfather and father has stolen secrets from him, and Ander has been caught up in the crossfire. Vane also noted that he has been banned from entering Redemption. Ander was given the choice of joining Vane and being shared his secrets, but Ander decided to arrest the Bearfolk leader.

Vane volunteered to fight solo, but Stormclimb failed to see why that was a bad thing. With this new strength he gained, the rat paladin saw himself as invincible. The team tried their best, but the Bearfolk leader proved to be too powerful. Whenever Vane entered a fighting stance, he appeared to be stronger and healthier for a moment. The Bearfolk leader recognized Stormclimb as the supporter of the group and immediately KO’d the rat paladin in two hits. The humanoid figure Stormclimb summons and the new armor could not endure the overbearing strength of Vane.

Stormclimb was immediately revived after the battle; given Ander’s Potion of Healing from Drachdarin. Noticing that the Bearfolk leader was still standing, he realized that his team had lost. Ander was ordered to steal a special book or special lenses or both hidden in the guild. Vane and his followers then left; leaving the team to wallow in their feelings of failure. Stormclimb punched the ground in frustration.

The group decided to plan their next move at Ye New Cabaret. They paid their gold piece and took a Wealthy Lifestyle short rest. Stormclimb suggested that they talk to Anthony for help, because he’s sworn enemies with Vane. His other option was to secretly assassinate the Bearfolk leader; a very dark route that involves either planting explosives or poisoning the food. Ander stated that the first thing the group needs to do is gather information and figure out what exactly they are stealing.

Chocolate, the Horsefolk employee, noticed the team was down in the dumps and inquired what the problem was. WIthout revealing too much, the group explained that they were beaten by a bear and are bullied into stealing from a friend. Stormclimb noted that they don’t want to steal from their friend, but they don’t know what else to do. Chocolate unhelpfully stated that they shouldn’t do it if they don’t want to, be aware of other options, and to follow their heart. The rat paladin knew the Horsefolk employee was being sincere but might have been acting nice for a tip. Regardless, he still tipped Chocolate a silver piece for the effort.

Stormclimb asked how the Horsefolk employee was doing, and Chocolate replied he’s homesick. His family lives in another continent, and he’s just doing what he can to get by. The rat paladin questioned if the Horsefolk employee moved to this city as a means of finding work and sending money home. Chocolate gave a hesitant yes, but Stormclimb could already see it was an absolute lie. The awakened rat then looked around and realized that people don’t become mercenaries if things were okay at home. The same could be applied to Drachdarin, and it brings up the question of what home is like for Drach and Chocolate.

During the short rest after Chocolate left, Stormclimb brewed juice with Ander’s help. They brewed a Mango Nectar Juice that allowed the team to hold their breath for 10 minutes. Drachdarin took the drink and gave a soft “thank you” before going to take a bath. Stormclimb pondered in silence at how unfair their situation is. He could only wonder what he could do to help his team and what Gaaphadur would do. The group also realized that Vane did not give them a due date as to when they had to steal the items from the guild, and they supposed that Vane will find them when he feels like it.

After Drachdarin’s bath and joining at the table again, the rat paladin muttered about what Chocolate said with “following their heart” and stated that his heart is able to summon the “spiritual-ghost thingy”. He then asked the team if they ever named their weapons. The Dragonborn fighter replied that he did at one point but lost that weapon. He hasn’t given his greataxe a name yet, because he tries to not get attach to things. However, that might change if enough time passes. Stormclimb mentioned his silvered rapier is called Martini, because people joked that the sword deserved to have a couple of olives on it. He decided to run with it and also stabbed them with it. Ander never thought of his fists as weapons and never gave them a name. The Tigerfolk monk was more of a scholar than a combatant, and he never had to actually combat experience at the monastery.

As Stormclimb used Lay On Hands on himself to heal, Drachdarin asked him a question. The Dragonborn fighter mentioned he heard the rat paladin utter the name, Miguel, upon collapsing in the previous adventure(Session 3), and he wanted to know who that was. Stormclimb panicked and began telling a terribly-fashioned lie that Miguel is a nickname he gave to his alcoholic drink, Miguelobe Ultra. He carried on with poorly-made fib that he goes in and out of taverns when he’s not with his teammates and loves the ice-cold refreshing taste of Miguelobe Ultra.

Drach tried to cut through the lie and asked the awakened rat to be honest; offering information about his past for Stormclimb’s. The rat paladin stated that it’s not that he won’t tell the truth, it’s that he can’t. Even though he’s fulfilled certain conditions, he does not think he’s at liberty to say anything about his past unless getting permission from Gaaphadur(which Azin might be able to do). And if Stormclimb said anything about his past, his two teammates might leave him. He noted their apathy after they did not voice care about a child being in danger. Drach tried to reason that he let his ambitions get the best of him. He then went on a moving speech that their pasts shouldn’t matter and they’ll stick together no matter what. Stormclimb felt very moved by the speech, but his fear gripped him harder. The rat paladin asked for time; willing to tell once he isn’t compelled to secrecy no more. He stated that this doesn’t change in helping him support his friends in accomplishing their dreams. The rest of the short rest is finished in silence.

After their stay at Ye New Cabaret, Ander decided he wants to talk to Anthony about everything that has happened with Vane. The Tigerfolk monk didn’t want his fellow teammates to be involved, but Drachdarin told him that they are a team and like a family and will stick with him. The group headed to the God Slayers guild an hour after lunch. It should be noted that the team have only been to the guild for only a few minutes in the entire campaign so far.

The party arrived at the God Slayers guild, where they temporarily parted ways. Ander went to go talk to the white Tigerfolk guild leader, Anthony, while Stormclimb and Drach left for the guild library. The rat paladin searched through the guild’s monster compendium(written by Dracon Baulder from Campaign 1 and is Anthony’s mother) for monsters that can travel through planes, but none of them seem to trigger true fear into him. It appeared to be another wasted effort of his search. As he was about to look for a book about the multiverse, Ander and Anthony walked into the library.

The Tigerfolk guild leader lead the team into a side room in the library and told Ander that his strong bonds with his allies is a great asset to have. He then took a signet ring out of his pocket that looked like the one he currently wore and put it on his finger. With a signet ring on each hand, he inserted them into small openings in the wall and turned his hands as if the rings were keys. Anthony pushed into the wall; revealing a doorway that led into a downwards spiral staircase. Everybody entered but the big Drachdarin had difficulty due to the small entrance and passageway. The staircase ended at a set of iron doors, which was unlocked and opened by the Tigerfolk guild leader.

The inside had a stone slab table with a book and a magnifying glass on it. Unfortunately, the ceiling was still too short for Drach, so he had to crouch down. Anthony told the group the book is the book of the guild, the Book of Famphegor, and the magnifying glass is the Lenses of Haka Pf'hagan. The combination of both items allow the user to see forbidden knowledge that can cause permanent side effects. This allows the guild to see where portals to other planes open up, how to close the portal, and whatever would appear from these portals. Stormclimb questioned how one is able to handle such powerful divination. The Tigerfolk guild master answered that a person can be trained to handle it. An untrained person would become addicted to the devouring of such unfiltered knowledge.

Ander asked if Anthony used the book to gain any insight on an “incursion” the Tigerfolk guild master mentioned in a private conversation with Ander. Anthony stated this incursion will have a portal opening soon that could lead to more knowledge and resources for the guild as well as eliminating the threat residing in those planes. He then corrected a confused Stormclimb that the book has knowledge on all things but is used for information pertaining to portals.

The rat paladin then asked what the next step they all should take. The Tigerfolk guild master said the magical items should not fall into Vane’s hands. Stormclimb immediately interrupted and stated that’s obvious, but they needed to figure out how to deal with the Bearfolk leader without burning bridges with the guild. The awakened rat inquired if the book has any siblings, and Anthony said it does in the southern kingdom inside the Magistrate. Stormclimb wasn’t sure if this book is similar to the book Fay ran off with, so he said nothing about it.

Upon realizing that Vane could have tracked the group through magic, Stormclimb asked if the Tigerfolk guild leader took any steps to prevent prying eyes. Anthony noted that the iron doors and room is made of metal and enchanted to prevent any sort of magical spying. The rat paladin commented that the room is like a tinfoil hat, which confused the Tigerfolk guild leader. Realizing he said something he shouldn’t have, Stormclimb immediately changed the focus of the conversation back to Vane. The awakened rat went on a tirade and said that Anthony should have a contingency plan for something like this after being a guild leader for many years.

The Tigerfolk guild leader asked what Vane offered to Ander. Ander refused to tell the whole truth and said their lives were threatened. Stormclimb tried to back up his friend and say it doesn’t really matter, but Anthony kept pushing for an answer. Drachdarin hinted that the Bearfolk leader is a scholar and not after money or power. The Tigerfolk guild leader felt like he could trust enough and said that he had heard rumor that Ander’s parents might be alive and captured somewhere. Ander asked who captured them.

#### **Session 6 - Buried Upside Down Into The Silent Hills Of Shadowfell**

The DM quickly mentions in the recap that Anthony says it’s probably Vane who has Ander’s parents. The team was now in the guild halls; sitting down to stew in their thoughts.

Stormclimb thought back to his fight with Vane, and it pissed him off at how they lost to the Bearfolk leader. He decided that now was the time to enchant the bleeding giant’s tooth to something, so the group can get stronger. The rat paladin beckoned his teammates to follow him to do some shopping again. His teammates seemed lost in their own thoughts in the sudden sequence of events they all endured, but they followed him without thinking. Stormclimb piloted Ander through the city, while Drachdarin shambled behind them.

The awakened rat led the group to the Steel Thunder Blacksmiths; the blacksmith shop that silvered Stormclimb’s rapier and fashioned his pink mithral plate armor. The group looked at the belts forged for combat, as Stormclimb and Drachdarin discussed how magic items should look unique rather than mundane. The team then talked to the Cariboufolk blacksmith, Behrtio, about how they were looking for a stylish accessory that could fit all of them and can be enchanted. Behrtio suggested that he fashion a ring for them to use that could be worn on the finger, horn, or treated as a belt for Stormclimb.

The team decided to have the ring to be made out of iron for durability and be inscribed in another language for the sake of making the ring look cool. The Dragonborn fighter stated that he knows Draconic, the awakened rat knew Rodent and Celestial, and Ander knew Dwarvish and Undercommon(that last one isn’t mentioned, but it is canon). After figuring out what would look the coolest, the team chose Draconian. The next problem was deciding on what should be written. Ander suggested “stylish”, but the Cariboufolk blacksmith recommended that the three adventurers have their team name inscribed. The group huddled together to quickly discuss on what their name is and came to naming themselves the Mismatched Mavericks. Behrtio noted it’s suiting and not the worst name he’s heard; Team L.Y.N.X. being the worst he’s heard.

Upon being measured, the team paid 40 gold. The Mismatched Mavericks browsed the shop, as they waited for the ring to be made. Drachdarin practice swung the greatswords and other axes, and Stormclimb looked at the ranged weaponry. The rat paladin remembered that the team’s fight with the hag put him at a major disadvantage when his javelins were not able to travel a long distance at any time the witch ran away. Stormclimb spotted longbows, but they were not his style. The crossbows were too big for the awakened rat to use; sized as large as Drach’s arm. One thing that did catch his eye was a row of weaponry that was unfamiliar to his friends, but he had seen them before. He had seen some of the Palangers wielding these weapons before. These ranged weapons didn’t match any of the designs he had seen, but the general form and function was still there. The weapons were pistols, revolvers, and the musket. The rat paladin found the revolver to be the most fitting for him, but it was too expensive at 250 gold and would have to come back for it at a later time.

As he browsed the familiar weaponry, Stormclimb asked Ander why the Tigerfolk monk did not tell Anthony the truth about what Vane offered. Ander replied that he’s been through a lot in the past few hours and was not sure who to trust. He was afraid that the Tigerfolk guild leader and the Bearfolk leader had similar intentions and schemes. Drachdarin and the rat paladin then made it clear that they showed their support on whatever Ander chooses. The team then realized that they need to figure out on what to do next. The Tigerfolk monk voiced that he does not feel safe in town at the moment and would rather go take a mission from the guild that would take them somewhere else.

Behrtio finally finished the commission right after the group finished their conversation. The iron ring looked crude and had the inside written with the team name in cursive Draconic and the outside written the letter M in cursive Common. The Mismatched Mavericks then made their way to Fyn’s Bent Intent Arcane Emporium.

Drachdarin asked Fynasaer to enchant their ring with the bloody Giant’s tooth. The Firbolg wizard was unsure what the outcome of this enchanting would be and requested 50 gold for the effort. The group consulted Stormclimb about the price, and the awakened rat felt it was fair due to Fyn being a trusted friend and the unknown results of what the enchantment would cause. Fynasaer then read out loud the team’s name on the ring; showing he knew Draconic. The rat paladin stated that the engraving was the group’s new name and that they should probably register their team name at the guild. The Firbolg wizard corrected him by saying that team names aren’t registered and are only known through popularity. After paying the enchantment fee, the team left and planned to come back in the next few hours.

The Mismatched Mavericks paid 6 gold to refill their Healer’s Kit before coming back to the Bent Intent Arcane Emporium. Fyn stated that the enchantment was a success and came out with pretty kick-ass results. He presented the team the Ring of the Ram; a ring capable of shooting out three charges of 2d10 force damage. The magic within the ring caused a slight metamorphosis of little, curvy horn studs growing out on the sides of the ring’s M. Nobody really needed the ring, so the group suggested Stormclimb to attune to it.

The three then spent the rest of the day hanging out at the tavern and celebrating their new team name. Everybody share their words of comradery; including Stormclimb who mentioned his magic wouldn’t have manifested with such power if he hadn’t met the two. It really helped him believe in himself and gave him hope. The cup he toasted with his teammates was a small bowl fashioned into a cup. Despite everything they’ve been, the rat paladin truly felt he was part of a team.

Before Stormclimb left for the night, his friends asked why he sleeps with the rats and not in a guild bed. The rat paladin stated that he is the rats’ guardian and has to protect them. As for the guild beds, they are so gigantic for him that it’s like falling in water.

The awakened rat decided to resume his good deeds activity that he had been putting off for weeks since he met Drachdarin and Ander. This involved healing any diseased or injured rats and secretly healing the poor of their disease or injury. He secretly healed those in the streets that were injured from bar fights for 1HP and snuck into the homes of the poor to heal them. Unfortunately, he would get caught sneaking into the citizen’s home after successfully healing them and caused quite the ruckus before being chased out. He then finally ends the night falling asleep in his tea kettle behind the Church of Gaaphadur.

The next day, the Mismatched Mavericks met up at the guild. Stormclimb yawned, as Drachdarin asked him if he was up late last night. The rat paladin answered with a yes and asked the Dragonborn fighter the same question. Drach also replied yes and stated he discovered a beautiful area behind the guild. The awakened rat questioned if that’s where Drachdarin woke up in his own puke. The Dragonborn fighter took offense, but Stormclimb stated he knew Drach for doing two thing: fighting and drinking. Drachdarin huffed that he also preps for the day and then proceeded to storm over to Anthony.

The rest of the team followed after and spotted the Tigerfolk guild leader reviewing a quest board full of unfulfilled missions. Anthony then noticed the Mismatched Mavericks and lead them into his office. He inquired the Mismatched Mavericks if they ever came across fiends or Hell due to the scent they had upon first meeting the Tigerfolk guild leader. Stormclimb stated that they did fight some fiends and were possibly at the gateway to Hell due to finding the finger of Quanifica.

Anthony’s eyes widened before explaining that a group of adventurers, the original founders of the God Slayers guild, faced the gods and released the magic trapped in this world. In saving magic, they caused portals to open up to other planes of existence. Monsters would come through these portals and cause mindless chaos and misfortune to the people of this world. One of the biggest threats is the portal to Hell. The main objective of the guild is to close the portals or end the threats coming into this world. The only way to end these threats is to go in and destroy the source of these incursions.

The Tigerfolk guild leader mentioned that it would be great if the Mismatched Mavericks and other groups could end the incursions, but there is a problem. Not only is Hell filled with fiendish monsters, the air is so toxic that it’s not possible to survive even two hours in there. The biggest problem with going to Hell is that it’s a one-way trip and no known way out yet. This means that the primary objective before going to Hell is securing a passage out of it.

Anthony goes on to say they’ve also been investigating other planes that are a threat and need to be closed. The plane he would be sending the Mismatched Mavericks to is Shadowfell; a place of negative energy and devoid of happiness and color. This land of decay is dark and abandoned of all civilization. Luckily, there is already a way to leave the forsaken plane. The mission assigned to the team upon entering Shadowfell is to retrieve a magical artifact...that he has no idea what it does. Supposedly, it will help provide a way back from hell...eventually.

Regarding the artifact, the Tigerfolk guild leader mentioned he sent a scouting team to venture into this land of decay. They were the ones to discover the artifact, report back to the guild about it, and were sent out again to retrieve it. However, they have not made it back yet and are presumed missing in action. This is due to the portal opening and closing at intervals and no communications with the scouting team were established upon the portal opening again. Anthony noted that if the Mismatched Mavericks come upon the scouting team, that they should try to bring them back. The nameless scouting team consisted of Leileen the Senfeadhain, Anton the Dwarf, and Gata the Tiefling.

The Tigerfolk guild leader then stated the rules when venturing into other planes of existence: Don’t spend more than sixteen hours in that world, don’t fall asleep, don’t take short rests, don’t interact with the natives, do not make any trades or agreements with the natives if forced into interaction with them, don’t use any magic items found in that world, don’t eat anything from that world, and do not split the party. The reasons for some of these rules is that the creatures of other planes will try to trick you and even steal your soul if you make any agreements or trade with them. Magic items found in another world could be cursed, so it is best to bring it back to the guild to have it analyzed. Food from another realm is probably not edible, so it’s best to prep your own supplies for the mission.

Ander and Drachdarin questioned Anthony about the threats existing in Shadowfell and the visits to that plane. The Tigerfolk guild leader explained that they have visited the forsaken plane a few times and have come across aborations, monstrosities, and mostly undead. Stormclimb inquired about the environment and was told that Shadowfell is cold but has breathable air.

Anthony requested of the group that they write down everything they’ve experienced during the mission and to keep track of their path. There is only one way to Shadowfell, and it’s best not to lose their way back to the portal of the mortal realm. Also, remain at the site of the portal if it has closed. The portal will eventually open up again, so there’s nothing to worry if it has closed. The Tigerfolk guild leader mentioned that should the team accept this quest that they would be compensated for their efforts.

The Mismatched Mavericks were hesitant but they accepted the quest and its terms. Anthony then disclosed that the magical artifact is located south from where they are entering and was last spotted in a windmill. Any other magic items that the group brings back is theirs to keep after the guild deems it safe to use.

Stormclimb and Drach requested for a map of Shadowfell or at least a compass, but the Tigerfolk guild leader did not provide any. His reasoning was that Shadowfell is a dark reflection of the mortal realm; an environment eerily similar to Redemption but distorted. Anthony suggested to cross through the city of Redemption and then follow along the Owlhawk River down south in order to reach the windmill. However, he did have a hastily scribbled map that had notable landmarks including: a forest of dead trees at the portal, a frozen Owlhawk River, and a never-ending war field directly south of Redemption.

Before being dismissed for the mission, Anthony told them the portal appears at night and should arrive at the God Slayers guild at that time.. The Mismatched Mavericks were given the rest of the day to prepare and buy supplies from the guild. The guild provided the team three Potions of Healing, and the group spent a silver piece for 10 pieces of chalk. The group then went their separate ways to go nap in order to be energized for their night exploration quest.

When Stormclimb got back to his usual sleeping area and took shelter in his tea kettle, he was absolutely terrified. The rat paladin always put up a big bravado in public, but he was now shaking. The thought of traveling to another realm more dangerous than the one he currently lives in has left him trembling. In order to calm himself down, the awakened rat pulled out his treasure, a pajama button, and sniffed it. Being able to pick up the remaining scent on that treasure allowed himself to calm down and finally fall asleep.

After awakening from his nap at sundown, the rat paladin joined up with his teammates at the guild and quickly brewed them all some tea. Stormclimb brewed a white peony tea that gave a +3 AC and allowed them to endure cold environments. The Mismatched Mavericks then met up with the Tigerfolk guild leader, and he guided them to the Sacred Grove. It was the same Sacred Grove where the group had recovered a dagger for Galthazan(Session 1).

Along the way, the awakened rat noticed they were passing by a Gaaphadur praying site and offered up a prayer to Gaaphadur. This was the first time Stormclimb had ever done this, as he had always tried to be self-reliant until recently. Knowing that he was about to step into a more dangerous realm filled the rat paladin with dread and panic, that he needed to reach out and commune with Gaaphadur. He prayed to the goddess for guidance for their venture into Shadowfell.

Stormclimb’s prayer came to an end, as Anthony lead the Mismatched Mavericks to the middle of the Sacred Grove. The center of this location appeared to be a graveyard; similar to the site the team had found the dagger in but with more graves. The sun had finally set at that time, and night had taken over. Anthony briefly explained that the portal to Shadowfell in the mortal realm closes upon daybreak, so the group can’t take too long in the forsaken plane. The team was not at all pleased that the portal was located in such a foreboding area.

The Tigerfolk guild leader brought the group to a mausoleum in the graveyard; disclosing that the portal lied within that particular architecture. Instead of a glowing gateway, the portal to Shadowfell was actually a stone sarcophagus. He told the Mismatched Mavericks they would have to get in and count to five after it closed in order to be transported. Drachdarin and Ander questioned how someone even managed to find a portal like this. Anthony replied that it was actually the monsters coming out of the portal that lead to its discovery. Stormclimb inquired how the guild were warding monsters from coming through. The Tigerfolk guild leader stated that they burned special herbs at censers called Bray’s Shrub, as he handed the same herbs to the group and instructed the team to burn them at the censers in Shadowfell.

The Mismatched Mavericks proceeded into the sarcophagus and laid inside. After fitting together like Tetris pieces, Anthony instructed the party to count to five after being closed in, and then they can come out. The Tigerfolk guild leader closed the stone lid on top of the team, and Drachdarin started counting down to five. After counting and pushing the lid off, the group noticed they were still inside the mausoleum but without Anthony this time. The Dragonfolk fighter immediately stuffed the special herbs into the censers inside the tomb and lit the herbs.

Stepping outside to restock the other censers, the Mismatched Mavericks gazed upon at the realm they had just traveled to, Shadowfell. The landscape was empty with only graves and dead trees; the opposite of the Sacred Grove. The forsaken plane truly was an inversed version of the mortal realm. The world was cold, everything was grey, and the sky was dark. Flakes fell like snow from the sky, but they appeared to have more of an ash-like substance.

With all the censers taken cared of, the Mismatched Mavericks closed the lid to the sarcophagus and the door to the mausoleum. They then made their way down the path out of the Unholy Grove, as Drach used a stick of chalk to mark the tree and keep track of their path. At Drachdarin’s suggestion and with Stormclimb’s help, Ander was able to navigate the group through the mist and fog to Shadowfell’s version of Redemption city.

The Mismatched Mavericks trekked through a muddy field and came upon the walls of the city. The Tigerfolk monk wanted to go into the city and explore, but the other party members outright refused to go inside. The city seemed too suspicious, so the team opted to go around and follow the city walls to the river. Drachdarin continued to make sure to mark the walls with his chalk; preventing any chance of losing their way back. The houses and buildings that existed outside of the mortal realm’s Redemption were replaced with mass tombstones in this forsaken plane. The tombstones had family names engraved on it and were placed at the front of where the buildings would be. Behind the tombstones, the rest of the plot of land for those buildings were mounds of dug up earth like newly formed graves.

Passing through the road leading into the twisted city and the guild, the Mismatched Mavericks noticed the road was paved with black, cracked stones and randomly lined with small piles that had a skull stacked on top of each of them. They also spotted an abandoned wagon on the road but kept their distance. Ander pointed out that there were boxes on the wagon that seemed to be covered in a mysterious liquid-like substance and horse-shaped corpses laying on the ground behind the wagon. The party decided to ignore the wagon, because the scouting team would not have been able to bring horses to Shadowfell and was most likely not the site where the scouting members went missing. The Dragonborn fighter also mentioned that if there are corpses then there would have to be something that made them.

The Mismatched Mavericks continued forward past the road and were met with muddy terrain again. The level of the mud nearly went up to Ander’s knees but did not seem to bother Drachdarin. Stormclimb would have drowned, so he rode on top of the Tigerfolk monk’s shoulder. It took time to safely trek through the uncomfortable mud with Ander’s navigation and made sure to not get too close to the city walls. The reason why was because a black icor was now bleeding through the walls, but they also could not stray too far into the muddy field due to suspicious mounds moving through the mud. The team then found their way to another road that led towards the frozen Owlhawk River. As they made their way towards the river, they spotted the location of where Ye New Cabaret would be had been replaced by more graves and a few child-sized graves. Reaching the frozen Owlhawk River, the party spotted the bridge from their mortal realm had corpses strung on their arcs with nooses. The rat paladin commented that he missed having Beaker around to scout the area for them.

Deciding to not cross the bridge, the Mismatched Mavericks followed the frozen white river down south to their destination. The dismal world felt overwhelming for Stormclimb that he was not as aware in that moment as his companions. He offered another prayer to Gaaphadur for more blessings, but he could not at all feel her connection in the forsaken planes.

Meanwhile, Drachdarin and Ander pointed out many corpses frozen in agony beneath the surface of the iced river. The two were able to spot a few members of the scouting team amongst the dead bodies trapped in the river. It was Leileen the Senfeadhain and Anton the Dwarf; appearing to have drowned with their faces pressed against the ice.

The rat paladin asked his friends if they should break out the bodies, but his teammates were against that idea. The reason being that there was no telling what would happen if they broke the ice. Stormclimb used Divine Sense but could not detect undead or fiendish energy from the frozen corpses. However, he could feel that same energy permeate throughout their environment.

The Dragonborn fighter then pointed out the shiny trinkets, broken pots, discarded toys, other junk, and a book trapped beneath the icy shore. The awakened rat and Tigerfolk monk immediately denied the thought of trying to retrieve the interesting objects; noting at how it was such a blatant trap. Drachdarin huffed in disappointment, as he hammered a piton and stabbed an unlit torch into the ground to mark the location of the scouting team corpses. With two members found, that left only the third member to be missing in the Shadowfell unknowns.

As the Mismatched Mavericks continued down by the riverside, they noticed the fog had become thicker. They also began to see gaseous faces materialize in the fog; followed by arms. Drach and Ander powerwalked forward, while Stormclimb readied his Ring of the Ram belt. Multiple fogs appeared ahead of the group and over the frozen river. The only direction the was not covered by the fog was the fields away from the river. The Dragonborn fighter growled that the fog was trying to corral the team into an unsubtle ambush. After voicing uncertainty of following where the fog wants the party to go, he asked the rat paladin about their Divine Sense ability. Stormclimb replied that he was detecting undead energy from the fog.

The Mismatched Mavericks noticed that there were gaps in the fog ahead of them; allowing them to maneuver through the gaseous form without ever being touched if timed correctly. Deciding to take a chance, the team powerwalked through. The rat paladin kept watch behind Ander, which allowed them to go through the fog without being touched. Drachdarin was not so lucky, as the fog consumed him.

Stormclimb immediately used the Ring of the Ram to fire off a ball of force that pushed away the fog surrounding Drach; causing a recoil that nearly sent the rat paladin flying off Ander’s shoulder. The Dragonborn fighter appeared lost in his mind, as the rat paladin called out to him. Drach could only tremble for a few seconds before coming back to consciousness. Stormclimb could see fear in Drachdarin’s eyes, as the Dragonborn fighter appeared to succumb to a panic attack. Drach jogged up to the group, and the awakened rat did his best to calm down Drachdarin by talking him about the things that calm the Dragonborn fighter.

After Drach was talked out of his panic attack, the Mismatched Maverick ran down further down the riverside. The team soon noticed that the fog had limited movement speed and would give up the chase after a certain distance showed the fog would never be able to catch up. A great relief came upon the group, as they spotted a windmill on the side of the river and not too far away.

The Mismatched Mavericks got closer to the windmill but were horrified by what they saw. The windmill blades were made entirely of bone, and the windmill quadrant walls were made of stretched skin. Concerned about what traps laid inside and for his friend’s wellbeing, Stormclimb asked Drachdarin if he should be at his teammate’s side. The Dragonborn fighter tried to refuse, but Ander insisted. The rat paladin then climbed onto Drach’s head to pilot him; using Drachdarin’s horns as makeshift joysticks to move the Dragonborn fighter around.

Arriving at the doorless entrance of the windmill, the Mismatched Mavericks noticed the stretched skin walls of the windmill was dripping a mysterious blood-like liquid. The windmill itself gave off a horrible, foul stench, as Stormclimb tried to tell himself and the group that the building was probably bleeding fruit punch or foul strawberry jam. Drachdarin joked to Ander to lick liquid to see if it really was strawberry jam, but the Tigerfolk monk did not want to get any sort of colored liquids on his white fur.

Looking inside, the party could only see pitch black darkness that appeared to be magical. Neither Ander and Drach’s Darkvision could see through it, and the lit torch they tossed in could only dimly pierce its dark veil. Creeped out, Stormclimb suggested to burn the whole building down and search through the rubble for the artifact. His teammates said no, so he then proposed that they knock out the walls and demolish the windmill. The Dragonborn fighter tried to decline from the idea but then punched the wall at the rat paladin’s pressuring. The stretched skin wall did not break, but it did bleed the mysterious red liquid onto Drach’s hand. Disgusted, Drachdarin wiped the red icor onto his pants. Stormclimb feared the structured was alive and casted Divine Sense, but he sensed nothing from the windmill. With no other option, the Mismatched Mavericks went inside to find the artifact.

It was very cramped for the three, as the interior was not as big as it seemed. Drachdarin picked up the tossed torch and wandered about; bumping against the squishy walls when straying too far. After a quick investigation, the Dragonborn fighter found a silk tabard with a golden trim, a strange javelin, and a dark bat-shaped cloak. The group then left the windmill at Drach’s request in order to get a better look at the objects. As they stepped outside, the team heard a loud roar.

Emerging from the fields was a big salamander-like creature that hissed at the Mismatched Mavericks. Drachdarin managed to notice the monster before it rushed towards them and alert the rat paladin; allowing Stormclimb to cast Bless on all the teammates. The Bless this time took the form of everybody having a smaller version of Stormclimb’s humanoid figure floating next to them.

With initiative started, the rat paladin made use of his Mounted Combatant feat to redirect most of the attacks meant for Drach to himself. Stormclimb would force his friend to duck from the attacks; causing the rat paladin to be moved at a velocity akin to a rollercoaster. The awakened rat used his humanoid figure eidolon to defend himself when hits were inevitable, but he was able to resist the monster’s disease thanks to his Divine Health. The monster was soon defeated in a short amount of time, and the killing blow was dealt by Ander’s shoryuken uppercut. After the Tigerfolk monk’s last hit caused the monster to break its neck and briefly fly off the ground, the Drach placed his looted items inside the Bag of Holding.

Stormclimb looked at the monster corpse but could not identify what it was. Drachdarin asked Ander how he was doing after taking a big hit from the creature. The Tigerfolk monk answered that he feels like something has been imparted in him from the cut and needs to be cleansed. The rat paladin used his Lay On Hands to cure Ander of disease. To which the teammate immediately vomits up a small tadpole squirming amidst the bile. Stormclimb and the Dragonborn fighter attacked the tadpole without hesitation.

With that disturbing danger annihilated, Drach decided to open the monster’s mouth with the intention of looting a tooth from it. The Dragonborn fighter then noticed a hand sticking up from the throat. It appeared it was a corpse swallowed whole but had not fully passed down the gullet. He then drew the party’s attention to a trinket being held in the hand’s grasp and reached for it. Breaking the fingers that held the trinket in a death grip, he retrieved what appeared to be a broken moonstone cube that smeared in black ichor. He then placed the moonstone cube into the Bag of Holding before breaking the monster's jaw wide open.

Drach asked Ander if the hand belonged to one of the members of the scouting party. The Tigerfolk monk agreed and noted the purple skin on the hand was most likely the Tiefling, Gata. Ander reached in to pull at the hand, as Drachdarin held the mouth open. Unfortunately, The Tigerfolk tugged the wrong way; causing the arm to tear off with a disturbing bone-snapping noise. Stormclimb felt that what they recovered from the corpse was enough, but Drach voiced his insistence on retrieving the rest of the body for a proper burial.

Using a handaxe, the Dragonborn fighter carved open the monster’s stomach to find the rest of the corpse. The creature’s insides were not like the anatomy’s from the mortal realm, but Drachdarin was able to find the monster’s gigantic stomach bag. Disemboweling it open, the contents spilled out an assortment of half-chewed body parts from different creatures and humanoids, pieces of the purple-skinned Tiefling, Gala’s necklace, and 70 gold pieces. Drach retrieved the necklace and gold pieces for the team’s bag before the rat paladin washed his bloody hands with a waterskin. Meanwhile, Ander was checking himself for any other stains on his clothes and fur.

The Mismatched Mavericks took a moment to reflect on their situation. The time they have spent in Shadowfell had been about three to four hours. They also felt that the mystical object they were sent to find was most likely amongst the loot they had recovered. With the portal soon to close on them, they decided that the next course of action would be to head back and take a shortcut through the city in order to return to the sarcophagus.

### Other Information

The reason why Stormclimb has that name is due to his soft grey fur that is dark like a stormy cloud and his skill in climbing.

Treat Stormclimb with respect, and he will do all he can to help. He recognizes he's not powerful enough on his own and sees himself as more of a team player rather than a leader.

Stormclimb's deity is Gaaphadur.

Since joining his new team, Stormclimb has unlocked a power that summons a glowing humanoid being that assists by attacking with him to even the playing field. This humanoid being appears for only a moment to dish out a rapier attack before immediately disappearing. It was at first what seemed to be a trick of the mind for the paladin but has become more apparent in its existence the stronger Stormclimb becomes. It has even assisted in brewing the rat's tea; empowering it to give the paladin and his teammates a slight boost in their capabilities during the heat of a battle. This being is capable of casting Divine Smite in an explosive form by rapier stab followed by an explosion of radiant energy bursting on the other side of the enemy.

Relationships with Party Members:

Stormclimb - 🐯😇 -> Ander

Stormclimb enjoys Ander's company due to monk's peaceful nature and respecting the rat. The most notable moment for the paladin was when Ander showed compassion to the rat's slow speed of 10. They charge together in battle with Stormclimb riding on the Tigerfolk's shoulder and attacking those that come close. Ander is very powerful and quick on his feet; pulling off attack combos faster than the rat possibly could. Since session 3, Stormclimb's view of this friend has slightly declined as Ander voiced his wanting to deny a non-rewarding quest involving the saving of a child from being traded over to evil forces. *Stormclimb will remember this.*

Stormclimb - 🐲😎 -> Drachdarin

Stormclimb calls Drachdarian "*Drach*" for short. He sees Drach as the muscle of the party as well as the majority voice of their group. He thinks the fighter is an enjoyable teammate and one who can definitely back up what they say. Despite the extreme height difference, the Dragonborn does not treat him lesser and has even complimented on how the paladin fights. Since session 3, Stormclimb's view of this friend has slightly declined as Drachdarin voiced his wanting to deny a non-rewarding quest involving the saving a child from being traded over to evil forces. *Stormclimb will remember this.*

## Appearance and Equipment

#### **Appearance:**

Stormclimb has grey fur that is soft to touch and has opposable thumbs. He wears a pink chainmail knight armor with a rat-shaped knight helmet. Stormclimb wields a shield and rapier at the ready, and he carries a tea kettle on his back like a backpack.

#### **Equipment:**

* Martini(Silvered Rapier)
* Shield
* Javelin(x5)
* Mythril Plate Mail Armor(Pink)
* Explorer's Pack
* Tea Kettle(Medium sized)
* Death Dog Venom