Session 1

The story begins in the city of Salt Landing on the continent of Euwesca. It is days away from Springstep and Salt Landing is raucous with eager atmosphere. Long journeys and expeditions are blessed with good fortune if they begin on the day of Springstep. If close enough to the date, many captains will wait the week in a port, happily putting themselves a few days behind schedule in order to honour this ancient superstition.

Salt Landing is the last major port before departing on the ten-week journey to Dyssia. Springstep is a very special festival here. Dozens of crews make use of the towns inns and streets before they depart. Unusual ships of foreign designs crewed by unusual peoples of unknown heritages are prepared. In all the merriment and cavorting, nobody notices a single, small skiff, crewed by a wounded sailor.

12 year old Esmerelda Panettone attends her mother, Clementina Panettone just outside of town where the nomadic peoples have begun to set up what they hope to be a permanent establishment. Clementina reads Esmerelda's fortune, prompting Esmerelda to assist her, but Esmerelda cannot decipher the meanings. During the reading a courier speeds through camp. The courier's satchel catches on a clothesline snagging it, and releasing the contents - a single letter. The letter drifts through the air and falls exactly on top of Esmerelda's third and final tarot card, prior to her revealing it. The letter is blood stained and is sealed only by a pin, Esmerelda decides to open the letter and reads it. The letter directs the recipient to meet where they used to kill the scarecrows. Sheepishly, Esmerelda realizes that this letter is for Marallis "Lissie" Ophiuc, a noble family's daughter, who lives in Salt Landing. After the expressed prompting of her mother, Esmerelda decides to bring the letter to Lissie that night.

Caelestus Nishant, 14, is lost in thought while his father, Aelius, is speaking with him. Cael snaps back to reality when he realizes his father is requesting that he attend a party at the Morafi Manor. Reluctant to attend, Aelius reminds Cael of his duty to represent the church in his absence, as Aelius has other matters to attend to. Cael, relents and promises to go.

Rhea Aves, 15, and her brother Piper Aves, 12, are out enjoying the Springstep festivies. They notice Esmerelda bustling through town, and see another figure closely following behind her. The pursuer, Rhys, is known to be the town bully. Rhys stops Esmerelda and demands money from her, calling her people thieves. Rhea and Piper step in and they have words. Rhys throws a club at Rhea, but misses, splashing Piper. Rhys makes to run away, and Esmerelda tries to trip him but she is unsuccessful. Rhys gives Esmerelda a death stare and an evil smile as he departs.

Piper wants to follow Rhys and beat him to a pulp, but Rhea convinces Piper to instead help escort Esmerelda to Lissie. Upon reaching the manor, they see they will need an invitation to enter the grounds which is segregated by a large hedge. While Piper and Rhea argue about the best way to go about their goal, Esmerelda crawls into the thick hedge, leaving the others behind. Piper crawls after her, but upon getting confirmation that she is ok and that she was not eaten by the hedge, he returns to his sister. Piper and Rhea agree that their mission is accomplished and they decide to return home to check on their younger brothers and sisters.

Esmerelda sneaks further into the manor after tricking some guards at the gate and sneaking around them, where she then begins to look for Lissie.

At the manor party, Cael joins Thomas Aberrich, 12, and their mutual friend Marallis "Lissie" Ophiuc, 12. They watch the pomp and circumstance of the event, with adults dressed in their fanciest attire and the food extravagantly displayed and served. They observe foreigners, many dressed in blue and yellow soldiers' uniforms, with bright feathery adornments, and flamboyant stange hats. They see a man who has drawn a crowd of listeners. He is immaculately dressed in a long red military coat with large cufflinks and is telling stories of his travels to Dyssia. As they make small talk, they are approached by Lissie's brother, Elias. Their father, Oswald had given them each a small allowance to spend in hopes they would purchase drinks and delicacies for visiting foreign dignitaries on behalf of their family. Elias asks for Lissie's share, stating that since Lissie has "no discernable talent", it would be a waste for her to represent the family. She gives in and gives Elias her allowance.

Thomas admonishes her, telling her to stick up for herself. Thomas spots the man in the red military coat and tells the group that they should get closer so they can hear him better. He grabs Lissie's shirt by the cuff and drags her into the swarm of people, with Cael following. The man, Anatoli Ogonek, recounts his exploits across the Singing Sea in Dyssia, speaking of dark entities, and wild and untamed lands. Upon hearing this, Lissie speaks up over the crowd asking about Dyssian plantlife. The crowd parts, looking down at the young girl. Anatoli answers, stating the flora is just as wild as the fauna. There are plants where a single thorn prick may kill or worse, drive their victim insane. Lissie's mother, Julianna steps in and reprimands Lissie in front of the crowd for not showing proper social decorum for a child. Lissie sees Esmerelda waving at her across the crowd, and the three companions walk over to see what Esmerelda wants.

Esmerelda shows the others the contents of the letter. Lissie explains that she and her older sister Olivianna used to go out to the Tulassi Farmyard and knock over the farmer's scarecrows for fun - at her sister's behest. Olivianna had been away for some time. She and her father, Oswald, had take a trip some years ago and Olivianna had not returned. Her father had been quiet on the matter when asked.

While Cael, Esmerelda, Lissie, and Thomas make their way to the farmyard, they are intercepted by Rhys and his motley gang. Rhys demands money. Thomas steps forward and tells them that if their parent's see one bruise on any of his friends, Rhys will rot in jail. Rhys is unfazed and unrelenting. Cael digs some copper out of his back pocket and throws it at Rhys, striking him in the face. Rhys yells that he will pay for what he's done. Thomas retorts that it seems that Cael already has. This aggravates the gang and they encircle the group of four. Thomas tells Rhys any money Rhys takes from them today, Thomas's father, the tax collector, will take back two-fold from Rhys's parents tomorrow. Rhys swings a club down towards Thomas's head and it is parried by a giant sword on its downswing. A tall woman stands before them, dressed in yellow and blue regalia. She remarks on what seems an unfair fight and asks how she can help. Thomas tells her to drop Rhys in the bay. She asks for payment and Thomas gives her two coppers. She thumps Rhys on the head and drags him off as his gang disperses.

Rhea and Piper return home to find that their sister, Robin, is still out. Rhea convinces Piper they need to go look for Robin, to make sure she's alright. Piper agrees. The two split up and Piper promptly goes looking for Rhys instead. Piper finds Rhys but sees that the older boy has rounded up his gang and decided 1 vs many are not good odds. Piper instead makes his way to the docks where many new ships have made port. They look to be carrying construction supplies and many of the same blue and yellow uniformed soldiers can be seen in the area along with their dockhands and porters. Piper challenges an older teen to a pushup contest, and surprising to himself, he loses. Piper sees a woman drag Rhys down to the docks and toss him easily into the bay. He approaches the woman and asks her name. She says she is called Alicia. They converse in which she lectures him that the art of being a good fighter is not all about strength, but that brains are the guiding light the allows you to succeed. Piper confesses that Rhea is this for him. After some time Alicia gives a misericorde, a long narrow knife, to Piper as a gift with the advice that killing innocents is hard on the soul. Alicia receives a message from a crewmember, and she promptly leaves and starts barking orders.

Rhea finds Robin in line at a bakery which is open late because of the Springstep festivities. Rhea urges Robin to return home when she is done getting her pastries, and gives Robin some silver so she can order what she wants.

Cael, Esmerelda, Lissie, and Thomas arrive at the farmyard. Inside the barn they find Lissie's sister Olivianna Ophiuc badly wounded. She appears to have bandaged herself and used salves, but the party is unable to discern the extent of her injuries. Olivianna reveals that she was a member of the Ogonek Trading Company, and a part of Anatoli Ogonek's inner circle. She had escaped the trading company when she stole a Stone Sphere. The sphere is purported to have destructive properties and Olivianna believes it must be kept away from Anatoli. She gives the sphere to Lissie, stating that Anatoli's wizard, Styrmir, will not be able to detect the sphere if it is held by someone with an innocent soul. Olivianna tells the group they must not tell anyone about the sphere, they must keep it safe, hide it, must do everything they can do to keep it out of Anatoli's hands. Olivianna also gives Lissie an amulet made out of scratched silver from an old coin, and tells Lissie to wear it. She apologizes for the danger she has put the group in, but they would be in graver danger if Anatoli finds the sphere. She warns Lissie to be mindful, that enemies will always be enemies, but it is friends that can betray you and Anatoli has many spies. Olivianna believes Anatoli plans to depart on Springstep. As they take their leave Thomas promises never to betray Lissie.

Alicia marches through town, with members of the Ogonek Trading Company following in rank and file, heading toward the Morafi Manor. More members pour out of the manor after she enters, the number of uniformed and armed crew members swelling. The small army marches towards the town square where Anatoli addresses the crowd. He proclaims that something has been stolen from him and that he knows that it is somewhere in the city. He curses them and mocks them. He states that every hour that passes without the town returning what belongs to him, he will be forced to murder a townsfolk. He signals to Alicia, who randomly picks a hapless baker out of the crowd. The crew members overpower the local guards and Alicia cuts down the baker where he stands with her giant sword. Antoli barks for someone to get him a chair, he isn't leaving until he gets his possession back and that this may be a long night.