First Year Recap

The party first met after having been arrested in the Hallowed City of Haifield. They were brought to an abandoned cell in the bottom level of the prison and locked up in a cell that no one had been placed in for many years. There they found a crazed old man curled up in the corner, who seemed to have lost all grip of reality. Following an odd reaction from the old man, they managed to find a hidden switch that opened up to an old tunnel. Following the tunnel, they found an exit into another building. Here they discovered that they had actually come across the hiding spot of a local thieving  group. With the thieves' help, they managed to escape to the surface.

Just before they left the city, the old man found a bucket that drew his attention. Surprised that the old man had followed them this far, they watched as he placed the bucket on his head. As he did, the bucket became an exquisite helmet, and the old man stood up straighter, and looked years younger. His eyes clear of madness, he introduces himself as Azemis, King of the Gods.

The old man quickly left the party, as they quickly left the city, hoping to escape the city itself before their escape was discovered. They decided to travel to Scatun, the City of Spells. Here they encountered Azemis again, who asked for their help in acquiring another of his prior possessions, currently kept in the Temple of Wizius beyond an impenetrable magical shield. Before they were able to try, the artifact was stolen by someone who was able to break through the magic. The party tried to discover who had taken the artifact, but struggled with finding any clues. They decided to break into the house of a local wealthy man, Robert Cloudfang, to see if they could find any information. Unfortunately, the attempt went poorly, and the group found itself owing Cloudfang a favour, in return for their lives.

In the meantime, the party took on some odd jobs to help cover their expenses. Kallista and Bree ventured out to try and destroy a monster that had been attacking nearby farms. They found the beast, but were killed in the attempt. The remainder of the party were left with the decision to help Cloudfang, or not. They decided to oppose him instead and attacked him, along with the help of a pair of elvish sisters who had joined them. Together, they killed Cloudfang, but were once again forced to flee the city.

After they left Scatun, they discovered that another group of adventurers had helped Azemis reacquire his possession from Scatun, and once again he appears younger, and has regained more of his strength. In return for the help the elvish sisters had provided, the party agreed to help a small town, Newood, which had recently gone through a brutal hail storm.

When they arrived in the town, it was quite empty, and most of the huts had been destroyed by the weather. The few huts remaining were badly patched. While the town was grateful for the party's help in repairing the huts, they had odd rules, and treated the party cautiously. That night, the party discovered that there were some form of creatures that prowled through the town during the darkness. During the days, they worked on repairing the town, while at night they tried to figure out what these creatures were. One fateful night, they were thrown into confronting these beasts as their investigation accidentally created a fire that threatened to burn down the town. Once the party went outside, the beasts grabbed them, and one by one, the party vanished.

They found themselves in a place that looked similar to Newood, but with the sense of something being off. There were others here, and they told the party about the woman named Mistsplitter who had brought them all there. They knew little about Mistsplitter, except that she brought them there, but otherwise was not seen very often. When she did appear, she seemed to flip between a kind, caring woman who provided for these poor folk, and a cruel mistress who was upset that her prisoners were not grateful for their new lives. The party managed to break the barriers around Mistsplitter, and show her how cruel she had been. Wishing to repent for her sins, she returned all who wished to Newood, though some decided to stay.

Returning to the main world, the party decided to venture to the city of Castow. On the way, they heard rumors that a large spear had been placed in the ground and no one could pull it out. Azemis approached them again and told them that the spear was his, but he was unable to get it without revealing himself to Gildite. The party tried to remove it, but apparently only a god, or a creature with powers like a god, would be able to move it. They decided to ask Mistsplitter for her help in recovering the spear. She was willing to do so, but only if the party pledged to take on a task for her. They made the pledge.

Soon they discovered that this pledge had a greater impact than they believed. Once they completed the task, by removing an ancient poison from The Great Tree, they were told that Mistsplitter seemed to have gained some form of godhood. While the true impact of this action is yet to be discovered, Mistsplitter followed through on her promise and acquired the spear from Castow. She returned it to Azemis, who gratefully accepted it.

After Azemis had the spear, the party decided to find a new quest that kept them further from the grasp of the gods. Following a rumor they headed north in an attempt to find an old wizard's tower. They managed to discover the tower, and the considerable amount of wealth located within. Just barely surviving at times, they managed to clear out the entire tower, but were stopped before they could leave. A mysterious man appeared in the room with them, and introduced himself as Ontar. He explained how he had infiltrated the entire nation of Falonde, using the gods' attention on the party to sneak in undetected. He left the specifics of his dastardly plan out of his explanation, but allowed the party to leave.

The party rushed home, desperate to discover the extent of the damages that Ontar had unleashed on the nation. They returned to Mistsplitter's Newood, ready to discuss their next options.