Jeis Hawken

Orphaned, she was raised by an older-brother figure, Jamril Hawken in a thieves guild. He provided for her, supported her, and only wanted her to have a better life. Unfortunately, he was killed on the job, which left her bereft and heartbroken. Wanting to ensure her brother's eternal happiness, she took his name and made a pact with the demon queen Rhyxali in order to one day save her brother's soul from the Abyss. She's never left the city of Phandalin, though she's always wanted to. She has spent her time learning to thieve from her brother, until she decided to make a pact to wield her dark arts in order to save and protect the people she cares about.

## Early Life

Jeis unfortunately lost both of her parents at an early age. Her mother died during childbirth, never getting a chance to know her child. However, she was taken care of by her father until he grew ill. When Jeis was five years old, her father became very sick. Coughs wracked his body, and he could no longer stand to get out of bed. He couldn't work anymore, leaving them with little to live off of and Jeis as his caretaker. With the nearest help being too far to travel and no money to afford it, they were left with few options. Jeis turned to pick-pocketing and thievery to put food on the table. She was at his bedside until he passed. She was not able to bury him, as she was too weak to dig or lift the body, and she knew that if she were to notify anyone, they would take her away. So, she took to the streets, fending for herself the best she could. She did this for a year before she was taken in by Jamril.

## Life with Jamril

While Jeis was weaving her way through the market stalls, pilfering her dinner from unaware merchants, she ran into some trouble. One merchant was more perceptive than she thought, cornering her about the bread she stole and backing her into a corner. When suddenly, a voice came from behind the merchant, a lanky 14 year old boy, Jamril Hawken, claiming to be her brother. The story made the merchant back off, and while Jeis was grateful for the out, she would never show that weakness. She was impressed with his cunning and skill, so she asked him to teach her. He initially declined, informing her that he didn't need a child following him around. However, Jeis was persistent, and followed him until he gave in and eventually agreed to teach her a thing or two.

The two ended up forming a bond to rival that of blood siblings. The two were inseparable. Jamril introduced Jeis to the Theives' Guild, which is how they made their living and got themselves off the streets most nights. They lived and worked together for the next seven years, Jamril taking a young Jeis under his wing and caring for her like a younger sister. That was until one night, they ran into trouble on a job. They were breaking into a home, when the owner was unexpectedly armed with a crossbow. After a small scuffle, Jeis grabbed the crossbow and threatened the owner as to protect Jamril. She fired off a shot but unintentionally hit Jamril in the stomach. This panicked the owner, allowing the two to escape. The two spent the night together, not suspecting it was any more than a normal arrow wound, but neither realized the arrow was poison-coated. Jamril died in his sleep that night. Jeis buried the body in their small camp in a grove outside of Phandalin, deciding to take his last name, Hawken, as a tribute to honor him. She stayed in the grove for three days, not knowing what to do without her brother.

## The Deal

Jeis eventually made her way back into town. She ended up at the local pub, Stonehill Inn. The man who ran it—Liam—was always kind enough to her. He always put up with her antics and didn't baby her, which is what she needed after the loss of Jamril. For the next three months, she would spend her days at the pub, playing poker and swindling patrons out of their money, messing around with Liam. Eventually, Liam overheard patrons talking about Jeis and how she was homeless. After discovering this, he offers Jeis a bed at the Inn, free of charge. She is reluctant to take it initially, only staying on certain nights. This went on for another three months until one day, Jeis discovers something. One day, Jeis notices a traveler reading an ancient tome that peaks her interest. She challenges him to a poker game and wins the book. It was a book of dark magic, detailing high level illusion magic, necromancy, and how to contact demonic entities, some with the power to bring back the dead. For the first time in a long time, Jeis had hope. She was determined to bring her brother back. She threw herself into studying this book, learning about an entity called the Pale Night, the Mother of Demons. She reached out time and time again, going as far as intricate sacrifices and rituals to make contact with the White Lady. Jeis had no idea what she was getting into, the Pale Night not having associated with mortals for millennia and Jeis a child with such hubris to try to contact the Queen of Demons herself. She was insatiable in her desire. She went as far as disappearing into the woods for a week, preparing a rigorous and powerful ritual to contact her. Each time, she failed. When she returned from her week-long magic bender, that night she fell into a deep sleep. A woman appeared to her, offering to make a deal, telling her that she had no chance with the Pale Night, but that she had potential. Jeis sought every opportunity if it meant getting her brother back, and she sold her soul to the mysterious woman, Rhyxali. When Jeis returned from her disappearance, Liam was fraught with worry for the kid, immediately taking her up in a fatherly embrace. They don't talk about it, but Liam insists she stays at the inn permanently after the scare. Jeis finally agrees. At the start of the campaign, Jeis has been living with Liam permanently for a month.

## The Campaign

### Joining the Party

As it is the first of the week, Jeis has her weekly meal with Rhyxali. They catch up, and the demon tells her to follow when she is given a sign. Jeis then goes about her daily routine, milling about the Stonehill Inn's tavern and hustling some random travelers in a game of poker. That is, until a large grey-skinned man walks in, the doorframe splitting and cracking above him upon entry. He comes over to the poker table, and Jeis, noting that he may be of interest to her, invites him to play. The man introduces himself as Torhd, and decides to play a few rounds. Jeis easily wins, and as the two other travelers leave, the table splits under Torhd. Jeis takes this as a second sign from Rhyxali, but it unfortunately gets the attention of two others as well: Reytna, who had been watching this entire encounter from across the tavern and Liam who was distressed by the destruction of his property. Reytna comes over to investigate the strange interactions, when Liam comes over to fret over his table. Jeis, understanding that she needed to get close to Torhd--or at least get in his good graces--decides to take the blame for the table. Jeis gives Liam half of her "earnings" (what she stole from the travelers and also Torhd's buy-in from the poker game). He accepts as a coverage fee; however, he asks Jeis, Torhd, and Reytna (who had just so happened to be nearby when Liam came to interrogate the crew) to do some contract work for the city in exchange for the rest. At this point, Banks, an old friend of Liam's , stops by the inn on his way to Neverwinter. He asks Liam for any information on a group of travelers that he is following to Neverwinter, and in exchange, Liam asks him to accompany the party on their work for the city, especially since Jeis would be with them. He agreed to lend his healing abilities to the crew and decided to set out the following morning.

They decide to check in on Adabra, a lady living in a windmill on Umbridge Hill on the outskirts of Phandalin, about the threat of a dragon in the area. Here, the crew runs into a manticore attacking her tower, and they decide to take it on themselves. The manticore proves to be a formidable foe, almost taking the lives of both Reytna and Jeis. The manticore seems to let on that it knows something about Jeis' past, taunting her that she will die "like her friend." In fact, she quite nearly does, as the manticore spears her directly through the abdomen, in the same place Jamril was hit by the arrow that took his life. As Jeis is fighting to stay alive, she hears her brother's voice telling her that it's not her time. Torhd is able to behead the manticore while Banks is able to bring Jeis and Reytna back, barely. After defeating the beast, they discover that Adabra had been harboring a young half-orc child, Korgu. They try to convince them that they are safer in town, but Adabra fears for Korgu's safety given the public's violence and mistrust toward orcs. Despite the dangers, they decide to tough it out on their own. The party, feeling accomplished and bonded by a near-death-experience, decide to report this back to mayor Wester.

### The Rescue

The next morning, Jeis dreams of her time with Jamril. They are walking through a market square, and she begs him to let her help with his next job. He amuses her by letting her cause a distraction while he works. When she awakes, she learns that Liam has left in the middle of the night without saying a word. Feeling distraught, she checks his room for any sign of him. She only finds a quickly scrawled note that says "Will Be Back." She also searches his drawers and finds a small key that she keeps. That morning, the party sets out to accompany Phihana to rescue two of her group members after their party was attacked by bandits. After gearing up (and some thievery on Jeis' part), they set off for Leilon. Phihana tells them more about the members who they are going to rescue: Finn and Rune. As Phihana tells more about them, Jeis realizes she knows who Rune is. Jamril worked with Rune in the Thieves' Guild, and Jeis was always jealous of the fact that someone else her age was able to get in and work with her brother, while he never let her even try. Phihana then takes them to Crusty's Tavern, where they meet the adventurers Porter and Tar'an. They had run the group of bandits out of town, and had located their base of operations. The two guided the party to the bandit's hideout, a cabin on the outskirts of Leilon. The group sneaks inside, finding a dungeon hidden behind a trick wardrobe. There, they find two prisoners: Azariah and Rune, both too close to death for comfort. Banks and Phihana are able to heal them both, stabilizing them enough to escape. Rune is distraught over the loss of Hemm, and explains that her and Finn were separated. Rune is able to expertly sneak out of the cabin, but the rest of the party is forced to fight their way out, fighting off the skeleton crew left at the base. Already feeling incredibly jealous of Rune, Jeis didn't like watching her effortlessly do something she isn't good at. She took some of her anger out on the bandits, and afterward, Rune innocently comes to talk with her. She tries to introduce herself, but Jeis explains that she already knew who she was thanks to Jamril's talk about the guild. However, when Rune asks how Jamril is, unaware of his passing, this sets Jeis off. She snaps at her and storms away, leaving scorch marks as she expels some her energy in a bit of violence. Afterward, the party decides to take Rune and Azariah back to Crusty's Tavern to recoup. Jeis and Rune avoid each other the entire time. That night, a crow comes to visit Jeis. The crow is carrying a letter from Liam explaining to Jeis why he left. He reveals that he is on a mission to kill his father, the leader of a brutal orcish gang that he had unfortunately been involved with in his youth. He also tells her that there is a basement under the inn which holds his important documents and legal will, as he is prepared to not return from his trip. Jeis promptly sends the crow back to tell him that he's being reckless and that he better not die. She can't handle losing any more family.

### The Road to Neverwinter

The crow is back by the time Jeis wakes up the next morning, this time with two letters: A reply to Jeis and a small parcel of flowers for Banks. Reytna suggests to Phihana that because there was one more location marked at the bandits' hideout, there may be one more attack that they should try to stop. Additionally, Phihana asked our adventurers to stop back by Phandalin to check if Brolselle and Torbjorn had been reunited. The party decided to briefly split, Reytna, Phihana, Porter, and Tar'an going after the bandits, and the rest of the crew to head to Phandalin. When they returned, they found that Torbjorn had made it to the Stonehill Inn. That night, Jeis decides to use the key she found to investigate what Liam had waiting for her in the basement. There, she finds relics from the man's past, including two sets of damaged orcish armor, a giant obsidian battleaxe with battle damage, two sending stones, an old scarf (which Jeis promptly takes for herself to wear as a keepsake), and a desk full of Liam's paperwork. On the desk is Liam's written will, in which he designates everything of his is to be left to Jeis. Refusing to entertain the idea of Liam not returning, she leaves the will in a secret compartment inside the desk. On her way back in for the night, she runs into Rune who is also sneaking back in the middle of the night. She also decides to send one of the sending stones to Liam, updating him on the plan and telling him (threatening him) to keep in touch.

In the middle of the night, the party is woken up by a fight happening in the tavern. Banks and Torhd rushed downstairs to discover that Torbjorn had brutally attacked Brolselle. During the fight, it was revealed that this was not the real Torbjorn but was a doppelganger who had taken his form. The rest of the party, including Jeis, was slowly woken up and joined the fight. Rune tries to intimidate the doppelganger, and Jeis goes to back her up. Rune surprisingly gasses her up with a compliment, and Jeis appreciates it. She realizes that maybe Rune's kind of cool. After being struck down, Brolselle begged Banks to revive the monster in the hopes to discover the fate of the real Torbjorn. Banks agreed, and after an interrogation, the monster revealed that Torbjorn could be found in a cave just outside of town, but did not have long. The party rushed to rescue him, patching him up and finally reuniting him with Brolselle back at the Stonehill Inn.

The party leaves Azariah at the Stonehill Inn as they continue on their way to meet Reytna and Phihana in Neverwinter. On the way, they pass an old man begging for coin. They are wary, but Torhd and Torbjorn decide to give their coin and help the weary traveler. They make it to Neverwinter, running into missionaries for the Golden Sun before finding an inn, The Shining Serpent, to spend the night. Rune seems to have history with the owner, Khloe, as she makes herself right at home in the kitchen. The two kids' picking at each other escalates into a food fight, the kids laughing and enjoying each others' company. During dinner, Jeis goes to check on Torhd, who is meditating with his memory box. The memory, a vision of himself brutally fighting off hordes of men as a part of a militia, overwhelms him and he runs out of the building. Jeis, curious, touches the box and is privy to view Torhd's memory as well. The sensation is a lot, making her sick to her stomach as she vomits on the floor. She also convinces Rune to do the same, and Banks inadvertently activates it while trying to pick up after his party. The two kids go to try and comfort Torhd (in their own way), by gassing him up and telling him how much of a badass he was until he decides to come back inside.

Later that same night, Rune and Jeis decide to go out and have some late-night fun. They decide to visit The Docks of Neverwinter, an area known for its night life, that Liam said he had spent a lot of time in during his youth. Using the sending stones, Liam suggests they hit up Barley's Tavern. After a round or two of ale, Jeis decides to make a bet with the owner, Barley: If she wins at poker everyone gets a round on the house, if she loses, she has to work for Barley. Overly confident in her abilities, Jeis wipes the floor with the casual players at the table. As Banks and Torhd enter to collect the children, the tavern erupts in cheers as Jeis announces her win to the crowd. On their way out, Barley offers Jeis a gig running tables in the future. On the way back, the two girls pass out, very drunk, leaving Torhd and Banks to carry them back to their rooms and tuck them in.

The next morning, Jeis goes to wake Rune up only to find that she is still as a corpse. She runs to grab Torhd, as Banks had left for the morning, and panic. They decide to take her to a doctor in town. They go to a cleric's office in town, which Jeis fronts the bill for, only to be held waiting for about 3 hours and sent away with no help. Jeis gets pissed, and she decides to forcibly get her money back. They, of course, catch her and throw the group out into the street. As the cleric calls for guards to arrest Jeis, Banks happens to witness the chaos, ushering them away quickly. He takes them back to the Shining Serpent to take care of Rune, who had been marked by an oni. Banks manages to help her regain consciousness, but soon realize that the old beggar man was truly and oni who would be hunting the party. They all decide to stay awake so that the oni could not claim them in their sleep, shutting down the inn and waiting for his arrival. While they wait, Reytna and Phihana return to the group and fill them in on what they had learned about the cult of the Golden Sun. When he came to claim is prey, he throws around insults about Rune's family (Jeis had noticed Rune's surname, RedDawn, on several shipping containers around Neverwinter), which sets her off. The party defeats the oni, but unfortunately Khloe is less willing to put up with their antics, kicking them out of the inn. Phihana escorts the party to the Tymora temple for the night. She goes to take Rune back to the rehabilitation program, but both girls beg for her to stay with the party. After a promise from Banks to look out for her, she reluctantly agrees.

### The Golden Sun of Neverwinter

In the morning, Jeis and Rune decide to poke around the temple. They find a lever contraption that leads down to a secret armory where they find armor and weapons emblazoned with the symbol of a golden harp. They decide to steal some daggers and Jeis takes a protective cloak. Rune reveals that she was issued the same cloak from the Sacred Harp Rehabilitation Group. Torhd then takes the group on a detour to help a man by the name of Umeric. The man was dying from a vicious poison, and the group decided to take him to a doctor and help pay for his care. Jeis and Rune then go to the market, as Jeis is looking to sell some of her stolen goods. Rune says that there is only one retailer that would be able to afford some of the specialty items: RedDawn Trading Company. Rune was reluctant to show her face, and eventually revealed that her mother was the owner of RedDawn Trading Co.; however, she hasn't spoken to her in years, before she was imprisoned. After Jeis sells her items, the group has dinner at Barley's. The owner, Barley, let Jeis run the poker table and let Rune serve tables for some extra cash. All in all, it was a good day for everyone.

In the morning, the party visits the church of the Golden Sun. They are met by a group of devotees doing yoga and devotionals on the lawn of the temple. The leaders encourage them to partake in their communion, and they are invited in by the leader, Kohl. He explains that in order to speak to the church leaders such as the Sun Guide or a prophet, they must prove themselves with an assignment for the church. Meanwhile, Jeis sends a spectral servant to investigate the temple around them. She finds and pockets a letter, sealed with a shield emblem, from Reiris Tallfellow to the church leaders, letting them know he would be coming to check on them in 5 days time. She also sends her servant into the basement of the church where she finds a shriveled old hooded man, hunched over a crystal ball with a blue flame. The prophet informs Kohl that the party must travel to The Crags to retrieve a music box.

After 2 days of travel, the party arrives at a guarded orc camp. They send Rune, invisible thanks to Jeis's magic, to sneak into the camp, and she comes out, undetected, with an ornate music box. She describes what she saw of the camp, saying she saw banners marked with a hand. Jeis recognizes it as the same banners in Liam's basement: the banner of the Bad Hand Band. On their return, they open the box. Out comes fountains of water and a giant water marid who introduces himself as Vessel. He explains that he had been imprisoned within the box for the past 45 years, and with some questioning from Banks, discovers that he is his father. They free Vessel from his imprisonment, and ask him to magically reseal the box to take it back to the cult.

They return the box to Kohl, who congratulates them; however, he says that they must wait for the 9th day ceremony before they can speak with the church leaders. Torhd has other plans, however, as he informs Kohl that he in already a member of the church. He shows him his badge, to which he remarks that he has never seen someone as high a rank as Torhd. He guides him downstairs to the prophet, who called Torhd by his former name, Criton. He explains that Torhd brought about his own demise by raising a second in command that was willing to kill him. Meanwhile, Jeis had sent an unseen servant in order to spy on the cult and keep an eye on Torhd. The prophet knows far too much about Torhd and his past, and knowing this, Jeis breaks in and pulls Torhd out to rejoin the crew. On their way out, they are met by Lex and several angry members of the Golden Sun. They immediately realize that they are severely outnumbered, so the party fights their way out of the temple in order to flee the city. They survive on the run from Lex and their crew, making their way through Neverwinter Wood and eventually lose them in the city of Triboar.

### Crossroads of the Fallen

While they flee, Jeis tries to contact Liam every day via the sending stones. She receives no answer. Rune was hit by an arrow on the way out of the temple, and each night Banks tends to her wounds, taking steadfast care of the girl as she heals. After a week on the run, the party is looking grim. They finally stop to camp, and that night, when Jeis tries to reach Liam, she can feel that a stranger is at the other end of the connection. This worries her, but she keeps this to herself until the party is ostensibly safe. That same night, Jeis and Rune share a bedroll, allowing them to have an emotional check-in with one another. At Jeis's questioning, Rune reveals a bit about her family in Neverwinter. Her father is a councilman for Lord Dagalt, and is willing to take any price to stay in his profitable position. Her mother is the leader of RedDawn Trading Co. She opens up a bit about her roguish past, revealing that she was betrayed by an ex-girlfriend and revived before she was arrested.

In the morning, Jeis tells Torhd about her deal with Rhyxali, explaining her interest in Torhd has to do with his past life. She shows him a small wooden doll that Rhyxali had given her, which triggers another memory for him. After eating in Triboar, they decide to book a night at a local inn. Reytna calls everyone together and grabs onto Jeis just as she is pulled into a meeting with Rhyxali. This, in turn, pulls the entire party into a meeting with Rhyxali. The demon queen explains Criton's past as the founder of the Golden Sun and a primary follower of Bha'al. Criton planned to plunge the world into an era of darkness by bringing back Bha'al using a 4-step ritual. They needed to bring back the essence of Bha'al, pervert the innocent (like the Golden Sun had done with their innocent followers), cut the heart out of the earth (by killing the heart tree), and to kill a god of opposition. Rhyxali revealed that the sword had been used to kill Gruumsh, the head of the orcish gods who had helped purge the world of Bha'al in the first place. She tells the party that they must locate Godsbane, the last of which was heard of in Silvery Moon. She tells them that this war affects more than just the material realm. Because she is reliant on the material realm, Rhyxali and the other gods and goddesses are working together to stop this plan. Meanwhile, she is attempting to take up the mantle as leader of hell in the power vacuum left behind by the Pale Night, who has disappeared. Jeis stays behind to ask Rhyxali about Liam. She says she is unable to locate him, but the last place she heard from him was the Rickety Rat Inn in Sundabar. After they return, the group decided to leave for Silvery Moon in the morning. Jeis and Rune blow off steam in town for the rest of the day, but before going to bed, Jeis sends the crow off to look for Liam.

The crow returns the next morning, excited and squawking. He hops around on the map and points frantically between Sundabar and the Citadel Felbarr. Jeis is frantic, because she knows something is wrong and worries for her adoptive father. The crow seems frustrated and hurriedly flies out the window. She takes the map down to Torhd and explains that they have to leave immediately because she is convinced that Liam is in danger. It is a 3 day journey to Sundabar, each day Jeis would check in with "Liam" via the sending stones. The messages would be cryptic and did not sound like Liam. Once they arrive in Sundabar, they enter a sketchy looking tavern with a fight ring outside. Rune decides to partake in the fighting ring, but Jeis is in her head and decides to not partake in Rune's mischief. Rune seems upset, and when they leave, they discover that Rune got really drunk and won consecutive rounds in the fight ring, not without injury. The next night, the party plans what to do if the meetings ends up being a trap. The party decides to be on guard, with 2 members in the woods (Reytna and Rune) while the other 3 go to meet "Liam." Unbeknownst to the others, Reytna and Jeis sneak away and make a deal. Jeis is reluctant to think she's wrong, but she's not stupid. They agree to disguise themselves as one another during the meeting.

They arrive at the crossroads, where "Liam" is sitting against a road sign, accompanied by a large obsidian battle-axe. He steps up to hug "Jeis" (Who is actually Reytna at this moment), who steps backwards, questioning him. They notice that he has blood on his hands, that he refuses to explain. "Reytna" (the real Jeis) and Rune are hiding in the woods, and Jeis can't keep herself from crying because she knows something is really wrong. Suddenly, Torhd reaches out to grab "Liam" by the shoulder, and the illusion shatters. Reiris Talfellow emerges out of the woods saying, "And to think I was going to play nice and offer you a deal of where to find him and his body." This breaks Jeis's resolve, and with a bloodcurdling scream, she hurls a magical bolt of energy straight into Reiris's chest as her illusion falls and she transforms back into herself. Reiris' lackies come out from the woods to join the fight, but the party beats the absolute shit out of all of them. Once they're all downed, Jeis stalks up to Reiris with a hand crackling with necrotic energy, demanding to know where her Dad is. Reiris laughs in her face and whistles, calling a young white dragon to the battlefield. Torhd and Jeis try to intimidate Reiris into answering, but Jeis loses patience, and plunges a knife into his heart, taking him down, just barely alive. After days of being missing, behind the dragon, Jeis' crow flies in, circling over the woods and frantically crying out. Out of the woods, Liam, the real Liam, walks out accompanied by two battle-worn women. He lets out a war-cry and hurls a javelin into the dragon's neck. Jeis can't help but cry out for her dad. She takes the dragon down with a massive fireball before running to embrace her father in a long awaited hug. They then revive and question Reiris, who reveals that Ishku has been confirmed as the high reverent.

Liam explains how he had gone in search of his father, the leader of the Bad Hand Band, Tarfu, in order to kill him like he intended too years ago. Along they way, he had found two of his friends, Aryn and Shoni. Jeis tore into him for leaving her, hurt that he didn't give her the chance to support him and that he would abandon her. They decide to contact Rhyxali together, and they make a plan for her to keep Reiris captive, she just needs time to prepare a space for him. While waiting, they decide to tie Reiris to a tree, leaving Liam to keep watch. Unfortunately, Reiris is able to charm Liam while he is left to keep watch alone, allowing him to escape. After this devastating blow to group morale, they decide to follow Aryn back to the Embassy in Silvery Moon, where she allows them to stay and rest with her two children, Erydel and Herine, and their caretaker Katyr.

### Found Family

The party decides to regroup while staying at Aryn's. They decide to explore individually, some shopping for items, others taking the opportunity to learn more about their magic. Jeis decided to visit the Lady's College in Silvery Moon, where she intimidated one of the professors, a man named Gilcreist, into teaching her a new ritual to summon a phantom steed. They then decide to crash a circus which is in town, at which Jeis learns that she had missed Rune's 16th birthday, in which she was taking a roll in the fighting pit.

In the middle of the night, Torhd decides to go for a walk in the Embassy courtyard. The whole time, he feels as if he is being watched. He explores a clocktower, feeling uneasy, searching for his voyeur. Unfortunately, he only finds rats. He follows the rat back to the streets as it runs into the sewer, only to be startled by an old gnomish man standing behind him. He jumps, smacking the man's glasses off his face. He apologizes, but the man shrugs it off, saying it wouldn't be the first time, "not that Torhd remembers." He introduces himself as Arty, and says that he has been keeping an eye on Torhd and means him no harm. He explains that he is an artificer and scientist, and wants to help. He asks if he remembers anything from "the lab," and calls him Criton. Arty insists that they are friends, and that he'd like to show him his inventions and introduce him to a group looking for their leader. Torhd is very cautious, and does not understand Arty or his use of science over magic. He mentions the prophecy being fulfilled, and that he has been working on a device to help locate Godsbane. He invites Torhd and his friends to the lab, and he agrees to meet the next day.

In the morning, Banks takes over for Katyr in making breakfast and tea. Though her door is locked, Rune picks it open to wake Jeis up. Jeis then goes to look for Liam, but it seems he has run out for the morning. In his room, she finds a book on flower language and meanings. During breakfast, he comes back after a short trip to the market with a bouquet of flowers, to which Jeis makes a show of gagging at "that gay shit." Torhd interrupts to tell the group about meeting an "Art Professor" named Arty who wants to meet with them. They agree to stop by after a quick market run. At the market, they sell some items and stock up on supplies. Rune offers to steal back some of Jeis's sold items in order to make double the profit, to which she agrees to make a distraction. She thinks back to her time with Jamril, where she would cause a ruckus so he could find their next meal, and thinks on it fondly. Jeis tips over a cabbage cart in the road, sending them tumbling down the street and into the river. Reytna is not easily fooled, suspecting foul play, but ultimately lets it go, not realizing that Rune stole back some of the sold goods.

They visit the clock shop, looking for Arty. Torhd immediately begins crying upon entry, After an awkward attempt at comfort from Liam, he drags Banks to peruse the intracte machinations of the clock shop. Meanwhile, Rune decides to distract Reytna while Jeis pockets an expensive looking wristwatch. They are greeted by a kindly woman who remarks how familiar Torhd looks before retrieving Arty. He asks why they are there so early in the day, but Reytna quickly evades, giving the excuse that Liam and Banks have a date to which they sputter and blush. Arty leads them back to his workshop, explaining that he knew Torhd as Criton before he died. In fact, he was the one who brought him back from the dead. He speaks of a group of "followers" who believe that Criton was going to change the world. He leads them behind a secret door and into a speakeasy under the shop. They are greeted by whispers of excitement as Torhd walks through the humble crowd. They are ordered a round of drinks (even Jeis and Rune) while Arty explains Torhd's revival. After finding his body in a mass grave, he brought him back to life only for Torhd to leave. He explains that he has a crystal device that is trained onto Torhd's energy that he has used to keep watch over him. Rune excuses herself to pursue a hooded figure, shortly followed by both Banks and Reytna.

Upon their return, Jeis is drunkenly convincing Arty to use profane slang and Arty asks to show the crew his tracking device. She convinces him that the new cool way to refer to a laboratory is, in fact, "Jizz Palace." As such, Jeis, Banks, and Torhd all follow Arty up to the Jizz Palace, but not before running into his wife, Grish, who is in tears by how much Torhd reminds her of "their boy," Criton. Arty explains that the orb, a moving globe pulsating with entrancing blue light, is a tracking device used to hone in on Godbane's energy. Jeis, in her drunken state, immediately touches it, and is severely electrocuted. After this, Banks banishes her back downstairs.

Downstairs, Liam has taken over serving the speakeasy in Arty's absence, and Jeis is playing fantasy beer pong with Rune. The two get so drunk that they pass out, each being carried back and put to bed by Liam and Banks. Torhd follows Liam as he puts Jeis to bed, confronting him about how he left her. He promises to not leave her again, and asks her to watch her drinking. Once she is asleep, Torhd tells Liam not to make promises he can't keep. He asks him if he plans on accompanying them to search for the sword, and ultimately return to Neverwinter with them. This causes Liam to go into a rage, rampaging outside of the Embassy. He returns in the midst of dinner, and begins to make repairs around the house, including a door that he ripped off its hinges. Before bed, Jeis goes to Rune to thank her for being there. She admits that she hasn't been as happy since her brother died.

The next morning, it's raining. After breakfast, Jeis, Rune, and Torhd come busting downstairs when they hear fighting outside. They are attacked by Lex, who has been tracking them. They discover that they have been followed and watched by Lex for some time now. They fight him off, eventually forcing him to retreat, but before he leaves, he sets all of their horses free. The only one to stay is Torhd's horse, Blossom, who is extremely loyal.

That night, Rune goes to visit Jeis. They reminisce about Jamril, and how he was a rowdy whore of a man, and Jeis loved him anyway. Jeis admits that she used to hate Rune, that she was jealous about the time she spent with her brother and her capability as a thief. She explains the night he died, she was helping him with a small, simple B&E. She had gotten caught, held under a crossbow by the fearful property owner. Jamril, being the protective older brother, got between them and began arguing with the man. Jeis grabbed the crossbow, threatening the man so they could escape. However, he came at her, and in a panic, she pulled the trigger. The poison-tipped arrow hit Jamril in the stomach. At first, he insisted he was fine. They made it back to their camp, laughing and bickering all night, Jamril insisting that he was fine. But he didn't wake up the next morning, and Jeis was left alone. She told Rune how she dug him a grave by their camp outside Phandalin, and she buried him there. Rune tries to convince Jeis that it wasn't her fault, but Jeis is determined that she has to atone for her mistakes. Meanwhile, the crow is stoic and supportive. When Rune leaves, Jeis is crying. Liam eventually comes to check on her, bringing her hot tea and sits by her side until she falls asleep.

With morning comes the realization of just how much destruction the battle had wrought. Banks points out that they should keep moving, given they were tracked to Silvery Moon. He also points out that Liam has his own lose ends to tie up regarding his father. Liam says that after they’ve checked on Arty's tracking machine, they can pursue those ends. They visit Arty and retrieve the orb, one step closer to finding Godsbane. That being said, the party looks to Liam, everyone coming to the consensus to help him find his peace with his father.

### Paternal Resolution

On the way to the Frozen Sea, Liam tells the party about the gruesome War Orcs of the Bad Hand Band who won their respect out of fear. He explains that in order to bring about change, he must challenge his father, Tarfu, one-on-one and kill him in a duel to the death. They decide to make preparations for a big fight, gathering all the resources and aid they have available. Banks and Liam make a request to Vessel for aid, who gives them a magical sand dollar which can be used to summon him on command.

That night, Jeis dreams about Jamril. Only in the dream, she wakes up to find his bed empty, his body gone. He's waiting for her outside by the fire. She tells him how it took her days to dig his grave, days to grieve and even begin to deal with the reality of his death. She says, "This is my hell. This camp. That grave." And he just laughs and tries to make light of the situation, but Jeis isn't having it. She starts to get upset, saying that she's sorry that she can't be there for him, her family. He tells her that he's proud of her, that she has family. This stops her crying, but says that she doesn't deserve his pride until she's able to bring him back. Exasperated, Jamril grabs her by the shoulders and tells her to *look.* There is a flock of crows swarming around them and a black bird tattooed on his hand as he reaches out, and he tugs at her hair. Jeis shoots awake. The crow is sitting on her chest, staring expectantly at her. Hesitantly, she reaches out and tugs at a feather by its temple, and it tugs her hair back. She jolts up and screams, "You motherfucker!!" when she finally puts together that the crow is her brother, Jamril. They bicker, biting and flicking at each other, while Jeis has tears in her eyes.

The next day, the party arrives at the orc camp, atop a rocky hill face and crawling with soldiers. They send Jamril, to fly up and scout the camp. They make a plan to infiltrate the camp in order to get Liam before his father. They rest at the foot of the plateau for a bit, gearing up for the battle in the morning. Banks and Liam take a moment to themselves, in which they finally get their heads out of their asses and talk about their feelings. It's gross dad stuff.

The party scales the cliff, one by one on the back of a skeletal pegasus summoned by Jeis. Banks, left at the bottom for last, takes a second to look behind them, noticing they have been followed. The rest of the party backs Liam as he enters the main tent. He is greeted by his father, who calls him "Lurzol," his given name. Silhouetted behind the tent, on a rocky peak is Reiris, Lex, and Vitale, who the party sees and immediately realize that they have been followed.

Liam enters the tent, standing against his father, Tarfu, a large war-worn orcish man with a skeletal hand welded together with metal spindles. He calls Liam a coward who fled, an unworthy defector with the audacity to try to claim leadership. Many of the orcs jeer at him, but Liam stands strong, looks his father head-on, and charges at him with intent to battle to the death. They slash mercilessly at each other, each hit meant to be a killing blow. The party looks on intensely, knowing the moment they intervene is the moment they fight an army. After a long battle, Liam strikes the final blow, taking his father down before all his men. Jeis and Banks run forward and embrace Liam in celebration. Banks heals him and cries in relief that Liam made it out alive. Though many orcs cheer for their new leader, some call him a "bastard son" and will never accept him. They stand against him, ready to usurp the claim to leadership. Liam smiles at his friends and family, and they join him in battle against those who deny his new title.

In the chaos, Reiris and company finally make it onto the plateau, and join in the battle. It is grueling. The party is overwhelmed and battle-worn. Jeis is forced to call Rhyxali for help fighting off the small army of orcs. Liam falls unconscious multiple times, Banks fighting to keep him in the realm of the living. Torhd and Reiris face off, Torhd reigning victorious, though it doesn't seem real. He crawls atop Reiris's body, wracked with sobs, and repeatedly stabs into him until he physically can't anymore. The battle comes to an end, Lex and Vitale having fled and the defecting orcs are silenced. Jeis and Liam embrace in a hug, as Banks picks up their fallen friends. Decidedly, Jeis raises his hand in victory for all to see, the crowd cheering for their new leader.

In the morning, Jeis and Rune investigate Tarfu's body before joining the orcs around the bonfire. Jeis starts a conversation with one of the bigger orcs, who is not entirely fluent in Common. They share a leg of boar, and he talks about the hunting parties. He says his name is Graman, and talks a bit about Tarfu's cruel reign over the orcs. He tells her how Liam used to be a general under Tarfu before he left the Bad Hand Band. She also teaches him fun slang, who he then teaches other orcs. Jeis thinks it's hilarious. She is torn from this conversation by Torhd screaming at a puddle of Reiris goo. Wanting to help demonstrate that the warlock was dead, she tries to light the puddle ablaze, only to be attacked by wild magic. Banks walks Torhd away to take some time alone. Meanwhile, Jeis has Rune carefully bottle some of the wild magic goo for later. Liam comes out to address his men, and the party mingles amongst the orcs.

That night, the party decides that they're next goal is to follow the orb to find Godsbane. Liam tells them that he won't be able to go with them, as he has to stay with the orcs to establish his new leadership. He does agree to see them to the northernmost camp, however, where he must go meet their leader to discuss succession of power and diplomacy. The next morning, they head toward the camp, where they are greeted by their leader, who calls Liam "brother," and introduces themselves as Lon. They welcome Liam and the party tentatively, but this quickly deteriorates as Lon thinks they recognize Torhd as a former enemy. The orcs raise their weapons, and tensions rise. Banks tries to de-escalate, but they aren't receptive to his peaceful approach. Liam pushes Banks and Torhd back, challenging Lon until he backs down, but things remain incredibly tense. The party is escorted by guards to their respective tents, and Liam goes with Lon to the leader's tent where they do not return.

While being escorted, Jeis talks up one of the guard escorts, Burz, with the translation help of Graman. She charms him into taking her with the hunting party (Jeis doesn't realize she convinced them that she also enjoys eating "long pig").

## Fun Facts

* Jamril taught her how to play poker, and she has his trusty deck of cards.
* Jeis currently wears Jamril's old duster, and considers it one of her prized possessions.
* As of Session 5, Jeis has adorned a red scarf that used to belong to Liam.
* Jeis is canonically lactose intolerant and prefers to drink goat milk.
* Jeis is accompanied by a crow given to her by Rhyxali, later revealed to be her brother, Jamril.