Session 0: Setting the Stage Report

General Summary

We opened with Elara Moondew sailing into Taerneval aboard a ship captained by Savario Fisk. After docking in the harbor for "reasons", he passed her off to Rosula Mistseeker, a small halfling smuggler who sailed Elara to shore and recommended she check out the Crook and Claw, a tavern in the Wooded Warrens. Elara's moth familiar, Alba, seemed excited by the new location and chance for adventure.

We next met Elias Blackthorn as he completed the last stage of his training -- navigating an obstacle course and killing a prisoner while his father, Matthias Blackthorn, and half-brother, Synephus Wrest, looked on. His father showed the barest modicum of approval before walking away, but Synephus expressed surprise that Elias "had what it took" and gave him his first mission: infiltrate a cell of malcontents meeting that evening in the Wooded Warrens (tell them Gorkhma sent you).

Next we cut to a balcony in the administrative district of the city, where Freddie Bubblegrunge and Tadi Lek were breaking into an apartment. After Freddie helped Tadi out with the lock, the pair made it into the study and begin to look for the documents they'd been sent to steal. Not only did they find documents, they found some gold, an important-looking key, and a ledger of some kind.

Over in the University District, we found Dominic Bloodsmith waiting outside the Registrar's Office for his diploma, which had been held up by the university for a significant amount of time. Eager to be done with the place, he collected it and went outside to reflect and read, where he was approached by Professor Zandir Phariel. Zandir inquired about his plans, and offered Dominic a job in "procurement" when Dominic talked about needing to find an internship. Dominic accepted, and Zandir told him to go to the Crook and the Claw that evening. On the way, he stopped by his mother's smithy, where she gifted him a shirt of elvish chain and congratulated him on graduation.

Last, we met Cleira Oestwilde in the middle of a performance in The Dregs. After a stunning performance, she was approached by a small ratfolk newsboy, Birg'l, who informed her that her "cargo" had arrived at port. On her way there, the Godking's voice echoed in her brain, terrifying her and many others in the party. This coincided with the announcement of the Godking's new Citizen Registration and Citizenship Index, a sinister attempt to monitor and track citizens and their behavior. After shaking off the effects of the spell, she made her way to the harbor and met Rosula, who handed Elara off to her.

We all convened later that evening at the Crook and Claw -- pulled from all corners of the city to this small place beneath a hill to do a job for the enigmatic Mama K... an ancient goblin ranger.