Halcyon's Journal

9/22/24
 
Empire campaign notes:
 
hangings; many who break magic laws are hung.
soldiers fight with each other; extreme competitive atmosphere
remnants of old magical buildings or remains of "watchers" (no wizard towers)
magic is illegal; was once rare, started to come about, became illegal.
 
Rich live in small, white-washed houses with red tile roofing
Poor live in wooden/mud shacks.
Public spaces are vast and spacious and open to environment, like Roman or Greek public places.
 
Current emperor has reigned for 57 years (87 failed attempts at challenging emperor)
Law dictates that strongest rule (like orc stronghold).
Magic was outlawed when the Xidar family moved to the island.
 
It's the year 4239. The date is the 31st of Mourim. Halcyon was born on Dovinn 32, 4220.
 
10/6/24
 
FIRST SESSION FOR CAMPAIGN TWO!!
 
Cold winter morning in the village of Tathe. Smell of chimney smoke, people bustling.
 
The tavern catches my eye on the way to the Imperial Press. The tavern is the main revenue maker of the village. It is the inn and brewery. The tavern is enormous. Olfin is the name the barkeep and he informs me of the party tonight. Halcyon finds himself a seat and sits to enjoy his toast breakfast. The leader of the Imperial Press is a dwarven man. His name Barnug Dimfall. In order to get a job for him at the press, I have to bring him a great story.
 
Faaron has pink hair, teal eyes, leather traveler clothes, furs, and is a high elf. She is 5'8".
 
Rinku, man, almost middle-aged, scruffy 5 0 clock shadow, looks like a foreigner to the island, olive skin, green gi, 5'10", battleworn, wears a katana, shortbow, definitely a traveler's traveler. He has green eyes (jade?) and is an earth genasi.
 
Asphodel is female, over 6' tall, lilac skin, plum colored hair. underneath a black cloak she dons chainmail. horn protruding from underneath the hood of the cloak.
 
Thancred is a human man with blonde hair. dressed in a vest, slacks, nice shoes, black, etc.
 
The first nat 20 of the campaign was for Rinku to make a con save on drinking Olfin's grog.
 
Faaron and Halcyon go and meet with dad, Whale Song. ; Halcyon knows that the resident of the burned building marched to the beat of his own drum; perished in the fire. Rumor of new drugs, a band of thugs led by The Pyromancer. Rumors of The Pyromancer is that he uses fire magic.
 
After some unproductive investigating of the ruins of the burned house, Faaron and Halcyon agree to work together to interrogate the villagers at the party; maybe someone knows or saw something?
 
The Ice-devil blossom, made from potatoes, is a drink that looks like water and is frosty cold. It is very strong. We hang out at the tavern, waiting for the party to start. There is a bard performing. By noon, the place starts to get packed.
 
There is a group of hooded people that look a little too serious to be at a party. There is a member of this group by each window, and one of them locks the main door.
 
FIRST COMBAT: noticed that every bandit covered in some kind of oil/wax. Asphodel picks up one of the bandits by the chest and throws the poor bastard out of the window, providing an emergency escape out of the tavern. Halcyon does a cool roll over a table to get to an enemy, which he impressed himself with. Thancred blows one of their heads to pieces. Halcyon intimidates the last thug into giving up and helping us clean up the mess. We win!
 
Halcyon learns that the owner of the burned house was named Leroy. We help Olfin and his waitresses/busboys clean the mess. Two innocent lives were lost.
 
The man in charge of the guards is here to talk to us. Before we go see him, Thancred rallies us and encourages us all to work together to pursue these fire thugs and their leader, The Pyromancer.
 
We go outside to meet the military Legionnaire man. He is Subsidiis Hadmyr (Subsidiis is a rank/title). He contracts us to look into and deal with The Pyromancer. We will be paid one additional gold per bandit slain. We will rest for the night and the Subsidiis will meet with us tomorrow morning.
 
Mind-melting Fusion is Halcyon's drink on the house. Asphodel gives Halcyon her drink. That was nice.

The Empire has been at war for 25 years.
 
Thancred buys everyone's rooms. It sounds like Rinku hasn't slept in a bed for a while. Or had a door for privacy.
 
Thancred presses Faaron about working for the Imperial Press, which she admits she does and might be investigating The Pyromancer for personal reasons.
 
Our rooms are very nice; good view, double beds, etc.
 
Olfin drinks his drink, but never seems to pick up the cup. Weird.
 
10/13/23
 
The day is Denday, Mourim 32, 4239.
 
Early morning, it is below freezing temperature, Rinku wakes up first, followed in order by Halcyon, Asphodel, Faaron, and Thancred.
 
(Come up with morning routines for characters.)
 
Tathe is a farming town with their own coffee crops and whatnot. Good ASS coffee.
 
Olfin, the barkeep, seems to know Thancred well. He also pays close attention to his patron's habits and rituals.
 
We discuss each others' business. Rin says he is "soul-searching." Subsidiis Hadmyr left a note informing us that he'd be late meeting us (not until 2 pm). Rin needs to shop for warmer clothes because he recently hailed from a much warmer climate. The tailor shop is called The Tathelor's. Thancred is going to show Rin where it is. Asphodel is tagging along with them.
 
Halcyon wants to go check in at the Imperial Press. Faaron is going to tag along and maybe help Halcyon get a job.
 
Barnug advises Halcyon to actually write the story, not just commit to memory and report verbally.
 
Rin confides in us that he also does some writing.
 
We get to the shop, mahogany door. The tailor is a gnome named Cillbut. While Cillbut is measuring Rin for clothes, Faaron asks Cillbut how tall gnomes can get. Cillbut makes his way to Halcyon, feels him up, and points out to Halcyon that the clothes are uncomfortable on the feathers. I wonder if there is anything Cillbut can do to mend Halcyon's clothes and refit them to be more comfortable on the feathers.
 
Halcyon asks a couple of questions concerning Jenkin's house and The Pyromancer, and Cillbut inform Halcyon that his store is on the other side of town, so he didn't witness anything. However, he did mention that Jenkins was unusual. It is safe to conclude that Jenkins was an odd, quiet fellow that didn't really bother anyone.
 
At the site of Jenkins' burned house; Asphodel can tell that the house was burned from the inside. With further investigation, we deduce that the fire started in the fire and that there is no trace of accelerant. Also, the doorknob was locked and broken from the outside. The forensics suggests that Jenkins sat in the chair through the fire. What could enable or cause Jenkins to remain still while being burned to death? Perhaps, magic was used.
 
We return to The Tathelor's where Rin is wearing his new garb.
 
We go back to the crime scene for the third time (for Halcyon and Faaron, anyways). Rin discovers that the fire had to be magical to produce such extreme heat. While investigating and afterwards, Rin seems disturbed and angry/upset because of the fire.
 
Back at the tavern, Subsidiis Hadmyr finally meets up with us concerning the contract to hunt down The Pyromancer. Eye witnesses report that the Pyromancer and his ilk in the Daystone Rise Mtn ranges, there are ruins of old magic buildings that were demolished. We'll need to stay warm. Halcyon has never travelled like this with strangers. According to contract, we'll be paid 1 gold for each thug/bandit slain and 5 gold for the pyromancer himself. We should bring back the left pinky of any bandits we kill for proof. The Daystone Rise Mountains are about a week of travel away.
 
At Taste Of Tathe, an air genasi Safryn is behind the bar and welcomes us. Here husband, a half-orc named Brerm, greets us as well while Rin ask for work for pay. Brern hooks up Rin with a bulk-up diet for those who are not so affluent.
 
Halcyon lies to his father Whale Song about being commissioned by Subsidiis Hadmyr to hunt the Pyromancer and about the fight that ensued at the tavern. Halcyon's father provides the party three bedrolls.
 
We are officially prepared for our journey.
 
RULES:
(Roll con check every night to determine how safely/well we travel. the further we travel, the higher the dc. Three modes of travel: normal, fast-paced, and stealthy.)
 
First day of travel is stressful, but we get through it. We make it just a little ways out of town. Being out of town, we can finally see Asphodel's horns. She has four, two that are nubbed in the front and two in the back that twist and curve; it is peculiar that she has four. Rin starts a fire and we make camp. Order of watch: Thancred, Halcyon, Asphodel, Faaron, and Rin last. Nothing happens the first night.
 
Next day. It's Vrenday, Mourim 33, 4239.
 
We see rhinos at a waterhole. Nothing interesting happens.
 
Next day. It's Vesiday, Mourim 34, 4239.
 
As we wake up, the wind is faster and throwing limbs around. We have to hunker down because the wind starts hurting us. We travel fast to make up for lost time. We set up camp, and on watch, Halcyon falls asleep. He awakens to wolves at our camp. UH OH
 
next time on Dragonball Z . . .