Episode 3: A Blight on All Your Nations
General Summary
The session resumed as the last ended. With a fireball, about to blow all of our heroes into the infinite sands of Manto. Luckily for them, the fireball was directed towards the Emperor and his entourage, not the level one goons that were being questioned on accounts of treason. They survived, if but barely.
Leonidas leapt over the table to save the Emperor, only allowing half of his body to be scorched in the blast while he stood in the way of the fireball, coming out unscathed except for the bits of his clothes that burned off, revealing his vicious V (man's cut). Charles, Valan, and Callisto made their saves while Tyra, Valeria, and Dahlia used the table for cover.
In the corner of the room, near the Speaker, a figure could be seen through the smoke. It wore a hood which obscured its facial features, but two piercing violet eyes could be seen glowing out from underneath the cowl. There was a large circular hole in the center of its chest, through which could be seen a desolate and gray landscape stretching for miles around. As the smoke cleared, its voice could be heard ringing throughout the back of all of their minds, echoing "It begins," before the figure vanished with the smoke from whence it came.
The Speaker and the Matron both appeared unscathed, while the Archmage disappeared in a flash of steam, his simulacrum perishing in the blast. Leonidas commanded the six Accused to meet him in his office in one hours time so that they could discuss what to do.
During that hour, Valeria, Tyra, and Dahlia all went to the Embassy, where Valeria and Tyra discussed the stifling nature of being a part of the royal families. After a few drinks, Dahlia opened up a little more to Valeria, telling her that a large part of the reason that she acts out the way she does is because her sister was chosen as the Matron Select over her. She felt that as the eldest daughter, being one hundred and fifteen in comparison to Vyra's fourty years old, she should naturally be selected as heir apparent, but unfortunately her mother sees otherwise fit.
Tyra visited Remnik and their family in the saferoom beneath the Embassy, followed by a portion of Secret Service. They made an acquaintance with Ricket, the captain of this branch of the service. They filled Remnik in on the situation and Remnik gifted them his flask, accompanied by a note saying that if Tyra needed an out, he could get them one.
Valan, Charles, and Callisto all went to regroup with the rest of the Vanguard, where they filled them in on the situation the best they could, legally. Callisto attempted to pay his way out of the city, coming close to contracting a Pathfinder to get him a Gate out of the city. After a brief conversation, Charles felt the same, as did half of the remaining members of the Vanguard. After some more deliberation, Aliyah and Valan managed to convince Charles and Callisto not to take the Pathfinder up on his offer, but most of the Vanguard still followed through, returning to Sirenwall.
Meeting back up with Leonidas, the Accused gathered in his office. It was very cozy, all things considered. It was filled with warm lighting which was unbefitting of the current mood, with a small coffee corner and reading nook inside, as well as an intense war table with an arcane map set into the center, over which Leonidas and an unfamiliar woman argued.
The eladrin woman introduced herself as Lythea of the Tuatha de Danann and said that she came here with Leonidas when he was still called Eumoras. She is from the Summer Court of Queen Titania and King Oberon, and she was sent here to ensure the security of the Summer Court's interests in Aurelia. She was very clear that it was not interference, just lobbying, so it very technically does not break the Accords.
Leonidas filled the group in on the situation. The Signatures have sanctioned the team of Six to work together as a coalition to investigate what has happened. Currently, as it stands, whether or not the world goes to war rests solely on the outcome of this investigation. The Matriarch is just about ready to go to war with the rest of world, primarily the Baerwood and the Fulminarian Empire, the Rose Protectorate has retreated into itself as it does in times of conflict, the high elves of Illemnor have warned him that the sun elves of Illemnor have used this event as a reason to call for war with the Theocracy, for whatever reason, and rumor has it that Dur Boldohr is spinning up the Eldritch Machines to get a head start on warforged orders, for when "Inevitable War Comes Again."
So they really need to track down the Vagabond to find out who paid him to do all this so that if there is going to be a war, they can at least put the right nation to the sword.
After some deliberation, it is decided that the group will travel north to Sirenwall to convene with Synod, the Vagabond's second in command, to find out if Idris had told him anything or if he knows of any safehouses he might hole up in like the little rat man he is (that is a direct quote from Lythea). They have inn stays that will be covered by the Empire, or if need be they can invoke the Fey Right of guest friendship, Xenia, and stay with anyone on the road.
Before leaving, the heroes stopped by the Praxean League's guildhall in Helorus to get equipment for the road. They all joined the League, except for Dahlia, and Pruitt the Doorman filled them in on some of the League's lore; the contracts and services they offer, the widespread outreach their organization has, the labyrinthine depths of the Temerant, life insurance policies, and of course the Sheep Right. Inside, they met Marius, Darius, and Aquarius who provided them with new items or fixed old broken ones.
If you have made it this far in the recap, message me on Snapchat and tell me what Manto is for inspiration going into next session (Hint: it has to do with one of the gods).
On the road, the party runs into an issue with small catlike creatures called "gremishka" which appear to be attracted to magical things and have strange reactions to spells when cast around them. After a few run ins with them, they meet another traveler on the road, a druid by the name of Menandre, who told them that some sort of magical disturbance in the forest was making the gremishka appear, and he was looking for the source of it. After giving Tyra and Dahlia Fey Shrooms from his hair to help on their supposed vision quest Charles said they were on, he happily went along his way.
After another nighttime encounter with the gremishka, during which one of them exploded when hit by a spell and turned into a swarm of the little buggers, the farmer they were staying with pointed them in the direction of Grimma, a local apothecary who was trying to determine the source of the creatures. She asked them to help, saying she would pay them in healing potions, and they set off to find the source.
After some expert tracking done by Valeria, the party was able to find the circle of standing stones which the gremishka seemed to be coming from. Examining the ten stones, they appeared to have room for some sort of magical writing, as the moss didn't grow in certain regions of the stone, but the runes could only appear under the light of the Aurora Totalis. In the center of the circles was a crater of strange proportions.
The party waited for nightfall before finding a group of darklings which were using the circle for some sort of summoning ritual. When the Aurora was at its zenith, the runes glowed their brightest and the crater filled with swirling dark ichor, into which the darklings threw a wizard. The party made combat with the darklings and the gremishka that came out of the swirling Darkness, during which Grimma was struck by one of the darklings' death flashes, infecting her with Dark Blight.
After combat ended, the pool drained, leaving behind the body of a wizard, who was still alive but pulsing with Dark Blight. He begged them to kill him. After Valan put him out of his misery, the Dark Blight receded from his body, giving the impression of something parasitic or living in nature, seeping back down into the earth.
The session came to a close as Grimma informed them of what the Dark Blight is; Mage Bane, Wizard Blight, the Dark Curse, which causes debilitating psychological trauma when a spell is cast, and informed them what the symbols meant; the infinite depths, abyss, gate, darkness, and the last symbol certainly stood for an entity, but not one that she recognized.
Leonidas leapt over the table to save the Emperor, only allowing half of his body to be scorched in the blast while he stood in the way of the fireball, coming out unscathed except for the bits of his clothes that burned off, revealing his vicious V (man's cut). Charles, Valan, and Callisto made their saves while Tyra, Valeria, and Dahlia used the table for cover.
In the corner of the room, near the Speaker, a figure could be seen through the smoke. It wore a hood which obscured its facial features, but two piercing violet eyes could be seen glowing out from underneath the cowl. There was a large circular hole in the center of its chest, through which could be seen a desolate and gray landscape stretching for miles around. As the smoke cleared, its voice could be heard ringing throughout the back of all of their minds, echoing "It begins," before the figure vanished with the smoke from whence it came.
The Speaker and the Matron both appeared unscathed, while the Archmage disappeared in a flash of steam, his simulacrum perishing in the blast. Leonidas commanded the six Accused to meet him in his office in one hours time so that they could discuss what to do.
During that hour, Valeria, Tyra, and Dahlia all went to the Embassy, where Valeria and Tyra discussed the stifling nature of being a part of the royal families. After a few drinks, Dahlia opened up a little more to Valeria, telling her that a large part of the reason that she acts out the way she does is because her sister was chosen as the Matron Select over her. She felt that as the eldest daughter, being one hundred and fifteen in comparison to Vyra's fourty years old, she should naturally be selected as heir apparent, but unfortunately her mother sees otherwise fit.
Tyra visited Remnik and their family in the saferoom beneath the Embassy, followed by a portion of Secret Service. They made an acquaintance with Ricket, the captain of this branch of the service. They filled Remnik in on the situation and Remnik gifted them his flask, accompanied by a note saying that if Tyra needed an out, he could get them one.
Valan, Charles, and Callisto all went to regroup with the rest of the Vanguard, where they filled them in on the situation the best they could, legally. Callisto attempted to pay his way out of the city, coming close to contracting a Pathfinder to get him a Gate out of the city. After a brief conversation, Charles felt the same, as did half of the remaining members of the Vanguard. After some more deliberation, Aliyah and Valan managed to convince Charles and Callisto not to take the Pathfinder up on his offer, but most of the Vanguard still followed through, returning to Sirenwall.
Meeting back up with Leonidas, the Accused gathered in his office. It was very cozy, all things considered. It was filled with warm lighting which was unbefitting of the current mood, with a small coffee corner and reading nook inside, as well as an intense war table with an arcane map set into the center, over which Leonidas and an unfamiliar woman argued.
The eladrin woman introduced herself as Lythea of the Tuatha de Danann and said that she came here with Leonidas when he was still called Eumoras. She is from the Summer Court of Queen Titania and King Oberon, and she was sent here to ensure the security of the Summer Court's interests in Aurelia. She was very clear that it was not interference, just lobbying, so it very technically does not break the Accords.
Leonidas filled the group in on the situation. The Signatures have sanctioned the team of Six to work together as a coalition to investigate what has happened. Currently, as it stands, whether or not the world goes to war rests solely on the outcome of this investigation. The Matriarch is just about ready to go to war with the rest of world, primarily the Baerwood and the Fulminarian Empire, the Rose Protectorate has retreated into itself as it does in times of conflict, the high elves of Illemnor have warned him that the sun elves of Illemnor have used this event as a reason to call for war with the Theocracy, for whatever reason, and rumor has it that Dur Boldohr is spinning up the Eldritch Machines to get a head start on warforged orders, for when "Inevitable War Comes Again."
So they really need to track down the Vagabond to find out who paid him to do all this so that if there is going to be a war, they can at least put the right nation to the sword.
After some deliberation, it is decided that the group will travel north to Sirenwall to convene with Synod, the Vagabond's second in command, to find out if Idris had told him anything or if he knows of any safehouses he might hole up in like the little rat man he is (that is a direct quote from Lythea). They have inn stays that will be covered by the Empire, or if need be they can invoke the Fey Right of guest friendship, Xenia, and stay with anyone on the road.
Before leaving, the heroes stopped by the Praxean League's guildhall in Helorus to get equipment for the road. They all joined the League, except for Dahlia, and Pruitt the Doorman filled them in on some of the League's lore; the contracts and services they offer, the widespread outreach their organization has, the labyrinthine depths of the Temerant, life insurance policies, and of course the Sheep Right. Inside, they met Marius, Darius, and Aquarius who provided them with new items or fixed old broken ones.
If you have made it this far in the recap, message me on Snapchat and tell me what Manto is for inspiration going into next session (Hint: it has to do with one of the gods).
On the road, the party runs into an issue with small catlike creatures called "gremishka" which appear to be attracted to magical things and have strange reactions to spells when cast around them. After a few run ins with them, they meet another traveler on the road, a druid by the name of Menandre, who told them that some sort of magical disturbance in the forest was making the gremishka appear, and he was looking for the source of it. After giving Tyra and Dahlia Fey Shrooms from his hair to help on their supposed vision quest Charles said they were on, he happily went along his way.
After another nighttime encounter with the gremishka, during which one of them exploded when hit by a spell and turned into a swarm of the little buggers, the farmer they were staying with pointed them in the direction of Grimma, a local apothecary who was trying to determine the source of the creatures. She asked them to help, saying she would pay them in healing potions, and they set off to find the source.
After some expert tracking done by Valeria, the party was able to find the circle of standing stones which the gremishka seemed to be coming from. Examining the ten stones, they appeared to have room for some sort of magical writing, as the moss didn't grow in certain regions of the stone, but the runes could only appear under the light of the Aurora Totalis. In the center of the circles was a crater of strange proportions.
The party waited for nightfall before finding a group of darklings which were using the circle for some sort of summoning ritual. When the Aurora was at its zenith, the runes glowed their brightest and the crater filled with swirling dark ichor, into which the darklings threw a wizard. The party made combat with the darklings and the gremishka that came out of the swirling Darkness, during which Grimma was struck by one of the darklings' death flashes, infecting her with Dark Blight.
After combat ended, the pool drained, leaving behind the body of a wizard, who was still alive but pulsing with Dark Blight. He begged them to kill him. After Valan put him out of his misery, the Dark Blight receded from his body, giving the impression of something parasitic or living in nature, seeping back down into the earth.
The session came to a close as Grimma informed them of what the Dark Blight is; Mage Bane, Wizard Blight, the Dark Curse, which causes debilitating psychological trauma when a spell is cast, and informed them what the symbols meant; the infinite depths, abyss, gate, darkness, and the last symbol certainly stood for an entity, but not one that she recognized.
Rewards Granted
Tyra: A ring of Wound Closure
Valan: Repaired his old gun
Valeria: A dope new scimitar, with room for improvement
Charles: A longsword of warning Everyone will get two (2) common healing potions upon a safe return to Grimma's cottage.
Valan: Repaired his old gun
Valeria: A dope new scimitar, with room for improvement
Charles: A longsword of warning Everyone will get two (2) common healing potions upon a safe return to Grimma's cottage.
Missions/Quests Completed
Sidequest Complete: A Blight on all Your Nations*
Character(s) interacted with
Leonidas and Lythea: Quest givers with a storied history.
The Pathfinder: A shady figure part of an even shadier organization.
Pruitt the Doorman: Someone get this man a sheep.
Marius, Darius, and Aquarius: Elemental shopkeeps. Just wait until you meet their final sibling, Arius.
Grimma: A practitioner of the arcane arts who can no longer practice, only advise.
The Pathfinder: A shady figure part of an even shadier organization.
Pruitt the Doorman: Someone get this man a sheep.
Marius, Darius, and Aquarius: Elemental shopkeeps. Just wait until you meet their final sibling, Arius.
Grimma: A practitioner of the arcane arts who can no longer practice, only advise.
Notes
*I'm like two for two on Shakespeare references today, this English major is really paying off.
Report Date
29 May 2021
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