Esmé
Mother Esmé
First Appearance: June 20, 2022
Campaigns:
1) Monday Night Issylra
Status: Alive
Prelude
At the start of her journey, Esmé was a newly christened Sister of the Lightsworn, undergoing her first pilgrimage which was set for the land of Issylra, accompanied by her noviate, Gabrielle. It is later revealed that Esmé grew up in a convent-like community, raised among the believers of several faiths who shared a singular communal hall. As such, she was raised to have a vast respect for all faiths and deities. She grew a close bond with the leader of the Order, who has been mentioned only as the Elder Mother in-game. Among those who resided there, some came by choice or will, while others (like Esmé) were raised in the community and knew nothing of the outside world. Many times, Esmé has mentioned that her understanding of what Wildemount is is that it is her convent and garden, and she often makes mention of a singular deer or a man who sells clocks on the road when asked to identify where that particular convent is. As a child, it has been revealed that Esmé was treated poorly by her peers and that her only true friend growing up was Pelor, the Dawn Father, who spoke to her from a young age and guided her path toward communing with him. With this connection, she was officially recognized as a Daughter of Light (which made her a novitiate of the Lightsworn Sisterhood, which was a subset of the Sisters of Perpetual Solicitude who devoted their lives toward neutral and/or good moralities of faith and who followed deities of Light). When she was a teenager, Esmé chose to join the full convent as a Sister. Upon taking oaths and vows, the Elder Mother gave to her the name Esmé. It is later mentioned in-game that before this naming ceremony she had only her Tiefling virtue name: Sorrow. At the Elder Mother's suggestion, Esmé agreed to undertake a pilgrimage into the far-away lands of Issylra. Tasked with a novitiate of her own, named Gabrielle, this is when we first meet Esmé in-game. MONDAY NIGHT ISSYLRA
Arch I: "The Road to Vasselheim" Sessions 1-4 (June 20, 2022 - July 18, 2022)
Esmé is first met in-game cozying up near a fireplace, battling a severe case of air sickness that has been brought on by her first official travel from home. She meets Shana first, who notices this about her and begins to forge a genuine friendship. When Wyrmlings attack the airship, Esmé joins with Shana, Mehen and Critters to take them on. The airship is damaged to the point it crashes in Issylra, and Esmé helps defend the passengers along with her novitiate against an onslaught of owlbears and other creatures making their approach to the commotion. After the battle, Esmé becomes one of the four people the passengers look to for leadership (the others being Mehen, Shana and Critters). This group encounters a childlike entity who demands payment in people rather than currency (persons to serve them in exchange for safe passage). Esmé is put in the uncomfortable position of having to barter with this entity, which she at first outright refuses. She brings the news back to the people, allowing everyone to have a vote, unsure of what else to do. Some of the women in the group volunteer to work for the entity. Also, a man who is introduced as a devout follower of Light named Svenrick (a man who gives Esmé two items to bring to Vasselheim: Both in boxes), volunteers himself as payment, too. Esmé attempts to talk this group out of their decision a few times, but they are resolved to their fate, and Esmé accepts this. None-the-less, she feels responsible and guilty for what is happening and it is the first fracture in her own resolve over what is right and what is wrong. The group leaves after paying in people, and during one of the nights which follows a female passenger, Karris, becomes possessed and murders an infant child. Esmé's soul is fractured further by this revelation, especially as she thinks back and feels as though she should have noticed something was wrong. Ultimately, she attempts to redeem Karris rather than seek vengeance upon her. In the third session of the campaign, a wizard named Paellen joins the leadership of this team when he proves himself by slaying a Hag. The other Hag attempts to make a deal, of which Esmé wants no part. She states that the corruption the Hag brings is obvious and will corrupt the child (that the Hag wants). "My safety is not worth that." The next day, the group encounters a large sea creature. Shana makes a deal with it, resulting in her powers being taken away. Esmé opens the boxes she was given by Svenrick later that night and learns of how dangerous these items might be, revealing one to be a Deck of Many Things while the other is likely a Vestige of Divergence. The crew then hunts down and fights a multi-headed beast (Hydra) who manages to escape and get away. The next morning, two traveling dwarves (Miriam and April) come across the crew and inform them that they are members of the Slayer's Take who are hunting that same creature. The team agrees to aid the pair in exchange for a good word to be put in with the Slayer's Take. They hunt down the beast together, defeat it, and notice a strange collar that is attached to it that has unknown arcane magics. They are then escorted into Vasselheim by their new friends. The arch ends as the crew arrives at the profile of the city of Vasselheim coming into view. Arch II: "The Slayer's Take" Sessions 5-8 (July 25, 2022 - August 15, 2022)
Esmé, Shana, Critters, Paellen and Mehen join the Slayer's Take upon arriving into the city of Vasselheim. The Slayer's Take is run by a tiefling woman (guildmaster) named Vanessa and a halfling man named Merchan Zendral. Esmé befriends the elegantly-dressed tiefling woman and finds it fascinating to meet someone who looks like her. Vanessa notices an "air of oppression" Esmé exhibits about her, and she connects with her over that discrimination. She gives the advice that Esmé should carry herself with strength or she will be taken advantage of in Vasselheim. Vanessa gives Esmé an open invitation to speak with her should she ever feel the need to talk. When Vanessa asks Sister Esmé if she is one for slaughtering creatures to sell their pieces, Esmé replies that "the coin is not for me, but I have a use for it." She takes part in a ceremony that includes cutting her palm to mark herself as a member of the group of travelers who survived the airship crash to Vasselheim. This group becomes known as "The Rescued Fallen" and from then on this becomes an official party name for the crew. Esmé takes a group of fellow passengers with her to the Temple of Pelor, where she is to deliver the items Svenrick gave to her. It is the first time she has ever been in an official temple of the Dawnfather (though it appears this is later retconned to have actually been a Temple of Sarenrae). She meets an elderly elf in his thousands, who has a large marble cane/staff (an orb of bone on the top that he rubs gently). The elf looks at the items Esmé brings, one being a collar and the other being the deck of cards. He tells Esmé that the vestige is an artifact he would see locked up to preserve history, but that he would also like to keep it out of the world where bad things could happen. He says it seems as though it "likes" Esmé. "It feels as though the Dawnfather might wish you to have it." He does not force things upon his subjects, so Esmé communes to consider this burden. If she takes it, Pelor informs her that her life will be destined for "great achievements, great loss, great pain." While at the temple, Esmé asks for a favor in regards to the people she has brought along with her. She asks that the elf help them find their way. She tells him about her pilgrimage. The elf asks for a 200 gold donation, and Esmé hands it over without hesitation. In fact, she offers twice as much as he asks. In return, the elf offers the authority to spend 2000 gold to take care of the charges under Esmé. He then asks if the title "Sister" fits well with her. She turns down the offer of a title like "Mother." The man then tells her she should consider that those she serves should make the decision rather than herself. She communes with the Dawnfather and ultimately decides to place the vestige on herself. Shana later chooses Esmé to help her earn her powers back. During their trial, both Marvellous and Variath join the team of heroes. Shana and Esmé eventually come out triumphant. Esmé is offered a chance to join another entity, to get done whatever she wants to get done, but she turns it down. "My soul is already claimed by another, but I thank you." In a way, this might have been the moment that really began to force Esmé to think about power in a different way, though. Esmé notices a strange tension between Paellen and Marvellous (mostly on Paellen's end) and she seeks to inquire about it. She tries to help him and offer advice. Esmé mentions her own past with facing prejudice to try and make a point, but she admits that she hates preaching and doesn't want to alter Paellen's path. Paellen asks about the vestige during this conversation. Esmé mentions Svenrick who gave it to her for safekeeping to take to the temple. She is honest in the sense that one of them is the item. She admits she didn't know what the other item was, but she describes it as a "deck of playing cards" and that it was dangerous. She also admits the item she is wearing feels dangerous, as it could be used for horrible things. She admits she feels the same temptations and isn't immune to them. In Session 7, Critters is possessed and attacks Vanessa. The others attempt to stop him. The crew hunts down those who are responsible. After this, Variath decides to leave the group so that he might pursue other passions. In Session 8, the crew gets officially inducted into the Slayer's Take and must choose their first contract. Shana suggests taking one contract, rather than two, and the team agrees. They then purchase some items before setting out, planning to go to "The Steaming Lake". Esmé spends a great deal of time praying at the temple before she leaves. She meets a Firbolg with pinkish skin and purple hair and reddish brown eyes. He introduces himself as Calla Trass, a paladin of the Left Wing. He has heard Esmé's travels are taking her west, to the North. He mentions a rumor of many lost temples on that path. He state he has the backing of All the Temples (a priestly council) and is authorized to grant her 500 gold a piece for any relics she finds out there. He also states he can offer 1000 gold if a location to the temple ruins is found. Esmé tells him that she is more than willing to help in exchange for the gold necessary to complete the task, rather than for a reward. The paladin asks if she has given any more thought to her order and to the title of "Mother". She says she has and that she thinks there might be a need but she isn't yet certain it is in her future. He gives her a bag of holding, and then they pray together. Calla Trass mentions that if she brings these things back, it will be considered proof of a worthy investment into her Order. After getting breakfast, the team goes to Gilmore's and meets Gilmore, himself. There, Paellen asks Gilmore to help identify the vestment that Sister Esmé has on. He mentions Tiamut created the item and that the last to possess it was one who loved her deeply (obsessed / stalkerish). Esmé asks Marvellous about Nicodranus, as he had mentioned it earlier, and he tells her that he had to leave when he wasn't ready. In his words, he says he, "overstayed my welcome." Mehen reveals he was once a Kobold during this conversation. Other pieces of information that are revealed include that packs of the Slayer's Take are being killed and the people making collars are still out there. Arch III: "Northgard" Sessions 9-12 (August 22, 2022 - September 12, 2022)
The group leaves Vasselheim via the Coastal Road to head toward its first official mission for the Slayer's Take. They trudge through the snow to get there. Paellen mentions to Esmé that she could have changed her allegiance from the Dawnfather to another source. She mentions, "there was nothing to consider." She also mentions she doesn't desire power. But she does mention that she desires to find a "lost temple." "I don't consider that an offer," is what she says to Paellen when he persists of how great an offer it was. The group rescues a general and his family from certain death, fighting off a group of monsters in the snow to reach him. In Session 10, Esmé and the others meet Dewdrop, a Firbolg druid, and together they defeat a group of monsters residing in a cave. They then escort the general and his family (who they met in the prior session) to the town of Northgard and investigate a disturbance there involving creatures who are attacking local crops. It is mentioned that a group was sent to investigate this from Northgard but they never came back. Esmé, Mehen and Paellen go to interview a farmer about the issue. Esmé and Paellen discuss philosophy along the way. He informs her that ambition is not always bad and "safer is not always better". He also mentions that giving into temptation might be a more "authentic" self. Esmé seems to take these words to heart. Mehen accompanies them and helps interview the farmer when they reach him. Later, when the Rescued Fallen fights these monsters, the creatures cause a great deal of damage to the town, including murdering some of the children. Esmé and Dewdrop seem to have an ethical disagreement over the usage of a Reincarnate spell shortly thereafter. Arch IV: "Enter Takhisis" Sessions 13-16 (September 19, 2022 - October 10, 2022)
In Session 13, the Rescued Fallen leave the final Northgard to head further toward their destination. Marvellous plays a song Esmé requests ("Our Lady of the Stars") which seems to put her in a trance-like state before she goes to sleep that night (clearly a song with great meaning to her). Shana receives a gift from a strange entity they meet in the snow. Mehen says his goodbyes, particularly to Shana, and then he leaves the Rescued Fallen for good. The next morning, Esmé gets up super late. She sits down at the bar, spends 5 gold on parchment and 5 gold on a quill, then begins drawing what she thinks she saw during her trance. She seems very chipper that morning, but she is also clearly distracted by something. Later on one of the following nights, the team is attacked while camping. Esmé touches power when she finally uses her Vestige of Divergence for the first time and feels the power she now wields. This is when Takhisis begins to call on her, which she at first ignores before choosing to commune with this new deity. The deity mentions she can speak to Esmé more freely if she talks to her at the Temple she seeks. The team eventually finds that Temple and fights their way through a series of challenging combats before coming upon a room with a metal-like disc inside it. Eventually, Esmé chooses to speak to Takhisis and she is taken into a strange room where she shares tea with the deity and speaks openly with her. Takhisis seems to imply that Esmé does not need a deity and should rather channel her power through herself. The arch ends with that conversation between Takhisis and Esmé. Esmé helps Takhisis by taking the large medallion disc from the temple that allows Takhisis to see out into the world. She also tells Takhisis she will keep the temple's location a secret, per her request and wish. In return, Takhisis grants to her a power to restore the life of an innocent ("The Kiss of Takhisis"). It can only be used on someone who has never shed the blood of another, implying that its main function is to bring children back to life (which has been a point of tension for Esmé since discovering the tattered cloth of the infant on her trek to Vasselheim). Arch V: "A New Order" Sessions 17-21 (October 17, 2022 - November 21, 2022)
The team meets a dwarf paladin and servant of Bahamut named Goodnight who joins them on their quest. They also encounter a group of fire giants who are guarding a weapon being forged in a lair. They also find hints of the collars being used there. During this arch, the group is attacked by a pack of lightbenders. Esmé casts dominate monster on one of them and he follows the group as they escape. In Session 18, Esmé befriends that lightbender who she dominated and she names him Ozzy, deciding to keep him as a pet (named after Ozymandias). It is worth noting that the way she befriends this creature is through the disc from Takhisis... it vibrates, then the five colors of the dragon heads come forth before the lightbender begins licking her face. Also in this session, the group first meets "Well-Dressed" who tries to strike a deal with them. He is a fiend. The type of fiend he is is known for taking great pleasure at destroying mortals through temptation. These fiends are keen to offering their services to tempt the victims into ruin using power or wealth as a lure. The Rescued Fallen convinces him to return in the morning, but they do not make a deal with him. This leads to Well-Dressed alerting the giants of their whereabouts, forcing their hand to move right away. The group enters the Fire Giants Lair, managing to avoid an outside conflict, and Esmé casts an Arcane Lock to seal the giants outside so that they cannot aid their allies during the upcoming battle. She uses the password "Takhisis" for her arcane lock spell, thinking it is a word seldom spoken due to Takhisis being all but forgotten by this world. In the Fire Giants lair, the group fights a team of Fire Giants (the leader of which says Esmé looks familiar to her... a hint toward her mother being a business associate of theirs). After defeating the giants, Esmé finds a scroll case that she later opens to find a sending stone with tiefling horns on it. She uses this to begin talking to her mother beginning with Session 19. She also sends a message to the Elder Mother who seems to be keeping her in the dark about certain details. Esmé feels great embarrassment over not speaking to Pelor but still refuses to commune with him until she has something good to report. The Elder Mother tells her, "Your help isn't required in this anymore." And the Elder Mother adds, "You may go about your pilgrimage as you see fit and know that what we are doing is right." Esmé gets the sense that the Elder Mother is rather cold in this moment; not in danger; annoyance is there; but Esmé gets the feeling the Elder Mother thinks Esmé's further involvement would complicate what she is planning to do. Esmé first sends to her mother, "Awakener, this is Sorrow." Her mother responds angrily. The next morning, Esmé contacts Awakener again, this time referring to her as her "Mom." Esmé goes with Dewdrop and Marvelous to turn in the job for the Giants with Vanessa. Vanessa then offers them a job to kill Awakener. Esmé is forced to confide in Marvelous and Dewdrop that her mother is Awakener and she cannot accept that job. They therefore modify the deal quite a bit to accommodate Esmé's obvious point of contention with this mission. In Session 20, Esmé visits the Temple of Sarenrae while in Vasselheim only to discover that the paladin Calla Trass (who she met during her first visit to the city and who had offered gold in exchange for the temple location) had never actually spoken to her (it was someone else posing as him). She is immediately taken into custody and locked into a room upon mentioning the name Takhisis. Pelor then sends an angelic being to take Esmé to the rest of the group (meeting in what appears to be some sort of Blue Rose tavern). Esmé seems to think that Takhisis might be trying to manipulate her into killing her own mother (her mother had told her to be weary of those bearing tea). This imprisonment also steers Esmé toward accepting the title of Mother and forming a new order (The Order of the Working Mother) which is officialized in Session 21. The two women she chooses to assist her with running the convent are Gabrielle (her novitiate from the earlier sessions) and Karris (the woman who Esmé helped redeem after she murdered an infant during the initial arch of the campaign). From then on, Esmé is referred to as "Mother Esmé" rather than "Sister Esmé." She is driven to do this because she believes the hierarchy of the temple will not dare oppose her if she is considered a Mother. The crew escapes the city to go about their current mission (which is to track down Awakener and figure out what to do with her later, as the team appears to be split on how to handle that situation). During Session 20, Esmé states she isn't sure if her mother is innocent or guilty, but this opinion later changes to her absolute faith into believing her mother is innocent. The three commitments of The Order of the Working Mother are as follows, per the in-game dialogue: The Concept of Charity: 1. To help those who request aid within the confines of law. 2. To serve as an emissary for the dignity of all living things. 3. To give freely so long as the greater good does not suffer. The group then meets Pike, who serves as a bodyguard of sorts for the team as they make their through shops to stock up and then makes their way out of Vasselheim by way of a portal Pike creates. Arch VI: "Syngorn" Sessions 22-26 (November 28, 2022 - December 26, 2022)
The team heads into the forests to pursue their leads on Esmé's mother. They spend a long camping trip together, and the team gets to unwind after so much drama had recently befallen them in Vasselheim. Esmé is obsessed with learning as much as she can about her mother and is becoming more and more excited about meeting her in person, believing she will have some sort of fantasy version of a mother-daughter relationship for the first time in her life. Shana does a scrying on Esmé's mother and Esmé finds out her mother enjoys nuts, honey and bread from this spying work. She therefore pursues a chance to find honey and encounters a strange man named Pip out in the woods. Pip gets the honey for her and she pays him 10 gold. Meanwhile, Shana helps by finding nuts and Esmé places those into a separate jar. When Ozzy growls at Pip, Esmé becomes suspicious and scares the man off. She immediately regrets this and casts a Sending to check on Pip and make sure he is okay. While camping, the crew is attacked by a strange bone dragon of some sort. They learn from a group of nearby treants that this bone dragon is defending a hoard and always returns at night. The team therefore goes into the caves to face the dragon. Instead of defeating him, though, they accept an offer for peace and leave with some awarded items. The team is quite split about this decision, but they are in no condition to fight. After this encounter, the group takes refuge in a nearby town. Esmé is informed in no uncertain terms by Pelor that she is not to contact Takhisis ever again or that he will stop answering her communings. She is angry about this and her personal feelings are on display when she confronts Pelor in her next commune with him. During a communal bath, Esmé has a disagreement with Paellen over her mother's innocence and leaves the room at the suggestion that her mother might have to be killed. Some of the crew appear to be invested in doing whatever it takes to take down Awakener, while Esmé is convinced that her mother is good and is being controlled by someone evil, despite having little-to-no actual proof of this other than her undying faith. Takhisis takes the crew on a vision to see Syngorn, which is under attack by the Shadowfell. For showing them this, Esmé thanks Takhisis (but does not commune with her due to her strict obedience to Pelor). Esmé is also cut off from her mother around this time, who ends the magical effect on her side of the sending stones when she realizes her daughter has been scrying on her. Esmé begins to feel cut off from everything due to these events and this begins to fuel her desire to find her own way forward rather than relying on guidance. The team decides to go to Syngorn and help out if they can, mostly to help Dewdrop's family who they believe might be in trouble. While in the city, Esmé uses her "Kiss of Takhisis" for the first time on a young child who was killed during the attacks, and this draws the ire of some of the town. She identifies herself as "The Mother of Sorrows" and refuses to attribute her new magic to any particular deity when the town asks for whom to credit (she says to them they should thank a deity too humble to give their name). Esmé has a public argument with an older woman over bringing back a young child from the dead, and this is the first time we see Esmé being more forceful and commanding with her words. Later, the team learns of a man in town named the Master Bard named Rowan. At first, Esmé mentions how she thinks this bard is shirking his responsibilities and how she would happily give him a piece of her mind if she were to meet him. When they do meet, however, the "Master Bard" (as she consistently refers to him thereafter) is playing a beautiful song that seems to set Esmé's mind at ease. She is in a state of true euphoria and shares this with the bard, about how his music makes her want to pick flowers and dance in a field. She then misunderstands when Rowan later mentions how he can take the team with him "down there" and asks "To the field?" Upon realizing her mistake, she blushes and becomes immediately embarrassed. She then begins to flirt quite a bit with the bard and mentions him constantly, having developed a schoolgirl-like crush on him. This continues when the crew goes to the Feywilds/Shadowfell to rescue Dewdrop's family and Esmé uses several spell slots to send Rowan messages under the ruse of just contacting him to request aid. Although asking for help is a part of what she speaks to him about, the vast majority of her messages are personal in nature and probing/inquisitive as to his life and interests. Some of these include lines such as "Is Sayuri your girlfriend?" and "What are your likes and dislikes?" Arch VII: "The Shadowfell" Sessions 27-29 (January 2, 2023 - January 16, 2023)
The group goes to the carnival in the Shadowfell and meets Esolde, who states Esmé has too high a debt and therefore she won't bargain with her. While the team enjoys the carnival, Esmé (feeling uncomfortable) finds herself talking to a fortune teller. At first, they discuss simple things like the Master Bard. Then, however, Esmé trades the name Takhisis for a reading that tells her a path in how she might be able to balance Takhisis and Pelor and maintain both of their favors. She is instructed to return to the Gates (the hidden temple, where the gates of divergence are located) and proclaim her name there (away from the prying ears of all deities). Esmé also meets the professor, who seems to want to buy one of Esmé's horns. Esmé is offended by the offer he makes. In Session 28, Esmé and the others build a house in the carnival and share a meal. Paellen begins to feel so much more like family that he cuts off ties to his former employer. Esmé and Goodnight take opposite sides during a discussion of what to do next, leaving the decision up to Dewdrop. The group eventually approaches the tower and fails to sneak inside, triggering an attack. Dewdrop and Shana make it into the tower and find Dewdrop's family, while the others secure the exit doors with a trap and an arcane lock. Esmé uses her magic to restore Dewdrop's mother's health, allowing her to talk with Dewdrop. Together, the team fights its way to the singing woman who turns out to be an Eladrin elf named Bietet. She reveals that there are at least two fairy queens still living (Nylumia and "Honeydew") and helps the team escape the Feywilds. Also helping is Takhisis, whom Esmé contacts via the bowl to ask for aid. Takhisis sends a magic wand that casts reduce size up to 10 times. The team uses this to help reduce some of Dewdrop's family members so that they can escape. They all return to Syngorn, with the collars on Dewdrop's family dropping, and Esmé discovers that a bard is singing a song about the "Mother of Sorrow" in reference to her earlier exploits in the town. The team goes to rest for the night, thus ending this particular arch. Arch VIII: "Molesmyr" Sessions 30-35 (January 23, 2023 - February 27, 2023)
The team is treated to a tour of a mansion Shana has magically summoned. Esmé is given a room called the "Tea Room" which has a portrait of her mother (it's the first time she has ever seen her mother's face). She later finds out she cannot take the portrait with her, and she asks Critters to draw a copy of it, which he agrees to do. She also begins a project to adapt one of her symbols of Pelor so that it can have elements of Takhisis added to it, as a means of "parent trapping" her deities. She recruits Goodnight to help in this endeavor, and he agrees. She later finds out that Goodnight might get beheaded if they return to Vasselheim, and she tries to come up with ways he can "turn her in" to win back his good name. Goodnight refuses this, however, but admits he doesn't know what the correct way forward is. Dewdrop says goodbye to his family before returning to the group, where they make plans for their next move. The group goes to retrieve something (a staff) for Dewdrop, but when they attempt to come back to investigate the strange "Mother of Sorrows" children, they instead get teleported into an Elven city called Molesmyr. Esmé agrees to help Shana and Marvellous on their attempt to help this place. They are accompanied by a guide who is a difficult man to get along with named Karelan. He steals Esmé's flute, and Marvellous replaces it with a different one. She uses that new flute and it accidentally gains the attention of several beasts. Of most importance, the crew encounters a man who is hunting Shana. Not knowing this, Esmé restores the man's life and has a confrontation with Goodnight. The group then goes to a place where they must sign their names. They notice Awakener's name (and Creed's name) on the wall as people who previously passed through. Karelan attempts to give Esmé a magic ring to assist her, which she mistakes for an engagement ring. Several skirmishes occur during this arch, culminating in an intense fight in an old temple where Esmé succumbs to the temptation of taking a medallion / holy symbol that shows Takhisis and Pelor intertwined. She keeps this after the battle, but the effects of these skirmishes and battles start to weigh heavily upon her as she feels more and more useless during combat encounters. Finally, in Session 35, Esmé scolds Pelor and criticizes the magic he has gifted her. "At least Takhisis gives me spells I can use." Esmé begins questioning quite a bit toward the end of this arch. She starts wondering whether Tiamat is even evil. She meets with another deity in Session 35, as well, who gives her this advice: "I'll tell you the healer's secret. It's not one you may like. You will never be able to change anyone or anything. You change you, first. And the wake of that is like a storm that spreads out to others. If you sit, demanding others change, you'll be screaming your whole life. Maybe a little nicer than my brother, I say 'Mark Your Path.' And maybe it is the gods who will be on your side instead of the other way around." This advice will come back into play during the next arch. Arch IX: "The Library: Liches, Masks and Karaketh" Sessions 36-43 (March 6, 2023 - April 24, 2023)
Esmé casts Legend Lore for the first time, giving her a massively "trippy" experience. The team finds the Library they have been searching for and have to retreat from a battle in order to get to the building. While in the library, Cricket's mother (who is a doll) tells the story of "Hope" who Esmé mistakes as being her sister. In Session 38, Esmé begins to go through the culmination of all her spiritual issues...working with Tiamat, moving toward an ethically grey area, becoming angry and bitter...up until she manages to convince her mother to give her one small hint of her goodness. And then it connects for Esmé that she is Hope and she is on the wrong path. She confesses to Goodnight, and the two of them embrace in a hug. In Session 39, as a result of this, Esmé realizes she has lost the gift of magic granted to her by Pelor. She also refuses to deal with Tiamat again, leaving her with only the possibility of Takhisis, whom she isn't quite certain she wants to work with any longer given how this deity was the origin of her troubles with Pelor. Without a deity, Esmé feels lost for a time. In Session 40, Paellen leaves the Rescued Fallen. Meanwhile, a new member named Azzok joins the group. Esmé puts on a Blue Dragon mask that temporarily replenishes her spells while she is trying to mend her connection to magic. When a conversation sparks up about the fey queens, Azzok mentions that he knows Nylumia/Titania, and that she is the spouse of the dragon they are meaning to face against, and so Esmé uses a Sending spell to speak with Nylumia. The team agrees to take on the Shadow Dragon and attempt to trap him within the flute. They make a deal with the Blue Dragon who was trapped in the flute. Before this, though, Esmé uses a "Speak with Dead" spell to talk to a dragon who was slain by "The Master Bard." It is unclear whether this is the same Master Bard as Rowan, however. In Sessions 41 and 42, the team fights against Karaketh, and Esmé is killed during the battle. She is brought back after the fight and spends her first two actions to cast a Sending to both the Master Bard and to her mother. She asks Rowan out for tea and lets her mother know she intends to talk to Takhisis. She then does just that, letting Takhisis know that she is willing to talk. After speaking to Karaketh via a Speak with Dead spell, Esmé has Shana ask whether the dragon has anything he'd like to pass along to Titania. She then casts a Sending to Nylumia to let her know the status of things. Azzok, who also perished, is reincarnated by Dewdrop as an eladrin elf. The Blue Dragon who helped them during their fight introduces himself as Calandross Sky, once partner of the Blue Lady. He mentions that "now the queen walks with you." Esmé asks if he means "Takhisis" or her mother by "the blue lady" to which the dragon states, "Another woman, another world." Sky offers Esmé something in honor of the love he has lost, to grant her. Esmé mentions "healing magic" and Sky offers to send an egg (a baby dragon) when one is ready (a "spawn"). He mentions to build the child a horde and he will deliver the egg. The official end of this arch came when Esmé got promoted to the position of "Junior Librarian" and learned about new security protocols that were meant to stop "robbers" (the party) from taking items out of the library. Esmé unsuccessfully attempts to get the group access to the nine hells. Upon realizing her deception, the guardian sphinx attacks the group as he is able to see the stolen items on their persons. Esmé lights several books on fire in retaliation during this battle, and the sphinx is killed as a result. After this, the team realizes that they cannot stay in the library for much longer without triggering another security attack...perhaps a much stronger one. Arch X: "The Lich, the Curse, and the Philactory" Sessions 44-46 (May 2, 2023 - May 15, 2023)
The group begins its exit from the Library, but first they must deal with the Lich who they agreed to confront in the first place. The Lich is holding a pixie named Thunderwing captive as a philactory. The group goes through a moral dilemma at the end of Session 44 that continues into Session 45. Esmé speaks as an advocate for Thunderwing, who is revealed to be the sister of a fey queen named Honeystarr, and due to this Esmé casts a Sending to Queen Honeystarr to notify her of her sister's existence. After a lengthy group discussion, in which Esmé consistently advocates against the killing of the pixie, the team decides there is no other way forward. Esmé therefore volunteers to be the one to help Thunderwing accept this inevitable death. The group battles against the Lich, defeating it. However, it is revealed that this will not last as the curse must be moved to a new host. Shana chooses to take on the curse of the Lich, herself. As a result, Shana is plagued by corruptive magic which morphs her and gives her an aura of death. Esmé is not happy about this choice. Esmé's last contribution to this arch is when she snuffs out the candles of Takhisis and chooses to no longer follow a deity but rather draw on the divine powers she casts from within herself, instead. She therefore begins to move into the Life Domain, dedicating her life to healing rather than destruction. This power, however, is all her: It comes from her and it is channeled through her. Arch XI: "True Love and Crossovers" Sessions 47-50 (May 22, 2023-June 19, 2023)
Esmé accompanies Shana and the rest of the group to Shana's home, where they meet dragons. One of them says, "Why is she hiding?" when looking at Esmé. They meet Shana's housekeeper and a few others. Shana's condition makes it so that she cannot safely travel among commoners without harming them. This is made very apparent when the group heads to Syngorn. While there, Esmé sees a concert and heads there to see if the Master Bard is playing. A nearby patron realizes she doesn't know about what happened, and they try to explain how this festival is meant to find a new Master Bard (if they even can). The patron informs her about the death of the Master Bard, once they realize she doesn't know. Esmé does not take this news well at all. The group eventually makes contact with one of Rowan's friends and learns that they are in Westruun. They head there and meet up with the Menagerie (it's three surviving members at that time being Moradis, Sayuri and Bim), creating a crossover event between Saturday Night Tal'dorei and Monday Night Issylra. A baker named Elvania shows Esmé to the body of Queen Honeystarr, who she learns has been killed. She therefore attempts to resurrect the queen, but it fails, and Esmé learns that Honeystarr's soul is imprisoned on another plane of existence. She also learns that this baker woman has inherited Honeystarr's title, and so the two of them make acquaintances at this time. The Menagerie informs them that Rowan, along with their other teammates Urivir and Rengar, were left behind during a battle against Rumbleguard in the underwalk of the city. That night, Esmé spends some time chatting with Elvania (this is mentioned but not roleplayed, leaving a lot of the details unknown... though it is later clarified that Elvania definitely did mention that she is now safeguarding the Fey vestments that Honeystarr once held possession of. Goodnight goes out that night and learns about Grin's Dagger, who is selling bodies (and body parts) in town. The team stocks up at Gilmore's but learns that Rumbleguard has fled town. The Menagerie therefore stages an attack, recruiting new members and taking Goodnight along, while the Rescued Fallen later mount a rescue mission of their own, bringing along Sayuri and Bim for that encounter. Along the way, they find several bodies. Esmé brings a small child back to life using her "Kiss of Takhisis" gift and she questions this boy (who reveals his name to be Xentrin) about what had happened before sending him to the bakery so that he can be safe. The group encounters Grin's Dagger, Esmé threatens him, and this leads to a short fight that only ends when Grin's Dagger agrees to her terms. Goodnight then challenges the man to a duel, and they are locked into a force cage to fight one another. Grin's Dagger escapes, but he doesn't make it far before the Rescued Fallen find and kill him. Meanwhile, Esmé stops the man who was bidding on Rowan's parts and forces him to slice off his own arm as punishment. She feeds it to Ozzy right in front of the man before leaving with Rowan's body to head back for Bim's cottage. Along the way, the group is stopped by a group that the Menagerie believes is "The League". The Menagerie mentions that the League are slavers and evil, but whoever this is seems to want to meet with Mother Esmé. It seems her bringing a child back from the dead has caused some eyebrows to raise in Westruun. Esmé casts a Sending spell to the boy, letting him know to tell her how happy he is to see her again if he is being treated poorly (a code). Esmé takes Rowan to the cottage and, with the help of Shana, brings him back to life through a Resurrection. The two spend the night together and Esmé convinces Rowan to retire to Syngorn during that time. He agrees, but he also asks her to retire with him. She agrees to do so after her business with her mother has concluded. She has Shana help to repurpose the Sending Stone she had used to contact her mother with as a Sending Stone to reach Rowan. Shana donates a Sending Stone she has had for a while for Rowan to use in this magic, so that both can check in on each other from time to time. The next day, Esmé restores Rengar's arms before meeting with the strangers who the Menagerie had believed were members of the League. It turns out, this is not the League at all. Rather, they were using a magical disguise to mask their identities. Behind their illusion, two of them had a purely draconic form (bipedal) but were unlike Dragonborn. Each was distinct in their form and function, and based on what was observed they seemed similar to monstrosities. One had blackened scales with light eyes, for example. The lead one carried a badge that had a tower held by a magical hand, while others carried a few guild badges, etc. The lead one was a form of shape-shifter and revealed themselves to have silver scales with five horns and wings. They claimed they were "experiments" as far as they knew, that they were somehow "made." They had found a notebook/journal of creations in Draconia, which was now a "heep of ruins." They awoke in the Menagerie Coast. They had dreams of "one who bears the flame" and who calls for them to murder. (((This seems to be a reference to Thursday Night Wildemount's first campaign, particularly in regard to the characters of Helubrum and Rowan))) Esmé offers to help them in any way she can, but she also is truthful with them about what they likely saw in her. She does not believe she is the one they are seeking. Esmé waits nearby while Rowan says his goodbyes to his former teammates, interjecting only to ask Rowan not to give away all of his money to his friends before the two of them leave together for Syngorn. While in Syngorn, they work together in creating a second Temple of the Working Mother, and they have great success in helping the Children of Sorrow be accepted by the town. It is also mentioned how Xentrin is now living in Syngorn, as well. Esmé and Rowan share a conversation together where she confides in him how she wonders whether she has the power she needs, which seems to be a recurring issue for her, and how she wants desperately to do the right thing. She also mentions to him how she wonders whether she needs to be more like a deity for her followers, which is a bit of a shocking turn for this character. Ultimately, Rowan talks her out of and away from those thoughts and she drops the topic altogether. The team discusses their next move after this, and after going over their to-do list they seem to agree that they should take care of the immediately problem of the druid sigils in Tal'dorei before anything else.
1) Monday Night Issylra
Status: Alive
Prelude
At the start of her journey, Esmé was a newly christened Sister of the Lightsworn, undergoing her first pilgrimage which was set for the land of Issylra, accompanied by her noviate, Gabrielle. It is later revealed that Esmé grew up in a convent-like community, raised among the believers of several faiths who shared a singular communal hall. As such, she was raised to have a vast respect for all faiths and deities. She grew a close bond with the leader of the Order, who has been mentioned only as the Elder Mother in-game. Among those who resided there, some came by choice or will, while others (like Esmé) were raised in the community and knew nothing of the outside world. Many times, Esmé has mentioned that her understanding of what Wildemount is is that it is her convent and garden, and she often makes mention of a singular deer or a man who sells clocks on the road when asked to identify where that particular convent is. As a child, it has been revealed that Esmé was treated poorly by her peers and that her only true friend growing up was Pelor, the Dawn Father, who spoke to her from a young age and guided her path toward communing with him. With this connection, she was officially recognized as a Daughter of Light (which made her a novitiate of the Lightsworn Sisterhood, which was a subset of the Sisters of Perpetual Solicitude who devoted their lives toward neutral and/or good moralities of faith and who followed deities of Light). When she was a teenager, Esmé chose to join the full convent as a Sister. Upon taking oaths and vows, the Elder Mother gave to her the name Esmé. It is later mentioned in-game that before this naming ceremony she had only her Tiefling virtue name: Sorrow. At the Elder Mother's suggestion, Esmé agreed to undertake a pilgrimage into the far-away lands of Issylra. Tasked with a novitiate of her own, named Gabrielle, this is when we first meet Esmé in-game. MONDAY NIGHT ISSYLRA
Arch I: "The Road to Vasselheim" Sessions 1-4 (June 20, 2022 - July 18, 2022)
Esmé is first met in-game cozying up near a fireplace, battling a severe case of air sickness that has been brought on by her first official travel from home. She meets Shana first, who notices this about her and begins to forge a genuine friendship. When Wyrmlings attack the airship, Esmé joins with Shana, Mehen and Critters to take them on. The airship is damaged to the point it crashes in Issylra, and Esmé helps defend the passengers along with her novitiate against an onslaught of owlbears and other creatures making their approach to the commotion. After the battle, Esmé becomes one of the four people the passengers look to for leadership (the others being Mehen, Shana and Critters). This group encounters a childlike entity who demands payment in people rather than currency (persons to serve them in exchange for safe passage). Esmé is put in the uncomfortable position of having to barter with this entity, which she at first outright refuses. She brings the news back to the people, allowing everyone to have a vote, unsure of what else to do. Some of the women in the group volunteer to work for the entity. Also, a man who is introduced as a devout follower of Light named Svenrick (a man who gives Esmé two items to bring to Vasselheim: Both in boxes), volunteers himself as payment, too. Esmé attempts to talk this group out of their decision a few times, but they are resolved to their fate, and Esmé accepts this. None-the-less, she feels responsible and guilty for what is happening and it is the first fracture in her own resolve over what is right and what is wrong. The group leaves after paying in people, and during one of the nights which follows a female passenger, Karris, becomes possessed and murders an infant child. Esmé's soul is fractured further by this revelation, especially as she thinks back and feels as though she should have noticed something was wrong. Ultimately, she attempts to redeem Karris rather than seek vengeance upon her. In the third session of the campaign, a wizard named Paellen joins the leadership of this team when he proves himself by slaying a Hag. The other Hag attempts to make a deal, of which Esmé wants no part. She states that the corruption the Hag brings is obvious and will corrupt the child (that the Hag wants). "My safety is not worth that." The next day, the group encounters a large sea creature. Shana makes a deal with it, resulting in her powers being taken away. Esmé opens the boxes she was given by Svenrick later that night and learns of how dangerous these items might be, revealing one to be a Deck of Many Things while the other is likely a Vestige of Divergence. The crew then hunts down and fights a multi-headed beast (Hydra) who manages to escape and get away. The next morning, two traveling dwarves (Miriam and April) come across the crew and inform them that they are members of the Slayer's Take who are hunting that same creature. The team agrees to aid the pair in exchange for a good word to be put in with the Slayer's Take. They hunt down the beast together, defeat it, and notice a strange collar that is attached to it that has unknown arcane magics. They are then escorted into Vasselheim by their new friends. The arch ends as the crew arrives at the profile of the city of Vasselheim coming into view. Arch II: "The Slayer's Take" Sessions 5-8 (July 25, 2022 - August 15, 2022)
Esmé, Shana, Critters, Paellen and Mehen join the Slayer's Take upon arriving into the city of Vasselheim. The Slayer's Take is run by a tiefling woman (guildmaster) named Vanessa and a halfling man named Merchan Zendral. Esmé befriends the elegantly-dressed tiefling woman and finds it fascinating to meet someone who looks like her. Vanessa notices an "air of oppression" Esmé exhibits about her, and she connects with her over that discrimination. She gives the advice that Esmé should carry herself with strength or she will be taken advantage of in Vasselheim. Vanessa gives Esmé an open invitation to speak with her should she ever feel the need to talk. When Vanessa asks Sister Esmé if she is one for slaughtering creatures to sell their pieces, Esmé replies that "the coin is not for me, but I have a use for it." She takes part in a ceremony that includes cutting her palm to mark herself as a member of the group of travelers who survived the airship crash to Vasselheim. This group becomes known as "The Rescued Fallen" and from then on this becomes an official party name for the crew. Esmé takes a group of fellow passengers with her to the Temple of Pelor, where she is to deliver the items Svenrick gave to her. It is the first time she has ever been in an official temple of the Dawnfather (though it appears this is later retconned to have actually been a Temple of Sarenrae). She meets an elderly elf in his thousands, who has a large marble cane/staff (an orb of bone on the top that he rubs gently). The elf looks at the items Esmé brings, one being a collar and the other being the deck of cards. He tells Esmé that the vestige is an artifact he would see locked up to preserve history, but that he would also like to keep it out of the world where bad things could happen. He says it seems as though it "likes" Esmé. "It feels as though the Dawnfather might wish you to have it." He does not force things upon his subjects, so Esmé communes to consider this burden. If she takes it, Pelor informs her that her life will be destined for "great achievements, great loss, great pain." While at the temple, Esmé asks for a favor in regards to the people she has brought along with her. She asks that the elf help them find their way. She tells him about her pilgrimage. The elf asks for a 200 gold donation, and Esmé hands it over without hesitation. In fact, she offers twice as much as he asks. In return, the elf offers the authority to spend 2000 gold to take care of the charges under Esmé. He then asks if the title "Sister" fits well with her. She turns down the offer of a title like "Mother." The man then tells her she should consider that those she serves should make the decision rather than herself. She communes with the Dawnfather and ultimately decides to place the vestige on herself. Shana later chooses Esmé to help her earn her powers back. During their trial, both Marvellous and Variath join the team of heroes. Shana and Esmé eventually come out triumphant. Esmé is offered a chance to join another entity, to get done whatever she wants to get done, but she turns it down. "My soul is already claimed by another, but I thank you." In a way, this might have been the moment that really began to force Esmé to think about power in a different way, though. Esmé notices a strange tension between Paellen and Marvellous (mostly on Paellen's end) and she seeks to inquire about it. She tries to help him and offer advice. Esmé mentions her own past with facing prejudice to try and make a point, but she admits that she hates preaching and doesn't want to alter Paellen's path. Paellen asks about the vestige during this conversation. Esmé mentions Svenrick who gave it to her for safekeeping to take to the temple. She is honest in the sense that one of them is the item. She admits she didn't know what the other item was, but she describes it as a "deck of playing cards" and that it was dangerous. She also admits the item she is wearing feels dangerous, as it could be used for horrible things. She admits she feels the same temptations and isn't immune to them. In Session 7, Critters is possessed and attacks Vanessa. The others attempt to stop him. The crew hunts down those who are responsible. After this, Variath decides to leave the group so that he might pursue other passions. In Session 8, the crew gets officially inducted into the Slayer's Take and must choose their first contract. Shana suggests taking one contract, rather than two, and the team agrees. They then purchase some items before setting out, planning to go to "The Steaming Lake". Esmé spends a great deal of time praying at the temple before she leaves. She meets a Firbolg with pinkish skin and purple hair and reddish brown eyes. He introduces himself as Calla Trass, a paladin of the Left Wing. He has heard Esmé's travels are taking her west, to the North. He mentions a rumor of many lost temples on that path. He state he has the backing of All the Temples (a priestly council) and is authorized to grant her 500 gold a piece for any relics she finds out there. He also states he can offer 1000 gold if a location to the temple ruins is found. Esmé tells him that she is more than willing to help in exchange for the gold necessary to complete the task, rather than for a reward. The paladin asks if she has given any more thought to her order and to the title of "Mother". She says she has and that she thinks there might be a need but she isn't yet certain it is in her future. He gives her a bag of holding, and then they pray together. Calla Trass mentions that if she brings these things back, it will be considered proof of a worthy investment into her Order. After getting breakfast, the team goes to Gilmore's and meets Gilmore, himself. There, Paellen asks Gilmore to help identify the vestment that Sister Esmé has on. He mentions Tiamut created the item and that the last to possess it was one who loved her deeply (obsessed / stalkerish). Esmé asks Marvellous about Nicodranus, as he had mentioned it earlier, and he tells her that he had to leave when he wasn't ready. In his words, he says he, "overstayed my welcome." Mehen reveals he was once a Kobold during this conversation. Other pieces of information that are revealed include that packs of the Slayer's Take are being killed and the people making collars are still out there. Arch III: "Northgard" Sessions 9-12 (August 22, 2022 - September 12, 2022)
The group leaves Vasselheim via the Coastal Road to head toward its first official mission for the Slayer's Take. They trudge through the snow to get there. Paellen mentions to Esmé that she could have changed her allegiance from the Dawnfather to another source. She mentions, "there was nothing to consider." She also mentions she doesn't desire power. But she does mention that she desires to find a "lost temple." "I don't consider that an offer," is what she says to Paellen when he persists of how great an offer it was. The group rescues a general and his family from certain death, fighting off a group of monsters in the snow to reach him. In Session 10, Esmé and the others meet Dewdrop, a Firbolg druid, and together they defeat a group of monsters residing in a cave. They then escort the general and his family (who they met in the prior session) to the town of Northgard and investigate a disturbance there involving creatures who are attacking local crops. It is mentioned that a group was sent to investigate this from Northgard but they never came back. Esmé, Mehen and Paellen go to interview a farmer about the issue. Esmé and Paellen discuss philosophy along the way. He informs her that ambition is not always bad and "safer is not always better". He also mentions that giving into temptation might be a more "authentic" self. Esmé seems to take these words to heart. Mehen accompanies them and helps interview the farmer when they reach him. Later, when the Rescued Fallen fights these monsters, the creatures cause a great deal of damage to the town, including murdering some of the children. Esmé and Dewdrop seem to have an ethical disagreement over the usage of a Reincarnate spell shortly thereafter. Arch IV: "Enter Takhisis" Sessions 13-16 (September 19, 2022 - October 10, 2022)
In Session 13, the Rescued Fallen leave the final Northgard to head further toward their destination. Marvellous plays a song Esmé requests ("Our Lady of the Stars") which seems to put her in a trance-like state before she goes to sleep that night (clearly a song with great meaning to her). Shana receives a gift from a strange entity they meet in the snow. Mehen says his goodbyes, particularly to Shana, and then he leaves the Rescued Fallen for good. The next morning, Esmé gets up super late. She sits down at the bar, spends 5 gold on parchment and 5 gold on a quill, then begins drawing what she thinks she saw during her trance. She seems very chipper that morning, but she is also clearly distracted by something. Later on one of the following nights, the team is attacked while camping. Esmé touches power when she finally uses her Vestige of Divergence for the first time and feels the power she now wields. This is when Takhisis begins to call on her, which she at first ignores before choosing to commune with this new deity. The deity mentions she can speak to Esmé more freely if she talks to her at the Temple she seeks. The team eventually finds that Temple and fights their way through a series of challenging combats before coming upon a room with a metal-like disc inside it. Eventually, Esmé chooses to speak to Takhisis and she is taken into a strange room where she shares tea with the deity and speaks openly with her. Takhisis seems to imply that Esmé does not need a deity and should rather channel her power through herself. The arch ends with that conversation between Takhisis and Esmé. Esmé helps Takhisis by taking the large medallion disc from the temple that allows Takhisis to see out into the world. She also tells Takhisis she will keep the temple's location a secret, per her request and wish. In return, Takhisis grants to her a power to restore the life of an innocent ("The Kiss of Takhisis"). It can only be used on someone who has never shed the blood of another, implying that its main function is to bring children back to life (which has been a point of tension for Esmé since discovering the tattered cloth of the infant on her trek to Vasselheim). Arch V: "A New Order" Sessions 17-21 (October 17, 2022 - November 21, 2022)
The team meets a dwarf paladin and servant of Bahamut named Goodnight who joins them on their quest. They also encounter a group of fire giants who are guarding a weapon being forged in a lair. They also find hints of the collars being used there. During this arch, the group is attacked by a pack of lightbenders. Esmé casts dominate monster on one of them and he follows the group as they escape. In Session 18, Esmé befriends that lightbender who she dominated and she names him Ozzy, deciding to keep him as a pet (named after Ozymandias). It is worth noting that the way she befriends this creature is through the disc from Takhisis... it vibrates, then the five colors of the dragon heads come forth before the lightbender begins licking her face. Also in this session, the group first meets "Well-Dressed" who tries to strike a deal with them. He is a fiend. The type of fiend he is is known for taking great pleasure at destroying mortals through temptation. These fiends are keen to offering their services to tempt the victims into ruin using power or wealth as a lure. The Rescued Fallen convinces him to return in the morning, but they do not make a deal with him. This leads to Well-Dressed alerting the giants of their whereabouts, forcing their hand to move right away. The group enters the Fire Giants Lair, managing to avoid an outside conflict, and Esmé casts an Arcane Lock to seal the giants outside so that they cannot aid their allies during the upcoming battle. She uses the password "Takhisis" for her arcane lock spell, thinking it is a word seldom spoken due to Takhisis being all but forgotten by this world. In the Fire Giants lair, the group fights a team of Fire Giants (the leader of which says Esmé looks familiar to her... a hint toward her mother being a business associate of theirs). After defeating the giants, Esmé finds a scroll case that she later opens to find a sending stone with tiefling horns on it. She uses this to begin talking to her mother beginning with Session 19. She also sends a message to the Elder Mother who seems to be keeping her in the dark about certain details. Esmé feels great embarrassment over not speaking to Pelor but still refuses to commune with him until she has something good to report. The Elder Mother tells her, "Your help isn't required in this anymore." And the Elder Mother adds, "You may go about your pilgrimage as you see fit and know that what we are doing is right." Esmé gets the sense that the Elder Mother is rather cold in this moment; not in danger; annoyance is there; but Esmé gets the feeling the Elder Mother thinks Esmé's further involvement would complicate what she is planning to do. Esmé first sends to her mother, "Awakener, this is Sorrow." Her mother responds angrily. The next morning, Esmé contacts Awakener again, this time referring to her as her "Mom." Esmé goes with Dewdrop and Marvelous to turn in the job for the Giants with Vanessa. Vanessa then offers them a job to kill Awakener. Esmé is forced to confide in Marvelous and Dewdrop that her mother is Awakener and she cannot accept that job. They therefore modify the deal quite a bit to accommodate Esmé's obvious point of contention with this mission. In Session 20, Esmé visits the Temple of Sarenrae while in Vasselheim only to discover that the paladin Calla Trass (who she met during her first visit to the city and who had offered gold in exchange for the temple location) had never actually spoken to her (it was someone else posing as him). She is immediately taken into custody and locked into a room upon mentioning the name Takhisis. Pelor then sends an angelic being to take Esmé to the rest of the group (meeting in what appears to be some sort of Blue Rose tavern). Esmé seems to think that Takhisis might be trying to manipulate her into killing her own mother (her mother had told her to be weary of those bearing tea). This imprisonment also steers Esmé toward accepting the title of Mother and forming a new order (The Order of the Working Mother) which is officialized in Session 21. The two women she chooses to assist her with running the convent are Gabrielle (her novitiate from the earlier sessions) and Karris (the woman who Esmé helped redeem after she murdered an infant during the initial arch of the campaign). From then on, Esmé is referred to as "Mother Esmé" rather than "Sister Esmé." She is driven to do this because she believes the hierarchy of the temple will not dare oppose her if she is considered a Mother. The crew escapes the city to go about their current mission (which is to track down Awakener and figure out what to do with her later, as the team appears to be split on how to handle that situation). During Session 20, Esmé states she isn't sure if her mother is innocent or guilty, but this opinion later changes to her absolute faith into believing her mother is innocent. The three commitments of The Order of the Working Mother are as follows, per the in-game dialogue: The Concept of Charity: 1. To help those who request aid within the confines of law. 2. To serve as an emissary for the dignity of all living things. 3. To give freely so long as the greater good does not suffer. The group then meets Pike, who serves as a bodyguard of sorts for the team as they make their through shops to stock up and then makes their way out of Vasselheim by way of a portal Pike creates. Arch VI: "Syngorn" Sessions 22-26 (November 28, 2022 - December 26, 2022)
The team heads into the forests to pursue their leads on Esmé's mother. They spend a long camping trip together, and the team gets to unwind after so much drama had recently befallen them in Vasselheim. Esmé is obsessed with learning as much as she can about her mother and is becoming more and more excited about meeting her in person, believing she will have some sort of fantasy version of a mother-daughter relationship for the first time in her life. Shana does a scrying on Esmé's mother and Esmé finds out her mother enjoys nuts, honey and bread from this spying work. She therefore pursues a chance to find honey and encounters a strange man named Pip out in the woods. Pip gets the honey for her and she pays him 10 gold. Meanwhile, Shana helps by finding nuts and Esmé places those into a separate jar. When Ozzy growls at Pip, Esmé becomes suspicious and scares the man off. She immediately regrets this and casts a Sending to check on Pip and make sure he is okay. While camping, the crew is attacked by a strange bone dragon of some sort. They learn from a group of nearby treants that this bone dragon is defending a hoard and always returns at night. The team therefore goes into the caves to face the dragon. Instead of defeating him, though, they accept an offer for peace and leave with some awarded items. The team is quite split about this decision, but they are in no condition to fight. After this encounter, the group takes refuge in a nearby town. Esmé is informed in no uncertain terms by Pelor that she is not to contact Takhisis ever again or that he will stop answering her communings. She is angry about this and her personal feelings are on display when she confronts Pelor in her next commune with him. During a communal bath, Esmé has a disagreement with Paellen over her mother's innocence and leaves the room at the suggestion that her mother might have to be killed. Some of the crew appear to be invested in doing whatever it takes to take down Awakener, while Esmé is convinced that her mother is good and is being controlled by someone evil, despite having little-to-no actual proof of this other than her undying faith. Takhisis takes the crew on a vision to see Syngorn, which is under attack by the Shadowfell. For showing them this, Esmé thanks Takhisis (but does not commune with her due to her strict obedience to Pelor). Esmé is also cut off from her mother around this time, who ends the magical effect on her side of the sending stones when she realizes her daughter has been scrying on her. Esmé begins to feel cut off from everything due to these events and this begins to fuel her desire to find her own way forward rather than relying on guidance. The team decides to go to Syngorn and help out if they can, mostly to help Dewdrop's family who they believe might be in trouble. While in the city, Esmé uses her "Kiss of Takhisis" for the first time on a young child who was killed during the attacks, and this draws the ire of some of the town. She identifies herself as "The Mother of Sorrows" and refuses to attribute her new magic to any particular deity when the town asks for whom to credit (she says to them they should thank a deity too humble to give their name). Esmé has a public argument with an older woman over bringing back a young child from the dead, and this is the first time we see Esmé being more forceful and commanding with her words. Later, the team learns of a man in town named the Master Bard named Rowan. At first, Esmé mentions how she thinks this bard is shirking his responsibilities and how she would happily give him a piece of her mind if she were to meet him. When they do meet, however, the "Master Bard" (as she consistently refers to him thereafter) is playing a beautiful song that seems to set Esmé's mind at ease. She is in a state of true euphoria and shares this with the bard, about how his music makes her want to pick flowers and dance in a field. She then misunderstands when Rowan later mentions how he can take the team with him "down there" and asks "To the field?" Upon realizing her mistake, she blushes and becomes immediately embarrassed. She then begins to flirt quite a bit with the bard and mentions him constantly, having developed a schoolgirl-like crush on him. This continues when the crew goes to the Feywilds/Shadowfell to rescue Dewdrop's family and Esmé uses several spell slots to send Rowan messages under the ruse of just contacting him to request aid. Although asking for help is a part of what she speaks to him about, the vast majority of her messages are personal in nature and probing/inquisitive as to his life and interests. Some of these include lines such as "Is Sayuri your girlfriend?" and "What are your likes and dislikes?" Arch VII: "The Shadowfell" Sessions 27-29 (January 2, 2023 - January 16, 2023)
The group goes to the carnival in the Shadowfell and meets Esolde, who states Esmé has too high a debt and therefore she won't bargain with her. While the team enjoys the carnival, Esmé (feeling uncomfortable) finds herself talking to a fortune teller. At first, they discuss simple things like the Master Bard. Then, however, Esmé trades the name Takhisis for a reading that tells her a path in how she might be able to balance Takhisis and Pelor and maintain both of their favors. She is instructed to return to the Gates (the hidden temple, where the gates of divergence are located) and proclaim her name there (away from the prying ears of all deities). Esmé also meets the professor, who seems to want to buy one of Esmé's horns. Esmé is offended by the offer he makes. In Session 28, Esmé and the others build a house in the carnival and share a meal. Paellen begins to feel so much more like family that he cuts off ties to his former employer. Esmé and Goodnight take opposite sides during a discussion of what to do next, leaving the decision up to Dewdrop. The group eventually approaches the tower and fails to sneak inside, triggering an attack. Dewdrop and Shana make it into the tower and find Dewdrop's family, while the others secure the exit doors with a trap and an arcane lock. Esmé uses her magic to restore Dewdrop's mother's health, allowing her to talk with Dewdrop. Together, the team fights its way to the singing woman who turns out to be an Eladrin elf named Bietet. She reveals that there are at least two fairy queens still living (Nylumia and "Honeydew") and helps the team escape the Feywilds. Also helping is Takhisis, whom Esmé contacts via the bowl to ask for aid. Takhisis sends a magic wand that casts reduce size up to 10 times. The team uses this to help reduce some of Dewdrop's family members so that they can escape. They all return to Syngorn, with the collars on Dewdrop's family dropping, and Esmé discovers that a bard is singing a song about the "Mother of Sorrow" in reference to her earlier exploits in the town. The team goes to rest for the night, thus ending this particular arch. Arch VIII: "Molesmyr" Sessions 30-35 (January 23, 2023 - February 27, 2023)
The team is treated to a tour of a mansion Shana has magically summoned. Esmé is given a room called the "Tea Room" which has a portrait of her mother (it's the first time she has ever seen her mother's face). She later finds out she cannot take the portrait with her, and she asks Critters to draw a copy of it, which he agrees to do. She also begins a project to adapt one of her symbols of Pelor so that it can have elements of Takhisis added to it, as a means of "parent trapping" her deities. She recruits Goodnight to help in this endeavor, and he agrees. She later finds out that Goodnight might get beheaded if they return to Vasselheim, and she tries to come up with ways he can "turn her in" to win back his good name. Goodnight refuses this, however, but admits he doesn't know what the correct way forward is. Dewdrop says goodbye to his family before returning to the group, where they make plans for their next move. The group goes to retrieve something (a staff) for Dewdrop, but when they attempt to come back to investigate the strange "Mother of Sorrows" children, they instead get teleported into an Elven city called Molesmyr. Esmé agrees to help Shana and Marvellous on their attempt to help this place. They are accompanied by a guide who is a difficult man to get along with named Karelan. He steals Esmé's flute, and Marvellous replaces it with a different one. She uses that new flute and it accidentally gains the attention of several beasts. Of most importance, the crew encounters a man who is hunting Shana. Not knowing this, Esmé restores the man's life and has a confrontation with Goodnight. The group then goes to a place where they must sign their names. They notice Awakener's name (and Creed's name) on the wall as people who previously passed through. Karelan attempts to give Esmé a magic ring to assist her, which she mistakes for an engagement ring. Several skirmishes occur during this arch, culminating in an intense fight in an old temple where Esmé succumbs to the temptation of taking a medallion / holy symbol that shows Takhisis and Pelor intertwined. She keeps this after the battle, but the effects of these skirmishes and battles start to weigh heavily upon her as she feels more and more useless during combat encounters. Finally, in Session 35, Esmé scolds Pelor and criticizes the magic he has gifted her. "At least Takhisis gives me spells I can use." Esmé begins questioning quite a bit toward the end of this arch. She starts wondering whether Tiamat is even evil. She meets with another deity in Session 35, as well, who gives her this advice: "I'll tell you the healer's secret. It's not one you may like. You will never be able to change anyone or anything. You change you, first. And the wake of that is like a storm that spreads out to others. If you sit, demanding others change, you'll be screaming your whole life. Maybe a little nicer than my brother, I say 'Mark Your Path.' And maybe it is the gods who will be on your side instead of the other way around." This advice will come back into play during the next arch. Arch IX: "The Library: Liches, Masks and Karaketh" Sessions 36-43 (March 6, 2023 - April 24, 2023)
Esmé casts Legend Lore for the first time, giving her a massively "trippy" experience. The team finds the Library they have been searching for and have to retreat from a battle in order to get to the building. While in the library, Cricket's mother (who is a doll) tells the story of "Hope" who Esmé mistakes as being her sister. In Session 38, Esmé begins to go through the culmination of all her spiritual issues...working with Tiamat, moving toward an ethically grey area, becoming angry and bitter...up until she manages to convince her mother to give her one small hint of her goodness. And then it connects for Esmé that she is Hope and she is on the wrong path. She confesses to Goodnight, and the two of them embrace in a hug. In Session 39, as a result of this, Esmé realizes she has lost the gift of magic granted to her by Pelor. She also refuses to deal with Tiamat again, leaving her with only the possibility of Takhisis, whom she isn't quite certain she wants to work with any longer given how this deity was the origin of her troubles with Pelor. Without a deity, Esmé feels lost for a time. In Session 40, Paellen leaves the Rescued Fallen. Meanwhile, a new member named Azzok joins the group. Esmé puts on a Blue Dragon mask that temporarily replenishes her spells while she is trying to mend her connection to magic. When a conversation sparks up about the fey queens, Azzok mentions that he knows Nylumia/Titania, and that she is the spouse of the dragon they are meaning to face against, and so Esmé uses a Sending spell to speak with Nylumia. The team agrees to take on the Shadow Dragon and attempt to trap him within the flute. They make a deal with the Blue Dragon who was trapped in the flute. Before this, though, Esmé uses a "Speak with Dead" spell to talk to a dragon who was slain by "The Master Bard." It is unclear whether this is the same Master Bard as Rowan, however. In Sessions 41 and 42, the team fights against Karaketh, and Esmé is killed during the battle. She is brought back after the fight and spends her first two actions to cast a Sending to both the Master Bard and to her mother. She asks Rowan out for tea and lets her mother know she intends to talk to Takhisis. She then does just that, letting Takhisis know that she is willing to talk. After speaking to Karaketh via a Speak with Dead spell, Esmé has Shana ask whether the dragon has anything he'd like to pass along to Titania. She then casts a Sending to Nylumia to let her know the status of things. Azzok, who also perished, is reincarnated by Dewdrop as an eladrin elf. The Blue Dragon who helped them during their fight introduces himself as Calandross Sky, once partner of the Blue Lady. He mentions that "now the queen walks with you." Esmé asks if he means "Takhisis" or her mother by "the blue lady" to which the dragon states, "Another woman, another world." Sky offers Esmé something in honor of the love he has lost, to grant her. Esmé mentions "healing magic" and Sky offers to send an egg (a baby dragon) when one is ready (a "spawn"). He mentions to build the child a horde and he will deliver the egg. The official end of this arch came when Esmé got promoted to the position of "Junior Librarian" and learned about new security protocols that were meant to stop "robbers" (the party) from taking items out of the library. Esmé unsuccessfully attempts to get the group access to the nine hells. Upon realizing her deception, the guardian sphinx attacks the group as he is able to see the stolen items on their persons. Esmé lights several books on fire in retaliation during this battle, and the sphinx is killed as a result. After this, the team realizes that they cannot stay in the library for much longer without triggering another security attack...perhaps a much stronger one. Arch X: "The Lich, the Curse, and the Philactory" Sessions 44-46 (May 2, 2023 - May 15, 2023)
The group begins its exit from the Library, but first they must deal with the Lich who they agreed to confront in the first place. The Lich is holding a pixie named Thunderwing captive as a philactory. The group goes through a moral dilemma at the end of Session 44 that continues into Session 45. Esmé speaks as an advocate for Thunderwing, who is revealed to be the sister of a fey queen named Honeystarr, and due to this Esmé casts a Sending to Queen Honeystarr to notify her of her sister's existence. After a lengthy group discussion, in which Esmé consistently advocates against the killing of the pixie, the team decides there is no other way forward. Esmé therefore volunteers to be the one to help Thunderwing accept this inevitable death. The group battles against the Lich, defeating it. However, it is revealed that this will not last as the curse must be moved to a new host. Shana chooses to take on the curse of the Lich, herself. As a result, Shana is plagued by corruptive magic which morphs her and gives her an aura of death. Esmé is not happy about this choice. Esmé's last contribution to this arch is when she snuffs out the candles of Takhisis and chooses to no longer follow a deity but rather draw on the divine powers she casts from within herself, instead. She therefore begins to move into the Life Domain, dedicating her life to healing rather than destruction. This power, however, is all her: It comes from her and it is channeled through her. Arch XI: "True Love and Crossovers" Sessions 47-50 (May 22, 2023-June 19, 2023)
Esmé accompanies Shana and the rest of the group to Shana's home, where they meet dragons. One of them says, "Why is she hiding?" when looking at Esmé. They meet Shana's housekeeper and a few others. Shana's condition makes it so that she cannot safely travel among commoners without harming them. This is made very apparent when the group heads to Syngorn. While there, Esmé sees a concert and heads there to see if the Master Bard is playing. A nearby patron realizes she doesn't know about what happened, and they try to explain how this festival is meant to find a new Master Bard (if they even can). The patron informs her about the death of the Master Bard, once they realize she doesn't know. Esmé does not take this news well at all. The group eventually makes contact with one of Rowan's friends and learns that they are in Westruun. They head there and meet up with the Menagerie (it's three surviving members at that time being Moradis, Sayuri and Bim), creating a crossover event between Saturday Night Tal'dorei and Monday Night Issylra. A baker named Elvania shows Esmé to the body of Queen Honeystarr, who she learns has been killed. She therefore attempts to resurrect the queen, but it fails, and Esmé learns that Honeystarr's soul is imprisoned on another plane of existence. She also learns that this baker woman has inherited Honeystarr's title, and so the two of them make acquaintances at this time. The Menagerie informs them that Rowan, along with their other teammates Urivir and Rengar, were left behind during a battle against Rumbleguard in the underwalk of the city. That night, Esmé spends some time chatting with Elvania (this is mentioned but not roleplayed, leaving a lot of the details unknown... though it is later clarified that Elvania definitely did mention that she is now safeguarding the Fey vestments that Honeystarr once held possession of. Goodnight goes out that night and learns about Grin's Dagger, who is selling bodies (and body parts) in town. The team stocks up at Gilmore's but learns that Rumbleguard has fled town. The Menagerie therefore stages an attack, recruiting new members and taking Goodnight along, while the Rescued Fallen later mount a rescue mission of their own, bringing along Sayuri and Bim for that encounter. Along the way, they find several bodies. Esmé brings a small child back to life using her "Kiss of Takhisis" gift and she questions this boy (who reveals his name to be Xentrin) about what had happened before sending him to the bakery so that he can be safe. The group encounters Grin's Dagger, Esmé threatens him, and this leads to a short fight that only ends when Grin's Dagger agrees to her terms. Goodnight then challenges the man to a duel, and they are locked into a force cage to fight one another. Grin's Dagger escapes, but he doesn't make it far before the Rescued Fallen find and kill him. Meanwhile, Esmé stops the man who was bidding on Rowan's parts and forces him to slice off his own arm as punishment. She feeds it to Ozzy right in front of the man before leaving with Rowan's body to head back for Bim's cottage. Along the way, the group is stopped by a group that the Menagerie believes is "The League". The Menagerie mentions that the League are slavers and evil, but whoever this is seems to want to meet with Mother Esmé. It seems her bringing a child back from the dead has caused some eyebrows to raise in Westruun. Esmé casts a Sending spell to the boy, letting him know to tell her how happy he is to see her again if he is being treated poorly (a code). Esmé takes Rowan to the cottage and, with the help of Shana, brings him back to life through a Resurrection. The two spend the night together and Esmé convinces Rowan to retire to Syngorn during that time. He agrees, but he also asks her to retire with him. She agrees to do so after her business with her mother has concluded. She has Shana help to repurpose the Sending Stone she had used to contact her mother with as a Sending Stone to reach Rowan. Shana donates a Sending Stone she has had for a while for Rowan to use in this magic, so that both can check in on each other from time to time. The next day, Esmé restores Rengar's arms before meeting with the strangers who the Menagerie had believed were members of the League. It turns out, this is not the League at all. Rather, they were using a magical disguise to mask their identities. Behind their illusion, two of them had a purely draconic form (bipedal) but were unlike Dragonborn. Each was distinct in their form and function, and based on what was observed they seemed similar to monstrosities. One had blackened scales with light eyes, for example. The lead one carried a badge that had a tower held by a magical hand, while others carried a few guild badges, etc. The lead one was a form of shape-shifter and revealed themselves to have silver scales with five horns and wings. They claimed they were "experiments" as far as they knew, that they were somehow "made." They had found a notebook/journal of creations in Draconia, which was now a "heep of ruins." They awoke in the Menagerie Coast. They had dreams of "one who bears the flame" and who calls for them to murder. (((This seems to be a reference to Thursday Night Wildemount's first campaign, particularly in regard to the characters of Helubrum and Rowan))) Esmé offers to help them in any way she can, but she also is truthful with them about what they likely saw in her. She does not believe she is the one they are seeking. Esmé waits nearby while Rowan says his goodbyes to his former teammates, interjecting only to ask Rowan not to give away all of his money to his friends before the two of them leave together for Syngorn. While in Syngorn, they work together in creating a second Temple of the Working Mother, and they have great success in helping the Children of Sorrow be accepted by the town. It is also mentioned how Xentrin is now living in Syngorn, as well. Esmé and Rowan share a conversation together where she confides in him how she wonders whether she has the power she needs, which seems to be a recurring issue for her, and how she wants desperately to do the right thing. She also mentions to him how she wonders whether she needs to be more like a deity for her followers, which is a bit of a shocking turn for this character. Ultimately, Rowan talks her out of and away from those thoughts and she drops the topic altogether. The team discusses their next move after this, and after going over their to-do list they seem to agree that they should take care of the immediately problem of the druid sigils in Tal'dorei before anything else.
Traveling nun raising dragon-hybrid zombie babies and creating a cult of working mothers in Issylra.
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