Entering the Nightmare

At the tender age of 22, Savros joined an expedition into the Feywilds . After a long and dangerous journey, they arrived at the Federated Lands of Palava...

To Nefka

The expedition rested for a week in Palava-hold before continuing on to Nefka. While resting, the squad discovered that there was a Krivika - one of Jacob's extended family - who operated an orchard nearby. They went to go talk with Old Man Krivika, who ran the orchard, and were welcomed as friends of the family. The old man turned out to be Jacob's great (or possible great-great) grandfather and one of the first Krivikas to bring the family into Kidon - and they squad found out that most of the Krivika family is North, in Okina. Jacob was disturbed at just how Fey his lineage turned out to be, but the squad supported him and enjoyed themselves at the Krivika Orchard.
After resting, resupplying, and paying off the Palavan elder with two gold bars, the expedition continued Northwest. The plan was to circle around the hostile land of Efta, around to the Northern part of the Empire of Nefka (where Demian intruders would not be expected), and down to the city. And the plan seemed to work: they followed the roads, visited several Palavan towns, and marveled at the alien beauty of the Feywilds. They crossed in Nefka with no difficulty but kept off the roads there. It was back to hostile territory. In the wilderness, they encountered a small pack of Dream Clan cats, which Savros was able to talk down and even befriend (partially thanks to the rogue Nightmare inside him). They learned that something was going wrong with the Vault of Nightmares: the Dream Clans were being driven away, and strange people were trying to tamper with the Vault.
[DM's note: I straight up cannot remember if the Cat encounter happened while leaving or entering Nefka, but I am like 75% sure it was entering]
Finally, the expedition made it to the city of Nefka. They disguised themselves as travelers and entered with little difficulty. The scared Desmians wandered in towards the Cathedral District, and noticed something quite disturbing: a great crowd of Kobolds bearing the symbols of Kivishta, marching behind a figure that they couldn't quite see while chanting "Irunek!". The Desmians fled inside a pilgrim's inn next to the Cathedral of Vitoza (Zirun God of Law and the Underworld). Arstam was identified by his contact and left with his arcane support (Udra of Rengurka, a Desmian Kobold). Arstam's quartermaster, Carthin, was left behind to watch after the expedition and keep everyone out of trouble. Savros and the Squad was feeling suspicious of Arstam at this point, and the squad quietly agreed. Jacob distracted the quartermaster and the squad discerned that Arstam and his contact had gone through the back door of the inn and into the Cathedral's front door. Savros slipped into the cathedral in stealthy pursuit, and headed down into the catacombs to investigate. He was able to convince one of the priests to guide him to where Arstam had went, and Savros headed deep underground, through a secret passage, to the meeting room.
Savros walked into the room to find Arstam in a tense discussion with a Nefkan man dressed in opulent clothing and flanked with armed guards. A mysterious knight in Esken armor lurked in the corner behind the Nefkan. Arstam's fear was poorly hidden; the arcanist the expedition had brought seemed curious and was listening hungrily. The resulting conversation was a bit of a mess, with Savros stumbling in and Arstam quietly panicking. This Nefkan was offering Arstam a position in their organization and offered fame, glory, and wealth. A subtle threat hung not far off. The group seemed to have weapons of great power, which allowed them to magically force Savros to stab himself (and then heal him after). The arcanist willingly joined them for access to this powerful magic, and Arstam seemed cornered and willing to cave in to their offer. Savros spoke up, claimed to be Arstam's aide, and demanded time to consider their offer - much to the annoyance of the Nefkan. The Nefkan seemed to want to dispose of this pesky interloper, but the mysterious knight intervened and seemed to approve of Savros' gutsy attitude. The knight tried to convince Savros, and explained that The Architects had returned and needed to be destroyed through a great cosmic conflict - and that this group was the only way to do it. She seemed to approve of Savros' extremely Desmian attitude and gave Savros and Arstam an opportunity to escape (much to the chagrin of the Nefkan).

Nightmare Night

Savros and Arstam ran back to the group and the expedition fled the city. Through the use of a mirror, Savros detected a strange, otherworldly, invisible structure jutting over the city, as well as several strange shadows overhead. The Nightmare in Savros called out to the Nightmares overhead, acting as a homing beacon. The spirits of fear were in hot pursuit as the expedition scrambled through the countryside.
Without sleeping or breaking, the group trekked through the wilds back to the Federated Lands of Palava. As they neared the Palavan border-fort, they spotted a Samvaran mercenary company (hired by and flying the Nefkan flag). In order to sneak past them, Savros again stabbed himself as part of a distraction. By nightfall, they were all in the Palavan castle. But they were not safe just yet.
In the night, the two Nightmares attacked the entire group. Many of the expedition were injured (including Teva), and the group's medic (Abet) was dropped out of a castle window. Abet broke his spine and had to be given to the local Palavan garrison, which promised to try and heal him in the next few months. The group continued on after vowing to eventually return for him. But how to return to Desmian territory? The group was not confident on their odds in the Borderlands. They decided to go to Okina instead, to meet up with Jacob's extended family who might be able to help get them home.

To Okina

To get to Okina, the group would need to trek through Palava (which they were on friendly terms with) and the Kingdom of Tikra (which they were very much not). They decided to try and slip through the Western corner of Tikra, which was wild and dangerous, but quick and avoided any major warbands.
The Journey through the Feywilds

The expedition was spotted sneaking into Tikran territory by a watchtower, and a small hunting party set off after them. The expedition fought off the hunting party, but Jacob was critically injured and the party all took some hits. Even worse, some of the hunters got away to signal for reinforcements, and the party knew it would not be long before a warband would be after them. The expedition sought to lose them by skirting West into the deep wilderness by the Impossible Mountains. They set up camp in a mountain cave for the night, but found their camp horribly infested with strange spiders and lots their tents to the creatures before running. Raccoons stole all of their supplies. When they finally found a good campground, Savros recognized the boulders and old stone foundations : another old Mathari temple, doubtless infested with Gem Plague serpents. The expedition hid in a ditch with little to protect them for the night and dragged themselves through the wilderness, desperate. [DM's Note: There was another fight here I think, but I can't remember it]. The group made a run for it the next day for the Okinan border. Another Tikran hunting party caught sight of them and have chase. The party made it to an Okinan border tower in time, and was granted asylum. They had made it to safety - but were not out of the Feywilds just yet.
The party had left Kidon with 21, but was now only 10.

Components

Goals

QUEST GOALS:

• Grow up and find a profession (Achieved)
• Find an Expedition worth joining (Achieved)
• Survive the Fey Borderlands (Achieved)
• Enter Nefka (Acheived)
• Investigate the Feywild threat 
• Escape Nefka (Acheived)
• Escape the Feywilds

Relations

Protagonists

Teva Fisher's-daughter: Teva is one of Savros' childhood best friends and squadmates. She only made it into the artisan district of Kidon through her family's long history in the city and a great deal of luck - otherwise she would be with her parents in the unsanitary dockside district. Teva is quiet and awkward, but perceptive and capable. She sees herself as a hero, and strives to protect as many people as possible from the traumas inflicted on her. This can lead her to act a bit brashly and violently towards those she perceives as evil, but she has a good heart. Jacob Krivika: Most of Jacob's family lives in the Northern Palisades district - a part of town where Feywild merchants come to trade, city guards are often absent, and the citizens are unprotected from the great stone fortifications of the main city in the event of an attack. The Krivikas have connections to kin in the Feywilds that they trade with, and Jacob's parents used a lucky break from that trade to open a shop in the artisan district. Jacob is a bit of an outsider for this, but has become a bit of a social butterfly despite (or perhaps, because) of this. Jacob is kind, friendly, and gentle, preferring diplomacy to violence. He is not very skilled in the arts of war, but he is a capable outdoorsman and negotiator.
Arstam of Hasbala: Arstam is a third son of a middling noble family in the town of Hasbala of the Kingdom of Adava. He is a veteran of the Silver Crusade (the war against Kenahai and the Ishkibites of Izekra ) but wanted something more glamorous and important. He prepared everything he could for his expedition into the Feywilds, but this is his first actual venture North. He is confident, friendly, and sometimes charming.
Kara of Arket: Kara is a humanoid Cat from the neighboring Kingdom of Odala - the town of Arket to be exact. Kara is an Orthodox priest, and a zealous one at that - he craves the destruction of demonkind and welcomes fellow Desmians as friends. He has joined the expedition as an observer, scribe, and Confirmer of Deeds; essentially, he records the number of demons slain by whom so that every demon-slayer can be properly confirmed and rewarded.
Torin: Torin is a fine fellow from the lands of the The Platinum Order, and a veteran of the wars against the Seruvians.
Okri: The expedition's guide and a Vesper from The Federated Lands of Palava. Okri has little love for Desmians, but less love for Nefkans, and is happy to coordinate dealings between his people and mercenaries such as Arstam. That said, profit is always on his mind, and he makes sure to charge for every service provided.
Others include: Abet, Marva, Ezek, Kidar, Doza, and Carthin

Neutrals/Bystanders

Old Man Krivika: An old man and Jacob's ancestor, whose life has been supernaturally prolonged by the Feywilds. He is welcoming, jovial, and enjoys poking fun at his descendants.

Adversaries

The Mysterious Knight: A strange, aggressive Desmian woman in Esken armor. Seems absolutely enamored with the Struggle as a concept. Respects bravery, commitment, and a willingness to suffer. Dismissed Arstam as an un-Desmian decadent coward, but was supportive of Savros as a 'True Desmian'.
The Nefka Businessman: A tall, lanky, fey-touched Nefkan aristocrat that seemed relatively down-to-business.

Plot type

Quest

Parent Plot

Becoming the Struggle

Subplots

• God of the Empty Sky

Related Organizations

• Empire of Nefka
• Kingdom of Tikra
• The Federated Lands of Palava

Related Locations

• Nefka
• The Feywilds