Session 0005 - The Blue Fey
General Summary
Pre-game Session 5 (1 Dec 2022)
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Waking up the next morning after having dealt with Lord Pranax the night before, you all head downstairs to the main floor of the Black Swan to see what can be procured for breakfast. After breakfast, you feel good and well rested despite the strenuous task you undertook scaling down into the crypt underneath the tower the day before. Seeming to appear out of nowhere, you see Pries, the dragon follower you met along with her companions Melek and Keesha Knight. Pries smiles gently and without words, motions you to follow her upstairs. Pries walks to Cathlynn's room and waits to be let in. After doing so, Pries presents you with a few pages of papyrus. "I am sorry, I do not speak much very languages your. The Order need you read this for to understand. When finish say out loud with papers in hands your, I am finished, and papers disappear will. Papers ... very private are. Not to share with anyone, ok?" Having said that, Pries sets the papers down on the table in your room and sees herself to the door. Before leaving, she turns and says "Melek say to here wait. She will be here in three days, maybe sooner. She to say how can you to help IX. Get plenty sleep!"
Elegy For the First World
Dragonsight
A little-known phenomenon supports the central ideas expressed in “Elegy For the First World.” Occasionally, dragons develop a sense known as dragonsight—an awareness of multiple incarnations of themselves across different worlds of the Material Plane. Dragonsight is most Common in ancient dragons, especially when their enormous hoards include items from other worlds or powerful artifacts whose histories span multiple worlds. Gem dragons, perhaps because of their connection to Sardior, are most likely to develop dragonsight. Dragons who develop dragonsight amass knowledge that spans the Material Plane, making them among the foremost experts on worlds beyond their own. With time, dragonsight can expand beyond passive awareness to allow active communication between a dragon’s incarnations. Some ancient dragons with well-developed dragonsight begin to weave grand plans that involve coordinating activities across multiple worlds, culminating in cosmos-shaking events. As one example, tales are told on multiple worlds of the Material Plane regarding the red dragon Ashardalon. Less widely understood, though, is the fact that as one Ashardalon developed his dragonsight, he concocted a scheme to preserve his existence by consuming his echoes on other worlds. All these different Ashardalons thus became a single, immensely powerful greatwyrm that fed on soul energy—and that prevented souls from incarnating into newly born creatures across the worlds. Given most people’s limited understanding of dragons’ beliefs and philosophies, let alone dragonsight, many mortals are quick to describe dragons with heightened dragonsight as “dragon gods”—which they are not. Still, some powerful dragons have so successfully extended their consciousness across multiple incarnations, and so expertly coordinated their activities across multiple worlds, that they can seem godlike even to younger dragons. The black greatwyrm Chronepsis once accomplished a feat similar to Ashardalon’s, with one version of the dragon devouring multiple echoes before leaving the Material Plane and establishing a lair in the Outer Planes. “Elegy For the First World” is an ancient Draconic poem of Unknown origin, found with minor variations in the collections and traditions of dragons across many worlds of the Material Plane. Various creation myths told on different worlds echo some of the themes and notions of this poem, particularly when they describe dragons or draconic gods being involved in creating the world. But the heart of the poem is a profound assertion not found in any of those individual myths. The elegy suggests that before the myriad worlds of the Material Plane came into being, before Nehwon, Oerth and Toril and Eberron and Krynn existed, the primordial dragons—Bahamut and Tiamat—worked together to create the Material Plane in the form of a single First World. All the worlds that now constitute the plane are, in the words of the poem, “seedling realities” formed when the First World was sundered in some unexplained catastrophe. The story told in “Elegy For the First World” suggests a number of truths regarding the nature of dragons. First, it portrays the ten varieties of metallic and chromatic dragons as the first inhabitants of the Material Plane. Dragons were made to populate the First World before any other worlds came into being, but they were supplanted by the teeming peoples that the gods of the Outer Planes brought to inhabit that world. The elegy likewise suggests that dragons are living embodiments of the primordial energy of the First World, which now flows throughout the Material Plane, and that they are thus inextricably linked to the magic of that plane. The religions of numerous worlds teach that Humanoids are creatures of a dual nature—part material and part spiritual, made of the essence of both the Material Plane and the otherworldly Outer Planes. But dragons, at least in the view of “Elegy For the First World,” are wholly material, dwelling in the Material Plane and embodying its essential nature. Many worlds have myths and legends about Bahamut and Tiamat, though these primordial dragons are sometimes known by other names. But “Elegy For the First World” differs from nearly all those legends in its mention of Sardior, “first-born of dragonkind.” The poem suggests that Bahamut and Tiamat created Sardior together, and that “ruby-red” Sardior then joined with Bahamut to craft the metallic dragons and with Tiamat to craft the chromatic dragons. Some dragons who have studied the poem believe that Sardior was destroyed and shattered along with the First World and that the Ruby Dragon’s splintered consciousness became the gem dragons on the new worlds of the Material Plane.Dragons of Many Worlds
Whether it is regarded as interpretive myth or historical record, “Elegy For the First World” offers an explanation for the Common elements that appear in the legends and mythology of so many worlds across the Material Plane. Dragons populated the First World from the time of its creation, and a variety of peoples came to live in the First World after their gods made war on the dragons. As such, the similar natures of the creatures now inhabiting the many different worlds of the Material Plane can be seen as a product of the First World’s sundering. And because dragons are so tightly linked to the essence of the Material Plane, they are thought to be the only creatures that appear on every world formed from the shattering of the First World, even when they take on different forms. No known living individual in Nehwon has ever seen a dragon nor has there been any evidence found of their existence in historical texts, fossilized artifacts or in paintings. With that said, many Nehwonian bards have told tales in various versions of a Red Dragon by the name of Ashardalon. These stories often describe the Dragon's size, colour, temperament and physical description. This suggests that either someone at some point in history has indeed seen this Dragon, on this world or another, or the creative imagination used to craft this story is strangely coincidental and eerily accurate, especially since there truly is a Red Greatwyrm named Ashardalon in another world beyond Nehwon.Game Session 5 (3 Dec 2022)
Roll 20 OOC, we called our RP Group "Heretic RPG". This will refer to both our player group and the character's group, Cathlynn, Matteu, and Verbena, whereas in-game they will simply be known at "The Heretic" or "The Heresy" when speaking about them collectively. The Heretic started out the next morning with a breakfast and then went shopping for mounts. They went to the Teamsters Mount and Tackle in Karja Tal where they met Jack, son of the owner (yet to be identified). Jack immediately won their affections in his very adult-like mannerisms and business savvy which was delivered with an innocence of youth. Jack is about 11 years old. The Heretic realized they don't have enough gold to purchase the mounts they want: a black quarter-horse stud for Cathlynn, a black Mlugian Walker stud for Matteu, and a Kleg Narian Mastiff stud for Verbena. They decide to try and sell some of their belongings at the mercantile. Cathlynn was able to sell the funerary urns found in the crypt underneath the tower. The urns ended up being very valuable as a collector's set and thus the merchant negotiated a healthy sum of $8k gold, which the Heretic divided equally amongst themselves after paying for their mounts (about $2,500). Cathlynn gave Jack a tip of $200 to save for his future, as she was concerned over the treatment that Jack was receiving from his father. Jack's father has a disdain for mixed-blood. Jack reveals this and explains that his father has respect enough for elves who keep amongst "their kind" and humans who do the same, but not when they "cross-breed". The Heretic meet Klegg, the Cheese Maker whose stall is just to the Southeast of the Teamsters building. They find out that Klegg is Jack's uncle. After finding out that Verbena is a bard, Klegg asks if she will do a performance at the Black Swan that evening. Verbena agrees and later plays her lute for a few hours much to the delight of Klegg and the bar patrons. She was given some times as well as six drink vouchers for the bar. Verbena gave the bar patrons a "Song of Rest" as Cathlynn and Matteu went upstairs to bed. Verbena stayed to play for another hour after the other two retired before going to bed herself. That night, at about 2am, a fairy awakens Cathlynn and beckons her to follow her out of the hotel room. Verbena is also in the room but is sound asleep and does not notice the interaction. As soon as Cathlynn crosses the threshold of the doorway, she finds herself in a grove in the forest just to the west of Karja Tal. She knows this as she can see the town's lights from where she's standing. The fairy never speaks verbally, only uses body language and hand motions. The fairy signals to Cathlynn to remain silent and to watch for something in the grove. A few seconds later, six other fairies fly from a natural oval-shaped space created by the intertwining of a tree's branches. The fairies seem to appear out of nowhere as they "exit" this oval-shaped space. Cathlynn takes this to be a portal to The Feywild. These fairies proceed to flutter around on their butterfly-like wings, sprinkling dust over the forest glade's floor. A few seconds later, scores of various mushrooms "walk" from out of the forest tree line and "gather" together in a huddle in the middle of the glade. The mushrooms then proceed to do a "dance" of sorts, jigging and moving in rhythm seemingly to an unheard music. After a period of time, the mushrooms expel spore into the air. The spore peppers every mushroom in the glade. A few minutes later, certain mushrooms of random species begin to leave an ooze-like trail, similar to a snail trail, in the form of a letter J. From this trail, new mushrooms bloom and mature at a supernatural speed. These mushrooms are blue. The following is explained telepathically to Cathlynn by the fairy who brought her to the glade:Faires and pixies using druidcraft will coax various mushrooms species from their "slumber", eliciting them to uproot themselves and walk into a glade. There, the mushrooms will mingle amongst each and do a dance of sorts, intermingling spores. This "dance" has been termed "The Fey Ball" by those who have witnessed it, which is exceedingly rare to encounter. It is uncertain exactly how, but after a while, a random mushroom will leave an ooze-like trail of spores that coincidentally looks like a perfect capital letter "J". Within one hour, new mushrooms will emerge from the J. These mushrooms are light blue in color and deepen to a dark cobalt blue within 1d4 hours (depending on conditions such as soil type, moisture, etc.). This mushroom can only be produced by the process described above, as it does not create spores itself. Non-pixie druids have never been able to produce them. Note that there isn't a specific mixture of mushrooms species that "attend the Fey Ball". Any mushrooms in the area, whether edible or poisonous, will join the dance. After the Fey Ball ends and the J trails have been lain, the dancing mushrooms will replant themselves right where they stand. All mushrooms that danced, whether poisonous or not, become not only edible, but very nutritious and very delicious. One could harvest these mushrooms and use them as rations, whereas a mere handful (the hand size of the consuming creature) will fill it for an entire day. The Blue Fey mushroom itself is likewise consumable, nutritious and very delicious. In fact, if a consumer thinks of their favorite food before they eat a Blue Fey, the mushroom will taste exactly like the meal the consumer has in mind! This mushroom is also used in dyes and inks, spiritual ceremonies, meal recipes and is specifically sought by tattoo artists, especially those who create magical tattoos. Also, if consumed with Honey Mead, a Blue Fey creates a psychedelic experience that will last 4-9 hours. Some who have used a Blue Fey in this way report they were transported to The Feywild, but it is uncertain whether this is possible or merely a hallucination. That said, where the dancing mushrooms rest, if left untouched, has the potential of becoming a Fey Crossing. Due to their rarity, a Blue Fey mushroom would be very high priced under normal market conditions.Cathlynn is encouraged to harvest as many mushroom, including Blue Fey, as she wants. She does so and gathers 26 Blue Fey in total. After the Fey Ball, the fairy points to the "branch portal" and motions that Cathlynn could enter that portal during a full moon, which was full during this event. Cathlynn nods and bids the fairy farewell as she flys back into the branch portal disappearing presumably into The Feywild. Cathlynn turns heel to head back to Karja Tal, which appears to be about 3 miles away, and just as she takes her first step, she finds her self crossing back over the threshold of her hotel room back inside. When the sun rises, Verbena finds Cathlynn wide awake and staring at the mushroom. Verbena asks what they are and where she got them and Cathlynn promptly explains. She gives Verbena a Blue Fey, and asks Verbena to give one to Matteu as well. Matteu is rather grumpy answering his door when Verbena knocks but accepts the Blue Fey. During this interaction, the Heretic notice that they don't hear the normal conversations and general bar/restaurant noise and food scents that should normally be making its way up the stairs by that time of the morning. Verbena and Cathlynn proceed cautiously down the stairs first, with Matteu bringing up the rear about 20ft behind them. They find no one in the Black Swann at all, no patrons nor staff. Tigeth, Verbena's Kleg Narian Mastiff and Mount, begins to growl very deeply. The Heretic leave the Black Swan through the front doors very cautiously. They find the streets are completely empty save a few people walking on the road towards the east. These people are walking in a protective and fearful manner. They all hear the faint sounds of open weeping and yelling coming from the guard tower area. Cathlynn asks Verbena to check on the their horses, Belereth (Cathlynn's mount) and Natthimlen (Matteu's mount). The horses are physically fine but are hyper aware and very tense. The Heretic mount up and head over to the guard tower and find what seems to be the entire town's population gathered around the tower's base, all looking towards who seems to be the captain of the guard. They arrive in the middle of a speech the captain is giving which continues as "we are actively searching for them, we don't know what happened but we're investigating right now. Until then, we urge you to either go home and bar your doors, or go to St. Cuthbert's temple, where the priests have created a Protection from Evil protective field around if that makes them feel more secure. The Heretic spot Klegg standing in the road just ahead of them, also listening to the captain's speech. Cathlynn asks Klegg what is happening. Klegg's voice breaks as he tries to hold back his tears. All he manages to say is "they've got him, they took Jack. I don't know what to do.... " Upon hearing this, the Heretic start their mounts on a high speed run and head out of town to ultimately go towards the east.
Blue Fey Mushroom by Chad Watson via Midjourney
Report Date
23 Dec 2022
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