Session 33: Arriving in Sohmweyr and Day's End

General Summary

Summary: 3 points.

Clothday, 17th Leafbreak: Beginning the journey upriver to Sohmweyr

We cover a few activities that happened outside of session on the trip upriver. This journey takes several days and many of the activities and discussions along the way are also multiple-day efforts.
Saf takes up a habit of playing dice with Bursk, never cheating but making certain he does not win. Several party members join in to one extent or another, but there are no stakes.

19th Leafbreak

Maya talks to Elder Moonglow

As detailed in Wisdom of the Elders of Hearthstone, on the night of the 18th, Maya learns some distressing information about disagreement among the elders in Hearthstone, as well as some wider scope issues about levels of power and the planar keystones connecting the world as he knows it to other places (including the fae realm). Saf suggests that Maya may have been sent out without this useful knowledge in order to fail, and that the fae may be clouding the minds of the Elders. The group muses over how despite Ogremoch and his unnamed devil ally were unable to cross, they did send across a powerful minion, so it was good that the party intervened.
Harb wonders aloud if the planar keystones are natural, and Saf's understanding of magic is that while they may occur naturally, someone with enough magical influence (arcane, divine, or elemental) could bring one into being in an appropriate place. The cleric considers that at least one of the keystones found has been corrupted, but Maya contends that The Hearth Stone has been used by the Elders without apparent issue.
The party considers what they know about fire elementals in use in Threkt. Unfortunately the elders didn't know where it was located, and Harb isn't aware of where it lies, either.

Info from Mia about Sunhaven

As detailed in Sendings to/from Mia, some new information comes to light about a "shield wall" in use at Sunhaven. The group attempts to ascertain what the "tears of the Dawnfather" would be, but don't arrive at any solid conclusions from herbalism(Maya) or Religion(Kolvonnin).

20th Leafbreak

Saf is contacted about her side job but makes no mention of it to the group at large.
Later in the day, the grass and bushes of the plains gives way to thicker trees as the group enters the jungle.

21st Leafbreak

Maya locates a new creature in this biome to add to his collection of wild shapes. Sunny starts to feel like he's close to home as the group draws nearer to Sohmweyr.

Word from Mia about lycanthropes

Mia finishes Sending some information about the guidelines the Church of Selune used to deal with lycanthropes.
Leucis discusses it with the larger group - he's fairly sure his ability to cast Remove Curse (DnD Beyond) can cure lycanthropes who acquired the curse, but those born with it are beyond his abilities. Maya says the Selune-worshippers back home consider lycanthropes an affront to Selune's powers of transmutation. Leucis is unsure why the Church might use these creatures and thinks they may even have been responsible for The Calamity. Saf suggests that they might be able to smell whether another creature was a lycanthrope (as the boarochs seemed able to do) and thus taking on the curse might be necessary to infiltrate their organization.
There's a further discussion about how lycanthropes come to exist in the first place, and the party recalls that there's ritual-induced lycanthropy according to Llyrian Research. So even if all the lycanthropes were somehow cured or slain, it would be possible for them to resurface again. They also don't know if they're an issue that's likely to spread naturally or if there are more being created.
The cleric seems to have a lot on his mind and resolves to seek clarity from his deity in the coming days.

Starday, 22nd Leafbreak: Arriving in Sohmweyr

Arriving and parting ways

Sunny, as someone who's from this town, gives his compatriots a quick rundown of town (shops, common house, etc.) and make arrangements to go see his uncle outside of town. Maya elects to join him, with Cinnamon in tow, but indicates he's planning to stay at the Sohmweyr common house with the others.

Visiting Day's End

On the road out of town

Sunny explains that he spent some of his younger years through his middle teens (before joining the circus) at the farm they're heading to, and this it feels odd to be back here. He further explains that it's been a few years since the circus came back this way (a few years ago). When Maya asks about his uncle, the bard mentions that they get along well enough. He's the older brother to Sunny's father, who was the adventurous type, but the uncle is more of a stay-at-home type. Sunny is also looking forward to see his cousins - the older one takes after Sunny which is a bit troubling, and the other was only just born when Sunny was here last.
Maya inquires if Sunny's uncle is likely to have a place on his farm for Cinnamon. Sunny doesn't know but is sure someone in town is willing to take him on.

Arriving at farm

As they enter the gates, Sunny intones formally:

Welcome to Day's End, the place where all of the morning-star clan eventually come to rest.

Maya, noting the setting sun, wryly comments that the name is apropos. The pair note some sort of rustling in one of the fields, but not tall enough to see a person.
Sunny lets out a loud whistle in the way that his uncle might, and the two hear something drop in the house. The door bursts open and Blaze comes galloping out, giving Sunny a high five. Blaze takes an immediate interest in Maya's tattoo, so Sunny introduces them.
At this point a small child emerges from the rustling crops, dragging a snake almost as large as herself. Maya determines that the snake is not especially dangerous, and Little Dew excitedly shows it off to these new people that she apparently does not know. When the druid suggests removing it from here, she explains the she found it, it's hers - so Maya counters that he'll get her a better snake. The child seems confused by this. Maya convinces her to climb onto his shoulders (and Sunny eventually gets her to drop "her" snake) before shifting into a giant snake and taking the small child for a ride.
About this time, Goldy and Rain emerge from the house. On seeing the giant snake, Rain drops the cup she's holding and heads back into the house. Goldy, however, seeing the lack of concern on his nephew's face, is clearly holding back significant anger at these goings-on. He requests that his daughter be safely put down, biting off the words. Sunny signals to Maya to fulfill this request, and Dew is a bit disappointed when she's not allowed to do it again.
Sunny makes introductions while Goldy collects his daughter. Goldy welcomes Maya as "any friend of Sunny's is welcome here, but please... be careful with the children." Blaze bristles a bit at this, clearly rankled at being classified a child. The father has a very simple and short conversation with his daughter about how she's not supposed to do that, and sends her to the house. Once he's not looking, however, she heads off on her own affairs.
Gathering himself a bit, Goldy gives Sunny a hug (a bit stiffly) and motions them into the house to talk about what's going on. He muses about the magic needed to communicate over long distances and that he didn't know Sunny had command of such. Maya requests somewhere to stable Cinnamon, so Goldy assigns Blaze that task. Blaze gets Cinnamon set up in a stall with some hay and starts peppering the druid with questions, but tries to hurry back to the house for the rest of the conversation.
Back in the house, Sunny offers to buy Rain a replacement measuring cup as she envelops him in a warm hug. The bard explains that the snake was a shapeshifted friend who went to the barn with Blaze. Realizing her daughter is missing, Rain heads out to find her.
Maya tries one of Rain's muffins, and its feeling of fresh, safe home-ness gives the druid a bit of a twinge - he comments that this is a lovely home and it makes him think of his own homeland. Goldy, sensing a bit of exposed emotion, wishes the druid a safe and speedy return to his home - a little stiffly, perhaps, but warmly nonetheless.
Goldy offers to let folks stay in the barn loft. Maya says he plans to stay at the common house, and Goldy suggests being careful not to stray from the road after dark as it's easy to get lost. Sunny launches into his story since meeting the other people in Stonebridge, but Goldy doesn't have a lot of useful information to offer as a farmer with little knowledge of such things. The bard does inquire about the tabaxi with the glass eye, but the farmer can't place him.

Running errands in Sohmweyr

Gettings lodgings set up

After a quick brush with the Cleansing Stone (DnD Beyond), the group enters the common room to see a few humble folk enjoying a meal and a few others gambling. Approaching the innkeep, Saf sets up for a week at the common house for herself, a day for Maya, and two months for Bursk. The innkeeper goggles a little at the quantity of silver being so casually thrown about, and mentions that two months is a long time. Saf explains that it may not actually be that long, but she's paying in advance, which the innkeep deems laudable. He waves Saf to one of the halls that is mostly empty, mentions the usual mealtimes, and requests that the guests make no trouble.
The innkeep further mentions that market day is Woodday (3 days hence). At Saf's polite inquiry, he explains that market days are more crowded, with better pickings at the market, because some people only come in for market day.
Saf gets herself and her charge settled into a room, then Sends regarding her side job, receiving a response.
Harb, Kol, and Leucis arrange for a week's stay also.

• Kol makes an effort to find a room with an eastward-facing window.
• Leucis spends some further time in prayer, seeking guidance from Selune for how to handle the recent knowledge. In the common room:
  • The cleric notes a few people eating who seem to be staying in the public tents and are in poorer kit than even the other locals he's spotted.
  • Leucis attempts to sway a few locals to the worship of Selune, with some small success (due to using Thaumaturgy). The most interested farmhand balks at the idea of confronting a lycanthrope, however, and loses interest.
• Harb inquires of the innkeeper if he knows who the glass eye belongs to, but doesn't know anyone that matches it. He suggests possibly talking to the shopkeep, as she's a talker, or checking the folks at the market since they'd see people he wouldn't. Harb, taking this advice, heads to the general store.

Visiting the blacksmith

Saf and Bursk head to the blacksmith's shop while the rogue explains that the half orc can't really go where the group is heading. She explains that she intended for him to learn some blacksmithing while she's gone, but he's to stay out of trouble in her absence.
Entering the smithy, Saf spots that the shop is mostly tools, horseshoes, nails, and the like as the town is more likely to need. Before getting the smith's attention, Saf offhandedly mutters to Bursk "Oh, and remember - you were never a bandit."
Seeing them proceeding into the shop, the blacksmith pauses in her work and greets the newcomers. When she inquires about arms, the smith gestures to one area of the shop devoted to that sort of goods: small section of arms and armor, with three distinct grades (functional but inelegant, elegant and functional, and one shortsword that is far and away better crafted than anything else in the shop).
Saf's eyes are definitely drawn to the very fine shortsword, so she inquires as to the price of these items. The smith's asking price of 750 gp seems exceedingly high to the rogue, so she inquires as to the disparity. The blacksmith retrieves the item, demonstrating its fine balance, and explains that it's clearly worth more than her shop and everything in it. The rogue notes that the crossguard is two crossed horns and the blade has an aura of magic about it. The smith explains further that she's aware that's a lot of money, but she wants fair value.
Saf counters that (while she means no offense) perhaps the item is cursed; does the smith know what it does? The smith explains that the only curse it might have is to be bad at gambling. She elaborates that a few weeks ago she was "in her cups and doing a little gambling" and demanded satisfaction from another traveler who tried to cheat her. He attempted to escape but she dislocated his shoulder, so he offered her the blade "to settle up."
Saf suggests a gamble as a way of keeping things interesting - if Saf wins, she buys the sword at 400 gp, and if she loses she'll pay the asking price. The smith accepts and plays a solid game, but ends up losing gracefully. Saf covertly overpays slightly, and the smith gives her a knowing look and states that "I don't think this is not owed" before sliding it back.
Speaking somewhat quickly and glossing over the details of how it came to be, Saf explains that Bursk is "in her care" after being "rescued from bandits." She convinces the smith to take him on as a helper/student. The smith and the rogue settle on 1 silver piece per day for his teaching while she takes his help.

Next steps:

1. Continue in Sohmweyr.
   • Ask the townsfolk about the earthen keystones.
   • Retire Cinnamon?
   • Train Saf.
   • Visit the graveyard (Sunny).
   • Handle the side job (Saf).
   • Talk to the shopkeeper at the general store about the glass eye (Harb).
   • Shop the Sohmweyr General Store and the Sohmweyr Market, especially on market day (Woodday).
   • Potentially work out a deal to Identify goods at the various shops if there's interesting stuff.
   • Work out where to go next.
2. Between session tasks:
   • Sunny Identifies the short sword for Saf.
3. Out of Character tasks:
   • Determine any in-town activities your character needs to handle (shopping, questions, etc) and communicate with DM for planning purposes.
   • Eddy: Generate wishlist.
   • Meg: Update wishlist to master.
   • Heather: Update wishlist to master.

Session Feedback

Eddy: Sorry for interruptions. I was glad to game again. Lore dumps were super interesting. Getting to Sohmweyr was cool. Finding out more about it and meeting the people that are here next session should be interesting.
Heather: I thought Goldy and the family went pretty well. I'm looking forward to more next time, as well as meeting Clouded Summit/Creeping Vine and seeing more of Sohmweyr.
James: Good to play around with RP again. Lore dump is good, because I can try to figure out things in the world.
Jeremy: It was really cool to see party affiliates (Cinnamon and Bursk) come along, have their arc, and settle into a more permanent answer. Info dump was great, I liked getting more information, especially about short/middle/long term goals. Keeping up with contacts is paying dividends. New town, so there's bound to be something of interest at the market.
Matt: I don't know what to make of the info-dumps other than power levels. I'm distrustful of the Elders (as both a player and a character) due to information concealed from Maya. It was cool to see people engaging with folks from their backstory. I really want to know what the sword does.
Meg: Seems like there's a lot to process in the infodump. I'm still not sure how Leucis is reacting to this information, hence the praying and asking for guidance.
John: Delays are better than cancelling, so interrupted is better than no session at all. We can brainstorm between sessions on character development; Jeremy might have input on playing a character with a complicated relationship with a deity.

Rewards Granted

Saf acquired:

• Excowlibur (wishlisted item... ish).
• A standard short sword

Character(s) interacted with

Bursk
Laumia Runeseeker Kalagakane
Shadi Moonglow
Drifting Cloud
Stout "Red" Redwood
Golden Daybreak
Tranquil Rainfall
Blazing Zenith
Glittering Dew