Session 1 - Curing a Vampire and Continuing the Hunt

First off, everyone gets 2400 xp for the last session.
When last we left our adventurers, they were in the city of Arkwing uncovering its many mysteries.
The party has heard through Varala of The Common Guild that a knight of the Engulfing Flame has gone strangely absent from the public. When they investigated this, they met Bolton the Courageous, the paladin of the Engulfing Flame, under troubling circumstances. He has a son that has been affected by vampirism, and is quickly losing his humanity every day. In exchange for curing his son, he has agreed to help you on your quest of defeating the source of evil that holds a dark cloud over the city.
A potential cure has been listed out, and the party has acquired most of the ingredients. They were last attempting to harvest the fang of a vampire by staying out and fighting the undead hoard that parades the city's streets at night. After battling Foglets, Ghasts, and Ghouls, they have ducked back into the relative safety of Nathaniel's home to take a breather.

A Pause in the Storm

As you take a second to gather your panting breath, you get a chance to glance around your surroundings. Nathaniel's home, joined with his store The Parchment Splitter is a mess of stationary ware on racks and stacks of paper on tables. Some of which were blown to the ground from the gust outside as you opened the door to squeeze back into the building. Shivah, Kaehi, and Teo, you are all covered in nicks and bruises from your last encounter with the undead. Even after you shut the door to the outside world, you can still hear the occasional growl or crush of cobblestone, as unknown creatures prowl outside. What do you do?

The Situation

The players are in an empty stationary shop with the wind blowing outside. Undead creatures are flooding the outside. Nathaniel is asleep and is basically no help here.
When the players exit, they will take note of the silence, before loud shaking footsteps rock the earth.

Encounter - Nighttime Mists

When the step outside, they will fight 1 Giant Skeleton for the first round, 2 Ghouls and 3 Ghasts, and then 2 Vampire Spawn.

Ghouls and Ghasts

Vampire Spawn

Returning to a Morose Father

• Players must perform skill checks to succeed in curing Peter.
• If they fail to successful conduct the ritual, Peter transforms into an Ekimmara. After they defeat the Ekimmara, he reverts back to his human form.

Skill Checks

There will be four general skill checks to complete the four steps of the ritual. Normally, you would need 4 successful checks to complete the ritual successfully, but if you use the Vampire Fang, you only need 3 successful checks. All the challenges are DC17. The general skill checks are:

• DC17 Dexterity Check to grind and mix the potion ingredients
• DC17 Grapple Check to drag Peter into the sunlight
• DC17 Religion/Arcana Check to read the chant correctly
• DC17 Strength Check to force Peter to drink the potion

As you finally shove the potion against Peter's mouth and force him to drink it down, the liquid bubbles as it goes down his throat, some spilling onto the floor below. Peter lets out a pained gurgle and his body tenses up and contorts before letting out a wail. He hunches in on himself, and you notice that fur starts pushing out of his skin. His limbs elongate and his hands that were extended grow even longer claws. His face melts into the shape of a bat with a twisted maw, sharp fangs protruding from his jaw. The creature that he transformed into lets out a high pitched screech, before wrenching itself out of your grip and darting into the house.

The Ekimmara lets out a terrible high-pitched howl that makes you grit your teeth as the pitch rings harshly through the air. Then its battered body flails and convulses as it seems to twist and strangely, shrink into itself. The fur seems to shrink into its body, face deforming nd twisting before settling into a familiar human shape. The features smooth out to be Peter, and his body, once swollen and covered in fur, returns to its normal stature, free of claws, fangs, and bloodlust. His weaken form curled on the floor, as Bolton darts to his side, pulling him into his lap. A dark mist exits from his mouth, and rises into the air before disappearing.

A Dream From Your Not-Local Tower Wizard

Kaehi and Shivah, as you lay down to sleep, your subconscious drifts off. You expect to fall into a restful, dreamless sleep, but you find yourself suddenly in a cozy study. It is a round room about 30 feet wide, a messy desk is pushed to one side and piled high with papers and books neatly stacked. Several bookshelves line the wall and a warm light filters through the open stone windows. You’ve been in this room before. It’s Jhaerros’s first floor meeting room. ‘So you finally fell asleep,’ you hear behind you. You turn around and see a familiar elf sitting on a couch with a cup of tea. ‘Sit,’ he says and gestures in front of him and a couch appears in a swirl of golden energy.

MECHANICS

What is Happening

Jhaerros has some time off before bed, and decides to contact the players. He uses the Dream spell, and has about 6 hours of time to converse. He will contact Kaehi, because Kaehi contacted him, but if Shivah is sleeping, he will contact her as well.

Jhaerros’s Intentions

Jhaerros, while the Master Arcanist of Lumeria, faces opposition when he wants to study the Oypani Crystal. The Oypani Crystal has been used for weapons in the past, and some of the Council disapprove of his interest. Each time he wants to spend some time with it, they go through too much paperwork and a huge process just for limited interaction. He wants more free time to experiment with it and learn the depths of its power, and keep it from becoming official Lumerian property, because then there is a power imbalance among the Continent. The Lumerian Oypani Crystal is locked away in a hidden location in Liv’ Kri.
He is willing to discuss any of the scholarly known information about it, but is quite possessive over it and will not part with the Crystal. Also, he is willing to discuss the Oypani disappearance theory. “Once, more than 200 years ago, one of the most prominent divine powers was Oypani, the Rainbow goddess. It is an academic debate that she even existed, given that there are so few relics left that even show evidence of worship or her existence. In fact, no one is sure how the name got tied with the Crystals over time, if it was a rumor that gained its own life, or based on truth. Regardless, the rumor goes that she sacrificed herself to defeat some great evil and end the Endless Wars. This ended the battling factions, resulting in the Split of Nations. However, this took a great toll on her form, and her remaining power or essence was split into these Crystals.”

QUOTES

Information About the Oypani Crystal

“What do you know about magic, Jasmine and Sarah?”
“Magic is a borne of the primordial force known as Chaos. This power is evident in almost all areas of the world, but most concentrated at areas where the Planes of the Zaria and other Planes intersect and the veils between the Planes of Existence grow thin. Some items can also be charged with immense magical power from incredible events, proximity to Chaos, or by force.”
“The Oypani Crystals are a source of pure magical power, ancient and mysterious. Prior to the Split of Nations, it is said that during one of the darkest nights of the year, there was a meteor shower. Several streams of brilliant rainbow light streaked across the sky, crashing down onto the Continent in different locations. When the meteors were discovered, Oypani Crystals were found in the wreckage, untouched and brimming with pure Chaos. A few were found and excavated before immediately being swept up by various leaders. This was then kept secret, as such a Source of magical energy could be very dangerous if fallen into the wrong hands.”
“Now how many are there, you may ask? Well, the Kingdom of Herheham has one, and Torsia has one, Granhamia another, and the same for the Haymeslian Empire, Blavind, Torsia, and Olomondia. Lumeria, officially, has one. There are 8 known crystals distributed among the major powers of the Continent, and this maintains the balance of power.”
“Before you leave, I trust that you will hold this information in great secrecy?”

Jhaerro’s Research So Far

“In the time I’ve had so far with it, I have learned several things. It grants several boons randomly when you attune to the item each day. Such abilities include: spell slots returned, a fragment of Luck, full health, and great restorative powers. However, it appears that the crystal has yet to be ‘Awakened’ of sorts. I do not know how to unlock the rest of its powers yet, but I am sure with more time I will learn how.”

Related Characters

• Bolton the Courageous
• Teo Heiser

Related Organizations

• The Common Guild

Related Locations

• Arkwing