Session Recaps

Session 001 - A New Journey

We meet our ragtag group of adventurers as they travel to the town of `Riverton` in the `River Kingdoms`. On their way they are held up by a group of bandits who have erected a crude checkpoint to extort money from travelers. When they realize they will get no money from them, the bandits attack and are swiftly defeated before any lasting harm can come to the other passenger, the coachman, or more importantly the horse. One of our adventurers, Thaniel, plays with some puppies that are too numerous for him to handle and is battered away, twice, before they continue on their journey.

The carriage drops the group of just outside of Riverton before bidding adieu. The group spies a nearby tower with a sleeping kobold guard out front. Athe leads the way by stealthily sneaking into the tower before beckoning the others to follow. Kat does a poor job of sneaking by and wakes the kobold that quickly urges the group to descend into the tower after finding that none of the adventurers can understand its sign language.

They are soon attacked by some kobolds and after a quick, but damaging fight, they begin scouring the place for loot. They discover treasure within a tomb, a second illusory tomb, and two more kobolds that have surrendered at the rear of the crypt. When they ascend again, the mute kobold flees upon seeing their safe return.

They begin to cross a bridge before a wild old man dressed in nothing but vegetation bids them to answer his riddles in exchange for treasure. The party answers the riddles with great wit and find that they must then fight the old man before claiming their prize. The Austere uses his construct Avoh to aid Thaniel in keeping the man surrounded and occupied during the encounter that ends in success. However, as the final blow is being struck, the man disappears and leaves a message in the form of a mint that begs them to find him at other bridges so he may finally die.

Upon entering the town of Riverton, the group encounters Zogla Vetsky the Blacksmith. The converse with her for some time, selling some of the items they had looted before she notices the strange weapon The Austere wields. She offers to apply a rune the adventurers had found to it and work on creating special ammunition for it if he would like. He accepts and hands over the weapon with the promise to return the next morning to retrieve it. They leave Zogla to continue her work and make their way to the Governor's house to hear the details of the job he is offering to them.

Session 002 - Thorn

Standing outside the door, they can hear an intense argument going on inside. Brassdagger, a catfolk man, opens the door and gestures for them to head further inside. The go into the far room and listen quietly as the argument a tiefling woman and old man continues. They learn that Opalneria is requesting soldiers from Governor Karim to aid her in a ritual to track down the cultists that she believes are responsible for the dwindling population of Riverton. The governor continues to refuse her request with the logic that the few soldiers remaining must stay to protect what is left of the town.

The adventurers soon offer to help Opalneria with her cultist hunt for a price before asking the governor for more information about the quest to aid Riverton. Governor Karim reveals that villagers have been disappearing for months now and he'd like for them to find them and return them safely to town. Looking through the contract he has quickly drafter, they soon notice that part of their reward, priority choice on future quests from the `Pathfinder's Society`, is limited to one month. Quick negotiations follow and they agree to the final deal of 100 gold for finding villagers and priority on quests for a full year. The governor receives missives from a courier and begins skimming through them as he shoos the group out. Athe catches the old governor give an odd look to Kat as they leave and wonders as to what he might know about her.

The group makes plans to meet with Opalneria in the morning and part ways to find lodgings. Deals had to be made with a merchant that had rented a double bed for himself so they could all have beds to sleep in. Save for the Austere who revealed he does not need to sleep like his fleshy companions, and instead works on prototyping a cane embossed with Griffon imagery. While he is working with wood in the dead of night, he hears a young child call to him to play but cannot find them.

He soon returns to his craft before conversing for some time with the Innkeeper about himself. He soon retires to a seat near the hearth and idles for the rest of the night.

Opalneria meets them at the inn while they eat a wonderful meal prepared by `Inn Keeper`, who hails from a long line of exquisite innkeeps. The five depart to Zogla's smithy to retrieve The Austere's weapon before heading northward out of town. They encounter a rowdy group of orcs along the path that have surrounded an old woman and are attempting to teach her the proper cadence for the music they are playing. When the woman spies the adventurers approaching, she points to them and yells, "Doom" before she collapses on the spot. Following the crone's finger, the orcs approach the group and requests them to join in the songs and dance.

Athe is quick to oblige and shows exquisite moves as she dances to the song the orcs are playing. They are less enthused with Kat's attempts to mimic the dance and ask her to stop. They sing and dance some more before the orcs bid them farewell and continue on their way. The group approaches where the woman lie dead with no obvious wounds. The Austere reckons that she was a `Doomsayer`, a crone known for predicting tragedy upon others. With that new information, the group follows the path east.

They encounter a crossroads with a signpost indicating Riverton to the west, `Sanctuary` to the north, an unknown village to the east, and no markings for the southern path. Searching the area provides them with an explosive devices filled with needles that had been tucked away within a hollow tree trunk. Nearby they find a small collections of wild pups that seem to beckon for them to follow. With little hesitation they accept the invitation and follow the pups north along the path marked for Sanctuary.

As the canopy grows thicker overhead, the group finds themselves in darkness, conjuring a light before continuing on. The overgrown path they find themselves on is lined by multiple groups of wild pups that simply sit and watch them as the continue. The trees grows sparse and a large circular clearing of exposed stone enters their view. As they descend the path into the heart of the clearing and nearing a large stone jutting from its center, they notice that even more dogs are surrounding the edge of the rock and watching them. Thaniel climbs atop the center stone but is quickly batted off as `Thorn`, a large wolf grasping a sword in its teeth, leaps from the tree line onto the stone.

She refuses to let them leave unless the group can defeat her in combat so she can judge their worth. A difficult and bloody fight follows in which the group emerges victorious with more wounds and less blood than they started with. They bandage their wounds and swear to keep the dog sanctuary secret and even direct other dogs they find here. They spend the night there, cuddling with the pups as they talk about themselves and their past before settling for the night.

In the morning, they break camp and bid adieu to Thorn and the pups before heading to the crossroads to destroy the sign pointing to Sanctuary. As the sign burns, Thaniel and Kat attempt to roll a log to block the path but are unable to make any meaningful progress before Charles moves it over at the Austere's beckoning. Rain begins to fall as the group depart to the unknown village to the east. The rain has already evolved into a full storm by the time they arrive in the abandoned village. They quickly take shelter in the nearest building before discussing their path moving forward.

The agree to clear the area of any dangers before they begin the day-long ritual and begin entering each house one after another thanks to the Athe's skill with a lockpick and the Austere's ability to repair any picks that break in the process. Most houses are empty, likely from past looters, but they do find a couple of precious gems and a medicine staff. While watching their surroundings, Kat notices a few small figures creeping in the darkness of a house they have yet to visit. Aware that they are not alone, the group continues their steady progress to the northern houses where the figures were seen. They find that most of the doors here are unlocked and the interiors empty. When Thaniel enters one of the houses, he is ambushed by some large rats and alerts his companions outside.

Session 003 - Cultists

The rats prove to be no threat as Thaniel quickly dispatches them with a single swipe, turning them into piles are contorted flesh and hides. The group continues to investigate the remaining houses, finding a trapdoor under rubble that seems to be locked from the inside. With no way to open it, a quick attempt is made to cover it again before they take shelter from the storm in the house they first entered and prepare for the ritual. Opalneria draws the ritual circle on the floor while Kat places the candles along the edges of the circle as Opalneria instructs. With a final check, Opalneria begins the ritual while the others take points throughout the building to look out for any interruptions.

After some hours, a child's voice calls to them and asks to play. They are unable to identify where the voice came from but the Austere recalls hearing this voice before in Riverton during the night. He surmises that it is an `Attic Whisperer` before the form of a skeletal child phases through the wall, proving him correct. When Kat answers the child but saying it is too wet outside and too cramped inside to play, the child begins to sob creating an unnerving aura that attacks their consciousness and stupefies them and subsequently interrupts the ritual as Opalneria falls to her knees.

Athe and Thaniel agree to play with the child, who chooses Laila for their name since their original name has been lost to time. Athe and Thaniel lead Laila to one of the houses where they had found an old `Varisian` nursery rhyme book and begin reading it aloud. Opalneria, the Austere, and Kat, meanwhile are recomposing themselves and discussing what they could do with the ghost. Before a final decision is made, Thaniel returns to tell them that he and Athe are going to play Hide-n-Seek with Laila.

Laila leads the two to her favorite hiding spot, the locked trapdoor that they had found previously. After learning that they cannot phase through objects like Laila, she phases through the trapdoor and unlocks it from inside. Athe and Thaniel descend the revealed stairs after Laila and encounter a large expanse of worked stones making many hallways and rooms. They promptly return to others and tell them about what they found while descending again with everyone.

In the first room they encounter, they find two skeletal warriors playing a game of cards (Golarian Uno). The Austere confidently strides up to them and speaks with them in `Necril` before joining them in playing for a round. The others join the Austere and the guards in the room. Athe surveys the room and notices banners depicting a rose growing from the blood-soaked ground. She remembers the image is often used for followers of `Milani the Everbloom`, patron mother for those that fight oppression. Before they go to explore more of the place, the guards warn them that most of the other guards are less welcoming.

They proceed down the connected hallway and meet Jon, one of the missing villagers from Riverton. He tells them that he is here willingly and he, along with the other villagers, are being trained so they can protect themselves. Kat acknowledges that it's a good skill to learn and that everyone should be free to protect themselves and those they value. With a few more words, Jon directs them to their leader, `Eva`, that they can find down the hallway opposite the direction they came from. They thank him and make their way towards Eva while Jon returns to his bed to rest.

Passing the guards again, they look down the largest hallway and spy a large contingent of skeletal warriors lining the walls. Not wanting to risk anything, they proceed past and go down the hallway towards Eva. Athe lags behind, cautious of any potential threats and not wanting to reveal their full hand as of yet. Thaniel approaches a closed door to knock and easily hears part of a conversation between. Unperturbed, he knocks and gets them permission to enter. Inside the room, they meet Eva and another disheveled woman that she had been speaking with. Two skeletal guards stand at attention to their right. When they are asked how and why they are here and answer that they had been following a ghostly child, Laila phases through the wall behind Eva and makes herself known. Eva quickly hits her with a magical blast of acid that reduces her to a pile of corroded bones.

After speaking with Eva some more, she leads them further inside and into a large circular room where multiple villagers are fighting against bears while some hooded figures watch from the perimeter. Eva explains that they are one of many sects that have been training villagers to protect themselves from cruel and oppressive governors. She reveals that they have finished training before turning towards the villagers and saying, "It's time to go home." The villagers immediately stride out the room and through the hallway. The group receives permission to look around a bit more and agree to let the other villagers to know that it's time for them to go home. Backtracking to where they first encountered Eva, they use their potion of book theft to copy a letter addressed to Eva from someone named `Lillith`.

They find the disheveled woman they had seen earlier in a storeroom doing inventory. Kat talks her up while Athe sneaks in and grabs a ring that caught their attention. While Athe regroups with Opalneria, the Austere, and Thaniel to identify the ring, Kat learns that the woman's name is `Irene` and that she is quite incensed with Governor Karim for the excessive amount of time for him to review her mercantile application just to deny her. Kat offers to look through her stock of rugs if they meet again when she is a merchant. Worried that the returning villagers will immediately attack the governor when they return, they group hurriedly go to Jon and let him and the other remaining villagers know that it is time to go home. As if in a trance, he agrees and they all make their way back to Riverton.

On arrival, the villagers return to their houses while the group go directly to the governor. They reveal that they have successfully brought the villagers back but they have reason to believe they may destroy the Riverton in a similar way as `Novoboro` to the north had been destroyed. Kat convinces him to stay in Riverton and solve the problem instead of running from his station and being governor of nothing. After being paid but before they manage to leave, the governor tells Kat that they've received a missive rewarding any information about the missing person, Katerina Silverwing. Kat warns him to weigh his choices carefully before she leaves and waits for the others to join her. Opalneria decides it is time for her to depart and meet up with her friends again. She hugs them each before they all bid fare wells and safe travels.

As they move through the town, Athe questions Kat about her conversation with the governor. Kat promises to answer before avoiding the conversation and warning Zogla about the villagers and their fear of what might happen. She reveals that she has family up north where she might move if things go poorly. Entering the inn, they find the seats filled with many of the returned villagers. Worried about their safety they agree to spend the night with Thorn. Athe discretely leaves a note with the inn keeper to warn him before they return to Sanctuary and spend the night consoled by the warmth of the Thorn and the pups.

Session 004 - Fight Club

Upon waking, the adventurers learn that they all had the same strange dream about a man trudging through a swamp with friends before they stop and look towards the depths of the swamp where three distinct cackles can be heard. Upon hearing this, Thorn reveals that there is a swamp to the north that might be the same one as from the dream. She also warns them of more hooded figures appearing along the roads around Riverton. Reluctant to further involve themselves with the cultists, the group agrees to head directly north from the sanctuary.

As the sound of rushing water grows stronger, a river comes into view that they will need to cross to continue on their journey. They search along the southern shoreline, finding a group of pups the instruct to return to Thorn and bear traps that the trigger to prevent any of the pups from being caught in them. Finding nothing to aid in their crossing, they each prepare themselves for crossing the rapids. Thaniel and Athe easily swim across and begin wringing the excess water from their clothes. The Austere taps his boots and propels himself across the river with the blast of energy that spouts from his heels. Kat begins swimming across but cannot withstand the strength of the river and only just barely manages to cling to a boulder to prevent herself from being washed further downstream. With Thaniel's help, she makes it across and rejoins her companions.

A young boy approaches them and asks what was on the other side of the river. The boy seems satisfied enough with their answer of bear traps and goes about his day. Alone again, the group searches the bank for any supplies but continue on their way when they find little of note. After travelling through the forest for some time, they stumble upon a young man trying to wrangle his chickens back into their crates. The adventurers each run to help and after varying degrees of success, manage to corral the chickens into the crates. Grateful to his benefactors, the man reveals that the chickens will be used in a secret club he is a member of and marks the location for them on their maps. The man waves them farewell and resumes his journey.

Now on a proper road, the group looks through the map and decides to follow it east and north towards a settlement before going to the secret club they have learned about. On their way, the find a ruin along the side of the road that has a strange magical dome repelling anything from entering or leaving. Unable to find a way to lower the shield, the group begrudgingly continues to the nearby settlement. After some purchases and deals with a ratfolk and his questionably legitimate wares, the group begin asking the townsfolk about the ruin. They learn that the ruin has been there for a long time but it was only destroyed recently one night after a large explosion with the barrier already being there when they had gone to investigate. Some of the villagers mentioned seeing some large shadowy creature flying from the ruin to the general northeast on the same night. They also heard about an old woman and young girl that had recently traveled through the town but they had no indication of if they were related to the ruins.

Now on a proper road, the group looks through the map and decides to follow it east and north towards a settlement before going to the secret club they have learned about. On their way, the find a ruin along the side of the road that has a strange magical dome repelling anything from entering or leaving. Unable to find a way to lower the shield, the group begrudgingly continues to the nearby settlement. After some purchases and deals with a ratfolk and his questionably legitimate wares, the group begin asking the townsfolk about the ruin. They learn that the ruin has been there for a long time but it was only destroyed recently one night after a large explosion with the barrier already being there when they had gone to investigate. Some of the villagers mentioned seeing some large shadowy creature flying from the ruin to the general northeast on the same night. They also heard about an old woman and young girl that had recently traveled through the town but they had no indication of if they were related to the ruins.

Registered, the group explores the area, finds items, and meets with some of the patrons and participants. The develop an immediate animosity for the *Thriving Thrifters*, a trio of mercenary brothers and crowd favorite to win. They find another group of pups locked in one of the rooms and help them to escape back to Thorn while the Austere catches up with `Severus`, another automaton from the same empire. The two converse for some time before the Auster rejoins his companions and they continue exploring the arena. Outside a food vendor's room, they meet `Ivan` and `Amoretta`,  one a large red lizard folk and the other a diminutive woman. They learn that they are the companions that Opalneria had spoken about. They all introduce themselves and trade notes about the cultist activity they had discovered before the announcer calls for the next group of contestants which includes the *Dancing Queens*. The adventurers descend to the nearest corner of the arena while their new friends go off to prepare for their upcoming matches.

The wizard's voice booms from above as it announces the contents of the first match. The four competing teams, *Dancing Queens*, *Singing Orcs*, *Gobblin Goblins*, and *Bastard Bandits* will need to kill more chickens than any of the other teams to proceed to the semi-finals. The chickens are quickly reduced to no more than a fine red mist and piles of feathers with the *Dancing Queens* killing the most chickens and proceeding.

The other teams for the semi-final match were *Thriving Thrifters*, *Wealthy Winners*, and *Disciples of the Damned*, the team of Ivan and Amoretta. This match involved navigating a magical maze. The first two teams would continue to the finals. After much backtracking and fights between different teams and wild beasts, the adventurers become the second and only other team to leave the maze alive. Outside the maze, they stand in a stone cut room with Ivan and Amorretta as they wait for the final match between the two teams.

Severus enters from the opposite doorway and expresses his disappointment with the Austere and his choice in companions instead of aiding in restoring their empire. Hoping to sway the Austere one final time, he produces a small music box that begins to play a lovely tune. The Austere recognizes it as the first item he had created with his son. Still unwilling to assist him, Severus uses a device to trigger many distant explosions in the fortress above which inevitably causes the ground below them to collapse and sending the six into free fall. Amoretta is quick to cast a spell to slow the descent of everyone except herself.

When their fall ends upon a large metal disk, suspended above magma by thick chains, the group rushes to Amoretta to treat her and help her stand. They do not get much more time to think as a huge metal construct descends upon the center of the platform amid the enthusiasm of the wizard announcer. The Austere recognizes the construct as a revitalized artillery construct used by their empire long ago. The two teams work together to fight off the towering war machine and manage to do so without taking any irreparable damage.

Session 005 - A Living Calamity

With the artillery construct defeated, Severus is heard from above and swears he will burn the world down to resurrect their fallen empire.
Before he leaves, he tosses down the old music box to Austere as a final gift from a friend.
The wizard announcer congratulates them as the winners of an exciting and unplanned fight against the champion that Severus had produced.
They make their way back to his office and split the 300 gold reward.
He invites them to participate in any of their other competitions that they host throughout the lands.
The two groups wish each other well once again before they go their separate ways.

Tired but strangely energized with newfound strength, the adventurers return to the magically encased ruin.
Kat uses her magic to interrupt the barrier and allow them into the protected area.
As they approach, the center of the ruin opens and a platform elevates a handful of robotic constructs in standby.
Drawing closer activates them and a battle ensues.
The enemies' wide arrange of net launchers, lasers, and melee attacks are formidable but unable to stop the adventurers.

Among the wreckage of the defeated enemies is another construct that is still in standby.
The Austere recognizes the model as an elite military unit that had been in development the last time he had seen it.
With is passive, he manages to discover that this unit's orders are to remain here until further notice and that the one who gave that order was Severus.
Unwilling to push their luck against a formidable enemy, the group scavenge what they can and proceed to the River Outpost to rest for the night.
There, Kat repays Tonvan the gold she owes him before they spend an uneventful night in town.

## Desnus 18th, 4075 RA (Day 5)

In the morning, they decide to venture further west while they are in the area.
After some travel, they come across an owlbear along the path that is protecting an egg.
After attempting to indicate that they are non-hostile, they take a wide berth around the parent-to-be and continue on their way.
They soon come upon a fork in the road and begin discussing which way to travel first.
Before they can come to a decision, a skeletal figure approaches them from the west, kindly introduces himself as `Concelhaut`, and continues past them to the east.
Curious about what this stranger was doing, the group traces his path to the west.

They come upon a large Dragon Turtle sleeping on a plateau of rock around a presumably artificial lake.
Painfully aware of the strength the Dragon Turtle possesses, the group stays at the edge of the clearing.
Except for Thaniel.
Thaniel leaps across the chasm, waking the living calamity.
It snaps at Thaniel as he approaches and questions why such an insignificant lives had decided to wake him from his slumber.

It announces itself as `Belvore` and regrets that he has been bound against his will to this location by his unwanted master, the lich they had passed earlier.
He reveals that Concelhaut is one of the eight of the Circle of Archmagi, a group of powerful spell casters that have each mastered one of the eight schools of magic.
Thaniel offers to find a way to release Belvore from his binds if he allows him to leave safely.
Belvore agrees and offers to assist him later if he does manage to free him.
The four return to the crossroads and venture along the northern pass.

At the end of the path, they find a magically charged pond surrounded by two perimeters of regularly spaced stone columns.
The area appears to be barrier to against malign spirits.
They discover that upon dropping coins into the water, the stones around them temporarily sing a pleasing melody.
Curious what would happen if they drop a non-monetary item, the Austere tosses a piton into the water below.
A `nyad` promptly emerges from the water and presents the Austere with an enchanted bracelet and asks if he had dropped it.
He admits that he had only dropped a piton instead of the prize she offered.
The nyad is pleased with his honesty and enchants his air repeater so it can fire underwater without concern.
It then dips back into the depths before they can ask her any questions.

Satisfied with their westward exploration, the group retrace their steps to town and further to the east, setting up camp near where they had helped wrangle chickens earlier.
They agree to have two watches through the night, the first to give the Austere time to rest so he can tackle the second one himself.
Athe and Kat agree to the first watch and make themselves busy while their friends rest.
Athe uses the moment to follow through on questioning Kat about the missing persons poster that Governor Karim had mentioned some days prior.

Kat reveals that she is a noble daughter of house `Silverwing`.
She had left some time ago to make a name for herself and prove how valuable she knows herself to be.
She then goes to learn more about Athe and they life she led before adventuring with them.

Athe reveals that long ago, she had remembered watching a traveling troupe before her next memories of traveling with them.
She mentioned that she had the stage name `Nightingale` and that she was more comfortable getting information about others than revealing her own.
She had been happy with the troupe but did not quite feel like she belonged and had thus set off searching to find what it is she had been missing.
They finish their watch and wake the Austere so he can handle the rest of the night watch.

## Desnus 19th, 4075 RA (Day 6)

In the morning they head further east and come across an old rope bridge with a chest lying on the other side.
Curious, Thaniel crosses the bridge and inspects the chest to be rewarded with a strike from a goblin hiding behind it.
The battle is short but results in the bridge being burnt from a thrown torch by one of the three assaulting goblins.
Two villagers approach from the distance and thank them for handling the goblins.
They reveal that they had been attacked by the goblins earlier and were returning in the hopes of recovering any of their merchandise.
They discover that their most lucrative items are still missing before remarking that they had been attacked by many more goblins than just the three that lie dead by their feet.
The group agrees to hunt down the items and return their items for a reward.

Athe leads the group south, following the tracks left from the goblins.
At the end of the path, they find the goblin's camp and begin sneaking towards them.
Athe sneaks into the largest of the tents and finds the merchant's items within.
She manages to sneak out with the items undetected and reunite with the others.
They agree to set the camp on fire to reduce the goblin's ability to attack others and make their way back to the River Outpost.
There they return the items and are rewarded with their choice of one item to take with them.
With time left in the day, they head east again and make camp along the edge of the lake with Athe enraptured by the multitude of turtles around.

## Desnus 20th, 4075 RA (Day 7)

The night passes uneventfully and the group continues on their way.
They arrive at a large canyon with a single natural stone bridge spanning to the other side.
On the other side of the canyon is a large ogre that moves towards them before plummeting as the bridge collapses beneath it.
Taking advantage of their abundance of rope, pitons, and Thaniel's athleticism, they manage to secure a rope across the expanse and make it across safely.
Continuing on their way, they happen upon a large stone tower with one sleeping and one attentive gargoyle perched outside.
The awake creature welcomes them and suggests they head up the tower to speak with their master.
The uppermost room they ascend to is populated by multiple enchanted brooms that are busy sweeping an already clean floor and a lone woman managing the multiple potions and brewing decoctions around her.
She introduces herself as `Arkemyr`, master of enchantments and member of the Circle of Archmagi.
She encourages them to peruse her wares and offers to them a job while they browse.

Before they accept the job, Arkemyr gives them a summary of the request.
They would need to infiltrate a masquerade ball that is to be held in a few weeks in the `Kingdom of Grouton` to the north.
Their objective would be to spy on her colleague and fellow member of the circle, `Lujei the Illusive`, and determine if he has plans to intrude on her business.
The group seems ready to hear more details of the request when she seems willing to assist with breaking the binds cast on Belvore the Dragon Turtle so long as her interference is kept discrete.

Session 006 - Honey B. Lovely

Before tasking them with something as important as spying on another Archmage, Arkemyr tasks them to travel to her bee farm in the north and correct their lack of production.
She pays them ahead of time and instructs them to find `Phoebe` who manages the apiaries.
The group agree to the task and begin the trek, resting for the night when the sun sets.

## Desnus 21st, 4724, Day 8

They find a quickly erected encampment of refugees from Novoboro and agree to help them.
Thaniel goes hunting for deer as the Austere performs meal preparation with alchemical scrutiny.
Athe goes to fetch fresh water before helping the Austere cook.
Kat goes around to heal a woman whose foot got caught in a bear trap, then going to speak with father and daughter pair that the woman mentioned needed help.
The father offers to sell his daughter's hand in marriage for some gold, a fate she has accepted as part of her duty to the family.
Kat chastises the girl, reminding her that her life is her own and should not be sold by someone else.
She hands her three gold coins and recommends that they sell some of their valuables in the next town and live modestly until they can get their feet back under them.
Thaniel has meanwhile hunted, skinned, and butchered two deer that the Austere and Athe have used to create a wonderful meal.

One of the refugees, `Jon`, offers them a gauntlet that finds its place along Kat's arm.
They head out and encountered a broken stone bridge leading to the farm.
The group manages to jump across the gap except for Kat who comes up short and lands in the water below.
Thanks to Thaniel's superb strength, he yanks her out of the river and back to land.

As they are readying to continue, Thaniel notices two wolves and runs up to them.
They are initially hostile, but become docile as Thaniel shows he is not a threat and offers part of his rations to them.
One wolf wanders back into the woods but the other follows Thaniel.
With a new furry companion, they continue on the way to the bee farm.

The bee farm is abuzz with activity from the multiple imps that have been summoned to maintain the simple parts of the area.
They follow the path to find `Phoebe` and learn that they have switched to a new queen bee in the experimental hive that produces the magical honey.
As Phoebe prepares to transport the group into the hive, Thaniel finds some lost pups that he instructs to return to Thorn and asks his wolf friend to go with them to become another protector of the sanctuary.
The group don some beekeeping uniforms and are shrunk by Phoebe and deposited into the hive.

Inside the hive, they find a chamber full worker bees, standing in rows and learn that they are waiting for the Queen to start her next performance.
The new queen, `Beatrice`, has taken the moniker of `Queen Honey B. Lovely` and has been continuously performing for her fans of bees.
The group is unable to convince her to have the workers produce honey in shifts so she can still perform the concerts she love.
She dismisses her fans and the group begins to battle against the queen.

They end the battle victorious with the queen yielding to them, but it is a hard-fought victory that saw Athe close to Death's embrace.
A near miss that points newfound anger at Beatrice when they leave the hive.
The group leaves the details of the issue vague when speaking with Phoebe but with enough hostile undertone pointed at Beatrice that she can likely surmise the problem.
They warn Beatrice that if honey is not produced consistently from then on and they needed to return again, then regicide would be their intent.
Phoebe offers them a honey potion as thanks before the group leaves.

The group decides to travel eastwards for a bit before heading back to Arkemyr.
The multi-hour journey filled with Kat continuously poking, prodding, and bandaging everyone has not done much to ease the tension from a near death experience.
Their irritation grows when the are met with a familiar face upon crossing a bridge towards some lost pups.
The old man begs for them to continue with releasing him from the disease he calls life and asks them three questions.
- What falls everyday but never breaks? ||Night||
- What can you put in a wood box that will make it lighter? ||A Hole||
- What question can you ask all day and get a different correct answer everytime? ||What time is it?||

With his riddles answered, their second battle of the day begins.
The old man proves to have developed new techniques and strengths but is defeated all the same, leaving behind a pile of goods for the group to comb through.
A glance at the sky reveals that it is midday and they could possibly return the Arkemyr that day if they hurry.

Session 007 - Iomedae

They return to Arkemyr's tower and begin the climb to the top floor, but upon arrival, find that Arkemyr is nowhere to be seen.
Instead they find a crystal orb shimmering in multiple colors.
Touching it displays a distorted view of Arkemyr that asks them how their job fared.
Pleased with their results, she informs them that she will get in touch with them when she has something for them to work on.
With the day at a close, they spend the night within the safety of the tower.

## Desnus 22nd, 4724, Day 9

The group decides to head North to the closest town of `Mimere`.
Entering the gates, they hear some locals talking about Governor Karim going missing after an uprising in Riverton.
The continue into the closest building which hosts the `Pathfinder Society`'s Mimere branch.

They find Brassdagger inside and learn more of what happened in Riverton after their departure.
The governor's house had been beset by villagers after refusing to do anything with the warnings they had given to Karim.
Brassdagger had found little to no work since and was consequently drowning his sorrows with spirit.
Declining to join them for a quest, he instead gains a connection with Athe upon revealing that he is less of a fighter and more or an information broker.
Now in slightly better spirits, the group leave him to his drinks and head to the counter to ask for any work they can do.

They fill out the paperwork and pay the coin so they can join the Society and begin looking through the quests available to them over a meal.
They agree to hunt some large beetles outside of an abandoned chapel that is routinely maintained by a traveling priest.
Before departing, they decide to stop by the stalls further inside to stock up on any provisions or gear that strikes their fancy.
They are pleasantly surprised to be reunited with Opalneria and agree to her request to join them on their quest and split the reward.
They finish browsing the wares available to them and head East towards the chapel.

The sky has grown dark when they finally arrive at the old chapel.
The group move along the path cautiously and encounter two large beetles and a third smaller one.
Combat ensues and they emerge victorious albeit with new wounds to be patched.
They decide to search the church for the priest mentioned in the quest.

The interior of the church is cluttered and wrecked with remains of weapons and abatises throughout the entry room.
The main chamber of the chapel is an equally wrecked but much larger space, lined with bookshelves and culminating with a raised dais surrounded by three angelic statues and adorned with a large mural upon the floor.
Thaniel leads the approach up the dais and begins looking around.
Kat examines the mural and reveals that it's a depiction of `Iomedae`'s ascension to godhood.

Thaniel turns to them and explains he has just regained some of his memories from serving in the corps under Iomedae.
An aged priest soon enters and answers the group's questions about the chapel.
The interior has been repeatedly trashed every time he cleans it and has resigned himself to only keeping the mural of Iomedae clean.
They leave the chapel and travel further in the night to the nearest inn.

At the `Rolling Barrel` inn, the group is reunited with Ivan and Amoretta.
The night progresses into the men and women dividing into separate groups to socialize.
The men are spurred into a pushup competition by Ivan and won by Thaniel, while the women enjoy a spa day in the inn's private bath.
They all eventually fall asleep and enjoy a peaceful night of rest among friends.

## Desnus 23rd, 4724, Day 10

Session 007.1 - Plants, Webs, and Fire

## Desnus 23rd, 4724, Day 20

Upong waking, the group discovers Thaniel with a terrible infection caused by the bite from the Dragon Turtle Belvore.
The Disciples of the Damned suggest receiving the help from a quack of a medic that they had personally interacted with before.
After marking the location on their map, the group speeds away while the Disciples care for Thaniel in their absence.

They arrive at a hut surrounded by forest and populated with various creatures.
They find and introduce themselves to a small Leshy working around a cauldron in front of the hut.
The Leshy, in turn, introduces themself as `Fig` and listens to the groups needs of a medicine to cure their sick friend.
Fig tells them of a tree with wonderful fruit found at the end of a nearby dungeon; if they can get there, Fig will be able to make the medicine they need.

Fig guides them deeper into the forest where the dungeon should be according to `Grapevine`.
They find a sinkhole that serves as the entrance to the dungeon but must first contend with the swarms of spiders that have webbed the entirety of the area for a home.
The blasts of fire and from Fig and follow-up explosion from Avoh make quick work of the spiders.
They use a span of rope and a piton to create a stable anchor for them to descend into the depths.

At the bottom of the rope, they enter a cave system and find a large `Ogre Spider` watching them from the roof before it skitters away.
They continue through the cave and discover leftover supplies and notes from a single-man expedition conducted over ten years ago.
They use an incredibly large ribcage as a bridge to cross a ravine and continue their journey.
The cave soon plummets into a chasm lined by sets of old wooden steps spaced with the occasional platform.
Some kobolds below notice their descent and rush to attack.

The attackers are soon cut down and the group continues their search.
They find a chest that they discover is trapped when it shoots a dart into Kat's chest.
Luckily, Fig is prepared and cures her of the affliction it caused.
The group continues their descent with stronger caution before entering a system of caves carved from the gently flowing water and overgrown with wild vegetation.

Within the expanse they encounter a few zombies to be slain and discover a shrine along with another journal entry from the decade-past expedition.
From it, they find that speaking a certain phrase in Elven causes the shrine to glow.
The group continues exploring and finds some of Thorn's missing dogs and Athe instructs them to return home after receiving playful kisses from them.
Watching the dogs bound away, they notice a handful of large stone tablets with various phrases with some written in Elven and others in Common.

-# Elven
- Whispering winds
- carry us
- now our hidden refuge.
- hence; reveal

-# Common
- Ethereal passage,
- show thyself

They return to the shrine for Athe to approach and speak the Elven lines until they are said in the correct order.
> Whispering winds, carry us hence; reveal now our hidden refuge.

A magical portal appears in front of the shrine with the final words spoken.
Before any discussion could be made, Fig jumps into it and the rest of the group follows.
They appear in a large room dominated by vegetation with a lone tree bearing multiple undeveloped fruit and one perfectly ripe fruit.
As they approach the tree to claim the fruit to save Thaniel, an undead covered in mushrooms appears from the other side of the tree and beckons them to join the soil and feed this sanctuary.
He motions towards a corner of the room, and the Ogre Spider makes its appearance.

The ensuing combat is fierce, enduring, and culminates in the groups victory but not before Avoh collapses broken and the Austere is knocked unconscious momentarily from a potent attack by the spider.
When combat concludes, Fig runs to the tree and plucks the only ripe fruit before taking a bite from it.
They then immediately begin shovelling the fertile soil into their cauldron and submerge their roots inside, promptly growing a new face-adorned fruit.
They rip off one of their grown face fruits and offers it to the group as the necessary ingredient for the medicine they need.

The group eventually return to the inn with the medicine crafted by Fig.
It is applied to Thaniel and Fig soon departs with jovial words.
Amoretta looks at her friends, bloodied, bruised, and with a pile of what was Avoh in tow.
She asks them what they went through with the quack to end up so ragged.

Session 008 - The Swamp

## Desnus 26, 4724, Day 23

The group has taken the last three days to rest, recuperate, and prepare for their upcoming journey to the swamps around `Cordelon` to investigate their strange dream many days earlier.
On the first day, they learn how Opalneria joined the Disciples of the Damned after `Varrick`, the original guild leader, took her in after her family had been killed by a cult.
Years later, she would narrowly avoid death with the rest of the guild when she stayed back sick while everyone else went to investigate cult activity.
She would then begin rebuilding the guild by recruiting Ivan and Amoretta.
The disciples would leave later that day for Cordelon.
By the third day, The Austere was struck by inspiration and not only recreated Avoh but improved him.
-# .

When everyone is ready, the party decides to purchase tickets for a riverboat headed North to help them catch up with their friends sooner.
On the trip, the boat is attacked by multiple boggards and a water drake.
They succeed in killing all but one boggard and severely wounding the drake, driving them away, but not before some of the other passengers were slain.
-# .

They arrive safely at the Pathfinder branch of `Gray Falls Lodge` spending the night in safety.
They learn that the forest just north of the lodge is extremely dangerous due to Fey influence and that the leader of this branch has gone on an expedition into it due to their fascination with the first world.
As such, they have no quests the party can take but do offer information on the Disciples since they had been there somewhat recently.
After learning that the Disciples had left for the swamps some time ago, the party sets off after them.
-# .

They travel west for several days and at one point find a would-be adventurer being harassed from multiple kobolds.
The group learns that the man had stolen food from the kobolds and refuses to return it.
Athe offers the kobolds some waffles to settle the dispute peacefully and they agree.
With the conflict avoided, they proceed on the journey.
-# .

As night begins to fall, the party find and travels together with the Disciples of the Damned through the beginning of the swamp.
They find Zogla bound and dragged along by an Ogre in the company of Boggards.
They rush to attack the creatures, rescuing Zogla and learning that `Zahir`, her brother, and some other villagers have been have been abducted.
-# .

They all hurry further into the swamp and find the villagers bound to trees while more boggards perform some ritual.
The ritual completes as they draw closer and the water drake they fought previously appears, consuming the boggards and growing in strength before charging at the party.
It is quickly slain and the villagers are freed from the binds.
While Zogla, Zahir, and the other villagers return to safety, the group takes a short break to bandage their wounds.
-# .

The adventurers proceed further into the swamp, finding the house from their dreams, and proceed inside to investigate.
The interior is forboding and they are unable to find any solid clues about the people in their dreams.
Before they leave, a magical rift opens amongst them and all but Opalneria are sucked in.
-# .

Athe, Kat, Thaniel, and The Austere find themselves in a strange world inhabited by shadows and separated from Ivan and Amoretta.
With nowhere to go but forward, they explore the world as it builds itself around them with each step.
They come upon a large structure of exquisite design that is intersected regularly by disconcerting barriers of shadow, preventing them from seeing beyond each veil.
They find themselves capable of crossing through the divides with no harm and continue exploring until crossing one such shadow has them in immediate free fall in a void.
-# .

They spot a few distortions of light they are approaching and manage to enter one upon getting close enough.
They find themselves transported to a small island featuring a large lighthouse.
Upon the shore, they find two elves speaking to each other.
The elvish woman is confused at their appearance when they ask for help and the elvish man's form shifts into something more monstrous and unsettling.
As before, they suddenly find themselves falling in the void once again.
They find the next distortion and approach once more.
-# .

They find themselves within a large and decorated estate.
They explore further, noticing a distinct lack of life and Kat eventually recognizes the place as her family home.
Further exploration brings them to a large room filled with well-dressed shades conversing for what appears to be some banquet.
It is here that Kat recognizes this scene as the party for her eighteenth birthday.
Like clockwork, a shade with far more distinct features she recognizes as her father calls for attention among the party goers.
The group watch silent as he thanks them for attending and announces Kat's betrothal with a man of another house.
-# .

The rest of the scene plays quickly and the party find themselves following the shade of Kat to her father's study.
The ensuing argument plays just as Kat remembers, still enraged by the words her father had used to dismiss her disagreement.
However, the scene did not end as it should when have her shade left the room but instead continued with her return and prompt agreement to the wedding.
As the party could feel the familiar sensation of being transported once again, the copy of Kat locked eyes with the original and smiled.
-# .

The group now found themselves among the snow-covered market stalls of some town at night.
Walking through the streets, they find a strange creature feasting on their confusion that refuses to answer their questions.
As they decide to go on their way, the creature that had seen transform from an elvish man appears amongst.
Realizing they are not in a position to fight the thing, they run through the streets and further out into the snowy waste.
-# .

The elvish woman they had seen before eventually appears before them before opening a portal and urging them to enter.
With no other options, the group sprint their way through the snow and ice before charging through the portal as a group.
The party emerges from the portal back into the house of the swamp before closing.
Opalneria stands before them and rushes to hug them.
They learn from her that they've been gone for two weeks and she has been waiting for them all this time.
However, her smile fades with her next question: where is Ivan and Amoretta?
-# .

## Sarenith 13, 4724

Session 009 - The Search

Reunited with Opalneria after escaping from the rift thanks to the help of the unknown elven woman, the party discuss what their next move should be.
They decide to travel back to `Gray Falls Lodge` to hopefully meet the leader of that Pathfinder's branch and see if they have any information to help bring Ivan and Amoretta back to their plane.
They leave the swamp to rest for the night, quiet from the stress of their journey and uncertain of how to rescue their friends.

## Sarenith 16th, 4724

After two days of travel, the party returns to the lodge and find the leader `Sayrin Firewyne`.
They learn that her mission to find a way to freely travel to the `First World` ended with a fraction of the original group returning safely.
She leads them further in the building towards the branch's library while discussing more of their impromptu journey into a realm they did not recognize.
Searching through a book of the realms, they find a diagram of the various planes and how they interact with each other.
That diagram leads them to believe that they were in the `Dreamlands`, a portion of the `Ethereal Plane` where souls wander while they dream.
-# .

The group eventually finds three avenues they can pursue for rescuing Ivan and Amoretta:
- Find a `Night Hag` and make a deal since they specialize in traversing the Ethereal Plane
- Ask a powerful spellcaster to help them shift planes
- Investigate the fey in the northern forest since they frequently travel between planes.
Before leaving, Sayrin asks them to investigate a forest temple to the west that should contain an artifact that'll help her launch another investigation into the forest.
Considering that a follow-up investigation could result in some of Sayrin's companions that are more knowledgeable about planar travel and perhaps establishing a connection with a fey, they agree to investigate while they are on their way to `Bacul Gruii` to see how they villagers they rescued are faring.
-# .

## Sarenith 18th, 4724

Two days of travel bring them to Bacul Gruii, or at least what remains of it.
The town looks to have been ravished recently with multiple houses featuring destroyed doors and windows.
They find Zogla and her younger brother Zahir arguing vehemently between themselves.
As the only two residents remaining, Zogla wants to leave and find somewhere else to setup shop.
Zahir however wants to stay, rebuild the town, and protect is as he feels he ought to do.
A sentiment that elicits a minor reaction from Athe; a reaction Kat plans to address when she finds the time for it.
-# .

As they continue to discuss, they find that Zahir is mostly concerned with rescuing Zogla's tools from the hands of those that ransacked the village while they were gone.
The party proposes a compromise wherein they will try to find the bandits and retrieve Zogla's tools, after which the siblings will find somewhere safer to reside.
Everyone agrees and the party leads the way while Opal, Zogla, and Zahir follow from a safe distance.
Athe leads the way as she follows the tracks left by the brigands, grateful that they are traveling in the same direction as the temple they need to investigate.
-# .

The sound of rhythmic whistling reaches them before the sight of the fort does.
Aware that they may be coming upon the bandits, the group tries to approach the stone walls stealthily.
Upon the walls, they spy a lone man keeping watch and while he whistles.
He notices the large form of Avoh and The Austere next to him and demands he come no further.
The Austere speaks at great length with the man about anything and everything he can think of, distracting the man enough that the other are able to slink at the base of the wall and out of the sentry's sight.
Athe and Thaniel continue sneaking around the walls while Kat stays hidden closer The Austere.
-# .

Athe and Thaniel sneak around to the far side of the fort and peak in to find the bandits, each of which are carrying instruments that appear to be brand new.
While Athe is trying to spot some location where Zogla's tools may be, Thaniel is discovered by the bandits and introduces himself as a mercenary who came by to investigate a nearby ruin but decided to check out the music he had heard coming from the fort.
He continues to engage them in conversation, learning that they are bards that fled from `Pitax` and are out of a job.
He proposes they head to Gralton so they can be recruited to perform for the masquerade ball that will be held in the coming weeks.
After some time and convincing, the bards grab what gear they have and exit the fort.
-# .

With the fort empty, the party search the place but cannot find the smithy tools.
The presume they were sold along with the rest of the plundered items to purchase the new instruments the bandits held.
Now in ownership of an empty fortress, Athe proposes using it as a central base that she can officiate.
With all in agreement, they then invite Zogla and Zahir to setup shop there.
They day has stretched long and they all spend the night within protection of the fortress.
-# .

## Sarenith 19th, 4724

Before setting out for the temple, Opalneria decides to stay behind in the fort while the other four continue.
When they arrive at the temple, they find the stone slab of a door sealed shut and flanked by twin braziers in adjacent offshoot rooms.
After some time of trial and error, the party open the door and begin their exploration.
They find apathetic zombies, hostile boggards, and a small magical pool that both blessed The Austere and pained Thaniel.
They navigate a maze after fighting a stone golem and surviving a trapped chest rigged with an incantation of Fireball before finding the deepest room of the temple.
-# .

The large and dark room they find themselves in is filled with contraptions and various specimens contained within mysterious vats.
The largest of the vats stands at the far end of the room and contains what appears to be a larger and distorted version of Avoh.
From investigating the room, they learn that Severus has taken up his true name of `The Venerable` and has made this temple one of his laboratories to work towards his goal of resurrecting his empire.
What's more, the artifact that they were sent to find had been here before it was moved to another of his labs.
Rather, in this lab he has been experimenting with the `Structure Gel` developed by The Austere to produce the prototype construct suspended in the vat before them and has nearly completed his research.
Realizing that he plans to return in the coming days to finish this research, the party decides to destroy the prototype after gathering whatever materials and research could benefit with The Austere's own research.
-# .

They prepare themselves for the coming battle as the glass of the vat begins to crack.
The battle is fierce as they emerge victorious, but they are given no time to celebrate as the lab is preparing to self-destruct and they must make their escape immediately.
As the temple crumbles upon itself, the group travel back to the fortress, no closer to rescuing Ivan and Amoretta than when they left and now with a greater understanding of The Venerable's plan to rule the realm.

Session 010 - The Mystic Menagerie

Night begins to fall as the party enters `Chateau Calypso` and catches up with what everyone has been up to while they were away.
Brassdagger has established himself as an in-between for the group and the Pathfinder Society and is given his first task of relaying to Sayrin Firewyne that the `Aeon Stone` was not present within the temple.
Zahir has been defending the place by himself and requests that some more guards be invited to aid him.
Zogla meanwhile, has created a list of resources she will need to begin producing wares again.
After providing her with enough funds to purchase her supplies and create a forge, she and The Austere choose an appropriate room of the fort to convert into a workshop.
With The Austere fashioning a workshop and Thaniel prepping for sleep, Kat and Athe wander to a quieter part of the fort to trade questions and answers.
Having learned more about about each other's past, they eventually retire for the night with Kat owing an answer to a future question.
-# .

Hoping to catch Arkemyr at her business in Gralton, the party heads north and arrives the outer gates at nightfall.
They spend the night at an inn and search the Market District in the morning.
They find her shop but she is not there, instead they find Phoebe and Beatrice and learn from them that Arkemyr has hired another group to infiltrate the party for her.
One member of that group has irritated Phoebe enough for her to request that the party find him and *encourage* him to get his act together.
They agree and recognize the man she shows them via illusions as the wannabe adventurer who nearly got himself killed by stealing from Kholos.
-# .

The four of them search throughout the district and engage in multiple shenanigans. They poison the ale of two brothers running competing taverns at the other's request.
Thaniel gets a fresh set of fine clothing at the cost of a stalking tailor before finding more pups to send to Thorn.
They also chase down a goblin that had stolen a bomb but are unable to find their target throughout the marketplace.
They are soon met with Brassdagger who has come to inform them that the Pathfinder Society is aware of another temple that hosts an Aeon Stone a few days south of them.
The party returns to Phoebe to inform her that the man is nowhere to be seen but they'll come back frequently to find him and complete her request.
-# .

## Sarenith 24th, 4724

They spend some days traveling along the roads towards the temple before encountering a group of travelers in the midst of a fight against some serpentfolk.
Noticing their arrival, the serpentfolk flee with the supplies that they've managed to steal instead of trying their luck with more combatants.
Now noticing the newcomers, they turn around with eyes catching on Athe as they rush towards her.
These are members of the `Mystic Menagerie` (`Godfrey`, `Moldova`, `Cressida`, `Ryn`, `Kroga`, `Vira`), the troupe that Athe had been apart of before her adventures in the River Kingdoms.
As she meets with faces familiar and otherwise, `Madame Cressida` instructs Athe to follow the thieves and retrieve their possessions.
-# .

Following the path brings them to an abandoned coastal village where few buildings stand fully intact.
They begin searching the place and notice the last of the serpentfolk wade under the waters.
The party soon follows after discovering and dragging a boat to the shore.
Heading the same direction brings them to an old ruin that they confirm is the temple that should hold the replacement Aeon Stone.
-# .

Within the temple they find the Alchemist whose bomb had been stolen in Gralton.
She joins them as they proceed further in where her companions should be.
They fight a `Gelatinous Cube` and navigate through a room filled with trapped tiles before being ambushed by some serpentfolk in a flooded room.
-# .

Session 011 - Remnants of Giskin

In the midst of the battle, Trish sheds her illusory disguise and reveals herself to be another serpentfolk and begins attacking the party.
The ambush was not enough to stop the group as the survive the encounter.
Kat heals the previously disguised enemy and the group interrogates her.
They learn that there were a total of nine serpentfolk in the temple and they were instructed by hooded figures to attack the caravans heading to Gralton but not kill any of the people.
In exchange, they would help the serpentfolk revive their destroyed empire.
-# .

Due to multiple responses from the prisoner, the group loses their patience with her and is summarily execute by Thaniel using her own weapon on her.
They proceed further into the temple, aware that they should be on the look out for at least six more enemies.
They discuss what they remember of their enemies' devastated civilization; a strong empire destroyed by the ancient Azlanti and crumbled by a dead god.
-# .

They find what appears to be a kitcken filled with preserved foods and a single live chicken that they promptly bring with them in the hopes of having it live at their fort.
Continuing further leads them to a securely locked door.
As Athe works on opening the lock, three more serpentfolk warriors approach from the adjoining hallway.
-# .

Constrained by the close quarters of the hallway, Thaniel ends up separated from the group and is soon knocked unconcsious from the focused tactics they employ.
The rest of the brawl leaves the group reeling from heavy injuries but alive.
They take their time to recuperate and organize themselves before continuing their exploration.
-# .

At the heart of the temple, they find a distinct serpentfolk that offers to trade words instead of blows with them, offering the stolen wares from the Mystic Menagerie.
The group approaches and as Thaniel crosses the threshold into the room, another serpentfolk hiding inside slams the door shut and leaving Thaniel separated from the rest once again.
This confrontation stretches on but eventually ends with the party's success.
Searching the bodies, they find letters detailing the instructions to ambush the approaching caravans and discover the existence of a secret room near the hall of worship.
They activate a lever in the room and hear the distant scrape of stone against stone echo from down the hallway.
-# .

Backtracking, they find the Aeon stone they need and continue procuring loot before making the journey back the menagerie.
Back in more pleasant company, Athe returns the stolen items to their rightful owners and the party wanders between the members of the troupe while Godfrey prepares the night's meal.
-# .

Athe joins Vira in the cover of the trees and suggests that they perform together that night with Athe dancing alongside Vira's singing.
Vira instead suggests for Athe to join them when the troupe performs at the upcoming masquerade ball.
Having witnessed the establishment of a friendly rivalry, the party returns to the camp and receives their fortunes from a disconcerting Ryn.
-# .

Athe shall be betrayed from someone that could be either friend or foe.
The Austere will receive a choice from an ancient foe to claim what he seeks but at a price.
Thaniel will reunite with someone from his past and determine everyone's fate.
Kat will try to escape but does not quite know what it is she is escaping.
The party as a whole will face a bitter betrayal unlike any other and make a new friend in return.
Concerned by their fortunes, the group rests for the night before bidding goodbye to the troupe and returning to Chateau Calypso.

## Sarenith 27th, 4724

The party returns to base as the sun is readying to set, greeted by an energetic Blanc that kisses each of them before fluttering away to the other side of the fort.
Following the familiar brings them to Opal and Zogla who are talking amongst themselves before spotting the approaching party.
Zogla returns to her forge after letting them know she has new items in stock and Opal asks to catch up with them when they're done shopping.
After selling some of their newly gained loot to Zogla, the party joins Opalneria within the sparse sleeping quarters and recall what has happened since they had last seen each other.
-# .

The party learns that Opal has newfound dedication to get stronger and has begun speaking with Zogla more.
Overall, it appears that Opal has improved since they had last seen her.
With her seeming far better than the party could have hoped, they invite her to join them to return to the Great Falls Lodge and further into the fey-populated to its north.
With her typical energy, she agrees and the group begin the trek back to the lodge.

## Erastus 3rd, 4724

At Grey Falls Lodge, the party presents the Aeon Stone to Sayrin for her examination.
With luck, the Aeon Stone is a type that is also used by one of the missing adventurers from the lodge.
With the matching stone, Sayrin brings out the novel `Wayfinderfinder` that can now be used to point to the closest wayfinder containing a matching stone.
Unfortunately, Sayrin needs to stay behind to manage the guild so she will be unable to join the party on their search of the Fey forest.
Instead she offers them items to aid them in their journey and what knowledge she has of the forest so they may find `Lulubell` and return safely.
-# .

The party heads north, following the direction of the wayfinderfinder and arrive at a collasal ancient tree with a large hollow for them to enter.
Their approach is greeted by a grand flitting voice that seems to come from the forest itself.
-# .

*Ah, a game we shall play! Come, come along now. We can take our sweet time, for the night is bright, and you can sleep when you are dead!*

Session 012 - We Hate the Fey

The party encounters great difficulty entering through the tree hollow into the heart of the forest until discovering that they must walk backwards to progress.
Passing through the hollow deposits them within a magical forest brimming with life and the peering eyes of the inhabitants upon the group.
They are not there for long before three Redcaps spring from the wild grass and attack.
The ambush succeeds by knocking Kat out of the fight for a moment before being revived by a cauterizing blast of heat from Avoh, but the party successfully defeat the fey.
The sound of approaching fey gives them little time to rest, and the group heads further into the depths of the forest.
-# .

They avoid a swarm of fey that have taken up residence in the remains of what they surmise to be the Pathfinder Society's base camp.
They eventually reach the first settlement of Spie's Heart and are approached by a curious fey woman that tries to encourage Thaniel in joining her for some *heavily specialized training* before a Satyr stops her.
The satyr is not pleased to see any humans within the forest and is hesitant to explain why except that it has something to do with `Queen Titania`.
The sun has set long ago by this point and the party wanders about in the hopes of finding a place to rest.
They find one fey who tells them about the `Dew Drop Distillery` after Athe performs a dance for him.
-# .

Within the distillery, they speak to multiple fey who are partaking of the same prismatic drink and are entertaining themselves with a variety of items the party presumes had been taken from the Pathfinder's camp.
At the far end of the bar, they find the proprietor, a Lampad named `Cibella`.
Her back is to the group as they approach while she busies herself with pouring drinks.
When she does turn around, she is startled by Thaniel's presence and drops the drinks, which Thaniel deftly saves from spilling upon the ground.
The party explains that they are looking for a place to rest and after receiving permission to sleep in the bar away from the patrons, they begin to learn what they can from her.
-# .

Cibella tells them that Queen Titania had Lulubell imprisoned for helping the humans who had been coming into the forest repeatedly to take `Desna's Stars`, flowers that shine brightly in the dark of night.
From the description of humans and the piles of stacked stones, the group believe this to be the work of the cultists they had met long ago.
She offers a drink to The Austere that soothes his ancient soul, then to the rest of the party but Kat is the only other to partake.
The group spend the night in the tavern under the watch of the large flutterwing moth `Tithilene` while Cibella goes off to learn what items that could present to Titania to gain an audience with her.
-# .

## Erastus 4th, 4724

In the morning, Cibella returns with a list of items that are currently popular with the fey of the forest and would serve well for an audience with the Queen.
- A Griffon's Egg
- The Head of an Underwater King
- The Horn of a Unicorn
- The Water from a Pure Spring
- A Redcap's Cap
In exchange for her help, the group agrees to spend time with Cibella when she has free time from the tavern.
With a list in hand, the group head back to the start of the forest to claim the redcap's hats.
-# .

## Erastus 5th, 4724

The party proceeds further into the forest and find a seemingly empty hut maintained by a single disembodied voice that invites them in.
They learn that this house belongs to Lulubell and find a pile of handwritten notices that she either gave or planned to give to the Pathfinders before she was imprisoned.
Reading the note brings the party to the realization that they have already committed most, if not all, of the items on the list that Sayrin did not warn them about.
-# .

- Don't accept gifts from the fey.
- Don't consume the food or drink of the fey.
- Never dance with a fey.
- Never tell a fey your full name.
- Never stray from the path through the forest.
- Don't forget your manners, but never say "Thank you."
- Always keep your word.
- Don't repay more than you borrowed.
-# .

Now worried about the consequences of their actions, the group ventures further on and encounters an enormous tree.
They follow the path marked along the tree and discover that it is magical in nature and they will never fall off as long as they maintain contact with it.
Towards the top of the tree, they discover a griffon's nest guarded by the two parents.
While out of sight, the group devises a plan to distract the griffons, stealthily grab an egg, and run back to safety at the ground.
Like most plans, it does not quite go as hoped and results in the griffon nest being lit on fire before The Austere grabs an egg and begins running from the bewildered griffons with the rest of the party quick to follow.

Session 013 - Queen Titania

The party is quick to escape the Griffons after leaving the nest on fire and the remaining eggs in danger of becoming a family sized breakfast.
Returning to solid ground with neither of the griffons in sight, the group collects themselves and begin travelling further into the forest and setting up camp when night falls.

## Erastus 6th, 4724

They find a lake in the northern portion of the forest.
A platform extends from the path into the middle of the lake and a large metal grate protects a magical portal.
After scrounging together enough water breathing potions for the lot of them, they enter the portal and materialize within an underwater temple.
Three `Fuath` are already there and speak to them in excited gestures.
The party uses magic to allos them to understand the unknown language and find that the small creatures are beckoning to be followed so they can all offer themselves to awaken some great creature.
-# .

The fey swim further into the temple and the group is left with the chance to explore the location.
They quickly separate the party and engage in combat with multiple aquatic creatures that live there.
The path is eventually barred by two gargoyles who require them to answer their riddles before they are allowed to progress.
The fuath are waiting for them within the guarded room and motion for them to follow before they disappear into the stone maw of a carved fish.
The party follows after them as the environment around them begins to shift to a crimson glow.
-# .

They finally arrive within a large circular room interspersed by ornate columns and decorative motifs.
The center of the room features a large crag that falls into an abysmal darkness.
The fuath swim above the abyss and encourage the party to join them in throwing themselves down the pit.
Unwilling to do so, the party attacks and the corpse of the first slain fuath falls into the pit and brings forth a large and mutated eel with multiple heads.
When the battle ends and the foes are slain, the group take the heads from the eel as another gift to present to the Queen.

## Erastus 7th, 4724

In the morning, follows more of the path and finds a magical spring monitored by a familiar face.
They meet the small fey `Flora` who they had met briefly within the Dewdrop Distillery and try to make a trade to get some of the spring's water.
They reluctantly agree to a game of Leap Frog.
A game that results in them morphed into frogs and fleeing from the talons of one of the parent griffons.
The party manages to avoid the griffon long enough for the griffon to lose them and for polymorph to wear off.
Having won the game and received the waters as a prize, Flora quickly flies away as she senses the party's mood turn hostile.

## Erastus 8th, 4724

The party finally return to Sprie's Heart and reunite with Cibella.
She tells them of basic ettiquette to follow when before the queen before they depart to present their gifts and negotiate for Lulubelle's release.
Inside the court, the party approaches the monarch before kneeling and presenting their gifts with bowed heads.
`Queen Titania` is pleased with their gifts and ask why they are here.
They explain that Lulubelle was not assisting the cult that had stolen her flowers but was rather aiding the Pathfinder's Society.
They pledge to work against the cult in exchange for the release of Lulubelle and the other pathfinders that the queen has petrified within the chamber.
She agrees and the party, with their new unpetrified allies, return to Lulubelle's house.
-# .

Inside, Lulubelle explains what she knows about the `Dreamlands` and how to travel there.
She offers them a single Desna's Flower and instructs them to brew it into a tea that will be potent enough for four people to travel the Dreamlands astrally.
With flower in hand and information in mind, the party begins the trip back to Chateau Calypso.

## Erastus 11th, 4724

After multiple days of travel, the party finally emerges from the giant tree that led them into the fey's lands and are met with a familiar face.
Before them stands Ava, holding a wayfinder and smiling.
A tense conversation follows the impromptu reunion and reveals that Ava and her cult are sponsored by the Silverwing family.
Ava requests the flower in the party's possession be given to her, which they are quick to refuse after the efforts they have taken to receive it and be a step closer to recovering Amoretta and Ivan.
Surprised by their refusal and unwilling to end their lives to claim the flower herself, Ava allows the party to pass by after a subtle threat against Chateau Calypso.

## Erastus 17th, 4724

They have travelled for nearly a week after meeting Ava before finally returning to the fort as the sun sets.
They speak with Zahir, Zogla, and Brassdagger for a time before excusing themselves for the night in preparation for travelling to the Dreamlands.
As the tea is prepared, Opal offers to watch over them while the rest of the party readies themselves for a repeat journey into another plane.
-# .

The tea takes effect quickly and the party finds themselves falling within the void once again.
As they are adjusting to their astral bodies, they enter one of the many microworlds and appear upon a familiar shore.
As they return to their feet, the elven woman who had rescued them originally comes to stand before them and introduces herself as `Lillith`.

Session 014 - Lillith

Remembering that Lilith was mentioned in the letter to Ava they copied long ago, the party is hesitant to reveal their previous encounters with the cultists and prefer to gather what information they can for traveling between the dreamscapes and returning their friends back to the Material Plane.
Lilith explains that traveling between the dreamscapes of the Dreamland is difficult but mentions that the `People of Leng` do so regularly in their ships.
When questioned about why she is in the Dreamlands, Lilith averts her gaze and tells them it is a punishment and a reward for her to see her late husband.
-# .

As the conversation continues, Athe realizes that they appeared before Lilith immediately upon entering and surmises that she had brought the four here for a purpose.
Lilith admits that she knows the group has been involved with the cultists and wanted to speak with them.
She reveals that the cultists call themselves `Milani's Thorns` and were originally a very noble organization that sought to eliminate oppression in the name of Milani, but it has now devolved into something far from what it once was.
-# .

Upon further questioning, Lilith looks, seeming scared of who or what might be around to eavesdrop.
Lilith decides to take control of her dreamscape and shows the party a memory from her past.
They find themselves in a familiar looking swamp from twenty years ago.
Here a group spearheaded by Lilith's husband plans to assault the two remaining hags of a coven that has been terrorizing the kingdoms.
They fight through the boggards and ugothol that serve the coven before finally fighting and vanquishing the hags that melt after swearing to return.
With the battle over, the disciples return to camp with fewer members than had entered the swamp.
-# .

The scenery shifts as they find themselves within a camp with the other disciples and a young blue tiefling that was absent from the fight.
They recognize her as Opalneria when she was just a child.
As Lilith and Warrick are discussing future plans all of the disciples are swiftly attacked from behind and rendered unconscious.
When they wake again, they are 
-# .

As their senses return to them, they find themselves firmly bound within a forest and surrounded by the villagers that had previously rescued.
Lilith struggles in her binds to better see her husband who lies disturbingly still.
A new figure emerges from the trees, a man named `Casimir` that Lilith recognizes and shouts at for his betrayal.
His smug response includes forcing the disciples heads further into the dirt with his boot.
The scene fades and Lilith admits that her biggest failure was in not protecting her daughter.
-# .

Realizing that Lilith is Opal's adoptive mother, they tell her that Opal is alive and currently watching over their bodies so they could travel to this realm.
Before more conversation can be had, the party can hear Opal's voice in the distance telling them to wake up.
Despite Athe protesting that it was a bad time, they are woken up.
Before anyone else has a chance to say anything, Opal tells them to get ready and to meet everyone outside since they are about to be under attack.
The group quickly prepares and listens to Brassdagger's report.
-# .

## Erastus 18th, 4724

Brassdagger had found a sizeable group of armed men approaching from the south that were intent on attacking Chateau Calypso.
He proposes that they head further south to an old ruin that would help provide them with a defensive advantage without putting their base in danger.
His proposal is accepted and group rushes to the ruins to setup traps and further prepare themselves before the invaders arrive.
-# .

Eventually the invaders appear on the horizon and soon draw close enough to be heard.
Instead of an attack from Milani's Thorns, they were under attack by Milton, the adventurer the party had previously rescued from kholos and that Phoebe had asked them to *discipline*.
Milton announces that he was here on behest of the brother tavern keepers in Gralton that had hired the party to sabotage the others business.
Thinking that the party is beneath him, Milton orders the rest of his gang to attack.

Session 015 - Onslaught

Milton directs the majority of his forces to assault the ruins while he stays back to not dirty his hands.
The attack seemed never-ending as Milton sent more assailants at them before joining the fray himself.
Some attackers fled the battle, one switched sides to join the party, but most were left as carrion upon the field.
As the party finds themselves being slowly overwhelmed, they receive their own reinforcements when Beatrice entered the battlefield.
With two more allies, they finally defeat Milton and the last of his followers.
-# .

They all stop to breathe and check on how everyone has fared the battle.
Unfortunately, Avoh did not survive the battle and has already begun to dissolve into a puddle.
Looking down upon the melting remains, The Austere is reminded about a forgotten truth of Avoh.
He reaches deep into the remains and retrieves Avoh's core.
He clutches the core closer to himself having realized that his son has been by his side for all this time.
-# .

The party gathers around the unconscious body of Milton and begin to discuss what they should do with him.
They consider ending his life and preventing him from chasing after them again later but the discovery that he is nobility dissuades them in case his family decides to seek revenge for his death.
They decide to instead remove all of his possessions and most of his clothing so he is humiliated when he next returns to town.
They then return to Chateau Calypso with their gained allies of Beatrice and Jorge the Magnificence.
-# .

Before retiring for the night, Athe takes Opalneria aside and explains what happened during their most recent trip to the Dreamlands.
The news about her mother being alive is a lot to take in and Opal decides to take a walk through the woods to gather her thoughts.
-# .

Thaniel makes himself comfortable in his bedroll and heads to sleep early.
Kat spends some time to meditate on the battle and contemplate what went well and what she needs to improve.
Athe keeps herself busy while keeping an eye on the gate and is the first to greet Opal when she returns from her walk.
The Austere spends his time in the workshop working on Avoh while Zogla observes.
-# .

The party gathers outside the following morning and make plans to return to Gralton and explain the battle with Milton to Phoebe before getting Thaniel cured of the hag's curse.
They are soon greeted by The Austere who emerges from the workshop with a newly formed Avoh.
An Avoh that has now been forged into a weapon that seems firmly melded with The Austere's arm.
After he assuages the party's concern, they head out with Phoebe to Gralton.

## Erastus 21st, 4724

With the entire day ahead of them, they quickly head to the shop to drop off Beatrice and explain the fate of Milton and his followers.
Surprised that he remains alive but pleased with the result, she rewards them for knocking him down a few pegs and tells them that Arkemyr should be making an appearance there within a week.
The party decides to pay the dwarven brothers a visit before leaving the market district and arrive in time to see them both being dragged away by guards for poisoning customers.
-# .

On their way to the religious district across the city, they decide to drop by the Pathfinder branch but are delayed by guards who have closed off the street so a noble could pass.
Opalneria soon excuses herself to the restroom when they enter the building but is startled to find a group of lost pups trapped inside.
Athe quickly instructs them to return to Thorn.
They find a familiar and sleeping face of the clerk from the Mimere branch.
It takes some time but they manage to wake them and take a quest to train some of the city guards.
-# .

They resume their journey to the church but are sidetracked when a guard stops them and tells Kat to hurry along to class before she is late.
After denying being a student, her interest is piqued upon learning that is a school for mages.
The party agrees to take a side stop to Eldrin's Academy of Scholarly Pursuit where Kat is quickly thrust into the mage robes for the school and instructed to take a seat while the others watch the lesson from the balcony.
One of the students scoff at her while she is taking her seat.
-# .

One of the students, Elaina, shares her textbook with Kat for the lesson.
As the lecture comes to an end, the class moves onto a practical demonstration of magic.
The boy that scoffed at Kat volunteers as a participant and with no other volunteers, Kat is asked to participate so they can see what the new student can do.
The ensuing showcase ends with the boy near death and Kat as the winner.
With the lesson over, Magister Eldrin presents staves to each of the students.
When he presents Kat with her new staff, he mentions that his daughter knows her.

Session 016 - Thieves' Guild

Before Magister Eldrin begins handing out resources for the students to create their staves, he asks for Kat and her entourage to stay after the lesson. After the students have left, the party joins Eldrin at his desk for a cup of tea. He reveals that he's heard a lot about Kat through letters from his daughter Brea. Soon Eldrin fetches two items from his shelves and present them to Kat; a beautiful staff of white wood capped with twin wings reminiscent of the Silverwing crest and a scroll. This staff was crafted by Brea as a gift and the scroll is so Kat can finish the staff with the final spell. Kat picks up the staff with a warm smile and mentions just how much her master spoils her.

Eldrin congratulates Kat on being named the heir to house Silverwing before continuing to explain that her father claimed to have been sick to explain his previous behavior. Furthermore, the entire Silverwing family has been invited to the Gralton ball which is the reason Eldrin thought he might find Kat in the city at all. Still processing the trove of information, Kat says she will meet with her family at the ball and agrees to come to Eldrin for help if she needs it.

The party follow the streets north after leaving the school and come to Faithmason Square which they presume contains the temple of Iomedae. There are multiple residential buildings throughout and the first temples they come across are dedicated to Milani and Nethys with the first being a modest temple and the second a larger building resembling a library. With their previous experience with Milani's Thorns, the party goes to archive of Nethys.

Outside the door to the archive is a mage reading a tome while blocking the entryway. Athe's multiple attempts to get the man's attention are unsuccessful and he only looks up from his tome when Kat summons a light to block his reading. He smiles at the show of magic and invites her into the archive after explaining that the only ones allowed to enter must either show their disposition to magic or offer a magical item to be added to the archive. After making sure everyone had a means of entrance, the party continues inside.

Frantically searching through piles of documents at the main desk is Scholar Priest Isaiah. When the party first speaks to him, he mistakes them as auditors from the greater archive. After correcting him and offering their aid, Isaiah reveals that a very important tome is missing and he suspects it has been stolen. He offers them magical items for the assistance and tells them that the tome they are looking for is All-Seeing Eye: The Pursuit of Magic Above All. The party soon finds tracks leading to the doors and further follows them outside and near the entrance to Milani's temple.

The temple has seems to have been abandoned and the doors locked. Through the windows they can see a man sleeping in one of the pews. Athe deftly picks the lock and proceeds into the temple that looks especially well maintained despite being abandoned. They wake the man, assuring him that they mean no harm but have some questions they hope he can answer. The man introduces himself as Howard and explains that he once ran a business in gathering and preparing firewood but has recently been made destitute after insulting councilman Hadal Arevardo, one of Gralton's nobles.

Gralton's governor Kestri Cherlone allows trials to be resolved via combat and it is one such trial that Hadal used against Howard. With little to no combat experience and against Hadal's champion, Howard lost and his punishment resulted in his family being imprisoned until he can pay 300 gold pieces for their freedom. Having lost his family and business, he has taken shelter within Milani's temple after it was abandoned. The reason it was abandoned is that the temple's clergy lost their power from Milani.

The party offers to find a way to free his family before wishing him well and continuing with their current investigation. After leaving the temple, Athe hears distant murmuring and traces it to the nearby well. After tying some lengths of rope together, they descend through the well and find themselves within the sewers under Gralton. They find more locked doors and behind one of which voices can be heard. Athe quickly picks the lock and sneaks into the room with Thaniel to listen in on the conversation while the others wait outside. Two halflings and a half-orc are are discussing what they should do after one of them had been injured.

After deciding they aren't an immediate threat, Athe reveals herself and hands the open lock over when questioned as to how she entered. After agreeing to heal their friend's wounds, the rest of the party enters the room. Thaniel approaches and uses his magical gloves to heal the wounds while conversation is made. They introduce themselves as Maven, Hancock, and Meyer; members of the Thieves' Guild of which Maven is the guildmaster.

The party agrees to clear the sewerways of the creatures that block the thieves' path in exchange for the stolen tome. Maven sends the other members to disarm the traps they have laid throughout the place while he offers them some information of what creatures they have found down there. When the traps are disarmed the party proceeds through the sewer. They soon encounter and defeat a Gibbering Mouther before finding a Basilisk and Giant Crawling Hand to slay. They finish exploring the sewers and find some pups that they instruct to return to Thorn. With the danger resolved, the party returns to the thieves and receives the tome before climbing the rope back to the street.

They return the tome to Isaiah and are rewarded with an armor potency rune that The Austere soon has absorbed into the armor Avoh forms. The sun has set by this point and the party decide to find an inn to spend the night after asking Isaiah for directions to Iomedae's temple. They return to the market district and spend the night at a familiar inn.

As the others sleep throughout the night, The Austere keeps himself busy after he enjoyed the short rest he needed. It's in these quiet moments of the night that he hears someone open a door and walk outside. He follows to find Opalneria sitting on the stairs and decides to take a seat next to her. Knowing that he has lived for a long time, Opal asks him how it feels to outlive all those you knew and what it means to him to be remembered. Questions that he ponders for the consideration they're due before answering with what he's learned from his life.

Erastus 22nd, 4724

With the new day's dawn, Opal parts with the party to do some shopping while the others work on getting Thaniel's curse cured at the temple. They follow Isaiah's directions out of the city gates and travel to the temple and the large cemetary it features outside of its walls. The group decide to take a seat inside and wait for a priest to return.

The hallowed halls soon offer Thaniel a vision in which he finds himself within just outside a confessional booth. He sits inside and draws the curtain when a voice speaks to him from the other side and tells him of his past and his sin.

Vision Transcript

Come to me, my kinship. It's been close to 1,000 years since your last confession. Would you please describe to me your occupation and the state of your life?

I'm a mercenary. I'm fine.

Have you been able to enjoy the life you now live?

What do you mean I now live?

Please, state your sin. If you examine your soul and confess, we may yet redeem you.

How can I confess to something I don't even know about?

Oh, sinner, do you remember the time before we joined the army? Do you remember the dogs and animals on the farm? Do you remember betraying your loved ones? Do you remember anything?

The only thing I remember is how to fight. I don't really remember anything else about my past.

Of course you don't remember. You died an honorable death. Do you remember being judged by Pharasma and being reborn as an angel in service to Iomedae to be used as a weapon of war?

:surprised_pikachu:

Of course you don't remember. Your charge. Your life. Your lover.

screaming

Your sin is forgetting, but worry not; I have saved you and this is my last gift to you.

A large mirror appears before him and shows Thaniel as he once was; a power angel with large wings sprouting from his back as he wields a mighty weapon in Iomedae's name. The vision ends as suddenly as it began as a old priest walks up the aisle and stands behind the pulpit before asking for anyone to come up that needs his healing. Thaniel stands and approaches the old man. The man's eyes glimmer in recognition before two Hellknights adorned in the iconic black armor and carrying heavy metal chains draws the attention of everyone within the temple.

They loudly proclaim that they are here to arrest the convicted traitor Thaniel for deserting Iomedae's army.

Session 017 - The Deserter

Thaniel leaps into the midst of the Hellknights and asks why they are arresting him.
The conversation soon escalates and the church is filled with the melodies of battle.
While the party fights off the enemies in front of them, they are beset from sniper fire from outside.
When weapons are finally sheathed, altars are toppled, splintered, and covered in the shed blood of friend and foe alike.
Upon the floor lies two dead hellknights and an unconscious Kat and Thaniel.
The knight's leader escaped and the sniper stopped firing soon after.

The group is soon evicted from the temple and spend some time to nurse their wounds before deciding to travel to the barracks and complete the quest to train the guards.
After providing the guards with a practical lesson and receiving their reward, the guard captain offers them another job.
Some thieves have stolen from a councilman and the guards have been unable to capture them so he'd like for the party to find the thieves' lair so the guards can raid it and apprehend them.
After some discussion, the reward is increased to 400 gold pieces and the quest has changed to bringing a thief to the barracks so they can receive a public punishment for their crimes against a councilman.
The party offers to see what they can do but make no promises for completing it.

Upon leaving the barracks they are met by a stream of people eagerly heading towards the castle courtyard.
They join the crowd and find that the courtyard is filled with multiple attractions in the process of being setup.
The highlight of them all is a large stage upon which the party can see Vira practicing for the Mystic Menagerie's performance.
Athe leads them closer to Vira and find `Madame Cressida` at the base of the stage giving instructions to the young singer.

After her practice, Vira brings the group around to the other members of the troupe to help everyone complete their setup.
They learn that Ryn had their coin purse stolen earlier that day and it contains his unique set of tarot cards that he'll need.
He points them towards the northern slums of the city and the party head out to retrieve the deck.

Within the slums, Athe notices some suspicious children that immediately run from her at her approach.
The party gives chase and splits up in an attempt to corner them but soon lose their trail and each other.
After reuniting, Athe reveals the information she was given after bribing some of the residents.
The children they are after call themselves The Ankle Shankers and have taken residence within a mausoleum nearby.

The sun has begun to set when they arrive at the mausoleum and enter to find the children just inside.
They eventually agree to return the coin purse and the tarot deck if the party destroys the undead further within.
They venture deeper and fight the skeletons and zombies they encounter before fighting against a large and imposing hulk of a zombie in the deepest parts of the mausoleum.

After returning to the children and receiving an empty coin purse but a full tarot deck, they make the trek back to the courtyard and return stolen items to Ryn.