So, if you’ve read the two posts below you’ve gotten mostly caught up! Huzzar! Now the keen eyed reader among you may realise that there are a bunch of interesting things that happened but then moved on from and not mentioned again, well that is partly because of players coming and going and partly because the players were just not interested in going down one of those paths. It is the problem with having rather open world games, but fear not fun things still happen.
So, in the village of Nabari the party do a very cool raid on the Draconic Combine Sorcerer Lord’s villa, some cool enchantments and a big old helping of smack down. Lord Davion plus his daughter Lilly teleported to the edge of town and fled only to be chased down by the party’s new Elven Mage burnt to death The Lord Davion, his few body guards and their horses and his Daughter Lilly. Much to the moral angst of some of the party.
After wiping out the ruler of the Village of Nabari, his guards and some of his family, in broad daylight, after talking to townsfolk and being seen by servants and Joel the Greeter. Worth noting they did stop to free women who had been abducted, imprisoned and raped in order to breed more sorcerers so the party were feeling reasonably pleased as they left the town to head south to the Fallen City of Bespin (Third of the Cursed Cities the Draconis Combine have reclaimed, this city being occupied for maybe 10 years or so only)
On the road south just a day past the charred remains of Lilly Davion they mostly hid from a large force of Draconis Combine Soldiers heading North toward the village of Nabari, Crimson River (the Tabaxi Bard) and Killia (acting as his body guard) speak to one the Knightly Lord types in the regiment traveling north, impress him and get given a token to get into a playhouse in Bespin.
Bespin a city in the centre of a massive crater, this once flying Mage City crashed down during the civil war a few hundred years ago and up until the last decade been left abandoned. The Crater itself is teaming with plant and animal life and so Dal’eth and Denny stay out to mediate on it’s nature along with other party members who couldn’t make that session.
The rest went inside the city, no gates just a hole knocked in it’s 60ft get black flawless walls, young wyrmling dragons were noticed all over with Draconis Combine Guards on watch though people travelled to and from freely. Well apart from the chained slave gangs clearing up rubble and doing construction work.
After loudly trying to bribe local guards for a tour of the city they were approached by a young not quite human woman who after much stuttering indicated that people called her just “Ice” this beggar? Con Artist? Who was dressed in once expensive and fine clothes now tattered and warn through was a wealth of information about the City of Bespin, for a few coin of course.
Killia has a random Crow or Raven, who knows about birds honestly, land near her and speak saying she was a crap initiate who clearly wasn’t good enough but should still come to the Temple to go through her Trial and then the bird flew off into The Deadlands.
Ice explains that the inner walled District was called The Core, and it costs to get a permit to go in their unless you are a citizen, it’s where all the high-end shops are as well as the Government. The outer ring of the city is split, roughly half is reclaimed residential and low-income establishments. It is illegal to rent out places to stay or to sleep in the abandoned housing (though mostly because they are cursed or haunted or something and people go murder crazy) but the Draconis Combine provide free hostels with basic food and lodgings for all, as well as free Clinics for health care.
One Quarter of the outer ring is known as The Sizzler and the other is called The Deadlands. The roads between the rest of the city and those districts are closed the houses demolished with floating stone Wards placed all along the way to stop the dangers getting out. Also, there is an expansive sewer network that is off limits and reported to be a death trap.
A brave party of adventurers can indeed go into these other districts, but they require a permit from the Core, and a licence. Also, the Combine search all coming out and will requisition anything noteworthy (Weapons and other loot seemed to get ignored, stranger artefacts of power or really evil items are taken) and the scavengers get compensated for this.
Our Brave Heroes go into the Core District, thanks to the Token Crimson River earned singing by the road, and spent ages dealing with the bureaucracy, found out that the city of Bespin uses its own currency (Bone Tokens with faint magic on them) within the Core.
Ice notices Garlon’s magic eye and is a bit freaked out, Killia manages to convince/bribe Ice to tell them how she seen another man with an eye like that. Gale, the Priest of Vim and there is a standing bounty for information on any other who is seen with one. Since it’s been over a year maybe closer to two, I’ll recap, Garlon has a relic of his God Vim, a magical eye that is part of a Set of items/body modifications that the last Champion of Vim had long before the wars. Each item’s power is increased the more you have and to complete the set would make you the living champion of Vim. Two Eyes, Two Hands and a Heart.
Crimson River does a show within the great play house in the Core (Free to citizens but everyone else has to pay to get into the Core in the first place) it is a masterful performance that earns the interest of many eager new fans as well as several offers for a nights companionship, he chooses to accompany a wealthy woman via carriage back to her Estates and in the morning Crimson River politely requests payment for services rendered to which he is paid well in coin.
The party go into the Sizzler, named so because the temperature is massively hotter than the surrounding area, the come across a pair of insane and skinless Ogres + Pet slimes who were in the middle of cooking some rather butchered humanoids. After slaying them and digging through the remains for some nice magical items they notice a Dwarf sprinting down the road, he stops when Killia catches up to him and courteously introduces himself as Gust (The T is silent) adventurer and one of the Stormlight Brothers. There is a moment when he takes Killia’s hand in greeting where he seemed to be judging whether or not Killia and the approaching party were in need of killing. (She was at the time covered in gore after digging through human remains in 40+ degree heat) Another Dwarf in armour comes huffing up the road carrying an unconscious Human shouting at his brother to stop being a fool and keep running, Gust warns them it best to head to the core just as a forth member of their group comes sprinting in full plate up the road as the a huge get of flame ignites behind him. They are being chased by a Huge Red Dragon! The Stormlight Brothers flee, while Team Awesome stand firm! And by stand firm I mean a bunch run to hide by the side of the road or turn invisible while Garlon, Priest of Vim and hunter of abominations stands firm (his cloak billowing magically and majestically behind him) The Red Dragons scales seemed half rotted off much like the skinless ogres and so Garlon stood firm calling forth a great plague of insects and Kuhal called forth great magic and the corrupted dragon took one breath and almost killed them both instantly the armoured warrior came running back as the party were freaking out and deciding that they should use the better part of valour. The armoured warrior was none other than Gale who helped them flee with some thunderous leaping magic they all managed to get to the Core alive.
Thinking maybe they should have done a bit of research before going into the Sizzler, went to a herbalist that gave them an ointment (which was given an unfortunate nick name) that should help with the exhausting effects of the heat in the Sizzler as well as a censor with herbs to hide from the Hordes of Undead in the Deadland part of the city. Killia bonded with Ice who had asked her to pay her by buying a potion of fertility for her, Garlon sulked about fleeing from an abomination and the fact that Gale demanded his eye (Offered to have Garlon healed + paid, or just straight up duel each other for both Eyes or enter into a contract gifting the eye upon the death of either party) everyone went to the playhouse to watch Crimson Rivers performance.
A fellow performer tried to curse Crimson River at the start of the show but he resists it and Kuhal uses his magic to make a pyrotechnic display (he gets questioned by the guards after and checked out to make sure he isn’t a sorcerer, but he gets a letter later that night offering work for a skilled Trained Mage)
Killia finds out that Ice wanted the potion of fertility because she had an affair with one of the young Draconis Combine Lords but he called off their relationship and she is convinced that if she gets pregnant by him then she will give birth to a sorcerer and he’ll marry her. He is here at the show, but Ice fails to get past the bouncers and calling out to him he seems to take no notice of her, there is someone Killia recognises talking to the nobles from her time in Kracken’s Fall.
Garlon stays at the hostel deep in Prayer / Sulking.
Crimson River spends the night again with the same Draconis Combine Noble, member of the ruling family. He awakes to find her drinking his blood and with a witty remark about such things costing extra she flees the room and her servants escort him out, and the city guard arrest him shortly after for standing in the street naked calling up to the house. Though despite the guards saying there will a huge fine he is let free at dawn, a noble had paid for his release.
The next day Dal’eth and Denny join Crimson River, Killia, Kuhal and Garlon they head into the Sizzler smearing the ointment on themselves and with some perpetration hunt down the corrupted Red Dragon, which wasn’t hard as there was a massive path of destruction to it’s lair a collapsed building. Slaying the creature was hard but thankfully not terminal and much treasure was found to the enjoyment of all. They also found a large crystal that could be used to power all sorts of dangerous weapons, so they destroy it and take back some of the chunks (which get confiscated but they gained lots of coin for it)
The heat of the area was getting to some of the party and after such near-death experiences (I think Denny was killed and Returned back to life) they headed back to the core. Where they were escorted to the main city barrack and gained a brief ordinance with the Ruler of the city. Garlon took note of her Dragon body guards so he could send a Sending Spell later. They were all rewarded by being made citizens and their leader made a minor lord with property given (Crimson River claimed this honour as no one else really wanted it, a lot of them where decidedly unhappy about being beloved heroes of a nation of Slavers)
After some shopping (Being citizens they can buy magical items and such now) they went to their new home, or rather the pile of rubble behind a wall that could have once been a very small fort or business compound before it was knocked down. The rubble being cleared out by indentured servants, paying off their dept to the city but not full slaves so they have some rights. They rest a short time, Dal’eth and Denny suffering from exhaustion and Crimson River already planning out the design of his new home stay while after some basic defensive training with Ice the rest, Killia, Garlon and Kuhal travel into the Deadlands to deal with Killia’s summons.
The Deadlands was overgrown and almost jungle-like with small animals and birds seen in abundance but a creepy fog covering the ground. They travelled through burning the incense they brought to hid them from undead and it turned out to be rather useful as they entered a market square with hundreds of zombies shuffling around, these undead are mostly shrouded in a thick obscuring mist. Among them some fast moving Ghouls took notice of Kuhal’s familiar as soon as it left the area of their incense and started chasing it. They moved on, noticed that there was a mostly hidden camp fire in the area and likely belonging to another adventurer they decided to move past it and continue to the area they were told held the temples.
Along the Causeway of the Gods, a massive wide road lined with churches they found an stadium dedicated to the God Kelis (Spelt right this time) and since the magical Monk Wraps came from their they headed in, avoiding the huge fog cloud filled with more undead coming up the causeway (A huge rotten Dire Wolf came out but failed to notice the party)
While expecting another combat trial like Killia faced in the Armoury what they found instead was a Ghost teacher who had Killia answer a personality survey about honour. She passed but with a warning that trying to guess what she thought others wanted her to say was not honourable but being honest with oneself about one’s actions and motivations was important. Then Killia was given a quest Find the Ashmaw, a weapon stolen from the temple, and return it or find a worthy warrior to wield it within the year or her soul would be forfeit. Her Monk Wraps did get upgraded to Wraps of the Aspirant with added cool new abilities. Having no idea who stole the Ashmaw they thought it best to go back home (avoiding all undead) and ask around as they had heard from Ice that people who robbed the temples here came back cursed with their flesh rotting off.
Arriving back at the compound to the sounds of battle the rushed in to see Denny giving “lessons” in combat to Ice mostly by saying “Dodge” then hitting her with a stick then healing her and repeating. Killia was not amused and didn’t want Ice learning anything from a brain damaged baby eating morally confused Avatar of Slaughter.
Garlon gets a message back from one of the Dragon’s he cast Sending on saying the should meet at Midnight and if this is a trick he will be skinned alive.
Gale, Priest of Vim, turns up and demands Garlon Duel him (as Garlon had ignored his letter and killed HIS Dragon that he wanted to kill) Garlon agrees and everyone steps back, Killia showing Ice how best to get into a defensive stance in case of treachery.
The fight starts and immediately Kuhal interferes, counter spelling a powerful Blade Barrier Spell that Gale summoned forth. Gale enraged calls in his brothers, who were waiting outside and a strange battle happens with Garlon and Gale mostly fighting each other. Kuhal and the Human Mage Downpour countering spells (Thought he looked embarrassed by the whole affair) and the Dwarf Squall charging after Kuhal. Ice and Killia standing in the middle but staying defensive while a very tired Denny did what he was told and sat in the corner watching. (Crimson River and Dal’eth didn’t even realise there was a fight right away as Denny had been making noise for ages)
Kuhal proves untouchable by puny adventures but fails to do much as his Hold Person spell is countered by Downpour.
Garlon after taking a few hits heals himself, his newly awaked Sorcerer blood making him float across the battlefield then calling down the power of Vim with his cloak BILLOWING DRAMATICALLY behind him he shot forth a Critical Striking Guiding Bolt downing Gale and his Spiritual Weapon making sure he stayed dead.
Both brothers become enraged at Gale’s death and Downpour calls forth a Cloudkill spell which fades quickly as he’s struck. This whole battle lasts under 30 seconds before one Large Dragon with rider and two smaller dragons all land on the walls and the Dragon Rider bellows for everyone to stop fighting at once!
And that is where we left it, with Gale dead his Eye yet to be claimed and with the Cloudkill spell fading to show that Ice laying Dead upon the floor.
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A very dramatic ending to the session and it turns out that the party is out of Revivify Spell Slots so in order to bring Ice back (which Killia wants to do and Garlon is willing to) we will be starting next session with a Resurrection Ritual (Critical Role Rules).
The party have a Stronghold (If they wish to build it)
They have only been in the City a few days, lots to explore and deal with and I’m looking forward to this a lot.