WotBS Aartvb's Burning Sky

[aartvb]

Session 22 (2-11-2024): The end

The group crossed the bridge further into the cave. To the left, they see a lava stream emerging from a portal. Behind the portal, flames are visible, though they don’t come through it.
The party immediately engages in combat with a group of orcs executing a Roman wall formation.
There’s also one wearing some sort of necromancer mask.
Anja strides through the wall of orcs like a walking god, causing all the orcs to drop dead with a snap of her fingers.
After that, they beat the orc wizard to death. It goes surprisingly easily (read: they got incredibly lucky).
The orcs are Ragesians. They take a short rest.

In the next room, they see a large dragon head with magical darkness inside it.
They also spot two doors and tanks filled with a green liquid. When they look inside, they see the fish people from earlier.
They also find inscriptions that match those of Torrent’s mentor. Note: I haven't a clue what they are talking about here...
In another room, resembling an office, they see a magical sphere.
Additionally, they find several orbs (Tidereaver’s Tears) — about eight — which they take with them.
When they enter the dragon head, they see red runes that Manadagr manages to open.
In the next room, there’s a sarcophagus with runes on it as well.
When Anja places her hand on the sarcophagus, she is cursed, and shortly after, so is Manadagr. Note: This was the beginning of the end...
Miraculously, they survive 10x2d10 damage; no one knows how.
In the sarcophagus, the group finds a beautiful golden ring with a ruby in it.

In a room further along, they see a woman tied to a chair, tortured.
Her name is Faquaniel. She and another man, Teymour, ended up trapped here because they teleported but arrived in the wrong place, this prison. They were tortured by the Ragesians we killed.
They proceed to the first cell, where there’s a pillar. When they open this cell, goo appears, trapping Wyll, and an alarm sounds. Shortly after, it dissipates, and they destroy the pillar.

Faquaniel says a dark-skinned man took the "control wand." According to her, he can control the weather with it.
The entire group swims back up and heads outside. The storm continues.

As they exit, they see Sidoneth waving the control wand, sending lightning, gargoyles, and a squid against us.
Anja, Manadagr, and Wyll are knocked out and killed by Sidoneth. Kruggli may survive by swimming to the temple and hiding there.

Note: Yes... this is a TPK. I didn't expect it would become a TPK. Maybe I could have saved them somehow... but they also made some stupid decisions. I think my party understands that they could have done things differently to avoid it. The most important of those was still continuing without taking a long rest, to save Seaquen from its demise, even though they knew they had nothing left.
By the way, in all my years as a DM, I never killed a character (I'm too scared to do that). For this campaign I decided to treat the enemies as real people, who would do anything to 'win'. During adventure 1 this almost lead to a TPK, and killed Kruggli (who then came back as a vampire). This time I could think of no logical reason for anyone to come save them or for them to get away. So they just died. At least now they know plot armor doesn't exist in this game! At least no infinite plot armor.

We will continue with a new party, and without Seaquen! 😁

 

[aartvb]

I will soon add the log of our latest session. Here some flavor text I sent the players beforehand.


You stand among the ruins of Seaquen, breathing in air thick with the scent of salt and scorched earth. The magical hurricane had come as a relentless storm, sweeping across the city like the wrath of the gods themselves. In its wake, all that was once Seaquen has been swallowed by the sea or shattered into ghostly fragments.

Thousands of lives were claimed by the tempest’s fury. The refugee camp, once bursting with the displaced and desperate, has become a graveyard. Faces you’d seen every day—refugees clinging to hope—are gone, swallowed by the storm's wrath. The Shahalesti fleet, those proud elven vessels that had guarded the coastline, was reduced to drifting splinters.

And yet, as if by some cruel twist of fate or final mercy, a small part of the Lyceum, Seaquen’s famed magic school, remains standing. You were there when the headmaster and the mages of the Lyceum chanted through the night, their voices hoarse with exhaustion as they wove the last threads of a protective aura around the school. Against all odds, the spell held. It shielded a handful of classrooms, a corner of the library, and a scattering of students and teachers—among them, you.

For days after the storm, the survivors drift like ghosts through the crumbling halls, hollow-eyed and silent, searching for loved ones in the wreckage. The few healers left work ceaselessly, tending to the injured while food dwindles and exhaustion gnaws at you all. Each night, you feel the weight of Seaquen’s death press against the Lyceum’s barriers, the memories of the city’s last cries trapped like haunting echoes in the air.

In the shattered heart of Seaquen, where survivors cling to each other and rumors swirl like shadows, there have been whispers of gatherings in the dead of night. Figures of the resistance—those few with the authority, cunning, and will to fight back—have been meeting in hushed secrecy. They murmur of plans, of what they might do next against a foe that has left the city in ruin. People speak of missions veiled in secrecy, covert operations meant to pry open the heart of whoever unleashed the storm. They say Simeon himself has been among them, his wisdom guiding those desperate enough to strike back.

But secrecy, it seems, is hard to keep among those haunted by fear and desperation. Whispers drift through the crumbling halls of the Lyceum, murmurs of missions that could decide the fate of all who survived the storm. Some speak of a daring search for the Torch of the Burning Sky, an artifact said to hold ancient power, enough to tip the balance in the war. Others talk of spies who may be sent to infiltrate Shahalesti territory, risking everything to uncover the truth about those who conjured the hurricane that devastated Seaquen. Meanwhile, word spreads of forces mobilizing to protect the city of Gate Pass from the advancing Ragesians, a last desperate defense to keep the enemy from securing a foothold. In the faces of those around you, you can see both dread and determination—these missions, whispered and uncertain, are the last threads of hope binding the survivors together.

Then, one evening, a messenger finds you, silent and pale as he delivers the headmaster’s summons. A knot forms in your chest as you recognize what this must mean. Duty calls you, the summons heavy with a sense of inevitability. There’s no one else who can answer, no other life you’d be leaving behind. It feels almost fitting; in a city stripped to its bones, you have nothing left to hold you back.

So, you prepare yourself to face Simeon, to stand before the man who has been the strength of Seaquen in its darkest hour. You know he has called you for a mission. And deep down, you feel the same resolve. Whatever duty lies ahead, whatever he asks, you know that you will answer.

 

[RangerWickett]

Man, starting a campaign with, "You just witnessed the murder of thousands of people. Now go stop the people responsible"? That's pretty intense.

Excellent work. I hope the game is healthy from here on out.

 

[aartvb]

You might have noticed that Dolly, the character that joined in session 13, was absent in a lot of sessions. The player couldn't make it for a lot of sessions due to various reasons. For that reason, after giving her several chances, we decided to ask the player to leave so we could find a more active player.
Furthermore, Anya's player has decided to leave the group as well unfortunately.
Luckily we have already found 2 new players. I think we're a good match, I love the new group composition!
Of course, last session was a TPK. Well, technically Kruggli isn't dead (he hid in the ruined prison), and he was able to escape (the other players don't know this last part). However, Kruggli's player will make a new character anyways. Kruggli will probably come up as an NPC somewhere sometime (I'm thinking maybe with the halflings in Korstull Castle, since his character has a connection with the trillith Deception).

Anyways, here are the new characters!
Kruggli's player now plays Barracus, a Seela Monk of the West Wind.
Wyll's player now plays Elio, a Seela Wizard.
Manadagr's player now plays Athoz Steelmane, a Leonin Fighter (and secretly artificer)
And then our first newcomer plays A'tash Kre'shen, a Fire Genasi Druid/Cleric.
Finally, our second newcomer plays Vashera, a tiefling Barbarian.

By the way, I decided from now on to edit the players' notes a bit to remove some errors, add some details and clarify some things. I notices they sometimes leave out important pieces of information in their notes. When I mention them in later sessions, they almost always remember them, but then can't find it back in the notes (because it isn't there). This was the whole reason I had them make notes. So from now on the notes will be slightly more reliable for what really happened during the session .

Now, without further ado:

Session 23 (18-11-2024): New Beginnings

February 27
The group received an invitation to meet the headmaster of the school, Simeon Gohanach. They were invited to undertake a mission.

In the party, there are:

• Two Seela (elf-like beings with wings): Elio, who has a wooden sword and books, and Baraccus, who is unarmed but broad-shouldered.
• Athoz, a Leonin (lion-like being) wielding a greatsword.
• Vashera, a tiefling, also strong, armed with a greataxe.
• A fire genasi, A’tash, with a nature-themed appearance and burn marks on his armor.

The group is brought to Simeon’s office. Also present were:

• Kiernan Stekart, a dwarf and head of the war department at Lyceum, the magical school.
• A young woman with bright red hair, Katarina, whom they didn’t recognize.
• A half-elf man with gray hair and a pipe in his mouth, who initially didn’t introduce himself. Later, he revealed his name: Balan Bastom, a distant relative of the Bastom family from Ostalin. He comes from Gate Pass.

The group of adventurers are slightly socially awkward. They don't sit next to each other. Only Elio and Baraccus know each other.

Simeon explains that they suspect who is responsible for the storm, but he won't share the details.

Regasia is planning to travel through the (now no longer burning) Innenotdar forest to reach Gate Pass. The heroes who extinguished the forest fire made their actions widely known, and the Ragesians have learned of it. However, they cannot yet make this journey as it would require passing through Dassen. Leska, the new emperor of Ragesia, has proposed a non-aggression pact with Dassen, allowing them to pass through Dassen to reach Gate Pass. King Steppengard wants to do this.

Simeon has asked Balan to travel to Bresk, the capital of Dassen, to convince the king to reconsider his choice. The group is asked to accompany him. They plan to leave early the next morning.

That evening, they go to some sort of beer tent to get to know one another better. A stuttering teenage boy with light blond hair approaches them. His name is Jinis. His father, Jineer, is Lord Gallo’s proxy at the royal court. Jinis is worried because he hasn’t heard from his father for some time. He gives them a letter and asks them to deliver it to his father.

While sitting there, they suddenly notice a strange metallic smell.

Athoz immediately reads the letter after Jinis has left. It is written neatly and eloquently, stating that Jinis is doing well and asking his father to reply if everything is alright. There is nothing strange or magical about the letter.

The group relaxes and spars for a while before going to bed.

February 28
They set off early in the morning.

March 1
After two days of walking, they arrive at the village of Vidor, where they purchase horses and a sleigh to continue traveling along the river.

They hear that it has been unnaturally cold. While traveling by sleigh, they suddenly smell the strange metallic scent again.

Ahead, they see a group of people running from a giant centipede-like monster. They manage to defeat it, but not before it killed one of the fleeing people. During the fight, Baraccus was swallowed by the monster, after which Vashera pulled him out with her bare hands. The people are very grateful to the group for saving them. They continue their journey.
That night, Elio casts Tiny Hut so the group could take a long rest.

March 4
Further along the way, they find three corpses marked with the insignia of Lady Dene. Two have been killed by crossbow bolts, and one has been hanged. They see tracks of a group of humanoids on horseback who have followed the King’s Road. The group cremates the bodies and continues on their sleigh.

Note: I have to say: I was having slightly less fun in the past half year with this campaign. The first adventure was really fun, and resonated well with the players. However, in the second adventure the players never really understood the details of what was going on in that forest.
Even I often had to search in the adventure during my preparation what was going on, and the way it was presented didn't really fit with my style, it felt like I had to find out relevant details in all sorts of places in the adventure instead of just in the introduction. The Seaquen adventure was written down okay, but I'm just not that good in running such urban sandboxes. Both for me and my players it just felt a bit like filler content (probably just because I didn't run it well). I guess that this might also be the reason Anja's player left the group. Anyways, I think this fresh start (fresh PC's, some new players, and a new, amazing adventure - I think this one will be one of my favorites: an epic battle, political intrigue, real rammifications of actions etc.) will be really good for the group. It feels like this might be the best player composition we maybe ever had in our 4 years, amazing synergy! We were having a blast during this session, I'm really looking forward towards the rest of the campaign!

 

[aartvb]

Session 24 (1-12-2024): Betrayal, Bloodlines, and Breakout

As the group continues along the river, they encounter a caravan of three wagons at a standstill. Five soldiers bearing the emblem of King Steppengard are inspecting the wagons. A stowaway is discovered and immediately executed by beheading. Initially, the party moves on, but when the soldiers prepare to kill the halflings, Vashera, Barracus, and Athoz return to intervene. Unfortunately, due to Vashera’s less-than-effective communication, the commander ignores them and proceeds with executing the halflings. After a brief battle, the commander realizes he cannot defeat us and agrees to talk. During the conversation, it becomes clear he has been taking justice into his own hands, deciding that the entire caravan is full of traitors. Vashera strongly disagrees, and wants to report him to the king. She demands his name: Adolfo Gonzales. Barracus hangs the commander in a tree, and the party continues its journey. The halflings flee.

March 7th
They arrive at the city of Bresk. Everyone receives their own room at the Golden Griffin inn. The party heads to the nearest tavern to gather information, chatting with the regulars.

• The king’s family (his wife and children) have all been killed. The five eldest children were hacked to pieces at a party, while the remaining 13 children and his wife were poisoned during a dinner. The king was distracted and thus escaped being poisoned. (This happened three days ago.)
• The Talon is a task force assembled after this tragedy to hunt down and either arrest or kill those responsible. People are terrified of being falsely accused.
• The Book of Eight Nations outlines the line of succession to the throne. Lord Megadon is now the heir, though rumors suggest Lady Namin seeks to marry the king and become queen.
• The king has a new advisor, the wizard Nina Glibglammer, who is reportedly not fond of Seaquen.
• Gallo, Dashgoban, and Timor oppose the pact with the Ragesians. Iz and Dene are neutral, while the rest support it.
• King Steppengard, once a beloved warrior, is now seen as unpredictable and feared.
• Nine people are in the Council of Nine, one of which is king Steppengard, who has 3 votes. They govern the kingdom and vote on policies.

March 8th
The day of the royal audience. King Steppengard looks disheveled and sleep-deprived. A Ragesian man stands beside a masked inquisitor. The group stands next to Lady Namin.

A man is on trial, and is controlled to say that Lord Gallo is guilty of the murders on the royal family. The man is named Relder, clerk to Jinis (Lord Gallo's proxy at court). Jinis apparently has been imprisoned for treason. Under questioning from the female gnome Nina Glibglammer, Relder gives contradictory testimony, claiming both Gallo’s innocence and incoherent details about poison. It seems like he is being enchanted. The king does not sentence him but sends him back to prison.

The group is then called forward. Of the Council of Nine, one person (Lord Gallo) is absent. Lady Namin and King Steppengard are present in person; the others are represented by proxies. Athoz gives a strong speech about the party's mission, earning some goodwill from the council. The king demands that Vashera, who lacks the silver tongue, speaks. She fails to convince him, and the king dismisses them. Vashera doesn't give up, and mentions the incident with Adolfo Gonzales. The king is already aware of it, and realizes that they are the same group. He had been told that they have worked against the Talon, so after consulting with his advisor, he orders the group imprisoned. At the last moment, Barracus throws Lady Dene's insignias (retrieved from the slain individuals on March 4th) to Lady Dene's proxy, accusing the king and the Talon of being responsible for the deaths of Lady Dene's soldiers.

The group is arrested, dressed in gray prison uniforms, and stripped of their belongings. Balan is separated from the rest. In the cells, they discover that Athoz has a metal arm engraved with runes, Vashera has a prosthetic left arm, and Barracus bears a prominent scar.

The party is imprisoned next to:

• Jinis, the father of Jineer (whom they carry a letter).
• A man named Hrumbrand, who babbles nonsense.

Jinis claims to know where their belongings are being kept. Athoz activates the runes on his arm, creating arcane armor and weapons. The metallic smell from before grows stronger. It was apparently caused by Athoz’s armor.

The group devises multiple plans, eventually succeeding when Elio steals the guard's keys. Everyone is freed from their shackles and cells.

They move toward a room at the end of the hallway where five guards are playing a game. The party wants to reach the room on the left, where their belongings are stored. Using tricks, they attempt to lure the guards out by simulating a fight upstairs, but the guards cannot leave through the locked door. The guards awaken a sixth guard, who was sleeping.

Out of options, the party decides to storm the room and take their chances.

 

[RangerWickett]

It's always the case with old work, but I look back now seventeen years after publishing this adventure and wish I'd had a bit more meat to the politics of Dassen.

 

[aartvb]

It's always the case with old work, but I look back now seventeen years after publishing this adventure and wish I'd had a bit more meat to the politics of Dassen.

Don't be hard on yourself, it was enough politics for my players! Any more and they would have lost track of everyone and their goals. And as you saw, no matter how many more politics there would have been, they would have ended up in jail in any case, one way or the other .

 

[aartvb]

Session 25 (15-12-2024): Shadows of War: The Path to Gallo's Fend

The group kills the guards (and knock some out). After this, they search the adjacent rooms. In those rooms, the party finds their belongings as well as Balan's gear: a stone of alarm, an accordion, a pouch containing 150 platinum pieces and 300 gold pieces, and a ring with a red stone. There is also a scroll of Mass Healing Word. They lock the guards in a cell.

In another room, they find Balan's body. It appears to be a torture chamber. On him lies a notebook written in Orcish. The torture chamber also contains a kind of grate that seems to connect to the outside world.

As soon as the grate is lifted and the party attempts to enter it, a secret door opens, and they are attacked by a skeletal figure. This turns out to be the remains of a criminal from 50 years ago, named Jutras. After defeating him, the party enters the tunnel. They cross a frozen-zombie lake and emerge outside.

The party surfaces in a grassy field. Janis suggests heading to Lord Gallo.

Shortly thereafter, the group passes a graveyard and requests permission to bury Balan there, paying 20 gold pieces for the service. Using Comprehend Languages, they read Balan’s notebook. It appears to be a gift to Torrax from an inquisitor named Guthwulf, containing the message: “The path of learning is painful. Enjoy it.” The notebook details information extracted through torture, including methods used and what was revealed about Gate Pass’s defenses. It also contains information about Seaquen, some of which Balan fabricated.

Jutras, it turns out, instilled fear in anyone who entered the castle and its prison. He had a phobia of chickens.

Later, the party passes through a village called Makon, where they acquire horses and a sleigh. They begin their journey north.

March 9th
The next day, the party notices they are being followed by mounted guards and a griffon. This continues for two days.

March 11th
The party passes the Pitchwood, home to creatures called Pitchlings, known to speak Sylvan and to be highly resistant to fire damage. They approach the border, and then the pursuing guards quicken their approach. However, at the border, guards of Lord Gallo are waiting, causing the other group of guards to retreat.

Lord Gallo's guards, led by a dwarf named Commander Hertiage, have been told to escort the party to Lord Gallo. Hertiage wears a helmet adorned with a phoenix with its wings to the back, Lord Gallo's symbol. Along the way, Hertiage alerts village mayors to prepare for war. He explains that Duke Gallo is not planning to allow the Regasians to invade.

March 13th
After five days of travel, the party arrives at Gallo’s Fend, a well-fortified city. Duke Michael Gallo welcomes them and is particularly surprised and pleased to see Janis. Roger, his servant, is assigned to guide the party around the city.

Michael and his commanders want to hear everything from the party. Gallo believes Steppengard's armies are preparing to march north and besiege Gallo's Fend. He also suspects Ragesia intends to conquer not only Gate Pass but also Dassen. He does not trust Empress Leska or her inquisitors.

The party stays in a villa shared with about five other individuals.

March 14th
The following day, Gallo summons the party and rewards them with 4,000 gold pieces for rescuing Janis. He requests their assistance. Steppengard's advancing army consists of 10,000 soldiers. Though Gallo has an equal number of troops, he fears an additional attack from Ragesia. Snow in the mountains is currently the only barrier to the Ragesians.

Gallo proposes engaging Steppengard in open battle. However, because Steppengard has the support of three other nobles, Gallo doubts he can win. He hopes to convince neighboring lords, Lord Dashgoban and Lady Timor, to aid him. For this, he needs proof of Ragesia's hostile intentions.

The party is tasked with investigating the Alydi Gap mountain pass, where Gallo has lost contact with his last outpost. Gallo suspects Ragesia has captured it and asks the party to gather evidence. Baraccus suggests visiting Lady Dene, who might also be persuaded to join their cause. Gallo agrees to consider this option.

Note: Our next session will be an IRL session! We usually play D&D using voice only. We have done this twice before in the last few years, but the group has changed a bit since then, so I'm excited to meet our new group members. We will play a one-shot in the homebrew setting I have been working on lately, so no update on this forum. But of course we'll continue our campaign in the new year. Merry Christmas and a happy new year everyone!

 

[aartvb]

It's been a while since I posted an update here. I haven't been feeling so well, so we played less D&D, and I didn't have the energy to post here. But less is not none, and I'm startimg to translate the session notes to English again. So there will be updates on the WotBS amd Zeitgeist threads!

Session 26 (11-01-2025): Fire, Ice, and Foolhardy Plans

The group meets Kyra, an elf of about 30 years old. She has green eyes and wears wilderness-themed clothing. After a short conversation, it becomes clear that she is both a follower and a (former) paramour of Lord Gallo. She has extensive knowledge of the wilderness in and around Gallo’s lands. Because of this, she will guide the group on their journey through the Alydi Gap.

In case you're wondering who this Kyra figure is, Elio's player's girlfriend wanted to try out D&D, so she joined for a few sessions, playing Kyra the elf.

Before departing, the group takes some time to shop in Gallo's Fend. They purchase healing potions and some magic items. Barracus temporarily gifts Kyra and Elio two platinum rings, claiming that they will provide temporary protection against harm. He mentions that he also has a gift for Athoz, which he will give later.

They enter the mountain pass with two extra horses (for potential witnesses/torture victims). They also carry diplomatic papers from Lord Gallo to gain the trust of the guards at the various outposts.
Along the way, the terrain is sometimes treacherous. However, Kyra, as an experienced scout in this region, guides them through with little trouble.

The first outpost appears normal, with nothing unusual. The group takes the opportunity to learn more about the structure of these watchtowers. Each consists of a large tower in the middle of the pass, blocking the road. There is no outer courtyard; instead, it is a multi-story tower with ballistae on the roof. They swap horses here to ensure they have fresh mounts for the journey ahead.

Outposts two through five are similar, with no remarkable events. The guards say that nothing of interest has happened, just that it is extremely cold.

Lord Gallo had, of course, warned that there were issues at the last watchtower. As a precaution, Barracus casts Augury to determine whether the guards there are as reliable as those at the previous outposts. The response: "woe".

On high alert, the group stealthily approaches the western side of the watchtower. They climb up via some hills that provide cover. At the base of the tower, they (excessively) discuss their options for infiltration and gathering evidence. Their ideas include but are not limited to: kidnapping, arson, local genocide, wyvern hunting, covert infiltration, and impersonation.

Growing bored and irritated, Barracus finally takes action, leaping onto the rooftop of the outpost. Elio follows closely behind, flying and casting Invisibility on both himself and Barracus to scout ahead.
Of course, Barracus and Elio had not thought about communication signals, methods for relaying information, or even a single plan for collecting evidence.

On the roof, an orc guard is keeping watch, with a wyvern resting in one corner. They sneak past and descend the stairs, moving quietly through the corridors. They manage to distract a guard using the light from a door that swings open due to a (magical) gust of wind.

The next hallway has multiple doors. From one, at least four voices can be heard speaking Orcish. Another room is mostly filled with the sounds of writing. The wind trick pushes open a door slightly again—this time unnoticed.
Inside, a woman in combat gear is reading a book, surrounded by multiple documents.

They drop a knife, causing the woman to walk away to investigate. Seizing the moment, Barracus and Elio scan the documents and hurriedly steal as much as possible in a brief panic. They hear the woman returning and teleport away.

Of course, Barracus and Elio had not considered that teleportation sets things on fire. The stolen documents also catch fire. Fortunately, most of them survive and remain legible.

Desperate to flee, Elio and Barracus panic. Vashera, in an effort to help, casts (an obviously inconspicuous) Darkness to obscure the guards' vision (in the middle of the night).
As they escape, they hear a wyvern take flight, but they seem to get away unnoticed.

Naturally, the group had not considered that horses are still just horses, meaning they struggle in the dark. Two of the horses stumble on an uneven path and break their necks.

In the freezing cold, the group takes a long rest in Elio’s cozy magical sphere.

March 15
They return to Lord Gallo, walking through the cold to the fifth watchtower. There, they take two of their fresh horses with them because they are too lazy to walk.

Upon arriving at Lord Gallo’s, they inform him that the fifth outpost is now in need of replacement horses.
They report the Ragasian infiltration to Lord Gallo. He assigns them new tasks: convincing the Lords and Ladies of Dassen that are in doubt, to support him in the fight against Steppengard, so that they can defend the pass against the Ragasians. Their primary targets are Lord Dashgoban and Lady Timor.

March 16
The group first heads south, planning to travel through the Pitchwood to Lord Dashgoban. They are tasked by Lord Gallo with melting a river near the village next to the Pitchwood, to delay Steppengard’s forces. Kyra remains with them due to her expertise.

March 17
Upon arriving in the Pitchwood, they are confronted by Pitchlings (forest-fairy-like fey) attempting to ambush travelers. Negotiations are brief—the Pitchlings are swiftly and thoroughly cut down by the group.

In a brief discussion afterward, they begin planning how to melt the river. At this point, Barracus finally presents Athoz with his promised gift: a gem containing a Fire Elemental, captured by Barracus’ order. If Athoz helps defeat the Fire Elemental, his magical ring (from Balan) will grant him more powers.
However, there is one catch: if the Elemental proves to be loyal or friendly toward Barracus’ order, then the group will have to fight it without Barracus’ support.

 

[RangerWickett]

Of course, Barracus and Elio had not considered that teleportation sets things on fire. The stolen documents also catch fire. Fortunately, most of them survive and remain legible.

Priceless.

Pitchlings are swiftly and thoroughly cut down by the group.

This makes me rather sad.

I hope the new player had a good time.