WotBS Aartvb's Burning Sky

[aartvb]

Session 8 (10-02-2024): Through Fire and Song: The Seela’s Secret and the Burning Curse

The group decided to follow the river up north.

Target-seeking fire clouds hovered above the group, and the third or fourth cloud left behind a very angry elemental creature with a spear and tail.

This creature was swiftly taken down with Kruggli’s PTSD-triggering use of Shape Water, and Anja’s (yet unspecified) Spiritual Weapon. The fiery being crumbled into ash.

Later, they fed a group of Magmins, likely disrupting the ecosystem, to clear their path.

Eventually, they arrived at a lake with stone-carved reliefs of humanoid figures. Esta recognized these figures as the Seela.

Esta’s official names for her parents are Enja and Onnie.

Nelle, a unicorn, appeared behind the waterfall at the river’s base. She warned them that further in the cave lay some “messed-up elves”—possibly Esta’s parents.

The unicorn shared a vision of a "child of Trilla/Trillith," which is believed to be the cause of the forest’s current burning state. Crystin, acting strangely, says the same words at the same time.

The Seela are creatures whose singing supports the forest’s power. Esta drew a literal stick-figure of herself, with a fire crossed out and a smiley face, and asks Nelle if it can give the drawing to her parents.

Nelle offered six items—three eagle feathers and three dragon scales.

Feather tokens:

• 2 bird feathers (-1, Anja gave one to the unicorn)
• 1 Swan Boat feather

Dragon scales:

• 2 Whip scales
• 1 Bird scale

The group decided to travel back to the bridge to rest but encountered more Magmins. They fed them Anja's last (non-magical) candies and Esta’s rations.

January 7th
They met Tiljann, a Seela singer of melancholic night songs, and Vuhl, a Seela who was once supportive of Tiljann and the preservation of the forest but has recently become antagonistic.

Other Seela include:

• Piet (the first boy)
• Johan (the second boy)
• Erika (the first girl)
• Francien (the second girl)

 

[aartvb]

Session 9 (9-3-2024): The Burning Heart: A Tale of Seela, Dryads, and Betrayal

The group arrives at the village.

Papuvin is the leader of the Seela.

Tiljann shared knowledge of Anyariel, a warrior-goddess figure who once hunted animals, with her final kill being a deer.

Vuhl, suspected of persecuting Tiljann, introduced himself and proposed that letting the forest burn was simply letting nature take its course.

Anja strongly disagreed, perhaps due to Vuhl’s involvement in the attack on Tiljann and the moral implications behind it.

Vuhl gave a clue regarding Gwen Vere, a nymph-turned-hag who now possesses Anyariel’s hair. He says that Gwen Vere was deeply in love with Anyariel.

There’s an unexplained rivalry between Gwen Vere and the Dryad of the primordial tree.

To consult the Dryad, the party needed Anyariel's hair. Through a combination of spells and distraction, Wyll managed to steal the hair from Gwen Vere after two attempts.

After a discussion on what burning doen the forest meant for Esta and her parents, the group set out for the primordial tree of the forest.

The Dryad provided key insights about the forest’s origins and its current burning state:

The first tree was created by the god of life. Its first seeds became the Seela, and later, elves came to live in the forest.
The Dryad came to life through the Seela's Song of Forms.
The Shahalesti attempted to take over the forest, but Anyariel fought them off. Shortly afterward (?), a fiery beast appeared. The Shahalesti are suspected of starting the fire.
(There’s a connection I don't remember between the burning deer, the Dryad, and a potential leader of the Seela.)
Personal note: yes, I had the Dryad explain everything well, but I guess they didn't quite get it. 😂

After the meeting—despite lingering disagreements over Vuhl's involvement—the party and the Dryad agreed to head toward the village and the center of the lake, where the flaming deer is said to be imprisoned.

 

[aartvb]

Session 10 (6-4-2024): The Betrayal of Vuhl: Cursed Fires and Kruggli’s First Kill

On their way back to the Seela village, the group spots a tiefling named Manadagr walking up a path. He reveals that he has been searching for a solution to the burning forest for the past six years as part of his mission.
Personal note: this was a new player joining the group

At the Seela village, the group asks the leader if there are any healers left, but they no longer have any. The group want people to be sent to help the burning elves with Nelle once the curse is lifted so they won’t burn to death.

The party sends Anja with a bird token to warn the unicorn, asking him to heal the burning elves immediately after they kill the cursed deer.

Eighteen elves are burning in the unicorn’s cave. Anja helps them into the water to prevent them from fully burning once the curse is lifted. She places Esta’s parents in the safest spot.

Vuhl suggests informing the Seela that they plan to lift the curse and that the forest will burn down. He asks the Seela not to resist.

However, during his speech, Vuhl suddenly stabs Timbre!

A battle ensues between the group and Vuhl, and the devil reappears. Kruggli attacks Timbre—possibly charmed, but it’s unclear—and Wyll, who is definitely charmed at times, also attacks Timbre and another Seela.

Anja, who was on her way to the unicorn, isn’t there to help during the fight.

The devil retreats, and Vuhl is killed. Tragically, Timbre is also killed by Kruggli. Kruggli is left in a PTSD-like state, deeply affected by what he's done.

Wyll, Torrent, and Manadagr suddenly gain the ability to have advantage on deception.

Vuhl’s loot:

• A 50 GP diamond
• A note with a triangle drawn on it

Anja returns from her trip to Nelle.

Kruggli claims this is his first kill, dramatically expressing that it wasn’t supposed to happen. He watches Anja out of the corner of his eye to see if she believes him.

The group decides to rest before killing the cursed fiery stag, with Anja keeping an eye on Kruggli.

 

[aartvb]

Kruggli's player likes making memes about the sessions, so I added them to the posts .

 

[aartvb]

Session 11 (14-4-2024): The Curse of the Burning Forest – Final Showdown and New Beginnings

January 8th
After the intense battle with Vuhl and the devil, peace has somewhat returned to the Fey Village. Many of the Seela have retreated to their caves, and the party takes time to rest and recover from the recent events.

Anja has one-on-one conversations with the group. She first reassures Kruggli, who has been struggling with his actions. Esta, still distrustful of Kruggli for attacking his allies, is consoled but remains cautious. She doesn't find Wyll a murderer however, even though he also attacked the group. Anja also speaks to Wyll, who shares his experience of being manipulated by the devil and forced to attack. Finally, Anja checks in with Manadagr, who is confused about what happened and why the group turned on each other.

Esta takes the time to learn an ancient elven song from a villager, connecting with her heritage.
The party takes a long rest, during which Kruggli fully heals from the wound Esta inflicted during the chaos. With everyone recovered, they set their sights on their next challenge: confronting the cursed stag at the center of the lake.

Kruggli, who can't swim, constructs a small raft to cross the lake, while the others swim. Midway through, the group is ambushed by two mermen. Combat ensues, during which Kruggli teleports them to the burning forest. After defeating the mermen, the group continues their mission.

They locate the stag, and Manadagr and Anja develop a strategy to bind the creature's legs, allowing Esta to pull the sword from its body. The blade transforms into the "Living Blade of Innenotdar," now a formidable axe.

However, the battle isn’t over. The stag, avoiding Esta, goes on a rampage, killing the singing Seela and nearly killing Wyll, who is downed twice but narrowly saved. Eventually, the group manages to defeat the stag, but Crystin warns them that this may not be the last they see of this creature, because it may be an 'image' of the creature.
Furthermore, Vuhl's true name is revealed as Deception. Crystin suggests he will return in the future.

The forest is now burning naturally, no longer cursed with eternal flames.

During the party’s rest, they notice that Vuhl's body has mysteriously vanished.

The party leaves the village, heading towards Esta’s parents by following the river. The sounds of the burning forest have dissipated, replaced by the natural sounds of the forest and a cooler temperature.

January 9th
Esta creates a drawing for Kruggli as an apology, and after a festive breakfast, the party makes their way to the unicorn’s cave. Meanwhile, Kruggli inspects the paper that Vuhl carried with him.

At the cave, they find the once-burning elves now lying in the water. They look up with empty eyes, without recognizing anything. Esta believes they need more time to recover, but the rest of the party is less optimistic.

Anja, Esta, and Kruggli receive Indomitability’s Boon, granting them the following abilities:

• You stabilize whenever you are dying at the start of your turn.
• You are always under the effect of stand the heat.
• You have advantage on Strength checks and saving throws against being pushed, moved, or knocked down.

Torrent asks Manadagr what his plan is, with the forest no longer cursed. Manadagr admits he has no plans for the future, having spent the last six years trying to save the forest. He asks if he can accompany the party until he finds his next purpose, and the group agrees to take him along.

 

[aartvb]

Session 12 (4-5-2024): A Journey Through Winter's Edge and the Lords of Dassen

Esta decides to stay with her parents after all.
Personal note: Estas player unfortunately had to leave, after being part of the group sinds the beginning (almost 4 years ago). At least Esta got a nice end to her story with finding her parents and helping them!

Manadagr shares that his parents and family were murdered by his friends who betrayed him. He was once a paladin in training.

He comes from a land overtaken by the Ragesian Empire and has been on the run ever since.

The group arrives in Dassen. Torrent tells them that it is ruled by someone named Steppengard, who is the king.

Crystin warns them that they will need winter clothing soon, and they quickly notice that winter is upon them.

January 10th
On their way, they find a watchtower and decide to investigate. There's almost nothing inside, but they recognize it as a tower belonging to the kingdom of Dassen.
They also find winter clothing—four sets, including shoes.
They give Kruggli’s clothes to Krystin.

After a few more days of walking, they reach a valley and spot a village in the distance. This is Cornerwood.
A little further on, they are stopped by guards. The guards are not happy that the group is traveling on "Lord Rego’s" land.
They are incredibly surprised that they made it through the burning forest.
The guards invite them to the inn, called 'The Palatial'.
The guards don't believe right away that they extinguished the forest fire, so they are referred to their ‘manager.’
At some point, Relio, the leader of the village’s guards, arrives. They tell him the forest is no longer burning.

January 11th
Relio says two guards are heading toward "Lord Rego." They arrange to travel with these two guards on horseback to meet the lord.

January 12th
The group soon encounters a group of mages who offer to protect them as they travel through the forest. This service is provided by the Duchy of Timor to protect travelers, according to the two guards who are with the group.
They let the mages walk ahead of them. The mages seem to be trustworthy and knowledgeable of the path.
The guards are no fans of Seaquen, as Seaquen nothing when the wizard Lsi Pu unleashed a storm on Dassen.

January 15th
The group travels with these mages for several days (who leave them once they exit Thornwood) and arrive at Lord Rego’s fortress.
They receive an audience with Lord Rego.
He is far from pleased with the news about the forest not burning anymore. He holds the Duchy of Timor in low regard, referring to them as “filthy mages.”
He demands that the group does not inform anyone else that the forest is no longer burning, fearing more refugees will flood into the city. With this, the conversation ends. They consider going to King Steppengard in Bresk, but in the end decide not to, but to continue on toward Seaquen.

Anja uses the next few days to send messages to her children in Gate Pass to check on how things are going, using sending. It turns out that the fighting outside the city continues, but the city has not yet fallen.
She also informs her children that the forest is no longer burning.
The wizard Gabal from Gate Pass has been found again and is in discussions with the city council.

The group continues traveling south.

January 17th
Along the way, they inform the guards of Lady Namin that the forest is no longer burning.

January 19th
At the border of Iz, we encounter a group of men. It appears that Lord Iz himself is among them.
The group of men quickly guess that the PC's are on their way to Seaquen.

January 21st
The group is required to pay 10 gold pieces to enter the land of Lord Megadon.

January 23rd
From there, they travel to the land of Lady Dene. They begin to see more refugees heading toward Seaquen, as well as an increasing number of refugee graves.
They also notice that the icy cold here gives way to torrential rainstorms.

January 25th
They arrive in Vidor, where they can buy a rowboat for 100 gold pieces to cross the swamp toward Seaquen. However, they plan to use the swan boat to navigate this passage. They invite some others to join them, so they can make some money.

 

[aartvb]

Session 13 (18-05-2024): Navigating Seaquen’s Refuge

January 25th
The group decides to split up to search for people looking to flee to Seaquen.
The pair is quickly accosted by merchants trying to sell maps and boats. The pair is searching for families who can't afford the crossing themselves. They find an elf and a human with children. Anja proposes taking them for 10 gold per adult and half-price for the children. The parents are enthusiastic and begin looking for others to join the journey over the sea.

The other three head to an inn, seeking wealthier travelers. They arrive at a tavern and perform a little show to attract people for the boat trip. Wyll is hit by a Lightning Bolt and takes significant damage. Dolly approaches the remaining two, handing them a box with a diamond-shaped emblem and asking if they are the group heading to Seaquen. They confirm and request a 10 gold contribution.

Personal note: Dolly is the new PC because Esta's player left.

The rogue and Anja discuss how many people they've managed to find.

January 26th
At sunrise, the group arrives at the harbor, where 50 people have signed up. They wait until only 30 remain, collecting 200 gold, which they split among the five of them. Everyone boards, and some last-minute travelers attempt to climb aboard or swim after the boat. They sail for about 5-6 hours.

After some time at sea, they encounter a stranded cargo ship, which turns out to be from Ostalin. After seeing some spiders, they decide to sail around it.

Upon reaching Seaquen, they find out that the harbor is overcrowded. From a tower, flags are raised to communicate with the group, but they don't understand them. Wyll uses psychic whispers to speak with the tower guards, who direct them to the southern harbor.

The group tries to sell their boat, but when no one is interested in buying, they send it out to sea.
After discussing things with the party, they head north to deliver their message, which is hidden in the form of candies. They need to reach the Lyceum for this.

They head to a small house on a northern island that can grant them entry to the Lyceum. The man there tells them they’ll need to wait a few days.

The party decides to visit the refugee camp to offer help. Crystin, guided by a vision, leads them to the northern side of the camp.
The northern camp is divided into two halves. Crystin heads straight toward a specific tent. A large bird greets them and asks them to announce themselves.

A half-elf woman steps out, introducing herself as Laurabec Adelsburg.
She explains that people are killing each other over religious differences, and she wants to build a temple where everyone can worship their god. However, the religious leaders are not in favor of this. The group plans to approach the leaders of the Hestia faith first to convince them.
After speaking with a follower of the church, a rumor surfaces that there is a lyre capable of building houses. The source of the rumor is a person named Elie (Elliot).
They find Elie, who reveals that a green dragon possesses the lyre and gives them a rough idea of where the dragon can be found—in the Shrieking Delve.
The group speaks with the leader of the church, who sees no point in building a large temple while there is a housing shortage. They also inquire about negotiation techniques with dragons, only to be met with bewildered looks.

After their conversation with the leader, a woman approaches, informing them that someone named Jess is looking for them. She lives in a large house with a gate around it. They head there and arrive at the house, where a small boy is playing in the yard. They politely ask if they can speak to his parents. The mother turns out not to be Jess, but she confirms that Jess lives in the house. They are let inside.
As they begin talking with Jess, they realize she is after their candy (containing the copied book). She warns that if they don’t cooperate, she will take it by force. A fight breaks out.

 

[RangerWickett]

She also informs her children that the forest is no longer burning.

Lord Rego: "I explicitly requested that you not-!"

 

[aartvb]

Haha yes, they literally told anyone who would listen that the forest is not burning anymore. I'll have to think of a way to let that bite them in the ass later on!

 

[Tormyr]

Haha yes, they literally told anyone who would listen that the forest is not burning anymore. I'll have to think of a way to let that bite them in the ass later on!

You could give a small penalty to VP for the battle at Gallo's Fend, or give the PCs some automatic fails when negotiating with lords who would be most affected (which would then affect VP).