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Message: <blockquote data-quote="limeskeleton" data-source="post: 9860468" data-attributes="member: 7047820">Session 05The party fought through some last reinforcements at the Cinderfell Conglomerate Residuum Processing Plant, outmaneuvering them and rigging the place to blow. In cool Action Hero style, they emerged into the Southern Wastes just as the plant was utterly destroyed, sending scraps of metal flying amidst a cloud of blue-and-black smoke. (This was the culmination of the previous sessions Combat/SC. I added a few more Residuum Ooze monsters and a round-driven countdown timer for extra danger)On the sands a ways outside of the area, a massive Sandstorm Wyrm approached, a Primal Spirit of the Wastes. It thanked the party for cleansing the region of the pollution and effluence from the plant, and gave Nimble the Desert's Blessing (A homebrewed Primal Boon with a daily power that creates difficult terrain & boosts defenses). It then burrowed into a nearby dune, revealing a forgotten cache of gold and enchanted armor (I owed the party a hefty treasure parcel!)Hours later, the party managed to slip back into the city of Dahaska amidst the chaos and confusion following the explosion. However, the authorities and private security were out in droves looking for the miscreants who exploded the pipeline/processing center. Deciding to book a train to the far-off city of Divinigrad, they paid for their tickets (except Thorgrim, who jumped the turnstile) and began the journey west toward the open ocean.(This Journey was a long train ride--over 24 hours, with a stretch of rail crossing the open ocean in a bubble of glass & magic. The entire thing was played as a skill challenge, with various problems arising over the course of their travels)While onboard the train, a teenage Orc approached the party, having recognized Nimble & Ibz from their streams and, more importantly, from their recent act of terrorism. However, the group convinced him that it was all AI (Arcane Intelligence) and that they were big phonies. They also called him stupid. Dejected and heartbroken, the boy went back to his parents, tears glistening on his cheeks. (This bullied teen actually became a recurring character in the campaign, kinda similar to Syndrome from the Incredibles, which has been a riot)This led to a party conversation about their status as fugitives, something that was true for Kellen (due to the Astrenov Family) and Thorgrim (due to being a former political prisoner according to several dwarf-rights groups) even before this most recent act of eco-terrorism. However, this conversation was interrupted by Thorgrim's Wyrdstreamer (basically a magical smartphone), which revealed even more strange messages, then attempted to send an electric tentacle into Ibz's device, which he rebuffed. (Thorgrim's player came up with a plot point about a virus-infected phone, which escalated into a psionic cyber-demon inhabiting it, obsessed with him)A few hours later, while the train was atop the Hydrotrack on the open ocean, several large tentacles latched onto the train and attempted to pull off the window near the party. Kellen managed to send a shock of lightning through the train, dislodging the sea monster. However, this same blast of arcane energy was the catalyst for the train's awakening as a Spirit. Nimble tried to calm the newborn Train Spirit, but his efforts seemed to be in vain.(The above was pretty bonkers! We had established in Session 0 that trains were controversial partially because they tended to accumulated spiritual energy and become Primal Spirits themselves, thanks to their deep connection to so much land)When the train arrived at its first station back on land, it was immediately assaulted by Locomotive Animist activists, the most aggressive of whom summoned spirit-infused monsters to attack the hapless passengers. (The fight was a tough one, with a few lightning-spirit creatures and a few wolves that knocked enemies prone)During the ensuing conflict, Ibz was almost killed, leading to a series of visions where he remembered his harsh training, his loss of purpose, and his subsequent creation of a new purpose (Some flavoring of his death saves). This seemed to inspire something in the train's spirit, which sparked him back to wakefulness just as the grueling battle concluded. Once the party re-boarded the train, their fellow passengers grateful but frightened, it began to resume its journey, now guided by newfound spiritual awareness.</blockquote>

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