Elixia

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Season 1: Mysts of Elixia

Pre-Episodes: The first three episodes were pre-story where we explored each character’s backstory in solo sessions. Getting them to the point of the story start.

Pre-Season 1: The Conquered and the Cold One

Our Dragonborn Barbarian Eslov confronts his sister for clan leadership. In the Blue Wastes, when you try and fail to ascend, you are cast out. Once he leaves he meets a shaman who saves his life, but permanently scars him. Once free of the wastes he meets Captain Olmari, a Genasi, who teaches him to read the stars.

Pre-Season 2: Nearly Lost is Nearly Found – or – The Little things that Count

Meadow, still grieving after the sea takes her husband, discovers he left her some precious gifts. And one may hold the key to his, and her, fate.

Meanwhile, Kienn realizes that on an island of Elves, human guides aren’t considered as highly for their knowledge (after all, how could they know as much about the land in 20 years compared to an Elf’s century)? But transporting a huge caravan of people across the wilds of the island can elevate everyone’s respect, as well as stress.

Pre-Season 3: A Warm Breeze in the Deepest Freeze – or – The Fisherman and The Fished

Vesryn’s family is split, and he knows it. But to earn back respect from his father he must confront the terror of the Magrick family past—and the ascendance of his mother.

Meanwhile Morcant has to earn his footing within the Soal (temple) by getting hazed before his first Festival of Mysts. At least there’s fishing to take his mind off things.

S1E1: Ink is the Sky O’er Fayelinn

The Festival of Mysts begins. Celebration, costumes, hoping for a sign of ascended relative. And maybe this year—like most years—ascensions won’t occur at all.

They do, and thousands disappear into the clerical mysts at the celebration. Children are stranded without parents, important people die, and one character fades for a moment, then returns. That’s never happened before! But what did he see in that moment of ascension? The gods? Their friend, the Kenku Awak, doesn’t believe it.

But the runes on the naming stones flashed briefly. Does that mean something?

S1E2: The Silence of Soundholes

When someone “ascends” an empty space appears briefly. No sound. But it seems to be more. Perhaps a portal?

Kienn’s mother helps, but is in a bad place.

And as the investigation begins, Meenlocks are on the prowl and taking advantage of the chaos and fear.

S1E3: Escape is for the Courageous and the Foolhardy

Depression sets in for the entire community. So many are gone – parents, friends, and leaders, pulled from the living.

Kienn’s scout frenemies put the pressure on, and trade ships are abandoning the island in droves.

Morcant marks the moon and records the ascended, while the elders figure out what to do next.

But then word comes from Rhaeysa that someone returned from the ascension. A gnome who ascended 15 years ago—but died on his return home to his family. How? Why?

S1E4: A Butterfly Walks on the Calmly Lilting Waves, it’s wings, death

The party meets the daughter of the gnome – Flainn Bellinigar – that returned from the ascension. Does his corpse hold clues?

He was found holding vines in his hand. He had claw marks and was found frozen next to the lake. But someone saw a silhoutte head back out into the Shalewood Forest.

S1E5: The Forest is not Mad

The Shalewood is dark – even in midday. The canopy cover is complete. Carniverous Butterflies feed on the sleeping party. After working their way through the deep woods they find a clearing with a pond, but the local druid Kelmon, and his tree golem prevent entry to this sacred place. The pond, they discover, was where the gnome came out. And something came after him. Something bone while and evil. And it was not alone.

S1E6: The Stars are Misaligned

From the pond came night beasts with blue fire maws, and others of its own kind—Wendigo.

And the frightful pursuit by the wendigo relies on the inner urges of the party, to try to bring them to the brink… of cannibalism. And it comes close to happening as the party starts to reel from the threat their minds are under.

The party barely escaped, but they gained a few new clues they desperately needed. But to what? It’s like a puzzle with the wrong pieces.

S1E7: The Road with the Roundabout

Once the party returns to Rhaeysa from the Shalewood, the meet with the gnome’s (now grown) daughter. Few people come to the funeral for her returned from the ascendency father.

But in the corps there is a clue that was earlier overlooked. The flowers held. They are all dead, except a vine, subtley winding through. It’s called Carros – and it chokes to death trees and plants much larger than itself.

“Carros” is also an ancient term related to something small and beautiful and purposefully overwhelming to something old and tired. It was mentioned by the Philospher “Calliope Metrilia” as being an act of EITHER killing OR intaking the soul of another. She called it KARROSH in her book “On the Balance and Equality of All Life”. She called it “the paradox of the parasite”.

S1E8: Bargains in Cold Blood

Virgére, the Lord’s ranger, is outside of town, waiting to speak with Vesryn—with a full contingent of soldiery. Vesryn fleeing early in the season did not go unnoticed.

Virgére is waiting for Vesryn. He heard that the party is investigating things that should be left for the gods – the ascensions. And he has questions – about his ascended daughter.

In the meantime, the island is still weak and people trying to come out of their despondence.

Some books are discovered:

THE BOOKS

The Witterwack & the Glendersnatch – A collection of children’s stories about wild beasts and monsters that snatch children in the night and eat them or transform them. It’s really old and many of the words seem nonsensicle.
On the Ensorcelments of the Fey Lords – They learn that Fey often make bargains that require gifting something, and that accepting binds you. Also they would often bind multiple spells, somehow, to each other, to even greater effect.
When Moons Collide – The phases of the moons and sun discussed, particularly the inability to grasp the movements of Mavé. It states that nights of ink skies are the purview of the gods Shylæ, Lady of Shadows and Karrosh, god of conspiracies and lies.
The Birth of Passions and their Purposes and Dispossesses – Helast, Mistress of the Chase, recognized that passions were the greatest strength and weakness, even of the gods. The only weapon more dangerous, and counter to, every weapon is unbridled passion (love or hate in either measure)
Bargains in Cold Blood – explains that the gods put life, through the weave, into blood. That’s why when drained, magic also leaves you. Magic IS life, in a sense.
Upending Civility and Instilling the Fervent of Chaos – book on sowing chaos.
Elixian High Lords and their Mastery of Deepwater Naval Defenses – Book on the famous naval strategies of the House of Magrik.
The Longborn History of Elixia, Volume 31 by Cerridwen Sagewynd – A book of history that spans more than 100 years on the island.
The Soul and the Seal: The Transformative Sleep of the Eponia of Akor – Explains that the draught of sleep extends life by as much as 50% and sharpens memory.
The Song Weave of the Eladrin – Discusses Eladrin bardic magic, and how songs in the weave can bind souls, minds, and bodies, to keep them connected from a short time to eternity.
On the Balance and Equality of All Life – “the paradox of the parasite”. Discusses “Carros” in it. CARROS is mentioned as “The Order of Carros”

It’s discovered that the runes on the naming stones are, in fact, magical. But they are more ancient than the runes of current magic. So detect and Identify doesn’t recognize the way their magic is expressed in the weave.

S1E9: Alleys and Allies Gone Asunder

Someone tries to carve the naming stones. They are unaffected, and the perpetrator flees. The party catches her. Her hands are callous from being a craftsperson. They take her home—but something is off. She seems worried. She eventually, fearfully, opens up. She’s been having dreams. Terrible dreams.

She awoke to a huge carving—but doesn’t remember making it. She was exhausted, ravenous, and in pain.

Then, something went to her and asked her to carve it into the stone.

She was paid with a coin she didn’t recognize.

Morcant also has a dream, about his mother, and fish with arms.

S1E10: Artists’ passions in grey charcoal and ash

There’s a lot of cleanup in the artistan’s district of Fayelinn. But worse, who else is compromised in the town, and to what end? The party searches the neighborhood and finds an odd clothier shop. With some extensive stealth work, they discovers a hidden basement with artists chained and forced to make “art.”

A local wizard, Aeetus, helps them out. They discover that the coin is magical – with Dream and Dominate Person enchanted onto them.

The artisans are in a panic, but Morcant can calm their minds.

S1E11: Interrogations

The proprietor, they discover, is not what she seems. They find out that her shop was used to experiment and manipulate the minds of artists. It also housed a secret room that they take a magical mask from (but it doesn’t show as magic—just like the naming stones).

They find that the owner, Jasmine, is actually a succubus. They capture her. Let the interrogations of the PCs begin.

S1E12: After the Disappearance

Jasmine is trapped in the basement of the Broch—it has old magics on it to keep it impenetrable. The players squeeze her for information, and realize that she is actually be manipulating them. But they discover from conversations that she is working with a succubus and corrupting powerful people on the island also.

But everyone learns quite a bit: the characters about the forgotten past, and the succubus Jasmine, about the players’ pasts.

The Succubus’ captives minds are twisted beyond what the characters know what to do with. How & why?.

They finally meet their new ally, The mage Aeetus.

S1E13: The Door That Isn’t There

The town is trying to move on, bars and inns are open and operating again. The Red Gate Tavern & Inn is where the party is happening. Cerridwynn gets to show off her bardic chops and the whole party dances into the night—all while trying to keep an eye on their suspicious-acting ally Aeetus. Eventually they catch a pattern that leads to something extraordinarily off—and the mage flees before them. Aeetus disappears in the Eights—an old part of town dominated by an orthogonal old building.

Once they find their way in through the hidden passage, they find that the old building is more than it seems. And it’s guarded by some hellhounds and harpies.

Inside, they find soul cages – but something is very off about that. Also, a secret tunnel is under the sacrificial altar.

S1E14: The Beast of Buried Skulls (Part I)

The party follows an old cave, and it exits to a hilly forest outside the city walls. After exploring awhile, they find a place with a series of magic stones low to the ground – and from what they can tell it requires a blood sacrifice to do whatever it does. It seems to summon “something.”

Their captured succubus is still trapped in the soal (temple).

They continue their investigation with the succubi, and discover her incubi partner is making inroads into the city guard and the elder council.

Finally, they kill the incubi – but the damage done to people’s minds around town is massive.

S1E15: The Beast of Buried Skulls (Part II)

The party frees artists from the grips of the fiends that poisoned the minds of townfolk. The artists they were especially interested in are held “for their own safety”.

Making a contact with the deathsman Nighthogg opens a new avenue into the attraction of artisans to whatever the fiends’ cause is.

Then they learn about the portal stones – they are old Fey magic.

Some complicated history between Cerridwynn’s and Vesryn’s families are revealed.

After a short hunt they attempt to use the portal stones. A great moster, like a mound of flesh, earth, and trees arrives on foot and opens its chest for them like a portal that people can walk through. They do so.

S1E16: A Strong but Broken Mind

The party arrives outside Arethusa, after stepping through the beast of buried skulls.

The dwarf they find in the woods, Osrik Incelides, is not friendly and warns them off his property.

Their is a large contingent of persons-at-arms in Arethusa looking for Vesryn. They’re from his brother, and not friendly.

His brother is there, with a woman.

But they believe him to be enthralled by the whomever the succubi worked for. After some scouting, they force his hands and find that he is the servent of a greater power than they imagined. A Fallen Deva (or perhaps an Erinyes) that is controlling this great conspiracy on the island, and, for its own reasons, trying to force great craftspersonship from artisans. The dwarf, under duress, says where she goes. A tower nearby, in the middle of a lake.

S1E17: The Tower in the Mist

Eldrin (Vesryn’s brother) and a large retinue is in Arethusa—along with a woman they believe to be Talvomiz—the Erinyes that has been behind so much of the island’s woe.

The lake around the tower is frozen over. But is it safe to cross? They have to try, since whomever is there is far to important to leave alone.

When they attempt to cross they are met with scorpion fire. It’s cracking the ice to make them fall into the frigid waters. And it works. It becomes a race against time to cross and get warmed now – while under the attacks from the tower.

Once they work their way in, they are met with a wizard who attacks them. He gets captured. He’s another thrall, (but unwilling) of this deva/fiend Talvomiz.

The tower is filled with magical components, and the wizard is Talvomiz’ most potent external weapon.

They save him from a fate worse than death. And he is freed after giving up everything he knows about their no-longer-secret enemy.

S1E18: The Devil’s in the Details

They go through the portal again—but arrive in a creek near to the Merry Geld Bridge (a land bridge between two large lakes). It’s covered in fog.

They travel in the direction of the capital Kyroll.

Soon, in the fog, they realize are being hunted by wolves. They put on the chase, and eventually set the stage for an attack when the party is caught on both sides, with water on the other sides.

After fighting through one side of the wolf attack, and Eslov having the battle he needed, they are chased to a small broch. It’s a ruin that is one from Vesryn’s & Cerridwynn’s individual pasts. He had seen the ghost of a unicorn foal.

More importantly, the nearby cabin brings back memories (and flashbacks) for both Vesryn and Cerridwynn. These moments weave their histories even tighter.

They reach the capital, Vesryn’s home, Kyroll in the end. The new Steward tells all about the state of affairs here.

S1E19: The Elixia (Part I)

The Black Rings – loyal guardians of the Magrik family – are being hung as traitors by the standing head of the house – Eldrin.

Fagen Daryny and Ratha (Vesryn’s twin sister) explains much about the past, particularly about the “Winter of Teeth”.

Vesryn’s brother Ailen is hiding from the party in the complex maze of the castle. Yet he is currently in charge. After some time searching, the party discovers two things:

A list titled “Master Artisans Not Yet Found

Pertoris Morro – somewhere in Velye
Elaberos Heikas – Imprisoned in Ardell
Heleroris Gilcyne – Imprisoned in Ardell
Qintumal Rikka – Injured in skirmish near Wolf’s Run
Nornan Annustel – believed to be in Bunguvan
Helehana Joralei – believed to be near Arun’s Raig
Clovis Van Amstel – last seen in Whythe
Orikrana Nerirel – fled to Mirador (lost?)
Farnan Bifiel – On Kyvnd, but well-protected
Ularie Wyndove – employed by the court in Jarrisen
Famoira Glyntoris – Working in Whythe
Fenwraek Fenfaren – Disappeared into wilds near Wolf’s Run
Find out who Talleson is.

2. Ailen’s secret passage that goes low into the castle—straight down to a chamber near the sea.

They discover that Eldrin is now the lover of Talvomiz – enthralled by her Erinyes evils. They attack her and she escapes but the party must flee the castle. But they take the steward, and Vesryn’s uncorrupted siblings, with them.

S1E20: The Elixia (Part II)

The party is chased by Talvomiz forces. The party is burdened by non-wilderness people and Fagen, a woman with a missing foot. They overcome the difficulties and Fagen proves to be brave and smart.

They get chased to broch Caellius – the ruin they had entered before.

Talvomiz parlays with Morcant Van Amstel. Revealing that he has a brother, but also revealing that she is a servant of the god Carros. A god they have never heard of. She offers to help heal his broken soul. It also reveals that she sees herself as a Deva, but she is not. She is mad in her confusion at her own self.

Morcant refuses her appeals, so she attacks with her forces – and attempts to summon more Devas, but when 6 spined devils arrive instead, she is confused and starts attacking her own summons and the party.

Flight is revealed as a weakness of the party.

The ruins are a magical portal of some kind, but they are figuring it out as they are being attacked by Talvomiz forces.

The spirit unicorn helps defend the broch, but several party members fall.

Eldrin, finding what’s left of his soul, dies in the arms of his one true love – Cerridwynn – as he learns that she had his child.

They discover the secret passage to the portal exit and escape by climbing UP into a small pond that floats above them—and then swimming to the surface.

S1E21: The Mind is Water

Coming up through the pond the characters find themselves in a beautiful clearing. Dim light permeates everything. bioluminescence from the ponds edge adds a blue glow. And two massive standing stones dominate the space. One is invisible.

Cerridwenn and Morcant are able to decipher some from this ancient runic language – realizing one stone was meant as a bridge to share dreams. A love gift from Caelius (goddess of celestial beasts) to Llewelynn (goddess of the Fey and Keeper of the Eternal Twilight). The ancient magic language is learned enough to understand this, and that the naming stones across the island are connected to these—making the island a place where you were supposed to be able to share dreams—even if you, like many Fey, instead tranced.

But the second stone (the invisible one) was Carros corruption of the other – to trap those that attempt to use it in another realm. Somewhere.

Things learned:

The stones align precisely with one moon above each of the stones—Mavé above the jet one and Torve above the gray one. Almost like they’re hovering. When you move about, they seem to stay above them! Additionally, you know that the constellation that is either a unicorn or a pegasus is centered between the two stones.
Cælius (god of Celestial Beasts) was a lesser deity and servitor to LLewelyn (Keeper of Eternal Twilight), along with Quielle (god of forests). Llewellyn & Quielle are gods that are known and worshipped in places, even among some nature clerics in Elixia. You’ve even heard the name Llewellyn reverently spoken of in historical contexts (in the Soal’s books and treaties) as a peer and ally to Akor.
There is a complicated series of moon moments inscribed on the stone, mapping Mavé & Torvé, and marking important convergences. And there is a pattern that matches the Festival of Mysts.
All the runes—and how they connect—suddenly makes all the other “ancient Elixian” runes make sense. It’s the first time seeing them in proper context. These runes are the most perfect, most beautifully created runes they’ve ever seen.
The grey stone: There’s a poetic (love) story: Cælius created Elixia (the island) as a gift to friend and ally Lyellewyn whom she secretly loved. It was created as a place to enter her dreams—hoping to show her her love in a shared dream state—dreams being one of Llewellyn’s domains. The standing stone transports your spirit as a shared dream under the protection of her celestial guard—unicorns, seamares, pegasii, Ki’Rin, Couatls, Hollyphants, and others—most of which the characters had never heard of.
The jet stone (which is invisible): The runes here corrupt (through convergences with the moon maps) the runes on the gray stone. It transports BOTH body and soul to a nightmare dream state—a place where the shades of everclouds wipe light from the sky itself, and it replaces these same magicks on the gray stone. A way to trap a god the moment they tried to enter the dream state here—sending those affected by the magic to the nightmare realm instead, and closing the portal from return. It is a god trap—and it may have worked. Worse, it may still be cycling.

S1E22: Wipe a Thousand Tears from Your Eyes, But None From Your Soul

They walk away from the portal and find themselves in an Elixian woods.

They are met by bowmen and a cleric of Llewelyn named Lillybet. They have been gone for months.

The towns have been forcibly taken by the Magrik family. Guards replaced, leadership changed. They all leave and go to the camp of “the resistance” – including their old Kenku friend Awak.

The resistance, though weaker than the towns themselves, has some powerful allies. But how do you rebel against the leadership, without risking the lives of the innocents caught in the middle?

The party is wanted for the murder of Eldrin.

Plans are made, they attempt to re-enter Fayelinn, and a Reeve has been assigned to run the city.

S1E23: Off the Vine

Word from other towns: Interrogations of guards, commoners, clerics, leadership, everyone. They have an interrogator moving from town to town. Everyone is speaking the truth to this person—and nobody leaves the meetings unshaken.

Morcant gets a message from Eponia: “If you are alive, let me know. Elixia is in a different state. Soals are communicating and sharing movements of our friends and enemies. We are under the pressure of a new, insidious threat. One that is dangerous and terrifying to the commoners. Clerics coming under interrogation now across the island as their questioner arrives. In Raeytha now.

The party takes the tunnels into Fayelinn. They find a mix of loyalists to the new order and the old. The resistance is grown—from the inside.

S1E24: One Spark to Ignition

Talvomiz arrives to receive the chisel she has been working so long to have made.

The resistance gets real in Fayelinn. The party revolts, and recruits more people from the city.

The Master of Arms, a blue dragonbone, arrives to meet the resistance.

They parley, again, with Talvomiz. In doing so, Morcant attempts to convert Talvomiz to the worship of Akor (god of the sea).

A vast network of artisans, all working on making something, are discovered.

A plan is made: use the tunnels, go to the prison for more resistance, storm the fort, get the chisel.

Vesryn’s familiar, Soal, flies into town to find where the chisel is. It is being made by a blacksmith artisan that is a Shandow, a 4-armed humanoid.

S1E25: Ut Urbis Accendit

Talvomiz captures Soal, Vesryn’s bird. She stares at it. Then speaks to Vesryn through it: “I will keep the bird for now, and not at dusk, but in two days time I will meet you at the place you speak of. Your bird will lead me to the spot. Whistle if agreed?”

The bird whistles.

Omens: One omen is not unusual. The gods often tease us with hints at knowledge. Two in the sky is a booming voice.

The Reading Song (as taught to Eslov by Captain Olmari):

An omen is the gift of a god
Two signs, the change of a plan that is flawed
Three times, prepare for tire and wear
More, unaccounted, a portal to despair
Patterns that align are long-lasting
A form just crossed, is acting
A circumpoint that holds, is dominant of course
The center that wanes, is a moment passing
On the moon-less eve, the gods have no court
For giving or getting good or ill, blessed or cursed,
And the play of the gods tears you apart,
the bearing of body, soul, and mind dispersed

The Stars: Four colorful stars align, and there is a small comet trail heading to the circumpoint.

Blue star: a warning of caution, self control, protection of the soul (blue hates chaos), the security of dreams

Red star: Primalness, potency, appetite, passionate emotion, foundations of fire and the self (red unleashes or escapes)

White star: Purity, purpose, doorways to transition, fairness & justice (white is balanced)

Yellow star: The power of mind, celestial energy, vigor and speed (yellow desires fire)

Orange star: Self-assurance, boldness, respect, rituals and reckonings (orange demands to rise up, to control)

Diamond Star Pattern: Associated with the physical, the four elements, and the cardinal directions. It is solidity made unsolid

The Comet: A portent of destruction, death, or mutilation

Circumpoint Rising: The circumpoint (a center point in a pattern) symbolizes consciousness. The circumpunct (the dot in the center) is you. It connotates the I-AM-ness and your origin. Everything outside of it is the expansion of the consciousness. It is experience.

The Moons: A moonless sky – obscurity, liberation, roguery.

They enter the tunnels. As they near the end it suddenly fills with water, and boulders drop to block the back escape. As the water flows in it several two froghouls into the rising water in the tunnel. The trap is set, and the characters are fighting for their lives against drowning, battering against the rocks, and death by froghoul.

They barely escape, but their route was known!

S1E26: Reign of Fire

The artisan area is busy and active. Massive smoke clouds billow from the chimneys. There is banging ringing out at all times. Guards are at each of all four entrances. One artisan is working day and night, never leaving, and food and water is brought in.

In the forge the Shandow is hammering. Sometimes more gently, and using a tool to precisely arrange the hot gold. Each tap or hit releases magical energy.

There is an explosion of energy—the magic enters the chisel. It is done. The blast caught several building on fire. The city erupts awake. Suddenly the Soal empties and the clerics are armed with barbed spears. Captain Olmari and her crew empty from the ship and head to the explosion. The citizenry starts to enter the city streets, and begins fire suppression as well as they can. Many citizens also come out with tools as weapons.

The explosion brings out Talvomiz. She has ONE goal. Get the chisel! Soal, Vesryn’s familiar, was also freed by the explosion. Vesryn has eyes on the area again.

It starts to rain—fish! Literally, fish are flling from the sky across the town.

Talvomiz will have trouble flying if she tries to fly.

She is also unable to leave via carriage or flight.

Talvomiz silent guard, the vine, guard her and the blacksmith area where the chisel was completed.

The party moves in to confront Talvomiz, also confounded by the rain of fish. They must fight through the guard first—and do so—but take some wounds beforehand.

They confront Talvomiz and the shandow blacksmith—who is holding something invisible.

Eslov has a blur of energy about him—it’s a shaman.

In a brutal boss battle, Cerridwynn hits Talvomiz with her spear that’s attached to a rope, allowing her to tie Talvomiz to the ground. Vesryn and Morcant release destruction upon her, and Eslov rages. He strikes once gets into a grappling contest with the demon while the rest of the party tries to occupy. But once Eslov has a hold, he doesn’t let go. As the fight overwhelms her, Eslov slowly strangles her to death.

Eslov’s shaman spirit heals him up afterward, and disappears.

Talvomiz turns to dust when she dies.

The Shandow passes away. The Silent Guard are rounded up and jailed. The town, and the island, is put back to some semblance of normalcy.

The party turns their eye to Kyroll, and the remaining Magrik family that was accomplices in the treachery here.

And what of this magic chisel? They learn it is capable of changing other ancient magics – of carving into magically protected stone.

S1E27: Kyrol

The party arrives to Kyroll. The city is a burned out shell. Smoke still rises from some parts. The town around the keep seems abandoned.

the castle in utter emptiness. Flags, tapestries, and artworks are mostly gone. There are a few damaged pieces remaining. The lanterns that are permanent are still there, but none are lit. The gates have been stuck with a large stone left up in its machinations. Everything small is gone. Doors are chopped open. Staff are all missing. The castle has been looted.

They find a couple guards barricaded into a room—Ailen’s room. They’re terrified. In front of the party’s eyes, the guard is attacked by nothing. He hid in the shadows and died. He aged to death.

The shadow killed him. And the shadow disappeared down the secret passage to Ailen. They realize it’s hunting him!

It gets near to Ailen in the lowest room. Ailen dives into the water and swims out into the sea. the shadow follows. The party follows.

In the water it catches.

After a long swim chase, Morcant successfully casts hold person on Ailen, who is on the rocks, climbing out.

They see the shadow’s eyes moving in the shadow, trying to get to its prey. It walks into the light, slowly, dragging itself, working to Ailen.

Eslov attacks it, and his axe—particularly dangerous to fiends, critically hits and destroys the assassin.

Ailen is captured, and jailed. And a ship pulls up in port—Vesryn’s father – the Jarl – has returned.

End of Season 1

Season 2: Elixia: Box of Memories

S2E1: Lost

Father Faelyn is home. He appointed Ratha to lead, due to the failings of his eldest (and youngest). He explains that their names all have meanings:

Faelyn – To rule the island
Solana – To bind through joy
Eldrin – to lead next, and in a way of calm and normalcy
Alred – to protect the families assets
Ratha – Spirit Guide
Vesryn – To lead through discovery – it’s how a family prevents stagnation!
Ilyana – To bring wealth through children
Ailen – To watch and protect the family from unseen threats

Have any of his children lived up to their pre-ordained expectations?

Father Faelyn is told he has a secret grandchild that was born out of wedlock – and without his son’s knowledge also. Faelyn goes a little crazy at this.

Morcant is told to pickup an Emissary letter to Whythe when he next arrives in Fayelinn.

It contains explanations of the Festival of Mysts, and news of the traitorous Talvomiz and her succubus & incubus consorts.

The clerics are working hard making sure the newly homed children are adapting well. Most people are happy to keep the children they were offered.

Their friend Awak gets old fast. The war wore on him and he is already ancient for his kind.

Once they leave they meet a group of Kobolds traveling away from Kyroll with goods they traded for.

The party decides to split: twoeth by land & twoeth by sea.

S2E2: Forest of Liquid Fire

Eslov & Cerridwen

In the woods as they head to Shaylee they discover a sap-like substance on the trees here and there for miles. Weird.

They meet Musetta – A dwarf-elf scout that Cerridwyn had heard of, but never met, near the Gelsey Rolls. She warns them of the Liquid Fire in the forest.

“They say it’s the scorched remains of the demon. You can see figures in the night fog. I don’t know about all that, but few people cut through there any longer. Not many deer either.”

They come across a forested area that, from below 30-40 feet, the trees are burned—like a forest fire that never burned upwards.

Within the weird burns are blobs of a tar-like substance, many over piles of sticks or rocks.

At night they find a place with huge trees, where the sap sparkles like little stars around them. It’s beautiful as their fire crackles in silence. Then, in the distance they see a ghostly figure. It slowly came toward them.

When Eslov and Cerridwen investigated, the ghostly form seemed to be beckoning them. Eslov tripped over one of the sap piles and exposed what’s inside. They weren’t sticks and rocks, they were bones and skulls! They froze.

Quietly, the stars seemed to start falling like a sheet. Before they realized it, they found the stars weren’t falling, a massive webbing was—and it glistened in the moonlight like stars. But the glistening liquid was actually acid. They both took a huge acid burn (meaning lots of damage) across their body—and proceeded to flee from the trap set by the pursuing Gorb by Underground Oracle Publishing.

They eventually arrived at Shaylee, their destination and Cerridwen’s hometown.

Her sister Seren had made a pact with a Fey of some sort.

Duerhallen took Cerridwen’s son, Talesin, to safety years ago. Apparently to Whythe. But to protect him, what had Seren given up?

Her behavior has also changed, in the following ways:

She has started making circlets for the head. Even though they are cut plants they seem to continue growing. They’re beautiful, but thorny.
She frequently sleep walks, saying or singing “The glen and the peak are for those that seek Cúlayen. The dream is for those who take a peek, then walk out the night on an silvery streak Cúlayen,”
She seems to see odd colors in nature – colors that no one else sees.

Cerridwen’s mother Rhiannon says she missed the sister’s – and their bickering. Says that Seren had grown more tolerant in Cerridwen’s absence. “It’s unbecoming for a smart person to be tolerant—and I’m not tolerant of tolerance. How can you learn without heated words? Passions are truth as much as facts, are they not?”

In private, mother says Seren’s been acting on her most fey traits, and I’m getting too old to chase her into the woods every time she hears the steps of a doe. I’ve dealt with these kinds of things in the past, with both of you—wandering off in your sleep.

Eslov Dreamt of snow and a woman dragging him. An old forest—pine and cedar—with hints of blue under the snow. The Blue Wastes.

They are sat behind a rock. A terrible roar is heard in the howling. Something big. The stars were clear between windy swirls and the lights of the gods washed the edges of sight.

“You awake?” she says, “I’ll look for more.” Then she disappeared into the swirling snow.

As he sat, half buried, he revealed bodies under the snow—Morcant, Cerridwen, and Vesryn. They were barely alive—freezing and shivering.

The rock he leaned against had symbols on it. They looked familiar. He awakened, disturbed.

2. Morcant & Vesryn

Roesia came from Nissa to train Vesryn in swordplay. She’s old, but smart, with quick, precise, maneuvers.

The three take a ship to Fayelinn.

Oddly, while traveling, Morcant saw Captain Olmari on the deck, but it wasn’t her ship, and she was concerned about something in the waters. When he looks around he realizes that they actually ARE on her ship.

She asks, “These waters are not right. They are chaotic. Do you see Morcant?”

They see something huge and white go under the ship. Then a dorsal fin—spined and massive like a ship sail.

They look on terrified, then Olmari scrambled the crew.

From the other side of the ship a head rose—not of a fish, but like a giant snake. It reaches across the deck, a tooth just cutting Morcant, as it comes down to crush the ship.

Morcant awoke in a puddle of sweat, a small pool of blood near his shoulder. Vesryn woke him just as he was casting shatter.

Their ship, oddly, had been taking on water, they took the tender to the Witch’s Fingers and went by land the rest of the way to Fayelinn. On the way they came across an odd group of fae.

maybe elves, but maybe not, travelling with a satyr. Dressed weirdly. Old school. Ceremonial perhaps. They are wearing crowns of brambles. With inspection roll, they see there are thorns in the brambles.

Cúlayen (genderless) – Leads
Sephyr – Woman at arms
Gradlin – Woman at arms
Crythe – Male Satyr that walks naked

They were hunting. They discuss the beast they were hunting, as if it were a vision…

Sephyr didn’t speak.

Gradlin called it “A creature of light and dark. Whispers on the air, then descends to your death.”

Cúlayen said “It’s called a Gorb. It brings death to most. But it’s trail is easy to spot—if you know what to look for.”

Crythe said “We should drink to make sure our spirits are set for killing. Killing takes part of your soul, you know… To where I have no idea. My remaining soul is the size of a coin. Ha!!” Then he pulled out a jar of wine.

Cúlayen then said “Crythe, we shouldn’t discuss matter of the soul. They are too important to take lightly. And yours is intact—I assure you.” then “There will be no hunt tonight. The beast is not near. Perhaps tomorrow. May my party rest with you?”

They rested. The next day they arrived at Fayelinn.

The city was bustling with activity. The city was out from under the spell.

They soon learned that Awak had passed. He left Morcant something in his home.

S2E3: The Upside of Pain

Awak, their Kenku friend, had a funeral. He willed an Orb of Remembrance to Morcant. It came with one of Awak’s blue-black feathers. It holds the memory of his last moments as he died:

Awak was with Cúyalen, who watched as he passed and held his hand. Cúyalen said:

“Your few seasons of life were worthy my friend, your service in seeking Cælius will be rewarded when she is found. Through her, Carros deceit will not go without justice. Perhaps, because of your companionships, there is an upside to this pain of loss? Perhaps I will even find my beloved Rhavaís again. Blessing upon you forevermore.”

And Cúyalen leaned over and kissed Awak’s forehead. A bird-like mist arose and flew away.

“Soar,” Cúlayen said, as they cried.

Faelyn’s letter to Eponia Alistair was delivered by Vesryn and explained that the island owes a debt to Vesryn, Morcant, Eslov, and Cerridwen. Part of the letter is a writ (legal requirement) that Vesryn is, by necessity, needing to leave the island soon and that provisions within reason should be afforded him and his four compatriots to travel to Arundel. only Captain Olmari is to captain the ship. Any remunerations will come with a receipt for costs. Additionally, it requested sending a healer for his son’s mind, and a new Eponia would be needed in Kyroll.

Eponia Alistair gave Morcant the letter to the Eponia in Whythe.

They met a Kobold named Gunnel, who was trying to meet the obligations of the clan from the deal they made for the alchemist’s jar. Hilarious negotions ensued.

It’s revealed that sister Seren had started a gathering of like-minded Fey (basically started a cult), offering service to Cúlayen for the protection of Cerridwen’s son. When Cerridwen and Eslov follow Seren into the woods while she sleepwalks, they come to a place where this cult all gathers, and from the portal stone, Cúlayen and their entourage arose to finally meet Cerridwen.

S2E4: Tales of the God’s Wars

Seren and her small cult are unconscious. Sparrows flew through the portal, then transformed into fae folk, before Cúlayen. Two elvis-like people and a naked satyr. Ceremonial paint adorned his body and face. They were all wearing headdresses of bramble thorns in purple-blue.

Cúlayen – Leader
Sephyr – Woman at arms
Gradlin – Woman at arms
Crythe – Satyr

Reveal: Fey Lord Cúlayen is a powerful (albeit weakened) worshipper of Quielle, but more importantly, an avatar of Cælius (who is missing). Cúlayen is weakened by lack of contact with their God. But her essence is not completely gone, so Cúlayen knows she lives.

“I am Cúlayen,” as they bowed low, “Servant of the white moon of Caellius, keeper of the language pure, voice of celestial beasts, the patient sentinel, and the final blade. I’ve been looking forward to this engagement Cerridwen – dedicated servant of of the skyward leaf, voicemaster, musician, historian of the new age of Elixia, sister of servant Seren, daughter of Rhiannon, mother of Talesin, and bearer of personal remorse.”

“I owe you a sight Cerridwen. But you will owe me in return. Is there anything you wish to see?”

She said Talesin: he was with a human (skinny in ragged clothes, but clean and well-groomed), outside what seems like a business. Through longer observation it was revealed that it was a gambling hall. He seemed really young—like an early teenager. The two kids looked at each other, and the human nodded to Talesin, “You ready Thrangul, let’s go start some trouble.” Talesin looked concerned, then cautiously stepped forward with the human and opened the door. Inside are various people, playing games of chance, throwing down coins, liquor and ale in abundance, scantily dressed people leaning on others in provocative ways, and across a table you saw a little kid pickpocketing someone winning at a table… and the vision fades.

When she returned from the vision, Cúlayen said “Now there is something you must do for me. Bring Talesin back by carving my symbol into the Altar of the Crist Star.”

In Fayelinn Captain Olmari kept looking at the sky, telling Morcant “The ice will happen earlier. I’ve a bit of foreboding if we leave too late. The stars are unusual alignment, and there should be two wandering stars dancing this eve.”

a sheen was protecting Cerridwen, but it disappeared and she was standing in a circle of unconscious bodies. Cerridwen was holding a lock of braided hair.

Morcant has terrible dreams. Vesryn is sore from all the training in blades.

S2E5: Livin’ the Dream

The party left Fayelinn and arrived at Kyvnd without incident. Well, storm clouds seemed to be chasing them.

The town is alive with:

Purple seal carcasses being skinned
3 whale carcasses, already skinned, their blubber being rended for oil and their raw meat being salt brined and barreled.
Dozens of massive Jaguar Shark tusks
A baby Kraken (40’ long) being chopped up for its meat
Porpoises and sharks were all along the bay, feeding on discarded remains.

Eslov is invited by Captain Olmari to meet the Dock Master. Master Namid was a dwarf, who wore red, she had many wrinkles and an orange and gray beard. She wore dozens of earrings and had an ivory toothpick run through her eyebrow.

In the backroom of the tavern, they all talked.

Outside the party are asked to watch for cheating of the goods, like:

A few times they catch them trying to cheat, just as suggested.

Sand in the bottom of barrels
Rocks under the oil or folded into the blubber

They seemed afraid of Morcant, giving signs in the air when he passed by. Vesryn was mostly ignored, not respected for his heritage as a free people.

Namid read the cards for Olmari, warning her they should finish quick and set sail. The storms.

Eslov noticed that the stars seem ed to be nearing alignment like his dreams.

After a very long chase that saw the ship forced more northerly than they wanted, the storm caught them, but it wasn’t alone. It was brought on by a Dracken Snake (from Underground Oracle). It proceeded to attack – and this was deja vu for Morcant. It went under the ship, arose the same same, cut his shoulder, and came down on the ship – breaking it in half in the Northern Sea. Most of the crew died. The party and a few sailors escaped to the shore of The Blue Wastes. Eslov was home and his friends were dying.

S2E6: In Mountains Sometimes Lost

The party was freezing to death as they looked for shelter. They even broke up the boat for firewood.

Eslov realized they were on the south side of the sky. From there he could see mountains in the distance, ones he may have one time crossed.

The find a cave and are attacked by Ice Mephits. In their weakened states, this is a dangerous moment, but they had to have the shelter. So instead of fight them all, they bargain.

S2E7: The Cold Dark Places

As they explored the frozen cave network, they found people who were walking around doing things, dragging dead bodies (some were their deceased companions) deeper into the caves. There were weird growths all over the bodies of the people dragging them.

After following them, they were animated corpses that served a Myconid Colony.

The party avoided entering both an awesome mushroom cave and a fantastic crystal cave. 🙂

All the while the party was suffering from constant exhaustion and freezing effects – putting them in no position to travel. And the sailors they were with kept dying from the cold.

After they explore, and barely survive, a violent encounter with the Myconids, they find a new series of caves that the Myconids didn’t enter into much.

The Freezing effects were from Nerdarchy.

S2E8: The Coiled Dark Places

There are bones scattered and broken across the ice, and some are piled in the center of a great cave opening. There are also glistening gold coins strewn about.

It was a trap. The cave they found themselves in was home to two Coldscale Drakes. The party fought them, took some damage, killed one, and the other escaped. In a deeper cave though, they found something surprising. A cave with a portal stone of some kind. Similar, but different from the ones they had used.

It required a sacrifice. They put blood on it, the stone awakened, and spoke to them telepathically. There were five of them still alive, and the stone asked which of the six of them would be sacrificed. And it locked them in statis until they decided.

They didn’t know who the sixth was, and believed that perhaps they were being followed by someone they couldn’t see. They said, “the one we cannot see”. But the intent was clear to the intelligent stone, who accepted their choice.

The tattoos were torn from Eslov’s back and the shaman that lived inside them/him was sacrificed and screamed in pain as she died.

They were transported to somewhere else – but at least it was warmer.

S2E9: A Pint of Inspiration

The party arrives in a town. Clerics find them, and offer a place to heal up. These are clerics of the wild moon (Mava). While there a celebration is occuring across the town, and everyone is naked, painted, drunk, and more.

They quickly found that they had been transported to Whythe – their ultimate destination.

After some recovery time, they discover a fancy place called Mama Bardousa’s Bath House (by Underground Oracle). They collect themselves and spend some of their hard-earned loot on pampering. Mama makes them feel comfortable. This put them off a little:

Code of Conduct

Weapons and armor are to be checked at the door and kept behind lock and key.
Physical altercations are not tolerated.
Drinking is encouraged, drunkenness is met with expulsion.
Lascivious behavior will be met with a permanent ban from the establishment.
The Golden Rule: What Mama says, goes.

This put them back on:

Mama Bardousa’s offers an array of services to its patrons.

Massages
Steams
Mediary and notary services
Fine/exotic food and drink
Staff bards happily take requests.

As they soak, weird shenanigans occur around them. In the end, they actually get a chance meeting with the proprietor.

S2E10: Reflections of the Present

They were invited to Mama Bardousa’s office—a rare opportunity.

Beautiful gold- and silver-leafing on chair arms and legs, exquisite upholstery and fine fabrics on the furniture. Tapestries hung on many walls. But what really stood out were all the looking glasses. She seemed to be a collector. Some were on tables, some on walls, a few full length, even a couple hung from the ceiling.

They were invited because they recovered an important gem dropped during a bungled heist.

On her desk, when she stepped out for a few minutes, they found a familiar list (with additional notes):

Master artisans not yet found

Pertoris Morro – somewhere in Velye – Refused to come. Refused money. Was well protected.
Elaberos Heikas – Imprisoned in Ardell – Paid to go to Fayelinn
Heleroris Gilcyne – Imprisoned in Ardell – Paid to go to Fayelinn
Qintumal Rikka – Injured in skirmish near Wolf’s Run – Paid to go to Fayelinn
Nornan Annustel – Left for Mirador – Paid to not be found
Helehana Joralei – believed to be near Arun’s Raig – Paid to go to Fayelinn
Clovis Van Amstel – last seen in Whythe – Not found
Orikrana Nerirel – fled to Mirador (lost?) – Whereabouts unknown
Farnan Bifiel – On Kyvnd, but well-protected – In the Vaults
Ularie Wyndove – employed by the court in Jarrisen – Paid to go to Fayelinn – Contract purchased for 10x rate (need recompense)
Famoira Glyntoris – Working in Whythe – Disappeared when refused to come. May have been killed, captured, or already be here.
Fenwraek Fenfaren – Disappeared into wilds near Wolf’s Run – Died in pursuit. Said we are still in pursuit.
Talleson – Need to find out who this one is. Very little information. Perhaps a Fey Giant? Maybe a tall elf? All initial means of detection have failed. Perhaps Eponia Weifield has some divination magic? Or maybe Char?

After some questions, they feel she is just a hired finder.

While this was happening, the gnome that dropped the gemstone (Perik Emersmit), was found dead.

There was a Shandow following him. He’s missing.

Morcant finds him in the town, and through a discussion, realizes he is an investigator looking for the Eponia of the Soal of Akor. The person Morcant is supposed to meet. And that’s when Morcant learns that the Soal was burned and all the clerics died in the fire. Only the Eponia was not found afterward.

S2E11: Shallow Depths

A group broke into Mama Bardousa’s Bathhouse and attempted to stealthily steal the book, but Vesryn was awakened from his trance. before he could take action they used a spell device that created a circle of silence around him, which kept the others un-alerted. A fight broke out.

The others were kept at bay as they awakened and entered the halls. The group was dressed in black and had their faces covered. They also fought with poisoned daggers. The whole party was separated for quite a while, so the infiltrators were able to keep them from getting clean collective attacks. The whole party was injured, but none moreso than Morcant, who fell to the poison and many blade hits. Eventually they were killed or pushed back, and the book was safe.

They confronted Mama Bardousa about her copy of “the list.” Cerridwen, confesses that Talesin is her son, and a name on the list. Mama Bardousa then returned to them with an old man. He is the Eponia Wefield. She was hiding the Eponia in “The Vault”. He confessed:

He was target due to his love of art. He met a young woman, Safiya Adah, and became enamored. He avoided going to sleep for the winter.
Instead of sleeping for winter they went to Delius and planned on stealing a weird book called “Rhavais Asunder” from an old writer and bookseller named Ta’anah (who was from Zkor). She’s a Tiefling.
He regained himself some, and stole it for himself, leaving Safiya there.
The Eponia was sinning, he knew, and his spell casting was waning. He had concerns that maybe his soul was compromised.
He read the book.
He asked Akor for the power to protect it and a Deva came to him in a dream, and offered him penance. He was told that the book would be well protected by his own Saimines and Acolytes – even after their death if necessary—but they should not be allowed to read the book themselves. Someday, it will be claimed by others with a better comprehension of, and who will be less tainted in their thoughts.
So he was granted this boon, and told it would be his last magic. He cast a spell on the door that hid it in the old basement and sealed it away. Other magics seemed to be upon the room at that moment too, spells he didn’t cast but came through him. It was terrifying.
He avoided Safiya – and everyone else. Shame was upon him and he could no longer cast and benefit others. He knew he was spent, so he left. The next night, the Soal was attacked, exploded and burned down, and the clerics all died.
He went into hiding to Mama Bardousa’s.
Sevinus started looking for his friend.
Safiya Adah was then seen looking for her former lover.
Taánah sent her librarian to look for her book.

Here’s what he knew of the book “Rhavais Asunder”

It was non-magical but, describes

Part of the world ripped away, and completely disappearing.
This happened during one of the God’s wars.
There were massive floods, waves higher than some mountains, the skies went black for a year and a day, chaos and death rained over the world.
Xynchtryx (pronounced: Zin-Chi-trix – the god of chaos) grew impossibly powerful in the aftermath and subsumed or killed, many other gods that were weakened in this war.

Also, the Shandow was a friend who was trying to save the Eponia from these corruptions.

S2E12: The Safe Place

Visiting a temple of Unnunnu, the God of Order. They bring Morcant so he can get healing and rest in a safe place.

One of the clerics, a gnome, is enamored by Cerridwen (a Firbolg).

The party, wanting a distraction and a few cocktails, are directed to a place nicknamed CC’s. They then met the bartender, Arleena, who is also the proprietor. The bar is actually called The Cantrip Cantina (by Underground Oracle). The drinks have cantrips of Arleena’s invention, upon them. All manner of effects can be had. They chose a few and enjoyed.

They meet the Shandow Sevinus to discuss their concerns—and knowing that he is a concerned friend of the Eponia. They learn that the demon, Safir Adah, has a home in the city. It is sometimes visible, and because of that, the locals are mostly frightened of it and stay away.

They decided to attack the fiend’s home. Inside is Safiya Adah, but also thralls chained to walls and laying about on rickety old beds. The home is built with acid traps, among others. The attack freed many people, but resulted in the property going up in flames and the fiend getting away.

S2E13: A Welcome Embrace

New players were introduced:

Jada by Jas
Hipply by Blake
Dysis by Natalie

…and we said goodbye to two that departed:

Eslov by Dillon
Morcant by Brandon

We start with flashbacks to the new characters pasts, and lead them to the present.

Jada (they/them) works for Char. An assistant, and sometimes muscle. Char asks them to get ready, they will both be leaving soon to the town of Whythe.

Jada inadvertently opens a basket and sees a list of names sitting on a bed of blue-black feathers.

Char brings Jada into town with her, transforms them into an old couple with a cart of fruit. Jada is now named Peter. They are to spy on the party – and Jada is set off to keep watch, and to steal the book.

After weeks of trailing the party, the old man gets noticed, and tries to avoid the party by ducking into an alley. At the other end Peter bumps into them directly and proceeds to act like a “normal” old man in a loving relationship with his loving wife.

BTW, The Hag Char aka: Seer of the fire mount, The Seer, gray hand, The bone peddler, The Gray Blight, is a Fey creature, with some servants in the city and in the wilderness. She has not been seen in quite some time.

Hipply (he/him) was the librarian of Ta’anah, the owner of the book Rhavais Asunder. He was sent to retrieve it, and saw the party leaving the burning home of Safiya Adah (who he thought had the book). He proceeded to follow the party. He is spotted as a tail.

He remembered the day when Eponia Weifield and Ta’anah came to visit her library – and disrupted his perfect life of reading, writing, and learning. He knew that the Eponia found and stole the book, and left Safiya Adah behind. Worse, Ta’anah was more distraught at the loss of this book (that he didn’t know existed because it was in a secret compartment behind a tapestry) than he thought possible. She tried to go to get it, but is too old and frail to make the journey. So he was sent in her stead. Her parting words, paraphrased: “The book is gone! They got into my private collection and stole it. Get your belongings. You have to go find it. They said they were from Whythe, and although it’s probably a lie, it’s all you’ll have to go by.”

Dysis (she/her) awakens on a beach. The boat she worked on sank and she somehow survived. Oddly, a large oyster is clutched in her hand. She is found by some children and a man named Morcant. He walks her to the Clerics of the Wild Moon where she heals up.

Eventually Morcant introduces her to the party, as his potential replacement, as he has been recalled to Elixia.

Collectively, they gather at Mama Bardousa’s Bathhouse and get to know each other. They realize that they are interested in this book, except Dysis, but she is interested in their story. In the waters, Jada’s disquise is dropped, and her real self is visible.

Char, in disquise as the old woman, comes to fetch Jada. She is offended at Jada’s failings. She rises up and in anger and jest invites them to meet her at her home on the morrow.

Eslov got work on a ship, working with Olmari (who was no longer a Captain). They left the island and said their goodbyes.

Morcant and got on a ship also, sailing for Elixia, and said his goodbyes, too.

S2E14: Char

Dysis has a special “dream”: Through a puncture in a mirror, water pours in, slowly filling the locked and windowless room. After much desperation, she finally succumbs to the need for air, and takes the water into her lungs. As she went under, she saw her father’s face in the shimmering lights. When she is awakened by the remaining party members, the pearl (which she couldn’t open before) was opened and there was a large pearl in it.

They travel to meet Char. Along the way, as they travel through the Munge, a swampy, cutting grass marsh, sparrows follow them and lap up the blood on the sawgrass that happens from all the cuts they receive.

The sparrows are servants of Char and bring the blood to her.

They also meet Sybil of Issia (they/them, he/him, and she/her), a guide in the region. They use magics to get them to the edge of Char’s land impossibly fast, but cannot cross into it. There is much debate about who they is and why they’re helping. They notice that their knees bend backward, more like an animal. They say they are an ally, and seem to know quite a bit about them. Sybil gives Cerridwen a four leaf clover.

Char’s forest is corrupted and twisted. The trees’ bark is a mesh of charred and torn bark, creating a mix of deep black and stark white. Almost like everything has been slashed at by burning claws.

They are led to the home by Jada. When they get there, to their horror they find that Char’s home is shaped as a backpack from the living torso of a corrupted Treant.

Char appears in front of them with a table and a cloth covering something in the center of a table.

Jada is sent up to bring Char an empty jar from up inside the treant.

What Char offers:

Vesryn – A vision of your nephew
Carridwen – A vision of your son
Hipply – I will stop the death of Ta’anah before you return hom

from each she wants one thing:

Vesryn – I wish you to find a home for a lost child that is in my care. “She has no name, and a babe cannot fend for itself, can it?”
Carridwen – Your last breath
Hipply – A perfect copy of the book “Rhavais Asunder” – you may have the original

The negotiations were cut short by Cerridwen placing the clover into a gap in the treant, and casting plant growth on it. That infusion of life energy begins growing and awakening the treant. And Jada is inside it.

Jada finds a weird bag of stitched leather. It moves! As they go to open it, hears from behind the cry of a baby. They put the baby in the basket of feathers, and keeps the list that was in it. The baby stops crying. Jada drops the baby basket out of the treant with a feather fall.

The thump in the bag attracts Jada’s attention again. When Jada opens it – a soul leaps into their body, and they become aware of their past crimes and horrors. Their eyes become open and she can see truly again, and realizes the jars hold souls and the bag held their own.

As the Treant awoke, it began attacking Char with the party.

She disapparated into the treant with Jada, and immediately realized the error, when Jada attacked her and the treant threw her from itself—just as the plant grown nearly closed the hole in its chest.

Jada lept to safety. Cerridwen grabbed the crystal orb that Char had brought left down there.

But Char wasn’t done, she was invisible, and called lightning down on party members. After a protracted battle, Char is chased off, and saved by the sisters in her coven.

The party leaves with the baby and the Treant.

S2E15: Saving or Sending the Disconnected Souls of the Future Damned

Char has their blood, and as they flee through the munge and the forest between the munge and Whythe, they feel the effects of her sympathetic magic.

They find a set of figurines in their likeness and made of sticks, cloth, and hair. They have lips of smeared blood. When they wash the blood from one—a character cannot speak. They cut that person and re-add their mouth.

The baby (they named it Abriel) they’re carrying cries every time they try to rest. They examine further and feel lumps or seams under the skin. They cast detect Evil and Good, and discover, although it looks human, it actually is Fey.

They are suspicious that this could be a “hag baby.”

Small Birds swarm and attack en masse when the party splits, drawing more blood from them. They flee to the city, and Mama Bardousa’s Bathhouse. She does the iron test, and the baby’s skin burns. She says the baby needs to be taken away.

They take it to the temple of Unnunnu (the God of Order), who agrees to take it for enough time (and a fee) to allow them travel to Delius.

They make plans to travel, via a transport offered by Mama Bardousa, that would get them to Delius instantly.

Jada remembers back to the gradual corruption of her soul by Char.

Vesryn and Cerridwen each made a copy of the book “Rhavais Asunder”.

The party doesn’t know what to do with the 4 soul jars (with souls in them) that they still have.

Cerridwen attunes to the crystal orb, then casts Scrying on Talesin. They see him resting against the stump of an old tree. The tree seems to wrap around him, comforting him. Then the tree pulls Talesin’s friend into itself—like it absorbs him into the wood. A pool of blood remains, Talesin wakes up to this, and screams. And the vision stops.

Cerridwen uses the orb to send him a message: “I saw the tree eat your friend. I want to help. Can you meet in Whythe? if not, where are you? I’m very tall.”

He doesn’t respond. Hugs abound.

They then travel to Delius through Mama Bardousa’s transport. She uses a magic key that turns a lock in a mirror reflection of a door (which didn’t have a keyhole), and opens the door and they step through.

Hipply, for a moment, in-between the transportation, meets a blinding white & gold figure with a blue and gold striped headress, that says: “There are words worth dying for. You will be finding the first ones on your venture. Your friends and you are the only ones to trust with them.”

They arrive in Mama Bardousa’s Bathhouse. In the same place. She leads them outside, and the environment is completely different. She gives directions to Ta’anah’s homestead and says they are in Delius.

And like Whythe, the building here is identical, the grounds are beautiful (but different).

S2E16: The Silent Library

The party heads from Mama Bardousa’s Bathhouse in Delius, to Ta’anah’s home and library. As they get near, Dysis feels there is something watching. She wild shapes into a hound, and the party followers her nose to—a body in the leaves.

Ta’anah has been murdered, and Vesryn suspects that, from the wounds, it was a shadow blade (like his).

Hipply – in denial that it’s his mentor, Ta’anah — runs into the house to find her. Instead he finds the library silent.

They discover a blank scroll and a calling card from

Madame Auregard
Abocomancy, Divinations & Exhaltations
Delius

They discover too, that the library has an Antimagic Field cast over it. And a puzzle left behind in the form of a individual letters on cards throughout the library, and in different colors. Not hard for this group, but impossible for someone not knowledgeable in a lot of languages, and with the antimagic field up, it would prevent comprehend languages from working. Additionally, if you took them down and lost the order, or didn’t know it in the first place, you would not easily piece together which letters mattered.

The yellow cards translated to “TRANSLATIONS ARE TRASH”.

Cerridwen led the charge in piecing the puzzle together, and that it would lead back to the trash pit near where the body was found. There were spikes in the trees of matching colors to the cards.

When they leave though, they are attacked by a Shadow Assassin. Jada’s idea of using their rope weapon to pull the shadow into Dysis’ radiant-damaging moonlight (that does double damage to this monster) was a winning strategy.

Under the yellow spike there was a buried scroll case, and it was a true and accurate translation of the book.*

Hipply lost his mentor, but “some words are worth dying for”.

Melancholy and sadness finally fully set in.

*Note: What is now known from the book:

Non-magical but, describes

Part of the world ripped away, and then completely disappearing. It was a whole mountain range that encompassed a secret paradise full of beasts and trees, and people of all sorts—torn away like carrots being torn from a garden. Where they were replanted is unknown. This mythic place is called Rhavais—and the new gods made this place where the old gods, except perhaps the Primordials themselves, could not find it.
But the gods still looked, and although the land was not found, small connections were still discovered. A weak passage the size of a hair. Words of power that existed in both places—connecting their magics, even as time changed them. The new gods didn’t know, or didn’t care, about these small connections. They were too concerned with their own attempts to wrest control from each other. But there is one passage that is still unknown that could break both worlds.
This happened during one of the God’s war called “The Primordial’s War”. It pitted new gods against the ancients that still took part in such things.
There were massive floods that covered palaces, temples, even small mountains. Fire raged across continents. Lightning struck everything that stood tall, and fathomless beasts from the deep seas and the bowels of the world rose and waged war for some side or other. And in those times the divisions were defined: Good, evil, lawful, chaotic. The skies went black for a year and a day. When the skies parted again, Irradia, Shylæ, Torve, Mava, and Qkorus finally could see what the war wrought. They wept over the world. Their grief and anger re-wrought the world for the fourth time.
Xynchtryx (pronounced: Zin-Chi-trix – the god of chaos) grew impossibly strong in the aftermath and overpowered, and subsumed, many other gods who were weakened by the war. Thinking they were now all-powerful—after all, chaos was the world—they dared to challenge the primal gods. But, to be prudent, they assassinated (or attempted to assassinate, as many gods as they could in what was to be called the conjunction of silent bloodings.
Many gods fell to the weapons of subterfuge—because god-made weapons do not heal like others. They wound in a way that magic cannot overcome. They heal in time, and many gods could not last.
Many secreted away vestiges of themselves, remnants of their god-energy secreted into objects for fear that they would fall. Leaving pieces of themselves to be discovered in a safer time if they fell in this one.
- Cælius, god of Celestial Beasts fell to a trap created by Carros, god of deception & Conspiracies
- Xynchtryx learned from Carros how to twist the minds of greater powers, to get them to believe even the opposite of what they stood for—driving Planar, and devils, Devas, and abominations mad, but unable to act for fear of their own actions. Perhaps Carros greatest strength.
- Ygræn, Raven of Twilight, fled into hiding in the Feywilds
- The Elemental Lords created endless planes for themselves, maximizing their power there, so they could never be rooted out. Other gods did the same. Some fled to hidden corners of the planes, places of death, impossible heights, peace, and whatever they could protect.
- Carros was eventually subsumed by Xynchtryx during Carros failed attempt to grab their power
- UnnUNuuN, the god of Order, was so weakened that it was believed they had died, but in the rewrite of time and space, their remaining form was risen up to be a counter to Xynchtryx, and the balance has been fairly equal ever since.
But Primordials were just different from other gods – they could rewrite time and place, including the web of chaos and law, good and evil, into an ebb of a great path—one without end and without perfect determinants. They tore the gods from the halls of their creations, separating them for all time, and Byoros, who was both Primordial and Ancient, stitched a great weave to cover and connect everything. Including a way for the gods to again gain power through their creations—and to take power through them, too.
Future god’s wars would be proxy wars—and their creations and others would be drawn every which way in a miasma of struggle.
But the question that still remains though, how did the new gods escape and where is Rhavais?

S2E17: Madama Auregards Abacomancy, Divinations and Exhaltations

Coming January 11, 9:30 PM ET