Session 24 Prep

Set Expectations

Set the expectations for the session and communicate any above table information FIRST before starting the session…

• Combat
• Get us into The Feywild, but is a bit non-linear so please keep an open mind.
• Surprises throughout the session
• Lunch??
• Questions??

Recap & Re-Familiarize

Recap the previous session events with brevity, then reintroduce them to the world.

Last we left off… you all got dressed up and attended a fancy ball that they’d been invited to as thanks for handling the Monarch Of Madness’ plot. Here you learned about Douglas Beck’s personal belongings, watched Graxious perform a yearning love song as part of the night’s entertainment, and also learnt of woman with red hair who had seemingly attempted to poison the Uncle of Peter Ridgley. As a number of you tried to locate this Woman - you all learned that Prince Dannick Vaena was in attendance as the night’s special guest from Zenytha. The hunt for the supposed assassin came to an end as Aurevald and SHAI witnessed Axton being kidnapped by a woman with red hair - as you rushed to regroup and engage.

Axton - with some help - managed to escape the clutches Ariella - a Woman he recognized from his time with the Moretti Family. Outnumbered - Ariella fled as you all noticed an explosion take place in the basement of the Beck Family estate - and you investigated to find the vault containing your belongings; as well as everyone else’s in attendance, before re-equipping your gear. A sudden scream from the hallway caught the attention of all of you - but especially SHAI who recognized the voice as one BLUE was fond of using. You followed after the scream as Lady was presented with a disturbing reality - a near-carbon-copy of herself was dragging BLUE behind her at top speed. The figure darted in a room and managed to lock the door - slowing you all down for a moment.

Entering the damp room - you noticed 4 odd pillars in the centre, whilst on the opposite wall a glowing green vortex with 7 figures illuminated behind it - who vaguely seemed to match your own appearances. You watched as BLUE was forcefully thrown into the nearby corner as the figures entered the vortex as it closed behind them. Whilst attending to BLUE’s condition and investigating the room - the door sudden slammed shut once again. Despite no obvious source - you were all placed on high alert; however SHAI and Morgyn were caught off guard by the lightning attack of the Lithe Figure that had captured BLUE a day prior. A battle ensued between your troupe and the 3 cloaked figures - who each melted into black ooze upon being felled.

As the last figure was defeated - you turned your attention towards escape. The door had been blocked by something heavy leaving the only path forwards to be via the portal created by a button on the pillars. Despite some apprehension - each of you stepped through and found yourselves in Zenytha - specifically in the study of Douglas Beck. Here you learned the disturbing truth that he had intended to; or had once indeed, kept Graxious’s Uncle - Drethos Longwood - as a statue in his collection. You also noticed a commotion taking place in the capital - such though that Thelnyron Dose requested you return to Roan where it was safe and he would update you in the morning - to which you obliged. Numerous nightmares affected Graxious’ sleep and the Leonin Paladin made the tough call to leave Roan under the cover of night - fearing the path the rest of the The Fated Eight might have been perilous for himself. A tearful goodbye took place amidst a unusual moonless sky as Graxious departed and the rest of you did what you could to find sleep.

Early morning arrived as did Thelnyron Dose - announcing he had summons for your troupe to Castle Roan; sincerely supposing it was likely a reward for your deeds to the city. However; upon arriving, you quickly realized this was part of a larger plot by Dannick Vaena - who revealed to the court of Roan that King Terick II had been killed in the night before accusing The Fated Eight of the crime. Despite Thelnyron Dose’s efforts to defend you - he only managed to implicate himself in the crime as well. His attempts to flee were thwarted by Davison Theros - who revealed himself to be working with Dannick Vaena to the public. You were all knocked unconscious and incarcerated in the Grand Gaol. You each awoke without your possessions and noticing that Thelnyron was suspended in the cell opposite yours by ethereal chains around his wrists and waist, as well as Kezark in cell next to yours - he had been arrested during the commotion of High Quarterfest night. Escape seemed infeasible before a familiar mage approached from the darkness of the hallway - Davison Theros returned with a chest of your belongings as he tried to free Thelnyron. Just as you finished readying yourself for escape - an alarm sounded and Thelnyron Dose ordered his pupil to abandon him and get you all to safety. He offered you 3 destinations outside of Terick - The Paradisian Coast, Stahn, or The Feywild.

And that’s where we’ll pick up from…

The current day is unknown - you are not aware how long it has been since your arrest.

Immediate Event

The immediate action for the Party to deal with.

A Mishap?

“Where am I taking you? Time is off the essence here. It has to be unanimous I won’t be able to take you to two places.”

Once they agree upon the Feywild - Davison Theros will begin to channel the Warp Spell (exclusive spell for Blink Mages; subclass coming soon)

You all notice your vision slow and stretch as time seems to crawl to a halt - you are moving so fast everything else seems stationary relative to you.

Around you is just a shimmering Arcane tunnel that separates you from a realm of pure white light. Looking back at the sight of Thelnyron in his cell - all you see now a tiny dot in the far-off reaches of your vision. All seems peaceful until a bolt of crackling green energy comes flying past the head of Davison Theros and hits something nearby Morgyn…

4 more bolts come flying past Davison striking something nearby SHAI, Lady, Aurevald, and Jin. Kezark and Axton - as you two are the only untargeted ones - you notice multiple tendrils made of the same green energy grab onto the body of Davison Theros before forcefully throwing him against the walls of the Arcane tunnel as it shatters into a tiny fragments. Without the caster present - you all watch as the tunnel begins to shatter around you. Each of you feel your vision fade as you are sucked through a crack in the tunnel.

Those of you who were on time - I need each of you to make a CON saving throw. If you were late - you automatically fail…

Plots Points/Paths Forward

Details about various plot threads that can be explored this session - with a subheading for each one.

Warp Sickness

• Checks/Saves at Disadvantage
• -10 Temporary HP
• Make a DC16 CON save every long rest to recover.

We’re Not In Roan anymore…

“You each regain consciousness as a frigid cold shocks your nervous system awake…

As each of you begin to stand up - you realize; from how deep you had landed in the snow around you, just how fast you must’ve been going when you exited the Warp.

Those who failed get Warp Sickness…

You have no immediate idea where you are and it is the dead of night - but your immediate concern is to get to safety. You can seem off in the distance a wooden cabin that seems to be lit from within - as well as a large stone pathway that seems to be the only path not made from snow in the vicinity around you. What do you do?

Every round or two roll cold damage ”

• Each round(ish) is 2d4 Cold damage + CON saving throw. Failure means you have a temporary susceptibility to cold (2x damage)
• Two choices;
  • Steps - closer (3 rounds) but (DC14 Perception/Arcana check will give knowledge there is some kind of barrier; 17 confirms it’s one-way)
  • Hut - further (5 rounds) but seems safe (no roll needed.)
• Stars
  • The Southern Hilt; a constellation of 5 stars that looks vaguely like the hilt of a sword. It is said it was once a full sword before The Cataclysm. The pommel points due South.
  • The angle and position of the constellation suggest you’re much further South than you had been.

The Hut

• Cocoa and marshmellows
  • Drinking this give +5 temporary hit points / max 3 people
• A chicken and a ham roasting nearby a fire
  • Eating this gives advantage on your next D20 roll / max 2 people
• There are large red boots with white on a shoe rack - but no one is home at the moment.
• A large pine tree with a singular parchment box underneath it
  • Opening awards them a pull out of the present bag (1 bag each, they can do 1 blind repull if they’re not happy)
  • Ask each of them what is one simple present their character would be happy to receive
• They can long rest here.

The Steps

• They seem to scale a large mountain
• Fey runes; very old ones - haven’t seen this script in any modern textbooks
• Magical barrier (closer inspection confirms it’s an entry only - cannot exit)
• A powerful magical presence at the top of the steps - it seems Fey based.
  • DC20 Arcana; SHAI feels the call of home from atop the mountain.

Ruins

You approach a bend in the steps that seems to route through clearing in the mountain. Here you see 8 chiselled stone pillars in various states of disrepair around a square stone floor that dips in to a lower section. A large boulder is present in the centre of the stone floor - with a glowing Fey rune engraved into it.

Opposite the area where you entered from - there is a large stone archway that SHAI recognizes as a Fey Runegate; a very old method of travelling between the Material Plane and the Feywild.

What do you do?

• Gate can’t be activated till the rune on the boulder is destroyed
  • DC20 Arcana will reveal this is a sealing ritual to keep powerful spellcasters locked away.
  • DC25 Inv/per/arc will reveal that there is a lot of necrotic energy pent up in the pillars and the stone.

Saint Necromanta

The stone shatters as blood red magical energy begins to pour out over the stones before dissipating - revealing a withered and tarnished corpse of a figure in red mages robes - with white fluffy accents. He turns towards you all and speaks - “Who dares awake, Saint Necromanta…”

I need you all to roll initiative…

TV Interlude - play it up…

Dice Roll	Result
	Balance this on the fly - give them other ways to kill him if shit goes bad.

• Morgyn will notice The Maiden seems a little preoccupied rn - she’s less connected to them than she normally is.

When the fight ends - a Human man will appear where Saint Necromanta fell. He will be wearing a red fluffy coat with white accents around the cuffs, collar, and on the buttons. He has a full white beard and is missing his boots. He’ll introduce himself as Nicholas and give you his thanks - award presents if they haven’t already…

The Fey Portal

With the rune dismissed - the Runegate will alight and allow entry to the Feywild. The Feywild is a huge place - so it’s unclear where this will take them.

See how time goes - no need to introduce Fey stuff unless they speed running