Session 29 Prep

Set Expectations

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

• What is the best piece of advice your character has received, and from whom?
• No flanking, thanks aaron for being our katniss (volunteer)
• Should be a fun session! please consider lunch plans.
  • Given that half the table wasn’t here for last session; this one will also be paced a bit slower at the start to give everyone some time to shake off the rust.
  • CHARTER!!!
• Sign the battemap

Recap & Re-Familiarize

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

Last we left off… - you all

• Made your way to a forgotten ruins that a community of Terralpi had started to use a refugee camp
• Met Flick and Quill; an Elvish mage and his Terralpi assistant, a pair of researchers trying to make sense of who could’ve created the ruins you now walked amongst.
• Dridge took you all to meet the chief - an older man by the name of Eldos. He offered you shelter as you sat around the bonfire - with some of you heading straight to sleep - whilst Aurevald, Lady, Kezark, and Morgyn shot the shit and got to know each other a bit better. Kezark learning that a lot of your motley crew; like him, were on the run.
• As you all went to sleep - Lady came face to face with spiritual projections of her ancestors who spoke about The In-Between & The Second Coming - whilst arguing about whether an unclear she should be tested. Lady - after a spiritual projection of her own father appeared - realized that she was the topic of discussion - she was the one who was to be tested. She awoke as the bracers around her wrists merged with the wraps from morgyn and became The Bracers Of The Nascent Phoenix. Returning to sleep with a lot on her mind.
• Sleep did not last long for Lady however as Aurevald, Lady, Kezark, and Morgyn found themselves in a greyscale version of the world; whilst the rest of you slept peacefully. What happened in that space is for them and their characters to share.

And that’s where we’ll pick up from… those not at last session; you are asleep and are completing (present tense) a long rest. Those who were awoken are just heading back to sleep now.

The last known date is Lowmark, the 9th of Hylyth, 920 PD.

Immediate Event

The immediate action for the Party to deal with.

Sophia’s Wavering Faith

• Take Morgyn back to when she had only ever been known as Sophia - Sophia Argent to be specific; her married name long ago.

Within the many libraries and alchemy tables of your tower within Castle Apexys - the seat of power within the Vaena Kingdom - there was nothing that could stop the impending conversation with your Husband - [[Caelum Argent]]; Counsellor for the Opalescent Order to the Vaena Kingdom.

• He marches into the room furiously “Sophia - my dear wife - are you incapable of doing something for someone other than yourself? I am your Husband and here I am being made a FOOL of in front of my colleagues because you refuse to accept your duty.”
• pause to see if brad remembers - prompt if otherwise
• points:
  • It’s not a big deal
  • Faith in him, not god
  • Reason alone doesn’t make the whole
• contradictions:
  • if faith alone was enough; why do the churches even need Counsellor’s in the first place?
  • before he took on the role; he himself questioned the order and explicitly the colouring of the hair
• Examples:
  • “I am merely asking you to dunk your head into a vat such that your hair turns silver! is that too much for your Husband to ask???”
  • “I’m not asking you to share my faith in the Archons - my darling. I’m asking you to share my faith in our union; our marriage. I only want the best for you - but I cannot delay this any longer; if we are to work”
  • “I understand that logic provides you comfort - but it’s a crutch my darling. Faith does not make sense; but it has been proven to work even when science could not. Were it not for faith - faith in the Archons above us - civilization would’ve perished during The Cataclysm brought about by Mages who only cared for reason…”

Let the conversation flow for a bit until the vibe stalls

• The Argent Family came to demonstrate everything that you hated about Worship within Zenytha; the bureaucrats and the back-door deals hidden behind Churches preaching to the poor that all they need is Faith.

Given Sophia a moment alone… maybe 20-30 minutes before the others wake up. Only let them see if Brad wants them too.

Mechanics:

• Remove cleric levels, lose the average of 2d8 HP (9)

Plots Points/Paths Forward

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

Timothy Corazón SETUP

WHEN SESSION STARTS - MESSAGE FLYNN AND LET HIM KNOW

Moving Forward

• Bad news, the path made by The PumQueen has changed course - it should still lead to the same place but it will take longer to get there than originally expected.
• Riff a bit - through some difficult terrain or annoying checks their way, maybe some bad weather that requires them to overcome
• Start teasing the Honkdra;
  • SHAI you have lost in thought as you recall a conversation you had with GRAY after his first few months training with The Cavaliers. He told a story that if BLUE had told it - would’ve been a blatant lie. Apparently The Cavaliers fear very little - but one creature with giant wings and multiple heads. One of the Captains - MITCHELL - said that it was your civilizations last line of defence; but he was probably joking.
  • Group Perception check - the top 3 all hear the faint beating of heavy wings.

Timothy Corazón??

WHEN THEY GET NEAR THE HONKDRA FIGHT - AND FLYNN IS READY; loop them into meeting his character, before feigning that i left something in the car.

When you return: the chair was in inside the entire time! CUE: “Why do you need that???” ENTER FLYNN

They meet Timothy Corazón - before much can be said; they all

• They’ll make it to a less marshy area as they seem a man waiting by a rock.

Honkdra Fight

You all see a huge shadow appear over you all as the ghastly sight of a 5 headed creature flies over you - before diving straight down at the ground. Once it lands - you see a black, feathered body fill the space - as orange, webbed feet balance it’s frame. A set of expansive wings flanked it on either side - as 5 heads; each with a large flat bill turned their attention towards you. SHAI - GRAY was right; this thing is fucking terrifying…

I need you all to roll initiative…

If not hard enough - spits out 3 baby geese (all tiny) 50HP, 1 attack +7 to hit, 1d10

Watatsumi’s New Look

only if Jin pushes it - or if he gets a lot of blood on it.

• Did not believe he was truly the Successor - but the blood does not lie.
• First member of his lineage he has struggled to resonate and connect with - I cannot seem to find common ground with him
• What do you seek? Why do you get up every time you knocked down?
• What does The Path represent to you? What does “Heavenly Demon” mean to you?
• “oh i have an odd request for you… I must say after the other night I have grown to quite like the taste of blood… are you able to give me some more?”
  • if he supplies his own blood - it will revolt in disgust before clarifying. “I’ve tasted this blood - I need something fresh”

SHAI’s Society

Timothy Corazón will hear a familiar voice in his head. “I see my vision was correct. Please advise your mage friend to head Northwards with haste.” - as Dell advises them that there is a path opening nearby. SHAI can gather from the heading that it should lead to his society - estimating 30-60 minutes travel.

Arriving at the location - they’ll see the space in between two trees waver and flicker as their perception adjusts (SHAI will have to trust his instincts and try open the fold himself)

As the space folds away - The Fated Eight officially exit The Shifting Shades and have arrived at the very furthest outskirts of SHAI’s society… Welcome to The Hidden Leaf.

From this position, you all see the reinforced outer wall of a truly sprawling civilization - this place would make Roan feel small. There seems to be several ornate spires/towers that jut upwards from the walls and are scattered throughout the more central regions of the civilization. From this angle you can’t see much below the wall, but you can see most of the buildings atop the central spire. SHAI you would know that region to be the Capital of your home; Boston.

Looking below the wall - you notice the crystal clear lake that The Hidden Leaf seems to resting above - as bridges connect the out walls to the ground around it at 4 points.

I need perception checks from all of you please… (DC21 sees something vaguely humanoid floating above the tallest spire. Otherwise all they see is that it’s surprisingly quiet; SHAI would know this place should look bustling - even from this distance.

• What is SHAI’s reaction to seeing his home?
• How does everyone else react to seeing this place they’ve heard so much about?

You estimate you’re maybe half a day’s travel from the main entrance.

The trail winds down a sloped hill as you notice the terrain here follows a pretty uniform curve around the entire civilization; survival check DC18 reveals that the ground looks like it was impacted by something large a very long time ago.

Wing this give them some more time for RP/discussion; have SHAI tell the others about his society…

• Reach flat ground, and a short walk to a bridge the main gates. The stonework here is almost TOO perfect.
• This close to the lake - you can see a near perfect reflection of the sky; and clouds, above you. The water is eerily still; as if it’s being stopped from moving.

Arriving at the main gate:

• The usual sound of busy bodies and conversation can’t be heard…
• There is a faint shimmering veil surrounding the city up to the outer walls; and he notices that everything behind it is lifeless, still, and frozen in stasis.
• There is a familiar man stuck at the very edge of the veil
  • Dressed in mages robes; the colours unclear because of the veil, the man stands at 6’7” tall with a hand outstretched barely touching the boundary between the veil and here.

SHAI will realised that this man is PIERCE. His face locked with a constant expression of shock and horror.

and that’s where we’ll end our session today…