Plot
This meant to be used as a reference in case players have missed a session, or need to catch up because they'd like to start playing. It is in no way an all-encompassing narrative of what the players have experienced, and instead is compiled from my DM notes.
Session .5
Played June 25th, 2024
Preamble: You have been summoned to the Siren's Swallow in Port Manteau by Ledger Hootsworth, and have made the journey to Havencrest Isle in order meet him.
While you understand where you are and why, there are other more fundamental and existential questions whose answers feel just out of reach. You feel like you can remember something you once knew - something vitally important.
Those are questions only you can answer - and yet you can't.
--
The Party was introduced to Ledger Hootsworth, who was explaining what they would be seeking when he was murdered by several arrows. They then met with Sable Fletchcloak, who asked them to retrieve the Serenity Stone from Freefoot Cave.
When the party arrived at Freefoot Cave, goblins shot near them and giggled, and a fight ensued. When the party found the Serenity Stone on a goblin, they heard a bell, and then were rendered unconscious.
Everyone who experienced this event gained 5 SGAR Sleep Resistance.
Session 1
Played July 2, 2024
The players gained consciousness, all of them had been visited by strange dreams and awarenesses in their sleep. They awaken in beds in AllyHouse, the house in which they had met Sable. Beside them on their night table was some money and often a magical trinket. All were able to awaken except for Tailchaser, the Dwarf, who had been the one who directly handled the Serenity Stone. Ord offered to carry him around and picked him up to do so, but the party instead decided to allow him to sleep in the hopes he would shake it off.
They found a variety of abandoned clothes, and several bottles of the highly cherished Manteau Port. Searching the basement yielded several days of ration and some wheels of cheese. As they explored the backroom, they met Rizzo, the leader of the Rat Network, and several of his friends. Rizzo and his friends assured the party that they would find whatever help they might need after the Rat Network was gifted a wheel of cheese. Rizzo also advised them to look upstairs for more information about Sable's plans, and gave them a map of Havencrest Isle once he learned they did not have one. Upon doing so, the party found a charred list in the fireplace in the larger room that Sable and Ledger had been using.
As they exited the house, the party was immediately met by Kara Shadowtalon and Silver Lumbergale, who beg them to go back into the house and talk to them. During this conversation, it is revealed that Kara, a dragonborn, had followed the party to Freefoot Cave, and observed what happened during the party's battle there. Kara explained that they had been sent there by Sable, who was an agent of SGAR, for reasons that Kara did not understand. Silver, a Kenku, used Minor Illusion to add to the story, explaining that the reason she and Kara knew about these issues was because they, too, had been victims of SGAR, and had been studying magic and trying to intercept SGAR's plans at any point they could.
When the party shared the list they had obtained, Silver was able to explain that they recognized what the intended artifacts would be, but had never heard of the cloak, which troubled her.
Kara and Silver had learned that the Serenity Stone was being moved. Unable to control the power the Serenity Stone contained, Sable planned to leave Havencrest Isle in hopes to go to the Central Cities on the continent of Civitas. Kara suggests that the party attempt to intercept Sable and regain control of the stone. Kara also informed the party that Glum, the sole survivor of the incident at Freefoot Cave, was recovering in Siren's Swallow. Kara said she would join the party as they searched, and Silver attempted to get ahead of rumors in the town that members of the party had been involved in what was being called 'The Massacre at Freefoot Cave.'
The party did attempt to intercept Sable at the warehouses and were joined by Kara in their effort. Instead they found the warehouses being cleaned out by subcontractors and local ruffians, who were easily dispatched. The ruffian that they questioned fell apart, obviously full of grief over their behavior. As the party searched the warehouse, they found an additional copy of the list with Stone checked off.
Silver came running in to inform the party that they had received permission from the townskeeper that the party was free to occupy and use Allyhouse as a base of operations if they needed a place to stay while investigating the activities of SGAR.
Session 2
Played June 9th, 2024
The players awoke in Allyhouse and had a generous breakfast of omelets prepared by Remy, the Rat Network's Chef, and partially supplied by Kara. Roland was worried about egg sourcing but was assured they were owlin eggs, and not in anyway taken from Silver. Kara explained that Silver had started a journey after their arrival to go to Winterport and seek out a mage who had been a member of the governing body.
The party set out to talk to Glum on the recommendation of Kara. It was there that they learned of the extent of the Massacre at Freefoot Cave. While the party had exchanged blows and killed several members of the Freefoot after being shot at upon entering the cave, the true massacre occurred after they all dropped. When Glum was conscious again, the real slaughter had begun, killing over 20 goblins and a family of their friendly bugbear friends in the cave before stealing the stone and removing the unconscious characters from the cave.
The distraught Glum asked that the party try to find his sister Glee, and the goblin contingent that had split from the Freefoot a couple of years prior and moved towards the Ziggurat of Illusions. Iridessa, moved by Glum's loneliness, offered to Glum that he stay with the party, and accompany them on the adventure. She assured him that he would be protected by them so that he could reunite with his sister. The little goblin lit up at the prospect and agreed.
The party began to plan a trip north. Glum had informed them it would be several days of a journey. As they planned, Clementine, a psychic-based Dhampir, began feeding on the clients of Siren's Swallow (and Jackie Daytona, regular human bartender) by talking to them about her new multi-level marketing product and scheme.
The party made preparations for their journey including purchasing t-shirts and healing potions from Magic N'at, adventuring supplies such as candles, and Clementine purchased several flasks in the hope of setting up her very own business venture. She also consulted with Remy the rat, who prepared a 'lotion' made of mayonnaise and the leavings from the apothecary's mortal and pestle. The first product, Clementine #1, was born and a line of MLM products has been born.
After a day full of shopping a bottle washing in exchange for wares, the party agreed to set out the next day after asking Remy for a big breakfast to see them off. Glum was excited to join them at AllyHouse.
As the rest of the party relaxed in Siren's Swallow, Kara noticed Roland sitting on his own. They had a long conversation about Kara's relationship to Silver, and Kara explained that breaking away from SGAR was so difficult that she felt that there was no facing the world without one person she could trust. Kara and Roland both expressed concern over Tailchaser's long convalescence, concerned about the impact that the extended sleep cycle was having on the dwarf. They both smoked their pipes together, preparing for a long journey ahead.
Session 3
Played July 16th 2024
After a good nights' rest, the party started to have breakfast. Instead of Tailchaser being knocked out, this time it was Briar. The party left Briar under the care of Justin and Remy, and headed out north towards The Ziggurat with both Kara and Glum.
A few miles outside of town, they encountered a group of SGAR bandits who had felled a tree in order to rob passersby. After one wave of these brigands it was discovered there was a second wave waiting to attack. The party intimidated them and shook them down, causing them to bolt in fear from the Ranger's Thaumaturgy and the rain of arms that were being thrown at them.
They followed the road northward until they detected some footprints, which they followed to a cave. Clementine and Iridessa snuck into the cave where they saw a lot of webs and a camp that had been abandoned for a day - they ransacked the camp, taking pots and pans and the bedrolls, and decided that they should move forward instead of getting involved with silly spiders.
As they moved north, a naked gnome came running through the woods at them! Once he did a double take passing them, he ran back to where he came from!
Next they encountered a lot of bootprints on the road, leading off to a ruined building. Clementine noted that all of the boots appeared to be of the same make, and felt like they were all a part of a larger group. Once the group approached the ruins of the building they encountered a starving nothic. They fed the poor beast, who told them telepathically that the bad men were there, including a powerful magic man in a pointed hat who was especially mean. The nothic, upon being given rations, also informed them that the bad men had many maps with them, especially of the sea. The party decided to take a rest as the nothic offered to allow them to share its space, but it warned them they should stay near the entrance, lest those inside the building sense their presence.
Clementine, Iridessa, Ord, and Roland achieved third level.