Session 3, Arc I

Post-mortem

Played 10 July 2025 Watch the session (audio only)

The session began with a recap of the party's previous adventures, including their encounters with zombies, exploration of underground dungeons, and meeting with a mysterious sorcerer in the astral plane who had given them a magical scroll. However, their return to the surface was met with immediate arrest by town guards who declared "Don't you fucking move" and escorted them to the safe house jail where they had previously stayed. All party members were locked together in the same cell, giving them time to coordinate their story.

While imprisoned, the party debated what to tell the authorities about their recent activities. They agreed to avoid mentioning magic since it was forbidden in the town, and settled on a story about being attacked by wolves while preparing for the upcoming festival. Bones, still disguised from their previous adventures, examined the mysterious orb they carried while discussing their cover story. The party decided to claim they were just having a rough night and playing rough in preparation for festival activities.

After about fifteen minutes in jail, an elderly man in his 60s-70s entered and sat on benches, studying the party intently. The mysterious figure then unlocked the jail door, entered the cell, and locked himself inside with them. He revealed himself to be the mayor of Lyikdia and began questioning them about their activities over the past 24 hours. When the party attempted to lie about partying in the forest and being attacked by wolves, the mayor didn't believe their story and threatened them with six months of volunteer labor.

Eventually, the party revealed information about suspicious people trading a blue glowing orb at the trading tavern. The mayor explained that two people had gone missing - the owner of the trading tavern and one of the traders - and that strange sounds including rats and tremors had been heard underneath the town. The party described the underground areas they had explored and their zombie encounters, making successful persuasion checks that convinced the mayor to release them from jail.

Upon their release, the party returned to Marcus and Athena's inn, where their adoptive family greeted them with relief and concern. Marcus mentioned there had been rumors about people disappearing, and the party learned that the mayor was generally well-regarded in the community. Marcus provided them with a map of the town showing important locations like the jail, library, and mayor's house, while the inn bustled with activity and the smell of late dinners.

That evening, while most of the party rested, Bones remained downstairs in the tavern engaging in philosophical discussions with drunk patrons about skeletons and human anatomy. The drunk locals discussed skeletons in metaphorical terms, not realizing they were talking to an actual skeleton. Bones bought drinks and continued these conversations, eventually befriending a drunk man named Werfil. Fe eventually came down to check on Bones, and through their conversation, Bones learned the fascinating revelation that everyone has skeletons inside them.

Later that night, the party gathered to share their personal backstories and build trust before their upcoming journey. Bones explained he had no memories and had been thrown into a river by unknown attackers. Kailyn revealed she was abandoned as a child and raised by Marcus and Athena at the River's Inn, and mentioned growing up underwater in a city. Yomidrogo shared the tragic story of how his family was killed by the Zilaphelian Empire when they built the settlement of Britannia in his forest village. Nillituh explained he grew up in the mountain city of Mjovadalr and had left recently to explore the world.

Marcus entered during their conversation and mentioned Sylden, who runs the Old Flagon tavern in Easthills, suggesting the party visit him with the code phrase "number 12." Marcus then provided disguise materials for Bones, and Fe and Crezzida worked together to give the skeleton a makeover with blue and black robes and wraps. During this process, Crezzida experienced a wild magic surge that teleported her randomly about a kilometer away, forcing her to walk back to the inn. The disguise was successful, making Bones appear like a regular rogue figure at quick glance.

The next morning, a bell summoned everyone to a town hall meeting where the mayor addressed the community about recent violent events. During the meeting, guards arrested a half-orc from the trading tavern in front of the crowd, and the mayor announced that the Alcox travelling festivities had arrived for a two-day celebration. The party attended along with most of the town's population, witnessing this public display of justice and the announcement of upcoming festivities.

The party then explored the festival attractions, starting with a petting zoo featuring magical blink dogs run by a man in a stovepipe hat. Bones and Crezzida paid one gold piece each to interact with the teleporting dogs, which jumped onto their backs and disappeared and reappeared around them. One blink dog named Barnaby teleported onto a street lamp pole, causing quite a scene as the operator tried to call it down. The party also browsed market stalls, finding farming books, fiction stories, and various trinkets including gem-embedded bracelets and necklaces.

The festival's main attraction proved to be the arm wrestling competitions, where the party encountered Kriall, a remarkably strong woman with long black hair and pale skin who maintained a bubbly personality despite her incredible physical strength. Bones attempted to arm wrestle her first but got his arm broken in the process. Nillituh then faced her in an intense back-and-forth battle that captivated the crowd, but ultimately lost. Crezzida surprised everyone by defeating both Kriall and Nillituh in arm wrestling, earning money and establishing herself as the champion.

The party then teamed up with Kriall for a tug of war competition against a team including a half-orc, elf, dwarf, and two half-elves. Despite initial resistance from the opposing team, their combined strength led to victory, with each team member earning six silver pieces. They met the friendly half-orc competitor who had distinctive tattoo artwork covering his arm and back, and Fe played violin with other musicians, earning tips from appreciative crowds.

While the others enjoyed the festival, Yomidrogo sought information about the arrested half-orc trader. He approached the mayor's house and requested permission to speak with the prisoner, whose name was revealed to be Crenon from Arakcadia. The mayor agreed and escorted Yomidrogo to the safe house jail for a private interrogation. Yomidrogo attempted to cast suggestion on the prisoner but failed, as Crenon successfully resisted the magical intrusion. However, the prisoner warned Yomidrogo about the orb's importance, saying thousands would want it and advising him to protect it while being wary of certain places in the north.

The festival evening continued with various activities at the inn, including storytelling sessions, drinking competitions, and musical performances. Bones participated in drinking games with locals, using sleight of hand to avoid getting drunk while engaging in more philosophical conversations with Worthful. Kailyn listened to stories told by a female gnome about construction work in Hapstra, specifically building a staircase toward Boulder's Point in the Itumue Mountains, the highest peak that no one had ever successfully climbed.

Based on the warning from the imprisoned half-orc, the party decided they needed to leave town quickly the next morning. They informed Marcus and Athena of their departure plans, leading to emotional farewells. Marcus gave Kailyn a beautiful pocket watch from Arakcadia as a parting gift, while Athena provided her with a greater healing potion worth about 50 gold pieces. Bones wrote a farewell note to his unconscious drinking buddy Worthful and left it in his pocket before the party took their final long rest at the inn.

The next morning brought storm clouds gathering in the distance as the party made their final preparations. Bones visited the blink dog one more time at the petting zoo, while Yomidrogo checked the safehouse only to discover that Crenon had mysteriously disappeared. The party then visited Brennan's Hammer and Anvil, where they recognized the blacksmith as the half-orc they had competed against in tug of war. Bones purchased a hand axe for six gold pieces, Crezzida bought a chain shirt for fifty gold pieces, and Nillituh acquired two quarter staffs.

At Redpike's general store, they met an elderly dwarf shopkeeper who was a fast talker with a bubbly personality. Yomidrogo purchased essential supplies including oil flasks, tinder boxes, water skins, a whistle, and a regional map showing their route to Easthills. The map revealed they were about a day's journey from their destination, and Redpike mentioned he had never been to Easthills but had walked past it. The party also learned about expensive magical tattoos available at the store, though they were far beyond their budget.

The party retrieved their horses from the stables and purchased a basic wooden cart for six gold pieces to help transport their supplies. As rain began to fall, they set off from Lake Lyikdia toward Easthills, beginning what they expected to be a three-day journey. The DM announced they would be trialing alternate combat rules for future sessions, promising more dynamic and engaging battles ahead.

The journey proved challenging as they traveled through treacherous terrain with rain and fog making navigation difficult. Multiple survival checks were required to stay on the correct path as they curved around hills and avoided getting lost. During the travel, Kailyn sang beautifully while riding in the cart, and Bones discovered rotted bird eggs in his ribcage from his previous adventures, leading to a somber burial ceremony by the lake. The party also tested their mysterious orb's reactions to violence, discovering it required attunement to users and flashed brightly when they were in danger.

During their journey, Kailyn spotted shimmering berries off the road that reminded her of magical elements from forests. The party harvested four good berries that she identified as coming from the island of Lelse Thalas in Aywin, which granted invisibility for thirty minutes when consumed. They also collected seeds for potential future growing, though the invisibility effect wouldn't extend to weapons or clothing. This discovery added valuable magical items to their inventory for future use.

The most challenging part of their journey came when they reached the Cyrran River, which had no bridge and was running fast due to recent rains. The party devised a complex crossing strategy using water walking rings, swimming rings, and Bones transforming into a fish to scout ahead. They recruited five birds through speak with animals to help carry their cart, while different party members used various magical abilities to cross safely. The crossing proved treacherous, with multiple party members taking damage from sharp rocks and strong currents, and Fe nearly drowning before being rescued.

After successfully crossing the river, the party set up camp by a riverside location near a lake. Bones went fishing with Kailyn's help and caught a fish, which they cooked over a magical bonfire created by Crezzida. The party enjoyed a delicious dinner and shared stories around the campfire, arranging watch shifts for what they hoped would be a peaceful night. However, their rest was interrupted when strange dreams plagued some party members, particularly Bones who dreamed of seeing a taller version of himself with long fingers.

During Kailyn's watch shift, she noticed eyes watching them from the trees before a massive displacer beast leaped out to attack. The creature was a huge black cat-like monstrosity with tentacles and the ability to create illusions of itself. A smaller cat-like creature joined the battle, and an intense fight ensued with multiple party members taking heavy damage. Kailyn fell unconscious during the battle after being knocked prone and attacked repeatedly by the smaller creature.

The combat showcased the party's improved teamwork and tactical abilities. Bones cast create bonfire and chill touch, Fe enhanced the fire damage with oil flasks, and Crezzida dealt the killing blow to the displacer beast with a powerful witch bolt that burned through the creature's body. Nillituh proved effective in melee combat, while Yomidrogo provided magical support despite some spells missing due to the creature's displacement abilities. Fe delivered the final blow to the smaller cat with her quarterstaff, and Bones took a tentacle as a trophy from the defeated displacer beast.

After the battle, the party tended to their wounds with Kailyn suffering a wounded condition from falling unconscious. Fe used a greater healing potion to recover, and the party took a long rest to fully heal before continuing their journey. They woke up the next morning ready to continue toward Easthills, now only about a day away from their destination. The DM announced that while the party hadn't leveled up from their recent experiences, they had all gained a feat to represent their growing skills and abilities, with the exception of Crezzida who already possessed one from previous adventures.