Thuzzal: Changling Bow Fighter

Thuzzal was an only child, hurried from place to place as his parents wove new personas to gain prestige in society, imitating the traits of the richest rich. For this reason, he rarely uses his "gift" and tends to remain pale and featureless. He never kept friends, close or otherwise, due to the constant shifting from town to town, having to change his name and face, never allowed to be himself. It was shortly after his parents’ lies were seen through that they were killed for treason against the empire for impersonating members of the high council. They had tried to trick Crimson Cloak guards in Lutetia into believing they were part of the high council, all in the pursuit of wealth and prestige.

Since then, he has been on his own. In an attempt to gain meaning in his life, he joined the military branch of the Empire. Thuzzal was an excellent warrior. His skill with a sword was not to be trifled with, and his bow-work was second to none. He rose to the modest rank of Corporal within the various branches of enlisted service. But as in his childhood, he was moved around, from company to company often, never getting to earn that brotherhood among soldiers. While he was able to travel the empire and see the western side of Kamuin, nothing ever felt like home.

His skills were a gift and a curse. He was feared for not using his shifting to look like the rest, preferring his featureless pale form as his true face. He continued to be assigned to new organizations that needed his bow. One day, he was assigned to a particularly talented company, known internally as the Grasslanders
(so named for their origins within
the Balmere Plateau, and their
sense of superiority towards others that shared the region with them). The company was battle-hardened and cruel, and had lost more than a few to marauding orcs in the past. On a stealth mission to recon a small fishing village called Harmstead, on the shore of Attiwich Loch, rumored to be taken over by an unknown force, the Grasslanders were quick to destroy all orcs they found within, men, women and children alike. It quickly came out that while some of the orcs were invaders, many of the others were also regular townsfolk who were caught in the crossfire. The company commander, Edrik Gunderson (known for his hatred of orcs, and quietly nicknamed Skullcrusher for his liberal usage of a battlehammer) instructed the company to report the mission as a loss, and that orcs had completely murdered the village inhabitants, despite the Grasslanders’ role in eliminated many of the survivors. Disgusted with his squad, Thuzzal confronted them. They turned on him, almost willingly, and he was forced to fight his way out, slaying several of them in the process. He wished to return, but knew that it was his word against Edrik’s, and he would face court marshall and imprisonment.

He fled north, wandering the Crast Hills and heading into the northern pine forests, eventually settling and building a cottage near Brooksburg.

This quiet town, far from the border of the Empire, was a place where he could live in peace. His occasional trips into town for goods and supplies were met with no scorn or shock at his pale form. He grew to like it there and picked up a knack for cooking, developing a unique personality that reflected his newfound hobby.

Living in a small cottage near Brooksburg, Thuzzal ekes out a living with his chickens and kitchen. His mysterious ability to shift his face and his alternate persona of an expert chef make him a
unique outsider in the
region. He spends what
time he has working on
his cooking skills and
practicing his archery
and swordplay.
He wears
unassuming garb,
simple and
designed for life
in the woods.

Porkchop: Shifter Rogue

Porkchop has few memories from her early days, remembering only the creature she considers to be her mother, a black jaguar. She was brought up by this ferocious feline in the heart of the Killifyn Wilds, east of the Empire. It was a hard upbringing, going days without food, always struggling to eat or be eaten, and she learned to hide and prowl with the best of them. Eventually, Porkchop departed from the great cat, who practically pushed her away, and wandered the wilderness. She felt unfulfilled in the solitary lifestyle, and eventually made her way into the Empire and ended up in the river city of Frostford. Living on the outskirts, Porkchop witnessed a traveling band of entertainers whose comraderie sparked her curiosity. What was this community, and could she have that with other people?

Porkchop tailed the troupe to the nearest city, the great bustling capital of the Empire, Lutetia. There, she settled into a life on the streets. She used her skills from her childhood surviving in the jungle to find a great hiding spots on rooftops, stole money and food when the opportunity presented itself, and learned about the rhythm of the city. One day, she encountered a half-starved human child in a back alleyway, maybe 7 or 8 years old. The kid had been through the wringer, and looked near death, but Porkchop felt compelled to help. She took her and nursed her back to health. It was the first time Porkchop had ever really cared for another being. Her name was Rakela, and once she had recovered, they became close friends. Porkchop was like a mentor and older sister to Rakela, and took care of her. She gave Porkchop her name after the first food Porkchop stole for her.

Together, they slowly formed an entire clan of street urchins. Porkchop taught them to sneak and steal with skill, and they taught me the secrets of the streets, secret passageways in the sewers, and ancient forgotten caverns. Their favorite spot were the ancient catacombs under the Magician’s Respite, where they would go to collect objects to sell to anyone on the street, and the occasional contact in the Nightwalkers Guild. The urchins didn't know what any of the relics were worth, but they figured they were valuable. Even the mages had forgotten the existence of those ancient storage rooms and burial chambers, so while it was distinctly creepy in the catacombs, they felt safe enough.

Porkchop, especially, was drawn to the old storage rooms and spent many hours there, picking objects up and handling them, studying the ancient scripts without comprehension. While she appreciated their monetary value, they were more than that; they called out to her somehow. She had seen the mages in the streets occasionally, and was fascinated by their power. After dreaming for months, she approached one robed fellow as he passed, and, setting aside her disdain for the wealthy, asked how she could gain access to the teachings at Clearwater Academy. He spit in her face, called her filth, and demanded Porkchop get out of his sight.

This, along with the fact that most people treated the urchins like dirt, only served to exacerbate her conviction that everyone outside of her immediate circle was not to be trusted. Porkchop has a strong sense of “her people” versus “everyone else.” Occasionally, she feels compelled to help someone who is not “hers”, especially when that person is in desperate straights. To most of the world, Porkchop is aloof and cold, but to her friends, she can display unadulterated enthusiasm and energy. Porkchop loves to steal things, but will make a point to never steal from those worse off than herself, or those who she thinks can’t take the loss.

Porkchop decided to leave Lutetia when Rakela died. She became ill, likely from wandering in the sewers, and even though Porkchop stole medicine, blankets, and food, she didn't make it. Porkchop saw it as her fault that she failed to protect the only person who really counted on her. She left the city, again not knowing what she was looking for, but wanting to be on the move, to escape
the ugly feelings associated with
the city after Rakela’s death. She
took only a small bag of
personal possessions,
among them an object
from the catacombs.
It is a small,
unidentified stone
tablet with a motif
of intricately
carved large
cats
running
through a
dense
forest. She
has no idea
if it has any
magical
properties,
but she
has taken
to tracing
her fingers
along the
carvings as
she falls asleep,
bringing her a sense
of peace from the
likeness of her
first home.

Galaxea Elsinor: Water Genasi Cleric

Born to Norillon Elsinor, an Elven aristocrat of the ruling class in Uthorim, Galaxea had a noble upbringing. Due to her appearance and mysterious circumstances surrounding her birth, her father was cold and distant to her, but she was raised alongside his other children mostly out of obligation. He provided her with all of the benefits and privileges that come with being a child of a noble house, except for a role in the court when she came of age, as he did with his other children. Galaxea is his oldest child, the product of an illicit affair with an outsider of unknown background; who disappeared, leaving Galaxea on the steps of his home a number of months later.

Galaxea's half-siblings are Arrinian (closest in age to Galaxea) and Naebora. Galaxea and Arrinian were close when they were children, but once Arrinian became old enough to realize that Galaxea was different, he joined the other children in teasing and bullying her. This behavior continued into his teens and early adulthood. He acted like he is better than her simply because of her heritage and routinely attempted to sabotage her. He is heir to their father’s position on the high council when he retires. Naebora is still young, and has not yet adopted the crueler disposition of her older brother.

The Elsinor Manor's library became a place of refuge for Galaxea. As she became older took frequent excursions to the coast near Uthorim, she felt within her element near the water. She spent lots of time near the Alyndra Canal, part of the larger river system in Uthorim, closer to her actual home. It was around these bodies of water where she first discovered her innate abilities to control the ebb and flow of water. This would lead her to later seek out a teacher to help her develop these skills.

Imaine Gaethan, the house keepr, was kind to Galaxea when no one else was. She spent a lot of time encouraging Galaxea’s natural curiosity as a child. She is a friend and mentor figure. In Galaxea's youth, Imaine educated her on many subjects, and facilitated her use of the family library. Galaxea’s lifelong search for meaning, along with consulting with her mentor Imaine, led to her discovery of the Sea God/Goddess Aegir/Aegira. She began to pray to this deity in secret on the shores of the canals in Uthorim, practicing her control over water. With time, she began to hear whispers in the lapping of the waves on the shore, and her powers grew. Committing to her worship, this led into becoming a Tempest Cleric. Within Uthorim, they primarily practice a respectfully agnostic culture, so few are devoted to the regular worship of any one deity.

Jovren Caemious is the next in line to another noble family on the high council. He is a bit older than Galaxea, and traveled the world some before returning to Uthorim. Several years ago. Jovren courted Galaxea during that time, and they fell in love, with plans to be married, but the Caemious family would not allow it due to Galaxea’s bastard status and questionable heritage.

Galaxea tried to convince Jovren to run away with her, but he felt his obligation to his family and his future was greater. It was not long after this incident that Galaxea left Uthorim, seeking to further her education and travel to places where she might find better guidance and perhaps a sense of belonging. This desire to learn more about the world and her god is part of her current motivation; Imaine could only teach her so much on ancient history and discussions of the gods, and she wishes to continue to refine her abilities and skills. She has a tendency to act snobbish and forget that her privilege is unique, leading her to sometimes be judgemental towards others, despite having been ostracized herself as a child. She often acts rashly and impulsively, before considering how her actions may affect the party and the mission. She is independent to a fault in this regard.

Other traits of hers are being inquisitive, brave, self-confident, calm under pressure, and calculating when it comes to matters of strategy. She can be aloof and detached emotionally, hesitant to let others into her life in any permanent sense. She has a strong sense of ambition
and a willingness to forge her own way. She is
also fond of showing off her impressive
and imposing magical skills. She is
tall, but perhaps not as tall as a
typical elf. Her skin is sea-foam
green that always looks
slightly moist. Her long
dark hair is black with a blue
sheen. Her face resembles
the Elven side of her heritage:
high cheekbones and arched
brows. She prefers to wear bold
makeup that enhances her sharp
features, leaning into and
embracing colors that
complement her natural skin
tone. She has an athletic build;
that of a strong swimmer. She
wears clothes that are
obviously of good quality
but avoids wearing
anything with her family
emblem unless absolutely
necessary to garner political
clout. She wields a mace
and shield she collected from
the family armory before
leaving Uthorim.

Brooksburg, the 21st of Nanook, 1093 P.C:

Our story begins in the chill northern town of Brooksburg, in the warm interior of the Frosty Goat tavern. Three figures are inside enjoying their dinner: Galaxea, a water genasi cleric, Thuzzal, a changling fighter, and Porkchop, a shifter rogue.

• Their meals are interrupted by the abrupt appearance of Old Lady Jadmulsia, a cantankerous old woman raving about the dissappearance of her precious chickens. The tavern owner, Ozris Curlhorn, agrees to assist her, suspecting goblins to be responsible.
• The three agree to help, recruiting Ozris and Yatari along the way.
• They followed tracks north of town, to a strange cave beyond the outskirts of the village. The door is partially hidden, swining on a camoflauged hinge.
• Porkchop snuck in and spotted several Goblins around a campfire. They were swiftly killed, and the chickens were rescued from their haphazard cages.
• As they looked around, the team found a strange stone on the ground, glowing faintly. They also found a matching hole in the wall, which they positioned it into. It stuck, and didn't seem like it could be removed.
• They left it, and returned the chickens to Jadmulsia before heading back to the Frosty Goat to rest for the night. Thuzzal returned to his cabin in the woods.

25th - 28th of Nanook:

• Over the next few days, the adventurers took time to hone their skills and investigate. Thuzzal spent several days practiving with his bow and arrow, as well as looting his old house and training on straw dummies with his sword. Yareag approached him on the last day and offered to give him his rapier, a special weapon he owned for years, but felt that Thuzzal had better use for it. Thuzzal accepted the +1 Rapier and traded away his old shortsword.
• Galaxea spent the few days praying, reading through the journals, and browsing the book on the Abyss. A few times each day she also sent a telepathic message to her childhood mentor and friend, an elvish Librarian back in Uthorim. In doing so, she uncovered more details and secret knowledge about the history of the Velki Enclave, the origins of Brooksburg, planar travel, and rumors of dimensional rifts opening across the continent.
• Porkchop spent her free time learning from Samson about the basics of spellcasting. She was a quick learner, and impressed Samson with her abilities. She also discussed the same topics as Galaxea with Samson, trying to piece together the puzzle surrounding Brooksburg.

2nd of Eben:

• On this chill day, with a light snow trickling down, the team set out to recheck on some of the locations of previous exploration. As they left the Frosty Goat, Osris mentioned the dissappearace of Dhokonn many years ago, and cautioned them against dangers.
• They returned to the Gnoll Cave in the southwest, and investigated the plinth where the statue once stood. The slad where it stood was found to stand atop a sliding mechanism, which they dislodged with a crowbar. Inside was a small space, with some simple furniture. A table stood nearby covered in sludge and bones. Investigating, they discovered a hidden chest and activated the fireball trap without taking any damage. In total, they found a couple valuable rubies, a bone dagger, and two journals (one written in dwarvish, the other written in abyssal with gross skin binding.)
• They returned to town and checked in with Samson to learn about Dhokonn. His house was abandoned, simple and filled with herbs. They asked one of their dire wolves to follow the scent of his clothes. It ran into the woods, leading them to a herb garden to the northwest. Mushrooms filled a small wooden hut, and a trapdoor on the floor led into an all-too familiar stone doorway into the depths below.
• The cavern beneath was filled with giant glowing mushrooms, and shot stubby mushroom people wandered about. Without hurting them, they seemed neutral towards the party and directed them deeper into the cave. Hesitant, the team was lead through a winding tunnel into another large chamber. Heavy dust in the air, and strange bulges below the mycillium coated floor, began to glow and pulse as the team began to hear the thoughts of the myconids around them.
• At the end, another large cavern culminated in a towering mushroom wall, upon which a massive eye opened wide and inquired of its master. It was revealed through conversation and visions that their master was the Sourceseeker, Exarch Ovius. Once the leader of the Velkian expedition, and the one responsible for knowledge concerning Zuggtmoy, the mage was last seen leaving the room towards the beginning of the day, hundreds of years ago. He never returned.
• The Myconid Sovereign insisted the seek out their master, who it sensed to be present deep underground. They had sent out another, who they called the "Dark One" on a similar quest some moons ago, but he never returned.
• The party agreed to find him, and left the room peacefully, noting the lack of a runestone. Returning to Samson, he shared that Dohkonn was a dark-skinned, nearly black tiefling with small pointed horns. He also helped translate the dwarvish journal, which was the journal of the dwarven scientist Azolius. He was in charge of a party of gnolls, and detailed his work on the gate. He carved the runes, while Leichendiener Vazdequiem built the gate itself.

• The other wizards didn’t like his gnolls. The party thanked Samson, and headed to the northwest. As they traveled, Thuzzal remembered the location of the village graveyard. Suspecting it to be the location of the final cave, they headed there.
• Exploring, they found a simple mausoleum dedicated to the Eddard Brooks, the founder of the village. Inside, on his tomb, a plaque mentioned how he was lost one day, and they never found a body. There was an exquisite suit of plate armor in the crypt, and Thuzzal took it to wear. Unbeknownst to him, it was cursed with vulnerability.
• Descending into the darkness, Porkchop stealthed through a crypt-like room filled with corpses. Beyond, she found a strange small girl sitting in a chair who insisted on taking her cloak and putting in on a coatrack.
• Returning and bringing the team, they disturbed the undead and were swarmed. They managed to destroy the zombies and skeletons, and were perplexed by the strange zombie girl in the next room. They headed beyond, taking the first left at a junction and descending downward.
• The next room was a large quarry, filled with partially chiseled stones. Upon entering, the team was attacked by a Giant Skeleton, as well as four other skeletons. Galaxea destroyed most of them, and the team hacked the giant to pieces.
• Returning up, they entered the middle corridor. This corridor was a dead end, and walking back to the entrance showed that they were trapped in a strange two-ended tunnel. Investigating revealed the instructions to "Don't look at it." Following these instructions, they walked backwards and managed to go beyond the end of the tunnel, into a chest-filled room. In here, they found a variety of gold and loot, including a ring which Porkchop wore. When holding her breath, she can turn invisible.
• In the third, top chamber, they find a bedchamber and some furniture. They find a journal, as well as a sconce which looks like it may have held a runestone. The little girl follows them into the room, seeming to be waiting on them. After exploring around and investigate, Thuzzal eventually notices a faint glow coming from the zombie girl's mouth. Porkchop can't stand to look at her, but Thuzzal convinces her to reach inside and remove the stone. The team has now collected five of the runestones, this one being DEATH. The sixth stone, ROT, lies in the depths of the Silver Mines.
• On their return to the Frosty Goat, Galaxea felt like they were being watched.

3rd of Eben:

• The next day, the team headed out to learn more about the original cave they entered, where they had fought several goblins. The VOID stone fit into the wall, but didn't seem to move. They discovered that by extinguishing their light sources, the stone glowed and the wall opened. Investigating, they found a chamber filled with slime monsters. They immediately turned about and left, with Galaxea almost falling back down the slide-like slime covered tunnel.
• They returned to the Silver Mines to explore the remaining hallways. They didn't get pass the first blocked wall, but Porkchop found an illusory wall guarding a living space down another tunnel. She collected some books on rune carving and Abyssal.
• Down the next tunnel, they were attacked by the ghost from before. They rushed to the end of the tunnel, and found a drop containing the skeleton of Exarch Ovius. Galaxea cast speak with dead upon his corpse, and interrogated his skull. After the spell ended, he reappeared, and they continued to ask him questions, suffering psychic damage from his horrible nature. They learned of how the dwarven mage Azolius had altered the runes of the Gate to operate on their own without control. Ovius managed to kill him and ruined the heretical carvings on the gate, but not before taking immense damage. In his haste, he fell down this shaft, and died alone. He encouraged them to hurry, warning that forces were almost complete. In the time after this event, some demons managed to escape
  the battle and lingered in the surrounding forests. They interbred with the barbarian tribes nearby, resulting in the high concentration of tieflings found in Brooksburg today.
• The team hobbled back to the Frosty Goat, badly
  hurt, but managing to sleep it off after spending a few hours studying the books found within the mines and preparing for a fight the next day.

4th of Eben:

• On the morning of the 4th, the team arose and discussed their plans. A blizzard raged outside, and they decided to restock before heading to the mines to confront these unknown forces. Samson burst in as they were preparing to leave, gifting them some of his spell casting supplies and handing a small bag of diamonds to Galaxea worth 300 GP. Thuzzal also managed to draw a Giant Elk from the Bag of Tricks, while Porkchop and Galaxea recieved weasels.
• The team headed to the general store to check if they had any additional supplies. Porkchop purchased some rope and a warm jacket, and Thuzzal bought more arrows. Steeling themselves, they headed towards the mines. The intense winter storm did some cold damage to Thuzzal as he struggled to push past it. Galaxea had no such issues, wearing her Ring of Warmth.
• The team descended into the Silver Mines once again. This time, they pushed towards the end, turning only to explore one last branch of the mines. There, they found a buried quiver of magical arrows of unknown effects. Thuzzal took them, and they returned to the coldesac at the end of the mines. Together, they inserted the five other runestones into the wall alongside the ROT stone. They stones glowed brightly, before going dark and the wall split open, revealing a passageway beyond.
• In the following chamber, they found a dark and open space, with a massive gateway carved into the far wall. As they approached, they noticed a small tunnel carved out of the wall near it. Suddenly, the small tunnel caved in, a cackle emenated from the darkness nearby, and a shimmering wall of force blocked their exit.
• A dark-skinned tiefling (Dhokann) emerged, briefly stating that he had been waiting for them to activate the doorway, which completes the criteria for the activiation of the Gate. Unwilling to let him monologue, the team immediately attacked him. Despite hitting them with a few strong spells, he was quickly dispatched. However, as he fell, the Gate began to flicker with hellish light, sputtering to life and illuminating the chamber. Dark black smoke poured off Dhokaan's body, forming into a monstrous Glabrezu named Bezilak. It laughed and charged at the party, enthused at its victory.
• The following battle was tough and intense, with demons popping out of the open portal occasionally. The team focused on destroying the runes around the Gate. This enraged Bezilak, who almost managed to kill Thuzzal. Porkchop, sensing that they needed help, used the spell scroll
  written by
  Convoker
  Ebnaxis to
  summon Goht
  Dumag.

5th of Eben:

• The team awoke with a slight hangover, wondering what to do next. Galaxea went out into the Spinmouth River to catch a fish, which she eventually managed to do, lugging in a massive salmon and performing the Commune ritual. She asked about Goht Dumag and his plans, as well as what to do next, without definitive guidance.
• The team left the Frosty Goat for the last time. They expressed their thanks to Osris for his generous hospitality.
• Before leaving, they went to go visit Samson once again. He was sad to hear they were leaving, but they thanked him and gifted him the journals they had collected during their adventures in town.
• They made one more stop at the general store to stock up on rations and traveling supplies, getting a warm black jacket for Thuzzal, before heading south, along the path out of town.
• They decided to head to Burnsley, the nearest village, about 190 miles south of Brooksburg. The town is rumored to have horses, which would facilitate their eventual journey to Lutetia.
• Getting lucky with their free animal rolls, they managed to ride upon a dire wolf and a giant elk for the day, making 1.25x the distance they might otherwise.
• They camped near the road the first night, and Porkchop managed to scare off a goblin who was sneaking up on the camp.

• She followed it into the surrounding forest and managed to catch it, but it cursed at her and broke free. Determining it to be a non-threat, she returned to camp without further issue.
• Distance to Burnsley: 34/195 miles complete.

7th of Eben:

• The sky was overcast as the team continued to travel south. The travel was average, since they failed to draw elk or wolves for all of them. The day was long but uneventful.
• The team made camp in a small clearing 50 feet or so off the road, and during Thuzzal's watch, a mysterious ghostly figure stalked him. Accusing him of stealing her birthday present, despite his insistence otherwise, it shrieked loudly, knocking Galaxea to zero hitpoints. Porkchop stabilized her, while Thuzzal managed to talk and plead the Banshee into turning away.
• Investigating nearby, they found a corpse holding a gold locket. They buried the body and hung the locket on a cross, before heading onward.
• Distance to Burnsley: 93/195 miles complete.

8th of Eben:

• The team managed to draw two giant elk from their bag of tricks, so they made double time riding towards Burnsley. The local foliage has been gradually changing, from the rugged scrubby pines around Brooksburg towards larger, taller and more sparsely spaced pines.
• Halfway through the day, the team encounterd a small trading caravan. The leader, a burly half orc, traded with Thuzzal for a potion of spider climbing and a potion of rage. Thuzzal paid him 400 gold for both. At the same time, Porkchop went invisible, snuck around the back of the wagon, and pilfered a small iron chest from the back of it without anyone noticing.
• As they rode off, and Porkchop let them know what she took, the caravan noticed it was missing and began to yell and turn to give chase. Thuzzal convinced Porkchop to let it be, and she tossed it back into the road as they rode off to avoid conflict.
• After traveling for the rest of the day and pushing their elk hard, they managed to travel 55 miles. They camped in a large hollow of a massive leaning pine tree.
• Distance to Burnsley: 148/195 miles complete.

9th of Eben:

• After drawing only a giant badger from the bag, the team continued on foot. Galaxea noticed a small group of darkly clothed, hooded figures riding on horseback that noticed them but didn't take action.
• The team walked onward, eventually arriving at a large stone bridge crossing a narrow but deep crevasse, through which a river raged. On the side of the bridge, Thuzzal noticed the carved face of Melora, the goddess of Nature, and some other figurehead.
• Near the end of the bridge, six hooded figures stepped out and stopped them, as hooded, horse-riding individuals closed off their escape.
• A few tense words later, Porkchop charmed the leader and tried to walk past them. Thuzzal intimidated the others, and it seemed like they might make it, but the leader shook off the charm and engaged. A short battle after, including Thuzzal shooting his wall of water arrow and Galxea blasting them with wind gusts, the team tried to leave, intimidating the rest.
• The bandits held off, but as the team walked away, the leader blew a whistle and dozens more bandits started to pour out of the nearby woods from hidden trap doors. The battle was rough, and Galaxea summoned a thunderstorm to destroy many of them at once as arrows rained down. Porkchop stood on the trapdoor and tried to take out several others on her own.
• Eventually the fight subsided, and the team stood amidst the corpses of 31 bandits. Thuzzal collected a fancy dagger while Porkchop found 230 gold.
• Porkchop descended into the trapdoor, discovering a lengthy network of tunnels and caves. Avoiding some nasty cave spiders, she snuck past two cooks named Tim and Shale. The others came down with her, and together they interrogated the cooks and forced Time to give them a tour. The bandit gang was known as the Venomous Vultures, and their two leaders were Condor and Old Thrush. Condor was killed in the attack above, but Old Thrush was supposed to be deeper in the cave systems, which eventually went inside of the dam itself.
• After investigating to find Thrush, the team took a long rest in the cook room, keeping an eye on Tim and Shale. They were unable to find him, despite finding his laboratory. They also acquired a strange magic box, randomly containing odd things when opened.
• Distance to Burnsley: 170/195 miles complete.

10th of Eben:

• The next morning, the team woke up Tim and Shale and decided to head onward to Burnsley. However, when they tried to leave via the trap door, it was completely jammed shut. Thuzzal remembered hearing distant thumping sounds in the night, like trees falling. They headed across the dam, trying to leave through another entrance, but found that to be jammed shut with a large boulder.
• Galaxea shaped a tunnel through the stone, and they got out. They hypothesized a giant or some other force, perhaps Old Thrush, had tried to lock them in. They left and headed south, making good time towards Burnsley...

Chad Broheart: Oath of Brotherhood Paladin

Chad was once a street urchin, wandering the sandy streets of Crystallia, begging for scraps of food and coin to get by. He was frequently spurned, due to his unsightly thin form and half-orc heritage. Due to this, Chad developed a deep sense of insecurity, struggling to trust others and never believing in himself. One day in his early teenage years, Chad was caught in the act of trying to shoplift off one of the multitudes of food stalls in the heart of the city. The huge, muscular bearded man who caught him terrified Chad at first, but he gave Chad a choice: come to his temple, and learn a bit of discipline, or the man would turn him over to the Caliphate. Fearing the alternative, Chad arrived at the Betarho Omega chapter of the Order of Heironeous. There, he learned swordplay, magic, the tenants of the order, and brotherhood. Chad spent all his time working hard, lifting weights, and practicing to overcome his weaknesses. The man who had caught him, Brother Brometheus, was Marshal of the chapter and personally oversaw Chad’s growth. After several years, Chad had grown into a strong and confident warrior. He took the oath of his order, vowing to cherish and nurture brotherhood, strength, skill, and health, while promising to smite evil and lethargy in the world. After formally joining the Order of
Heironeous, and completing
his initiation as a paladin,
Chad took the last name of
Broheart, to complete his
transformation and cement
his oath of brotherhood.

Chad is vain and not the
smartest, but he values friendship and
teamwork over all else. He respects anyone
who would listen to him and give him a chance to
nurture a bromance. He cares not for critical
thinking, but instead embraces the heat of the
moment to guide his decisions. Chad is extremely
passionate about bringing the lost to the True
Path of Brotherhood, and is fully devoted to his
mission. Chad is shredded, with his half-orc
muscles bulging out over his armor when he
wields his greatsword. He has tan, slightly greyish skin and impeccable hair. Small tusks poke up from his jaw, holdovers from his orcish relatives.

Having proven himself, the President of the chapter, known as President Brodell Walker, compelled Chad to go out into the wide world and spread the word of Heironeous and Brotherhood to the weak and uneducated. Chad left Crystallia on a boat to the adjacent continent, Kamuin, to seek out and evangelize the Bro Code he had come to worship as absolute truth. Arriving in the city of Brightshore, Chad wandered north, heading into the heart of the continent, seeking out the city of Gnomeopolis, where he had heard none worshipped Heironeous, and few knew of him.

Arriving in Gnomeopolis, eager to make
new friends, Chad was quickly amazed
by the perplexing sport of Gnomeball,
and purchased tickets to watch a game
of such athleticism and
strategic skill…

14th and 15th of Eben:

• The team continued to travel onward, talking and keeping a wary eye out for Old Thrush. In opening the strange magic box, Thuzzal acquired a magic cursed dagger named Fate's Grip as well as a magical rope called the Hangman's Rope. He also continued to fiddle with the puzzle cube, beginning to make some progress.
• 260/330 miles to Gnomeopolis

16th of Eben:

• The terrain gave way from wooded forests to gentle rolling hills, devoid of trees, covered in rough scrubby foliage. The team had entered the Crast Hills.
• Halfway through their travel day, they were spontaneously attacked by a Displacer Beast, a strange blurry panther-like monster. They slew it, protecting the horses, before abruptly encountering a large mech walking down the path. The mech (known as a Gneutralizer Suit) was driven by a gnome, who identified himself as a member of the Gearbreakers. He collected the displacer beast corpse, and stomped off to the south on his own.

18th of Eben:

• The next morning, Thuzzal went out into Gnomeopolis to scope out the wealthy part of town. He found the mansion where Brillin Corkas resides, and asked the large human guards if they were affiliated with the Grasslanders. They had no idea what he meant.
• Galaxea, Chad, and Thuzzal went to the docks, and Galaxea asked a captain where the ships travel. The captain told them they travel around the lake, hitting settlements such as Matlock and Harmstead, as a way to source raw goods from the Crast Hills.
• After that, Galaxea cast water walk on the others, and they walked out onto the lake, seeking possible insight into her vision from a few days before. They found nothing in the next hour, and returned to shore south of Gnomeopolis, near Corkas Industries, which they viewed from a distance.
• Meanwhile, Porkchop returned to the sewers to seek out Underhome once again. She quickly got lost, and was suddenly mauled by a sewer alligator. After barely escaping, she contracted the Yellow Plague – a rapid disease where pus and bile ooze from the afflicted’s pores.
• After leaving the sewers in annoyance, she encountered a shady looking gnome who she convinced to tell her about local black market trade. He informed her of a small black market below a windmill which goes up some evenings in the agricultural district.
• Afterwards, the team reconvened, and took on some odd jobs from a local job posting, involving bookkeeping and transcribing some old texts.
• Since that was a low payout, they decided to take on some monster slaying. They wandered outside the city, and defeated a small den of goblins who had been stealing crops.
• They returned to the city, collected their bounty, and went to sleep. After everyone went to sleep in the Whimsical Willow Inn, Porkchop snuck out and returned to the sewers to try and get in on the heist.
• After some initial confusion, she was able to make her way back to Underhome, now in near total darkness. She called out in the center of the town and was approached by Albert. He invited her along, introduced her to the other members (which included a gnome mage, several gnome rogues, a human, and a darkly garbed figure), and they headed on their way.
• After traveling through the sewers for some time, they eventually breached right on the outskirts of Corkas Industries, far beyond the outskirts of the city. Albert led the way through the gated fence, and Porkchop picked the lock on the side door of a large warehouse.
• Inside, Albert warned her of alarms, and spread out. Porkchop looted some nearby shelves, obtaining some toy wands and a strange crossbow.
• Porkchop witnessed Albert and some others breaking into a large crate, revealing a fresh Gneutrilizer Suit, ready for the taking. Intermittent scans from the lights caused some tension, but they went undetected. Porkchop climbed on the back of the suit as Albert piloted it, and she guided him out of the warehouse, avoiding the lights.

• As they were about to
  leave, the hooded,
  black figure who had
  been keeping a distance
  muttered something about
  needing to go check one
  more thing. They were walking
  to the fence when the alarms
  suddenly went off in the
  warehouse.
• They gave up on
  stealth and booked it
  for the fence. Albert
  crashed through, and
  Porkchop and three
  others clung to the suit
  as he ran to the Northwest,
  into the hills. One of the
  gnomes, a spellcaster, hid their
  tracks with magic as they went.
• After getting a safe distance away, Porkchop was suddenly frozen in place by the spellcaster and threatened by Albert; he accused her of being a spy for Corkas. After talking him down, he warned her to be wary of possible threats, and that he didn't feel safe. They split up and returned to Gnomeopolis.

19th of Eben:

• The next morning, Porkchop was feeling poorly, having advanced in her stages of the Plauge. Chad noticed and healed her promptly.
• The party decided to take on a more challenging quest than goblins, and traveled to the Gearbreakers Guildhouse to accept a contract to kill a Stone Giant that had been menancing travelers in the hills.
• After riding on horseback (Chad summoned Bronius, his celestial warhorse), the team arrived near the expected location of the Giant. Galaxea used Find Creature to locate it, and they approached the cave where it resided carefully.
• Porkchop scoped it out invisibly, noticing that the giant was asleep in a cave, and there were several stone statues of adventures, frozen in place around the space.
• The team engaged it in combat, and swiftly slew the Stone Giant, which was able to wield magic. Porkchop dealt the killing blow, and they investigated the cave. They found a tunnel, recently excavated, descending below into darkness.
• They spent the night sleeping in the cave.

20th of Eben:

• The next morning, they decided to explore the tunnel. After descending into the earth for several hours and walking into a massive underground cavern, they decided to turn back. However, they were attacked by a Rust Monster and several Oozes. They defeated them, and returned to the surface.

23rd of Eben (Day 2 of the Festival of Night):

• An eclectic circus has arrived outside of town, seemingly overnight, and set up shop. The gnomes spread rumors of exotic performances and beasts.
• Chad went out early that day to hand out small meat pies to Gnomish orphans. Many of them had wandered over to the circus and were playing with the workers.
• Galaxea went to the shore and communed once again, asking for aid from Aegir. He answered a few of her questions, and she traveled to the Temple of Ioun to seek help from the cleric she had saved, Velbum Lightseeker.
• Together, they dug through many old books and Galaxea eventually discovered an entry on a very old cult, depicted as having a small shrine on the shore of the Loch south of Corkas Industries. Velbum also mentioned hearing some rumors about a strange creature in the lake, and fisherman having seen it.
• Thuzzal found the location of a tinker's workshop, and traded his shadow blade ring for a +1 Longbow. He also commissioned 35 magic arrows to aid him in future combat for 400 gold pieces. These will be completed in roughly 5 days.

• The team reconvened and headed to the docks, hoping to find someone with more information. Eventually, they found a grizzled old gnome, who goes by the name of Ol' Grey. He was eager to share his recounting of his monster fish story, and Chad cast zone of truth to keep him honest.
• The gnome recited his account of being out on the Loch late at night, and a massive creature with a long thin neck and round body pushed him up out of the water, took a look, and then dove back down. Unable to get anymore useful information, other than the general location of where it had occurred, the team headed south out of Gnomeopolis.
• The road through the circus and past Corkas Industries, to the general area Galaxea's reading had indicated was the location of an old cult. She spied some ruins under the water, and cast waterbreathing on the crew to let them follow. They investigated the underwater rocks ofshore, finding a pictogram of a boat offshore dropping something into water above a trident. There were also mentions of Yoria, the massive purple gas giant planet in the night sky.
• It seemed to indicate further locations deeper in the lake, so the team continued to dive down into the murky depths. The strange ash in the water seemed to increase in concentration, getting making breathing somewhat difficult.
• Eventually, they stumbled upon four massive columns that stuck up out of the mud. As Galaxea inspected them, she came across mentions Aegir, Yoria, and Annum, the All-Father, as well as some form of interwoven tale involving the creation of Athendira.
• As they were looking around, seven Sahuagin swam out of the murk and attacked them. A sea hag glared at them from the distance, but they managed to
  fight their way out after initially
  trying to end the
  encounter
  peacefully.

24th of Eben (Day 3 of the Festival of Night):

• The next morning, they awoke outside the city. They dragged Galaxea to the Temple of Ioun, seeking a cleric who could restore her. They met with the Chief Librarian, who agreed to restore her using the required components provided by her component bag.
• Galaxea staggered off to the Melon Bar Inn to sleep and try to recover, while the rest of the team went shopping. Thuzzal sold some of his older weapons and materials, and sought out possible deals on some of the loot they had acquired in Borglyn's hoard.

25th of Eben (Day 4 of the Festival of Night):

• The following morning was icy cold, with thick fluffy snow pouring from the sky. Thuzzal went to the Industrialist Guildhouse to collect 5 of his completed lightning arrows. The rest were still in progress.
• Porkchop found and purchased several potions, and sold a few remaining items before the team decided to head back out to the lakeshore and address the remaining issues of the pollution and Aegir's temple.
• Galaxea cast waterbreathing, and they descended once more into the icy depths of the lake. The Trident granted them entry once again, and the found themselves again in the ancient temple before Aegir. However, there was a missing component; the corpse of Borglyn was gone, with only a vague purple smear to hint at where he had been slain.
• Exploring through the various curving stone tunnels in the walls, Galaxea managed to charm one of the tiny fishy people who had been hiding before. Forcing them to deliver the team to where Borglyn was, they managed to find his corpse surrounded by fishy people who still worshipped it as a god. After a brief skirmish, they managed to calm the fish people and corral them back to the central chamber. Galaxea shooed them from the temple, and washed off any remaining traces of Borglyn's occupation.
• Leaving the temple, it sealed behind them, and they sought the source of the dark goop. They eventually found it to be a large metal pipe spewing out a jet of black goo, and they took a sample in a bottle.
• They returned to Gnomeopolis but it was too late, so they slept at the circus. Snow continued to fall, covering the ground in a thick blanket.

26th of Eben (Day 5 of the Festival of Night):

• The team went to Tinker Tower to seek out an audience with the Duchess to inform her of Corkas' transgressions. Galaxea attempted to pull some strings with her history as a citizen of Uthorim, and was on route to get an audience soon when Porkchop impersonated a nobleman and yelled at the clerk, talking of a vengeful god threatening the city and grave dangers from Corkas Industries. This approach resulted in them being brought before the Duchess immediately, and Porkchop blustered her way through sharing their information.
• After briefly discussing and sharing their sample of pollution, the Dancers escorted the team to a holding cell for a few hours. After independently comparing their sample to other samples taken previously, the Duchess agreed that there seemed to be truth to their claims. She sent them with a guard of Dancers to collect modified Gneutralizer Suits adapted for underwater exploration (called Gnautilus Suits). Then, they all descended underwater to find the pipe once again, and the guards agreed it was a true claim. They spent the night in the Glass House inside Tinker Tower, guests of the Duchess, and prepared for the court case the following day.

27th of Eben (Day 6 of the Festival of Night):

• The team was ushered into the courtroom, and sat in a booth on the far side of the room. Each was required to hold a stone, which removed Porkchop's illusion enchantment. Seeing this, an official fitted her with a bracelet that cancels out illusion magic. In the center of the room, there was a chair with symbols all over it, enforcing a zone of truth upon anyone seated in it.
• Brillin Corkas was ushered in, and he and his lawyer sat opposite the team. The Duchess started the proceedings, and began to question each of the team members individually. They all gave their testimony, and clarified on confusion surrounding Aegir.
• Corkas' lawyer tried to discredit them, mentioning their debacle in Burnsley with the exploding rat. He also attempted to enforce how important Corkas Industries is to the economy, and minorly threatened how investigations could severely damage output.
• The Judge deliberated, and eventually decided to heavily fine Corkas Industries and investigate personally all current projects, their effects on the environment, and rumors of dangerous working conditions. Corkas was escorted out.
• The team was led out of the room, and eventually met with the Duchess after a short time. She thanked them for their candor and help with formulating the case against Corkas. As she was discussing, a messenger barged in and stated there was urgent news to discuss.
• They returned to the Duchess' office, where a messenger stood waiting, bandaged and suffering from frostbite. He informed them all of the arrival of Gellureth, the Ivory Demise, a white dragon from the far north.
• Gellureth had a cave in the mountains to the north, and had been subjugating a group of giants for some time. He had seemingly abandoned his roost, taking a small force of hobgoblins and bugbears with him, and had attacked the local village of Harmstead, a day's ride from Gnomeopolis.
• Hearing all of this, the Duchess implored the team to do reconnaissance and aid the villagers if possible, and then return with the news of what was occurring.
• The team agreed, and rode out of town, across the frozen lake. Galaxea cast water walking as they went upon the horses, and made good time, despite the
  freezing weather and deep snow upon
  the ground.

• The team arrived at dusk, slowing and stealthily approaching the outer limits of Harmstead. Giant ice spikes encased several buildings, with a single building showing a light. A lone figure wandered around the outskirts, keeping watch.
• Porkchop approached stealthily, determining that there were several hobgoblins and bugbears, and a couple frost wolves, guarding over several villagers hiding in frozen buildings. The team infiltrated the town, and Galaxea cast silence to mask their activities. They quickly dispatched all the threats, saving several villagers, but failing to act and protect the mayor while they planned what to do.
• As Porkchop headed over a hill to find the remaining baddies, she witnessed a battalion of mounted soldiers, sporting the colors of Birunduul. They belonged to the Crimson Cloaks, and had arrived recently, defeating any remaining minions. The team met up with them, and Thuzzal witnessed that the leader was Commander Gunderson, his old enemy.
• The Commander wished to use the villagers as bait to lure the Dragon into an ambush, blowing up the tunnel it had built for itself, and then defeating it as quick as possible. Talking him out of it, the team escorted the remaining villagers out of town, heading north along the shoreline towards Gnomeopolis.

28th of Eben (Day 7 of the Festival of Night):

• The team walked through the day and into the next night, and were horrified to see as they rounded a corner that Gellureth was sitting, waiting for them on the shore of the lake. He stretched lazily, and informed them that they all would be returning to Harmstead to be his slaves.
• Chad spoke up, challenging Gellureth and piquing his interest. The Dragon agreed to a battle within a cave, to make it more fair, and he quickly dug a rocky, icy cavern into the ground. The townsfolk fled ahead, fleeing towards Gnomeopolis to seek refuge within its walls...

1st of Nimbus (The year, 1094):

• The next morning, on the first day of the new year, the team took an hour or so to try and harvest valuable dragon parts from Gellureth's corpse. They collected 25 lbs of scales, 6 claws, 3 vials of blood, and 6 teeth.
• They returned to Gnomeopolis, exhausted and wanting to reassure the villagers of Harmstead and update the Duchess. The Duchess was greatly impressed. She offered them magic items, gold, and Corkas' old mansion nearby, which they declined.
• The team requested that if the Duchess claimed the corpse of Gellureth, that she reserve some additional scales, ribs, and a femur for them. She agreed to this. Thuzzal also requested to commission some magic arrows for his sake, which she also agreed to.
• The party visted with the villagers taking refuge in the fields of Gnomeopolis. Tristan Smithson, a half-orc, seemed to be taking the lead and picking up the mantle of leader for the group. Happy for this progress, the team went to sleep in the Duchess' tower, resting hard.

2nd of Nimbus:

• The Duchess allowed the team to peruse the magic items collected from Corkas' estates, resulting in the party gathering a collective 4000, as well as a Headband of Intellect, which Galaxea wore.
• The team decided to relax a bit, before heading back to Harmstead on horseback for the next day to help out with the restoration. They left that night, gathered the bugbear corpses into a pile, burned them, and camped in one of the abandoned houses.

3rd of Nimbus:

• The team spent the morning wandering around the town, fixing windows, getting rid of trash, and trying to speed up the restoration process. They also investigated the location of Gellureth's original cave. Upon searching, they found the location where the company of Crimson Cloaks had been massacred. It appeared that several had survived however, and had proceeded to loot the cave. As they dug around in the ice cave, Chad managed to find some gold and magical sword hilt that had been overlooked in the ice. Attuning to it, he discovered that it was a magical Sunbladed Greatsword.
• Returning from Harmstead, they passed the cave where Gellureth's corpse had lain. It was now empty, with heavy drag marks back to Gnomeopolis. Following these, they found where multiple Gneutralizer
  suits were busy tearing the
  corpse apart, planning to
  harvest it for
  valuable
  materials.

4th of Nimbus:

• Porkchop acquired a few additional scales from the Duchess, and then sold a few in exchange for healing potions. Wanting to earn some extra gold, the team searched the billboard for additional work locally. They were drawn to an advertisement seeking help with strange noises in a recently unearthed basement. They investigated the building, taking on the job for an older gnome lady.
• In the basement, they found horrible undead, resembling a terribly tall and sharp dead gnome. They eventually determined that the gnome had attempted to become a lich, and had failed, transforming himself and his assistant into undead. The wine cellar was sealed, along with some of the bodies of a few warforged who had been sacrificed in the ritual.
• Agreeing not to talk about it, the team took some hush money and left the area.
• Porkchop wanted to go to the evening black market, but she didn't like the market prices for her White Dragon materials. She decided not to sell anything, and returned with Thuzzal to take a rest. Thuzzal also checked into his magic shop, exchanging a sizable chunk of soul credit for a +1 Shield.

5th of Nimbus:

• Chad received a femur from the corpse of Gellureth, and Thuzzal recieved his magic arrows and some ribs.
• Galaxea cast legend lore upon the tablet pieces that Porkchop had found, learing about how it was one of three from an ancient past, depicting lycanthropes, Malar, Selune, and the two Moons).
• Porkchop was fascinated, and ran to the library to read further on the topic, as well as what she even is. Disturbed by a lack of understanding as to what race she is, she wandered the city in a huff for a time. Galaxea spent the next few days reading and meditating on the bottom of the lake, speaking with Aegir when possible and trying to gauge the health of the lake.

6th through 8th of Nimbus:

• Thuzzal spent two days working with Porkchop on how to make Sleep Arrows; they succeeded, with Porkchop providing the magic and Thuzzal doing the tinkering and paying the costs. He also collected the last of his commissioned magic arrows, arrows of entanglement.
• They determined that crafting a ring of a cantrip would cost 400 GP, and considered making some rings so that Thuzzal could have access to cantrips.

9th of Nimbus:

• Growing weary of their stay in Gnomeopolis, the team visited the Duchess and received her token of gratitude, for service to the city. They thanked her for her hospitality, and headed to the teleportation circle for transit to Lutetia with their horses.
• They arrived at the Clearwater Academy in Lutetia, and walked across the bustling city to stay at the Silver Table Inn. Porkchop kept looking for any familiar faces. She visited her old hiding spot atop a nearby building, and wandered the sewers a bit, trying to find her way back to the catacombs.

11th of Nimbus:

• Galaxea lifted the lingering curses on the team. They returned to the Temple of Kord to collect their magical items, and both Galaxea and Thuzzal's improved armor and bow were flawless.
• Chad talked to Kord's disciples about destroying the Fist he had found, but was informed that such an artifact is beyond their power. The Archmandrite advised Chad to return to his temple in Crystallia and seek advisement from his superiors, since it falls more under their expertise.
• Chad sought out an expert on teleportation, the Archmage of Conjuration Elwin Xyralim, who offered to cast the spell teleport for them, on the condition that they pay him well. His price was 800 gold total when he has the time, for each of them with their horses. Chad also asked about the cost to travel to Crystallia, which isn't possible due to not being within the empire. Within, it is possible to travel to Brightshore, Lutetia, Frostford, and Gnomeopolis for 50 gp per person (extra 50 for travel animals)
• Shopping time! The team ran around checking magic shops and craftsmen for valuable items, potions, and more. They purchased a few potions, and Chad bought several meat pies to hand out to orphans.

12th of Nimbus:

• The party slept in a bit, and then arose well-rested, ready to hit the road and travel to the Temple to Selune in the southeast, deep in the heart of the Verdance. They left Lutetia by the eastern gate, and headed off on the road.
• They noticed some hooded figures following them at a distance, and the team eventually left the main road to turn south towards the forest. After half an hour of distance from the road, Galaxea was suddenly knocked off of her horse by powerful force out of nowhere, and arrows started to rain down from above.
• Galaxea summoned a blade barrier all around them, and they engaged in combat with an invisible stalker and a group of bandits.
• Several sliced and diced bandits later, Porkchop noticed that one of the bandits she was about to assassinate was her old friend Cobb, a fellow street urchin who had once run with some of her people back in Lutetia when they were younger. She convinced him to stand down, but not before Thuzzal ran up and slew the last hitman, whom he recognized as an ex-grasslander.
• The party continued towards the forest, eventually entering into the dim woods. As they set up camp, Thuzzal hears a voice in his head, asking him "That was fun wasn't it?." Confused, he saw a few strange things in the woods, freaking him out a bit. As he got up to hand over his watch to Galaxea, he fell flat on his face, from his shoe laces being tied together.

13th of Nimbus:

• The next day, the team almost stumbled into a trap in the woods, set for them by a pack of Weresquirrels. Chad failed miserably to climb the trees, while Thuzzal blasted them with lightning and Porkchop shanked them all to oblivion.
• Afterwards, Thuzzal heard more voices, seemingly entertained by his choice to use lightning against the squirrels. Porkchop, wanting to antagonize Thuzzal, made an illusion of a squirrel waving at him, which freaked him out. Afterwards, Porkchop began to hear the same voice, entertained by her hijinks.
• As the rode through the woods, they both heard that it had another test for them. Shortly afterward, two massive Tyrannosaurus Rexes burst
  from the treeline, along with
  four velociraptors. Galaxea
  almost died in one's jaws,
  but they persevered.

17th of Nimbus:

• The following morning, the team went about their business assisting with running the airship. At one point, Porkchop spotted a distant Roc flying along the same trajectory as them. Galaxea cast silence, and they rigged the ship for silent running.
• Feeling paranoid, Galaxea kept ritual casting the spell Silence through the rest of the day and into the night, long after the Roc had disappeared.

18th of Nimbus:

• The next evening, the team arrived in Crooked Rock. Galaxea needed the sleep, so the team decided to sleep through the night into the next day before debarking. (Day 1/7 Used)

19th of Nimbus:

• A couple of the deckhands tossed down a rope ladder, and the team descended and talked with the locals. They learned about the existence of old abandoned ruins southwest of town, across the marsh.
• They also learned about a predator that had been preying upon the farmer's livestock for a long time, nicknamed the "Bright-eyed Grey."
• After eating a hearty breakfast and double checking on the directions, the team decided to set out across the marsh. It was slow going, and Galaxea shaped the water to clear a path through the puddles and small ponds in their way.
• Engrossed in their activity, the team failed to notice a troll bearing down on them. They quickly slew it, after Thuzzal entangled it with a magic arrow, but the sounds of battle drew in more trolls. A Dire Troll and a Venom troll approached, and the battle became more dangerous.
• After defeating the trolls and taking a short rest, the team continued on through the marsh, into the nighttime. They eventually found broken stone columns, and followed them to the mouth of a cave covered in ancient runes. Porkchop snuck closer, accidentally triggering a trap, and messed with a fur-wearing individual who came out of the cave to check.
• The team slept nearby, off the path, and Porkchop witnessed a pig-like humanoid wandering past in the night. She tried to scare it away with subtle sounds and wind in the trees. (Day 2/7 Used)

20th of Nimbus:

• Porkchop scouted back to the cave, and used message to convince a single creature within to "present an offering" to their god, intending for them to view the instruction as coming outside. Instead, it headed deeper within. Confused, Porkchop stealthed into the cave, proceeding to map out the interior. She noted a crypt, odd barrels, and stone guardians shaped like sloths. At one point, some werecreatures within noticed her smell and began to pursue her. She ended up cornered in a hallway at a door, and teleported to the other side without knowing what to expect.

• There, Porkchop was apprehended by a werepig caster who was highly suspicious of her. The other players had entered the cave at this point, and engaged with the moving stone statues that sprang to life.
• The team engaged in combat, the players fighting off the statues and several werewolves that came out to fight them. Porkchop teleported away, running back to join the team.
• After defeating the enemies, they continued to explore the cave system and loot, avoiding traps and seeking out remaining enemies.
• They were ambushed by an invisible dire bear, that had been guarding a doorway, at the same time they were attacked by the werepig.
• After barely surviving that encounter, they found the end of the cave system. Inside, a large stone statue of a sloth, as well as beautiful carvings of animals all around. Opening a stone casket, they found the corpse of a small humanoid inside. Galaxea cast speak with dead on the skull, and learned that in life it had gone by Awyn. Excited, they quizzed the skull for info and learned that the other two tablets were located in Harrowhame within the Feywild, as well as the plains outside Evernight in the Shadowfell.
• The team looted the rest of the caverns, exercising their skills and collecting an amulet protecting against poison, boots of speed, and gauntlets of ogre strength.
• The team slept in the caves afterwards, and Porkchop was woken by a strange red glow from deeper in the caves. She explored deeper, and found the deep red light of Marius shining from above, flooding the cave of the sloth. She placed the reformed tablet of Malar into the depression below the ceiling, suffusing it in the red light. It took on a reddish-orange glow, restored to its former enchantment.
• (Day 3/7 Used)

21st of Nimbus:

• The team awoke, leaving the cave and returning to Crooked Rock via the paved road route. That night, they camped on the side of the road.
• Chad had a poor workout while he kept watch, and as he tried to catch his breath and looked into the darkness around camp, he saw a vision emerging from the shadows. He saw a massive dark city, nestled in snowcapped mountains, being crushed as an enormous fist errupted from the earth around it, slowly crushing it in its grasp. Disturbed, Chad slept poorly after his watch, confused by what he saw.
• (Day 4/7 Used)

22nd of Nimbus:

• By the next afternoon, the team made it back to Crooked Rock. As they were approaching, Galaxea noticed a flicker of light as bestial glowing eyes watched them from the underbrush. It fled once she noticed it however. Suspecting the creature to be the Bright-Eyed Grey, they asked around town and got confirmation that the villagers would like the creature to be dealt with.
• The players slept on the airship that night, and decided to seek out the creature the following morning.
• Chad collected supplies to try and make mead, and began a brew on the airship. (Day 5/7 Used)

23rd of Nimbus:

• The next morning, the team returned to where they had spotted the creature. They followed the tracks, wandering through the forest. Eventually they stumbled upon the creature laying under a tree. It bolted away, and Porkchop gave pursuit. She caught up with her insane speed, and the beast spun around to confront her. Porkchop tried to calm it, and was surprised when the beast changed its demeanor and tackled her, purring aggressively.
• Galaxea arrived, and through the use of the spell Tongues, was able to learn that the creature was Porkchop's mother, the massive grey jaguar that had raised her. In talked to her, the team learned she had been transformed into a beast while she was expected Porkchop to be born, as a boon by Malar for being particularly ferocious.
• She protects Crooked Rock from monsters, and does so without recognition out of a sense of guilt she felt for her years of violence in the past.
• Porkchop and the others returned to the town, convincing the villagers to come out and meet with her mom. They did so, and while initially trepidatious, they eventually approached her and started to be friendly.
• That night, the players slept once more on the Airship, except for Porkchop, who slept with her mother in the abandoned shack north of town. (Day 6/7 Used)

24th of Nimbus:

• That morning, Galaxea walked nearby to the town and found a small river that headed east towards the sea. There, she made a small shrine to Aegir and cast the spell Word of Recall upon it.
• Porkchop said goodbye to her mother, having collected the tablet, and the team boarded the airhsip to return to the western side of Kamuin. They took flight, waving goodbye to Crooked Rock and Porkchop's mom.
• Later that day, Derrick spotted a Roc flying closer on the horizon. He warned everyone and they did what they could to reduce noise, including Galaxea, who cast fog cloud around the ship. However it was too late, and the Roc attacked with its mate, another monstrous bird. Porkchop and Thuzzal were both lifted from the ship and tossed through the air; Porkchop managed to drink a potion of flying to prevent falling, and she managed to levitate Thuzzal and scare of the Rocs before any permanent damage occurred.

25th - 27th of Nimbus:

• The rest of the voyage continued uneventfully, with Porkchop and Galaxea working on making a ring of Tongues in between shifts. The team arrived back at the Tower of the Grasping Fist on the night of the 27th.
• Wanting to check, they quickly did some reading about lunar calendars, and received a timeline before the next major celestial event: a double lunar eclipse occurring on the 26th of Durak, approximately two months from then. The last known occurrence of such an event was a few hundred years ago.

28th of Nimbus:

• On the last day of Nimbus, the team decided to seek out a portal to the Feywild and try to find the location of the second Tablet of Awyn.
• They housed their horses in the stables, and paid in advance for a month of caretaking. Then, they walked away from the Tower into the lush woods nearby.
• Galaxea decided to try and summon a Planar Ally to guide them to the Feywild. She cast the spell, and a scruffy looking Satyr named Gayron stumbled out into the clearing where they stood. It belched and asked them for payment. Porkchop dug around in her bag and decided to offer an aged vintage wine, as well as a bottle of moonshine. Shrugging, the Satyr agreed to take it and promptly set out into the surrounding woods, chugging the moonshine as it went.
• After a short time, it led them to the base of a massive oak tree. There, it finished the alcohol, said "You're welcome," and staggered off through a small portal.
• The team, a bit confused, looked around for clues. Porkchop spotted a small pixie up in the branches, which promptly hid from view. She ran into the tree and offered to help it, providing rations and attempting to make them taste better.
• The Pixie introduced itself as Rip, and informed Porkchop the portal was within the oak tree, at the top.
• The team climbed the tree, lowered a rope, and descended into the deep hollow within the massive trunk.

???, the Glowing Bog, Feywild

• On the other side, a massive marshy bog stretched in all directions. The air stunk of sulfur and mold, and dozens of steaming pools containing neon liquids and bubbling mud surrounded the team. Rip the Pixie was persuaded to help when Chad created a feast for him. He began to lead them through the mire, heading in a direction only apparant to him.
• At one point, one of the glowing pools turned out to be a monsterous ooze. It attacked them, permanently damaging Chad and Thuzzal's armor.
• After hours of hiking, Rip informed them they were close to Harrowhame, their destination. A thudding noise was heard, and a hideous Fomorian walked around the corner, spotting them. It attacked, and cursed Porkchop with its evil eye.
• Chad managed to land the killing blow upon the beast, and cast it down. Panicing, the group fled into Porkchop's pocket dimension using rope trick. From there, they watched as a couple more Fomorians arrived and dragged away the body of their friend.
• The team deliberated what to do. Rip had seemingly fled, and they were close to their destination, but with no plan as to how to find their tablet.
• The team agreed to approach non-violently, hoping to convince the Fomorians they were merely travelers seeking to trade. Porkchop took the lead, and they walked around the bend and saw Harrowhame.
• A massive mansion, this beautiful towering building stood out at odds with the
  marshland around it. It sat
  on the edge of a cliff,
  which descended
  to a massive forest
  below. The team
  approached and
  braced themselves
  to speak with the
  fomorians guarding
  the entrance.

???, Harrowhame, Feywild

• The two Fomorians eyed them approaching, clubs at the ready. They casually walked up, Porkchop in the lead, and she proceeded to sweet talk their way inside, claiming they had brought gifts and wanted to trade with the leader. Due to the some unlikely yet incredibly convincing smooth talking, the one guardsman led them inside the massive structure, up two flights of stairs, and into the throneroom of the Fomorian King.
• The monsterous giant sat on his throne, tiny crown cocked to one side, and he grilled them for information. Porkchop defended them, offering rare paintings and shiny silverware in exchange for the tablet. The king was highly suspicious, but the group had found him in a good mood, and Porkchop proved to be unwavering.
• Agreeing to her terms, the kind led the group into his treasure room, where he handed over the second Tablet of Aywn, this one depicting the two moons in orbit. He took their paintings and silverware and told them to leave, which they promptly did.
• Afterwards, the team journeyed across the bog, eventually seeking help from a strange small crawling creature to navigate back to the pool of water which had served as a portal for their entry. After some difficulty in passing through, the team once again climbed out of the trunk of the tree, back into Athendria.

Athendria, the 17th of Mistro:

• Having successfully returned from the Fey, the team headed back to the Tower of the Grasping Fist. There, they rested, and learned that about 2.5 weeks had passed since they entered the Feywild.

18th of Mistro:

• The next morning, determined to find the third tablet, they decided to grab an Airship to Moduli. Derrick was around and joined them for the brief voyage, which only took most of the day.
• The team flew in on a merchant airship, laden with goods, and they enjoyed the slow transition from deep rich forest, to grassy scrublands, to dry desert.
• As they approached the outskirts of Moduli late that night, they saw a strangely familiar circus tent erected on the perimeter. The Vistani, the same performing group they had encountered to the far north at Gnomeopolis, had arrived.
• The team settled in at the Roasted Boar Tavern, stabling their horses for the night.

Moduli, the 19th of Mistro:

• The team ran around Moduli, familiarizing themselves with the new city. They went shopping at Broadarm's Smithy, purchasing fine studded leathers, repairing their old armor, and some new weapons and potions.
• Chad followed rumors concerning charity and met Redjaw, a half-oge who runs Flavor Gypsies, a spiced meat sandwich joint. Porkchop recognized him as a contact for the Breathless, and asked to speak with Zhao. Redjaw bid her return that night.
• Chad commissioned Admantine Splint Mail, while Galaxea investigated at the Starview Palace, and read various books about the Shadowfell, learning about the city of Evernight and the creatures that live there.
• Chad convinced a young gnome in the Vistani he recognized from Gnomeopolis to let him talk with the new ringleader of the Vistani the day after. Thuzzal learned that Visk, the old ringleader, had gone missing.
• Chad ordered 20 meat calzones to hand out the next day. The team also did some potion shopping before heading back to the inn for the night.
• Porkchop returned to visit with Redjaw, who led her to the edge of town before blindfolding her and walking her into the desert.
• She was allowed to open her eyes in a dimly lit sandstone cave system. Redjaw brought her before a tan half-elf, who identified herself as Kestrel. She wore black plate armor, and seemed more than capable. She offered Porkchop an opportunity to prove her worth for possible entry into the Breathless guild, by taking a contract from the League of Blue Steel for collecting scorpion stingers.
• Porkchop thanked her for the opportunity and returned to the tavern the way she came with Redjaw.

??? The Shadowfell

• The team arrived in a dark narrow ravine, shrouded in fog. All color was lacking from the surrounding rock, and as they looked at each other, there was no color at all in their clothing or faces; all was a different shade of gray.
• As they thought about what to do, several horrible human-like creatures lurched out of the darkness nearby. The team fought them off, and Galaxea managed to cast Geas upon one with two heads. She commanded it to take them to Evernight, and it proceeded to groan and climb the nearby ravine walls.
• The team climbed out of the ravine, following the shambling monster into the fog. Eventually it led them to the edge of a massive wall of stone, stretching in each direction. Galaxea dismissed the creature, and they began to walk along the wall, seeking an entrance.
• Eventually they found a collapsed portion of the wall, and stepped inside. They found a ruinous city, filled with broken and dilapidated buildings. Thuzzal and Porkchop eventually recognized it as a horribly warped version of Lutetia, mirrored and abandoned.
• As they wandered, Galaxea noticed they were being watched. Porkchop ran nearby, and snuck up on a dark figure, crouched behind a nearby building. The team made themselves known, and dozens of forms leaped into view, threatening the group.
• The team talked them down, and learned they were Shadar-Kai, a group of dark elves that live in the city of Evernight. Chad summoned a feast to feed them in exchange for guidance to someone who may know where to find the tablet.
• The team was led across the city to another exit from the walls. They were told for follow a path and seek out the tower of the "Nameless One." They left Evernight, seeking this next lead. Along the way, Porkchop noticed her shadow behaving weirdly, ignoring light sources, and reaching towards her ankles.
• Eventually they found the tower, a strange small structure jutting out of the rocky terrain as if it had grown there. A diminutive man in a fine black cloak surprised them, asking about their purpose and inviting them inside. He introduced himself as Abdiel, and showed them his modest collection of rare items inside the tower.

• After some talking about the Tablet, Abdiel suggested that it may be in the lair of a Shadow Dragon nearby, a monster he had had some run-ins with in the past. He explained that it hated him, and he had disintegrated its wings some time ago, but left it alive.
• The team agreed to investigate, and Abdiel offered to provide support if they needed it. He led them across the plains, eventually stopping outside a small crater, with a cave at the center. He held back, and the team approached. As they did, a large adult Shadow Dragon crawled out from the cave and challenged them. They noticed its lack of wings, and boldly offered to trade, talk, or barter. It had no interest in such things, and attacked the team.
• The fight was quick and brutal; Chad smote the dragon with all his might, and the others cast lightning and blasted it with magic. Abdiel came to their aid, with blazing wings, blasting it with fire from above.
• Eventually the dragon fell, and the adventurers harvested a few claws and scales. They descended into the cave of the dragon, and found deep within its massive hoard of loot. Amongst the riches they found a Deck of Many things, a Manual of Bodily Health, 12600 gold, gemstones, and other assorted magic items. At the bottom, Porkchop found the third and final Tablet of Aywn, the Selune tablet.
• Abdiel seemed unimpressed by the hoard, and let the players take most of the loot. They asked if he would be able to teleport them to Gnomeopolis, which he surprisingly was more than willing to do. He opened a Gate to the shoreline near the main gateway by Gnomeopolis, and they players stepped out of the dreary darkness of the shadowfell, back into a chill spring day in Athendria.

Gnomeopolis, the 1st of Durak:

• The players entered Gnomeopolis, where they were immediately recognized by a few gnomes walking past. Word of their arrival rapidly spread, and as the approached the Melon Bar, the tavern owner rushed out to meet with them, ready to throw a party for Chad and his friends.
• The team noticed the Melon Bar had been renamed as the Dragonsfall Tavern, in honor of the team's exploits. The barkeep told the team that drinks were on him, and a party commenced. Chad gave the innkeep a dragon talon from the shadow dragon to display next to his old greatsword. The owner burst into tears at Chad's generosity and thanked him profusely for his kindness and for bringing such buisness to his tavern. The team slept there overnight, free of charge.

2nd - 15th of Durak:

• In the following weeks, Chad sought out the local pie seller, and purchased several dozen pies to distribute to the local orphans. He spent his spare time working out and increasing his renown, starting with the title of Pie Man from the local orphans.
• Porkchop read through her Tome of Clear Thought, increasing her intelligence. She also worked on the Ring of Tongues, an eventual gift for her mother Tora.
• Thuzzal placed orders for more magic arrows with the Gnome Tinkerers, as well as enchanting his cloak to hide his face in dark shadow perpetually, even in broad daylight.
• Galaxea visited the Lakebed Shrine, praying to Aegir. When she did so, her Trident was empowered, granting her new spells, and she felt Aegir's approval. She had further visions of Skulldura, reinforcing her prerogative to go there.
• Chad spent the majority of his savings to purchase a plot of land atop a hill near Gnomeopolis, and paid for a group of gnomes to begin building an orphanage. It was projected to finish construction by the 9th of Ahwa, 55 days from its commission date.
• Porkchop purchased some quality leather armor for herself and visited with Albert Ernstein to update him on what she knew and try to learn about what had happened to Corkas.

16th of Durak:

• As the date neared their expected deadline for the Double Lunar eclipse, the team agreed it was time to head back to Crooked Rock. Galaxea used Word of Recall to teleport herself and her friends back to the small shrine she had constructed there.
• Upon their arrival, they were ambushed by Tora, who was guarding the village, but she immediately relented upon recognizing them. She joyfully ran around Porkchop purring and greeting her the best she could. Porkchop gave her the completed Ring of Tongues, placing it upon her tail, and granting her the ability to use the Tongues spell on herself at will. She did so, and expressed her gratitude.

• She immediately shared that the remnants of her old tribe had moved into the ruins of the Sloth Shrine, which the team had previously cleared out. Concerned, the team decided to travel their before the eclipse and figure out how to handle the Tribe.

17th of Durak:

• The team headed into the woods, following the path to the Shrine. They camped a few miles away for the night. That evening, as Chad got his daily workout in and kept watch, the darkness surrounding the campsite swelled around him. He had a vision of a blue tiefling woman, sitting at a desk in a room filled with books, reading something. An evil aura emanated from her person, filling the space. The aura reminded Chad of the Fist of Hextor he carried on his person. The vision ended, and Chad slept restlessly.

18th of Durak:

• The team approached the Shrine, and were confronted by a host of werecreatures. The tension in the air was palpable, and Porkchop spied the presence of the werewolf that had gotten away the last time they fought at the shrine. Chad stepped forward, and was buffed by Porkchop and Galaxea, enhancing his strength. He challenged the strongest of the Tribe, asking for their respect. A muscular werepig stepped forward, and charged Chad. They wrestled briefly, with Chad easily coming out on top.
• Next, a werepanther stepepd up and challenged the group to a race. Porkchop oblidged, and outstripped the runner by a substantial amount with her magic boots and haste.
• Finally, an elderly halfling stepped up, and proposed a battle of chess. Galaxea did her best, managing to best her in a game. The Tribe recognized the team's strength, and they began to talk.

26th of Durak, Day of the Double Lunar Eclipse:

• The day arrived. The team waited until nighttime, and then secluded themselves in the Shrine. Soon enough, the moons began to come into view above the hole in the ceiling, washing the room in red and white light. As they climbed in the sky, they neared each other, seeming to get closer and larger as they did so. Finally, slowly, they began to overlap. At the critical moment, as both moons coincided perfectly, Porkchop stepped forward and placed the tablets into their places. They glowed brightly, and then shattered into a thousand glowing fragments, lifting upwards and rotating around the central platform.
• After an initial hesitation, Porkchop stepped into the center, bathing in the moonlight. The glowing dust of the tablets coalesced onto her skin, forming swirling, glowing patterns. At that moment, two rifts tore open on opposite sides of the chamber; from one, warm bluish light poured, and beautiful, severe elvish woman standing 12 feet tall stepped through, her haughty features fixed on Porkchop. On the other side, a dark jungle was visible through the rift, as a brutish and red-headed ape-like creature crawled through, huffing at the air and starting transfixed at Porkchop. The two behemoths stood motionless, glaring at Porkchop.
• Porkchop, bathed in moonlight and the glow of the floating tablet shards, spoke. She commanded the two deities to get over their differences, and to reduce the conflict between their followers. She followed up by asking for the power to shift her form, like all of the other shifters, both werecreatures and druids alike.
• The two goes stepped forward, placing a finger each on Porkchop's shoulders. A blinding flash of light occurred, and the spell was broken. The gods disappeared, the moons passed each other in the sky, and the fragments of the tablets fell to the ground, crumbling into dust.

• Porkchop stood unscathed, but with subtle dark swirling patterns across her fur in the shapes the tablets had left. Togma burst into the room, concerned about the noise, but was calmed by the team that nothing was amiss. Porkchop concentrated, and her form swelled into that of a Dire Bear, its massive muscled form landing heavily on the ground. It appeared that her wish had succeeded.
• As the team stepped outside, they were surprised by the presence of a tense standoff. Twenty feet away, a heavily armored platoon of followers of Selune stood, with Sumia Silvertail at their head. They were heavily armed and armored, as if for battle. The Tribe stood tensely, ready for a fight.
• Porkchop stepped forward to intervene, and as she did so, Sumia explained that she had recieved a vision from Selune weeks ago, compelling her to come to this place at this time. With Porkchop as the mediator, Sumia and Togma spoke quietly in the middle, agreeing to put aside their differences, stop the infighting, and embrace each other as siblings and a family of theriathropes. The platoon and the Tribe began to cautiously get to know each other, seemingly less hostile. Porkchop's wish seemed to have worked.

27th of Durak:

• The next morning, the team said their goodbyes and left the Shrine. Taking each other's hands, Galaxea used Word of Recall and took them all back to the bottom of Attiwich Loch, to the Temple of Aegir.
• They swam to the surface, and made their way back to Gnomeopolis. They visited Dragonsfall Tavern. The Innkeeper, Toris, had a package for the party. Chad opened it, and a cloud of black smoke poured out, engulfing him. Waving it away, the team found a small purple nightshade flower at the bottom of the box.
• Chad cleaned himself off and asked Toris to check in on the orphanage from time to time, which he agreed to do. Porkchop met up with Albert Ernstein in the sewers below the city, updating him on Chad's orphanage and asking about Corkas. She learned that the Nightshade Guild is a fairly recent restructuring of the Nightwalkers, and that Corkas was rumored to have fled to the east, perhaps near Frostford.
• Chad checked in on his favorite meat pie restaurant, and commissioned the baker Shelly to deliver pies daily to the orphanage, once built. Then, he visited the build site, and noticed that Manford, of Manford Bros Construction, was making great progress towards completion of the foundations.
• The team wrapped up their business and visited briefly with the Duchess before teleporting via their circle back to Lutetia.
• Once there, Porkchop asked to vist the Menagerie, a zoo of sorts maintained by the acolytes of Melora. In doing so, she was particularly inspired by a Giant Eagle nesting, as well as several other beasts. Watching them, she learned more about the types of creatures she could transform into.
• Afterwards, the party returned to Clearwater Academy, ready to take advantage of Chad's previous research and teleport themselves to Crystallia with the expertise of the Archmage of Conjuration, Alamir.

28th of Durak: The Festival of Growth, Crystallia:

• As Chad's tattoo progressed through the night, he began to witness a series of visions. He was drawn away from the tent, and he witnessed a dark mansion on the edge of a lake, near a dark city, with an intense aura of evil emanating from it.
• Next, he saw a blue tiefling woman, resting in a dense library room, with a similar aura emanating from her person.
• Then, Chad witnessed a strange, dark hulking form, walking through a field with corpses all around, as massive cubic landmasses floated through a dark sky.
• After that, Chad witnessed a dense mire, and sensed the same evil aura from a puddle, as glowing eyes and dark shapes shifted through the mists.
• As his visions ended, Chad's tattoo was complete; the symbol of the flexing arm of Heironeous on his bicep gave him greater strength. He thanked and paid Ingvar, and headed back to the Temple.
• The team woke the next morning, heading out into the city to celebrate the Festival of Growth. Free foods, festive masks, and decorative displays covered the city. Porkchop headed to Ingavr's Inks, excited to also get her own magic tattoo. She settled in, and asked for a circular tattoo on her back that lets her cast Tiny Hut once a day without any other resources. The circular tattoo was intended to be similar to the completed Tablets of Awyn, without the symolism of Malar or Selune. Porkchop took a few breaths of the purple smoke, and felt herself getting drowsy as Ingvar got to work.
• Porkchop saw a distant dark
  tower, sitting on a frosty
  tundra. Inside, deep below,
  she saw a family working
  in some kind of mine.
  The youngest of them,
  a small girl, turned,
  and Porkchop saw her
  face was partially
  missing, with the skull
  showing through.
• As Porkchop finished
  her tattoo, the smoke
  cleared, and she paid
  Ingvar and thanked him.
  As soon as she stepped
  outside of the tent, she
  turned around, and saw
  that the tent had
  vanished. Confused, but
  excited to enjoy the
  festival, Porkchop
  headed off in search
  of further events.

• Thuzzal, not wanting to be left out, headed to Ingvar's Inks to get a magic tattoo of his own. He found the tent with no issue, and asked Ingvar for a palm tattoo of an eye to match the leaf on his other palm, and for it to give the ability to cast Invisibilty on himself.
• As the smoke lulled him to sleep, Thuzzal saw a vision of Ragnadod, kneeling in front of a towering throne amidst gargantuan trees the size of skyscrapers. Sitting in the throne was a severe-looking fey, with pink and white skin and clothes, looking not unlike an orchid mantis. Her alien blue eyes glared down, displeased with Ragnadod. They spoke briefly, before Ragnadod turned away and looked at Thuzzal, winking in his direction, seemingly pleased with himself.
• Thuzzal awoke with his tattoo completed, and rejoined the rest of the group after paying Ingvar.
• Chad participated in a beer drinking contest, removing his amulet of poison protection to keep things fair. He went far longer than the rest of the participants, barely beating out his opposition. He was awarded a large keg as a prize.
• Porkchop went to the edge of the city and participated in a egg hunt. She sprinted across the dunes, gathering as many as she could find, barely collecting enough to make it back in time and win the prize, a magic Mask of the Beast, resembling a camel.
• Afterwards, Chad spoke with his Dragonborn bro, Broledad, and instructed him to travel to Gnomeopolis and run the orphanage in his stead. He also gave Broledad the gauntlets of Ogre strength, as well as 200 GP for the journey. Broledad was excited for his first major mission, and began preparing to head out.
• Galaxea headed to Ingvar's for her own tattoo, depicting a sea dragon on her left shoulder and arm. She wanted it to provide the material costs for casting the spell Otherworldly Form. Ingvar obliged, and as she drifted off, relaxed by the smoke, she witnessed the icy shores of Skulldura once again, and the entity in the ice caves below, beckoning her to visit.
• Her tattoo completed, she paid and left, noting the disappearance of the tent behind her. She rejoined the party, and they all wandered the city, drinking and enjoying a chance to relax. Galaxea got a bit too inebriated, and needed to be helped back to the Temple to sleep.

1st of Isoldre:

• After gathering their things, the team decided to head out and find their way to Nangshi Monastery. They checked with the central pyramids, finding different travel options, and picked the mid-range option for a flight to Shinjiang, with a single stop in Thrigrun along the way. They also shopped around a bit, and Chad got in some spectacular workouts.

2nd of the Isoldre:

• Early the next morning, the group boarded the airship Aetherstone, captained by Captain Daylee, a drow from the Reznor Dominion.
• The team settled in, and Porkchop continued to work on a magic ring for Thuzzal. The airhsip set sail for Thrigrun, heading southwest across the desert.

3rd - 7th of Isoldre, Thrigrun:

• After a few days of flying down the coast, the airship passed over a gulf and headed down towards Thrigrun. The mainly orcish city sprawled across wide marshes with occassional trees, shrouded in fog. The ship crew mentioned they were picking up weapons and raw materials to ship back to Shelthalas, the capitol of the Reznor Dominion.
• Chad and Galaxea headed to the Headquarters of Heironeous, to meet with President Arnold Amigobro. He found the Lodge, with a massive wooden sculpture of Hieroneous outside. They entered, and met with the President of Chad's order. They explained their mission, and the President approved Chad's quest. He gave them a bit more information about Nangshi Monastery, and instructions on heading north on the Isle of Mists, west of Shinjiang, to find it.
• Meanwhile, Thuzzal and Porkchop befriended a muscular orc blacksmith lady nearby, who spent the afternoon teaching them the basics of forging weapons. After the team regrouped, they gathered their things and reboarded the ship. It took off again, this time heading for Shinjiang directly. On the way, Porkchop completed her crafting of a ring of misty step, which she gave to Thuzzal.
• Several days later, the ship sailed in through the mists of the tall karsts around the city, docking at a tall tower of ornate design.

11th of Isoldre, Shinjiang:

• The team wandered the streets of Shinjiang, marveling at the foggy peaks, rushing rivers, and unique architecture. Hobgoblins of all sizes scurried past, farming rice patties and pushing carts. As they walked, the team overhead a strange popping noise. Curious, they asked around and were led to a nearby ornate house, home of Zōngshī Ma Bảo, inventor of the firearm. The team walked in and observed dozens of hobgoblins fabricating firearms on tables.
• Following the sound, the team were led by a butler to the back of the house, where the venerable master was firing off a unique weapon. He greeted them, and Thuzzal, fascinated, asked him for details. Thuzzal learned about the feud in the city between the two ruling families, and how this firearm design was Ma Bao's hope to reestablish his clan as the dominant one in the city.
• He agreed to sell a prototype of his weapon to Thuzzal for a large sum of gold. It was a tri-chambered carbine rifle, with 100 bullets, which Thuzzal needs to spend time practicing with to become proficient.
• Having hit it off with the Master well, the team told Ma Bao of their destination, and their need to hire a ship. He reccomended his nephew, and suggested they seek him out at the docks at the lower levels of the city. Thanking him, the team headed out and made their way to the lower levels of the city.
• On the edge of the river, they found the ship described by Ma Bao, and saw the crew lounging about on the ship deck, smoking some substance. They hailed the captain, referred to his uncle, and were granted passage to the Isle of Mists.

• The team relaxed on the ship, sailing out of harbor and downstream, towards the open ocean. They caroused with the crew, and Porkchop partook of some of the strange pipe smoke that the Shinjianese were smoking. She began to hallucinate after a time, having taken far too much, to the intense amusement of the ship crew.
• Thuzzal practiced with his new carbine, shooting down magical targets provided by Galaxea. The team slept on the deck overnight, enjoying the stars as they cruised across the bay outside the river.

12th of Isoldre, the Isle of Mists:

• The team disembarked early in the morning on the shore of the Isle of Mists. It lived up to its name, with thick fog shrouding the land, preventing visibility beyond 30 feet.
• The captain wished them well and launched off, heading back to Shinjiang. The team strode into the dense fog, heading in a northern direction, trusting Chad to lead the way.
• As they traveled vaguely north, the were attacked by a group of Bullywugs and toads. After fighting them off, they found an injured hippogrif with an arrow in its wing. They managed to yank it out and heal the creature, allowing it to take flight and leave.
• They came across a strange, corrupted shrine, with a powerful undead paladin wearing plate armor. They fought him off, managing to defeat him, and Chad picked up the remains, bringing it with.
• The team eventually climbed a tall cliff face, finding their way up to a large, foggy plateau. Galaxea stepped into the Ethereal Plane, noticing the way that strange ethereal mists seemed to move in a certain direction. Spliting from the party, she followed them. The others continued on their way into the mists.
• Galaxea found after 20 minutes or so that the mists converged on a stone archway jutting out of the earth. Stepping through, she found herself somewhere else, standing before a towering, ornate Monastery, floating on a chunk of earth amidst a sea of stars and clouds.

• Meanwhile, the remaining three in the party were attacked by a pack of Blink Wolves. These predators proved to be more than they could handle, and the three quickly were overwhelmed, with Chad falling and wolf eating three of his fingers.
• Porkchop and Thuzzal dragged him into a pocket dimension with rope trick, barely escaping.
• Galaxea, having found the Monastery, came back and sought to find her friends. Using sending, she learned that they were in trouble and needed help.
• She returned the way she had come, following their footsteps to rejoin the group. As she approached, the blink wolves stalked her, and she jumped into Porkchop's Rope Trick dimension.
• She cast regeneration on Chad, allowing him to slowly regrow his fingers. The team hopped out, defending Porkchop, and she used her magic tattoo for the first time to cast Tiny Hut, allowing them to rest and recover before heading to the entrance of the Monastery. The wolves stalked them inside the hut, but they were able to scare them away with magic eventually.
• Early the next morning, Galaxea led the way back to the entrance of the Monastery, and they all stepped through...

15th of Isoldre, Uthorim:

• The next day, they did some quick shopping to stock up on potions, before casting Find the Path to find where Gellureth had once lived. Galaxea was able to pinpoint a location far to the northwest. In referencing some maps, they determined that it was likely Goht Dumag was at Rimehold, the home of the Frost Giants, and likely where Gellureth had originated.
• Deciding that they needed to be teleported, they bribed their way into Elstellar Academy and met with an influential mage familiar with teleportation magic. He was hesitant to help, so Galaxea generously offered the financial backing of the Elsnor family for his research, which he eagerly accepted. They stood upon his teleportation circle, and he whisked them away to the far north, to his best estimate.
• The team found themselves standing in a raging blizzard, knee deep in snow. Galaxea's find the path spell told her they were close, maybe a mile away. They started walking in that direction, but were suddenly ambushed by two Rhemorazzes.

• The team managed to slay them, but not before one tried to burrow away with Chad in its jaws. Porkchop managed to skin a couple of them, saving their rare hides for later.
• The team approached their destination, and Porkchop scouted ahead invisibly. She was met by a icy, stone fortress build into the wall of the valley. Sitting outside in the raging blizzard, starved hill giants were chained to columns outside the door. Porkchop, despite being invisible, was detected by the starving giants, using their accute sense of smell. They strained at their leashes, trying to find her. She dashed past them, and entered the ice fortress when a frost giant opened the front door to check on the hill giants.
• Porkchop explored the interior of the structure, avoiding detection by frost giants, looting chests and collecting treasure, and eventually found a prison containing around 50 elves and half-elves. She unlocked their doors, encouraging them to try to escape when they got the chance.
• Shortly after, a hill giant caught her scent, and she ran from the fortress in a mad dash to return to the team. Casting tiny hut out in the snow, the team was able to shelter from the vengeful giants who lost track of them. After catching their breath, the team concluded that Goht Dumag wasn't here, and they needed to return to Uthorim to help defend it.
• Galaxea used Word of Recall and Planeshift to return to Galaxea's home in Uthorim, where they were informed that scouts had seen giants nearing the borders, and may attack in the morning. The team took a long rest, aiming to rest up and strategize in the morning.

16th of Isoldre, Seige of Uthorim:

• The next morning, the team awoke to the sound of warning horns. They hustled to the city walls, in particular, the main northern gate. There they met with Naebora, who stated that she would be providing what support she could as a mage. They took up positions and watched as a line of frost and hill giants crested a distant hill. After a few moments of tension, the beating of distant drums began, and they started to charge the walls.
• Galaxea created a storm, blasting many of the giants with intense lightning. Thuzzal used magic arrows and fired at the attackers. Porkchop hopped over the wall and ran behind the attackers, looking for Goht Dumag, who was nowehere to be seen.
• Once they giants reached the walls, some of them threw starved hill giants over the walls and into the city. Chad jumped down on the inside and dealt with them, as frost giants broke down the main gate.
• Thuzzal, Porkchop and Chad held the entryway, preventing the giants from passing into the city, while the Velharin, the elven city guard, rained down arrows and dealt with other giants along the walls. Porkchop transformed into a Dire Bear, soaking up much of the damage from the giants.
• Galaxea soared into the air, and cast Locate Creature, seeking Goht Dumag. She found him in the southern side of the city, and once the threat by the northern gate was dealt with, the rest of the team joined her in hurrying south to find and stop Goht Dumag. As they went, reports of giants breaching the city from the river made their way to her, and they sped up.
• Near the markets, they found more hill giants, which they dispatched quickly. Mages nearby were fighting frost giants, but before they could head over to aid them, the familiar and deadly purple form of Goht Dumag descended from the sky, into their path. He recognized them, confused at first, but laughed at the coincidence of meeting them here. Chad charged him, not wanting to mince words, and engaged in combat.
• The battle was short and brutal. Caught unaware, Goht Dumag quickly took many deadly hits from Chad, and was held down by Porkchop in bear form before trying to escape. He failed however, and as the last strike from Chad bisected his form, he disintegrated into ashes.
• As the battle subsided, and the remaining giants were defeated, the players regrouped at the Elsinor Household. A hill giant had breached one of the walls, but Galaxea's father had slain it.
• The team sat down in the dining room, and Norillion broke out his oldest wines. They all drank in silence, before breaking to sleep through the night.
  Naebora and Arrinan had survived the assault,
  and very few elves were injured.
• Overall, the assault was properly canceled,
  with very few fatalities. Word was spreading
  of the team's contributions, and Imaine
  mentioned how impressed she was by
  Galaxea and her friends.
• The team slept hard, deciding to return to Rimehold tomorrow and free the denizens of Ilmanthyr.

17th of Isoldre, Rimehold:

• The next morning, Galaxea spoke with her father, explaining the new debt that the Elsinor family now owed to the teleportation mage. He was greatly displeased, but took the news fairly well.
• The team headed to Estelar Academy, intending to garner support from the mage once more. After some difficulty with the guards, they managed to meet with him. He was happy to see them, and after some persuasion, agreed to be on standby with his students to teleport the survivors back to Uthorim from Rimehold, once it was safe.
• The team teleported back to the deep snows near Rimehold, and they defeated the hill giants chained outside. They entered the fortress, and proceeded to defeat frost and hill giants along the way. They found bracers of frost giant strength, as well as a magic floating handaxe. Porkchop looted some of the crypts of the frost giants, but also triggered a trap and decided to give it up.
• The players headed deep into the ice mines behind Rimehold, where they were horrified to see a massive churning portal, guarded by a chain devil. All around, dozens of elves were digging through the ice, making room.
• The team managed to defeat the devil, but as they sought to destroy the portal, one of the elves let them know that dozens more of them were on the other side, and needed rescuing. Needing no further
  advice, Chad dove through.

Stygia, the 5th Layer of Baator:

• As the rest of the team followed suit, they witnessed a hellish icy landscape in the midst of a horrible snowstorm unfolding on the other side of the portal. Dozens of elves and other races toiled away amidst the ice, clearing it away. As a gust of wind momentarily cleared the horizon, the team saw a massive iceberg looming in the distance, covered in dozens of dark forms. The team, momentarily horrified by the state of the laborors, were even more astounded to witness, stomping up out of the howling wind and snow, the massive, muscle-bound form of Goht Dumag, the Pit Fiend they had defeated just the day before.
• Recognizing them, Goht roared and dove towards them, engaging in combat. Chad got in a few strikes, but them Goht took the the air. Porkchop climbed a rope using Rope Trick, but that only gave her a moment to think. Meanwhile, the storm intensified, and Goht roared out into the wind for aid. Disturbingly, all the players felt a presence reply, emanating from the depths of the iceburg. The storm began to crackle with lightning, and it flashed down at the team members as Goht hammered on Chad from above.
• Porkchop, wanting to get all of the elves to safety, pulled out the Doll of Desire in a moment of desperation. Putting the head on the body, the entire crowd of terrified elves and others were suddenly enchanted, following her and the Doll as she ran to the Portal. Unfortunately, Thuzzal was included in this group, and chased Porkchop as well, stealing the doll from her and diving back through the portal. The elves followed, rapidly fleeing through the portal.
• At that moment, Goht Dumag fell upon Chad, knocking him unconcious, and mercilessly ripped his arm off, leaving him for dead. Galaxea, horrifed, reached out to the storm and wrenched control of it away from the entity who had created it after a momentary struggle of will. With it, and Porckhop's aid with her own magic, she blasted Goht out of the sky. His heavy corpse crashed onto Chad, and lay still, seemingly defeated for the last time.
• Galaxea and Porkchop grabbed Chad's corpse, and jumped through the portal with the last of the stragglers. On the other side, Galaxea immediately brought the portal crashing down with thunder magic, breaking the planar conncetion with the icy realm beyond. As it collapsed, she felt the animosity of the being trapped in the ice beyond, bearing down in anger towards her.

Rimehold:

• After the dust cleared, Galaxea ran to Chad's body, and attempted to revivify him. However, the damage was too great, and the attempt failed. Determined, she began a resurrection ritual, while Porkchop left to go find Thuzzal, who was nowhere in sight.
• Porkchop found him deep in Rimehold, clutching the Doll of Desire. She snapped him out of it, and together they all returned to help Galaxea bring back Chad. As the ritual completed, the team all implored Chad to return to them. Galaxea exerted all her willpower to return Chad's soul to his body, while Thuzzal yelled at him, commanding him to get back here.
• Meanwhile, Chad's spirit was approaching the afterlife. He saw Hieroneous there, welcoming him. The god walked with him through grassy fields, approaching a distant temple atop a hill, where the sounds of revelry and laughter could be heard. However, as they approached, Chad felt his leg being grabbed, and a dark, black stone hand pulled him down into the dirt. Hieroneous watched, helpless, and Chad was ripped away and crushed by darkness. In the darkness, Chad saw the horrific form of Hextor, faceless, with six arms reaching for him. Powerless, he winced and tried to pull away. Suddenly, he felt warmth, and heard the pleas of his friends.
• As Chad awoke, alive once more, body restored, he lay there motionless. He was confused by all he had seen, and felt a lingering awfulness, like the touch of death. The rest of the team was relieved, and went about searching the caverns.
• They found a pile of ice and gold deeper in, where scattered white scales lay. The team deduced that this ice cavern had once been the site of Gellureth's lair, and the gold was the remains of his hoard. Porkchop found a Harness of Arachnida, allowing her to climb on walls, and Thuzzal found a Cloak of the Winds, allowing him to fly once per day and move around more freely.
• The team agreed to take a long rest, along with all of the elven survivors, and try to heal up from all the violence that day.

19th of Isoldre, Uthorim:

• The following morning, the team had breakfast with Galaxea's father. He informed the team that Parliment had decided to formally hold a ceremony thanking them, as well as the other defenders of the wall, for their heroism in the days prior.
• As part of that ceremony, the team was gifted a deed to a mansion in the eastern part of town. Excited, the team headed over to check it out and see what they had to work with. It was mostly empty, but contained a decent library, four bedrooms, a tower, and plenty of space outside. Porkchop found a dusty spellbook with some new spells.
• Thuzzal and Porkchop were at odds about who deserved the tower, so Chad devised a competition for them. Porkchop won both in the contest of strength and in the contest of constitution (lifting boulders and drinking ale), so Thuzzal conceded the tower to her.
• As they were standing around the front lawn, a designer approached, sent by Galaxea's father to help them fill the mansion with stuff. They spent a few hours wandering the house, filling out a request for the elf to fulfill. They requested, among other things: a workout room with a statue of Hieroneous for Chad, an impluvium with a shrine to Aegir for Galaxea, furnishings for the entire house, with space to read and relax, alchemical ingredients and tools for Porkchop's tower, various nooks for Porkchop to lounge in, and a "pocket dimension" shooting range for Thuzzal.
• The elf didn't seem confident he could establish a pocket dimension in the basement, but he agreed to do his best. He stated the work would be completed in about two weeks (the 8th of Durak).
• Afterwards, Galaxea had the team dress in fine clothes and head over to her favorite restaurant, a fine establishment with excellent dining options. They team enjoyed the meal, sipping fine wine and enjoying the moment of peace.
• Afterwards, they headed out to the bars around Uthorim, drinking and walking, enjoying themselves. In a fit of chaotic energy, Porkchop dared Chad to pull a card from the Deck of Many Things. Chad gladly complied, despite Thuzzal trying to knock it out of his hands. Chad drew the "Visier" card, and gained the ability to ask the universe a single question, and get a perfectly clear and understandable answer.

• Nonplussed, Chad immediately asked the question: "Why, when I die, do I get pulled away by Hextor from my rightful rest with Hieroneous?"
• With that, Chad was given true insight into his dilemma. He came to understand that the Fists of Hextor were being used and gathered together, and that the intensity of their power was reaching out and blocking all followers of Hieroneous from reaching their resting place. To stop this, the fists must be collected and sealed away, to stop their influence from allowing Hextor such horrible control over the afterlife.
• Horrified, Chad turned to Galaxea and explained what he now knew, and that he must rush to Thrigrun, to the home of his Order, to let the rest of his guild know. The team quickly sobered up, and Galaxea used Word of Recall and Planeshift to try and return the team to Thrigrun, in southern Ebrea.
• They landed in the marshes near Thrigrun, and were attacked by a pack of Girallons. After fighting them off, Thuzzal flew into the air and saw the distant city lights. They walked over and gained entry, making a beeline for the primary chapter of the Order of Heironeous.
• Waking the president and the other members of his order, Chad explained to them all what he now knew. Deeply disturbed, President Amigobro initiated a ritual prayer with all the paladins, calling upon Heironeous to give them answers. Chad asked five questions as the ritual completed, and received detailed visions of where the remaining fists might reside. He saw a pale-skinned, scarred four armed giant in Archeron, a bluish-purple tiefling in an ornate building, and a mansion on a lake.
• With this knowledge, the paladins felt empowered, and the President ordered that all normal activites were suspended, and all paladins were to initiate a quest to find these fists, not resting until they had been located.

20th of Isoldre, Ikesh:

• The following morning, the various paladins were getting in their workouts. They were all excited to launch out and pursue this pressing new quest.
• The team headed out, and Galaxea used Word of Recall and Planeshift to try to get them to Shelthalas, the capitol city of the Reznor Dominon. None of the party had ever been there before, so she had to do her best based on their world map.
• Unfortunately, Galaxea didn't have great focus, and the team appeared on a craggy outcropping overlooking a dangerous drop. Chad and Thuzzal fell, but Thuzzal managed to slow them both with his magic cloak.
• The team wandered down, out of the mountains, avoiding monsters along the way. They tip-toed around a massive behir, sleeping on a rocky shelf. Galaxea used spirit guardians to defend the group against a swarm of stirges, to great effect.
• After hours of walking, as the evening lengthened and the darkness increased, they spotted the glow of a distant dark city, with tall towers and myriad lights. Approaching the city, they saw the massive dark iron walls, and the intimidating armored forms of Reznor guards outside the main gate.
• Galaxea managed to convince the guards to let them in, paying a hefty entrance fee. The guards displayed their distain for Thuzzal and Chad, and told Galaxea to "keep her men in line." Once past the gate, Thuzzal changed his face to that of a drow woman, to avoid further abrasiveness.
• They walked through the city of Shelthalas, taking in the dark towers, dim torchlight, and homogenous display of drow culture and power. They made their way to the marketplace, and eventually found lodging. Thuzzal stepped up as a drow, reserving four rooms for himself and the rest of the team. He casually asked for any news of Esme, and the whole inn got tense. The innkeeper evaded his questions.
• After dropping off some things, they left the inn to seek out the lake known as the Lightless Lough. Chad suspected that to be the location from his visions. As they left, Porkchop cast alarm on their rooms
• Thuzzal noticed a strange looking drow gesturing at him outside the inn. As he pointed it out and approached with Porkchop, who went invisible, the individual disappeared. The nearby guards expressed their distaste for magic use in the marketplace, and warned Thuzzal against overstepping again, and to keep Porkchop under control. The team then left and headed towards the lake.
• As they arrived and saw the distant mansion elevated above the lakeshore, Chad recognized it as the place from his dream. At the same moment, Porkchop's alarm spell went off, indicating someone had just entered her room back in the inn. Furious, she spun around and sprinted off back to the inn by herself.

• Arriving back at the inn, she checked her room, and saw no disturbance. She interrogated the innkeeper, but he seemed dismissive and didn't really care; he was far less polite than he had been to Thuzzal, who he perceived to be a drow.
• The team returned and searched their rooms. Porkchop found hidden magic stones in each of them, enchanted to record conversations. Disturbed, the team left the inn and took the stones with them, eventually tossing them in a ditch on the way across the city, and returned to the mansion.
• Galaxea and Porkchop hopped in the lake, searching for entrance points to the mansion underwater. Meanwhile, Thuzzal had to cover for them, since several guards came over and seemed annoyed.
• Unable to find any vulnerabilities, the party returned to the inn and agreed to sleep until daytime, when they could better investigate with less hassle from the drow in the city. They turned in for the night to sleep.
• As Thuzzal was getting ready for bed, he heard a knocking at his window. The same strange hooded drow from before appeared to be standing outside his second floor window. As his hand tattoo started tingling, he recognized it as Ragnadod in disguise. He let him in, and had a chat with the Archfey.
• Ragnadod showed his true form, now with verdant green hair and skin and flowers growing in his hair. He said he was in the area visiting some other friends. He asked Thuzzal for his input on how to murder the Queen of the Seelie Court, who had slighted Ragnadad by commenting on his footwear. Thuzzal was hesitant, and Ragnadod told him to think it over and come up with something better.
• Ragnadod also warned Thuzzal about people west of the city, mainly because they disliked Ragnadod and were a pain in his side. Then he dove out the window, leaving Thuzzal with several questions.

21st of Isoldre, Shelthalas:

• The following morning the team awoke to the overcast and dimly lit Shelthalas. They returned to the mansion, determined to get inside. While there were very few drow out and about, there was still a heavy guard presence outside the mansion, near the Lightless Lough.

22nd -24th of Isoldre:

• In the days that followed, the team stayed in the caves with the Firstborn, speaking with Esme and planning how to infiltrate the Mansion. Emse began sending her agents out in waves to Shelthalas, to avoid detection.
• One night, Thuzzal decided to go shopping in the magic lantern shop again. He saw on sale a large magic carpet, for the affordable price of 1100 soul credit. He took it, using up most of his existing credit, and returned to the group. Before he left, the flaming skull recommended he come visit their central warehouse, in northern Ebrea, where he could see all their inventory at discounted prices. It cackled as he left.
• Everyone was very impressed by the magic carpet but very confused as to where he got it. Chad and Galaxea kept pressing him, and eventually the full truth of the nature of the magic lantern shop was explained. Chad was dissappointed in Thuzzal, and guilted him hard for using the souls of these people for magic items.
• Thuzzal and Porkchop eventually agreed that it was wrong, and Thuzzal spontaneously threw the lantern against the stone wall, vowing to never use it again. Unexpectedly, shattering it created a tremendous magical implosion, sucking the team into the void.

??? The Astral Sea:

• The team took a large amount of psychic damage, and found themselves floating in a greyish void, with twinkling stars in every direction. They manged to swim together through the gravity-less space, and expressed their confusion.
• Galaxea noticed a behemoth-sized monstrosity shifting in the distant shadowy mists, and before it could notice them, she used Word of Recall to shift the team back to Nangshi Monastery. They caught their breath, and Chad took the remaining magic lantern, which was in Porkchop's possession, and carried it to the Keeper of the Monastery, telling him to seal it away, which he did.
• Galaxea then planeshifted the team back to the canyon in the wastes west of Shelthalas in Ikesh, where they promptly fell into a few traps in the canyon, taking more damage.

The Wastes outside Shelthalas:

• After staggering back inside the caves after this brief and painful interlude, Emse and the other Firstborn were highly suispicious. The team had dissappeared amidst a cave-in, then waltzed back in like nothing happened. After some apologizing and intermittent explanations, they relaxed and resumed plannin.
• Early on the morning of the 24th, Esme, Visk and the team left the caves to enact their plan to infiltrate the manor, assassinate the false Drow leaders, and find the Fist of Hextor.
• The team finalized their plans on the way to Shelthalas, preparing for anything. Glaxea and Chad hid inside of barrels, and Visk and Thuzzal changed their shapes to Drow. Porkchop hid under the wagon, invisibly.
• They were stopped at the gate, and questioned. Esme and Thuzzal failed to convince the guards that all was well, and the guards requested an inspection. The team sprang into action, silencing them and incapacitating them before they could make a sound using the silence spell.
• They propped up the unconscious bodies against the wall, convinced the gatekeeper to raise the gate, and rode into the city, pretending all was well.
• As they made their way to the mansion, hooded figures stepped out of the alleys to walk with them. The other firstborn were ready to engage. Nearing the mansion, the team split, with Chad, Galaxea, and most of the firstborn heading around the back of the mansion into the woods, and Thuzzal, Visk, Porkchop and Esme riding up to the front gate.
• The front gate crew talked their way past the guards, clumsily making their way to the side of the mansion where food was to be dropped off.
• The forest group made their way to the edge of the forest, where Galaxea cast Forbiddance, preventing the ambassadors from being able to escape. She then waited until she saw the front group arrived, distracting the guards posted at the corners of the mansion. Galaxea and Chad lead the charge to the wrought iron wall, and Galaxea used Antimagic Field to negate the powerful magic barrier.
• The guards were momentarily shocked by their appearance, but they charged forward to meet them. The Firstborn poured through the fence, along with Chad and Galaxea, as the rest of the group on the inside of the wall dropped their ruse and engaged with the guards nearby.
• After a short scuffle, the guards were defeated. As they fell, their faces morphed into strange, bluish and featureless faces, demonstrating that they were not actually drow. Confused, the team regrouped and charged into the mansion from the back side, where food would be delivered.
• Upon entry, they navigated through the twisting halls of the mansion, marveling at the decadence and ornate furnishings. They grabbed some items as they went, deciding to identify them later. In the main entry hall, a squad of armored drow stood waiting. They dove into combat, and with Esme's help, the team managed to defeat them. They then headed to the second floor.

25th of Isoldre:

• The following morning, the team gathered their things and wrapped up their business with the Firstborn. Chad spent the morning teaching the fleshy amoeba to be nice to people, naming it "Little Bro." Porkchop also gave it some tutelage, instructing it to steal things from bad people, which it seemed confused about. It was child-like, having no knowledge of the outer world, or how to behave.
• Saying their goodbyes, Esme told the team she would be heading to Delemont, on Kamuin, to take refuge with her followers for the time being. She cautioned Thuzzal to be vigilant for further Changeling dangers, and to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. With that, Galaxea used Word of Recall to teleport the team to Nangshi Monastery in the Astral Sea, to deal with the two collected Fists of Hextor...

26th of Isoldre, Uthroim:

• After the team took a day to rest at the tavern, they then Planeshifted to Uthorim to check on their mansion. It was nearing completion, and the were allowed to sleep in their rooms during the night when the work was on pause. In the days that followed, the team took some time to relax and catch their breath after all the adventuring and springing around the world.

27th of Isoldre - 14th of Ahwa

• The next couple weeks were laid back, with each member taking time for themselves. Galaxea completed the Impluvium Shrine to Aegir in the mansion, after the remaining work was completed. She also used her connections to find a reputable smith who could craft fine underarmor out of the Remorhaz hides she had collected. It granted 25% resistance to cold and fire damage.

• Meanwhile, Porkchop took up the offer to study at the University. She quickly passed through the entry-level tests, and eventually pursed study in the spell-weaving courses. After a couple weeks of study, she successfully submitted her first spell into record in the archives: Dragonbrain, a divination spell to detect the location and quantity of gold and precious items.
• Thuzzal practiced his archery in the basement, using his fancy new magical firing range. He also traveled back to Gnomeopolis with Galaxea once to pick up the completed work on his rifle, which had been modified to hold six bullets instead of three between loading. He also collected several hundred more bullets.
• During these weeks, Chad worked out, and wandered around Uthorim, helping anyone who he could find. He also spent time with Little Bro, the new name for his amorphous blob sword. He tried to teach the creature how to be good and clarified on some of the confusion from Porkchop about stealing.
• Gateholder Keep was completed on time, and the players all enjoyed several days of rest and fine dining, as Thuzzal instructed the new kitchen staff on how to prepare some of their meals. The team was energized from this period of rest, and were feeling stronger than ever.

16th-17th of Ahwa:

• Waking the next morning, Chad sensed that he had been blessed, and was granted three luck points to use in the future, a gift for his ferocity in battle.
• The team ate breakfast, confused by their shared experience, and decided to head out. Galaxea transported the team to Brooksburg, the location where everything began. Galaxea overshot a bit, and dumepd the team in the freezing river. They climbed out, and made their way into town, heading to the Frosty Goat for a drink.
• They met with Ozris again, and Chad bought a keg of ale for them all to share. They caught up with Ozris, and Galaxea mended his plow for him. They then went to Samson's house to visit, bringing some fresh food from Ozris. Samson was fast asleep, but woke and was overjoyed to see the team.
• After spending a few hours entertaining Samson, he shared that he wanted to write the team into his will, since he is getting on in years and wants his book collection to go to someone who deserves it. They were all grateful and accepted.
• Remembering how the team never completed one of the caves surrounding Brooksburg, the team returned to it and entered. The encountered numerous oozes, and a strange creature that formed a resemblance of an elven man. They destroyed it, and it melted away into goo. Porkchop looted the cave, finding some old relics and a strange leech-like creature in a glass jar. Galaxea took the jounral there and read it on their way out.
• The team headed north towards Skulldura, flying on the magic carpet. Porkchop worked on fireball arrows with Thuzzal, and Galaxea prayed. Chad grew restless, and eventually convinced Porkchop to draw a card from the Deck of Many Things.

• She did so before Thuzzal could stop her, drawing the Throne card. The card evaporated, and in its place dropped a deed to a keep, titled in Porkchop's name, located near the city of Gelgari, on the island-continent of Docana. Porkchop also became much more persuasive.
• Excited at her success, Chad also reached out and pulled a card. As his was revealed, however, his consciousness dimmed. His last thought was, "Oh Heironeous. What have I done?" before he dropped limp onto the magic carpet. Chad drew the Void card. He soul was sucked from his body, disappearing into the ether.
• The remaining party members freaked out, doing whatever they could to fix it, but with no success. Noticing that Chad's body kept breathing, they did their best to tuck him in and continued to Skulldura, arguing the whole way about what to do.

18th of Ahwa, outside Skulldura:

• The next day, with no noticeable improvement from Chad, Galaxea used divine intervention to implore Aegir for aid, to help understand what happened to him. Surprisingly, she hear Aegir's voice, for the first time, echo in her head. "His soul was ripped from his body, and cast across the planes. It was snatched by a mortal enemy, and now resides in the Plane of Acheron, in the hands of a servant of Hextor."
• Relaying this, the team worriedly discussed what to do. They had no way to get to Acheron, and no leads yet as to how to find this enemy. As they traveled, Porkchop noticed a couple bodies laying in the snow below.
• Unwilling to stop and risk being attacked by whatever had ended them, they flew past, noting the strange purple face paint on the faces of the corpses, and their rough furred clothing.
• A short while later, the team was surprised by several yetis riding on the back of a massive wooly mammoth, as it pushed through the trees. They yetis yelled and pointed at the team, but they were high enough above them to not be a threat. Porkchop, seeing the mammoth, was overjoyed at the prospect of new animal forms.

19th of Ahwa, Lutetia:

• The team arose the next morning, and Galaxea teleported them to Lutetia, heading straight for the Temple of Bahamut to find their contact. The paladin Hurge met them there, and led them to an ornate mansion in the wealthier part of town. He stated that "Mr. D" was a reclusive individual rumored to have knowledge of planar travel.
• Once the team was let into the mansion by the reluctant butler, after they mentioned they were the Heros of Harmstead, they met Mr. D. He was a red-skinned tiefling with a debonair, calm demeanor and an odd amount of
  knowledge about them.
  He introduced himself as
  Demiurge, and explained
  that he would help them
  find their friend, if they
  would aid him first.

20th - 28th of Ahwa:

• Galaxea and Demiurge spent eight days working together on a tuning fork attuned to the Plane of Fire, to allow Galaxea to planeshift them all there together.
• In the meantime, Thuzzal and Porkchop plotted about dealing with Idrik Gunderson, Thuzzal's old military general. After having Galaxea scry on him, they discovered he wasn't in Lutetia, and was probably outside the city somewhere. They investigated around the city, tailing Crimson Cloaks, asking old friends of Porkchop's, and listening to rumors floating around.
• They eventually discovered that recent deliveries from the free city of Urk had been stopped, from a representative at the League of Blue Steel. Learning this, they sought transport to Urk, suspecting Gunderson was behind it.
• Eventually they settled on having Demiurge teleport them for some gold. He did so, but missed during the first few attempts, ending up taking them to Thrigrun. Returning to Lutetia, Porkchop wandered and sought out a shady alchemist to buy some poison.
• Demiurge tried again the following day, successfully dumping them in the hills outside Urk. Thuzzal and Porkchop flew around on the magic carpet, eventually spotting a blockade on the road going south from Urk. They stealthily approached, and Porkchop did reconnaissance as a wild-shaped fly.

• During her investigation, she discovered that Gunderson was there in a tent, and that he had brought what appeared to be his family (wife and kids) with him. She read his journal over his shoulder, noting curious mentions of a thing referred to as "The Pursuer" and strange individuals named "Nicotiana" and "Melongena" who seemed to be working with Gunderson.
• Thuzzal felt conflicted upon learning that Gunderson had a family, and decided to try to terrorize him and cause him to flee instead. He reached out to Ragnadod, and managed to create a connection. Asking for help to mess with Gunderson, Ragnadod agreed to send an assistant. Immediately, a strange, silvery squirrel with comically long ears appeared, identified itself as Zip, and demanded payment for its help. Porkchop and Thuzzal handed over 1000 gp to satisfy it, and it agreed to run around the camp each night, confusing and scaring both the gaurds, as well as Gunderson himself. Porkchop gave Zip the newly acquired poison, asking Zip to put it in Gunderson's food.
• Zip did as asked, running at incredibly speed, and poisoned Gunderson, while terrorizing him at night with dissonant whispers in orcish. Many of the Crimson Cloaks present alongside them also were spooked, and prevented from sleeping soundly.
• This proceeded for the next couple days. Porkchop infiltrated the camp in various disguises, spreading discord and undermining Gunderson, while Zip confused and irritated the members.
• Porkchop also did her best to spy on Gunderson, overhearing him talking to thin air at one point. He referred to three entities: Annuum, Tuberosum, and Belladonna. He also made mention of a completed delivery, and releasing an "asset."
• On the 5th day, Porkchop messaged Gunderson, suggesting magically that he head outside of camp to meet with Thuzzal. He did so, alone, and Thuzzal confronted him.
• After some initial confusion, Gunderson recognized Thuzzal, and the two had a conversation. Thuzzal attempted to convince Gunderson to abandon his persecution of the orcs, leave, and to retire. He brought up Gunderson's family and threatened him. Gunderson seemed hesitant, and Porkchop broke his hand, stealing his warhammer. He eventually caved, and limped back to camp, ordering everyone to pack up.
• Porkchop and Thuzzal watched as they tore down the blockade and hit the road, heading south, with Gunderson at the head of the company. Zip was nowhere to be found, seemingly having completed his task.
• Feeling uneasy, they slept until the following morning. Demiurge contacted them, and they returned to Lutetia with the help of his teleportation. After that, they remained in Lutetia, relaxing until the tuning fork was complete.

1st of Silvara, the Plane of Fire:

• Having completed the tuning fork, the team gathered in Demiurge's mansion, preparing to depart. Galaxea spoke the words, and they planeshifted away, to the Plane of Fire.
• They landed in a field of hardened magma, with rivers of lava flowing nearby. The intense heat was uncomfortable, and they agreed not to linger longer than necessary. Demiurge didn't see the City of Brass, so he stepped up and cast Teleport to bring them closer to their destination.
• They arrived a short distance away from the massive floating metal city, and were rapidly beset by several lava creatures, native to the area. After a short battle, they walked away from a strange glowing snail that seemed to repel their efforts.
• They paid entry to the City of Brass, and walked up the swinging bridge. In the city, towering buildings made from gleaming brass loomed over dark alleys. Fire elementals flew or walked by, and efreet, fire genasi, tieflings, and devils wandered the streets. Demiurge led them to a comfortable apartment, seemingly owned by him. They were grateful to stop and breath, drinking some water and getting out of the oppressive heat.
• There, they began to discuss their plan, and Demiurge shared all the information he had about the Palace of the Efreet General.

??? Acheron, the Cubic Wastes:

• The team, followed by the Paladins, piled through the gate, landing on a rocky dirt field. The gate closed behind them, leaving them stranded in Acheron.
• In the sky, hundreds of massive cubes floated through the void, some crashing together, others floating alone. Some were made of water, metal, dirt, stone, covered in vegetation, and everything else you can imagine.
• The team wandered the surface, eventually coming to an edge. They stepped over to the next side, and saw a distant conflict waging. Wanting to avoid fighting and to find Chad, they stepped back. The Paladins called on Heironeous for aid, and Arnold's sword began to glow, emenating light upwards and into the void between the cubes.
• After some planning, the team used the magic carpet to shuttle everyone up, high into the sky. There, gravity stopped, and they all floated freely in space.
• Demiurge and Porkchop used their magic, wings, and wild shape to tow everyone through space, following the guidance of the glowing sword. Hours passed. The team saw conflicts raging on nearby cubes, from soldiers using guns in trenches, to lasers shooting past from armored tanks, and monsters and animals crashing together.
• Eventually, the glow of Arnold's sword led them to two cubes, colliding. A volcano errupting on one spewed lava into the air, arcing over into a lake on the other. The team flew around the volcanic cube, eventually landing on the far side, in a field of rocks and bones.
• A boulder in the middle of the field moved. Rising up, towering over the rest of the rocks on the plain, stood the pale-skinned, four-armed giant. His four red eyes glowered at the team, and he bellowed out a challenge, welcoming them, taunting them, and daring them to come take back their friend. As stood waiting, the team noticed how one of his four arms turned black at the elbow, with
  a horrible, rock-like
  appearance.

13th of Silvara, Day Six of the Festival of Warmth, Thrigrun:

• The team slept there, recovering from their ordeal. Demiurge thanked the team for their help, and teleported away, to pursue his own interests.
• The team thanked President Amigobro, and headed out the next day, heading for Skulldura.

14th of Silvara, Day Seven of the Festival of Warmth, Skulldura:

• The team arrived in Skulldura, in the Icy Shrine beneath the waves. They walked up and made their way into the village. There, they were led to Annveig's healing tent, where they saw Little Bro guarding Chad's body.
• Little bro had formed into a little, lumpy, muscular creature during his time caring for Chad. He stepped aside, and let Galaxea place the Ruby on Chad's chest. Chad had become somewhat emaciated, due to being motionless for three weeks.
• Galaxea cast Dispel Magic at 8th level, and released Chad's soul from its imprisonment. Chad came back to life, his soul returned to his body, and everyone rejoiced. He was extremely weak though, and after they all caught up, he needed to rest. They all slept in the tent.
• Sometime in the night, Chad awoke. He heard a clanking noise outside the tent, and the sound of Madame Annveig telling someone to go away, and not to disturb them. As Chad stuck his head out the door, stiff and weak, he saw a tall and dark, masked, hooded figure looming in the middle of the village.

• The creature lifted a finger and obliterated the tent with necrotic fire. The team, now blasted into wakefulness, rose up to defend Chad.
• The battle was short but brutal, as this creature wielded powerful magic and dangerous swordplay. Porkchop transformed into a Mammoth and crushed it underfoot while the rest of the team blasted it. Damaged, it teleported away at the last second.
• Confused and hurt, the team crawled into Porkchop's Portable Pavilion and slept there for the rest of the night.

15th of Silvara:

• The next morning, the team spoke with the local villagers, but couldn't find any reason why this creature would have appeared. Galaxea also inquired about what had occurred with the Artifact and the villagers who had stolen it. Madame Annveig explained how it had started with one villager, and with time more had joined them, eventually stealing the artifact guarded by the Deepwalker.
• The team decided to head to Lutetia and investigate if things had improved. They Planeshifted their way there, and heard from a town cryer that Gunderson was still in power, and blamed the events of the blockade on Urk. Angry, Thuzzal commited to dealing with him soon.
• Galaxea and Chad headed to Gnomeopolis to visit the orphanage, while Thuzzal and Porkchop stayed in Lutetia, attempting to spread rumors about a rebel faction called the White Lotus, and how Gunderson's methods were all a lie.

16th of Silvara, Lutetia:

• The team regrouped, and discussed how to deal with the reoccurring threat of this "Pursuer." They eventually settled on the strategy to use Forbiddance outside the city, preventing it from teleporting away, and then crushing it.
• The team all agreed, and the set up camp on the outskirts of Lutetia, near the river. The Pursuer arrived at 2am, and they dove into battle. It was quick but brutal, and as it began to near death, it attempted to teleport away. However, it couldn't due to Galaxea's magic, and so it was stuck. The team knocked it down, ending its regeneration using lightning.
• After digging through its remains, the team found a magic crystal ball of scrying embeeded where the head would be. During the battle, Porkchop was charmed, and she heard a familiar voice speaking through the ball to here, the voice of Brillin Corkas.
• Frustrated by the way in which their actions had failed to prevent these evildoers from succeeding in the past, Porkchop and Thuzzal aggressively advocated for extrajudicial murder of their enemies. Chad resisted, insisting on going through official legal means.

17th of Silvara:

• The next morning, Chad and Galaxea decided to travel to Urk and try to speak with the Orcish leader, and deescalate tensions. They were met with resistance at the gates, but they were let in after Chad impressed the guards with feats of strength.
• They helped out around Urk for the remainder of the day, getting familiar with the simple orc lifestyle and being welcomed into the home of kind Orc named Urdik. He told them about the history of Urk, and of its leader, Notrick the Brave.

• During the same time, Porkchop and Thuzzal disguised themselves and barhopped, buying drinks for soldiers and trying to spread rumors. They also shopped around for more poisons. Porkchop also scryed on Gunderson, learning his schedule and learning where he lives.

18-19th of Silvara:

• That morning, Chad went out into the center of Urk at dawn, and began to workout. Finally recovered from his exhaustion, Chad crushed his workout. He lifted tree trunks, boulders, and chunks of iron. A crowd gathered, watching in awe. Galaxea also did her best to keep up, getting a decent workout in.
• As he finished his workout exhibition, the onlookers applauded. A tall handsome orc approached, and introduced himself as Notrick. They walked around Urk together, and Chad explained his intention to prevent war with Lutetia.
• Notrick agreed to help if he could, and would not escalate tensions unless directly attacked. Happy with that, Galaxea and Chad returned to Lutetia to regroup with Porkchop and Thuzzal.
• They grouped back up and headed to the Saintly Sheep brothel to rest and prepare. Chad made friends with the bouncer, named Chuck Huggenkiss, and with the various courtesans inside by buying them all drinks.
• Galaxea took some time to relax, bathing in the hot springs in the center of the brothel.
• Eventually, Porkchop and Galaxea got to work crafting magic rings of Message to allow them to communicate at a distance.
• During those days, Chad went to Squalortown and continued to give out free food, befriending the poor and trying to establish a way for them to get themselves out of poverty.

20th of Silvara:

• After completing the magic rings, the team decided to execute their plan that night. Porkchop and Thuzzal snuck into Gunderson's house, which had increased security after multiple failed attempts to infiltrate by Porkchop. They made their way to the top floor, and enchanted Mrs. Gunderson to keep sleeping. Porkchop tried to paralyze Gunderson with magic, but failed, and Thuzzal and Porkchop bashed him in the head to knock him out.
• Thuzzal flew out the window with the unconcious Gunderson in his arms, while Porkchop assumed his likeness as best she could. Guards burst into the room, having heard Gunderson's cries, and Porkchop managed to convince them that Gunderson was having some delusions about Orcs attacking him in his sleep.
• Meanwhile, Thuzzal landed in the nearby side ally, and Galaxea and Chad used Word of Recall to teleport them all to the bottom of Attawich Loch, into the Shrine of Aegir.
• Galaxea tossed Edrik into a stone pit she had carved, and cast Contagion to give him a feverish disease, weakening him. He eventually regained consciousness, but the team stayed out of his sight.

21st of Silvara:

• Glaxea and Chad slept, while Thuzzal kept watch. At one point, in waltzed Ragnadod, into the Shrine of Aegir. He seemed annoyed with Thuzzal, who hadn't proposed a solution to his issue with the Fey Queen. He mentioned his excitement to see what comes next with Gunderson, but he also warned Thuzzal to help him out soon, otherwise, there may be consequences.
• He disappeared as rapidly as he came, and the following morning, Galaxea and Chad planeshifted back to Lutetia to give the disguised Porkchop some of Gunderson's things.
• Thuzzal stayed behind, and began to speak with Gunderson. In the conversation, Gunderson eventually recognized Thuzzal for who he was, and revealed that he was only working with the Nightshade because they were threatening his family. He begged Thuzzal to save his family from their clutches, before the Nightshade noticed that he was gone.
• Meanwhile, Porkchop wandered Lutetia, meeting with Galaxea briefly to grab Gunderson's belongings. She did her best to fit into the role, but inadvertently confused Mrs. Gunderson and scared his daughter.
• She arrived at Fevagor Castle, and was let in by the guards. After being confused in her office, she was brought to the council meeting room. Knowing it was magically warded, she stated she would not be going today and left. As she did, she noticed a tall, debonair man standing in the doorway, watching her go. She felt his piercing gaze, and sensed he knew something was wrong.
• She left the castle and wandered the city. At the same time, Galaxea reconnected with Thuzzal, and learned of Gunderson's plight. She agreed to help his family and to take them to Gunderson, and so she, Chad, and Porkchop met up and headed to Gunderson's house.
• There they managed to get past the guards using a codeword from Gunderson, and managed to convince his family to leave with Galaxea and Chad. Together, they all plane-shifted to the bottom of the lake, where the family was terrified, confused and reunited with the real Gunderson.
• After some quick discussion, the team decided to take the family to Uthorim, to their Mansion there. They decided it would be safer than the lakebed, since Porkchop was still wearing Gunderson's necklace, a magical homing beacon.

• Porkchop heard a foreign male voice state in her head: "I have heard of you lot from my associates: the Heroes of Harmstead. We'll be seeing each other soon. This farce ends now."
• Galaxea used Word of Recall to take the Gunderson family to Uthorim with Chad, while Thuzzal and Porkchop stayed behind at the bottom of the lake.
• That night, Porkchop had a strange vision. Togma and Sumia, the two leaders of the werecreature tribes that she had brought together, sat opposite each other, reaching out to her.
• They told her of visions they had recieved of a people, an ancient family, that was lost long ago into another world.
• They asked Porkchop for her aid, to use her influence once again, and to help return this ancient branch of their family to Athendria once again.

22nd of Silvara, Uthorim:

• The following day, Galaxea retreived her friends from the lakebed with no further issues. They debated what to do with the Gundersons. Porkchop went to Estellar Academy, and with the help of Naebora, performed a magical ritual that allowed her to reverse the enchantment on Gunderson's necklace, allowing her to sense the location of 5 other beacons.
• The team decided that Thrigrun was the best choice of location, and after having dinner with Naebora (and explaining why they were sheltering Edrik Gunderson), Galaxea used Planeshift to take the family to Thrigrun, where Chad introduced them to President Arnold Amigobro.
• The Gundersons were unhappy to find themselves in a distant orcish settlement. Mrs. Gunderson started crying, but Edrik took it mostly stoicly. He thanked Galaxea once for moving them here, and thanked Thuzzal once in brief, general terms.
• The team, having dealt with Gunderson for now, hoped that this was far enough away and protected by the Paladins such that they wouldn't need to worry about retaliation for now.
• They slept in Thrigrun for the night, before using Word of Recall to return to Uthorim. Before heading to bed that night after several days of poor sleep and stress, the team discussed what to do next. They all agreed that they had indiviudal tasks to attend to, and that they needed to split up briefly to deal with them on their own.

Chad's Quest:

Galaxea’s Quest:

Porkchop’s Quest:

Thuzzal’s Quest:

1st of Sevana, Uthorim:

• The following morning, the team was all reassembled. They enjoyed an easy breakfast, chatting and catching up, sharing tales of their adventures and what they had accomplished out in the world.

• After looking around the room, they eventually found a magical wall, behind which a portal lay dormant. Bringing the necklace close activated the portal, and the team dove through.
• On the other side, they found a hidden chamber filled with magical tools and fine furniture. They found some magic potions, as well as a journal belonging to a certain Baron Chadwick Holderweiss.
• The journal detailed the Baron's dealings with an entity he refers to as "A," and how he made his fortune off of shady dealings and collaboration with them.
• His last entry reads about how he intends to put a gift from A on the tallest point of the castle, to shine a light on his lands and keep it safe from robbers. After that, there are no further entries.
• The team left the magic room, and investigated outside on the roof. Porkchop found a griffon's nest, and did a decent job of feeding the Griffon and her babies without disturbing them.
• On top of the tallest tower, Thuzzal found a large, unlit iron lantern. It is reminiscent of the lantern he once carried on his waist, and he made the connection that A may be the creature he knew as Avigario, the soul-collecting shop salesman.
• Thuzzal identified it, and learned that it sends out a pulse at midnight every day, harvesting available souls. Wanting to get it as far away as possible, Chad and Thuzzal climbed on the magic carpet and took it away from the Castle, leaving via the tallest tower window.
• After flying for several miles away from Gelgari and the Castle, Chad used Little Bro to help him chuck the lantern off the magic carpet, as Thuzzal flew away in the opposite direction.
• After a tense pause as the lantern fell through the night, it exploded on the distant beach with an immense blast of ghostly greenish light.

• The blast almost knocked Thuzzal and Chad off the carpet, but they kept their balance and returned to the Castle unscathed.
• Porkchop and Galaxea saw the light from miles away, and watched it soar into the sky and arc away in the direction of Ebrea.
• After returning from their flight, Thuzzal, Chad and Little Bro reunited with Galaxea and Porkchop. They took a brief respite to heal up and recover their health, in the dilapidated chamber at the tallest point of Clifftop Castle.
• After that, the team headed into the basement of the Castle. As they descended, Thuzzal dived out of the way of an elk's head dropped on him from above. Porkchop vowed to befriend the poltergeist that plagued them.
• In the basement, Galaxea found a small, humanoid skeleton. She cast Speak with Dead, and attempted to learn what had happened. They learned this was the body of the small boy ghost that had been bothering them, and it had liked to visit a Giant kept down here. They also learned there was another vault in the basement somewhere, and the boy's name was Mateo.
• As the continued on sneakily, Porkchop went invisible and wandered around the perimeter. Eventually, she found a massive vault with a 7-dial lock vault door. Nearby, a sand pit was filled with ghosts of long-gone warriors engaged in some kind of eternal combat.
• As she snuck back to the team, she tripped and fell into a small river, alerting the ghosts, which attacked her. The team ran in to help, and Galaxea used Turn Undead to scare all the ghosts away.
• The team destroyed the ghosts as they hid in the corners of the room, and eventually turned their attention to the vault. Remembering the cryptic scrap of paper found in the Baron's secret study, Porkchop correctly guessed that the combination was 4258014, based on the code: "In the Year of the founding of groz, Four Score of dwarven warriors labored for a Fortnight to build the grinding gates."

4th - 6th of Sevana:

• The next few days, the team began to clean the castle. As they worked, they removed all the old bodies and buried/burned them, organized their wealth, and restructed some of the spaces. Galaxea fixed the fountains, Chad changed the oratory into a shrine to Hieroneus, and Porkchop ran down to Gelgari and recruited a dozen or so lizardfolk to work for them and till the fields. With time, the barren fields around the castle would be converted into fertile cropland, and grow large vineyards.
• The team settled on Pork and Cork as their brand name for the wine, upon its eventual completion.

7th - 18th of Sevana:

• Over the next week and a half, the team traveled around Kamuin, courtesy of Galaxea's teleportation skills. Chad checked in on the orphanage and commissioned additional construction, including a swimming pool and various other exercise equipment. He also paid for upgraded adamantite plate armor, with a diamond embedded in the center in case of a quick revivify being necessary.
• Little Bro went clothes shopping with Chad, and got himself a large, floppy shirt with sequins sewn into it.
• Thuzzal ordered additional magic arrows from Gnomeopolis, commissioning a variety of them to best suit potential scenarios where he may be faced with multiple enemies, and his bow would be unable to hit them all.
• Galaxea ate with her family, prayed to Aegir, and ordered new underclothes for herself. The new silks are flowly and comfortable, sitting under her dragon scale mail stylistically. She started to arrange for her father's trade routes to begin shipping equipment and barrels to Docana to supply the new winery there, and facilitate the production of wine long term.

• Porkchop spent several days attempting to craft a potion in her laboratory. She eventually succeeded in producing a Potion of Rampage using T-Rex teeth as the main ingredient. After that, she ran around haggling and selling off much of the random loot she had been hoarding.
• One night, Thuzzal had another disturbing dream. This time, instead of the usual hoards of ghosts blaming him, he found himself looking up at the tall dark tower near its base. Sensing he wasn't alone, he turned around to see a thin, tall, elven figure with fine and gilded clothes. The individual seemed calm and friendly enough, but expressed his annoyance with Thuzzal.
• Thuzzal was confused, but the figure explained that he was especially annoyed that Thuzzal had ended his "investment" a few centuries too early, and since he had also destroyed one of his wandering lanterns, that Thuzzal owed him, and he was collecting. Now.
• He patted Thuzzal on the shoulder, and told him to come visit. In the moment before he woke up, Thuzzal saw through the ageless elven visage with strangely hued eyes, and saw a glint of glistening green glow in the pupils, and long-withered skin barely contained beneath...
• Thuzzal woke up with a splitting headache. His intelligence was reduced by 2. Over the following days, his other stats began to drop, and Galaxea and Chad attempted to heal him to no avail. Chad's last attempt was to cast Dispel Good and Evil, smacking Thuzzal on the forehead, which surprisingly seemed to work.
• The team discerned that Thuzzal had been aflicted by some kind of tiny, undead creature. What it was or what it meant, they didn't know, but they agreed that dealing with Thuzzal's bad dreams and visions of the Black Tower were of high importance.
• On the night of the 18th, Chad got bored and drew a card from the Deck of Many Things once again. This time, he drew The Fates.

19th of Sevana:

• Galaxea and Porkchop did some research, and found entries on a place called "Blackstone Obelisk" in the northern edge of Ebrea. Thuzzal confirmed that it seemed to match his visions, and Galaxea prepared to teleport them all.
• She did so, and they arrived on the edge of a massive cliff, near a waterfall. They figured out their location was a few hundred miles southwest of the tower, so they descended the cliffs and began to travel at a leisurely pace along the river.
• Porkchop continued to work on crafting Fireball arrows for Thuzzal.

20th - 21st of Sevana:

• Over the next couple days, the team talked and traveled quietly. On the second day, Galaxea spotted a massive skeleton protruding from the earth. She was fascinated, and marked it on her map for future reference. Porkchop snapped off a portion of the petrified bone and saved it for later.
• Towards dusk on the third day of travel, the team spotted the Blackstone Obelisk looming in the distance. It appeared as expected, similar to Thuzzal's dreams and Porkchop's visions, but grounded in reality, sitting out in middle of the desolate Barrens.
• The team approached, and were surprised to see a massive, healthy oak tree growing near the base. By the trunk of the oak, the team saw a glowing orb, similar to Prokchop's Tiny Hut Spell.
• Chad knocked on the Hut, and the team were surprise attacked by a paralysis spell from within. Stepping out from the orb, the team saw a strange thin orc with glasses, and an Earth Genasi woman with an ornate cloak that looked like a void filled with stars.
• After a moment of tension, Chad defused it with his usual charm and good will.

• The two strangers introduced themselves as Spinel and Gowron, two members of the Capable Crew. Galaxea recognized them after this, and was excited to finally meet the last of the four.
• They explained why they were here; namely, that Gowron was a lich, but a good one, and Spinel was seeking to destroy powerful undead. This search had led them here, to the Tower, and they suspected that Avigario was a powerful ancient Lich that resided inside.
• They explained that the tower was surrounded by countless undead, and they had been deterred previously by trying to approach.
• After some discussion, the team agreed to approach and enter the tower, using an empty lantern similar to the one Thuzzal once had, while Spinel summoned a massive storm and blew away the undead.
• She did so, summoning a hurricane that stormed around the tower, knocking the undead into the air and away from them. Gowron controlled the flow of air around the group, and they hurried to the base.
• Thuzzal lifted his lantern to the doorway, and the door glowed and opened inward. Gowron wished them luck and returned the way he came. They entered, and the doors shut behind them, plunging them into darkness.

22nd of Sevana:

• After one of the longest days of their lives, the team slept hard, recovering their strength for the next morning. They awoke, and Galaxea and Spinel prepared to cast Earthquake on either side of the tower to bring it down.
• Porkchop insisted on one final investigation, and ran up the exterior of the tower to the peak. There she inspected the columns in the upper room, attempting to crack one with her magic dagger. She did so, and the blast of energy that was released threw her from the tower and into freefall. She turned into an eagle and flew back to the team on the ground.
• After Porkchop had made it back alive, she and Thuzzal walked away to view the tower from a distance. Chad and his entourage of magical bros flexed to encourage Galaxea, while she and Spinel took position on either side of the tower. They both cast Earthquake at the highest level possible, willing the earth to open and crush the tower.
• Eventually, as Galaxea pushed into the earth with her trident, willing it to collapse, the tower cracked and fell slowly, green light bursting out of it as it did.

• Right before it hit the ground, it imploded, then exploded in a burst of blinding green light. As the light, consisting of the souls of thousands, washed over them, Gowron created a protective sphere of energy to shield them from the worst of it.
• As the rubble settled, and the smoke cleared, the team remained, successful at defeating the Lich at last.
• They gathered together and said their goodbyes to Gowron and Spinel. Spinel told Galaxea to come visit her in Lutetia if she wanted formal instruction in the Storm of Vengeance spell. Gowron and Spinel grasped each other's arms and teleported away.
• A few moments later, a strange individual climbed over a nearby hill and waved. It turned into a badger and ran over, shifting back into a humanoid form.
• The team immediately noticed they had a strange, deathly visage, and leaned on a Trident very similar to Galaxea's.
• After some discussion and confusion, they explained their name was Durant Hazegrain, and they had traveled all the way here seeking answers about why they might be partially undead. They also traded the Trident with Thuzzal for his old scimitar, explaining how they had found it beneath a living tree, deep in a swamp in the Tropics, partially stuck into a strange rock.
• Left confused and curious, the stranger left and went on their way. The rest of the team gathered together, holding on to the Astrolabe, and Porkchop used Reduce on it shrink it down, allowing for teleportation.
• Galaxea barely managed it, but she successfully used Word of Recall to teleport her friends and the Astrolabe all the way across the planet to Gateholder's Keep in Uthorim.
• There, they all collapsed and slept hard, having earned some rest after their ordeals. They briefly agreed to begin work on various projects before attempting the next major quest.

23rd-28th of Sevana:

• In the following days, Porkchop finished a batch of custom Fireball Arrows for Thuzzal. Galaxea invited over Naebora and together they investigated how to work the Astrolabe.
• Galaxea was able to eventually ask it to show her the next time Yoria will be closest. It rearranged to show her a date: the 12th of Durak, 1095 PC. This was approximately 7.5 months away from the current date.
• With this knowledge, they agreed to prioritize that when they got closer to that date. Chad went to the University and paid a conjuration wizard to summon an earth elemental for him. The mage did so, and Chad struck it down, absorbing its essence into the Ring of Earth Elementals that he had found in Blackstone Obelisk. With it, he walked through the stone wall and swam back to Gateholder Keep through the cobblestones.
• Little Bro asked Chad for lute lessons, expressing his interest into learning how to play music. Chad set him up with a teacher, and he began to learn the basics of music theory and the performing arts.
• After several days of relaxing and and planning for future projects, the team went to sleep. Galaxea had an unpleasant dream, where she stood on the edge of the ocean, and looked up to see the whole of Yoria looming in the sky, filling the horizon. She heard the voice of Aegir in her mind, urging her to wake up.
• She did so, and saw two humanoid shapes looming over her bed in the darkness. They swung swords at her, as she screamed.
• The rest of the team woke up as well, rolling out of bed and running to her aid in the darkness. The invaders appeared to be Pursuers, slightly different than the first monster they had faced, but just as lethal. They were hellbent on murdering Galaxea, and ignored the others in that quest. Galaxea, using her last spell slots and with barely any health left, planeshifted away to the Astral Sea to heal.
• With their primary quarry gone, and one of the Pursuers bound in magical iron chains by Thuzzal, they teleported away, ending the battle. With the flow of time different in the Astral Sea, it took 1.5 days for Galaxea to get a long rest and return to her friends.
• Angry at this incursion and acknowledging the danger the Nightshade still present to themselves, the team decided to go after the remaining leaders.

1st of Sirius:

• After resting and preparing, Porkchop pulled out the necklace she had reverse-engineered to tell her the location of the remaining Nightshade leaders.
• After some referencing of maps, she was able to roughly place a cluster of them east of Lutetia, and another cluster far away, in Ikesh.
• Galaxea planeshifted them to the road north of Frostford, and Porkchop checked her necklace again. They determined that their quarry probably were living in Frostford, so they headed that way.
• They arrived in Frostford as the sun set, and enjoyed the view of the massive waterfalls and idyllic setting. After noticing some shady figures watching them, they made their way to the bottom of the city.
• Chad used his new ring to melt into the floor, arriving in the sewers. He climbed back out, noting that the sewers ran under the city.
• The team went across the large bridge over the Frostfall River, following the signal of the necklace. Galaxea investigated the waterfall for hidden doors, but found nothing. As they stood there, noticing how the signal seemed to be coming from deep in the earth, a heavy fog rolled in.
• Vampires and wolves darted out of the fog, attacking the crew from nowhere. They stood their ground, and fought off the monsters. Galaxea used Destructive Wave and destroyed all the wolves, and the team picked off the vampires, which struggled in the light of Chad's Sunblade.
• After the battle completed, the team checked their necklace again. Porkchop discerned that the signal was still deep underground, but nearby. Following their intuition, they headed back into Frostford to investigate a mineshaft they had seen.
• On the way there, Chad detected an undead presence following them. Trying to whip around and catch it, the shady figure managed to dissappear without being caught.
• The team headed to the mineshaft, which they found to be locked. Porkchop easily bypassed it, and they headed into the mines. There they were confronted by two huffy dwarves, Ogg and Gunden, who were annoyed at their trespassing. Chad, being likable as always, managed to calm them and inquired about the area.
• The team learned the sewers spread far out under the city, and are very old. Agreeing that the sewers are likely the location of the three sources, the team headed that way.
• They decided they should rest, and Porkchop cast Portable Pavilion directly outside of the sewer entrance grate. They went to sleep in their comfy beds, and agreed to enter the sewers in the following morning.

2nd of Sirius:

• That morning, the team was harassed by a couple of Frost Fighters insisting they weren't allowed to cast magic there. Chad talked them down, and they left the team with a warning.
• Preparing themselves, they went into the sewers. They wandered for awhile, fighting off the horrible stench, and triggering a few traps. Eventually, they found a well-hidden door down a sewer pipe, and discovered a room with some treasure and a bunch of bandits. A short fight later, they found themselves facing a heavy iron door blocking the way.
• Chad and Thuzzal phased through the surrounding wall and managed to open it from the other side, letting the rest of the team into the space.
• They found a well-furnished and ornamental series of rooms, empty and stale. As Chad opened a door, a vampire lunged forward, charming him and pulling him into their space.
• The ensuing battle saw they team going up against several powerful vampires and one of the two Pursuers that had attacked them a few nights previously.
• Chad was charmed and dropped his sword, Little Bro was fell to death saving throws but was saved by Chad's magic, and Porkchop's creative application of broken wooden furniture allowed them to properly destroy the elder vampires.
• As the one vampire died, it turned into mist and attempted to float away. The team concluded that they needed to sprinkle the mist with holy water to properly murder the vampire. Porkchop scooped up the mist of one of them, while Chad destroyed the other.
• They continued to wander the structure, eventually stumbling onto a human woman in chains, held in a meat locker. They freed her, and she identified herself as Charlotte.
• Porkchop followed the detection necklace signal, and found her way into a greenhouse room behind a trapped door. One of two active signals was coming from the flower bed. She dug up a necklace, went back and collected another necklace from the bloody splattered remains of the one elder vampire, and decided the last must be within the mist form of the captured one.
• Porkchop and Thuzzal stayed behind to investigate, while Chad and Galaxea escorted Charlotte to the surface.
• Porkchop and Thuzzal made the connection, almost too late, that the necklace buried in the garden may have been abandoned there. They checked where Charlotte had been found, and
  discovered a set of keys nearby,
  tossed in a corner. Porkchop
  messaged Galaxea, warning her
  that Charlotte may be one of
  the Nightshade.

• On the surface, Galaxea pretended to fall to get Charlotte to stop. Charlotte say through this ruse and attempted to bolt away. Chad and Galaxea fought to keep her there, while Porkchop ran at light speed from the depths of the sewers to help.
• After a brief skirmish in the streets of Frostford, the team managed to subdue Charlotte. During the battle, it became obvious that Charlotte was a changeling, with similar abilities as Thuzzal.
• The team took her back into the sewer stronghold and interrogated her, destroying the remains of the vampire that Porkchop had collected in front of her. Eventually she caved, and explained the plan to relocate to the remaining Nightshade stronghold in Ikesh with codes that would expire in a couple days.
• The team acknowledged the time-senstitive nature of the access codes they had, and Charlotte agreed to aid them in entering the compound if they would promise her freedom after.
• They agreed, and slept in the sewers to prepare for travel the next day.

3rd of Sirius:

• That morning, Galaxea used Planeshift to transport the team and Charlotte to the wasteland outside the city limits of New Uryopolis. They skirted around the city, following Charlotte's guidance on markers in the desert. They traveled for hours through the mesas and towering rock formations, moving from hidden marker to hidden marker.
• At one point, a Purple Worm and its spawn attacked the team. Chad surrounding the group with rock wall to keep them at bay, but it burrowed through and swallowed him. Shortly after, the team managed to slay the beast and its brood, and Chad cut his way out.

4th - 10th of Sirius:

• In the week that followed, the team began to split up and travel around Athendria, working on various projects.
• Galaxea went to the Shadowfell to speak with Abdiel in his remote tower, asking for his help to create a tuning fork to the Abyss. He agreed to help in exchange for some traded rare magic item, and galaxea agreed to return later.
• Chad went back to New Uryopolis and informed the local leader about the heartstone mines, gaining trust and admiration of the warforged.
• Thuzzal traveled to Gnomeopolis and handed over his gun and the remnants of Corkas' unique minigun weapon that was attached to his suit. They began to work on a rapid-firing gun, building on his firearm with all their resources.
• Porkchop spent the first week gathering tools and resources for the construction of her stone golem.

11th - 17th of Sirius:

• Chad worked out and continued to support Little Bro. He also used his Ring of Earth Elementals to craft an training course in the backyard of the mansion, a sort of ninja-warrior course shaped from stone.
• Little Bro kept improving his lute skills, and demonstrated some aptitude with minor spellcasting. He expressed his interest in traveling the world on his own, and seeing how he fits into it.
• Thuzzal went to Urk to speak with Notrick about crafting a shield from Purple Worm carapace and Adamantine. Notrick agreed to do so, but only with his help and the promise of aid in the future for Urk. They got to work, working hard with the materials and struggling by the orcish forges.
• Galaxea paid off a sizable amount of debt owed to the teleportation mage that she had placed on her father, and took that burden off of her back.
• She also sought divine intervention from Aegir, seeking information about the last Fist of Hextor. Chad received a sending message from President Amigobro, stating that researchers had found a lead on the dragon.
• Galaxea and Chad traveled to Thrigrun to discuss this with him, and learned both the name and location of their quarry: Umbralax the Banished, on the 632rd layer of the Abyss.
• Porkchop bought a spellbook of Fabricate and continued to tinker with the golem. She also purchased massive amounts of benign materials to future use with fabricate.

18th - 24th of Sirius:

• Thuzzal completed his shield with Notrick, and now wielded one of the strongest shields a mortal could hold.
• Porkchop worked on the Golem with Chad's aid, beginning to tinker with ways to deviate from its intended design.
• Porkchop also collected her +2 Studded Leather armor, reinforced with dragon parts.

25th of Sirius - 3rd of Nevar:

• After another week of tinkering with the Stone Golem, weight training, shopping for rare magic items, and preparing for a trip to the Abyss, the team took a break to celebrate.
• Little Bro, after weeks of practice, regaled the team with a rendition of a song he wrote on his lute. They ate dinner together, and Little Bro announced he would be leaving to travel the world and seek his own fortune, with the appearance of a halfling with a lute.
• He declared he would be adopting a new stage name for himself: Libo the Brotherly. The team drank a toast in his honor, and he left Uthorim, setting out on his own.

4th - 18th of Nevar:

• Porkchop and Chad began to work in earnest on the Stone Golem, tinkering and experimenting with mechanisms for internal spaces and increased speed.
• Thuzzal collected his modified gun from the Gnomes in Gnomeopolis. It had been transformed from a carbine into a rotating machine gun; a high-speed non-magical weapon capable of horrifying damage output.
• Porkchop and Thuzzal managed to have their armors enchanted with the remaining rare monster parts in their inventory to be resistant to acid.
• Galaxea traveled to the Shadowfell, where she and Nameless briefly went to the Abyss to collect a demon skull and prepare her for making a tuning fork.

19th of Nevar - 5th of Nanook:

• After all this work, the team agreed to visit Janos Dragonslayer in Avaricity, and ask for his help with the dragon. They knew he had a powerful dragonslaying greatsword, and thought that perhaps he could help them.
• They traveled there together, and after imploring his help and agreeing to share a large portion of the Dragon's hoard with him, he agreed to provide help when the time came.
• They also discussed potentially adding Pork and Cork wine to Janos' distribution network, covering both the east and west coasts of Kamuin.
• The team all returned to Uthorim and resumed their preparations for the upcoming expedition to the Abyss.

16th - 20th of Nanook:

• After a couple months of work, Porkchop and Chad finally finished their work on the Stone Golem. Completing the ritual, and placing the tome into the chest of the construct, it came to life and kneeled in front of Porkchop.
• The Stone Golem was christened Rocky, and had a unique and lean appearance with intense musculature (courtesy of Chad). In its back was a compartment where Porkchop could hide and jump out of at a moment's notice.
• Galaxea completed her work on the tuning fork to the 632nd layer of the Abyss, and together the team gathered their resources. They all invested in some rare potions, polished their gear, and declared themselves ready to travel.
• They traveled to Avaricity to stay at Lord Janos' tower and rest before leaving on their adventure. Thuzzal cooked an excellent breakfast the next morning, bracing them for the hardship to come.

??? The 632nd Layer of the Abyss:

• With Janos joining them, the team gathered around Galaxea and planeshifted to the Abyss. They landed in thick mud up to their knees, and Chad immediately yelled out a challenge for Umbralax to fight them.
• Looming out of the fog and filth came multiple demons, drawn to Chad's challenge. Unwilling to engage with such monstrosities, the team dove into evasive action.
• Chad threw up a wall of thick stone to protect the team, and Thuzzal started to throw cards from his Deck of Illusions out the cracks. Galaxea summoned a fog bank, and Porkchop opened her rope trick pocket dimension.
• The team all climbed into the hidden space, and let the demons fight the illusions and break down the wall. Confused, the monsters eventually dispersed, wandering away from the players.

• After exiting the pocket dimension, the team decided to try stealth instead. Galaxea used Find the Path to direct the team towards the Dragon's lair, and they slowly began to make their way through the hellscape. Most of the team flew, and Porkchop rode inside of Rocky.
• At one point, Rocky began to sink in a strange demonic quicksand. Chad pushed while Thuzzal lifted, and together they managed to get him out before he was swallowed whole.
• The team eventually came across a ruined monument, covered in dangling thick chains the size suited for holding ships in port. It was destroyed, and they discovered numerous massive black scales in the mud nearby. They concluded it was the apparatus of banishment for the ancient dragon, and that they must be getting closer.
• Continuing on, the team began to fly over fields of bone and flesh, as demons wandered the wastes below, feeding on the carrion. Eventually, a greenish glow began to approach, and the team were beset by a Balor and Nalfanshee, while a Vrock flew in, drawn to the ruckus.
• The battle was short and painful, but Porkchop managed to slay the Balor on her sneak attack jump from within Rocky. It exploded and burned most of the team, but they survived. Thuzzal's flying carpet was slightly damaged yet again.
• Galaxea's spell brought them closer and closer until they came to the edge of a small lake. In the center was a mudberg, covered in glittering wealth and gold coins.
• Chad yelled out a challenge, and a telepathic voice responded with scorn, refusing to reveal itself. Porkchop strode forward in Rocky, attempting to use mage hand and steal gold from the pile.

3rd of Nimbus, 1095 PC:

• Upon returning and escorting Janos back to Avaricity, the team discovered that almost a month and a half had passed while they were away in the Abyss. This mean that they have approximately two and a half months before the planets align in the way that Avigario's astrolabe had predicted.
• The team traveled to Nangshi Monastery to deliver the final Fist of Hextor. They spoke with the Headmaster and Zerissa briefly, before delivering it to the doorway of light.
• They then headed to Thrigrun, to inform the Brotherhood of Heironeous that their trials were over. President Amigobro called for a celebration.

• The bros partied and cheered for Chad, as he unleashed his angelic form to impress them. Everyone had fun, and Thuzzal spied Edrik Gunderson watching quietly from the side. Without Chad, the team went to speak with him, seeing the simple blacksmithing stall he now resided in.
• They agreed to return him and his family to Lutetia, now that the Nightshade were defeated, and he agreed to testify on their behalf when the traveled to Lutetia to fix things with the Council.
• The team slept in the Lodge that night, resting for travel the next morning.

4th of Nimbus:

• Upon their return to Gateholder Keep, the team was suddenly suffused in a blinding radiance. Chad alone saw the glorious form of Heironeous descend from the sky, and thanked him for his successful quest. He praised Chad as a paragon of good and brotherliness, and he enhanced his Sunblade, unleashing its full potential.
• The team returned to their Keep, and were informed by their head butler Eladeen that they had a variety of mail to unpack. Most of it was fanmail, some of which was smut written about Chad, to everyone's amusement.
• The butler also informed Porkchop that she had a visitor who had been waiting for her return in the guest room. Suspicious, Porkchop investigated, and was surprised to discover a young shifter
  girl, with feathers in her thick hair.
• The girl introduced herself as Frost in
  broken common, and informed Porkchop
  that her and her village were doing well,
  and they wished to thank Porkchop again
  by hosting her in their new home.
• Porkchop agreed and
  teleported both of them to
  Shifter's Respite in the Killifyn
  Wilds, to speak with the Shifters
  there and celebrate.
• Meanwhile, Thuzzal descended into
  the basement to practice his archery.
  While there, a tap on his shoulder led
  him to turn around and confront a
  vaguely familiar face; the entity
  introduced themselves as
  Ragnadonna, a more feminine
  -presenting clone of Ragnadod.
  They explained and apologized
  for Ragnadod's abscence,
  clarifying that his wish he
  had requested of the Fey
  Queen was a clone of
  himself to keep him company.
  As a result, they have both been
  very busy getting to know each other.
  Confused and mildly embarrassed,
  Thuzzal acknowledged this, and they
  stepped through a portal with a wave,
  leaving him to his practice.

5th of Nimbus:

• The next morning, the team discussed their strategy for talking with the Council of Lutetia, and convincing them of their innocence. The agreed to travel and confront the council, speak truthfully, and bring Gunderson to support their claims if necessary.
• After preparing, Porkchop teleported the team to the main square in Lutetia. After being confronted by Crimson Cloaks, they were escorted to Fevagore Citadel, and brought before the council.
• They defended their actions, revealed the Maximilian's scheming, and Galaxea teleported in Gunderson to back them up. After much deliberation and accusations, the council agreed to let them off, with a payment of reparations in the sum of 50,000 GP.
• Porkchop was furious, and swore to pester the councilmembers forever in petty ways. Gunderson returned to Thrigrun to begin preparing his family to return to Lutetia, and the team returned to Uthorim to rest. Porkchop resumed her efforts to fix rocky, reassembling him and using melted gold to heal the cracks in the Kintsugi style.
• That night, Galaxea awoke to a strange magenta glow filling her room, emenating from the window. She went to it, tossing it wide, and was overwhelmed by the sight of Yoria filling the night sky, flooding everything with a purplish hue. She blinked, and the vision vanished, replaced by the serene view of Uthorim at night.

6th of Nimbus:

• The next morning, having dealt with their problems in Lutetia for the time being, the team agreed to head back to Skulldura. By traveling there, they hoped to get guidance from the Deepwalker, and to seek the villagers who had deserted.
• The teleported in, and arrived to find the village mostly deserted. The Deepwalker reminded Galaxea of what had been stolen; a strange stone, known as the Waystone, that had been kept with the trident in the Shrine for ages before being stolen by the disserters.
• By speaking with the few remaining survivors in Skulldura, they discovered that most of the village had wandered off, one by one in the night to join the other village down the shore. The team left and headed that direction, seeking answers.
• After half a day of travel, they found the new village on the shore, completely abandoned. Thuzzal and Porkchop followed Galaxea's magic to the location of the stone, atop a shrine on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The Waystone was slick with seawater and dried blood. As the left the village, Porkchop sensed something watching her, and for a brief moment, saw a humanoid figure standing waist deep in the ocean before it vanished from view.
• After discussion, the team agreed to rest overnight and then descend into the ocean to seek answers.

7th of Nimbus:

• The team woke, rested, and Galaxea cast water breath upon them all. They slowly waded into the ocean, keeping their eyes open for threats.

??? The Plane of Water:

• Thuzzal and Porkchop were cast adrift into an endless ocean. With wildshape and a flying carpet, they eventually found each other, and then eventually found the rest of the team on the back of the Deepwalker.
• After some exploration, and following birds through the sky, they found their way to a floating town made of broken ships. Galaxea talked her way onboard, and Chad made the denizens food to befriend them. The town was named Flotsam, and the leader Kella explained the villagers were all ex-sailors who had shipwrecked and gotten lost into the Plane of Water.
• After resting and more food prep from Chad, Kella gifted Galaxea a compass that would be able to show the players the direction to their destination.
• Thanking the villagers, the team left on the back of the Deepwalker once again. After many long hours of travel, swimming through a dark night with glowing lights in the sky, they came across a kelp forest and shallow waters.
• At the outskirts, the Deepwalker froze, warning them for combat. A Leviathan approached; an ancient water elemental, terrible and dangerous.

2nd of Mistro (38 Days Remain):

• Several weeks have passed while the team was in the Plane of Water. Upon returning, they immediately dove into reaching out to their contacts around the world, seeking support and planning for the invasion. Galaxea and Chad split, heading towards Thrigrun, while Porkchop and Thuzzal headed to Crooked Rock.

3rd of Mistro - 13th of Durak:

Chad and Galaxea:

• They spoke with the Brotherhood of Hieroneous, spreading the word and preparing for battle. The paladins agreed to help, and went further to try and recruit aid from Pelor's acolytes, courtesy of Arnold Amigobro.
• In Gnomeopolis, Chad attempted to rally the gnomes in the Dragonsfall Tavern. Duchess Silentall agreed to send a band of Dancers, and a dozen Gneutrilizer Suits, to the west coast.
• King Notrick from Urk agreed to send supplies and aid downstream to Brightshore, and come to Brightshore to provide aid himself when the time was right.
• Through Sending, Lady Spinel agreed to meet Galaxea and help as well in time.
• The Vapos Coalition rapidly prepared and sent troops to the Portal in the Plane of Water, even though they're time delayed.
• Lady Themaris, Galaxea's cousin, was busy but told her to come back in a week to discuss further.

Thuzzal and Porkchop:

• In Crooked Rock, they recruited Porkchop's mother and the aid of local giant wildlife for doing reconnaissance and support.
• Lord Janos and his network of mercenaries agreed to help, with the promise of first-contatct trade agreements with the Vapos Coalition afterwards.
• Sumia Silvertail agreed to aid Porkchop and told her to return on the night of the full moon for guidance from Selune.
• Porkchop recruited the Shifter village to her aid; they were already preparing from her messages before the Plane of Water journey. She spends the next several weeks teleporting them to Brightshore to prepare.

Preparation for the Day of Invasion:

• The team shopped around, pooling their resources and maximizing their magical items. Chad and Galaxea enhanced their armors with dragonscales and thousands of gold, while Thuzzal sought out the finest custom leather armor in the land. Porkchop sold many of the strange items she gathered on their quests while seeking our Manta Ray cloaks and magic items. Each player commissioned a Cloak of the Manta Ray, as a way to cope with the inevitable underwater combat to come.
• After all this preparation, they traveled to Brightshore to lead their forces and prepare. Thuzzal set up in the top of a lighthouse, and the rest of the team strategized. All the people who had gathered to aid them spread out in groups across the western shore, dividing their skills between them. Dire Wolves, Crimson Cloaks, Mercenaries of the Grasping Fist, Werecreatures, Shifters, Fey Quicklings, Dancers from Gnomeopolis, and more spread out in unison.

• On the last day before the 14th, the team finsished preparing, and ate a hearty meal, courtesy of Thuzzal. They were prepared for whatever came the following morning.

The Final Assault - Yoria:

• The team landed hard on a rocky outcropping on a wet and windy shore. The air smelt of ozone, and dark choppy waves splashed below them. Above, stormclouds parted to show the strange and distant surface of Athendria, where they had come from.
• Looking below, and seeing distant pulses of red light, the team dove off the platform and into the dark water.
• They descended, seeing massive red nodules embedded into the rocky outcroppings, filled with swarming creatures. As they watched, the light surged and it emptied in flash, presumably sending the creatures to Athendria.
• The continued downward. Occasionally, pulses of psychic energy from the depths below swept over them. Thuzzal, Galaxea, Chad and Porkchop were all overcame at one point or another and turned on their friends, but were brought back from the brink.
• While they attempted to be stealthy, they ran into a patrol of Aboleths and a Beholder. Chad banished the Beholder with his Hilt of Hieroneous, while the rest of the team pushed away the other monsters.
• As they took a short rest, Porkchop noticed a beam of reddish light, cutting through the darkened depths. This beam of light seemed familiar, and as she swam into it, it caused the markings on her fur to glow. She had a sudden vision of a path forward, down into the planet, through various twists and turns.

• She told Galaxea the path forward she had seen, to avoid forgetting. After waiting for more monsters to leave the area, they descended further.
• The approached a massive hole in the ocean floor, and dove down into a series of convoluted tunnels. Swift currents moved them along, and they did their best to avoid detection.
• After many turns and close calls, they came to a large node where hundreds of Chuul crawled about amidst bubbling sea vents. Galaxea circumnavigated the dangerous space by casting Etherealness on everyone, allowing them all to pass undetected.
• At a junction, Porkchop remembered guidance from the beam of light, noticing that the path to the right was important to helping their friends back on Athendria. They went there, and emerged into a massive cavern with ominous glowing pylons. Krakens and other unknowable monsters worked around them, maintaining them. Seeing the red glow, the team inferred this device must be associated with the teleportation sending monsters to Athendria to attack.
• After some discussion, Porkchop and Chad dropped out of the Ethereal Plane and targeted two large pipes feeding into the central device. Porkchop fabricated a large plug of lead into one pipe, while Chad used his ring of stone elementals to push slabs of stone into another. As the pipe swelled under the pressure, both fled back to the tunnels as sneakily as possible.
• The team left the strange region, which seemed to fill with light as the distant pipes exploded. A rush of water pushed them deeper into the tunnel network.
• The team headed towards the final destination. There, they activated all their strongest abilities and downed multiple potions, ready to fight against what lay at the heart of Yoria.
• The entered the final chamber. At the far end sat the Blood Queen, the center of the mind-slave network controlling all the creatures of Yoria. It shrieked in a horrible psionic blast, repulsing the team, but they pushed through and charged in to fight it.
• The fight was brutual. Thuzzal was stunned by its psionic blasts, while Porkchop turned into a whale to try and crush it. Chad summoned his bros from the afterlife with his horn, and they all threw themselves on the Blood Queen.

Athendria, Springtime, 1095

• In the weeks that followed the defeat of the Yorian Invasion, Brightshore began to rebuild from all the damage. The Heroes of Harmstead returned to Uthorim to recouperate and mourn the loss of Chad. They built a statue of him in Chad's gym, and placed his fluttering cape upon it.
• In the defense of Yoria, many Crimson Cloaks fell, and many other friends and comrades fell under the control of the Aboleths and turned on their friends, before a visible pulse of energy passed through them all and the control abruptly stopped.
• Many of the defenders have lingering effects, including telepathy. Most of the living enslaved creatures from Yoria fled back into the oceans after their mind control dissappeared. Most seem content to hide in the depths, but now and then problems arise along the coastlines of the world.
• In the months and years that followed, many of the friends of the Heroes of Harmstead continued their lives. In Lutetia, there was substantial reform of the Crimson Cloaks and power distribution of the Council following a lengthly investigation, backed by Idrik Gunderson, into the many crimes of the Maximilians.
• Urk prospered under the rule of King Notrick, free from trade restrictions and persecution. In Avaricity, Lord Janos brokered substantial trading arrangements with Lord Jubilon of the Vapos Coaliton in the years after the Yorian Invasion. Tritons and Merfolk became more common in the coastline cities of the world, and new resources and materials began to flow through the economies of the world.
• The Shifters, alongside Porkchop's mother Tora, distinguished themselves in defense of Brightshore. Porkchop returned them to their home, but not before they were formally recognized by the Lutetian government as a tribe and gifted many opportunites for future trade and inclusion in continental politics. Their small numbers grew, and while still rare, Shifters are occasionally encountered across Athendria.
• The Tribe of werepeople, led by Togma, fled from the public eye, but legends remain of their ferocity in battle, and how the twin moons of Athendria seemed to gleam together as they fought for their home.

Thuzzal:

• In the months and years that followed, Thuzzal stuck near Porkchop, helping her establish Pork and Cork. He headed up the inititative of Pork and Fork, a dining establishment to compliment her wine business. They expanded and branched out, and Thuzzal spends much of his free time teaching culinary skills to the orphans in Gnomeopolis at their second franchise location.
• At night, Thuzzal and Porkchop occassionaly head out into the darkened streets of major cities on Kamuin and squash organized crime. They ignore the small-timers, but they ensure that the frayed threads of the Nightshade never reestablish themselves again.
• Thuzzal eventually defaced the mark on his palm from Ragnadod, severing his connection to the fey entity. It faded with time, and Thuzzal never heard from the mischief maker again, although he swears that sometimes he catches a flicker of rapid movement out of the corner of his eye, like the flicking of a bushy tail running away...

Porkchop:

• Besides her work with Thuzzal, Porkchop focused on Pork and Cork, and on gathering wealth to herself. She grew her business, distributing her wine across the continent, and hopefully to all of Athendria one day. She also began a money-lending enterprise, backed by her hoards in Clifftop Castle. She also began donating portions of her wealth to orphanages and scholarships.
• She worked closely with the lizardfolk of Gelgari, and used Rocky for tilling the soil and other manual jobs. She spent much of her time collaborating with Thuzzal for their food side business, and occasionally traveled with Thuzzal to find treasures or hidden wealth.
• Rumor has it that Porkchop created a secret hiding spot within Clifftop Castle, which contains an unbreakable chest sealed by a magic lock,
  which contains much of her greatest
  treasures and wealth, hidden
  away from everyone
  but herself...

Galaxea:

• Galaxea returned to Gateholder Keep in Uthroim, choosing to make that her permanent home. She strengthened her ties with her family members, especially her sister, and started an adjunct position at Estellar Academy, teaching students about storm magic and artifacts. She occasionally brought her students on "field trips" to exotic locations.
• Galaxea paid off the debt owed to Lutetia, but unbeknown to her Porkchop made it her personal mission to terrorize the Councilmembers. Over the next few years, Porkchop would infiltrate and loot their houses, until such a time that she had stolen enough to repay the fine placed on the group.
• Galaxea collaborated with her father and Porkchop to distribute Pork and Cork wine, and helped bring a Pork and Fork location to Uthorim.
• Flotsam was eventually brought through the Portal to Athendria with the aid of Galaxea and the Vapos Coalition. While some left, many of the denizens decided to maintain their community in the oceans of a realm far better suited to their survival than the Plane of Water. Those that left, as well as many individuals who heard of Galaxea's endeavours, began to worship Aegir once more, reinstating many of the ancient rites of fealty and homage to the god of the deep ocean.

Chad:

• In the afterlife, Chad spent a long time celebrating, working out, feeling appreciated. But, one day, he started to notice that things were unchanging.
• He eventually came to Hieroneous, and wanted to deliver a message to his friends. He gave a short speech about how important growth and working together matters, and how he was always getting stronger to supoort his bros. Hieroneous promised to deliver this message to his friends for him.
• Hieroneous told Chad he was very proud of how excellent he is. He acknowledged Chad's comment on how static the afterlife was, and admitted that paradise isn't always that way. It is only kept that way by suppressing the forces of evil. He asked Chad if he would take up the sword once again, and defend this realm for all his bros in the future.
• Chad agreed, and was given pure silver armor, as well as his sword once again. He mounted Brorse, and sped off into the sky towards the eternal battlefields of Avernus, to keep the infernal legions at bay.
• After several years, during a reunion at Gateholder Keep, the heroes found a rolled scroll at the base of Chad's statue, with his final speech to his friends.

Full Campaign Statistics

CR 0 - 5:

• Swarm of Rats x5
• Bandit x25
• Goblins x19
• Wolves x21
• Zombies x238
• Skeletons x10
• Sahuagin x6
• Dretch x1
• Piercers x2
• Gnolls x 18
• Ghoul x22
• Ochre Jelly x3
• Gelatinous Cube x1
• Black Pudding x1
• Ghostly Minotaur x1
• Wight x2
• Stirges x70
• Winter Wolf x3
• Hobgoblin x5
• Rust Monster x1
• Dire Wolf x2
• Grick x1
• Ghast x15
• Sea Hag x1
• Ghost x7
• Weresquirrel x6
• Bandit Captain x19
• Velociraptor x4
• Werewolves x4
• Mimic x5
• Magma Mephits x6
• Salamander x3
• Lamia x8
• Bullywugs x10
• Giant Toads x3
• Drow Elite Warrior x6
• Drow Veterans x6
• Warforged Soldier x8
• Chuul x7
• Slithering Trackers x6
• Dopplegangers x4
• Giant Spider x1
• Minotaur Skeleton x9
• Paladin of Hextor x8
• Redcap x2
• Darkling Elder x2
• Quetzalcoatlus x8
• Owlbear x3
• Quickling x3
• Mummy x5
• Banshee x2
• Flameskull x4
• Wraith x3
• Beholder Zombie x1
• Purple Wormlings x6
• Vampire Spawn x7
• Giant Sharks x2
• Aboleth Minions/Sea Spawn x311

CR 6 - 10:

• Tyrannosaurus Rex x2
• Wyverns x6
• Shield Guardian x2
• Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu x1
• Dhokann (Mage) x1
• Yeenoghu Statue x1
• Giant Skeleton x1
• Stone Giant x1
• Troll x1
• Venom Troll x1
• Dire Bear x1
• Sahuagin Baron x1
• Invisible Stalker x1
• Werepig Spellcaster x1
• Fomorian x1
• Hill Giants x17
• Frost Giants x8
• Chain Devil x1
• Girallons x6
• Clay Golem x1
• Gray Render x1
• Warforged Titan x1
• Corpse Flower x1
• Spirit Naga x1
• Deathlock Mastermind x1
• Frost Giant Zombie x1
• Tyrannosaurus Rex Zombie x3
• Froghemoth x1
• Old Thrush (Evoker) x1
• Aboleths x5
• Kuo-Toa Archpriest x1

CR 11 – 15:

• Stone Giant Dreamwalker x1
• Gellureth, the Ivory Demise (Adult White Dragon)
• Balthazar Maximilian (Vampire)
• Roc x2
• Dire Troll x1
• Spirit Troll x3
• Borglyn, the Boytrose (Beholder)
• Feywild Ooze x1
• Rhemoraz x2
• Frost Giant, Everlasting One x1
• Ice Devil x1
• Vlondra Vrane (Drow Arachnomancer)
• Ancient Quetzalcoatlus x1
• Baron Chadwick Holderweiss (Mummy Lord)
• Purple Worm x1
• Vampire x2
• Nalfeshnee Demon x1
• Morkorth x4
• Mind-Controlled Beholder x1

CR 16 - 20:

• Dyvna, The Dark (Adult Shadow Dragon)
• Corrupted Paladin (Death Knight)
• Goht Dumag (Pit Fiend) x2
• Nylan Vrane (Drow Favored Consort)
• The Pursuer V1.0
• The Pursuer V0.86
• The Pursuer V2.1
• Skull Lord x1
• Daedrin Maximilian (Vampire Spellcaster)
• Claudicus Maximilian (Vampire Warrior)
• Brillin Corkas (in Gneutrilizer Suit)
• Balor Demon x1

CR 20 - 29:

• The Son of Hextor (Empyrean)
• Avigario, the Arch-Lich (Lich)
• Umbralax, the Banished (Ancient Black Dragon*)
• Leviathan x1
• Kraken x3

CR 30:

• The Blood Queen x1